Show Me The Money!

2nd Quarter Presidential fundraising is almost complete.

The official numbers will trickle out over the next hours and days.

But why wait? The numbers are leaking out here and there. Campaign aides are dutifully lowering expectations. But here's what's being projected by the chattering class . . .

THE DEMS
*Hillary Clinton - The campaign has already let supporters know on its blog that Hillary will bring in around $27 million. But if these campaign staffers are doing their job right, she'll haul in more than that. Maybe $30 mil? Now, that's lowering expectations!
*Barack Obama - Will he outraise Hillary again? And how much is he reserving for the general? Reports are he'll haul in between $25 and $30 million. But watch his donor total. He's already added 140,000 new donors this quarter.
*John Edwards - He pulled in some last minute cash from his wife's tit-for-tat with Ann Coulter on Hardball. But Edwards is expected to lag far behind Hillary and Obama, bringing in between $9 and $10 million. They again, the Edwards camp could be bluffing. Still, his campaign has maintained it doesn't need the big "celebrity money" to compete. The goal is to raise $40 million by time Iowa rolls around.
*Bill Richardson - The New Mexico Governor has already announced he has raised $7 million.

THE REPUBLICANS
*Rudy Giuliani - The Giuliani people aren't talking. The best guess I could find comes from The Atlantic Monthly, which projects between $14-$17 million. But either way, expectations will be much higher this quarter because he's the national frontrunner. Key question: How close will he be to Romney's total?
*Mitt Romney - Here's another campaign downplaying expectations big time. Which makes you wonder. Odds are he won't hit the $21 million he raised in round 1. He's loaning money to his campaign and has a high "burn rate" with a paid staff of 200, and all those pretty campaign ads already running in Iowa and New Hampshire. Still, look for him to top the G.O.P. list. Look for Romney to raise between $15-$18 million.
*John McCain - The McCainiacs are saying they will miss their goal. And you've got to believe them. The immigration debacle probably didn't help. The campaign's goal was $10 million, and word is they are having trouble getting there. The political press want to write this poor guy's obit. I'm not ready to count him out yet. Look for around $10 million.
*Fred Thompson - He won't report because this latecomer doesn't have to. But it's fair to say he's still building a base of fundraisers that's probably hurting all the other Republicans in the field.
*Mike Huckabee - A half a mil was all he could manage during the first quarter. Could he hit $2 million or more for quarter 2? You'd think with his band groupies alone?

A Double Dose Of Blunt

Two Blunts, One Day.

On Monday, Governor Matt Blunt will sign his Medicaid reform legislation at the Springfield Jiffy Lube on East Battlefield at 9:15 a.m.

Then, later at 3:30 p.m., Congressman Roy Blunt will visit the new HomeBuilders Association Headquarters on West Republic Road.

Nodler to Chair Appropriations

Sen. Gary Nodler officially received his appointment to serve as chairman of the state Senate Appropriations Committee today.

The powerful chairmanship will give the Joplin Republican significant influence on the state's annual $20 billion dollar budget.

Nodler announced the Senate Appropriations Committee will formally begin work with a series of public hearings in December, earlier than in the past.

“The budget process is demanding and time consuming, but it is also the most important and only constitutional requirement the General Assembly must perform each year,” said Nodler at a press event today in Joplin.

Nodler will head the committee that is currently made up of several Ozarks lawmakers, including Sens. Norma Champion, R-Springfield; Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield; Frank Barnitz, D-Lake Spring.

Yeah, What He Said: The Dem "Debate" Lovefest

Sen. Hillary Clinton received screams from the crowd and a partial standing ovation Thursday night when she said the country's current view on the AIDS epidemic would be radically different if the disease afflicted young white women the way it does young black women.

"Let me just put this in perspective. If HIV/AIDS were the leading cause of death of white women between the ages of 25 and 34, there would be an outraged, outcry in the country," Clinton said to the mostly black crowd at Howard University during the third Democratic presidential debate.

It was the emotional line of the night, during a lackluster, poorly organized debate shown on PBS, which failed to crystallize or elicit differences between the 8 Democratic contenders.

The Format
First, the semantics. The debate got off to a ridiculously slow start, with lots of pomp and circumstance by the university and PBS that didn't need to be televised. Like PBS doesn't already have a boring reputation? What a way to lose potential viewers off the top!

Another problem: Each candidate got to answer every question. And throughout the debate, the candidates reiterated the same points made by their rivals and often said, "I agree with everything just said." It was a waste of time, and made for bad TV.

As David Gergen put it, "this was a lovefest, not a slugfest." And will the issues of African American voters raised tonight carry into the candidates platforms or campaign stump speeches? Probably not in Lilly white Iowa and New Hampshire. But time will tell.

Now, a capsule of the memorable moments of a debate that will be soon forgotten.

Education & Poverty

"If I'm president I'll do away with the war on drugs," said candidate Mike Gravel, making the case that drugs are a public health issue, not a crime issue.

To combat poverty, John Edwards outlined more specifics than others. He wants to significantly raise the minimum wage and strengthen the right to organize.

"When you've got a bill called No Child Left Behind, you can't leave the money behind," said Sen. Barack Obama.

Dennis Kucinich wants to cut the Pentagon budget by 15% to free up education dollars. "Stop cutting war, start funding education," Kucinich said.

Gravel said that was too modest. "I think we cut a little more than 15%," Gravel said. "21 million Americans could have a 4 year college scholarship for the money we've squandered in Iraq," said Gravel.

"The people on this stage are all guilty," Gravel said in a reference to the war in Iraq.

Sen. Clinton gave a response we've heard before. "I really believe it takes a village to raise a child," Clinton said.

HIV/AIDS Prevention
Bill Richardson looked sweaty, hesitant and even lost at some times in this debate. But none of his answers baffled me more than his initial response about how to prevent a 17-year-old African American from contracting HIV/AIDS.

"We have to use needles . . .," Richardson said. Huh? Richardson then got his footing and went on to credit President Bush for his work and funding of battling AIDS in Africa.

Edwards gave some specifics on how to combat HIV/AIDS. Fully funding a cure. Fully funding the Ryan White law. Making sure Medicaid covers AIDS drugs and treatment. He got good applause for this.

Obama talked about how the more African Americans fall into poverty, the more likely they are to contract diseases. He offered a broader cultural look at battling disease.

Gravel offered . . . ending the war on drugs? Again.

Clinton gave her boffo answer that brought women to their feet.

Sen. Joe Biden said he is working to get black men to understand that it is not "unmanly" to wear a condom, and to get women to understand it is ok to say no to men's sexual advances. Kinda of an odd ball statement. But he was trying to talk about changing the culture in the black community as well. Then, as Biden always does, delivered this sugarplum:

"I got tested for AIDS, I know Barack got tested for AIDS. There's no shame in being tested for AIDS," Biden said. "It's an important thing. The community's engaged in denial," he said.

