Campaign reports show Kansans' money-raising

WASHINGTON - Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore has raised $124,479 toward his re-election next year, while the GOP challenger hoping for a rematch, Adam Taff, has raised $29,232, according to campaign finance reports.

Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback pulled in $364,020 for his 2004 Senate campaign, which has not yet attracted a Democratic challenger. Reports to the Federal Election Commission, due Tuesday, cover the first three months of this year.

The closest anyone has come to challenging Brownback was when Moore flirted with the idea earlier this year. But the Kansas City, Kan.-area congressman announced last month he would seek re-election to the House.

"I was pleased with the support that people have shown for my presumed candidacy for re-election," Moore said in an interview.

A key figure on the reports is cash on hand, which is the amount of money in a campaign's bank account as of March 31.

Moore and Taff are more evenly matched in that category, with Moore reporting $174,698 to Taff's $151,378. Taff's cash-on-hand balance includes a personal loan he made to his campaign for last year's election. He still owes $110,000 of the $155,000 loan.

Taff said he focused more on organizing and upgrading his campaign operation than on raising money from January through March.

"We're going to put a full-court press on fund raising the next six to nine months," Taff said. "I have my campaign office open and staff working. The strength of our campaign last time was grass roots, and we're building on that right now."

Races for Congress in suburban Kansas City's 3rd District tend to be fierce contests that attract attention statewide and nationally. Last year, Moore defeated Taff by about 7,200 votes out of nearly 220,000 cast.

Races there also tend to attract more than one Republican candidate, resulting in bruising GOP primary races that strengthen the position of Moore, the lone Democrat in the Kansas delegation to Congress.

That may happen next year, too; a handful of other Republicans have expressed interest in a primary race against Taff, although none has declared a candidacy.

Brownback, meanwhile, built his war chest to a cash-on-hand balance of $755,056 as of March 31. He raised $2.1 million for his re-election in 1998, when he defeated state Sen. Paul Feleciano Jr. with 65 percent of the vote.

Brownback was a freshman U.S. House member in 1996 when he won the remainder of former Sen. Bob Dole's term in the Senate. He raised $2.3 million for that race, which he won 54 percent to 43 percent over Democrat Jill Docking.

_ Republican Rep. Jerry Moran, who represents the 1st District of western Kansas, raised $56,556 over the past three months and has $599,074 cash on hand.

_ Republican Rep. Jim Ryun, who represents the eastern Kansas 2nd District, raised $26,998 and has $209,086 cash on hand.

_ Republican Rep. Todd Tiahrt, who represents Wichita's 4th District, raised $51,044 and has $102,521 cash on hand.

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That 3rd district seat is so galling. We run a Conservative and RINOs vote Moore, we run a "moderate" (sic) and Conservatives don't vote at all. Taff's biggest problem was no truly strong GOP candidate to provide coattails in the Governor's race. Jerry Moran should've run, and would've prevailed easily, perhaps helping Taff into office. I'm not sure who would be particularly strong at this point, but one thing is clear, we're going to need someone who can match Moore in the $$ department, and he is not going to go underfunded.

>>>>>I say we try running Taff again, so another candidate doesn't have to build an organization from scratch.>>>>>

Taff ran an outstanding campaign last election. In 10 months he went from no name recongnition and no money, to winning the primary against a candidate with a much larger kitty. He was defeated by only a 7200 vote difference with a two term encumbent that had several million in his kitty.
Last election was a wing and prayer when Taff started out with so little time, and he almost... almost, pulled it off. This election is a slam dunk for him. He has great leadership skills and an outstanding work ethic. I look forward to him representing us in Congress.

I really like Senator Brownbacks new S. res.82 on Iran. Any measures to educate people in the Middle East via media outlets need to be implemented. Here is a paragraph from the resolution:

"We are on the verge of an historic shift inside Iran. It is in America's best interest to support the Iranian people as they struggle for freedom. I have been joined by a number of colleagues in putting forward a series of action steps that will put the U.S. Congress on record supporting the Iranian democracy dissidents as well as providing some financial support for the Iranian-American community to organize and help their loved ones inside Iran as well as for the American based private radio and TV stations that broadcast directly into Iran.

The first step is to unequivocally stand in solidarity with the Iranian people against this terrorist regime. To that end, Sen. Wyden "

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