Hutchinson News editorial - July 19, 2010

The race to succeed U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas has been one of the ugliest in recent memory. So for voters who already may be sickened by the mudslinging rhetoric of congressmen Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt, it is nearly time to make a choice in the Republican primary Aug. 3. . .

Our choice is Moran, who has a stellar record of being a constituent-focused representative for the sprawling Big First District and hopefully will retain some sanity if he emerges the winner. . .

Meanwhile, over on the Democrat side, few voters may know that five candidates are vying for the nomination. None has the credentials of Moran or Tiahrt, but Charles Schollenberger has been running hard and would be a good pick for Democrats interested in a political outsider. . .

On the Democrat side, the best credentialed candidate would be Haley, but one always wonders about a politician’s true ambitions when he first runs twice for Secretary of State, unsuccessfully, and then ends up in the U.S. Senate race. . .

But, from a contrarian standpoint, Schollenberger – a retired newspaper journalist and communications executive from Prairie Village – also would make the general election campaign competitive. Schollenberger has been in the race far longer than any of the others, having started touring the state last summer in an exploratory mode. He has been visible since and active in articulating position papers on 10 key issues, from agriculture to energy, foreign policy and the economy. This is impressive, and it makes Schollenberger a solid choice for Democrats. . .