NewsOK
JOHN HANNA
Published: July 2, 2010
McPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — The three-story Opera House rises above neighboring storefronts on South Main Street here, a mecca of culture on the prairie. Not so long ago, arts enthusiasts in this south-central Kansas town worried about running out of money for its $8 million renovation.
But U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, whose district includes McPherson, stepped in and secured a $142,500 earmark in the 2009 federal budget to help pay off a construction loan and put patrons in freshly upholstered, crimson-cushioned seats for shows as diverse as the Vienna Boys Choir and fiddler-comedian Doofus Doolittle.
A big win for the district and political bragging rights for Moran, right? Not quite.
Moran, locked in a bitter Aug. 3 primary fight for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, is busy defending the earmark against rebukes from his opponent, fellow U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, that he is a fallen-away conservative who likes his share of government luxe... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Fri, July 2, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski