“One of the reasons that I’m running is to change that, Roberts invokes 'national socialism'

Campaigning with Kansas legend Bob Dole on Tuesday, Sen. Pat Roberts warned attendees at a Dodge City event that the United States was on the path to “national socialism.”

“There’s a palpable fear among Kansans all across the state that the America that we love and cherish will not be the same America for our kids and grandkids, and that’s wrong,” Roberts said, according to a video of the event posted on the YouTube account of the Democratic opposition research group American Bridge.


“One of the reasons that I’m running is to change that. There’s an easy way to do it. I’ll let you figure it out. But at any rate, we have to change course because our country is headed for national socialism. That’s not right. It’s changing our culture. It’s changing what we’re all about.”

( POLITICO Magazine: America’s New War President)

Roberts’ comments came as polls show independent Greg Orman leading by double digits and as the incumbent casts himself as more of a moderate to appeal to voters who are tired of Washington gridlock.

On one hand, Roberts’ appearance with Dole — who was known for his moderate voting record and bipartisan deal-making as the former Senate GOP leader — could send a reassuring signal to those centrist voters. But invoking socialism, a common line of attack against President Barack Obama and Democrats in 2012, is more likely to appeal to the conservative base.

A Hungarian-born billionaire, Thomas Peterffy, spent at least $8 million on ads in 2012 telling voters to support Republicans to escape socialism.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story noted that the full name of Germany’s Nazi Party was the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Roberts made no inference or reference to the Nazi Party.