APNewsBreak: Ex-manager in Kan. race backs rival
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By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer
http://www.toddtiahrt.com/http://www.moranforkansas.com/TOPEKA, Kan. - A former manager of Kansas Rep. Jerry Moran's campaign for the U.S. Senate publicly endorsed his main rival Sunday, saying Moran is unsure of his beliefs and not "instinctively conservative."
Moran's spokesman said ex-campaign manager Paul Moore is disgruntled and described Moore's open letter to fellow Republicans as a trick from GOP rival and fellow Rep. Todd Tiahrt's campaign.
Moore provided a copy of his letter to The Associated Press and sent it to the Tiahrt campaign. He told AP he wrote it with "entirely no input from any other source."
He was Moran's campaign manager from February through mid-April, though campaign finance records show he remained on the payroll through May. He said he was forced out, without elaborating.
"To my surprise, Jerry Moran winced at the frequent use of the words 'conservative' or 'pro-life' to portray himself out of fear he might offend moderate or pro-choice voters," Moore wrote in his letter.
Moore added: "He ultimately relented to the political realities and has thoroughly advertised himself as 'pro-life' and 'conservative' to describe who he needed to become to get elected."
Moran and Tiahrt have been actively courting GOP conservatives ahead of the state's Aug. 3 primary. Moran's campaign has said repeatedly that Tiahrt's attempts to question whether Moran is a true conservative show Tiahrt is significantly behind.