Topeka ? Kansas Republican officials on Thursday were predicting a “clean sweep” in statewide races on Election Day and big GOP gains nationally in Congress.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., speaks Thursday to Republicans as the 4-day bus tour started on its second day.

Starting their second day of a 4-day bus tour, Republican candidates took swipes at their Democratic opponents and President Barack Obama.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who is not on the ballot but declared himself “sheriff of the young gun posse,” said the nation was rejecting Obama’s policies.

“We are going to reverse this ideological rush to European socialism,” Roberts said.

He said Republicans will overhaul the new federal health care law that Obama signed. “This isn’t the end of it,” Roberts said of the health law. “It is just the beginning” he said.

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka, whose district includes western Lawrence, said that under Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., “Things are now a full-blown disaster.”

She added, “If 2008 was the year of Obama then 2010 will be the year of the American people.” Jenkins faces Democrat Cheryl Hudspeth in the 2nd District race.

Anticipating big Republican gains in Congress, Roberts said he hoped that Obama would reach out more to Republicans.

Also speaking at the rally were Republican gubernatorial candidate Sam Brownback, a U.S. senator, who faces Democrat Tom Holland, a state senator from Baldwin City; Attorney General candidate Derek Schmidt, who is challenging Attorney General Steve Six; Kris Kobach, who is running against Secretary of State Chris Biggs; and State Treasurer candidate Ron Estes, who faces Treasurer Dennis McKinney.

Kansas Republican Party Chair Amanda Adkins said that so far, of 137,000 advance votes, 57 percent are registered Republicans and 30 percent are Democrats.

“Republicans are turning out in droves,” she said.

The GOP bus tour was going to make several stops in southeast Kansas and then overnight in Winfield.