Obama's quick response:

"I got to make clear. I got tested with Michelle when we were in Kenya and Africa. So I don't want any confusion here about what's going on," Obama said in response to laughs from the crowd.

Funniest moment of the night.

Taxing the Rich
Most candidates agreed that repealing the Bush tax cuts would be a priority, although both Clinton and Obama were very careful with their answers. They know what they say now on taxes will be held against them by Republicans in a general election.

Obama said "blacks don't want charity, they want fairness."

"None of you are going to live in your lifetime to see our system of taxation changed based upon what you've heard here," said Gravel.

Sen. Chris Dodd promised to give tax breaks to companies who decide to stay or locate in inner cities. Richardson said he would reward companies that pay higher wages, and offered a tax holiday for technology start-ups.

Blacks & Criminal Justice
"The justice system is not colorblind," said Obama. "It requires some political courage because often times you are accused of being soft on crime when dealing with these issues," said Obama, responding to a question about racial disparities in the justice system. (Again, he's thinking general -- outloud).

"We need to seek to end mandatory minimums. We know who's serving those mandatory minimums," Kucinich said.

Sen. Chris Dodd said mandatory minimum sentences have been a disaster. He wants to eliminate the distinction between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. "That will make a big difference on who goes to jail in this country," Dodd said.

Right to Return To New Orleans?
Most candidates said they would support a law that would give residents "the right to return to New Orleans." Clinton didn't directly answer. But she did use strong terms to castigate the Bush administration. She said the administration has neglected the rebuilding of New Orleans with almost "criminal indifference."

Edwards wants to allow the people of New Orleans to rebuild the city, by giving them jobs and insurance -- instead of bringing in multi-national companies to do the rebuilding.

Outsourcing Jobs
Biden said eliminating tax breaks alone won't keep jobs in America. Richardson said the focus should be on raising science and math standards in our schools.

"One of my first acts in office will be to cancel NAFTA and the WTO," Kucinich said. "A Democratic administration started NAFTA. A Democratic administration will end it."

Genocide in Darfur
Another big tough girl moment for Clinton here on what to do to stop the killing in Darfur.

"We should have a no fly zone over Sudan. Because the Sudanese government bombs the villages . . . We should make it very clear. We're putting up a no-fly zone, if they fly into it, we'll shoot down their planes. It's the only way to get their attention," Clinton said.

Biden emphasized the U.S. should put American troops on the ground to stop the carnage.

"I believe that fighting genocide is more important than sports," Richardson said about his suggestion to boycott China's 2008 Olympics if the country doesn't agree to do more on the Darfur issue.

"We have to look at Africa not just after a crisis happens," said Obama.

"If Darfur had a large supply of oil, this Administration would be occupying it right now," Kucinich blasted.

And then this parting shot from Gravel . . .

"We have to have a president that has moral judgement. Most of the people on this stage with me do not have that judgement and they've proven it by the simple fact of what they've done," Gravel said.

All in all, because no one won; Clinton won.

But outside the Clinton comment on AIDS and the Obama-Biden exchange, this debate was a snoozer. The reason to have these debates is to offer distinctions for voters trying to learn about who to choose. Debates are important, but so are the formats you govern them with. This one needed some work.

The Republicans are supposed to do this format on PBS on Sept. 27th. Really? We will see if they show up to an audience or panel that may be ready to attack.

Blunt Blasts Dems on Trade

House G.O.P. Whip Roy Blunt blasted Congressional Democrats today for failing to renew the President's trade policy.

"The free flow of goods, services and technology creates good-paying jobs in this country and helps drive every sector of our modern economy. Unfortunately, the expiration of the president's trade promotion authority throws the future of that exchange into serious doubt -- and leaves Ambassador Schwab with one less tool in her toolbox to negotiate a good trade deal for America in the Doharound.

"But instead of working with Republicans to make sure our nation's trade agenda remains on track, Democrats seem comfortable heading home this week without renewing the essential means of ensuring it. Nor has the majority taken any serious steps on any of the other important bi-lateral trade agreements, failing to advance anything tangible with regard to Peru, and continuing to hold up the Colombia debate over matters completely unrelated to trade.

President Bush signed legislation in 2002 renewing trade promotion authority, which allows the president to negotiate trade agreements in a way that can be voted up or down by Congress. That authority will expire Saturday, June 30 unless Democrats act to renew it, according to Blunt's office

For Different Reasons, Bond & McCaskill Block Immigration Reform

It's over. The immigration bill is probably dead . . . until after the 2008 election.

Both Missouri Sens. Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill will get credit -- or blame -- for helping kill it.

The heart of the reform would have provided a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.

Bond ended up opposing the bill because the legislation would allow illegal immigrants to become citizens.

McCaskill opposed the bill because it would expand the guest worker program.

"We need to do more to secure our borders, but we cannot be held hostage by those who want amnesty for illegal aliens," Bond said in a statement.

“This bill would legalize illegal immigrants who broke our laws and flaunted our rules," Bond said. "Unfortunately, my attempts to strike that legalization and cut their path to citizenship failed."

“The amnesty provisions and the $20 billion in new unfunded mandatory entitlement spending for illegal immigrants doomed this bill, and I was proud to oppose it," Bond said.

Hillary: Obama Will Raise More

We're 2 days away from the 2nd quarter presidential fundraising deadline and the expectations game has begun.

Sen. Hillary Clinton's Communications Director is already lowering the bar on the campaign blog.

"We expect to bring in about what we did in the First Quarter, or slightly more, which should put us in the range of $27 million. To put that figure in some perspective, it is more than any Democrat has ever raised in the second quarter of the "off" year. While that figure is record setting, we do expect Senator Obama to significantly outraise us this quarter," writes communications director Howard Wolfson on the campaign's blog today.

I always feel a bit queasy when I write strictly about money when measuring a candidate. It just seems wrong that we put so much of an emphasis on dollar amounts.

But that being said, the conventional wisdom is that if Sen. Barack Obama is able to outraise Clinton for a second consecutive quarter, it's a big story.

Another Dem Debate Tonight

The third Democratic presidential debate will air tonight on PBS at 8 p.m. CT.

From MSNBC's First Read:

"For the third time this campaign season, the eight Democratic presidential candidates -- Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Gravel, Kucinich, Obama, and Richardson -- participate in a debate. This time, it’s from Howard University in DC, and it airs on PBS at 9:00 pm ET. Organizers are billing the event as the first “panel exclusively comprised of journalists of color” in primetime: PBS’ Tavis Smiley, NPR’s Michel Martin, syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr., and USA Today’s DeWayne Wickham. And the candidates will be asked questions on health care, Katrina relief, the economy, and the environment."

