Complete with a man in a chicken suit, the silly demonstration recently held outside the campaign headquarters of Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, made a serious point: Voters deserve to hear Tiahrt debate his challenger, state Sen. Donald Betts, D-Wichita. True, the race isn’t considered among the most competitive in Congress or even the state, and Tiahrt has been tied down on Capitol Hill recently with the bailout bill and other matters. But in refusing to commit to a debate and sending surrogates to forums, Tiahrt is dissing not only Betts but also his constituents of the past 14 years. Besides, with four years in the Kansas Senate and two in the House, Betts has three times the legislative record that young state Sen. Tiahrt had when he knocked off Rep. Dan Glickman – after a campaign that included at least two debates.
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51 Comments
Debates these days appear to be more “gotcha” seminars than debates.
A Congress person is only one of hundreds in a particular party and even a smaller part of the total.
It’s not like their particular stance in Congress is going to decide policy issues unless they are seated well in a committee or a leadership position.
I’d love to hear Tiahrt try to explain his piss poor record of doubling the national debt while still claiming to be a fiscal conservative. It’s no wonder he needs to avoid a debate, he has only his record to talk about.
Betts seems to have had no campaign. Tiahrt has much to hide. A debate is too late for Betts; too dangerous for Tiahrt.
Ain’t going to happen. The conventional wisdom is that Betts has nothing to lose and Tiahrt has nothing to win. Truth is, Betts could lose big time.
The main thing he would lose is one of his biggest issues, ‘Tiahrt won’t debate me’.
In a televised debate Tiahrt would come off like the seasoned, experienced statesman that he is and Betts would be a second class pretender to the throne that can’t even get the support of his national party.
I personally don’t need a debate. I’ve been to Betts’ website. It looks like a grade school class project.
The special interests have so much money invested in Tiahrt, it’s ridiculous. Of course Tiahrt has a better website and a more visible campaign.
Why should Todd appear before citizens who are not fan-boys of the current failed administration? He has nothing to gain and everything to lose if he is called to explain his tail-wagging record supporting Bush’s policies.
Yes, the citizens would benefit from a debate, but he is not interested in us.
Having watched the debate between Slattery and Roberts at the state fair, if there was a debate between Betts and Tiahrt Betts would be better prepared. Slattery proved to be a weak candidate and lacking any real formed strategy. The DNC it appears to have written off the Democratic candidates of Kansas in a year where they had hopes of winning.
When going up against the likes of Tiahrt and Roberts with long serving records. If you want to have a chance of winning you need a real effort. Otherwise its like going in the ring with Mike Tyson and having only watched boxing on T.V.
Having spoken to Rep. Tiahrt I will tell you he is no fool and can come off as someone that is sensible even when defending the most idiotic ideas. It may take you a full hour after talking to him before you suddenly pull up your pants and shout “THAT SOB!”.
“The DNC it appears to have written off the Democratic candidates of Kansas in a year where they had hopes of winning.”
Dawg, when sebelius runs, she sucks up all the money, all the talent, and all the oxygen in the state. As far as she is concerned, she’s the big dog, and no other candidates should expect any help or resources. Look at her track record for “coattails”.
And make no mistake. She was running this year, for VEEP. She was so busy trying to get Obama elected so she could have a cushy job, that she FORGOT there were other races in the state that democrats could win.
Of course, as far as she’s concerned, there ARE no other democrats.
And she has great influence with both the DNC and the DLC. So… instead of using that influence to help Slattery and Betts….
…she’s out spending time and resources on her OWN campaign for obama.
Governor “leadership” indeed.
Oh and Hank? If a debate would be such a knockout punch for tiahrt, why doesnt he just do it?
Bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk….
I know well the sound of chicken.
Tiahrt could ask Betts:
If you win, will you support current government policy that anyone with a pulse deserves a home mortgage?
If Betts says “no” —
Tiarht could then respond: “You will then be the ONLY member of the Congressional Black Caucus that believes we should only loan money to people who might be able to pay back the loans! I congratulate you for your courage and common sense.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usvG-s_Ssb0
Betts is a nice young man. The sad thing about him is he has been a puppet for the democrats and used so many times by them. He did nothing as a member of the legislature.
Who are YOU a puppet for there “sunflower5″?
Heh heh
Franklin
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:14 am
Oh, and I also recognize the smell of chicken CRAP!
Ewwwwwwww….
We missed you yesterday kfg.
We had some very enlightening discussions that I will have to leave you a note about in the coop.
Come on Betts! We want you to stand up and campaign! There is enthusiasm out here for you if you will just look for it.
Yeah JR, I missed you guys too. It’s hard living out here in LonelyLand. Heheheheh.
