More Approve of Bond Than McCaskill

According to the latest SurveyUSA tracking poll, more Missourians approve of Republican Sen. Kit Bond than Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.

This is a bit of change from earlier this year.

According to the July poll of 600 Missourians, 55% approve of Sen. Kit Bond; while 48% approve of Sen. Claire McCaskill.

In the Ozarks, Bond's rating climbs to 58%; McCaskill's drops to 40%.

Decision 2007: Liquor & Building Codes in Christian County

Should Christian County have building codes?

Should restaurants in the city of Ozark be allowed to sell as much liquor as they want?

Those are two of the issues facing voters on the Aug. 7th ballot.

In case you missed it, you can catch up on the issues below:

HERE is Ky3's Michelle Sherwood on the debate over building codes in Christian County.

HERE is my story over alcohol in Ozark.

Retailers Approve of Blunt Veto

The Missouri Retailers Association is hailing Gov. Matt Blunt's end-of-session veto of a massive economic development bill.

David Overfelt, president of the association, said his group opposed the legislation because it would have given special treatment to out-of-state businesses, by changing tax laws.

Overfelt said the change would have allowed businesses in other states to actually own a substantial interest in a distribution facility or warehouse in Missouri without being responsible for collecting and remitting sales taxes like their Missouri-based competitors.

"Why should Missouri retailers and distributors with “brick and mortar” investments in Missouri, who also collect all applicable state taxes including sales and use taxes, be forced to compete against out-of-state businesses that receive special exceptions? If these non-Missouri businesses would not have this ability under our current laws, then why were the provisions so crucial to certain special interest lobbyists who claimed they would bring a few warehouse jobs to Missouri,?" asked Overfelt in a press release.

Gov. Blunt has said he is open to calling a special session to address a scaled-down version of the tax credit bill.

Schoeller "Feels Pressure" To Endorse

Springfield freshman Rep. Shane Schoeller says he's feeling pressure from fellow Republican colleagues to endorse for President, but hasn't made up his mind yet.

After a public meeting for a road project in northwest Springfield Monday, Schoeller told the KY3 Political Notebook he has narrowed down his potential candidates to two.

"I think it's going to be between (Mitt) Romney and (Fred) Thompson," Schoeller said. "I'm getting a lot of pressure from the party to come out and endorse, but I'm just not ready. But if I do, it'll be either Romney or Thompson. Between those two," he said.

Schoeller also handicapped the Democratic field.

"I think if they don't get (John) Edwards, they are going to be in trouble," Schoeller said of the Democrats, implying that frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama aren't electable in a national contest.

Ashcroft to Speak in Springfield Sunday

Former United States Attorney General and Missouri Senator John Ashcroft will be the guest speaker at his home church in Springfield this Sunday.

A tipster says Ashcroft will speak at Central Assembly at both the morning and evening services. We're unsure about the topic, but his appearance winds up the church's 100th anniversary celebration.

A reception for Ashcroft is scheduled in the evening.

But we are unsure about media availability.

Wouldn't it be great to hear more from Ashcroft about that now infamous hospital visit?

Blunt Bucks No Child Left Behind

Rep. Roy Blunt originally voted for President Bush's No Child Left Behind policy back in 2001.

But now six years later, Southwest Missouri's Congressman is one of more than 60 House Republicans who wants to change the testing and accountability standards.

Bush's No Child Left Behind Law expires in September, and Republicans are now throwing their support behind a bill that would let states opt out of NCLB and set their own goals and standards for educating students.

"What I want is more flexibility for the states," he said. "I don't think that has to eliminate No Child Left Behind. But I think you are better off having decisions made about secondary and elementary education closer to where kids are. I think we now have to change our approach," Blunt said.

Line of the Day

"It's a Democratic prom without a king, a queen or really any of the popular kids, only the star quarterback of yesteryear,"

-David Paul Kuhn, of The Politico, on how none of the Democratic candidates for President are appearing at this year's centrist Democratic Leadership Council meeting. Bill Clinton speaks today.

Line of the Day

"Frankly, this scares me, politically. There is no anger that comes close to the anger of an American who can't get his television."

-Sen. Claire McCaskill, on Congressional concerns that the digital television coverter box is ready for consumers.

Blunt Votes Against Farm Bill

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt said he voted against this year's farm bill because Democratic leaders used it as a "vehicle to raise taxes."

He said the Democratic bill discourages foreign investment in America and raises the cost of energy.

“Democratic leaders took a seminal piece of farm policy and used it as a vehicle to raise taxes – both on foreign companies who invest capital in America and create jobs here, and domestic energy producers who explore for natural gas in the deepest waters offshore," Blunt said in a statement. "In doing that, Democrats turned a bill that would have sailed through this House and grabbed the attention of the Senate into yet another partisan campaign to raise taxes, displace jobs, and render America less competitive abroad," Southwest Missouri's Congressman said.

Here's a write-up of the House bill passed.

Unlike Rep. Blunt, other Missouri Republicans -- like Rep. Jo Ann Emerson -- broke with their party to support the bill.

Still, Blunt said the bill includes a number of good provisions. He said as the bill moves towards the Senate, he hopes changes are made.

The President has vowed to veto the current bill. The Senate plans to take up its version in September.

Ozark Dem Leaders Back Edwards

The Arch City Chronicle has a list of the growing number of Missouri Democrats backing John Edwards for president in 2008.

A bunch of them are Democratic honchos in counties in Southwest Missouri. Those include:

Wright County Democratic Committee Chair Gary Hall
Benton County Democratic Committee Vice Chair Mike Potter
Jasper County Democratic Committee Vice Chair Betty Seeley
Jasper County Democratic Committee Chair Earl Roger Seeley
Marion County Democratic Committee Chair Joyce Kesner
Texas County Democratic Committee Vice Chairperson Janis Mayberry
Dade County Democratic Committee Vice Chair Harlin Stump
Hickory County Democratic Committee Vice Chair Gerda Fitts

SurveyUSA: Nixon Leads Blunt

Democrat Jay Nixon beats Gov. Matt Blunt in a head-to-head match-up 16 months before the election, according to a new poll by SurveyUSA.