Line of the Day

"We all walked out saying we never want to get in a scrap with this woman."

--U.S. Senator Jon Tester, on Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, after a meeting between freshman Senators and Democratic leadership. According to an A.P. article today, McCaskill urged leadership to allow first-term lawmakers to chair Senate subcommittee hearings.

Spokesperson: Bond "Not Conflicted" About Immigration

Senator Kit Bond's Communication Director sent me an e-mail reassuring me that "Senator Kit Bond was not and is not conflicted over the immigration bill."

Shana Marchio said Bond voted to allow debate on the bill because he thinks "it is important that members of Congress debate important issues."

"He thinks his colleagues should go on-the-record regarding whether they support giving U.S. citizenship to illegal immigrants. That is the heart of the amnesty that Senator Bond opposes," said Marchio in an e-mail message.

Marchio also said Bond believes "the more this bill is exposed to the light of day through debate, the more people will see its fundamental flaws, like the amnesty provisions and the $25 billion in new mandatory entitlement spending for illegal immigrants."

"He has stated publicly and to Missouri journalists that unless all the amnesty provisions are removed from the bill and other flaws like the entitlement spending he will vote to kill the bill – that includes the upcoming budget point of order (60 vote threshold) and the cloture vote to end debate (60 vote threshold) and final passage," Marchio said in the message.

Romney, Edwards Hold Iowa Leads

Mitt Romney and John Edwards continue to lead their party rivals in the first-in-the-nation state of Iowa, according to a new Strategic Vision poll released today.

The former Massachusetts Governor leads nearest rival Fred Thompson 23%-17%. Rudy Giuliani is now third at 14%, but has been steadily losing ground in the Hawkeye State. John McCain sits at 10%. In the second tier, Tommy Thompson (6%) edges out Mike Huckabee (5%).

On the Democratic side, John Edwards continues to maintain a lead. Edwards leads the field with 26%. Barack Obama clocks in at 21%, and Hillary Clinton takes 20%. Bill Richardson wins 11%. Still, right now, it looks like any of the top 3 Dems could win Iowa. It remains a do-or-die state for Edwards.

The poll results are based on telephone interviews with 600 likely Republican caucus goers and 600 likely Democratic caucus goers, aged 18+, and conducted June 22-24, 2007. The margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.

Bond: Crucial But Conflicted Over Immigration Bill

A delicate and vulnerable immigration bill remains alive because of a package of amendments being promised to a broad array of key lawmakers.

Republicans like Sen. Kit Bond seem very conflicted over the bill, and Missouri's senior Senator could be key to the bill's survival.

Bond is one of several Senators who have been promised votes on their amendments. Sen. Bond voted to move ahead with the measure, after siding with opponents earlier this month on a different vote that stalled it.

If you head over to the Drudge Report, Bond's face is plastered on an ad paid for by NumbersUSA. The headline reads: "Tell Senator Kit Bond . . . A Vote for Amnesty is A Vote Against Missouri."

"I voted to allow further debate on the bill, but if its amnesty and other bad provisions remain, I will oppose ending debate or its final passage," Bond said in a statement Tuesday.

The conservative National Review has already drawn the line in the sand. It labels Bond as one of 7 Senators who can stop amnesty.

The Review calls Bond's stand "contradictory." The Review predicts his amendment -- to gut the Senate deal by stripping "a path to citizenship" -- will go down to defeat. "By the time his amendment fails, it may well be too late to stop the bill," writes The Review.

Ironically, the Review heaps praise on Missouri's junior Senator. "The other senator from Missouri, the newly elected Democrat Claire McCaskill, has figured this out even if Bond has not. She is voting no on cloture. Missouri voters would do well to reflect on the fact that their junior Democratic senator has a more consistent and effective position against amnesty than their senior Republican one," writes the Review.

Does that sting?

It's ironic that the Missouri G.O.P. and former Sen. Jim Talent's campaign lambasted McCaskill for supporting "amnesty" throughout the campaign.

Now, it's McCaskill -- the former prosecutor -- who holds the "conservative" position. She's proving she is against amnesty in the most literal sense of the word.

The amnesty charge is now being leveled against Bond -- from his own side.

Sen. McCaskill voted against debating the bill, joining her colleagues from other Midwestern and Rust Belt states.

McCaskill and others said Tuesday they would watch closely to see how the bill is amended, but are doubtful they would support it.

"I'll keep an open mind," McCaskill said, but she quickly added that she could not imagine that the bill could get her vote.

The odd thing is that if Bond ultimately supported the immigration deal, that would probably give McCaskill the political cover to do the same.

How could the G.O.P. credibly attack McCaskill for "amnesty" if its senior Senator voted the same way?

But McCaskill seems pretty firmly against this bill, and we should take her word until we see otherwise.

Wouldn't it be something if McCaskill and Bond split on the vote. Her against it. Him for it.

I wonder what National Review would say when Bond is up for re-election.

What would the Missouri G.O.P. release say?

What would Jim Talent would think?

Blunt Orders Review of Crime Labs

A day after he announced funding for a new crime lab in Springfield, Gov. Matt Blunt said he will appoint a commission to review the progress and ability of state funded forensic labs.

Blunt said the 6-member commission will determine which labs are providing exceptional services. He said only those labs will continue to receive state funding.

“The ability of law enforcement to effectively investigate and prosecute crimes depends greatly on the accuracy of forensic services carried out by crime labs,” Blunt said. “It must be a Missouri priority to ensure that our law enforcement officials are given the highest quality of analysis from state funded laboratories to make Missouri safer.”

The six panel commission will consist of one senior manager from an ASCLD/LAB accredited crime laboratory within the state who has experience as a forensic scientist, one sworn administrator from a law enforcement agency, one prosecuting attorney, one defense attorney, one crime victims' advocate, and one representative of the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

According to the Governor, the commission will issue a report to the Department of Public Safety outlining any findings of negligence or misconduct within a crime laboratory and make recommendations regarding changes in procedures. The group will continue to meet to provide annual reports.

Blunt Rescues Springfield Crime Lab

The worst-kept secret in Springfield today was revealed to the public as Gov. Matt Blunt announced a new funding plan to build a crime lab in the Queen City.

The lab, which has been in the plans for several years, will be in a former warehouse/distribution center that the City of Springfield owns. Law enforcement officials say the expanded lab is needed to relieve the workload at the patrol's crime lab in Jefferson City, which can take up to a year to process criminal evidence sent to it by investigators.

You can watch KY3's Marie Saavedra's report HERE.

The Missouri Legislature failed to pass a bill that would have provided the final piece of needed funding for the lab. City and Greene County leaders have been piecing together the funds, and thought the Legislature's failure would mean construction on the lab couldn't begin this year.

At a news conference on Monday morning, Blunt said state funding for the crime lab will be phased in over three fiscal years and will include 21 new staff members. Missouri will pay $400,000 in the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.

