Blunt Defends Eckersley Firing

Gov. Matt Blunt is defending the firing of one of his staff attorneys. The governor’s chief of staff fired Springfield native Scott Eckersley deputy legal counsel late last month.

You can watch my Tuesday KY3 News @ 10 report HERE.

Eckersley says he was let go for trying to follow the office’s open record policy on saving e-mail messages. The governor says the reason was poor job performance.


Eckersley is speaking out about his firing because he says he wants to defend his character. He also says challenging the administration on its e-mail policy was what got him fired in the first place.

Eckersley's firing raises questions because it occurred about the same time that Blunt admitted his administration was deleting internal e-mail messages that Eckersley believes should have been saved as public records.

“I had pointed to an office policy that clearly contradicted the way that we were handling Sunshine requests,” said Eckersley in a telephone interview. “I believe that I was retaliated against as a result of pointing to the office policy that existed.”

Tuesday, at a news conference on a different subject, Blunt made his first public comments about Eckersley when reporters asked him about it. Blunt says the firing was appropriate.

“I think there'd be no basis to support his assertions and there were real issues with work performance and, of course, we don't allow state employees to do work for private companies on state time and on state equipment, which was occurring here,” said Blunt.

Eckersley says he did do minimal work for another company but had approval to do so. He says there wasn't a problem with his performance until he began questioning why the administration wasn't retaining many e-mail messages.

“I'd be happy to have any of my work at any point be scrutinized by anybody because I stand behind it,” said Eckersley.

The administration has since released documents on Eckersley's firing that question his personal state of mind after a breakup of a personal relationship, make unclear references to drug use, and include correspondence that was forwarded to Eckersley’s state e-mail account from a sex Web site.

“Obviously the young man in question, who I feel sorry for, is making a lot of assertions about why he's being dismissed. I think it's appropriate to dispute those assertions,” said Blunt.
But Eckersley vigorously denies those charges and says the truth will come out in court after his attorney files a defamation lawsuit against the governor and his staff in the coming weeks.

Eckersley says another legal question to be determined is whether it was legal for the administration to release all of this documentation on him.

Eckersley said he is traveling to Salt Lake City, Utah this week. He says he's using the trip to "clear his mind."

Philly Dem Debate: My Take

Just finished watching the DVR'd version of Democratic presidential debate from Philadelphia . . .

I promised myself I wouldn't read what the pundits thought before I gave my initial gut thoughts . . . Hillary came prepared to be assaulted. She had answers ready for Obama and Edwards, but she clearly remained evasive. It's not helpful to the voters, but politically, it's probably the safe bet for a frontrunner. One question that stood out: her answer on Charlie Rangel's tax plan. on specific policy. Perfect example of Clinton triangulation, (which made me wince) -- applaud Rep. Rangel's plan on reforming the Alternative Minimum Tax --- but not committing to it. She only pledged "to do something about it." Wow. Talk about presidential courage. Nothing specific, because Clinton doesn't play hypotheticals. And in politics, almost EVERYTHING is hypothetical.

Otherwise, despite all the hype, Obama didn't seem to land the memorable punch against Clinton the media was hoping for. Maybe he didn't want to; maybe it's just him. But to me, Edwards seemed to make the clearer argument against Clinton tonight. He was clear, concise and to his credit, more specific. Obama did engage Clinton, but still seemed reluctant to get really tough. Could it be Edwards that's left standing against Clinton?

I also thought Biden looked damn strong. He's got guts and he's got knowledge and any other year he'd be a bigger player. He talks specifics on foreign policy, nukes, Iran and Pakistan. He eats his veggies and lets you know it. He also landed the toughest charge against Republican Rudy Giuliani, calling him the "most unqualified candidate for president since George Bush."

Dodd was also good. He took on Clinton's nuanced stance on giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses. Clinton said she could see why New York Governor Spitzer proposed it (for safety reasons) but wouldn't specifically say she supported it. Her position, again was nuanced. Confusing to me, and probably to voters. Dodd was the first to take her on, then Edwards and Obama followed.

A Democratic-leaning friend called me after the debate (but before I saw it) to say he was disappointed. "I just don't like Hillary, but I think she just crushed Obama and Edwards again," he said.

Some Democrats are yearning for someone to take on and beat Clinton, but will they ever get their wish?

Faith & Politics: The Trask Interview

Here's a large portion of my extensive interview with former Assemblies of God Superintendent Rev. Thomas Trask on politics, faith and Election 2008.

You can watch more on why Trask would have difficulty supporting Romney and why faith is more relevant than ever in the coming presidential election.

Watch it all HERE.

What does Trask think about the other frontrunners for President?

On Rudy Giuliani . . . "I like the man, I think he has got credibility but there are some issues I can't support with him."

On Hillary Clinton . . . "I want to reserve judgement there. I think the church would have a problem supporting (her), in fact I'm sure of that."

On Barack Obama . . . "I think there's too much yet to be discovered to make a judgement call there."

Businesses Worried About Immigration Crackdown

Gov. Matt Blunt scheduled a mid-day news conference to talk about cracking down on illegal immigration. Some business owners across the state worry that law enforcement officers are targeting Hispanic employees that are in the country legally.


An immigration raid in Hannibal found only one illegal immigrant of 19 Hispanic men questioned. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce says companies may not hire them.



At a news conference, Blunt reiterated efforts to crack down on illegal workers and the companies that employ them.

He cited conducting random on-site inspections of all projects accompanied by the tax credits. He also noted requiring proof of legal status for workers to be submitted within 30 days of the date it was requested.

Poll: Hillary is Scariest Halloween Costume

Once again, Hillary Clinton placed first in a poll. This time, she was the top choice when people were asked which major 2008 presidential candidate would make the scariest Halloween costume.

37 percent chose the Democratic frontrunner. Runner-up was Republican Rudy Giuliani with 14 percent.

Makes for quite a scary general, huh?

Romney, Clinton Frontrunners in Big First 3

Republican Mitt Romney now leads in all three early primary states, according to a new batch of polls from the American Research Group.

IOWA GOP
Mitt Romney 27%
Mike Huckabee 19%
Rudy Giuliani 16%
John McCain 14%

N.H. GOP
Mitt Romney 30%
Rudy Giuliani 23%
John McCain 15%

S.C. GOP
Mitt Romney 29%
Rudy Giuliani 23%
John McCain 13%
Fred Thompson 10%

Notes: This batch of polls is very good news for Romney, but maybe even more notable -- terrible for Fred Thompson. Thompson's luster seems to have fallen off over the past few weeks. He's lost his lead in critical South Carolina and is in double-digits nowhere else. This is the first poll I've seen that Romney has lead in South Carolina -- and Rudy can't afford to get beat by Romney in all 3. McCain polls a bit higher here in Iowa, compared to other polls there. But with turnout unpredictable, is any poll in Iowa really valid? Huckabee sure hopes so. Because he's moved into second-place now in the Hawkeye State, and is eyeing an upset.

IOWA DEMS
Hillary Clinton 32%
Barack Obama 22%
John Edwards 15%

N.H. DEMS
Hillary Clinton 40%
Barack Obama 22%
John Edwards 10%

S.C. DEMS
Hillary Clinton 41%
Barack Obama 19%
John Edwards 18%

Notes: It still appears that Hillary is most vulnerable in Iowa, however her lead is larger here than the University of Iowa poll released yesterday. For Edwards, it's all about Iowa, so the question is whether he continues to strike at Clinton or maybe looks to instead target his efforts against Obama? There are some Democrats who just don't believe Hillary holds these large leads anywhere . . . that they can't be true. That argument seems more feasible on the Republican side, where things are very fluid. But how do you dismiss poll after poll after poll of double-digit advantages?

The Case Against Eckersley

The Blunt administration said former legal counsel Scott Eckersley was fired for poor performance and misusing state resources.

The A.P. outlines the administration's case against Eckersley and cites documents released to the media on Eckersley's job performance.

KC Prime Buzz also has more on Eckersley's "personal problems" and many "questionable" e-mails sent from his government account:

"Some of Eckersley’s problems began just after his fiancee broke off their marriage engagement some months ago,” Aubuchon’s letter said. “In discussions with his supervisors, Eckersley admitted to struggling in coping with this breakup.”


