Tiahrt: Rival Moran Is "Timid"
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R) sharpened his attacks on his GOP primary opponent on Thursday, offering the harshest assessment of Rep. Jerry Moran (R) as the 2 heat up their bids for an open Senate seat.
"We can't afford to have a timid senator that won't accomplish anything," Tiahrt said in an interview with Hotline OnCall. When asked if he meant to imply that Moran was "timid," Tiahrt said yes. "He is timid. He won't get out in front of the issues. He won't get things done for the state."
"You can't just have somebody that's timid and is nothing more than a smile and a handshake," said Tiahrt. He accused Moran of being a "flat-bottom sail boat" that goes with the wind. "But I have a political rudder," Tiahrt said, "and I use the winds to get things done, to get where I want to go."
Moran spokesperson Dan Lara defended his boss in a statement delivered to Hotline OnCall.
"Jerry Moran is far from timid. Timid individuals do not get re-elected by wide margins as Jerry has done throughout his time in the House. Timid individuals do not garner the broad support of Kansans, as Jerry has consistently done in this election for the Senate, as proven by independent polls and an almost 3-to-1 advantage in fundraising," Lara said. "Jerry's campaign has wide and growing appeal, which is the mark of a principled, proven leader."
But Tiahrt, a businessman before coming to Congress, dismissed Moran for his lack of real-world experience. "I think it's because he doesn't have any business experience," Tiahrt said. "He hasn't been responsible for explaining how business works or how a company makes payroll."
In the private sector, Moran worked as an attorney, bank officer and professor before being elected to the House in '96.
The sharpened tone comes after several public polls have shown Moran with a significant, but not insurmountable, lead. Tiahrt said that with 25 weeks to go before the primary, he isn't taking stock in current polls. He is instead counting on conservative grass-root activists, like the Tea Partiers, to advocate for him and turn out on Election Day.
"I consider myself part of the Tea Party movement," said Tiahrt. "Absolutely. Those are voices of people who are politically active and they're upset because we're borrowing money we don't have and spending money on programs we don't need."
Taxes and spending have been a cornerstone of Tiahrt's attacks against Moran. He faulted Moran for voting in favor of 2 increases during the 111th Congress, one on cigarette products for the expansion of SCHIP expansion and another "punitive tax" on Wall Street bonuses. Tiahrt disagreed with Moran's July '09 vote in favor of the Dem version of PAYGO, which, he said, requires a 2/3 vote to lower taxes and a simple majority to raise taxes. Tiahrt said he supports legislation that would require a 2/3 vote to raise taxes.
Tiahrt also accused Moran of acquiescing and allowing HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius to win 2 terms as gov. Moran declined to run in '02 and '06 after clearing the field first. That meant other GOP candidates jumped in too late to raise significant cash, according to Tiahrt, and organize their campaigns effectively.
"By him backing out, we ended up with a Democrat governor," Tiahrt said.
Tiahrt said his path to victory relies on turning out conservatives while Moran has to turn out moderates. In Kansas, Tiahrt said, "a moderate is Jerry Moran." Tiahrt said the thing to remember about the race is "it's a primary, it's not a general election, and with that strategy, I believe I'm going to be successful."
As a Kansan, these comments by Tiahrt sound desperate, and they are certainly untrue. Tiahrt has one of the highest records in Congress for earmarks and he voted to expand Cash for Clunkers and was a sponsor of the DREAM Act.
Also, how does a timid person manage to get elected so many times to represent the largest congressional district in the country? They don't, and Jerry Moran has held that seat securely for a long time.
I have wondered over and over again why Tiarht chose to run in this race after Moran delcared. After seeing Tiahrt's poll numbers and lack of fundraising, he should get the message that the people in Kansas don't want him in the US Senate.
A couple of highlights from a KC Star article about Moran...
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/19835
I can’t shake the experience I had covering Moran both in 2002 and 2006 when the congressman was eying a race for governor.
Both times, Moran staged the most tortured, twisted, prolonged political dance I’ve ever experienced in 30 years of covering politicians. Moran was in the race, then out, then back in, then out.
...
'I’ve never seen anything like it,” K-State political scientist Joe Aistrup burst out at one point in 2005. “He’s like the runaway groom. He gets close. But he just can’t say, ‘I do.'
...
“It was indeterminate to determine what his opinion was,” former state Sen. Gus Bogina quipped.
...
Another senator, Republican Mike Harris, who roomed with Tiahrt, recalled Moran disappearing when controversial bills arose. Harris termed it “lapses of indecisiveness.”
...
In endorsing Tiahrt this year, former Congressman Jim Ryun described Moran as a politician “who fades into the background out of fear that he will offend someone and not win 80 percent of the vote in his next election against token opposition.”
So what if Jerry got reelected. Please tell me one candidate that actually spent any money against Moran. If a conservative republican wanted to run against Jerry, the would have won as we will see Todd win. Winning an election has nothing to do with if one person is timid or not. What a person does in Congress does. Jerry has voted to raise taxes, expand healthcare to illegal alliens, is afraid of standing up for the right for life and marriage, and fails at family values proven by leaving his wife as a single parent while he is in DC. Moran is timid as proven in his lack for appearance at KS Day. Todd recently introduced a bill to stop illegal aliens. Todd does not support the Dream act. Jerry votes and then runs and hides. Todd takes on the likes of Murtha and McCain. Jerry will not and has not ever done the sort. Libs and mods like Jerry because he is squishy and gets run over. Jerry is in this for himself and only himself unlike Todd who truly represents Kansas values. Polls are poor indicators as well as money, especially like Jerry's funding, a good portion comes from out of state and not actual voters. Tiarht will win by a margin greater than 5.
George,
Those are just lies. I challenge people to look at Moran's actual record, not the one Tiahrt is trying to create. You have diluted yourself about Tiahrt.
Timid does not vote against big government Republicanism like NCLB and Medicare Part D that helped bring us Obama, Pelosi and Reid; timid does not fight to place a moratorium on earmarks instead of hemorraging the national debt and caving into Pelosi, Murtha and the Washington culture of corruption; timid does not vote against pay raises as opposed to feathering ones own nest.
It's not a tough decision to vote against pay raises. that's just a given. Earmarks, look at Jerry's record - many including Todd voted against this. Oh, yeah, Jerry also requests earmarks. Yes he did voted against Medicare Part D, but he ran and hid. Timid, yes. He then turns around and votes for SCHIP - this will allow more illegals into the system. Then he allows Sebiluis into office because he can't make a decision - yes, indecisive and timid. yes. I challenge you to look at Todd's record. These are not diluted, these are the facts. Todd doesn't vote for tax increase like Jerry does. Todd believes in family values unlike Jerry. 30 to 40 percent of Jerry's funding comes from out of state lobbyist. What does he actually do in Washington while leaving his wife home to take care of the house. He is budding up to lobbyist. And yes maam, these are the facts. Also, funding out of state is not a true reflection of how Kansans stand. And you can never trust a poll. Who is the true Washington insider who morphes to win votes - Jerry. Why all of a sudden has Jerry been more conservative since his senate campaign began? It is because all he cares about is winning. Yes, these are the facts. Look at voting records and things that he says. Compare voting records from his past. Oh yah, he also said Obama was easier to work with than Bush. Do you know why? It is because Obama was popular after the election and Moran wanted to try to gain popularity. Those my dear are the facts. I do challenge you to see the truth not just dring the Kool aid of Jerry Moran. Todd will win the senate
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