Missouri Needs Nixon

Guess where this came from? No, not Nixon. No, not the Missouri Democratic Party. This was a solicitation for a donation from Operation Breakthrough. Operation Breakthrough provides a warm and safe place for kids to go during the day. They often feed them 2 out of the 3 meals a day. They don't talk politics, they talk about feeding hungry children. They talk about how much cheaper it is to take care of them now vs. taking care of them in jail. How we treat the poorest of our society is how our country should be judged.

"Are WE better off now than we were 4 years ago?"

Nixon Will Be Our Governor

Attorney General Jay Nixon and Rep. Clint Zweifel were two more of our speakers this morning at the Missouri delegation meeting.

Rep. Zweifel is one of those very rare politicians that you can put in the social studies books where they teach our children that some of our best and brightest go on to lead our government (government: the word we assign to the things we decide to do together). Clint is very intelligent and educates himself on the issues affecting the Treasurer's office. He is humble - not the fake kind - but genuinely humble. He also has this deep desire to improve the lives of the citizens of the state of Missouri. Clint Zweifel is who they should teach 4th graders about when they learn about our government.

Jay Nixon will be our governor. Cleaver told us this morning that Kenny Hulshof is a nice guy and that the nasty things that are about to be done in his name will turn Kenny's stomach (guess he should be a big boy and put a stop to it). We also heard from Jay Nixon about education, the economy and health care. All those issues are Missouri voters' issues. Public education and higher education have suffered under the Blunt administration. Jobs in our state are not increasing (especially jobs that provide a living wage, health care and retirement).

Blunt kicked over 100,000 people off health care, while giving big businesses tax breaks. Folks understand that the kind of low paying jobs from Blunt/Hulshof's corporate buddies are not the type of economic job growth we need. We need to teach science to public school students who can go to college and get a life sciences job in the state of Missouri. Blunt and Hulshof have rejected science and allowed a few right wing religious groups to dictate even the building of science labs at UMKC.

Jay Nixon will be our governor because Missouri voters have seen what you get when we give the Republicans control of the House, Senate and Executive branch in both Jefferson City and Washington DC. No swing voter can honestly answer yes to "are WE better off now than 4 years ago." Notice the big difference (politically, morally, theologically) to the question when you substitute the "we" for the "you."

Name One

Steelman Takes on Hulshof's Big Spending

Want to know what real Missouri conservatives hate about Congress - watch Sarah Steelman's latest attack on Congressman Hulshof.



Here's the deal, all this hurts Republicans in the race against Jay Nixon and hurts Congressman Graves in his losing race against Kay Barnes. Steelman and Graves have both hired Jeff Roe (who runs nasty and pretty effective Republican primary campaigns). Roe can't run an ad without mentioning San Francisco. Given the amount of wine he drinks at the Capital Grill, one has to wonder if he is drinking good American wine or the stuff from France (you know, that evil country that gave us Lady Liberty).

Here's my bold predictions - the attack campaign will get Steelman out of the primary, but she loses to Nixon by two points. 6th District voters are sick of Graves/Roe and Graves loses by 1.5 points.

Republicans Attacking Republicans

This is Sara Steelman's ad attacking Kenny Hulshof for his wasteful spending in DC. According to Steve Kraske at the Star, Jeff Roe isn't running this ad in N.W. Missouri.

Here's a thought, Jeff Roe ain't making the decisions, Sara Steelman is. She may have determined what Kay Barnes has decided; that the voters in the 6th Congressional District ain't that conservative. She knows what Jeff Roe and Congressman Graves know, that the 6th voted for Claire McCaskill, Susan Montee and stem cell research. Steelman is spending her ad dollars where Republican primary voters live, and that ain't the 6th.

Wait until Hulshof gets attacked for being the only Republican Congressman or woman to vote to require Medicare to pay for Viagra.

Nixon Rocks

Survey USA Poll
General Election:

Jay Nixon (D): 57
Kenny Hulshof (R): 33

Jay Nixon (D): 58
Sarah Steelman (R): 33
(MoE: ±2.5%)

24 Weeks to Election, MO Democrat Nixon Defeats Either GOP Challenger for Governor: In an election for Governor of Missouri today, 05/20/08, 24 weeks to the vote, Democrat Jay Nixon defeats both likely Republican opponents, according to this SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KCTV-TV in Kansas City and KSDK-TV in St. Louis. Today, Nixon, Missouri's Attorney General, defeats Republican Congressman Kenny Hulshof 57% to 33%; Nixon defeats Republican State Treasurer Sarah Steelman 58% to 33%. Against both, Nixon carries all regions of the state and all demographic groups. Against Hulshof, 18% of Republicans cross over to vote for Nixon; against Steelman, 25% of Republicans cross over.

