Throw another soul on the political scrap heap

Rod Haxton, editor

By Rod Haxton, editor.

When you wallow around with pigs - whether literally or figuratively - eventually it’s going to affect the way you think and act.
Welcome to Politics 101.
Of course, everyone who enters the political arena likes to think they’re different, that they won’t get caught up in the corruption, the hypocrisy and the ego-driven nature of the business. But, eventually, the desire to remain in office trumps one’s core values.
Congressman Jerry Moran used to think he was immune to these political pressures. He likes to remind voters how he’s not a Washington insider because he returns home to Hays nearly every weekend. He maintains the long-standing tradition of visiting every county within the Big First District each year.
But the current U.S. Senate race has revealed that the political process can break down the will and the character of even the most determined candidate.
Let’s make clear from the outset, this is not an endorsement of Congressman Todd Tiahrt, a right-wingnut who has spent his entire political life pushing an ultra-conservative social agenda. And his fiscal credentials aren’t as impeccable - or conservative - as he likes to imagine.
Moran entered the race as the perceived Republican moderate - a candidate who could seemingly set political rhetoric aside in order to do what’s best.
Moran has boasted repeatedly that he doesn’t toe the Republican line, referring to his decision not to support the costly Medicare Part D prescription plan that was forced through the Republican-controlled Congress during the Bush Administration. And he likes to point out that he was one of the few Republicans who voted against No Child Left Behind, which was another Bush Administration initiative.
Kudos.
NCLB, though well-intentioned, is unrealistic in its goals along with the pressure for schools to “teach to the test” in order to meet standards. Medicare Part D was nothing more than a boondoggle that has funneled billions of dollars to the pharmaceutical industry.
Based on those two votes, Moran has tried to sell himself as a Republican maverick who is willing to stand up against the party leadership. However, the NCLB vote came in 2001; the Medicare vote in 2003. Which brings us to the familiar sports adage, “What have you done for me lately?”
In Moran’s case, it would appear he was carefully calculating his decision to eventually seek the seat that is being vacated by Sen. Sam Brownback. In doing so, Moran couldn’t afford to alienate the Republican establishment, so he has instead chosen to go with the flow.
Moran has consistently voted right down the party line on every major legislation that’s come through Congress over the last seven years. Nearly every listening tour and campaign stop during that time has included mention that he stood strong in voting against NCLB, but his voting record since the Medicare Part D vote has been anything but “mavericky,” as some would like to say.
Any remnants of Moran’s moderate past have been thoroughly discarded over the past few months as he and Tiahrt play leap frog to see who can be more conservative than the other. There isn’t a news release from either camp that doesn’t include the mention of “conservative” on repeated occasions - describing everything from the way they put on their pants to the family pet.
Each is parading a steady stream of “conservative” supporters. Moran trots out an endorsement from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Tiahrt answers with Sean Hannity. Moran gets the endorsement of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Tiahrt calls that bid with Karl Rove and raises the ante with Sarah Palin.
When Republicans had the presidency and a majority in Congress, balancing the budget was unimportant. Both candidates were going after tens of millions of dollars in “earmarks” and bragging about how much of the budget pie they were able to bring home.
Both favored tax cuts and unfunded wars that doubled the federal deficit to more than $10 trillion.
Given their past voting record, it makes their new-found appreciation for balancing the budget and fiscal discipline ring a little hollow.
That’s politics. We’ve seen it before.
Of course, it could also be argued that Moran is doing what’s necessary to win. Moran already has the support of moderate voters who have known him for all these years. He’s just trying to peal off some of the right wing votes from Tiahrt.
But if you have to pretend to be something you aren’t in order to get elected, what does that say about character and principle?
Moran didn’t have to join Tiahrt by stepping over the right wing cliff. Anyone who wants to get into a “I’m more conservative than you” contest with Tiahrt is going to lose.
Rather than selling himself as a reasonable moderate, Moran made a conscious decision to become another right-wing, drink-the-koolaid whack job who puts rhetoric ahead of smart policy.
It’s too bad. We expected better.