In an interview with a reporter, Aubuchon said he included this personal detail of Eckersley’s life in the letter to show “his state of mind” while at the governor’s office.

The letter also accuses Eckersley of sending e-mails to others with “unclear reference to drug use.”

Top Springfield Evangelical Would Have Difficulty Supporting Romney

The former Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church said he would have difficulty supporting Republican Mitt Romney for President because of his Mormon faith.

Rev. Thomas Trask also said he believes Mormons aren't Christians and considers them "a cult."

"It would be difficult yes . . . it would be very, very difficult," said Trask. "There are those who would rule him out as a potential candidate based upon his religious affiliation."

You can watch my special KY3 News @ 10 report on Romney's possible political trouble with Evangelical leaders in the Ozarks HERE. The special report delves into this mysterious faith and how it could shape voters perceptions of Romney right here in the conservative Ozarks.

In an extensive interview with KY3 News, Trask said Mormon beliefs are contradictory to those of evangelicals.

"The Bible teaches that a person becomes a Christian when they embrace the person of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Mormon faith does not teach that," Trask said.

But local Mormons believe disqualifying Romney solely for his faith fuels myths and prejudice about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

What To Make of This Iowa Poll

There are new caucus polls out of Iowa on both sides, but there's also considerable grumbling about the way it was conducted.

IOWA GOP
Mitt Romney 36%
Rudy Giuliani 13%
Mike Huckabee 13%
Fred Thompson 11%

IOWA DEMS
Hillary Clinton 29%
Barack Obama 27%
John Edwards 20%

Pollster.com doesn't use the University of Iowa poll in its average because of its "unusual" questioning and sampling

From Pollster.com:

"This [open-ended question] undoubtedly provides a tougher test of voter commitment, but also produces a much bigger undecided and renders the results incomparable to other Iowa polls."

Messenger's Bombshell

You've probably already read the must-read political piece of the week.

If not, treat yourself HERE.

It's a carefully detailed piece by the Springfield News-Leader's Tony Messenger. And although it's part of his column, it's really just stellar journalism.

From Tony's reporting, it looks like Eckersley will keep this in the news with a lawsuit.

And Gov. Matt Blunt's political opponents are just waiting to pounce on his response -- of what he knew about all of this, and when he knew it.

The question is what kind of legs this story has outside of "insiders" . . . and whether this is just a story about a messy personnel situation or a broader one about the Governor's character.

Newsweek Singles Out Steelman for "Divesting Terror"

In a recent column, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter praises Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman for promoting a "terror-free" investment fund in the Show-Me state that has yielded big returns.

Alter's column argues for other ways to confront Iran, besides a bombing campaign or ground war. He writes that many state and local officials have "identified a powerful grass-roots tool" to divest from Iranian assets.

He calls Steelman, "the first important convert" to divesting terror.

From Alter's piece:

"When Steelman assumed supervision of the state pension funds, she learned that Missouri parked a large chunk of its assets with BNP Paribus, a French bank that floated billions in loans to Iran, and that the Show Me State invested its pension funds in dozens of European and Asian companies that effectively helped prop up murderous regimes. (North Korea, Syria, Sudan and, until recently, Libya are the other governments cited for sponsoring terrorism and targeted for divestment.) The pension funds don't like to be told what to do, and they claimed divestment would bring heavy losses. Wrong. Steelman's "terror-free" fund returned 29 percent in the last 12 months, 4 percent higher than the benchmark."

Mailbox: Exuberant Paul Fans; Misinformed Hillary Haters

Time to empty the mailbag . . .

If the dedication of Ron Paul supporters wasn't evident to me once I did this story last week, the e-mails I received afterward hammered the point home.

Usually when TV stations say they've received "tons of e-mails," they mean, like three.

But as of this writing, I've received 18 e-mails from Paul supporters "thanking me" for the coverage. That's unprecedented for any story I've ever done . . . ever.

It wasn't anything I did that got that response. These Paul people just seem to be extremely committed to their candidate, extremely Internet savvy and excited about even a small slice of coverage from the mainstream media.

"Don't you want to support a presidential candidate who would stand up on Capitol Hill and say the federal government wastes too much money, taxes are too high, war should be a last resort, and the freedoms Americans have died for through the centuries ought to be protected? If you vote for Ron Paul in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, you can," wrote Lisa and Chuck Shephered.

"Thanks for the piece. KY3's credibility factor took a huge positive jump in this viewer's opinion. Please continue to include Ron Paul in all your future coverage," wrote Ira Madsen.

"So many dismiss Ron Paul as a fringe candidate but he has tremendous grassroots support and it is growing. He is a true Statesman and a defender of the Constitution," wrote Teri Jenkins of Aurora.

"I'm one of the silent but active supporters of Dr. Paul. The mainstream media does not acknowledge that a grass-roots campaign is developing for this candidate that embraces most of the things that Americans care about," wrote Mary Connors.

And the e-mails go on and on . . .

There's a passion out there with Paul you can't dismiss. Watch this guy to rock the boat a bit in New Hampshire, where independents can have a large impact on the turnout.

Now, to a few calls and comments I've received on portions of my blog postings that appear in the Springfield News-Leader. Now this truly blew me away. A few people have called to complain about "my writings to the News-Leader."

The News-Leader has a fairly new section where they excerpt portions from local blogs and post them in a "State Roundup." Here and there, they take postings from here, which I have no problem with.

But one man called me and left me a message criticizing me for writing "letters to the editor."

"I'm not in favor of many of the things you state and think perhaps you shouldn't be writing in the newspaper while you're a contributor at KY3. It doesn't seem quite right. I'm not in favor in what you're saying in the contributions, and you should think about the liberal things you are saying," the man said.

The man was referring to this recent blog post on Hillary Clinton's organization in Missouri. The man took issue that I included a line for people interested in volunteering. As if, I was urging people to volunteer for Hillary. Obviously, that wasn't the case. I was merely stating Clinton was looking for volunteers. As I would for any candidate who I received an e-mail from.

But it sort of scared me that this man, who dubbed himself a "long-time News-Leader subscriber" and "watcher of KY3 News" 1) thought this was a letter to the editor and 2) thought my post was "liberal" in promoting Clinton.

It's true that in news, perception is reality, and we must battle even misinformed perceptions daily.

But it's also true that we can only serve a public that is informed -- and will allow itself to shed its inherent bias before automatically blaming the media for what they believe is theirs.

Despite Lagging Nationally, SWMO Dem Chairs Stick With Edwards

A majority of Democratic county chairs in Southwest Missouri surveyed support John Edwards for president because of "a bold healthcare plan" and electoral strength in conservative portions of the country, according to a KY3 Political Notebook poll.

Still, the survey of county chairs around the Ozarks found at least 4 chairs solidly behind Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, and considerable debate over whether her nomination would hurt the party down-ballot around the Show-Me State.

The findings come just a little more than three months before Missouri's February 5th primary. But the results mirror similar responses from area Democratic activists last spring.

Seven Democratic county chairs tell the KY3 Political Notebook they support Edwards for president. Others remain undecided, and Greene County chair Craig Hosmer declined to publicly reveal his personal preference.

Overall, the informal survey reveals solid support here for Edwards, who has lagged in national polls behind Clinton and Barack Obama, but still remains competitive in first-in-the-nation Iowa.

"I think he's got the best chance of winning," said Wright County Chair Gary Hall, who backs Edwards. "We've taken a couple straw polls and John Edwards has won all of them. I don't think the country is ready for a woman yet."

"Because of his health care plan, and because he was big enough a person to say he made a mistake on Iraq, I think he's the most qualified," said Dallas County chair Carla Lowe about why she supports the former North Carolina Senator.

Why not Hillary? "I don't think she can win it," Lowe said flatly.

Camden County Chair Rick Pope said he supports Edwards because he's the best fit for "outstate Missouri, rural Missouri."

"He's the only candidate who has contacted rural Missouri chairmen in Missouri. Five months ago his campaign called for support, and he's a good candidate for us across the board. He's the best fit for small towns, having living in rural America himself," said Pope.

Christian County Chair Dick Wilson agrees. "I'd says in Christian County, it's 70% Edwards, 30% Hillary. Electability is an issue. We think Edwards has the better chance of winning," Wilson said.