Why We Need a Democratic Majority

We are going to elect Jay Nixon, I'm certain of it. However, he provides common sense Missourians only with a veto pin. We need a Democratic majority to allow good laws to be passed - good laws like a pay increase for teachers as sponsored by Rep. Jason Holsman.
Missouri teacher pay hike in peril

By Lee Logan

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

04/03/2008

JEFFERSON CITY - A state House committee approved a teacher pay boost Wednesday but not without including several hot-button issues that could put the plan in jeopardy.

The plan includes a cornucopia of stipends to reward teachers who increase test scores, gain certification to teach math or remain in school districts where educators are scarce. But several changes were shepherded through by Rep. Scott Muschany, the chairman of a committee that studies education matters.

The bill now includes: scholarships for autistic children who attend private schools; a provision that allows school districts to consider other factors besides experience for salary levels; and a portion that requires teachers to give yearly consent of payroll deductions for teacher associations.

The additions left some lawmakers angry.

"Scott Muschany hijacked my bill," said Rep. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, who authored the stipend package. Muschany, R-Frontenac, contends that Holsman had every opportunity to remove his name from the package and called those statements inflammatory. "There was no hijacking," he said. "He's been involved in every conversation on the bill."

Increasing teachers' pay is a key goal of House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill. Concerning the future of his pet project, he would say only, "We have a lot of work to do." Regardless of the committee's changes, the plan's $50 million cost will face pushback from budget leaders who want to trim state spending during an economic downturn.

The committee received a copy of the new plan Tuesday night and debated it for about an hour before voting 6-1 to send it to the full House. Holsman said acting so quickly on a 105-page bill wasn't good government. Muschany said that he provided a breakdown of every new provision and that each element had already been considered previously by the committee.

Besides the process, Holsman also objected to the plan's merit pay elements. About $20 million was directed toward a performance-based stipend that he said encouraged competition among teachers and "breeds an environment where it's every man for himself." Holsman had drafted a schoolwide performance bonus that he called more teacher-friendly. Those bonuses were stripped from the bill.

The proposal "will not pass in its current form," Holsman predicted. He said he would try to alter the proposal before the House voted on it. After the hearing, the state's two large teacher organizations withdrew their support of the bill. "It's no longer a salary bill," said Mike Wood, the lobbyist for the Missouri State Teachers Association, which came up with the idea of a pay boost.

The Missouri National Education Association has long been neutral on the plan, arguing instead for a boost to the state's funding formula. The group is now opposed to the plan, Otto Fajen, the group's lobbyist said.

The bill is HB 2040 - 2430.

Hulshof v. Steelman

The latest Rasmussen Poll has some great results for Governor-Elect Jay Nixon.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the state finds Nixon leading state Treasurer Sarah Steelman 46% to 35%. Nixon leads Congressman Kenny Hulshof by an even larger margin, 48% to 30%. At the moment, the Presidential race in Missouri looks to be much closer.

In the previous poll of the Governor’s race, Nixon led the state’s incumbent chief executive, Republican Matt Blunt, 47% to 42%. Any incumbent who polls below 50% is considered potentially vulnerable and Blunt announced earlier this year that he will not seek re-election.

Nixon is viewed favorably by 57% of the state’s voters, unfavorably by 29%. Steelman earns favorable reviews from 47% and unfavorable assessments from 29%. For Holshof, the numbers are 38% favorable, 35% unfavorable.

Here's what we know - there is just about nothing a candidate (Republican or Democrat) can do to reduce negatives. No, I don't think Hillary can improve her negatives. Kenny "Blunt-Lite" Hulshof has wrapped his arms around Matt Blunt. Kenny has not rejected Blunt's position to kick over 100,000 people off Medicaid. Kenny is part of Congress and people generally feel that Congress is ineffective. One has to really wonder what the Republicans are thinking? A fiercely independent State Treasurer or the waterboy?

Give us the waterboy!!!!!

Hulshof is Blunt-lite

Congressman Kenny Hulshof looks like the favorite Republican in the run for governor - favorite of the Blunt/Abramoff/Corporate crowd.

Learn a little more about Hulshof from this video.



Congressman Hulsof was looking at the governor's race 4 years ago when Congressman Roy Blunt (then majority WHIP - ouch) got Kenny to back in line. At least whatever promises were made 4 years ago are being kept now.

