Kansas Caucuses Could be Rocky Soil for Leaders
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Both Democrats and Republicans are wondering whether their presidential caucuses in Kansas will be rocky soils for their front-runners. GOP leader Donald Trump was making an appearance today' (SAT) in Wichita just before voting started there. Texas Senator Ted Cruz also was visiting and Florida Senator Marco Rubio had three campaign events across the state yesterday (FRI). In Kansas, the billionaire businessman seemed more the insurgent. Most of the state GOP's top elected officials and rank-and-file activists also were split between Cruz and Rubio. Clinton had a different challenge. The former U.S. secretary of state is the choice of former Governor Kathleen Sebelius and other state party establishment figures. Her supporters worried about a surge of new voters and energized progressives boosting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' challenge.
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Trump Plans Pre-Caucus Rally in Wichita
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Donald Trump plans to have a rally today (SAT) in Wichita as Republicans prepare to vote in the state's presidential caucuses. The billionaire businessman's campaign for the GOP nomination announced the event Friday, as rival and Florida Senator Marco Rubio was campaigning in the state. Trump's campaign said his event would be at 9 a.m. at the Century Two arena. The local caucus is at the arena, and Republican candidate Ted Cruz planned to be there as voting opened at 10 a.m. Cruz had a campaign stop Wednesday evening in Olathe, followed by a rally at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park. Rubio's rallies Friday were Topeka, Wichita and Overland Park. They're vying for the state's 40 delegates to the GOP National Convention this summer.
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Rubio Jokes He's Competing with Shocker Basketball
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) —Marco Rubio is taking quite a risk campaigning in Kansas a day ahead of the state's Republican presidential caucus: He's competing alongside Wichita State basketball. The Florida senator took the stage at a Wichita airport hangar yesterday (FRI) with about three minutes remaining in a tight conference tournament game between the local favorite Shockers and Loyola University of Chicago. More than a few Rubio loyalists directed their attention at the television screens around the venue instead of the would-be leader of the free world. Rubio acknowledged the timing, and tried to capitalize, telling the crowd that all his opponents were "cheering for Loyola." He said they "all told me at the debate last night, 'I hope Wichita State loses." He laughed and added, "Nice try. I know." Trailing Donald Trump and Ted Cruz in delegates, Rubio sought inspiration from the Shockers. He noted "they were down six just a few minutes ago," before taking the lead about the time the rally started. Wichita State won 66-58.
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Rubio Vows Not to Send Terror Detainees to Fort Leavenworth
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — On the eve of the Kansas presidential caucuses, Marco Rubio is assuring voters that he would never house foreign prisoners in their state. Rubio told more than a thousand enthusiastic supporters in Kansas City that foreign detainees "don't have the right to remain silent, and we're not bringing them to Kansas." Instead, the Florida senator says "they're going to Guantanamo." The issue has been a source of tension in Kansas since Pentagon officials visited Fort Leavenworth last year as they studied placement options for prisoners now held at the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Obama administration announced in February plans to close Guantanamo, but did not say where detainees would be transferred.
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Kansas Man Sentenced for Store Parking Lot Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 ½ years in prison for the killing of his girlfriend in the parking lot of a home improvement store in Kansas City, Kansas. The Kansas City Star reports that George Lingenfelser of Bonner Springs was sentenced Thursday. He was convicted of second-degree murder in the December 2014 killing of 29-year-old Janet Billings. Lingenfelser was originally charged with first-degree murder for shooting Billings in the parking lot of a Lowe's Home Improvement store.
