This summer's political campaigns have dominated newspapers, radios, and televisions across Kansas. The U.S. Senate primary battle between our own Congressman Jerry Moran and Congressman Todd Tiahrt has been especially contentious. It never had to be a negative campaign. But with Tiahrt being so far down in the polls, his campaign has focused all of their efforts on attacking Jerry.

Jerry travels home every weekend while residing in Hays with his family. Jerry's idea of voter outreach involves shaking hands and listening to voters at one of his nearly 900 town hall meetings he's conducted since he has been in Congress. It appears Tiahrt prefers to reach out to voters with desperate ads devoted solely to falsely portraying Jerry.

I know that Kansans are smart enough to see that the Jerry Moran fabricated by the Tiahrt campaign is not the Jerry Moran that has served us and our families as our representative. Instead of promoting legislation that he wrote to benefit Kansas, Jerry is forced to defend himself from the constant onslaught of misinformation from Tiahrt's campaign.

I had hoped that Tiahrt would have taken the time to introduce himself to Kansans outside of the Wichita area. But judging by the nature of his political ads, maybe it's better he didn't. The bill to repeal the Obama health care was introduced by Jerry Moran before Tiahrt as the numerical sequence shows. We need Jerry Moran in Washington or otherwise western Kansas will just not be there. Since Tiahrt can only stuff your mailbox and is not even making himself known in the area.

On Aug. 3, let's go out and show our support for a man with a proven record of helping Kansans. Vote Jerry Moran for the U.S. Senate.

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. McClelland

Hays