He'll also ask the Legislature to appropriate $1.2 million for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2008. If that doesn't happen, the governor says the funding will be spread over more years.

The Office of Administration will enter into a lease-purchase agreement with the City of Springfield for the building at 440 E. Tampa St. The crime lab will replace a smaller one in Springfield that only processes some evidence in drug crimes.

The Highway Patrol says its crime lab system receives evidence from more than 23,000 criminal cases a year. The expanded lab in Springfield will increase the system's forensic analysis capacity by 30 percent. In addition, it says, the merger of crime labs in Joplin and Cape Girardeau with the Highway Patrol crime lab system will further increase capacity and efficiency.

City officials also plan to use part of the building on Tampa Street for training facilities for police and firefighters. The Springfield City Council will consider ratifying the lease-purchase agreement with the state at the council's lunch meeting on Tuesday.

Branson to Host G.O.P. in 2008

Branson has been selected as the host city for the 2008 Missouri Republican Party State Convention.

It will be held from May 30 to June 1 at Branson’s Chateau on the Lake.

“Next year will be an exciting one for Missouri Republicans and Branson is the perfect community in which to be selecting our delegates to the Republican National Convention and adopting our state platform," said party chair Doug Russell.

Branson was chosen by the 11-member Site Selection Subcommittee of the Missouri Republican State Committee during meetings in Kansas City this past weekend. The Republican National Committee has tentatively assigned Missouri 58 delegates and 55 alternates to the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from Sept. 1 to Sept. 4, 2008, where the Republican nominees for President and Vice President will be selected.

McCain To Expand Organization in Missouri

Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign plans to expand its political organization in Missouri over the next few weeks, according to a campaign e-mail.

The campaign plans to hold informational meetings around the state to provide updates on the campaign, according to the e-mail send out by McCain's Midwest Regional Political Director Ben Golnik.

Does this mean McCain will devote more resources to larger states that will cast ballots near or after February 5th?

The latest Mason-Dixon poll in Iowa has McCain at just 6%. That puts him in 5th place - behind Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani -- and even Mike Huckabee.

Brantley Plans "To Come After" Norr

Rob Brantley, who ran for the Democratic nomination in the #137th legislative district, says he's plotting a political comeback.

Brantley tells the KY3 Political Notebook that recent child abuse charges filed against him have been dropped.

He said he plans to challenge Rep. Charlie Norr for his seat in 2008.

In a message, Brantley said, "Charlie Norr better watch his *ss . . . I'm coming after him, and I'm going to take his seat from him."

In last year's August primary, Brantley finished a distant second to Norr in the Democratic primary. Norr won the nomination with 56% (635 votes) to Brantley's 24%. Richard Napieralski finished third with 20% of the vote.

New Life For Springfield's Crime Lab

Gov. Matt Blunt is expected to hold a press conference at 10:15 a.m. Monday morning to announce funding for Springfield's crime lab.

Watch my KY3 News @ 10 story here.

Blunt Won't Reveal Earmarks

Rep. Roy Blunt is not releasing his list of requested earmarks for the federal budget, according to a story by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.

Democrats are now crying fowl because Blunt just got done criticizing Democrats for failing to adopt an earmark process that's "open, honest and transparent."

The Roll Call piece lists Blunt as one of the lawmakers who would not release his list of earmarks to the group Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW).

From the piece:

Among the many lawmakers choosing to keep their lists secret are House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Dan Burton (R-Ind.), Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), according to CAGW. All vociferously attacked the Democratic earmark plans, and Blackburn, McHenry and Foxx were specifically attacked in the Democratic memo for refusing to disclose earmarks to their local newspapers.

Burson Taylor Snyder, spokeswoman for Blunt, denied any hypocrisy.

"There is a huge difference between a chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee wanting to pass a bill with a slush fund of unmarked dollars in it" and refusing to release earmark requests, she said.

"If the bottom line is how your tax dollar is being spent, then the proper thing to do is make the list of earmarks that do get funding public in advance," she said.

But CAGW’s Paige didn’t buy that argument. Paige said taxpayers want to know what their Representatives are requesting, not just what gets funded, and they want to know it as early as possible, not just as bills are coming to the House floor, so they can impact the process.

Here's a list of the House members who have and have not released their earmark requests, according to CAGW. The Senate list is here.

Notably, Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner did not request any earmarks. Sen. Hillary Clinton refused to release her list.

Gannett News Service reports that Rep. Ike Skelton and Mo. Sen Kit Bond declined to release their requests as well. A spokeswoman for Sen. Claire McCaskill said the junior senator didn't request any.

"We don't want to participate in a broken system," McCaskill spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh said. "The senator wants a thoughtful earmark policy in place."

"It's not about Missouri losing out" with respect to funding of local projects, Marsh said. "It's about Missouri doing it the right way."

According to the CAGW list, Sen. Russ Feingold was the only other Democratic Senator to not request any earmarks.

Bob Holden Wanted Warner for President

Former Missouri Governor Bob Holden said his first pick for President in 2008 was Mark Warner, until the former Virginia Governor announced he wasn't running late last year.

Holden tells the KY3 Political Notebook he has not made any decision on which Democratic candidate for President to endorse. He said he is trying to get most of them to speak at his public policy institute at Webster University.

"I've spoken to just about every one of them. Basically all of them have asked me for an endorsement. One just did within the last four days," Holden said.

But Holden explained that right now it is tough to lure candidates to an event that doesn't involve fundraising.

"All they are doing is raising money right now, and Missouri is not a big money state," Holden said.

Holden has attended events for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Missouri, and said he has close ties to many of the candidates. But he really admired the possible candidacy of former Governor Warner.

"He took that state and turned it around, did a lot with technology. He reached across party lines, which is something I had trouble with in Missouri," Holden said.

"If Warner was in, he would've been my first choice," he said.

When I asked Holden about the reservations some Missouri Democrats have about Clinton as the potential nominee, he said Hillary had proven critics wrong before.

"They said the same comments about Hillary in rural parts of New York, and she proved them wrong. It's way too early to dismiss her here. Her national numbers look very good. Her challenge is that she has to be tough enough to be Commander in Chief, yet soft enough that people feel like they can relate to her," Holden said.

On His Relationship with Claire McCaskill

Holden said he believes Sen. Claire McCaskill's standing in Washington is rising because she's focusing her efforts on what she knows best.

Holden had kind words for his former rival and her tenure in Washington so far. "I had a chance to visit with her before she left for Iraq. She's done a good job as Senator. She's using her background as an Auditor to talk about fiscal management, which is a very important issue that resonates with people right now," Holden said.

I asked Holden if there were any remaining sour grapes with McCaskill.

