Kansas 3rd District is representative of the mood that is sweeping the nation in recent months. The Tea Party movement is making a difference, but there are pitfalls.

Rhino candidate, Yoder, was a Democrat until he became a liberal Republican just before filing for the office he now holds in Topeka. He has more money than the other candidates and is clearly everything the Tea Party is not about.

The Tea Party movement is about cutting the insane spending and reestablishing the Constitution and individual rights in the nation. It is about state and electorate sovereignty.

Yoder is everything we are not - big spender, liberal, higher taxes.

Activists in KS will quickly identify Patricia Lightner, John Rysavy, and Daniel Gilyeat with the Tea Party movement because the talk the talk and have attended nearly every event. Nick Jordan and Charlotte O'Hara have not attended all the events, but in listening to their views, they stand with the movement.

The release of the recent poll showing Jordan with higher name recognition, a commanding lead over all other candidates, and campaign funds available brings an interesting electoral possibility into play. Unless the Movement can unite and set aside traditional Republican splits, Yoder may win the nomination and loose the general election against anyone in the Democrat Party.

Gilyeat has no financial standing according to the last reports. Lightner and Rysavy have some money, but not nearly the amount needed to beat Yoder or Jordan. Yoder has the most money. The April 15 Political Chips Tea Party rally in KCK may spell the end of many of the campaigns if they are unable to raise the funds needed for a summer race.

Unless April showers can deliver campaign funds to one of the Tea Party candidates, or we see unity behind the Republican candidate, we may see a neo-Dennis Moore elected in the Republican Party in the name of Kevin Yoder.

The next few months will be interesting in Eastern Kansas.