Nixon defeats Blunt 57%-38% in a poll of 514 registered voters taken on July 24th-25th. The two split the male vote, but Nixon hammers Blunt among women.

In this poll, even in the Ozarks Blunt beats Nixon 53%-44%.

Republicans will complain that the sample is skewed. Notably, 39% of the participants identify themselves as Democrats, as opposed to 31% Republicans and 25% Independents.

House Dems Want OT Fix in Special Session

If Gov. Matt Blunt calls a special legislative session, House Democrats say it should include fixing a flaw in the state law that governs overtime rules for police and firefighters.

Proponents of the minimum wage hike inadvertently repealed a provision of state law allows police and firefighters to work more than the typical 40-hour work week.

House Democratic leadership also want the session to include closing a legal loophole in campaign finance laws regarding the funneling of money to candidates through political party committees.

“Legislative action to stimulate Missouri’s lackluster economy, which lost 6,600 jobs last month, is important,” said House Minority Leader Jeff Harris, D-Columbia. “However, relieving the financial strain the overtime flaw is causing police and fire departments is even more worthy of immediate action. If a special session is held on economic development, there is no reason not to include the overtime fix.”

Incoming House Minority Leader Paul LeVota said the recent Supreme Court ruling on campaign fundraising made action to close a fundraising loophole even more important.

“The campaign money Laundromat must be permanently shut down,” said Assistant House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Independence. “Now is the time to act to make Missouri’s campaign contribution limits meaningful and provide true transparency in the 2008 election cycle.”

Nixon Brief Exempts McCaskill

The Associated Press reports that Sen. Claire McCaskill and others working to pay off old campaign debts could benefit if the state Supreme Court follows the state's suggested model for reinstating Missouri's campaign contribution limits.

Attorney General Jay Nixon recently filed a brief that said contribution limits should be retroactive to January. But he said an exemption should be made for those whose election already occurred or whose committees were shut down before the July ruling.

The opinion would allow Sen. McCaskill to keep money she raised to pay off a loan she used for the Governor's race.

Missouri State University Political Science Professor George Connor told the Kansas City Star: “I don’t know how to say it nicely — it looks bad. This is not to say there is collusion and corruption, but the appearance of collusion suggests that Attorney General Nixon should have stepped aside. There are just too many angles in which Nixon stands to benefit or lose.”

The entire situation certainly puts Nixon in a political pickle. The Attorney General -- offering an opinion on campaign contributions -- that will impact a campaign --- he's in the middle of.

Ozarks Values '08: The Gradys

Residence: Springfield
Occupation: Retired couple
Politics: She's a Republican, He's a Democrat

There are many couples out there who disagree about politics. But every time I get to meet a pair, I'm fascinated . . . by how two people who decided to devote their lives to each other can disagree on so much, so passionately.

That's the case with Raymond and Linda Grady, who live in a cozy neighborhood in southwest Springfield. Raymond has donated money to Jay Nixon. Linda has voted time to Jim Talent. They even have separate televisions in different rooms so they can watch different political news programs. Good thing they have a bipartisan dog.

Economic equality is Raymond's top issue. Looking towards 2008, he wants a candidate who has compassion for the poor and middle class. "Rather than what we've had the last six years with tax breaks for Exxon Mobile and millionaires and billionaires, I want to see more breaks for the middle class," says the retired railroad worker. "Retired people need a tax break as opposed to big corporations."

His wife Linda says the war in Iraq is most critical to her voting decision. She's unclear how the United States can still succeed in Iraq, but believes we need to elect a leader who "can get it done." The two begin a little spat in front of me about that topic.

"I think the Iraqis need to take over," says Raymond.

"Oh, when we went he was all for it," Linda says to me, referring to the initial invasion of Iraq.

"Not Iraq. That was Afghanistan," Raymond maintains.

Still, as they look ahead, Raymond seems more certain of his presidential pick. He could vote for either Sen. Hillary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama. But I press him. You have to vote in a primary. You have to choose. Which one?

When pressured, Raymond picks Obama. "If I had to pick, I'd say Barack. He's a great communicator, and he understands the plight of the middle class," he says.

Linda admits she's really torn and discouraged about the Republican field. "I don't see many I really like. I think I'd vote for (Rudy) Giuliani today, but I'm not sure," Linda says.

She knows she wants a "strong leader who can make a decision," but also has strong moral values.

But which of the G.O.P. candidates is the perfect package?

Linda, a Republican loyalist, is wary and unsure.

Nixon Thinks Candidates Should Give Money Back

From the Associated Press:

Attorney General Jay Nixon believes most candidates should have to return campaign money that they received over the state’s reinstated contribution limits.

The Missouri Supreme Court last week threw out part of a law that had removed contribution limits as of January.

The Supreme Court directed parties to file briefs by early August on whether that ruling should apply only from here on out or should force candidates who took large contributions for six months to give the excess money back.

The attorney general's office, representing the state, filed a memo with the Supreme Court suggesting the ruling should be retroactive, except for candidates who have already faced elections or closed down their committees.

McCaskill Staff Plans "Kitchen Table" Talks

Members of Sen. Claire McCaskill's staff will be traveling through Missouri next month to host a series of "Kitchen Table Talks" with residents.

Topics will include assistance with Medicare, Social Security, passport and visa problems, veteran's issues, among other issues.

Here's the Ozarks line-up:

On Thursday, August 9, 2007
BOLIVAR
10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. CT
Polk County Senior Center
1850 W. Broadway
Bolivar, MO

BUFFALO
1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.
O’Bannon Community Center
315 E. Ramsey
Buffalo, MO

Monday, August 13, 2007
WEST PLAINS
10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
West Plains Public Library
Community Room
750 W. Broadway
West Plains, MO

Tuesday, August 21, 2007
LEBANON
6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Cowan Community Center
500 E. Elm Street
Lebanon, MO

Emerson Sponsors Universal Health Coverage

A bipartisan group of House members, including Rep. Jo Ann Emerson introduced a bill Tuesday to provide health care coverage to all Americans through a pool of private insurance plans.

The Healthy Americans Act would provide guaranteed private coverage to all Americans that's equal to members of Congress.

Under the program, individuals would be able to choose from a variety of plans offered in their state. State-based health agencies would guide individuals through the enrollment process by providing information about each plan.