"I never had a hatchet. Candidly, I didn't want it to happen," he said of the 2004 Democratic battle for Governor. "I wish it didn't happen, but I wasn't going to play to the whims of my party on certain issues. And I didn't."

Lines of the Day

"I'm surprised you went up to cover the Republicans, considering your leanings. I know you're friendlier with the Democratic side."

-- Rep. Dennis Wood (R-Kimberling City), to me after noting my recent trip to Iowa to cover the G.O.P. presidential candidates.

"Two of the primary internet outlets for political news in Sprngfield (spelling in original text) are the SNL and the KY3 Political Blog. Each blog has shown an occasional backbone on taking on the craziest GOP nonsense, but for the most part they skew to the right. One thing is for certain, both of these entities go out of their way to prop up some pretty weak local GOPs."

--Ozarks Politics, a left-leaning blog, in a recent round of posts about our coverage of Republicans.

Rep. Wood Likes Fred Thompson

He hasn't endorsed just yet, but when asked which presidential candidate he favored, Rep. Dennis Wood (R-Kimberling City) named yet-to-be-announced candidate Fred Thompson.

"I haven't endorsed anyone yet, but I do like Fred Thompson," Rep. Wood said.

Rep. Maynard Wallace (R-Thornfield) wouldn't play presidential politics with me.

He said he still hasn't ruled out running himself.

Kinder Signs Uniform School Day Legislation

Summer vacation will be a little longer for some Missouri kids this year, and that will in turn, bolster statewide tourism.

That's the aim of Senate Bill 64, which was signed by Lt. Governor Peter Kinder in Branson Monday. The new law keeps schools from starting their year no earlier than ten days before Labor Day. Tourism leaders say schools' earlier start-up dates have been costing the state's tourism industry a lot of money. What used to be a 90-day season has dwindled down to a 45-60 day season, according to business owners who appeared at a press conference with Kinder.

Still, lawmakers at the press conference said that school boards still maintain local control in this bill, and that the real goal of this legislation is giving school districts "guidance and structure."

Rep. Maynard Wallace said that much of the education community viewed anything as "interference with local control" in previous years. But Wallace stressed that local control is still essentially protected in this compromise.

A school board can still set an early August school start date if that board holds a public meeting to discuss that start date, and a majority of the board votes to approve it.

Kinder called the legislation "a compromise in a long-running struggle," that will bring a real economic benefit to Branson.

Rep. Wallace said the bill didn't go quite as far as he wanted it to, but Rep. Dennis Wood called it a good compromise.

According to the legislative office of Sen. Jack Goodman, in 2004, the state may have lost over 11 million dollars in tourism revenue due to early school start dates.

Some educators argued that early school start dates were necessary in order to have ample time to prepare for MAP testing. Lawmakers rejected that argument, and Rep. Wallace promised that MAP scores will not drop as a result of this legislation.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Two leading conservative writers said September would be the critical month for the fate of the President's Iraq policy.

Kate O'Beirne and Byron York of the National Review made the comments on NBC's Meet The Press Sunday morning.

O'Beirne said September is "absolutely an important moment" for a status report on Iraq. York said the White House is "incredibly nervous" about this September deadline.

O'Beirne even suggested that by September there might even be enough Republicans that would support an Iraq appropriations bill with timetables for withdrawal.

On ABC's This Week, Sen. Joe Biden said he's confident Gen. David Petraeus will give lawmakers a credible report on the progress of Iraq in September.

Presidential Politics
A brand new Mason-Dixon survey in South Carolina shows Barack Obama and Fred Thompson leading the pack. Obama leads Hillary Clinton by 11 points in South Carolina, 34%-25%. Thompson leads Rudy Giuliani by 4 points in the same survey taken between June 13th-15th.


Still, York of National Review said that it's not yet clear if the G.O.P. is really in love with Fred Thompson, or "the idea of Fred Thompson," an outside force that could rescue the party.


On This Week, Democratic candidate Biden said he would raise enough money during the 2nd fundraising quarter to stay in the race. He also pointed to national polls that show that even though the Democratic frontrunners "are good people, making a lot of news," they still get beat head-to-head by Republicans, who are generically not preferred.

WSJ: Talent Signs On With Auto Makers

From the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire:

Jim Talent has signed on as a lobbyist for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the chief lobbying group that represents Detroit’s Big Three auto makers and Toyota Motor Corp. of Japan, among others.

His job: Speak out about pending fuel economy legislation pending in the U.S. Senate.

Talent says efforts to increase mileage rules could devastate millions of auto workers. “You’re talking about taking food, education and quality of life away from people who don’t have any other alternative,” he told reporters.

Rothenberg: Blunt vs. Nixon A Toss-Up

News that's not really news . . .

The Rothenberg Political Report rates most of the nation's Governor's races "Safe," so far.

But not in Missouri. (Duh)

Rothenberg rates Blunt's chances at getting re-elected as "a toss-up."

That is, if Gov. Blunt is running for re-election. Why doesn't he just say he's running and get it over with?

"The Governor is focused on being Governor, not a 2-year campaign," said Bekah Cooper, spokesperson for Missourians for Matt Blunt.

Gingrich to visit St. Louis Next Week

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the last of the potential presidential candidates who hasn't jumped in (but could in September), will be in St. Louis next week.

He'll appear the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis on Tuesday. His Center for Health Transformation is stepping up shop in Missouri.

From the press release:

The Center first announced plans to launch the Missouri Project in April of this year, committing the organization to the mission of creating a healthy Missouri in which knowledge saves lives and saves money for all Missourians. The Project is an opportunity to replicate the successes of CHT's groundbreaking Georgia Project, launched in 2003, which includes initiatives related to diabetes and obesity, e-prescribing, eliminating minority health disparities, creating affordable coverage for all and increasing access to cost and quality information. In both states, the Center sees a unique opportunity to generate and implement projects to test solutions that promote value-based healthcare, increase access, and reduce costs.

Springfield Takes Steps Towards Going Green

The Homebuilders Association opened its new environmentally-friendly headquarters Thursday.

The group wants to encourage area builders to do more to construct "green buildings."

Watch my KY3 News @ 6 report on the issue HERE.

City Councilman Dan Chiles said he's pushing city leaders to pursue a more "Green-friendly" agenda on everything from recycling to building codes.

Huckabee Struggles To Break Out

Watch my KY3 News @ 10 profile on former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as he campaigns for the Republican nomination in Iowa.

Watch Rudy, Romney & McCain Stump Speeches

I've posted portions of the stump speeches of Rudy McRomney, er, I mean, Sen. John McCain, Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as they campaign through Iowa.

These speeches were made in Iowa in late April, but oddly enough their pitches sound very similar more than a month later.

Just click on the name to watch the speech of your choice:

Rudy Giuliani speaks in Des Moines about his policies on taxes, job growth and healthcare.

