It is real simple.

The bottom line is the abortion issue.

The old KRA group went soft on abortion - wanted to increase membership numbers and donations by accepting "moderate" Republicans. This in order to pay the wages of those who were on the KRA payroll as consultants. The Pro-Lifers alone were not giving enough money to support everybody who was drinking from the trough.

The NFRA (National Federation of Republican Assemblies) is solid ProLife and would not allow Kansas to accept anyone as a member, who did not agree to ALL the Federation principles, including the 100% prolife position.

Most KRA members in the Kansas group split, (some unknowingly so) from the National Federation of Republican Assemblies, and illegally took the name (KRA) with them. However, a few of us hung in there with the National organization.

I was the only one from Kansas at the National convention in Scottsdale, AZ last year, where Todd Tiahrt, Jim Ryun and Sam Brownback were given special recognition and praise nationally, as leaders that other states should follow. When they asked the Kansas delegation to stand, I was the only one standing, in a room of over 1000 people. Dr. Sarah Reagan (Ronald Reagan's cousin by marriage) saw this and took an interest in seeing the Kansas organization survive. (See NFRA convention photos.)

There was actually two other items in the mix, but the abortion question was the only item that the two sides could not come to an agreement on:

(1) A long-distance phone sales arrangement, wherein the state and the national were to split a certain percentage of the profit. Both say the other owes the other money. In the end, National was willing to give EVERYTHING to Kansas to keep Kansas in the Federation, but Kansas would not agree to abide by the NFRA principals - i.e., the ProLife stand, so a financial resolution never took place. And,

(2) A credit card sales arrangement, with near identical problems as those cited above with the long-distance phone sales agreement, and an identical non-solution to the problem. I.e., these two items could have been negotiated away, if we could have come together on the abortion question.

I put a lot of time and money into the old KRA, and have never gotten a penny out. We tried every possible way to avoid the split. But without compromising on the abortion issue, there was no way to come together on the issues at hand.

99% of the folks in the old KRA are good solid ProLife folks, who are just in the dark about what actually happened with the NFRA. For those willing to look through the hundreds of postings and letters on this topic on KCN, and outside of KCN, they will see that the KRAA, Kansas Republican Action Assembly is the true ORIGINAL organization, and that the KRA has split from us, not the other way around.

Any questions about the current official status of the KRAA and the KRA should be directed to Richard Engle, president of the NFRA. He has given me specific permission to release his personal Cell Phone Number to all Kansas Republican Senators and Representatives.

His Cell number is: 405-640-9219

Sincerely,

Mark S. Gietzen
5575 South Mosley Street
Wichita, Kansas 67216-3631

Phone: 316-522-8866
FAX: 316-522-8833