For the first four years of the new system, employers who provide health insurance benefits for their workers would be required to convert their health care premiums into higher wages that employees would then use to buy insurance.

Kids Influenced Montee's Endorsement

The power of an 18-year-old on mom.

Susan Montee said her decision to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for President Tuesday was based in part on her kids.

Montee said her teenagers are big Obama backers. "I've never seen young people respond to a candidate like this before," Montee said in a interview with the KY3 Political Notebook today.

Montee, who was an Edwards delegate in 2004, said she struggled with this decision, but said Obama brings something special to the race.

"It's a different feeling with him," Montee said. "It is so fresh and exciting. Part of it is his style. I like his approach, his inclusive nature he tries to bring to every issue," she added. "He's not a typical party-line Democrat."

Montee pointed to an answer Obama gave in last night's CNN-YouTube debate as an example. The question was whether the candidate would agree to meet with leaders from Iran, Syria, Venezuela, and other U.S. rivals. "Hillary said before she met with those people, she'd want to make sure and put out feelers," Montee said. "Obama's first approach was, 'Of course, we're going to meet with everybody,'" she added.

Montee said there's no question Sen. Clinton is "very polarizing," and that Obama could turn out to be a stronger general election candidate.

"He appeals to a whole different voter than we're going to be able to get to the polls, than everybody else," Montee said.

Montee will chair Obama's Missouri Women's caucus. She said she traveled to Chicago last week to meet with campaign staff and talk about potential events around the state. "Of course it's going to be tough to get the candidate early on, but we know we're getting his wife a couple of times," Montee said.

So will Montee begin a trend and free up other Democratic politicos to endorse the Senator from Illinois? Montee said many Democratic friends of hers remain divided. She cited a recent straw poll taken at the Boone County Democratic Picnic. The results: Obama-26 votes, Clinton-25 votes, Edwards-25 votes.

When I asked Montee why Clinton continues to top Obama in poll after poll, she replied, "They're not polling my kids."

The Montee Surprise: It's Obama

State Auditor Susan Montee has endorsed Barack Obama for President.

We had guessed she would've picked Hillary Clinton.

But Montee told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "I believe we need a new direction and new ideas. Barack Obama represents a lot more…The approach that he brings is more about bringing people together…We haven’t had anyone who can so many people together in a long time…"

CNNYouTube Debate: Biden Stands Out, But How Do You Beat Hil?

I put my HBO viewing on hold to watch the CNN-YouTube Democratic debate repeat.

Cool format, but some of the questions did get a tad ridiculous. Example: Would you be willing to work as President for the minimum wage?

I thought Sen. Joe Biden came close to winning the thing, for his knowledge, honesty, passion and forcefulness, but Hillary Clinton is so dang good at answering these questions. She never makes a mistake. And she bested Barack Obama on some of the big important questions, like negotiating with our enemies. And she made funnies! When a YouTuber asked her about the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton fatigue, she zinged that she had a problem with W. getting elected too. Not to say Obama didn't do his thing. But just being good isn't good enough anymore. I think these debates are making Clinton stronger and more likeable. But then again, Obama and Biden topped CNN's Instapoll, so what do I know? Barack Obama was right about one thing though: most people asking the questions seemed cynical about the candidates ability to change the country.

Here's what I learned:

• Hillary Clinton wouldn't call herself a "liberal," but rather a "modern progressive."
• If nominated, Joe Biden would pick Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel as his running mate, and consider tapping G.O.P. Sen. Dick Lugar as Secretary of State. John Edwards also thinks Hagel is a "good choice."
• Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate who favors reparations for African Americans.
• Clinton is proud to be running as a woman, but she's not running because she's a woman. And Edwards doesn't want the vote of anyone who won't vote for a black or a woman.
• Edwards is on a personal journey on the issue of gay marriage, but still opposes it.
• Joe Biden says the U.S. should send 2,5000 troops to Darfur to stop the genocide. Clinton says American troops don't belong in Darfur at this time.
• Biden says if we started today, it would take one year to get 160,000 U.S. troops out of Iraq. Mike Gravel says soldiers in Iraq are dying "in vein."
• Barack Obama says he'll talk with leaders from Iran, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea. Clinton says she won't promise to meet with those leaders in her first year, before knowing what their intentions are.
• Bill Richardson wants all U.S. troops out of Iraq within 6 months -- no residual forces. Biden says that's impossible to do, and would risk the lives of American forces. Clinton says the most we could move out of Iraq at a time is about a brigade a month.
• Richardson would completely scrap No Child Left Behind, and propose a $40,000 minimum wage for teachers.

Will They Have To Give The Money Back?

You can watch my KY3 News @ 10 report on how the Supreme Court ruling on campaign contributions may impact Missouri's race for Governor HERE.

Special props to our friend Tony Messenger at the News-Leader, who provided analysis for the piece.

Blunt Calls S.C. Ruling "Reasonable," But "Frustrating"

Gov. Matt Blunt called a state Supreme Court ruling to reinstate limits on campaign contributions
"reasonable but frustrating." Blunt appeared in Springfield today to appoint Todd Parnell to the Clean Water Commission.

I asked Blunt about how he thought the ruling -- that forces candidates to cap donations at $1275 a person --- would impact the political landscape.

"I'm not a lawyer. It seemed like a reasonable ruling, I think it's maybe frustrating we'll go back to a system that lacks transparency that the new system had," Blunt said.

Blunt said that despite critics fears, the changed system allowing unlimited donations would not have plugged more money into the process. "The same amount of money was going to end up in the political process but there would be much greater transparency about who was funding and supporting the election of a particular candidate," Blunt said.

"We'll now go back to a system that lacks that transparency, with the number of committees, literally hundreds of committees will now come back into existence and be involved in campaigns, finance campaigns and launching all sorts of advertisements that may not be connected to the candidate," Blunt said.

Tony Messenger of the Springfield News-Leader said if Blunt and lawmakers wanted to, they could move to keep transparency in reports but also restore the limits.

But in an interview today, Messenger said he doubted "very seriously" the candidates would be forced to give back money already raised that exceeded the $1275 cap.

Still, Blunt said he didn't necessarily think the court made a bad decision -- and was prepared to conduct a campaign under whatever ruling the court makes.

