Reports are surfacing in Shawnee and Johnson Counties that Gov. Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund “Leadership” PAC is attacking conservatives in at least three races. This is not at all surprising given the recent Meadowlark report: Gov. Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund PAC awash with cash for November elections.
So far, Sebelius and her Bluestem Fund PAC are attacking these conservatives:
- Dr. Bob Meissner for State Board of Education in Topeka (Shawnee County). Carolyn Campbell is the Democrat in the race.
- Eric Rucker for Shawnee County District Attorney. Democrat Chad Taylor opposes Rucker.
- Mary Pilcher Cook for State Senate in Shawnee (Johnson County). Democrat Pete Roman opposes Cook.
Sebelius’ Bluestem PAC is airing very negative radio ads against Meissner and Rucker, while mailing hit pieces against Mary Pilcher Cook. No other reports of the activities of this PAC have been received.
Note the labels on the bottom of this Bluestem Fund PAC mailing can be broken into three parts:
These labels look much like those on the Snoop Dog mailings by the non-profit Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection used against Phill Kline for Attorney General in 2006. Both labels showed a code with three letters followed by four number on the left, a union printer label in the middle, and a “Paid for” message on the right. What are the chances this same mode of operation shows the same Democratic group might be behind both mailings?
Why is Sebelius’ “Leadership” PAC allowed to exist in Kansas?
Apparently Sebelius is exploiting a loop hole in Kansas law in using her PAC to attack conservatives. The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission said a similar new “Leadership” PAC with ties to conservative House Majority Leader Ray Merrick could not exist (See Novel campaign group plans to disband, Hutchinson News, Sept 10, 2007.)
A 2000 state law prevents individual lawmakers from establishing their own fundraising committees – known as “leadership PACs” – to influence the outcome of state legislative races. …
Top lawmakers for each party in the House and Senate control political action committees that they can use to boost their caucuses’ fortunes at election times. Because those fundraising arms predated the ban on leadership PACs, they were allowed to continue to operate under the law passed in 2000, Governmental Ethics Commission executive director Carol Williams said.
Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius also leads the Bluestem Fund, a leadership PAC that dates back to her days as insurance commissioner.
Why do we have state laws that only allow some to have a leadership PAC? Where is the fairness in letting some to have a leadership PAC and others not?
What other conservatives will Governor Sebelius and her Bluestem “Leadership” PAC attack next?
Related:
- Gov. Sebelius’ Bluestem Fund PAC awash with cash for November elections, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 4, 2008.
- Political Money Rankings of 228 Kansas PACs, Kansas Meadowlark, March 16, 2008.
- Summary of Contributions and Expenditures of Kansas Political Action Committees (PACs), Kansas Meadowlark, March 15, 2008
- Novel GOP campaign group plans to disband, Hutchinson News, Sept 10, 2007.
Tags: Bluestem Fund PAC, Kansas Democratic Party, Kathleen Sebelius