Stone County chairwoman Betty Kowalewich is another Edwards backer, but former chair Gary Paxton said Edwards' "values and integrity" is the reason so many rural Democrats are lining up behind him. "With all these scandals, John is the closest I've seen in a long time that I think could go unscathed," Paxton said.

Texas County chair Paul Meier, who backs Obama, said a straw poll taken last week, resulted in a tie between Edwards and Clinton with 15 Democrats voting.

The four chairs who back Clinton most often note her "intelligence, experience and toughness" as the reasons why the former First Lady gained their support.

Barry County Chair Nolan McNeil, Dade County Chair Carolyn Head, Hickory County chair Henry Garcia and Polk County Chair Lloyd Hensley all announced their support for Clinton.

"It's like been there, done that for her. She's the most qualified," Hensley said. He is one of the Democratic leaders who believes Clinton's "electability" problem is overblown. "Sure, in Southwest Missouri Edwards would go over better. But I do think people can separate her with other local candidates. Republicans will come out and vote against her, but I think they'll give a local candidate a chance," he said.

Head of Dade County said Hillary won't be hurt by electability problems "if women get off their butts and stick to their guns for her." "We're the majority," Head said, referring to women.

Still, she said undoubtedly some in Dade County won't vote for a woman. "We're just a little drop though. People aren't as educated here as they are in other parts of the country," Head said.

Hosmer of Greene County said he believes the election will be about competence and said Clinton passes that test easily. "She has strong favorables and unfavorables and probably not a lot of persuadables, but she's probably been vetted better than anyone else out there," Hosmer said delicately, without appearing to favor any of the candidates in the field.

Pulaski County Chair Clara Ichord is undecided, but admitted gender will definitely play a role in voters minds. "She's a woman. I know how hard it is to get a woman dog-catcher around here, let alone President of the United States," Ichord said.

While even some chairs who support Clinton acknowledged her problems among men in conservative counties, other Edwards backers were more blunt in their assessment.

"You've got to worry about that (electability)," Pope said. "Some people will just come out because they hate the Clintons so much, with Obama and Edwards, you won't have that."

"It'll be tougher for the party than it would be if it was someone like Edwards," Wilson of Christian County said. "In 2004, if the ticket had been flip-flopped, Edwards would be president today. We have to go with someone who can win red states," Wilson said.

Line of the Night

"Hillary Clinton . . . 60 year's old yesterday . . . They brought out a cake. She closed her eyes, blew out the candles. And Monica Lewinsky died."

---Bill Maher, on this week's HBO's Real Time

Top Huckabee Meet-Up in Joplin

Mike Huckabee's campaign for president is basking in a stream of good polling data this week.

Rasumussen Reports Huckabee has Huckabee eeking out Mitt Romney in a national poll. (Huckabee clocks in with 12% nationwide.)

The campaign is now boasting its on pace to raise about $1 million dollars online in October.

And in an e-mail to supporters, Huckabee campaign head Chip Saltsman is now urging supporters to join local Meet-Up groups. Saltsman says Huckabee's most popular Meet-Up group is in Fort Mill, South Carolina with a total of 63 members.

Number two . . . is right here in Southwest Missouri.

Huckabee's camp lists 23 Meet-Up members in the city of Joplin.

The third most popular Huckabee Meet-Up town is New York, New York.

Romney Holds 9-Point New Hampshire Lead

It appears Mitt Romney has re-asserted his lead in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, while Fred Thompson has dropped off dramatically and Mike Huckabee has seen a surge in his national numbers.

Two new polls out from Rasmussen Reports detail the latest developments on the Republican side.

N.H. GOP
Mitt Romney 28%
Rudy Giuliani 19%
John McCain 16%
Mike Huckabee 10%
Fred Thompson 6%

The poll was taken of 733 likely GOP voters on October 23rd.

Notes: It should be noted a sizable 14% remain undecided in this unpredictable state. Thompson now has higher negative ratings than McCain here. The poll is obviously good news for Romney, but also McCain and Huckabee, who have each gained 4 points since the mid-September poll.

For the first time ever, Mike Huckabee has moved into the top 4 presidential contenders in the Rasmussen polling. The national numbers have Giuliani at the top of the pack with 20% nationwide, followed by Thompson (19%), McCain (14%), Huckabee (12%) and Romney (11%).

One set of these polls has to eventually burst. Either Rudy's national lead will eventually burst, or Romney's advantage in the early states will dwindle. Something has got to give, right? Or does it?

A Golden Gavel for An Empty Chamber

This week, Sen. Claire McCaskill became the fourth freshman senator to win the Golden Gavel, reports Washington newspaper The Hill.

McCaskill received it for spending "the equivalent of four full days presiding over a nearly empty chamber as colleagues address C-SPAN cameras.

Sounds fun right?

Democratic Leader Harry Reid says it's a good way for freshman to learn Senate procedure.

Blunt Sued for Immigration Raid

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt is being sued for racial discrimination and abuse of power for firing a janitorial service that employed illegal immigrants.


The Governor is calling the lawsuit "ludicrous"and is defending the action he took last March against Sam's Janitorial Services.

Officers arrested 25 company employees during a sting at a state office building in Jefferson City. According to the lawsuit, just 8 of them face charges of forging work visas. The janitorial service claims Governor Blunt exceeded his powers when he canceled the janitorial contract and barred the company from future state work.

Blunt's office said that of the 22 arrested, seven were immediately deported, 11 were charged and the status of the remaining four is pending the conclusion of an investigation.

“It is ludicrous to believe that Missourians would want their taxpayer dollars paying to support illegal activity. I implemented a statewide ban on contractors who knowingly hire illegal workers and am confident our state is better served through this action," Gov. Blunt said in a statement.

“I am pleased to defend my executive order, which safeguards taxpayer dollars, with Sam’s Janitorial Services in a courtroom or anywhere else. Missouri is benefiting from my directive which reflects my belief that it is inappropriate for Sam’s Janitorial Services or any other state contractor to knowingly hire illegal workers," he said.

City Will Get Draft of Audit Next Week

City Council members will receive a draft of the state's audit of Springfield next week, according to a spokeswoman for the State Auditor's office.

The KY3 Political Notebook has learned the state is in the "exit portion" of the audit. As typical procedure, the state will ask the city for responses to its findings and then take another two weeks or so to process the final report.

"We are shooting for a public report of our findings by the end of November," said spokeswoman Samantha Brewer.

Auditors still have a fair share of work to do with City Utilities portion of the audit, according to Brewer.

She hopes that portion will be finalized before year's end.

Ron Paul Has Most Visible Presence in Springfield

You may have seen the signs, or even heard his name. But just who is Ron Paul?

He's a Republican candidate for president, who's shaking up the race by attracting support from disaffected Republicans and some Democrats in the surrounding Ozarks region.

Local Paul leaders say they have about 140 Springfield Meet-Up members.

You can watch my KY3 News @ 10 report on Paul's Springfield support HERE.

Ron Paul is a 10-term Congressman from Texas who ran for president back in 1988 as a Libertarian. This time he's running as a Republican, and is using the grass and net roots to build surprising support right here in Springfield.

You can learn more about Springfield's local Ron Paul supporters HERE.

His national website is www.ronpaul2008.com.

Ozarks Values '08: Michael Richardson

Residence: Republic

Occupation: Retired

Politics: Independent

Michael Richardson has been following Ron Paul since 1981. But in 1988, he didn't even know Paul was running on the Libertarian ticket for President. That's why Richardson is whole-heartedly supporting Paul's 2008 bid for president, and volunteering much of his own time to boost Paul's local following.

"I didn't vote for either of them last time because it didn't matter which one won. It was tweetle-dumb and tweetle-dee and I didn't care who won," Richardson says.

This time, he cares. If you drive around Springfield and see a Ron Paul sign, Richardson probably had some help in getting it up. "I'm passionate about this guy. I'm passionate about his issues," he says.

The issue that resonates most with Richardson is Paul's strict stand on fiscal responsibility and "unconstitutional spending."

"We wouldn't be fighting the war if we actually had to be paying for the war. We're borrowing money to fight the war," he says. "We may want to fight a war, but we can't afford the war. But I don't even want to fight it because I don't believe we're there for the right reason," he adds.