Rudy Giuliani speaks about his plan for energy independence and why the Republican Party needs to stay united on the war against terrorists and foreign policy.

John McCain speaks in Marshalltown, Iowa, about why the United States needs to stay the course in Iraq.

Mitt Romney speaks in Des Moines about why he's running for president.

In Case You Missed It . . .

Here's my KY3 News @ 10 Special Report on the Republican candidates for President in Iowa.

Thursday on KY3 News @ 10, tune in for my profile on former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Iowa Part 1 to Air Tonight

I'll try this shameless plug again . . .

Tonight at KY3 News @ 10, tune in for a fun and chaotic look at the Republican candidates for President in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa.

Thursday night at 10, we'll air our in-depth profile on former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Some other bloggers and politicos have asked me: What's your obsession with Huckabee?

The answer is that he falls into our KY3 News viewing area, which includes a good chunk of northern Arkansas. So the reason we focus on him here, is because, he's a local angle for us to follow.

No obsession. Just geography.

NRCC Raises $7.9 Million for 2008 Cycle

Republican House Whip Roy Blunt announced today that the National Republican Congressional Committee raised $7.9 million dollars at the President's Dinner to help G.O.P. candidates for the 2008 elections.

The Senate side pulled in $7.5 million dollars for its candidates during the annual joint fundraiser headlined by President George W. Bush.

But The Hill reports that the $7.9 million raised is about HALF of what was raised last year.

In the official release, Blunt seems rosy:

“The success of tonight's dinner highlights the strong nationwide commitment to Republican ideals and values. We're coming together tonight from all over the country with a common goal -- to take back our majorities in the House and Senate -- and the success of tonight's dinner will help us get there,” House Republican Whip Roy Blunt said.

But in The Hill article, Blunt acknowledges the President's problems:

"Blunt acknowledged that Bush’s relationship with congressional Republicans is rocky. “Every president in his second term has difficulty working with the legislature, and President Bush is no different,” Blunt said, but disputed that the lowered financial goals reflected disenchantment with Bush. Instead, Blunt said, it was due to donor fatigue after the midterm elections. (In 2005, the last non-election year, House Republicans set a $14 million goal for the dinner.)"

The fundraising dinner will be held tonight in Washington, D.C.

Bond Wants to Get Out the Good News on Iraq

Missouri's senior Senator said the United States isn't doing a good enough job at getting out the good news going on in Iraq.

Sen. Kit Bond, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, held a hearing today on the importance of terrorist ideology.

He said the U.S. lags behind on winning the war of ideas, and that includes public diplomacy. He pointed to Iraq as a prime example.

"While there been significant progress, the United States needs to do a better job of public diplomacy," Sen. Bond said.

Bond pointed out that on his recent trip to Iraq, he was proud to see first-hand a mosque in Ramadi that American soldiers rebuilt but was disappointed the United States has not spread the word on this and other good news stories.

"The U.S. military has made a real difference in Iraqi communities like Ramadi, but our government is not doing an adequate job of spreading the good news," said Bond.

"The war of ideas and public opinion is not just critical in Iraq, but is crucial to the broader war on terror. The terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere in the world understand that the only way to win the war is not just militarily, but with constructive engagement and effective public diplomacy."

He also stressed that the U.S. must spend more time on examining the ideology of the enemy.

"The Global War on Terror is about 20 percent kinetic and about 80 percent ideological. We should never miss an opportunity to capture or kill any terrorists who rear their heads, but ultimate success depends on focusing the weight of our effort on the ideological front, to reach would-be terrorists before they turn to violence. To do this effectively we need to understand the role that ideology plays in motivating, radicalizing and legitimizing violent extremism," said Bond.

Floods Wash Away Iowa Story Tonight

EDIT 6:53 p.m. . .

Ok, I lied.

The floods have won over once again.

My Iowa series has been postponed due to flood stories.

So tune in to Wednesday's KY3 News @ 10 for my first in-depth Iowa piece. (Hopefully)

Barring there isn't more breaking news out there . . .

Nixon Responds to GOP MySpace Charge

The Attorney General's office said the Missouri Republican Party is misrepresenting Jay Nixon's work on getting information from the popular networking site MySpace.com.

A spokesman for Jay Nixon said the Attorney General has been pursuing the case since January, working with multiple states.

The G.O.P. charged that Nixon had not been part of that multi-state effort. But Scott Holste, of the Attorney General's office said "the May 14 letter to MySpace.com from the executive committee of the multi-state group represented all 50 states, including Missouri."

Holste added that the names of the Missouri convicted sex offenders were obtained through a subpoena issued to MySpace.com.

"The information we turned over to the Highway Patrol was just as complete as the information received by other states, and was consistent with the information received by every other state Attorney General who requested it," Holste said in a statement to the KY3 Political Notebook.

"Because complete information has been provided to the Highway Patrol, we trust the Governor will direct the Patrol to support our efforts in protecting Missouri's children," Holste said.

Fred Thompson In Osage Beach Friday

From Johncombestblog.com:

Probable Republican candidate for President Fred Thompson is scheduled to speak at the Missouri Bankers Association conference in Osage Beach on Friday.

Thompson is scheduled to speak at 9:45 a.m. at the Tar-Tar-A Resort.

UPDATE 1:08PM Tuesday: Bill Ratliff with the Missouri Bankers Association tells us the event is private, only open to "trade press." No media availability for Thomspon prior to or after the event. Too bad -- we've love to ask him about this Rasmussen poll which has him tied with Giuliani for the lead.

Huckabee: The New Compassionate Conservative?

Is Mike Huckabee's campaign for president turning into him into the new
"compassionate conservative?"


President Bush ran on that theme successfully back in 2000. But the more Huckabee speaks, the more he seems to be molding his candidacy into a balance between strict conservative principals and a larger theme of uniting on issues for the larger good.

He speaks about leading the country not from the left or the right, and "not horizontally but vertically."

Huckabee appeared on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews Monday, and attempted to broaden his appeal beyond the Christian conservative base of the Republican party.

He didn't speak about winning the culture war, but rather respecting his liberal opponents. He said his pro-life convictions don't push him to want to put doctors behind bars, but rather "protecting somebody."

He seemed to evade questions about his views on evolution, deeming them irrelevant in the campaign for the Presidency. "And here we are in the middle of a presidential campaign, and, Chris, I doubt there is an American family in America tonight sitting at the dinner table having a discussion on what the president, the next president, is going to believe about evolution," Huckabee said, after going back and forth with Matthews.

Huckabee also made comments like "a true conservative is a conservationist," and advocated a "consumption tax" to deal with global warming.

What should be the issues Republicans and Democrats try to tackle? The issues they have a higher chance of coming to an agreement on, Huckabee argued. Not gay marriage or abortion. But education, for instance.