Campaigns have been scrambling to figure out if they will have to give back hundreds of thousands of dollars raised under the "no cap" law.

"I think it would be inappropriate for the money to have to go back," Messenger told me today.

"I don't think this is one of the 3 or 4 greatest issues facing the state," Blunt said.

Still, hundreds of thousands of dollars are currently in limbo. The court has asked attorneys to file briefs on that issue on August 3rd.

Montee To Endorse for President Tuesday

Missouri's State Auditor Susan Montee will become the first statewide Democratic official to endorse for president tomorrow.

She'll do it in Kansas City at 10:30 a.m at the Thomas Restaurant.

She'll also announce the formation of a statewide women's organization to support that candidate.

So who is it, Hillary or Obama?

My uneducated guess is Hil'.

But Jo Mannies over at the Post-Dispatch has a source who says Montee recently talked to Bill Richardson.

Step up with predictions.

Rep. Paul Levota Elected House Dem Leader

Rep. Paul LeVota (D-Independence) was unanimously elected House Minority Leader by his Democratic caucus on Saturday.

LeVota will take the reigns from Rep. Jeff Harris after the General Assembly's veto session in September. LeVota has served as Harris' number two since November 2004.

“I am honored at being selected to lead House Democrats during what will be an important legislative session next year,” LeVota said. “I look forward to helping craft an innovative legislative agenda and leading Democratic efforts to reclaim the House majority in 2008.”

House Democrats also elected state Rep. J.C. Kuessner of Eminence to replace LeVota as assistant minority leader.

Current Minority Leader Rep. Jeff Harris is stepping down to pursue a bid for Attorney General.

What Will John Edwards Do?

The Democratic CNN-YouTube debate is tonight in Charleston, South Carolina.

Anderson Cooper will host this experimental format. The fun begins at 6 p.m. Central.

But does the John Edwards campaign have something up its sleeve?

An e-mail blast to supporters today reminds people to tune in. Nothing odd about that.

But the Edwards campaign manager David Bonior lets the mind wonder when he writes this: "People will be talking about what they see tonight for a long time. If you watch the debate, you'll understand why."

Maybe it is just a plug to watch, or maybe Edwards plans to make a move against the frontrunner?

Novak: Bush Presidency "A Failure"

Conservative columnist Bob Novak told Tim Russert this weekend that he thinks George W. Bush's presidency has been a failure.

Novak appeared on Tim Russert's CNBC interview program to plug his new book, The Prince of Darkness.

"I think he's been a failure," Novak said when asked to rate the President. "I think this war, I thought it was a mistake to go into the war," Novak said. Novak also said Bush failed on social security reform and tax reform. "He came out for them, but didn't push them," Novak said. "He never understood this spending was running out of control, but the worst mistake was this war."

Also notable:

• On The Chris Matthews Show, John Heilemann of New York magazine predicted Fred Thompson would jump into the presidential race, but drop out by November.
• Mike Huckabee sent out a fundraising letter to supporters asking for donations of $35 or $70 dollars. Why that amount? Tickets to the Ames, Iowa straw poll next month cost . . . (drum roll) . . . 35 bucks. "It's important for our campaign to be able to provide Iowans that can't afford tickets to attend the Ames Straw Poll with the opportunity to participate," Huckabee wrote in an e-mail. The idea is, you buy tickets for people who will vote for you. Heck of a process eh? With Rudy Giuliani and John McCain bowing out of the poll, Mitt Romney will easily buy . . . ahem, win the thing. Huckabee needs a strong second place finish for any kind of momentum.
• Esquire magazine hands down wins the best political cover headline of the month. Its August issue blares: Can A White Man Still Be Elected President? On the cover, John Edwards.
  

The Margaret Donnelly Profile

Margaret Donnelly is not an imposing presence physically.

When I first arrive at a Springfield restaurant to meet her -- a meeting requested and coordinated by some local Democrats -- this tiny, but seemingly warm woman reminds me more of my best friend's mother than a candidate about to jump into the race for Attorney General.

Her personality is in stark contrast to the current Attorney General. While Jay Nixon is a ball of fire, whose intensity can be seen on his face, Donnelly is reserved. She intently listens to my questions. She's extremely careful about her answers, pausing at times before she goes to far. But her calm and collected persona masks the fierce competitor that she first became as a middle child of 11 in Alton, Illinois.

"Being a child of 11 at the dinner table taught me two great lessons, to hold ground when you advocate your position, but also to negotiate when necessary," Donnelly says over pasta and salad.

Donnelly is jumping into a Democratic primary against House Minority Leader Jeff Harris. Both are hailed by their colleagues as smart, ambitious and two of the best interrogators of Republicans that the party has.

But it is clear Donnelly will run her primary race on experience.

She practiced family law in the St. Louis area for 20 years before getting elected to the Missouri House. Her speciality was family law. And as she lays out her agenda to me over the dinner table, her top priorities are no surprise: Working harder to keep kids away from abusive parents, improving collections in the child support system, targeting meth cases that involve kids, and developing new ways to head off sex offenders.

Donnelly's freshest idea is on product safety. "In light of news, the states need to begin to look at this. I'm not sure if the federal government will have the ability to handle this national problem, so if they don't step up to the plate, it's our job," Donnelly says.

How the state Attorney General's office could better protect our spinach and toothpaste remains unclear.

Rep. Harris' campaign website also holds a laundry list of issues he holds as priorities. From protecting seniors, to fighting the pollution of hog farms.

The question is if Donnelly and Harris differ more on substance or style.

Unsurprisingly, Donnelly says Jay Nixon has been a "very good" Attorney General, for focusing on crime and consumer fraud.

But what worthwhile Attorney General from any party wouldn't focus on those issues?

When I ask Donnelly if her office would be a continuation of the Nixon era, she says she's running on her own record. "20 years of experience fighting in the trenches, fighting for families and kids. That's what I bring. And I want to take it to a new level," she says without blinking.

I then ask her about her colleague, Jeff Harris. And I play devil's advocate. "If I'm a Democratic primary voter, why not go with the guy who lead my party? The guy who knows how to fight the other side? The guy who most people probably know more, has higher name recognition?," I ask. "He's been the leader of your party," I prod.