Sight Paul's sagging poll numbers and Richardson scoffs. He believes Paul's support is better measured by the numerous straw polls and internet polls he's winning. "Those polls call landlines, which are obsolete," Richardson says.

But you couldn't say much to sway Richardson -- or many of Paul's fans.

They're diehard -- and claim they're leading a grass and net-roots revolution.

KOMU: Doctors Stopped Cops From Getting Graham's Urine

Columbia police have released the full 17-page report of the weekend driving incident involving Democratic Sen. Chuck Graham, and it ain't all pretty.

KOMU in Columbia reports, "the report filed by the arresting officer after the Saturday night accident involving Senator Chuck Graham shows a University Hospital doctor and security guards attempted to stop the officer from removing Graham's urine from the hospital as evidence."

Read the entire story HERE.

Graham has released a statement, which can be read in its entirety at Columbia Tribune Politics Blog HERE.

McCain Matches Up Best With Clinton in Missouri

Don't dig that political grave for the Senator from Arizona just yet.

His battle is still incredibly uphill, but he's performing better in national polls and telling Granite State voters "He's baaack."

The latest round of SurveyUSA general election polls in Missouri show John McCain within striking distance of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton 48%
John McCain 45%

Here's how the other G.O.Ps match-up against Hil in the Show-Me State:

Clinton 50%, Giuliani 43% (Clinton +7)
Clinton 51%, Thompson 42% (Clinton +9)
Clinton 50%, Romney 41% (Clinton +9)
Clinton 51%, Huckabee 40% (Clinton +11)

Roughly 4% margin of error

Clinton, Paul Get Top Spots on Missouri Ballot

(AP) -- Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Ron Paul won the top spots on Missouri's presidential primary ballots.

Tuesday was the first day of candidacy filing for the party primary elections on Feb. 5. Candidates who file on the first day draw lottery numbers, with the lowest number winning the right to be listed first on the ballot. That's why Paul will be listed first, even though a representative of Rudy Giuliani was first in line at the secretary of state's office.

Representatives of Republicans Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney and John McCain also filed on Tuesday, as did Democrat Barack Obama.

By the way, Libertarian City Councilman Doug Burlison told the KY3 Political Notebook he's backing Paul for President. "I think he'd be the greatest president since George Washington . . . ok, maybe Thomas Jefferson," Burlison said. "You've got to admire his courage to speak on the issues. I use him as a role model for myself as a councilman to stand up and say what is right, no matter what the public thinks," Burlison added.

Didn't He Just Get That Job?

City Manager Bob Cumley notified the Springfield City Council on Tuesday that he intends to retire on June 1.

Cumley was promoted from his deputy position back in April of 2006. When he retires, he will have served as City manager for a little more than 2 years.

Cumley is widely respected among city management, and seems to be a very fine guy, but some might ask the question: Why was he promoted if he only planned on staying around 2 years? City leaders will say for transitional purposes. A follow-up might be, then why not keep him as deputy as you search for a new permanent manager? It's a fair question to ask when dealing with hefty salaries paid for with taxpayer dollars.

You can watch my KY3 News @ 10 report HERE.

Koster Will Officially Announce Thursday

Sen. Chris Koster (D-Harrisonville) will officially announce his intentions to seek the Democratic nomination for Attorney General on Thursday.

Koster will kick-off his campaign at the Cass County Democratic Meeting in Harrisonville on Thursday at 7 p.m. He'll follow up with a 9 a.m. stop at the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Hall in Independence on Friday.

"As the only candidate in the race for Attorney General from Western Missouri, Koster will stand with local supporters- including members of the Cass County Democrats and the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades, who endorsed his candidacy within days of his party switch- and discuss why, as the only candidate for Attorney General with any law enforcement experience, he is the Democrats' best candidate for the office," reads the Koster release.

Koster will vie with Reps. Jeff Harris and Margaret Donnelly for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General, which could turn out to be the most interesting primary of the cycle.

Bond Shifts Staff to Political Operation for '08

Sen. Kit Bond announced today he was moving some key staff over to his political operation to prepare for the upcoming election cycle.

State Director, Jason Van Eaton, and Director for the Western Missouri District, Matt Roney, will move over to the political arm of Bond's operation.

A release states that "with a number of big races coming up in 2008, Bond wants to ramp up his political operation in-state." This restructuring will happen at the end of session.

Van Eaton and Roney have served Bond for more than a decade each.

Van Eaton was born and raised in Southwest Missouri. He has served in numerous capacities for Bond, most recently serving as Bond's State Director for over 7 years.

Plame Blames Bond

Former CIA operative Valerie Plame is doing the TV rounds this week, speaking out for the first time and blaming some Republican Senators for "twisting the facts" about the selection of her husband for a mission to Niger.

In an interview with USA Today, Plame singled out three GOP members of the Senate Intelligence Committee for criticism. She accused Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas; Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; and Sen. Kit Bond,m R-Mo., of misstating her role in the CIA's choice of her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, to investigate reports that Iraq was trying to buy yellowcake uranium in Niger."They took a fairly straightforward thing and obscenely twisted it into a political version of events," Plame told USA Today.

Joseph Wilson's conclusion that the reports were false and his subsequent charge that the Bush administration ignored his findings led to his wife's employment at the CIA being disclosed in a newspaper column. A spokeswoman for Bond told USA Today that CIA documents don't appear to support Plame's version of events.

Hillary Begins to Organize in STL, KC

Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign for president will soon begin organizing in Missouri.

According to an e-mail to supporters today, the Clinton camp will hold volunteer training in St. Louis and Kansas City on Saturday, Nov. 3rd.

No training in Springfield is planned.

"We are holding a volunteer training in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri on this Saturday, November 3, and we'd love to have you there. We want to show you just how many ways we can work together to help Hillary: holding organizational meetings, calling other voters to share your support, and building a campaign together," writes Clinton Deputy Campaign Manager Mike Henry.

If you'd like to attend the training up in the cities, you can go here . . http://www.hillaryclinton.com/missouritraining

Emerson Endorses Giuliani

Southeastern Missouri Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson has endorsed Rudy Giuliani for president.

KC Buzz Blog has the scoop and quotes Emerson saying Rudy is the only one that can win.

"The southeast Missouri congresswoman cited several reasons for backing the former New York City mayor. Among them: "I know Rudy is the only candidate who can beat the Democrats next fall."

This is a score for Giuliani because most of Republican politicos in Missouri are with Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson.

NBC's First Read has analysis:

"It gives him a good congressional endorsement in another Feb. 5 state with more than 50 delegates at stake -- to go along with strong operations in Illinois, California, and the New York tri-state area. Emerson is vice president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which jives with Giuliani's calls to expand interaction with NATO in an effort to marganilize the United Nations. It also gives him another congressman who leans conservative in his corner," writes Matthew Berger from National Journal.

AP: Sen. Graham Charged With Drunk Driving

This will surely be the political story of the week.

Democratic State Senator Chuck Graham was arrested over the weekend on the suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to the Associated Press.

Police say the Columbia Democrat's car rear-ended a vehicle near his home late Saturday night, shoving that vehicle into a third car.

Graham was treated for minor injuries and released. The other drivers were not injured in the crash.

Columbia Police Sgt. Dan Beckman said officers smelled intoxicants on Graham, noticed his eyes were watery and bloodshot and that he slurred his words and mumbled. Beckman said that according to a probable cause statement, Graham acknowledged consuming "a few" beers before driving.

Graham refused to submit to a breathalyzer exam and would not provide a blood sample.

NBC Columbia affiliate KOMU has comments from Republican Majority Leader Charlie Shields: "Obviously this would be an unfortunate incident, however it's one, as the senate, we'd let the courts and the legal system address. Certainly in the history of the legislature there's been cases like this and from time to time these things happen, we don't like to see it, it's a bad reflection of the institution, but ultimately we let the legal system deal with it," Shields said.

KOMU also reports it had scheduled an interview with a couple who says they were the driver and passenger of the van Graham's car hit. They later decided not to go on camera, but in a phone conversation they did say the accident was more than a fender bender, the front of Graham's car was smashed and Graham's airbags went off.