"Why are kids laying their heads on the desk and sleeping, in the most expensive nap in America? We need to be talking about fixing that, so we don`t have a whole generation of uneducated kids. And I`m going to tell you, Chris, Democrats and Republicans ought to be coming together and agreeing on doing that," Huckabee said.

Is any of this working? The best recent news for Huckabee came from New Hampshire, where a Mason-Dixon poll showed the former Arkansas Governor running at about 5%. That still puts him in fifth place. And an internal poll by Mitt Romney's campaign showed Huckabee at 7% in Iowa.

Huckabee seems to have won the Sam Brownback primary -- and has emerged as the top 2nd tier candidate. The problem is that another "top tier" candidate (Fred Thompson) is about to nudge him out of the spotlight.

Meanwhile, Huckabee is now weighing whether to roll the dice and compete in Iowa's August straw poll. He initially said he would, but now is reconsidering. It's a gamble. If he goes for it and doesn't win it or come close to Romney (without John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in it), it will look bad. On the other hand, if he opts out, he could be missing a chance to do well and ride a bunch of free media momentum. He's still hedging on the straw poll in Ames.

But Huckabee won't budge on his principals. Support the surge in Iraq. Abortion is wrong. Marriage is between one man and one woman.

When asked about if he would run with Rudy Giuliani, he dodged -- and said he could convert Rudy on issues.

It was vintage Huckabee. Deflecting a complicated question with humor. And showing his candidacy is a little bit more complicated than the pure "conservative" label that's being used to describe it.

Blunt Wants Nixon to Subpoena Myspace

Governor Matt Blunt wants Attorney General Jay Nixon to subpoena Myspace.com and other social networking sites for information about sex offenders that possibly used the website.

Gov. Blunt today said he is concerned that a spreadsheet of possible sex offenders from Missouri who may have used MySpace.com that was provided to the Missouri State Highway Patrol by Attorney General Jay Nixon may actually be a product of a contractor working for MySpace.com.

"Though this is potentially valuable, it does not do enough to protect our young people from sexual predators," read the release from Blunt's office.

Eight other states have sought similar information from Myspace.com about sex offenders using the site, according to Blunt's office. The Missouri Republican Party has issued a different release, blasting Nixon for "misleading statements about his role in pursuing online sex predators."

GOP spokesperson Paul Sloca claimed that Nixon lead people to believe he was part of the "multi-state group working to turn over information on sex offenders to law enforcement even though he was NOT."

Either way, Blunt is now asking Nixon for his assistance on the issue.

“This May 14th letter by your colleagues compelled MySpace.com to use the contractor for subsequent attorneys general inquiries like yours,” Blunt wrote in the letter to Nixon. “However, I strongly encourage you to consider using subpoena power directly on MySpace.com.”

Blunt is concerned that the information provided by a contractor working for MySpace.com may not be complete or provide the level of detail our law enforcement need to help protect our young people from sexual predators, according to the release.

EDIT 10:14 p.m. . . Scott Holste of the Attorney General's office left me a message while I was out on an unrelated crime story 2 hours away. He said the releases from the Governor and the G.O.P. on the Myspace issue are "demonstrably false."

"Frankly, it kind of ends up embarrassing you, with the inaccuracies in it," Holste said.

When I finally could get back to Holste, it was after 10 p.m. When I hear from him, or get a response, I'll post it here. Here's the release on the website regarding Myspace.

NPR: Rural Vote No Longer Republican Lock

From NPR:

A new national poll indicates rural Americans are no longer reliably Republican, and the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq seems mainly to blame.

Is there a similar trend in rural southwest Missouri?

The anti-war group Americans Against Escalation in Iraq is trying to point to one.

In a release today, the group cited an AP story that notes "growing concern with the Iraq war in the Bootheel." "The congresswoman who represents the district, Jo Ann Emerson . . . says it is clear that even in her rural district, patience is running thin."

(Image provided by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq)

Steelman Won't Confirm or Deny Run for Governor

Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman won't confirm or deny that she's considering running for Governor in 2008.

No Shermanesque statement from her either way. And she's a Republican you know.

In an interview with KY3's Steve Grant, Steelman wouldn't speculate on a possible run for Governor.

"I'm concentrating on being a good state Treasurer," Steelman said.

On other issues, Steelman seemed to keep her distance from the Governor's 2007 legislative agenda.

On Medicaid Reform? "I'm not sure how the whole Missouri HealthNet is going to play out."

On Mohela? "I hope the Mohela deal works out."

Still, no endorsements of the Blunt initiatives and very careful language through it all.

Click HERE to watch the full interview.

She's coy and dare we say careful, to say the least.

And that's what makes it fun!

What the BLEEP is wrong with us?

A point of personal privilege, Mr. Speaker:

What's wrong with us?

Us as in American culture. Us as in the mass media. Have we completely lost our sense of perspective?

I'm speaking of the undue, unwarranted attention given a certain individual this week. Cable, internet, even our local newscasts have spent far too much time and attention on the adjudication of a 26-year-old woman in Los Angeles. Her celebrity is ridiculous, her crime commonplace but the amount of attention given these proceedings has so out of whack, I think the media has lost its mind. Even National Public Radio, the last sanctuary for completely serious and important news , has stooped to include mentions of this person.

Disproportional response to this nonsense aside, I'll concede celebrities who do bad stuff warrant some news coverage. A Heisman trophy winner and NFL hall of famer accused of murder deserves some ink. A global music superstar accused of molesting boys is probably worth a mention. But those individuals had accomplished something, contributed a panel to the American cultural mosaic. Our latest obsession rose to fame because of a sex tape. A SEX TAPE!

What's scary is what this may say about the American people. The media conglomerates wouldn't be covering this unless people are consuming it. So why is demand there? I fear Americans have forgotten we have enemies that hate this stuff (and us) more than I do. We are too easily distracted these days to remember they are still out there. And let's not forget the problems we still haven't solved: health insurance, child abuse, oil addiction, Social Security, tribal violence, global warming, and on and on.

It's shocking and sad in the same moment. The beam of hope we can cling to is the fact this will end. A new distraction will come along, more salacious and time consuming than this.

DCCC Pressures Blunt on Alaska Colleague

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) sent out a curious e-mail that pressures Rep. Roy Blunt to hold his House Republican colleagues accountable for "unethical earmarks."

The release notes that earlier this week, Whip Blunt "made clear that Members should be held to the high ethical standard in the House Code of Official Conduct. Today, Mr. Blunt has an opportunity to apply his new standard."

The DCCC said Republican Congressman Don Young – from Alaska – is under scrutiny for securing a $10 million earmark to study building a road in Florida, which directly benefited a campaign contributor.