"So have I," Donnelly retorts. "I'm ranking member on the budget committee. I've been at the forefront fighting this Governor against his healthcare cuts and short-sighted budget decisions," Donnelly adds.

But what's the difference between her and Harris? I press.

At first, she ignores the Harris question again, and pushes forward with her stump speech.

"I stand up for what I believe in. No one doubts where I stand. I'm not insulting. I disagree without being disagreeable. I'm going to run my campaign with Jeff that way. He's a friend, but I'm going to work harder than any other candidate," she says.

Donnelly isn't about to trash her Democratic rival on the first day of the campaign. I don't expect her to. But she comes back to the E-word quickly.

"I bring a background and record and experience to this office," she says. "Look at both of our records. I stand on mine," she adds.

So who has the leg up? Donnelly's boosters will make the case that since she's from the St. Louis area rather than mid-Missouri, the initial geography boost goes to her. Harris backers claim that the Minority leader is the more moderate, and therefore electable candidate. While Harris once worked with Nixon, Donnelly has already met with Nixon's staff to make sure she is on an even playing field.

"They reassured me that I'd have the same resources available of everyone running," Donnelly says.

The elephant in the room is that Donnelly is a woman -- and the first woman to run for Attorney General. So does that matter? She ducks. But what's wrong with running as a woman? Hillary's doing it.

"Just as Hillary is certainly running on her record, that's what I want to do. But you recognize that it's historic that I'm the first woman doing it," Donnelly says, without endorsing any presidential candidate.

As the evening winds down, and we (and a few other Dems at the table) begin speaking on background and off-the-record, I can see that Donnelly is curious about history, journalism and horserace politics.

When I ask her why she's come to Springfield so soon, she gives the polite answer that Southwest Missouri is important.

Then a Democratic operative chimes in, a bit more candidly, "There are votes around this time that haven't been around before, and by 2008 who knows how many we can pick off?"

2008. The Year of the Woman? Even in the Ozarks?

By the way . . . A final note here. Some hyperpartisans may ask why I went to dinner with a candidate for office. The simple answer is, because I was asked, and found it to be a great opportunity. Just like I was asked to speak to the Greene County Republican Women and the Greater Ozarks Pachyderm Club (another G.O.P. group). These actual sitdowns with politicians and politicos are more enlightening, rewarding and useful than just grabbing the soundbite at the press conference. It humanizes the candidate and hopefully humanizes me as well. And to all campaign operatives: There ain't a candidate or group out there I wouldn't jump at sitting down with (for dinner or otherwise). And yes, of course I pay my own tab! I'm a journalist, my job is to learn as much about these people as possible. I think these sit-downs are a great way of doing that. Can you just imagine if political opponents actually did it more often?

Donnelly Becomes First Woman To Run for A.G. -- Makes First Stop in Springfield

Democratic State Rep. Margaret Donnelly from St. Louis County becomes the first woman in Missouri to ever run for Attorney General.

In an interview with the KY3 Political Notebook in Springfield, Donnelly said she filed campaign papers with the Missouri Ethics Commission Wednesday.

Thursday night in Springfield, Donnelly met with a group of 15 Democratic political players, including lawyers, doctors and teachers for an informal meeting to talk about her candidacy and issues important to them.

"Call it an informal focus group," Donnelly told me in an interview. Donnelly said she did not collect a single dollar, and stressed the meeting was not a fundraiser.

This morning Donnelly spoke to the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Committee to discuss legislative priorities. It's the first time in months the Chamber has hosted a Democrat to speak in front of the committee.

Donnelly's presence in Springfield is a clear indication that Southwest Missouri will be a battleground in the Democratic primary for Attorney General, because no candidate will have a home turf advantage.

"In a statewide race, noone can take it for granted," Donnelly said. "It's a very important area," she said.

More to come on my interview with Donnelly later.

Local Dem Dish

I spoke to some local Democratic political players tonight. Here's what is on their minds:

• Local Democratic leaders are miffed at not getting invited to some recent bill signings and major events. Most notably: The Crime Lab announcement. Sources say neither Rep. Charlie Norr or Rep. Sara Lampe had notification of the funding announcement. Democratic operatives believe it was on purpose, and are pretty upset about it. "Everyone needs this crime lab. It's not a partisan issue," says one Springfield Dem. "By excluding the #137th and #138th district, they are saying they don't care about the issue of crime. Purely for political advantage," the Dem adds.
• Among the Democratic candidates for President, Hillary Clinton is making the most aggressive push for legislative endorsements in Southwest Missouri. A source says Clinton has called Rep. Lampe at least 3 times to talk about her candidacy and a possible endorsement. Emails have come in hard as well. "She's been the most aggressive, and it makes sense for her to seek out a female elected official here," says the source. Word is Lampe is still undecided on who she will endorse for President.
• We hear so much about how Republicans and Democrats can't get along in Jefferson City. We hear the stories about the pettiness, the partisanship. Yeah, it's true. But some of the Dems do like and -- and even respect some of the members of the G.O.P. Not that they agree on ideology -- but here are 3 Republicans that have the respect of at least a portion of the Democratic caucus: Rep. Mike McGhee (Odessa), Rep. Maynard Wallace (Thornfield), Rep. Allen Icet.
  

Overheard

"Wow, I gave Jay $5,000 bucks. Does that mean I get it back!?."

-That was one Springfield attorney's response at a local Democratic meet and greet tonight, after hearing about the state Supreme Court's ruling on campaign contributions in Missouri. (As provided by a loyal anonymous tipster.)

Summer Reading: "A Woman In Charge"

I'm reading Carl Bernstein's A Woman In Charge, after my mom sent it to me on recommendation.

The following passage is just too good to not pass along. Bernstein is addressing the Clinton "ruthlessness":

"But Hillary's is not the caricatured, bitchy, ball-breaking toughness that their enemies like to attribute to her. She has almost always been much more thoughtful than they accorded. It is more like a kind of military rigor: reading the landscape, seeing the obstacles, recognizing which ones are malevolent or malign, and taking expedient action accordingly. Bill's process is different. He is slow to recognize the malevolence in others, he wants to assume the best about them, and he is willing to spend months trying to win their hearts and minds. Hillary means to cut off the enemy at the pass."