According to the Boone County Democrats website, Senator Graham is scheduled to kick off his 2008 campaign with a party and fundraiser this Friday.

Republican blog Missouri Pulse has no mention of the incident as of this posting, while G.O.P. blog The Pulse has the headline: "The Perfect Storm".

Look for flurries of follow-ups across the state tomorrow, as well as some sort of story on other lawmakers facing similar charges in the past.

With 74 Days to Iowa, GOP Debate Gets Hot

It's pretty amusing to watch Sean Hannity get angry about the text-poll results from the FOX News Republican debate in Florida.

After relentlessly plugging the text-poll before the debate, Hannity slammed the results that showed Ron Paul "winning" the debate among texters with an initial 38%.

Of course, Paul didn't "win" the debate among Republican voters. But to watch Hannity get all bent out of shape about it on live TV is fun. Gotta love Fox. By the way, at the time of this post, Mike Huckabee was in 2nd on the text-polling. That, on the other hand, may be telling.

Speaking of the former Governor of Arkansas . . . Mike Huckabee won over at least 3 "undecided voters" in Frank Luntz's FOX "focus group." Honestly, I think focus groups are kinda lame, and especially when they are live on TV. But a few Republican voters who said to be leaning towards Fred Thompson, claimed they now were taking a fresh look at Huckabee.

Overall, this was quite the lively debate. Fred Thompson went after Rudy Giuliani on a host of conservative issues. Rudy hit back on Thompson's tort-reform record. John McCain went after Mitt Romney on "flip-flops." Romney was on the defensive regarding his Massachusetts healthcare plan. Ron Paul was booed about the war. And everybody piled on Hillary, over and over and over. It's gotta make her feel pretty good. It's like getting booed on the road in the Majors -- or getting a parody of yourself on Saturday Night Live. When that happens, you know you've made it.

How'd the media see it?

*The Associated Press leads with frontrunners Giuliani and Romney in the lead, and takes the angles of the second-tier candidates questioning their conservative credentials. McCain challenging Romney; Thompson taking on Rudy. It's clear right now the GOP betting odds are on either Giuliani or Romney as the nominee. Still, extremely fluid.
*FOX's headline: "CAT FIGHT HISSES IN REPUBLICAN PRIMARY DEBATE" Meow.
*Chuck Todd at NBC called all the candidates "red-hot" and has trouble picking a clear winner.
*Conservative blog RedState has nice things to say about McCain and Huckabee.
*Ana Marie Cox at TIME says McCain had the best line, and likes Rudy and Huckabee as well. But she says Fred needs to take a nap!
*The N.Y. Times blog says this G.O.P. debate was about "Everybody vs. Clinton."
*Mark Ambinder, who's blog over at The Atlantic is definitely in my top 3 favorites, thinks Mitt and Rudy stood out.

The reviews continue to pour in . . . What say you?

Blunt Draws Line For Compromise on S-CHIP

Rep. Roy Blunt said he would agree to a state children's health insurance program (S-CHIP) that covered families with incomes between $40 and $60-thousand dollars a year, if Democrats were willing to drop coverage for higher income families.

Blunt made his comments in Springfield at the Jordan Valley Innovation Center during a tour Friday.

Blunt said a program that would cover "at least 90% of the kids in the first tier" and "eliminate those 400% of the poverty level" would be a bill Republicans could support.

Republicans in the House were able to sustain President Bush's veto of a Democratic expansion of S-CHIP this week.

"We're willing to see the program grow a little bigger . . . and certainly we're willing to spend a little more money than the President was willing to spend in his initial proposal, but not nearly the amount of money that our friends on the other side wanted to spend," Blunt said.

"They wanted to take a $5 billion dollar program a year and expand it to a $12 billion dollar a year program," Blunt said.

When asked if there was a real chance for a compromise, Blunt said "there has to be." "I think there really has to be a compromise unless you just want to demonstrate so visibly that this is politics," Blunt said, referring to the Democratic leadership.

He said the longer the Democratic bill floats out before the public, the worse it looks. On Friday, he cited statistics that in Minnesota, 87% of all people on the S-CHIP program are adults. In Wisconsin, Blunt said that number is 66%.

"We want a bill that puts poor kids first. We've done the right thing so far. We'll continue to reach out to the Democrats and hope they reach back," he said.

31% of Missourians Approve of the President

Just 31% of Missourians polled by SurveyUSA in October approve of the job President Bush is doing.

That's an 8-point drop from September.

66% disapprove.

71% of Republicans are sticking with Bush but 89% of Democrats remain against him. Independents break 72%-27% against him.

Even his support among evangelicals is soft. 42% approve.

His highest marks remain in the Ozarks with 47% approval.

50% Plus Approve of Bond, McCaskill

October approval ratings are out, per SurveyUSA.

53% approve of the job Sen. Kit Bond is doing. 50% give Sen. Claire McCaskill the nod.

This is odd: Bond has just a 5-point edge with males, but a 22-point edge with females. Is that a typo? 41% of Democrats approve of Bond in October. He even wins moderates 48%-45%. He's sky-high in the Ozarks with 59%.

McCaskill wins just 25% of Republicans, but 63% of moderates and just 58% of liberals. In the Ozarks, her approval rating has taken a dive to 34%. Her highest marks are in St. Louis (56%) and Kansas City (57%).

McCaskill Office Reponds to Hsu Relationship

Sen. Claire McCaskill's press office quickly responded to an article we posted from The Politico about the junior Senator's relationship with disgraced donor Norman Hsu.

From the piece:

"At Hsu’s urging, he last year gave his first federal political contribution on record: $1,000 to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)."


"Hsu “suggested that a candidate needs support [in] a tough fight against Republicans,” he said of the pitch on behalf of McCaskill. Her office didn’t return a request for comment."

The McCaskill camp tells the KY3 Political Notebook it was never contacted by The Politico for comment about the story, and noted McCaskill never "took a dime" from Hsu.

“It was embarrassing to discover that we’d received contributions associated with Norman Hsu. By the time we looked into the extent of the network of people associated with him, the total amounted to $32,620 in contributions. We have donated the contributions to several charities. The most sizable donation was a group called “Honor Tour” that sends World War II veterans to Washington to visit the WWII Memorial and other sights of the city. As the daughter of a WWII vet, Claire was pleased to help this group," said spokesperson Adrianne Marsh.

Marsh confirmed that McCaskill has met Hsu, but did not elaborate when or where she met the him.

WaPost Features McCaskill on Bizarre Linestanding

Sen. Claire McCaskill doesn't want lobbyists to be able to pay placeholders to stand in line for them to get into Senate hearings.

The Washington Post has the quirky story here.

Money Bite: "I was walking along the hallway to the Judiciary Committee" about two months ago, "and I said what's up with these people? . . . Who's paying them,?" McCaskill said.

Around the Horn: Twister Edition

In case you haven't noticed yet, southwest Missouri got hit with some bad storms last night.

And we in TV-land like to show you every possible debris out there. . . which, in turn, leaves less time for this stuff . . .

• Blunt Hearts Media . . . The House overwhelmingly passed a media shield bill that protects reporters this week, and Rep. Blunt signed on. "In the past few years, there have been too many instances where the pendulum has swung against the free flow of information and in favor of the government,"Blunt said on the House floor. "I was troubled by the instances I've seen where reporters have been jailed or threatened with jail for simply protecting their sources."
• Bond Defends Earmarks . . . Missouri's senior Senator objected to an amendment by one of his Republican colleagues that would have stopped an earmark for a bridge project in Kansas City. "When we put in earmarks … they reflect the judgment of each member of this body on what is important in his or her state," Bond said. "Now, my friend from Oklahoma is earmarking money for bridges. If he believes Oklahoma is not putting in an adequate share of its money for bridges, then we would be happy to entertain earmarks. But don't tell us (how) to earmark ours."
• Claire Knows Hsu . . . Disgraced political donor Norman Hsu gave his first federal political contribution to Claire McCaskill, reports The Politico. Hsu “suggested that a candidate needs support [in] a tough fight against Republicans,” he said of the pitch on behalf of McCaskill. Her office didn’t return a request for comment. Not returning a call for comment? That's so un-McCaskill-like.
• Skelton Writes Pelosi . . . Rep. Ike Skelton and Speaker Nancy Pelosi may not seem very similar, but Skelton once told me they are close, and he has a "great deal of respect for her." When Pelosi planted a tree on the Capitol lawn for Skelton's wife after she died, he said it "touched him forever." That's why he may have some pull as he writes the Speaker to bag a resolution that would recognize genocide of the Armenian people. He's urging Pelosi to not even bring the bill to the floor.