“On Tuesday, Republican Whip Blunt said that his Members should uphold a high ethical standard and not bring disrepute on the House. Today, it’s clear that the revelation of Representative Don Young’s pay-to-play earmarking clearly does not meet Mr. Blunt’s standard,” said Jennifer Crider, Communications Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Whip Blunt must hold Mr. Young accountable if he is serious about Republicans upholding his new ethical standard.”

Bond Alarmed by Guard Equipment Shortage

Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) said the warning by the National Guard's senior uniformed officer that about half of all National Guard equipment is now tied up in the Middle East "should set off alarm bells" and needs to be heeded by the White House and the Pentagon.

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, told a gathering of Guard adjutants general from across the country, meeting this week in Anchorage, Alaska, for their annual consultation, that Guard units have only 53 percent of the equipment they need to handle state emergencies - an all-time low.

Bond said that even though the National Guard has been assigned expanded missions in recent years, the Pentagon's budget for Guard allocations have not kept up.

Sen. Bond is teaming with Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy to push forward with their National Guard Empowerment Act, which would give the Guard a more effective "seat at the table" as decisions about missions and budgets are decided at the
Pentagon.

While Leahy's criticism of the Bush administration is not a surprise, Bond's tone on the issue has gotten increasingly pointed.

"There is no question that the Guard's equipment stocks for domestic response are low. This shortage is a result of decades of inadequate funding for Guard equipment," said Bond. "The Guard needs a boost in funding now to help alleviate the shortfalls in equipment. The $1 billion we successfully added in the supplemental is just a down payment. It is past time that the White House and Pentagon begin considering the Guard's critical dual role mission and ensure these men and women have the equipment they need to do their jobs."

Quote of the Day

Time columnist Joe Klein on Mitt Romney (June 11th issue):

"There isn't the slightest hint of courage or conviction in his stump act. It's a candidacy for the era before 2001, before things got serious. And his success or failure will be a reflection of how serious the electorate is in 2008."

Notable

From the St. Louis Post Dispatch today:

1) Roy Blunt's spokeswoman Burson Taylor is leaving the Congressman's press shop to go work for Fred Thompson. (She's a Memphis native.

2) Members of the Danforth family (but not the former Senator himself) are raising money for Rudy Giuliani.

I apologize for the lack of links to these stories, but I'm sitting in an airport (again!) in Memphis, and I can't figure out how to link on my fun, but dopey MAC.

Immigration Bill On Death Row?

On Death Row?

On Life Support?

Pick your metaphor.

But a broad immigration bill that could legalize millions of people unlawfully here, faced a stunning defeat Thursday that could put the entire package in jeopardy.

Sen. Trent Lott said if the U.S. Senate couldn't work out a deal on this, it should vote to dissolve and go home until 2008.

But Sen. Claire McCaskill and Sen. Kit Bond joined forces to help stop this deal.

Talk about tricky politics . . .

Why The Media Need to Work Harder With the Right

Republicans are more skeptical of the mainstream media than Democrats.


That's not news.


It begins at the top and trickles down. From Washington, to Jefferson City to Springfield. While it's not an absolute truth, it's certainly the trend. It includes Republican elected officials, candidates, staffers, all the way down to G.O.P. voters . . . they're just more wary of the media, and put up a larger shield when around us, than Democrats do.


I know a Democratic lawmaker in Jeff. City that invites me into his office, and feels very comfortable talking shop and dishing dirt. I know a Republican lawmaker in Springfield who has purposely avoided on-camera interviews with me, and wants his questions in advance.


Maybe that's our fault. I'd argue that, it partly is. All of us -- as a media entity -- can share the blame. But this is less about blame and more about repairing what's wrong.


The discussion I'd like to share with you is how we as the media need to do a better job improving relations with the Republican party as a whole.


Or at least, that's the opinion of The Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsen, who made the comment during a discussion about how campaigns use the media at Drake University.


"We have to work harder with conservatives to earn their trust than we do with liberals," Yepsen said during the discussion. "It's a tougher time to deal with the right because of the perceived bias, and we have to go the extra mile with them," he added.


Yepsen said his challenge is dealing with Republicans who distrust his paper because of its liberal editorial page. But he made a larger point about how to deal with conservatives, and how it can improve relationships, and eventually -- coverage for viewers and readers.


"Democrats look at the press like, we can work with you. Republicans look at the press like -- you are going to screw me," said Matt Dowd, former Republican strategist.


Dowd agreed with Yepsen that the Republicans distrust media. He said it's not good for their campaigns to do so-- and added that in many instances, the G.O.P. doesn't help itself by hammering the mainstream media at every turn.


But the problem, as identified by the panelists, is not political bias. It's more of a perspective bias, a lifestyle bias.


And a lot of that taps into faith.


The majority of mainstream media types don't go to church multiple times a week. But a good portion of Republicans do. So Dowd said, that when "you talk about with faith with a reporter, they sometimes look at you like you are from Mars, and that's a problem."


Yepsen said he attended more church services while covering Pat Robertson than he did ever on his own. But he said it helped him learn about Robertson, and respect the man and the candidate.


"I respect these guys, and the Evangelical movement. They are a force. And while we're back here snickering about people who go to church three times a week, they're out electing Presidents," Yepsen said.


Yepsen said that he's had to spend more time with Republican campaigns in the past to earn their trust. "I said, I don't care what my op-ed page is writing. I want to learn more about you. I've got a clean slate and an open mind, let me in," Yepsen said.


In most cases, he said it has worked. But not without time and trust.


Some in the audience said the media shouldn't have to bend over backwards and give special treatment to the right. It certainly sparked a debate about how pressure from the right's "liberal media" mantra impacts newsroom decisions.


In the national newsrooms I've heard about and encountered around the country, there's no doubt that most of the people lean left. But that can't be said for the Springfield newsroom I work in now. In fact, there's some evidence that newsrooms are more worried about being pegged with "a liberal bias." And that's not good for coverage decisions either.


The argument I would make is that the media could do a little work on its p.r. relations with Republicans. Not special treatment or coverage. But talking about the elephant in the room is a start.


It's not good when Republican legislators don't call me back (and the rumor in the Capitol is that they do it on purpose.) But is it my own fault? The hard right critics will answer passionately "yes."

Arguing this point is fruitless. Refuting the partisans is a waste of time. It really does me no good professionally to hold or present a bias. My job only works if I talk to each and every side. Every time a person cries fowl of "bias" just because the story they are reading doesn't fit what they want to believe -- that person loses credibility. And that hurts that particular side's argument. But I've also learned that many times you must ignore the hard partisans claims to break through the real issue.

So my pledge as a journalist is to work harder with those lawmakers, staffers, politicos (on both sides -- but mostly on the right) who have a distrust, fear or other issues with the media . . .


. . . as long as those people pledge to understand the job I have to do, and can work towards respecting the work the media does- rather than taking the easy way out, and dismissing or bashing it.