Good to be a Democrat

From an email that I got from the chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party:

It's a good day to be a Democrat in Missouri. Here are some reasons why:

While the Republicans embark on what looks like a nasty and expensive primary, we're proud to have a candidate in Jay Nixon that everyone can unite behind. The Republicans will spend the next few months spending money attacking each other instead of Democrats. Meanwhile, Jay Nixon will continue traveling the state, talking to Missouri families about the challenges they face and offering common-sense solutions.

None of the would-be Republican candidates have the statewide name recognition, statewide political organization or statewide fundraising base that Jay Nixon has built over the past few years.

All of the would-be Republican candidates have been part of the problem. Each candidate has either been lock-step with Matt Blunt in Missouri or with George W. Bush in Washington. Missourians are ready for change, and they know that change will only happen by electing a candidate with fundamentally different priorities - and that's Jay Nixon.

The Republicans have lost the power of incumbency. No matter how unpopular that incumbent may be, the advantages of incumbency were formidable, particularly when it comes to name recognition, fundraising and the ability to generate press. That advantage for the Republicans has now vanished.

Here's hoping the Republicans get a 3 way primary for governor. Nixon is going to be a great governor.

Blunt Won't Seek Reelection!

Blunt Won't Seek Reelection.

Look for Roy to retire, the Republicans put Matt into that lay up spot and Sara Steelman to run for governor! Don't forget Jim Talent or Congressman Kenny Hulshof.

Here's Matt's statement that he has done everything he promised - including kicking 100,000 people off Medicaid.

The Chair of the Republicans said "I also appreciate Governor Blunt’s commitment to ensuring the next governor of our state is a Republican who will continue to employ the principles of personal responsibility, fiscal conservatism and limited government so that we can be assured Missouri’s brightest days are ahead.” Ya, because Blunt was going to get beat and if the Republicans have any chance of winning, it would be without Blunt.

Blunt Still Kicked 100,000 folks off Medicaid

Last night in the State of the State address, Governor Blunt talked about restoring health care to "some of" the 100,000 folks he kicked off Medicaid.

Blunt introduced a new government program called Insure Missouri, that does not get those 100,000 people out of extremely expensive emergency rooms. Pro Vote has set up a web site to give real Missourians a chance protest this politically opportunistic health care plan by Blunt. Go check it out.

Families USA, a non-profit from DC, has reviewed the plan and issued a report. The well reasoned report says that too many Missourians are left out, the cost shifting to consumers is too high and the coverage is too low. Sounds like much of the rest of the Blunt administration!

Don't be fooled. If you kick 100,000 people off and then let 10,000 half way back on, there is still a bunch of sick Missourians going to emergency rooms. Jay Nixon has a specific plan to restore health care to the sickest and poorest of Missourians. Go, Jay, Go.

Blunt's Numbers STINK

On the eve of his annual State of the State address, Missouri governor Matt Blunt has a 41% approval rating, a 54% disapproval rating, and a Net Job Approval of Minus 13. In 33 months of SurveyUSA tracking, Blunt’s Net Job Approval has ranged from a high of Plus 2 in July 2007 to a low of Minus 30 in February 2006.

Research conducted for KCTV-TV in Kansas City.

Legislature is Back in Session

The Missouri Legislature is back in session. For an enjoyable look at the first week, check out the latest Youtube post by the Missourian. Whoever makes these videos is extremely clever and knows the inside baseball in Jefferson City.

Remember, the Republicans control everything in Jefferson City. All the Dems can do is vote no. If we want some progressive ideas to be turned into law, we must work to put Nixon in the Governor's mansion and give him a legislature that will send him a bill to sign.

Republican Poll Shows 71% of Missourians Like the Nonpartisan Court Plan

This blog spends lots of time talking about the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan, mostly because it is being attacked by the radical fringe of the Republican Party, including Governor Matt Blunt, Jeff Roe and the Adam Smith Foundation. Who can blame Blunt, his ship is sinking and judges are easy to pick on. Attorney General Jay Nixon is raising just as much money as Blunt in the governor's race (now that campaign contribution limits are back in place) and Blunt's choice of Mitt Romney isn't selling well with the Religious Right in Missouri.

Public Opinion Strategies - a Republican organization - conducted the study for Justice at Stake, Missourians for Fair and Impartial Courts, and the Missouri Institute for Justice.

A few highlights of the poll:

Bipartisan majorities oppose many of the proposals to change the system recently floated by critics, while 73 percent of those surveyed want Missouri judges to be independent of elected officials like the Governor and state legislature.