Now back to our regularly scheduled twister coverage . . .

Romney's Iowa Lead Begins To Shrink

A Rasmussen poll of likely Republican caucus voters in Iowa shows Mitt Romney's lead beginning to shrink, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee building traction.

IOWA G.O.P.
Mitt Romney 25%
Fred Thompson 19%
Mike Huckabee 18%
Rudy Giuliani 13%

Romney now holds a 6-point lead in the Hawkeye State, and Huckabee has moved into a virtual tie for second place with Thompson.

"However, the race in Iowa is very fluid. For each of the top four candidates, between 57% and 61% of their supporters say they might change their mind before the caucus is held," Rasmussen reports.

"Romney and Thompson are essentially even among men, but Thompson attracts only 10% of the vote from women. In fact, Romney, Huckabee, and Giuliani all outpoll Thompson for the female vote," reports the survey.

"Huckabee leads among Evangelical Christians while Romney leads among those with other religious beliefs," Rasmussen reports.

Sooner Than You Think

A new Rasmussen poll of Iowa Democratic voters shows Hillary Clinton opening a double-digit lead in the first in the nation Iowa caucus.

Or will it be first in the nation? Reports indicate New Hampshire's Secretary of State is at least contemplating moving up the Granite State's primary to December.

Could it be Christmas in New Hampshire? If so, it would be the first time New Hampshire went BEFORE Iowa. And that could change the entire dynamic of the race on both sides.

It's looking more and more like New Year's in Iowa.

Iowa Republicans set their caucus for January 3rd. That's right, the 3rd! Iowa Democrats could follow suit.

Now, back to that Dem poll.

IOWA DEMS
Hillary Clinton 33%
John Edwards 22%
Barack Obama 21%

The poll was taken between Oct. 10-14th. Does this mean the real battle in Iowa will be for second between Edwards and Obama? If Obama finishes third, does the race end there -- because Edwards doesn't have the financial resources to take on Hillary in the bigger states? Or is Hillary's lead in the Hawkeye State inflated? Questions . . . Questions . . . Questions . . .

Holden Backs Hillary

More and more Democratic elected officials seem to be getting on the bus.

Today, a former Missouri Governor did the same.

We're talking on the "bandwagon bus" that is Hillary Clinton's march to the nomination. (We still think Obama has a real shot at knocking her off in frontrunner-fickle Iowa.)

Bob Holden announced he was backing Clinton for president today.

"This country needs change, and Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience to deliver it," Holden said in a statement. "She is uniquely qualified to hit the ground running on her first day in the White House.”


A release said Holden will serve as a Missouri Co-Chair and a member of Clinton's Education Policy Taskforce.

The Aura of Inevitability

Question: What's most inevitable?

1) A Colorado Rockies World Series Championship

2) A Hillary Clinton presidency

-OR-

3) A story about a John Q. Hammons and a hotel on one of Springfield's news outlets

The Non-News Endorsement

So why am I posting it?

Well, just in case another Republican decides to jump into the race out of the blue at the very last minute.

Gov. Matt Blunt endorsed Senator Michael Gibbons for Missouri Attorney General today.

“Senator Gibbons is an experienced leader with a strong record of fighting for the safety of our families,” Governor Blunt said. “His leadership was vital to the passage of Missouri's version of Jessica's Law to protect children from dangerous predators. He has been an energetic advocate for victims of rape and domestic violence. As the highest ranking member of the Missouri Senate, Senator Gibbons proved his tremendous leadership qualities again and again, working with legislators on both sides of the aisle. Senator Gibbons will be a tough and effective Attorney General for the people of Missouri who will always act with integrity," he said.

Harris Zeros In on Koster's Dough and "Right Wing Rex"

Democratic Attorney General candidate Jeff Harris is taking aim at Sen. Chris Koster for the way he raised much of his money for his own Attorney General candidacy.

In a stinging release today, Harris called Koster "a wholly-owned subsidiary of the biggest enemy of public education in this state, Rex Sinquefield and the Show-Me Institute."

Harris even goes as far as to call some of the contributions illegal and is calling on Koster to return the dough.

More on Sinquefield's money can be found by number-cruncher Randy Turner here and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch here.

The Harris campaign blasts Koster for accepting contributions of $1,275 from at least "76 of the new 100 Sinquefield-funded PACs, and at least $2,500 of indirect contributions through committees."

“My opponent thumbs his nose at Democratic values when he allows himself to be bought and paid for by a conservative ideologue and think tank that trashes public education, praises pay day loan sharks and opposes universal access to health care,” Harris said. “I have a long and strong relationship with educators around the state and have fought tirelessly to protect and fund our public schools. You don’t fix public education by starving it. That is what my opponent supports by standing with ideologues like Right Wing Rex.”

Harris said Koster will learn the lesson the hard way at the polls next August.

"Instead of honoring and upholding the law, Koster has spent his time and energy trying to skirt it by laundering contributions from his big-money, right-wing benefactor to pay for GOP hatchet men still on his payroll. Of course Koster, the Republican, showed his true colors when he voted against campaign contribution limits," Harris blasted.

Pregnancy Care Center Gets $250K in Tax Credits

The Blunt administration is sending $250,000 in state tax credits to Springfield's Pregnancy Care Center, one of the leading anti-abortion organizations in the region.

The Governor made the announcement in a release today. Four non-profits from around the state will get a total of $499,700 from the Missouri Department of Economic Development as part of the "Neighborhood Assistance Program."

Blunt's release states the Pregnancy Care Center will use the credits to conduct " a capital campaign for the acquisition and renovation of a new facility."

"The new facility will allow them to expand programming and capacity. Once renovated, the organization expects to serve 1,900 teens and young adults per year through one or more of its health and medical-related programs. These include healthy pregnancy classes; an ultrasound program; smoke-free babies; mentoring and enrichment programs; fatherhood program; adoption education; and abstinence and prevention education," reads the release.

Blunt Donates $210,000 to NRCC

If you don't need it, share it.

It's kind of required of a member of the leadership with a safe seat.

Rep. Roy Blunt has transferred $210,000 from his campaign warchest this year to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which will need all the financial help it can get in what's expected to be a turbulent year for House Republican incumbents running in swing districts.

According to The Politico, Blunt and other G.O.P. leaders donated $105,000 to the NRCC during the third quarter.

Blunt and Nixon Tight in New Poll

A new Rasmussen poll gives Gov. Matt Blunt an insignificant one-point edge over likely Democratic opponent Jay Nixon in Missouri's race for Governor.

Matt Blunt 44%
Jay Nixon 43%

A month ago, Nixon held a 3-point edge. If you're a Republican, you've gotta be pretty happy with a virtual tie right now.

Bekah Cooper of Missourians for Matt Blunt is sure touting the results. In an e-mail today, Cooper called the poll "significant" because it is the first public poll to show Gov. Blunt in the lead.

"Obviously, polls bounce back and forth and will continue to do so over the next few months as Blunt and Nixon are neck and neck, but public polls are consistently showing improvement for Gov. Blunt," Cooper said. "We expect this trend to continue as more and more Missourians see and experience the positive changes under Gov. Blunt’s leadership," she added.

Rasmussen reports, "Blunt now leads by four among men while trailing by two among women. Blunt does better with Married voters and those with Children at Home. Among unaffiliated voters, it’s a toss-up."

41% of Missouri voters say Blunt is doing a good or an excellent job.

Is this race bound to be a McCaskill-Talent II? Close down to the wire?

If so, why am I already tired of the hyper-partisan releases from both sides?

Harris Has Broadest Financial Support in Southwest Missouri During 3rd Quarter

Columbia State Rep. Jeff Harris had the broadest financial support among individuals in Southwest Missouri of the three Democratic candidates for Attorney General during the last three months of fundraising.