Send the scoop. You know, enquiring minds want to know….
Maybe next time the pup and I will make the drive. Garden season’s over, the chickens are easily cared for by my neighbors, and the dog, like girls, just wants to have fun.
Me too, come to think of it….
Watch your email later kfg. It’s going to rain here later and I have to get stuff done before then.
KFG I do not doubt that Katti was running for VP, but as to any real need to suck up money and time for a re-election for Governor of Kansas. The very fact she has been so long is enough to get her re-elected no matter how much it sticks in the craw of the KS GOP. The State GOP has depended to much on the State being Red that they have not put up a buyable candidate for Gov. The only they have show the RR influence in the State and can not convince those in the party or out of it to vote for them. As with Robert Dole if and when she makes the Washington move it will only leave Kansas with the bragging right to they were from Kansas and that is that.
I do not know a lot about Betts, but Slattery was not very impressible to me. His only attempt at an attack on Roberts record was weak and disjointed at best. Roberts on the other hand was seasoned and seemed factual whether it was or not depends on if the voter wanted to take the time to research it.
Do I want to see Roberts and Tiahrt to lose? Yes and no, for the most part until they became water totters for Bush I had not much against them. But their turning to the dark side bothers the crap out of me.
I have lost respect for either of them, Tiahrt started out with a great deal of respect from me but Washington has so changed him that he is not creditable anymore. I refer to the pants being pulled up comment as to how I see him now. I would be happy to see them stand up and become real Republicans instead of Neo-Cons if they do not lose.
Tiahrt has someone going against him this year?
Oh, and who is Donald Betts?
Hank says: “In a televised debate Tiahrt would come off like the seasoned, experienced statesman that he is and Betts would be a second class pretender to the throne that can’t even get the support of his national party.”
Pure partisan this is how I want the world to be bullsh*t, and nothing else.
Franklin sayd: “Tiarht could then respond: ‘You will then be the ONLY member of the Congressional Black Caucus that believes we should only loan money to people who might be able to pay back the loans! I congratulate you for your courage and common sense.’”
Jaw drops. You really think the above would be a briliant debating technique? You really see nothing wrong with a statement like that? You really don’t have a clue do you?
I’d love for you to go public with your talking points to people who are not obsessed with one or the other party’s politics. You really would be the best thing the Democrats could hope for.
Complete cerebral inertia. Remarkable.
And you probably have no idea why I found the quoted portion of the post so incredibly inept and clueless.
The jawless fish states: “Complete cerebral inertia. Remarkable.”
This means that on occasion the Crats can get their brain in gear. They don’t get anywhere though, because they are using square wheels.
“The jawless fish states: ‘Complete cerebral inertia. Remarkable.’
“This means that on occasion the Crats can get their brain in gear. They don’t get anywhere though, because they are using square wheels.”
Re: Regular
DNFTT
Ok… So who is this Betts guy?
Why on Earth would Tiahrt waste his time and give this guy a bigger platform than he deserves by debating him?
#
Nathaniel
Posted October 5, 2008 at 7:26 pm | Permalink
Ok… So who is this Betts guy?
Why on Earth would Tiahrt waste his time and give this guy a bigger platform than he deserves by debating him?
———————–
Betts is a nice young black man from my voting district. He has a very quiet demeanor about him, but has gone too far in following the left ideology in my opinion.
The difference is that Democrats like Betts stand for the principle of the day and not long lasting principles consistent with our founding fathers and their intentions.
That of course, is the whole problem I have with the Democratic Party. That is, their ideology is made malleable by the press and activism which is often misguided and not set in even-handed principles.
Of course, I’m bothered by the zealots of the far right as well.
But for the most part, I vote for people who stick to ideas and principles that have held true for centuries, not just the latest fad.
If Mr Betts was Savy he would debate the 3 party candidates with or with out MR Tiahrt
Tom – I agree. Let an empty chair represent yellow-bellied coward Tankerless Todd.
Yeah, and he still wouldn’t be anywhere closer to winning the election either.
YAWN
I want to debate Obama.
Why wont that coward debate me?
Tiahrt is also a FRAUD.
“Tiahrt is a German name. By no stretch of any imagination would his name be pronounced Tee Hart
It is properly pronounced Tee art, or Te airt.
He has tweaked his name to sound lovable. Like THAT is possible for anyone with out deep pockets.
Don’t know. Don’t care. Not a race.
Give the libs a debate. But then they will hate you even more. Or just screw ‘em. Either way.
Agnatha
The problem with this country, today, is NOBODY is willing to speak the truth.