By a ratio of more than two to one, voters believe that the Supreme Court of Missouri makes its decisions based on the state’s laws and constitution, not the personal beliefs of its seven members. Self-identified Republicans are the most likely to feel this way – 68 percent of Republicans polled feel law trumps ideology for decisions made by the state’s highest court.

Only 1 of every 50 Missouri voters see changing the way state judges are selected as a top priority for the Governor and state legislature. Voters are far more likely to cite health care, taxes and government spending, and public education as top priorities.

Don't look for the fringe to give up - until they can get thier wackos on the bench, they won't be happy. The Rule of Law is not the goal, its obtaining thier version of justice (which ain't justice for all).

Rats Abandon Sinking Ship - Herschel Resigns

The KC Star is reporting Henry Herschel, the general counsel for Gov. Matt Blunt, has followed former Chief of Staff Ed Martin out the door.

Henry Herschel presided over the Sunshine Law debacle of destroying emails, Scott Eckersley being trashed by his own party, Ed Martin making a fool of himself and the entire administration being knocked off track. I'm sure Henry will be welcomed back to Jefferson City for his deposition in Eckersley's case.

Makes perfect sense that he is exiting stage left, but do you really want a new chief of staff, a different general counsel and a bunch of strangers running around while Matt Blunt has the biggest race of his life on the line?

Who Opposes Blunt Attacking the Missouri Plan?

Gov. Blunt loves to attack the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan. Why, because he can't reward his right wing donors with spots on the Missouri Supreme Court and purchase his version of justice.

The Downtown Civic Council recently sent Gov. Blunt a letter telling him, among other things, to quit attacking the Missouri Plan, according to Prime Buzz. The Civic Council is not some liberal think tank, it is comprised of Republicans and moderates. They are 100% pro-business, BIG business. They include:

Terrance Dunn, CEO of JE Dunn
William Berkley, president and chief executive officer of Tension Envelope Corp.;
David Frantze, a partner in the Stinson Morrison Hecker law firm;
John Bluford III, president and CEO of Truman Medical Centers;
Donald Hall Jr., president and CEO of Hallmark Cards;
Tom Bowser, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City;
Richard Hastings, president and CEO of Saint Luke's Health System;
Michael Chesser, chairman and CEO of Great Plains Energy;
Michael Haverty, chairman and CEO of Kansas City Southern;
Mark Ernst, chairman and CEO of H&R Block;
Mark Jorgenson, president and CEO of U.S. Bank;
Robert Kipp, chairman of Crown Center;
Robert Regnier, president of Bank of Blue Valley;
Thomas McDonnell, president and CEO of DST Systems;
Scott Smith, president of HNTB Corp.;
William Nelson, chairman of George K. Baum Asset Management;
Elizabeth Solberg, past chairwoman of the Civic Council;
Joerg Ohle, president of Bayer HealthCare, animal health division;
David Welte, general counsel, Stowers Institute and Bryan Cave law firm;
David Oliver, Berkowitz, Oliver, Williams, Shaw & Eisenbrandt law firm;
William Zollars, chairman, president and CEO of YRC Worldwide; and
Karen Pletz, president and CEO of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

The letter also told Blunt to quit attacking affirmative action and stem cell research and said

"We rely on you as the chief executive officer of the state of Missouri to provide leadership against issues that will harm the state's future and support efforts that will position Missouri well in the future global economy."

How did Blunt miscalculate this one so bad. Besides Jeff Roe, who was he listening to? For Pete's sake, if CEO's, bankers, architects, a construction company, investment bankers, doctors, corporate lawyers, accountants, the world's biggest trucking company and the Hall Family (Republicans biggest friends and the greeting card folks) think you are off base, then maybe Blunt has really lost touch with Missouri voters.

Go, Jay Nixon, Go!!

Blunt Wants Big-Money Politics in our Courts (like Alabama)

Governor Matt Blunt (and Jeff Roe) want to get rid of the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan. Why - to allow big-money influences into our judicial system. Alabama has the most expensive partisan races for their Supreme Court in the country (we all know Alabama's reputation for being on the cutting edge of progressive issues). That's what Blunt wants - turn us into Alabama.

The Alabama Birmingham newspaper has had enough of folks buying justice in their state. Check out this guest editorial that highlights the obscene amounts of money that is spent.

