Greg Orman, Pat Roberts respond to questions about wealth, residency
The partners in Wednesday night’s Senate debate — including The Eagle — asked candidates Greg Orman and Pat Roberts specific questions about Orman’s wealth and Roberts’ residency. Their written responses are included here. These questions were not included in the televised debate; since they are different for each candidate, they did not fit the debate format.
Question for Orman
Q. Mr. Orman, it was recently reported that you are worth tens of millions of dollars. In Kansas, the median household income is a little over $50,000 a year. How do you represent your state and constituents when there is such a massive gap in terms of wealth, possessions and lifestyle between yourself and the average Kansan?
A. “People have connected with our campaign because they know – like I do – that the system in Washington is broken and is failing Kansans. People know the career politicians in like Senator Roberts in Washington are part of the problem, and they want someone who can solve problems instead of play partisan games.
“I grew up sharing one bathroom with five siblings and my mother. I got free school lunch as a kid, worked my way through college, and graduated with student loans. I know what it’s like to struggle to pay the bills and I know what folks go through, because that’s what my family went through.
“I’ve worked hard. I started a small business that through hard work and a little luck was successful. We grew that business to 120 workers — creating jobs for a lot of hard working folks — before we sold it. Since then, and I’ve helped run many small businesses, and created jobs. The people of Kansas want someone who knows how to get things done and knows how to help the economy grow. A politician like Senator Pat Roberts who has been in Washington for the last 47 years doesn’t know what it takes, because he hasn’t done it.”
Question for Roberts
Q. Senator Roberts, during your 1996 run for Senate, you criticized your opponent for vacationing in Colorado rather than Kansas. In 2008, you criticized your opponent for living in Washington, D.C., rather than Kansas. This year you were quoted as saying, “It’s not the days, it’s the results” in reference to how much time you spend in Kansas. Why the change?
A. “There is no change. Dodge City is my home, and I'm damn proud of it. I am a fourth generation Kansan, and I couldn't be prouder of my Kansas roots. I work hard everyday for Kansas. I stand up to the liberal Barack Obama-Harry Reid Agenda and deliver conservative results in Washington. I travel all 105 counties, corner to corner, border to border talking with and listening to the concerns of Kansans when at home. I have spent my life serving our great state, and I hope to continue to fight for conservative Kansas values in the Senate. My opponent, however, would never fight for Kansas. He would simply be another rubber stamp for the Obama-Reid liberal agenda.”
This story was originally published October 15, 2014 at 8:11 PM with the headline "Greg Orman, Pat Roberts respond to questions about wealth, residency."