We are in trouble, financially, because the Congressional Black Caucus, with the help of other Democrats in Congress, decided that EVERYONE who wanted a home should be able to qualify for a mortgage.
That is a fact. If you are not willing to accept that fact, it only proves that your head is in the sand.
“Voters deserve to hear Tiahrt debate his challenger, state Sen. Donald Betts, D-Wichita. ”
Why is that????
Tiahrt is a well know quality representative.
Who’s Betts?
Why should Tiahrt take the time or effort, when he knows he has it locked up?
When the man is busy, why waste time just because a challenger wants to take more of it up.
If Betts were a serious candidate then maybe, but Tiahrt is using good judgement here.
I understand that Tiahrt is YOUR representative Boxlock.
Isn’t he supposed to be mine as well?
Aren’t you cons supposed to be about the free market?
YOU have YOUR representative. Where is mine?
Nevermind, I get it.
I am not rich and I do not exploit people.
SO Todd Tiahrt does not care about, let alone represent me.
BlueJay,
There just isn’t anyone that can be mean, bitter, hateful, and miserable enough to truly represent you in public office.
They would never get elected with your vote and the votes of the other 100 plus or so like you.
Elsewhere, Nathan, you are planning exclusionary meetups.
Hey I do it too. Except I don’t exclude people on my side as you do.
I just know that cons are no fun.
I don’t parse who is and is not fit to meet as you and Todd Tiahrt do.
A public meeting for Tiahrt, anyone can come… at least that is what I think okobserver said.
Sounds real exclusionary.
You asked for how you lie. There you go.
I am not planning any exclusionary meetup.
BlueJay,
How about you come to lunch with Regular and I?
We can talk face to face like men instead of hiding behind a keyboard.
“A public meeting for Tiahrt, anyone can come… at least that is what I think okobserver said.
Sounds real exclusionary.”
Then why did you say elsewhere that you would meet “Regular” after?
“How about you come to lunch with Regular and I?”
I’ll think on it. You punked out on “Regular” before. And he HAS threatened to kill me.
Do you presume to speak for “Regular”?
I don’t owe you anything Nathan and my side is winning. What do I gain by meeting you and James you answer then we can talk.
A break through moment for Paul F. Rossell:
“We are in trouble, financially, because the Congressional Black Caucus, with the help of other Democrats in Congress, decided that EVERYONE who wanted a home should be able to qualify for a mortgage.”
I have it from a good source that Paul said under his breath before he typed the screed above: “It is all those darkie’s fault.”
Paul you are one bigoted bastard is all I can say.
Paul is sharing the opinion of Fox’s Neil Cavuto who said the mortgage problem was the fault of minorities getting loans. Naturally they both claim racist statements don’t make them racist. Last time I checked it wasn’t the person seeking the loan demanding the bank fork over the loan, it’s the bank approving the loan.
Minority loans account for about 1% of all the bad loans. As for the Democrats being at fault I’m pretty certain Bush wasn’t a Democrat when he was giving a speech about his “ownership society” and saying you can be poor and have a house as big as everyone else. But let’s not let facts get in the way of another one of Paul’s racist rants.
“There just isn’t anyone that can be mean, bitter, hateful, and miserable enough to truly represent you in public office.”
Oh come on, Nathan. The Kansas Koulter Girls, also known as brenda landwehr, susan wagle, and connie morris are SURELY bitter enough to represent anyone with a heart full of anger, bitterness and hate.
They are a trifecta of meanness. The very epitome of “Mean Girls”!
Hey I told ya the other day, and you didnt listen, that the repukes like paule say the financial bailout was needed because…
“Libruls made us give loans to colored people”.
(Ok, removing tongue from cheek now…)
“We are in trouble, financially, because the Congressional Black Caucus, with the help of other Democrats in Congress, decided that EVERYONE who wanted a home should be able to qualify for a mortgage.”
OK, it is obvious that you truly are clueless as to what I was talking about.
1) The reasons for the meltdown are multiple, and all sorts of individuals played a role, including both political parties and private associations affiliated with one or the other. All sorts of individuals and companies from buyers to mortagers who had dreams and dollar signs in their eyes.
Reality check:
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/who_caused_the_economic_crisis.html
Certainly, anyone who bought a house, in retrospect, could see the seeds of this crisis in everyone from the mortgage lender they dealt with to the real estate agents who (especially) represented a developer or seller.
2) Your focusing on one side to focus blame on is predictable, given your partisan obsessions. To suggest that in a hypothetical debate that Tiarht focus on Betts’ RACE, and to focus blame on the Congressional Black Caucus, is a racist tactic, pure and simple. A tactic that pre-emptively assumes that Betts’ race can be used against him in a debate because of supposedly bad decisions made by OTHER individuals who Served in Congress while Black is in fact racist. And that really is a fact that really would be evident to almost anyone who is not as deep in the tank as yourself watching such a hypothetical debate between Tiarht and Betts.