--- From "A Woman In Charge," page 84.

(For those of you who remember my "BumperSticker gate," during the '06 Harpool-Champion race, note some of my new ones in the background on my desk.)

McCaskill Wants More Oversight of Wartime Contracts

Sen. Claire McCaskill has joined her Democratic freshmen colleagues to introduce a bill that would establish an independent bipartisan commission to investigate U.S. wartime contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt said, ‘I don't want to see a single war millionaire created in the United States as a result of this world disaster’. And so Missouri’s own Senator Harry Truman created a committee that investigated and uncovered millions of dollars in wasteful, wartime spending,” Senator McCaskill said.

“We know that the cost plus contracts used in Iraq and Afghanistan are nearly blank checks to private defense contractors, primed for waste, fraud and abuse. We need a new investigatory body, inspired by the Truman Committee, to protect our tax dollars and bring better accountability to the way we do business while at war,” added McCaskill.

Huckabee Cleared for Destroying Records

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said then-Gov. Mike Huckabee broke no laws in destroying computer hard drives before he left office.

The Morning News in Northwest Arkansas reports:

Huckabee's chief of staff, Brenda Turner, ordered the Department of Information Systems to destroy more than 90 hard drives before Huckabee's administration left office and Gov. Mike Beebe replaced him in January.

Huckabee defended the decision, saying the action was legal because the hard drives contained sensitive and private information. He spent the last $13,000 in the Governor's Emergency Fund to cover the cost of destroying the drives.

McDaniel said he found nothing illegal in the action."What my staff determined was that although there are no specific code provisions authorizing everything that took place, we don't see anything that prohibits it either," McDaniel said. "We found no evidence that would justify either referring any criminal charges to the prosecutor ... or anything that would justify civil action."

T-Mobile to Receive Tax Credits

Gov. Matt Blunt announced today new state tax credits for T-Mobile in Springfield.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development approved the credits today, and Blunt said it would pave the way for new jobs in Springfield.

“T-Mobile has been an excellent addition to Springfield’s business community and is highly regarded by its exceptional employees," Blunt said in a statement.

The Blunt administration has reserved credits for a nine-year benefit period in the amount of $2.9 million dollars based on the company’s projection of the creation of 650 new jobs at an average wage of $18,720 and new investment of $17.5 million at 2645 N. Airport Plaza, Springfield.

T-Mobile has previously been approved for $1.48 million in new jobs training incentives.

The business operations at the facility will be a customer call center.

The Must Read of the Day . . .

Is HERE.

The Kansas City Star's stinging lede . . .

JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. Matt Blunt’s staff last month pressed the Missouri Highway Patrol to issue a public statement criticizing Attorney General Jay Nixon, Blunt’s likely Democratic challenger in 2008.

A Money Game Changer?

The Missouri Supreme Court reinstated campaign contribution limits on Thursday. The court unanimously overturned a lower court judge who threw out a fund-raising ban for elected officials during legislative sessions. The judge had kept intact the overall repeal of Missouri's individual contribution limits.

The ruling comes just days after the 2nd quarter fundraising period reports, which indicated historic fundraising efforts by the state's two top candidates for Governor.

The Supreme Court says the legislative history of the bill indicates lawmakers wouldn’t have repealed contribution limits without a donation blackout period.

Read the Supreme Court's complete decision.

Romney Sits on Double-Digit N.H. Lead

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is sitting on a comfortable double-digit lead in the nation's first primary state, according to a new CNN/WMUR poll of likely Republican voters.

Still, the poll of New Hampshire Republicans also indicates the field remains fluid.

N.H. G.O.P.
Mitt Romney 33%
Rudy Giuliani 18%
Fred Thompson 13%
John McCain 12%

The poll also indicates 71% of the 307 Republicans surveyed are still trying to decide who to vote for. The poll was taken between July 9th and July 17th.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton maintains an edge over Barack Obama, and Bill Richardson has now eclipsed John Edwards.

N.H. DEMS
Hillary Clinton 36%
Barack Obama 27%
Bill Richardson 11%
John Edwards 9%

The poll spoke to 333 likely Democratic primary voters.

WaPost: White House Had Drug Officials Appear With Talent -- and KY3 Covered It

White House officials arranged for top officials at the Office of National Drug Control Policy to help Sen. Jim Talent during the months leading up to the November 2006 elections, according to a report by the Washington Post.

According to the article, officials made appearances and sometimes announced new federal grants for as many as 18 vulnerable Republican congressmen.

Drug control office director John P. Walters or his deputies held events almost almost exclusively with GOP officials, many of whom were embroiled in tough reelection campaigns, according to the report:

"Two were held with then- Sen. James M. Talent of Missouri, who was defeated last November. At one of those stops, Walters announced that four Missouri counties had been designated part of a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which brings $500,000 in federal funding to help local law enforcement efforts, Waxman said. It was one of several grant announcements made while drug policy officials were appearing with GOP candidates."

Apparently, KY3 covered the event in question. But this event was a year before the election. With a hat tip to my assignment editor, here's the original e-mail that was sent to the station.

As mentioned on the phone, here is a media advisory with details on the news conference we'll be holding in Springfield on Monday, 11/14. This conference is the first time we are announcing this effort, which is coming to Springfield first among 23 U.S cities. We will also be showing the new public service ads publicly for the first time. I certainly hope someone from KY3 will join us. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions-my contact information follows.

Best regards,
Hallie
Hallie Deaktor
Deputy Director of Public Affairs
Partnership for a Drug-Free America

Time and location:
· 10 a.m., central time, Monday, November 14, 2005
· Greene County Drug Court, 1010 North Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802

For security clearance and set-up, news media are advised to arrive 60 minutes prior to event launch.

McCaskill Aims to "Out" Republicans

Sen. Claire McCaskill said the all-night debate on Iraq in the U.S. Senate was needed to "out the Republican strategy on Iraq."

As quoted by The Hill:

Sen. Claire McCaskill, a freshman Democrat from Missouri who rode an anti-war platform into office, said Republicans have “figured out that their success is our failure” to pass legislation.