An analysis of the third quarter reports of Attorney General candidates Harris, Rep. Margaret Donnelly and Sen. Chris Koster shows that while Koster netted the most money locally, Harris acquired the greatest number of contributions from the Ozarks region.

Harris raised $7,045 dollars from 16 Ozarks donors during the third quarter, with contributions from Joplin to Monett to Neosho. #135th District legislative candidate Nancy Hagan gave Harris $220. Hagan plans to run again against Rep. Charlie Denison. Former #136th District legislative candidate and attorney James Owen gave Harris $150. It's unclear if Owen will take another shot at what will be an open #136th district seat in 2008. Springfield attorney Sam Hamra and Democratic activist Bobbie Lurie also donated to the Harris campaign.

Sen. Chris Koster raised $16,950 in the Ozarks region -- but most of that came from the #135 Democratic Committee in Springfield, which lists a contribution of $11,700. The Springfield Building and Construction Tracks PAC gave Koster $1200. The Missouri Drive Fund in Springfield donated $1275 to Koster.

Rep. Donnelly, who has been endorsed by Springfield lawmaker Sara Lampe, scored only six donors from the Ozarks region. Most of her money came from her hometown St. Louis region. A JAC PAC out of Rolla gave Donnelly $500. Integrity Home Care in Springfield contributed $250 to Donnelly.

Koster Leads A.G. Money Chase

Rep. Margaret Donnelly was first out the gate with her campaign finance report in the race for Attorney General.

Then came, former Republican turned Democrat Sen. Chris Koster. Finally, former House Minority Leader Jeff Harris.

But that doesn't give you a good sense of the state of the Attorney General money race on the Democratic side.

The following does:

Koster took in the most money during the 3rd quarter. He raised $442,000 over the last three months and has over a million dollars left cash on hand. Koster's campaign release notes, "nearly all of the money was raised in the 8 weeks since Koster made his historic switch to the Democratic Party."

"Missourians from across the political spectrum are supporting Chris because of his experience as a frontline prosecutor in Missouri's law enforcement community and his record of standing up for working families and advocating for lifesaving stem cell research," spokeswoman Elisabeth Smith said. "The diversity of Chris' supporters shows why he is the strongest Democratic candidate to help lead a ticket to defeat an extremist Republican Party and take back our state legislature."



Rep. Harris raised less than a fourth of what Koster raised over the last three months. Harris reported raising $92,317 over the last three months. His campaign has about $350,000 cash on hand.



In his release, Harris boasts that half of his 864 donations are from outside mid-Missouri, "demonstrating his growing statewide appeal. He said his average contribution this quarter was $259 and more than half of his donors gave $100 or less. A quick review of Koster's report shows he depended on larger donors and many more district committees and political action committees.



"We are very pleased with our efforts to date. We are on target to reach our goals and to have the funds necessary to run an aggressive campaign. Our support is broad based and diverse, just like the Democratic Party”, said Harris in the release.



So while Koster is outpacing both Harris and Donnelly, Donnelly raised more than Harris this quarter, yet Harris still has more cash-on-hand than Donnelly.



DEM A.G. MONEY SUMMARY
Chris Koster: $442,000 3rd quarter, $1 million on hand
Margaret Donnelly: $304,000 3rd quarter, $307,000 on hand
Jeff Harris: $92,000 3rd quarter, $350,000 on hand

Donnelly Raises 300K For AG Bid

State Representative Margaret Donnelly has raised a little over $300,000 over the last three months for her Attorney General candidacy.

Donnelly's exact number is $304,397.58 from "over 600 donors," according to a campaign release.

“We are on target to meet our fundraising goals for this campaign. This early success will ensure that we are able to get our message out to voters across the state and will inspire me to work even harder in the months ahead,” finished Donnelly.

Donnelly spent $31,295 this period, so her total cash on hand at this point is $307,300.

Republican County Chairs Remain Uninspired, Uncommitted in Presidential Race

Republican county chairs across Southwest Missouri remain largely uncommitted in the muddled and fluid G.O.P. race for president and in some cases they are uninspired about their choices.

Less than four months until the Missouri presidential primary, an informal survey of G.O.P. county chairs finds many of the top Republican leaders in the Ozarks unsure about who they'll ultimately support.

"I think it's bad," said Howell County Republican chair Joan Bailey-Russell. "I think it's an indication we're in for a long hard campaign. People at this time, are usually pretty well decided."

The KY3 Political Notebook survey also found that Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson have acquired the most support among Republican brass -- but interviews revealed that their support is tepid at best and far from solid. The survey also found that many are torn between Rudy Giuliani's electability and his more liberal social views. Six Republican chairs explicitly said they could not support or would have "great difficulty" supporting Rudy Giuliani.

Bailey-Russell said she's "hung up" between candidates Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. But she acknowledged, "I can't decide. I haven't seen any of them step up to the plate."

Christian County Chair Marvin Merritt said he's been let down by Fred Thompson's candidacy. "I'm not sure everyone thinks Fred Thompson is everything we thought he'd be," he said, noting he's still weighing the candidacies of Romney and Thompson.

Lawrence County Chair Sherri George is also losing faith in Thompson's candidacy. "I was really hoping Thompson to jump in and just take it and I really haven't felt that. He was supposed to be so seasoned, and I just don't feel the momentum," George said. Dade County chair Fred Lemons also said he is "still waiting on Thompson."

Merritt said many of his Republican friends are also divided and discouraged. "Enthusiasm is down because the Republican party had everything they wanted and they squandered it. They became no different than the Democrats," Merritt said.

Merritt also said he knows several Republican donors who have refrained from making campaign contributions this campaign cycle because of their discontent.

Pulaski County G.O.P. chair Loretta Rouse said her county's Republicans are split between the top three candidates. "It's so split up. Several are supporting Giuliani, some are with Romney, some are with Thompson. I think the more people know Romney, the more they get to like him," she said.

Personally, Rouse said she favors Thompson because "he is much more conservative than the rest of the field on abortion, taxes and the right to bear arms." "I'm still really listening though, it's not 100%," Rouse said.

Texas County Chair Kevin McGowen is actually backing a candidate -- Mike Huckabee. "He's a minister and we need more Christian people in politics," McGowen said. Asked if he thought Huckabee had a chance, McGowen replied flatly, "no."

He said he would eventually get behind the nominee, which he predicted would be Romney, but added that he wouldn't actively campaign for the former Governor from Massachusetts. In Texas County, he said he found the strongest support for Thompson. "Most people won't work for any of the candidates except for Thompson. They think he's more of a Reagan-type," McGowen said.

Hickory County chair Galen Lindsey is also leaning towards Thompson by process of elimination. Lindsey said he can't support Giuliani because he is pro-choice. He said Romney has "flip-flopped" too often. John McCain, he said, is too liberal. "I kind of like Huckabee, but can he get traction,?" Lindsey asked. "That leaves me with Thompson."

But before hanging up the phone, Lindsey reminded me, "Remember, my opinion could change next week."

N.H Poll: Clinton Widens Lead, Giuliani Closing on Romney

A new poll of New Hampshire registered voters shows Hillary Clinton widening her lead over Barack Obama in the Democratic primary and Mitt Romney locked in a geographic duel with Rudy Giuliani on the Republican side.

N.H. DEMS
Hillary Clinton 41%
Barack Obama 20%
John Edwards 11%

Notes: Clinton's lead here HAS to be inflated, doesn't it? Even if she wins New Hampshire, there's no way she'll beat him by 20 points, will she? I just don't buy it --- yet. Plus, as you astute political observers know, the results in Iowa help transform the numbers in New Hampshire. That's why Obama benefits from the most amount of days between Iowa and New Hampshire if he does well there . . . so he can build momentum. Clinton wants a quick turnaround to stifle any bounce Obama could get from an early upset win. Agreed?

N.H. REPUBLICANS
Mitt Romney 26%
Rudy Giuliani 20%
John McCain 17%
Fred Thompson 10%

Notes: Romney's geographic edge has been dwindling here as of late, and Giuliani hasn't even gone up with ads yet. So this race remains competitive. A must-win for Romney, but also crucial for Giuliani, because he's assumed to do poorly in Iowa. The most eye-popping thing for me on the Republican side is that John McCain (who many have already written off for dead) is still competitive here. The conventional wisdom is that McCain won't pull off the independents in the Granite State this time because of his hawkish war position and because of Barack Obama. Is McCain set up to surprise us all here?

