Incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), who is facing an unexpectedly fierce challenge for re-election, warned Monday at a campaign stop that the United States is heading for "national socialism." It's not clear whether Roberts intended to make a reference to Nazism or simply meant to invoke the run of the mill looming specter of socialism.
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The Kansas Supreme Court on Tuesday sent the question of whether the state Democratic Party is required to appoint a Senate nominee to replace Chad Taylor to a lower court, a decision that helps independent candidate Greg Orman against Sen. Pat Roberts (R). [...] Rick Hasen, an expert on election laws, wrote on his blog that the court's order lessens the chance Democrats will have to appoint a replacement. That's good news for Orman, since it increases the odds he will not have to compete for anti-Roberts voters with a Democratic opponent.