“That is a fact. If you are not willing to accept that fact, it only proves that your head is in the sand.”
The correct response to this is, as usual, bullsh*t. You obviously don’t care to evaluate something to the extent necessary to discern fact from belief or wish. That’s the difference between us, and as long as you are a reflexive shill who will bullsh*t for your cause (mix truth, fiction, and half truth to paint a picture consistent with your world view), that difference will remain.
BlueJay,
You just proved our point:
“I don’t owe you anything Nathan and my side is winning. What do I gain by meeting you and James you answer then we can talk.”
Now try this:
Tiahrt doesn’t owe Betts anything and he is winning. What does he gain by meeting Betts, you answer then we can talk.
Say Brownlee, we need a DIRECT attack on the Tiahrt Amendment.
It’s been 2 months since your last attack!
Why haven’t you brought this up just prior to the election? Do you not want to discuss the 2nd Amendment just before the vote for your precious Obama?
Donald Betts is a positive choice for Kansas to send to have real representation in Congress.
“But in refusing to commit to a debate and sending surrogates to forums, Tiahrt is dissing not only Betts but also his constituents of the past 14 years. Besides, with four years in the Kansas Senate and two in the House, Betts has three times the legislative record that young state Sen. Tiahrt had when he knocked off Rep. Dan Glickman – after a campaign that included at least two debates.”
That’s from Rhonda and she’s a con.
I wonder if she will remember this sentiment when the Eagle does its endorsements? Perhaps the Eagle should not endorse Tiahrt and cite that in refusing to debate, Tiahrt is ignoring his responsibility to his constituents.
Seems to me that Tiahrt is getting smug about this election. Senator Betts is in touch with the average person and Tiahrt is not. He actually stands up for what is right unlike Tiahrt who took over $500,000 from the banking industry after the 1999 Financial Services Modernization Act gutted all government restrictions. By voting yes for the 1999 Act, Tiahrt allowed for the mega-growth of the largest banks in the United States and their subsequent risky lending practices.
The nation is trending toward Democrats.
A greater Democrat majority in Congress will marginalize Tiahrt, the 4th District, and Kansas.
SURELY Todd Tiahrt owes his constituency an explanation of how he will deal with this by way of debate with Donald Betts? Or… does Todd Tiahrt even CARE anymore about the 4th district or Kansas?
I understand he WILL be in town for a party of the faithful. SURELY he can spare some time for a debate in between feeding Nathan and okobserver free pizza?
What’s Tiahrt so scared of?
His record–
“Deregulate! Deregulate! Deregulate! Less government in business and more business in government!”
See the current economic crisis brought about entirely by unregulated securities trading like “credit swaps.”
The American people may not understand all the fine points, but they’re smart enough to know that we DIDN’T have an economic crisis like this since the Depression and after eight years of one-party Republican rule, we do.
Tiahrt is directly to blame, and he knows it.
Bwack bwack buk buk BWACK BWAACK.
That’s Tiahrt-speak for “He’s a chicken.”
Scratch a republicon-find a racist.
The entire economic melt-down is because of “those people.” You know the coloreds that can’t handle money . . . probably because they’re too busy snorting cocaine, pimping their women, and robbing liquor stores.
Oh . . . and also looting.
It couldn’t possibly be the fat cat RepubliCONs who re-wrote the laws so that exactly this could happen and made money on it and are still making money even as their companies go belly up.
Nah, it’s the poor and powerless.
For sure.
I’m supporting KS State Senator Donald Betts, Jr. for Congress because he is clearly the best man for the job. He has stood up for the people of Kansas and what is right for his entire career. He helped to pass Magnum’s Law to make animal abuse a felony in our state, which was very important to me. Todd Tiahrt simply abuses his position. He has taken on $500K from the banking and financial industries, loosened regulations for them and now Wall Street is crumbling. This is unacceptable. Tiahrt has also taken a ton of money from Boeing, but also took money from Northrop Grumman. He voted to repeal the Buy American Act (along with John McCain) and that allowed EADS to bid on the tanker contract in the first place. Then, he acted all shocked when Boeing was not awarded the contract. It’s disingenuous and Todd Tiahrt cannot think the people of Kansas are so ignorant as to NOT see what he has done. I’m voting for Betts, who will put people over politics and not sell out to special interests and lobbyists in Washington. It’s about time we had someone who represented US and not corporate greed.