Candidates in the state's 2006 Supreme Court races raised a total of $7.3 million, making it the most expensive such races in the country. That is, frankly, an obscene amount of money.
According to the Annenberg Public Policy Center, 63 percent of people surveyed believe pressure from campaign donors would affect a judge's impartiality to a great or moderate extent. That is a dangerous erosion in public trust.
Our justice system should belong to all of us, not to an inner circle of special interests. By taking our appellate judges and Supreme Court justices out of the partisan political process, we preserve confidence in our courts.

The article goes on to explain why electing judges in partisan campaigns is a bad idea.

Some will ask what's wrong with electing judges. Why should they be different from lawmakers and governors?
The simplest answer is that judges are different. Legislators make laws, and voters should know what laws they intend to enact. Judges apply existing law to the facts of each case. They make hard decisions, and they must be neutral.
In reality, court rulings often affect large, powerful interests - both plaintiff and defendant - that are more than willing to underwrite runaway campaign costs.

Governor Blunt, while we know that you love to reward big donors with nice jobs, we would prefer to have a neutral, impartial judiciary. Don't turn us into Alabama. Let's hope we can make it to November of 2008 to get Nixon into the Governor's mansion.

Taking Back the Missouri House, one Steve Hodges at a Time

Democrats have the very real chance to take back the Missouri House in 2008. If for no other reason, Democrats come out in droves in presidential election years.

We can take it back, and put Rep. Paul LeVota in the Speaker's chair, if we have more Steve Hodges. Hodges is the State Representative in SE Missouri, East Prairie, 161st District. The Southeast Missourian and the East Prairie Eagle recently ran a story that outlined the race in 2006.

When term limits kept Lanie Black from running again for his 161st District Missouri House of Representatives seat last year, a political bout ensued that became a priority for both state party organizations.
In one corner: Gary Branum, a respected New Madrid County farmer running on Black's legacy of agriculture-based Republicanism, with Black as his trainer.

In the other: Steve Hodges, a well-known businessman, substitute teacher, high school football referee and former sports coach from East Prairie, running on a populist message of helping the disadvantaged in one of the poorest legislative districts in the state. Hodges' trainer was former governor Warren Hearnes and his wife, Betty, a statehouse veteran who held a seat for 10 years in what was then the 160th District.

Well, the Republicans are ticked. Republican Party Spokesman Paul Sloca has this to say:

"It's a very important race," Sloca said. "We feel confident about taking that back, because a Republican candidate is going to be running on a strong record of Republican accomplishments" in the areas of education, health care and illegal immigration.

Sloca calls Hodges' seat a "very, very vulnerable" Democratic seat that can be retaken in a "predominantly Republican" area, despite the Bootheel's long history of Democratic dominance.

What have the Republicans done for education, health care and illegal immigration? Higher education costs more in Missouri than it ever has, local school districts (like East Prairie) are getting less from the state funding formula, 100,000 poor folks were kicked off health insurance and the only thing that the Republicans have done on immigration is put Rep. Nathan Cooper (R) in jail for getting his rich Republican clients illegal immigrants to work for them.

Every seat counts. The difference between Republicans cutting Medicare to the poor and Andy Blunt pushing through ticket scalping for his brother to sign into law is putting a Democrat in the speaker's chair. We can't do it by electing Democrats in Brookside. We have to keep Hodges in his seat in the Bootheel. We have to pick up some seats in Clay County and Eastern Jackson County. We do that - while electing Jay Nixon to be our next Governor - and the nonsense stops.

Campaign Contribution Update

We all know that the Missouri Supreme Court has ruled that the statute allowing unlimited campaign contributions is unconstitutional.

Missouri Political News Service (an organization that has taken its fair (or unfair)share of pot shots from this blog) is reporting an EXCLUSIVE story that Todd Graves (brother of Congressman Sam Graves) sent an 11 page letter to the Ethics Commission telling them why they lack the power to tell candidates to return excess contributions. I hate to do this, but good story, MPNS
The entire letter from Graves to the Ethics Commission is attached.

Todd Graves' letter is a very well written, thoughtful piece of legal advocacy - yet, I disagree. I assume when a lawyer sends something on his or her firm letterhead it means that they are being paid. Wonder who hired Graves? Many important political folks have hired the firm, including Jeff Roe when he got sued. Matt Blunt has the most to gain. Jay Nixon and Jeff Harris have already said they will return contributions in excess of the campaign limits. Chris Koster - the other person who stands to get hurt if donations must be returned - is now a Democrat, so I trust that he wouldn't hire a firm of high profile Republicans. Maybe a big Blunt donor?

Any thoughts on who the mystery client is?