Say WHAT????

Katherine Sibelius is the governor of Kansas, and she's a Democrat. That's unusual but not shocking--think of Brian Schweitzer in Montana or Republicans Mitt Romney in Massachusetts or Arnold Schwarzenegger in California. Now, Gov. Sibelius is running for re-election. She's chosen her running mate, Mark Parkinson. So, who cares? you ask. The lieutenant-governorship of a plains state is not generally the kind of political plum to attract national attention.

Well, think again. It turns out that Mark Parkinson was until recently a Republican. OK, you say, Democratic governor in a Midwestern state looks to move to the center by finding a Republican--or former Republican--to run with. Only it turns out that Mark Parkinson was not just a Republican. He was the chairman of the state Republican party. Think about that--a Republican chairman becomes a Democrat, in KANSAS.

A sign of what's happening just below the surface? Stay tuned.