By NICK BUDD
Hays Post
Republican incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts is putting it plain and simple to voters.
“The choice is pretty simple folks: A vote for Pat Roberts is a vote for a majority in the Senate for the Republican Party,” Roberts said to a crowd of approximately 100 people on Saturday morning. “We will then have the responsibility and obligation to govern on your behalf, and we will be able to operate it like it did for 225 years before Harry Reid took over.”
Roberts visit to Hays on Saturday was his sixth and final stop in his Big First District bus tour as his campaign for re-election enters the final week. Roberts is caught up in a close race with Greg Orman, a newcomer to the political spectrum. Roberts contended Orman’s independent tag is misleading voters.
“(Greg Orman) is not shooting straight with Kansans.” Roberts said. “He ran against me in 2008 as a Democrat and he has given thousands of dollars to Democrats and Hillary Clintons so we know where he is headed in that direction. “ Roberts said. “He has also given money to Barack Obama and Harry Reid.”
Robert’s criticism of Majority Leader Reid has been one of his main themes throughout his campaign. He said if the Republicans get the Senate back, they can start getting things done again.
“With Harry Reid, he will not accept any Republican amendments,” Roberts said. “There have been over 350 bills that have been passed in the House, and some of them have been very good bills, including some that repeal and replace Obamacare, protect the life of the unborn and the life of all of us when we are about to meet our Lord.”
Roberts also that he disagrees with Orman on “almost every single issue in this election.”
“With abortion, he says ‘ya know we ought to just get past this,’ ” Roberts said. “He’s also for Obamacare. I want to repeal it and replace before we lose all of our doctors and rural health care.”
Roberts said the biggest issue in this election coming up is national security. With the threat of ISIS looming over America along with several attempted White House break-ins, he said he has fought hard to keep the issue at the top of his priority list.
“(National security) is our first obligation,” Roberts said. “When you raise your hand to take the oath, which I’m very proud to do as the senior Marine in the Senate, you say I will protect our individual freedoms, we will do what needs to be done with national security.
“The president of the United States has an obligation to come to the Congress and ask for authorization, to say we are at war with ISIS. We’re bombing another country.”
Roberts also talked about how he prevented Obama from sending prisoners from Guantamano Bay to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. He said Obama is now trying to do the same thing by executive order. Roberts said he will “shut down the Senate” if that happens.
A recent NBC poll has Orman leading Roberts 45 percent to 44 percent. The general election is set for Nov. 4.