“We need to out them, and this is the first step in effectively outing the Republican strategy,” McCaskill said of the overnight Iraq debate. “I’m frustrated because I think we have not demonstrated to those who elected us that we are doing everything that we can to move President Bush from his stubborn position of denial about the failure of this policy.”

Not sure about the observation that she ran as a candidate with an anti-war platform? She certainly rode some reservations about the Iraq war to victory, I just don't know if "anti-war platform" would be the most accurate term to use.

"I Object"

The left-leaning ThinkProgress group conducted a live blog of last night's U.S. Senate filibuster over Iraq.

Watch some of the fun on YouTube here.

According to their count of his speech, Sen. Kit Bond said “Retreat and defeat” three times, “Cut and run” two times, “Run and leave” once and “Embarrass the president” once.

Blunt Plans August Ag Tour

There's not a pol in this great land who just doesn't love standing next to a farmer for a prime photo op.

Rep. Roy Blunt will do a 13-farm agriculture tour on August 6th and 7th in Southwest Missouri. Stops include: Golden Oval Eggs in Neosho, Jerry Compton's Topnotch Farm north of Diamond - where a global positioning demonstration will be held - and Dan and Sarah Goosetree's poultry farm south of Rocky Comfort.

Other stops on Aug. 6th include farms in Chesapeake, Monett, Avilla and Springfield.

The following day, Blunt will tour farms in Springfield, Halfway, Bolivar, and Brighton.

Word is Sen. Claire McCaskill's office is cooking up an August farm tour as well.

Farmers are like American apple pie with ice cream on the side -- dang hard to resist, especially in the summer.

What We Missed

This blog has been out of order.

Due to a mini-vacation, and then some "spam" lockdown on blogger, the postings have been poor.

Since I've been gone, Sen. Claire McCaskill has spoke of how doctors were wined and dined at Springfield restaurants by pharmaceutical company reps. McCaskill also took some heat for her comment about the war "squandering the future of our nation." Mike Huckabee was forced to disclose he had raised $764,000 during 2nd quarter fundraising, and has less than a half a million dollars on hand to spend. Huckabee also said he if doesn't finish in the top 3 in next month's Ames, Iowa straw poll, he may drop out of the race. But is Huckabee really the second most attractive candidate to the religious right?

Jay Nixon sent supporters an e-mail stressing he's "not pro-abortion," but does support Roe. v. Wade. Meanwhile, Governor Matt Blunt raised about $1.7 million over the past 3 months and has $5.8 million in the bank to spend. Meanwhile, Nixon raised just under $1 million and has $2.5 million on hand. The G.O.P. hammered Nixon for his AmerenUE money. The Dems lambasted Blunt for the money he received from people he appointed to state boards and commissions.

The National Taxpayers Union praised Blunt for moving forward with Missouri's new accountability portal. Missouri is now the sixth state this year to join the "Google Government" movement to implement comprehensive Internet databases that citizens can use to track government expenditures.

Rep. Roy Blunt said the new terror assessment notes the lengths the Bush administration and Congress have gone to keep the homeland safe. The United States Senate rolled in the cots for a filibuster over the war and timetables for withdrawal. Sen. McCaskill may be a bit sleepy. She had the 2 a.m. to 3:30 a.m shift. Missouri's junior Senator said she's convinced Republicans will eventually cave and acknowledge President Bush's strategy is unworkable. Rep. Ike Skelton wants troops to begin redeployment out of Iraq within 120 days.

There. I miss anything?

Ca-Ching! Missouri Candidates Pad Coffers Under New Fundraising Rules

No longer saddled with limits to their fund raising, the major political candidates in Missouri raked in the cash in the second quarter. Both Gov. Matt Blunt and his likely Democratic opponent, Attorney General Jay Nixon, reported more than $1 million in contributions from April to June, many in excess of the old $1,275 limit.

From the A.P.'s calculations:

Matt Blunt - $1.7 million raised, $5.8 million cash on hand
Jay Nixon - $1 million raised, $2.4 million cash on hand

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder - $350,960 raised, $401,543 cash on hand

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan - $253,817 raised, $508,987 cash on hand

Pardon The Interruption

I'm spending some time in Chicago with some old friends from grad school.

I'll be back tomorrow.

Til then.

Governor Completes Session Housekeeping

Today Governor Blunt cleared his desk of the remaining bills passed during the 2007 legislative session.

Among bills signed into law: longer prison sentences for selling drugs near parks and abusing patients at mental health facilities.

Another expands state aid to children with metabolic disorders and a third funds loan forgiveness programs to certain nurses and veterinarians.

The Governor also signed a bill to impose more state oversight on title insurance companies.

On Thursday, he signed a bill giving more protections to women who are victims of sex crimes.

Line of the Day

"We haven't got time for the waiting game, that is where we are now."

-Rep. Ike Skelton, on why Congress can't wait for September to start to push for a troop withdrawal.

McCaskill's Pork Record Calculated Wrong

A wasteful spending watchdog group has calculated Sen. Claire McCaskill's pork record incorrectly.

The group gave McCaskill one of the lowest ratings for cracking down on "wasteful spending" - a 16.6 out of 100.

But the survey includes 5 votes that were taken before McCaskill was elected to the Senate last November.

So it appears her ranking wouldn't be as low without those 5 votes calculated by Porkbusters.

"Additionally, the true test is whether those who talk the talk also walk the walk," said McCaskill spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh. "Only a handful of Senators, including Claire, didn't request a single earmark."

Huckabee Aims For Top 3 in Straw Poll

It may be an expectation game, but former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says finishing in the top 3 in Iowa's August straw poll would be just fine.

Even though Rudy Giuliani and John McCain have said they won't actively contest the Ames straw poll, Huckabee told the Des Moines Register today he doesn't have to win the straw poll to be credible.

"We've never said we have to win the straw poll in order to be considered credible. We've got to do well," said Huckabee to the Register.

The former Arkansas governor said he'll be satisfied with a third-place finish if there isn't a large gap between the top three finishers.

The Ames straw poll is August 11th.

Emerson Breaks With G.O.P. -- Votes To Withdraw From Iraq

Only four Republican members of the U.S. House voted with the Democrats tonight to withdrawal troops from Iraq by next spring -- and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson was one of them.

