As noxious rhetoric spreads, Kansas Republican leaders whitewash intolerance within their ranks

As noxious rhetoric spreads, Kansas Republican leaders whitewash intolerance within their ranks

Former Kansas Young Republican vice chair William Hendrix holds up a sign at the Kansas State Fair on Sept. 10, 2022, in Hutchinson. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)The Kansas Republican Party has pickled itself in a brackish brine of racism, homophobia and intolerance. Officials can dissemble all they want, but the party can’t hope to represent everyday Kansans while tasting so sour. Poorly canned pickles can give you botulism, remember. This d…