Saturday, July 11th, 2009

By J.R. Claeys

John Bradford, chair of the Leavenworth County Republican Party, put on one heck of a barbecue in Tonganoxie today. What looked to be 150 people showed up to hear from candidates and elected officials, including myself. Sam Brownback, Todd Tiahrt and Lynn Jenkins spoke to the crowd before lunch was served. Luckily I spoke after lunch, and as Todd Tiahrt said, growing up on a farm, you never want to stand in front of a trough at feeding time.

I told the Republicans gathered today about my roots in Kansas. As a fifth-generation Kansan, born and raised in Salina, I have a vested interest in my state. I talked about my conservative values, the values of hard work, of smaller, more efficient government, and of less regulation on Kansas businesses. The paperwork and red tape have become a strain on small businesses in a struggling economy. I know. I've been an advocate for small businesses most of my adult life, working with the National Small Business Association, the Bush Administration Office of Advocacy at the Small Business Administration, and as the CEO of a national business association. More importantly, I know, because I run a small business of my own.

In a tough economy the last thing we need is more regulation, more paperwork and more of the same. It's important we start calling added regulation and paperwork mandates exactly what they are: a tax on small business and a threat to good jobs in Kansas.

I shared with the crowd the foundations of my conservative values and my work for Republican and conservative causes as a fundraiser for the RNC, as a participant in the March for Life, as chairman of a conservative scholarship organization and as a member of the executive board of the Kansas Young Republicans.

I closed my talk by noting my experience with elections as an international elections observer. I've been on the ground for elections where photo Voter ID and registration security procedures are used to make sure the right to vote is protected, and I believe Kansas needs the added protection these laws offer to keep our elections fair and free.

Stop in Johnson County
Later in the afternoon I stopped by the grand opening of the new Johnson County Republican Party offices and talked with area legislators and party officials. Ronnie Metsker has done a great job of making the dream of a central party headquarters a reality, and all his hard work, and the hard work of everyone involved, will pay off with Republican victories in 2010.