Kasha running

Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City, is seeking a fourth term in the state House. She's now on file with the sec. of state.

She's probably a shoo-in. Esp. if nobody runs against her. The filing deadline is Thurs. noon and it appears she is the only one so far.

judgeship

LaDonna Lanning has formally filed for district judge on the Republican side.

If anyone can make an argument for why judge elections are partisan, I'd like to hear them.

Suffice it to say that Krusor looks like he'll cruise to victory on the Democratic side. I would say Chris Smith is the heavy hitter on the GOP side, because of his status as county attorney and overall he has had a good tenure. No one ran against him in 2008 for reelection.

Dem defector

County Attorney Chris Smith says he discovered after being a prosecutor that he's more GOP than Democrat. I suppose this makes sense, but the timing of it — to run for district judge – seems like there might be a little political expedience in the mix? Although it might be easier to win on the Democratic side, with only one candidate, Mark Krusor, in that primary. Smith's entry into the GOP field brings the total to five.

Wonder if Smith will take his Obama bumper sticker off his car?

Customer service

City manager Steve Archer says Karol Magnus's departure wasn't related to audit of city services, but, again, it's hard not to draw conclusions between people leaving unceremoniously and the audit of city services being done by an outside consultant.

I do know that the phone response system at City Hall stinks. Unless they changed it recently. Seems like it just looped back to the water department or something strange and confusing like that. If you didn't have an ext. number you couldn't get far ....

A taxing debate

Kuhn and Smith didn't like the Ark City chamber's stance on the state budget and taxes, which led in part to chamber dropping out of Kansas Chamber. Kuhn would have more credibility on this if he actually paid his taxes (on time).

Sheldon's Paw_ Shop

Bill Sheldon's convictions relating to accepting a fire arm from a convicted felon have all been thrown out. Will get back in the pawn business? Seems like the business has been going all along. The sign doesn't say Pawn anymore, though it says Paw ... and it's still an eye sore.

Build a fence, Bill!

Everything in moderation?

Moderate, and the whole concept of moderation, is a virtue not a vice in life. But in the Kansas GOP, and the GOP nationally. Moderate has become a dirty word. As this Great column by Chapman Rackaway from Fort Hays State shows. This is what typically happens in a primary, just as democrats veer left, but this year the trend is acute among Republicans for the perceived influence of the tea party movement and overall dissatisfaction with Democrats in charge of congress and white house.

Once upon a time Kansas was identified with more practical Republicans - Eisenhower, Dole, Kassabaum. Now the Kansas GOP has become more linked to conservative crusaders such as Phil Kline and Sam Brownback. And if Tiahrt becomes Senator, look out. And the GOPers running for Tiahrt's seat fighting for the ultra-conservative mantle, expect one - Jean Schodorf, whose only hope is that the others will split the very conservative vote.