The poll surveyed 1,512 registered New Hampshire voters and has a margin of error of 5 percentage points for the results for Democrats and 5.5 percentage points for Republicans.

For Plaster, It Takes "A Village"

A quiet change in state law that slipped by some legislators from the Ozarks is sparking a big dispute over lakefront property in Stone County. The new "village law" lets landowners petition their county for an election to turn their land into their own political subdivision.

You can watch my KY3 News @ 10 report HERE.

Robert Plaster of Lebanon, who's known for his wealth and avoidance of reporters, filed a petition asking the Stone County Commission to call an election to incorporate Plaster's land along Table Rock Lake as a village. Only people who live in the proposed village area would be eligible to vote on the issue.

Nearby landowners worry village status would give Plaster unchecked power. The Stone County Commission fears it will allow him to develop the land with limited oversight.

A secretary with Plaster's Evergreen group told me that Plaster was traveling this week and was unavailable for comment. KY3 News has learned Plaster has filed two lawsuits against the Stone County Commission to try to force it to act on the petition.

Kathleen O'Dell at the Springfield News-Leader broke this story and has led the coverage on it. You can read her solid series of reports on the "Village Law" HERE.

Governor Matt Blunt has said he's willing to work with the Legislature to change the new "village law" during the session next year. Barring an adverse court ruling, however, the petition for Table Rock Village likely would be grandfathered since it was filed on Aug. 28, the same day the new law was effective.

Lampe Backs Donnelly for Attorney General

Springfield Rep. Sara Lampe has endorsed House colleague Rep. Margaret Donnelly in the heated Democratic primary race for Attorney General.

The Donnelly campaign today announced a list of legislative endorsements. Reps. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, Shalonn "Kiki" Curls, Sam Komo, Sara Lampe, Beth Low, Jenee Lowe, Jamilah Nasheed, Michael Spreng, Rachel Storch, Tom Villa, Michael Vogt, Clint Zweifel and Jeannette Mott Oxford are all backing Donnelly.

State Senators Rita Heard Days and Joan Bray are also backing Donnelly, according to a release.

“As ranking member of the Budget Committee in the House, Margaret led the Democratic opposition to the Republican cuts to Medicaid in Missouri,” said Clint Zweifel. “Her leadership and passion during that debate as well as her day to day depth of knowledge and commitment to Democratic values is an inspiration," said Rep. Zweifel.

Blunt Lists Crime Lab As Funding Priority

Gov. Matt Blunt says money for the new state crime lab in Springfield will be a funding priority in his budget request to the Legislature next year. The governor held a news conference here on Friday morning to announce he'll ask for about $576,000 for the crime lab in the legislative session that starts in January.

Blunt says the money is needed to train seven staff members. He says the crime lab will help ease some of the burden on the Highway Patrol’s crime lab system.

The crime lab is under construction in a city-owned building at the corner of Tampa Street at Benton Avenue. If all continues according to plan, it will be up and running by next fall.

Back on Foreign Affairs Committee, Blunt Backs Turkey

Minority Whip Roy Blunt returned to his old seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee this week just in time to vote against a controversial Armenian genocide resolution.

The death of a Republican House member left a vacancy on the committee, and Blunt quickly filled the slot in order to support the Bush administration's stand against an effort to call the slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a genocide.

A House panel approved the "genocide resolution" 27-21, with Blunt voting against it.

Blunt's move to the committee is temporary until Republican leaders select a permanent member.

Page Raises A Half Mil for Lt. Gov. Bid

Democratic State Representative Sam Page has raised about a half a million dollars this quarter for his campaign for Lieutenant Governor.

Page is reporting having raised $503,480 as of September 30th.

"This nine-month fundraising effort places us at the mid-point to the Primary election -- nine months away," said Page in a release. "We are finding support in all corners of the state. I am especially pleased that the total was from 1,129 donors who gave an average of $445.95 per donor."

After about nine months of campaigning, Page is reporting $350,547.03 cash on hand. There have been no loans to the campaign, according to a release.

A Republican Sigh of Relief: Jackson Won't Run

Former Rep. Jack Jackson has announced he will not challenge Gov. Matt Blunt for the Republican nomination next year.

"I've decided it would be best for Missouri not to challenge Governor Blunt" , said Colonel Jackson (USMC- Ret.) in a statement just released . "The governor asked me for my endorsement and I agreed." In his endorsement Jackson called Governor Matt Blunt, " a hard worker who is making difficult decisions and doing what he feels is best for the people of Missouri." Jackson says he had considered running for governor after he was encouraged by voters from around the state to seek the office; "I'm honored that so many of my supporters have that kind of faith in me but this is the time to close ranks and Governor Blunt deserves another term." Jackson says he will keep his options open for the 2012 elections and plans to seek statewide office at that time; "until then I'll keep working to support my fellow veterans and do whatever I can to make Missouri a better place to live."

Blunt Forms High-Speed Internet Task Force

Gov. Matt Blunt today signed an executive order creating a new Rural High-Speed Internet Access Task Force that will identify opportunities to increase access to that technology across the state.

“No Missourian should be left out of today’s technology based economy because of where they live,” Blunt said. “Expanding access to high-speed Internet in Missouri’s rural communities is an important step for economic development, agriculture and education," Blunt said.

The Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder will serve as chair of the task force which will assess the current level of high-speed Internet access available in Missouri and then identify barriers to service and potential options for solutions.

The group will submit its report to Blunt by February 1, 2008.

McCaskill Still Opposed to Cutting Iraq Funding

Sen. Claire McCaskill said she remains opposed to cutting off funding for the war in Iraq, even though she acknowledged voters asked for a change in policy during the 2006 election cycle.

Opponents of the Iraq war have been critical of McCaskill for not doing more to try to bring U.S. troops home from the war-torn country.

McCaskill made her latest comments on war funding during a trip to Fort Leonard Wood.

The Rolla Daily News reports:

McCaskill, a Democrat, said even though the nation is “deeply divided” in its support of the war in Iraq, that limiting funding to support the war is not an option and will only hurt the service men and women.“He is our Commander-In-Chief, but we need to get the president to change his policy on the war. If you look at my election, my predecessor, who voted along with the president is (no more.) I think the people wanted a change,”

Skelton Worried About Iraq Buying Arms From China

Rep. Ike Skelton is worried about the possibility that Iraq's government could purchase weapons from China.

The Army Times reports that Rep. Skelton recently co-wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates about issue. The letter stated that one of his chief worries is about keeping track of the weapons to make certain they don’t end up being pointed at U.S. troops. The possible $100 million sale of military equipment from China to Iraq was reported in the Washington Post, the writers said.

Iraq is a sovereign government with the right to spend its own money how it chooses, the letter concedes, but the lawmakers said that they have “serious misgivings.”

The letter asked Gates to provide details on whether the purchase will include any U.S. funds and how well the Iraqi government and U.S. commanders will be able to track the weapons.

It also asked what changes have been made to the U.S. foreign military sales program to hasten sales to Iraq.

Skelton co-wrote the letter with ranking Republican member Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is also a candidate for president.

Emerson to Break With Bush, Blunt on SCHIP

Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson plans to break with her Republican colleagues next week on the controversial state children's health insurance program (S-CHIP). The congresswoman for southeast and south central Missouri says she will vote to override President Bush's veto of a bill expanding children's health care.

Emerson says she doesn't think the override effort will succeed.

Read more HERE.

Hearing the Footsteps?

A lunch meeting between Gov. Matt Blunt and former state Rep. Jack Jackson about Jackson's possible 2008 primary challenge is off, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Meanwhile, Jason Rosenbaum over at the Columbia Tribune has Blunt's reaction non-reaction about Jackson's possible run.

The Missouri Democratic Party can't get enough of this . . . salivating over a possible primary challenge to Blunt.

A Dem release reads:

** ALERT: BLUNT HITS PANIC BUTTON, CANCELS MEETING **
In the 30 minutes since the release below went out, Gov. Blunt has hit the panic button and reportedly canceled his scheduled lunch with Rep. Jack Jackson.