The Hill reports that G.O.P. leaders were able to keep most of their members in line to oppose the withdrawal plan.

"Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) and John Duncan, Jr. (R-Tenn.) were the only new defectors though Duncan voted against the 2002 war authorization measure," reports The Hill.

The vote generally followed party lines: 219 Democrats and four Republicans in favor, and 191 Republicans and 10 Democrats opposed.

This marks the first time Emerson has voted for troop withdrawals -- contending that while she still opposes a swift pullout, "staying in Iraq indefinitely is equally unacceptable."

A staffer in Emerson's office told the KY3 Political Notebook that a spokesperson was unavailable for comment.

Line of the Day

"Bill Clinton sounds intimate and conversational when he's discussing energy policy. Hillary Clinton sounds like a policy wonk when she talks about her mother's childhood struggles."

--Mark Halperin, TIME political editor, in the July 16th edition.

Ms. Independent?

Sen. Claire McCaskill votes with her fellow Democratic Senators much less than most of her colleagues, according to an analysis of party unity votes by CQPolitics.com.

The report finds that while Democrats are more unified than Republicans during the first half of this Congress, McCaskill votes with her party about 76% of the time. That's the third lowest Democratic party unity score overall.

The two main issues that have set McCaskill apart from her Democratic colleagues: immigration and energy.

From the story:

"McCaskill, who ousted Republican incumbent Jim Talent, opposed the immigration overhaul legislation that the Senate recently scuttled. And last month, McCaskill was one of just four Democrats who voted against an overhaul of energy laws that called for increasing the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. McCaskill said the measure would hurt Missouri’s automotive and other manufacturing sectors."

McCaskill's press shop didn't waste anytime seizing this story.

"Since her swearing-in in January, McCaskill broke with the Democratic party on nearly one-fourth of partisan votes. When compared with her colleagues, she voted more independently than any other freshman senator, and was the third most independent among her Democratic colleagues," brags a McCaskill release.

“In the end, party loyalty isn’t my concern,” McCaskill said. “My votes are about keeping my promises, doing what is right for Missouri, and voting my conscience. I'm proud of my record that shows that I am independent and decide each issue on its merit, not on partisanship."

Ozarks Values '08: Heather Jenkins

Residence: Nixa

Occupation: Business Owner

Politics: Voted for Gore & Kerry, Blunt over McCaskill but McCaskill over Talent

Business owner Heather Jenkins is sour on the political environment. She doesn't believe any person can really run without swallowing some of their ethics and true beliefs. "For anyone to make it to win the presidency, they have to bargain and make deals," Jenkins says.

Jenkins is not a fan of President Bush. But her reasons involve more style than substance. "He's a horrible speaker," says Jenkins. So for 2008, this Nixa shoe store owner is looking for a candidate who is articulate. "When I listen to Bush, I think, what is he going to say to embarrass me now? I think the main job of our president should be the spokesperson of our country," Jenkins says. "Gore may have been boring, but at least he wasn't embarrassing," she adds.

But even though Jenkins voted for Al Gore and John Kerry over Bush, she says she really wasn't passionate about either Democrat. "I didn't vote for Kerry, I voted against Bush. Isn't that a horrible place to be as a citizen?"

The other characteristic Jenkins looks for in her candidates is business experience. She voted for Matt Blunt over Claire McCaskill for Governor in 2004 because of how well she believed Blunt's Secretary of State office was run. "As a business owner, I dealt with the Secretary of State office a lot. And under his leadership, that office was run well. Friendly, quick and efficient. I thought, if he can run that, he can run the state," Jenkins says.

Heading towards '08, Jenkins says her vote is completely up for grabs. She wants someone with a clear voice who also has an efficient record running something. She doesn't know where she'll end up, but she does offer a parting prediction: "I definitely think the country will elect a Democrat this time around, I'm just not sure if I'll be voting for the Democrat," Jenkins says.

Bond Blasts "Retreat and Defeat"

Sen. Kit Bond is again turning up his rhetoric against Democrats pushing for a legislative end to the war in Iraq.

"The new majority in the Senate is using critical legislation to tray and force retreat and defeat in Iraq," said Sen. Bond, in comments that target Senate Democrats for their proposed amendments to the Defense Authorization bill.

"There may be short-term political benefits to politicians if Congress orders retreat but our intelligence services have warned us of the dangers of a precipitous withdrawal," Bond said.

Bond maintains that if the United States leaves before Iraqi army and police can maintain security, killings and violence would significantly increase.

Bond said the new surge strategy in Iraq is showing signs of progress, and pointed to his recent visit in the Al-Anbar provice. He said "there has been a decrease in sectarian violence, greater tribal cooperation and an increase in weapons cache discoveries."

Bearden Steps Down

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Number-two ranking official in the Missouri House is resigning. Republican Carl Bearden of St. Charles says he's leaving for a job in the private sector. Bearden has served in the House since 2001 and has been House speaker protem for about two years.

Site Slams Bond, McCaskill for Pork

Porkbusters.org, a blog dedicated to finding "wasteful spending" in all states, gives low marks to Missouri's Senators for fighting pork.


The Earmark Reform index looks at 12 different different votes between 2005-2007 when Senators could say "yes" or "no" to a genuine earmark.


According to the site, "the Examiner and Porkbusters consulted knowledgeable Senate insiders to insure that each of these votes represented a real chance to make a difference for taxpayers."


Sen. Kit Bond received the second worst rating overall. Sen. Claire McCaskill got the third worst.


Ranked on a scale of 0 to 100:
Kit Bond (R): 8.33
Claire McCaskill (D): 16.6 (tied for third-worst)

Republican Jim Talent, the Senate lawmaker McCaskill unseated last year, notched Missouri's best score, a 25. Porkbusters classified the state as a whole as a "Top Porker," with an average score of 16.6.

Another Springfield Signing Thursday

Gov. Matt Blunt will sign legislation "enhancing the rights of Missourians who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault" Thursday at 1:45 p.m. in Springfield, according to a release.

Senate leader Michael Gibbons will join Blunt for the signing ceremony at the Family Violence Center.

Nixon Camp Responds to Blunt Ad

Jay Nixon's campaign for Governor sent me this statement in response to a new ad running targeting the Attorney General on abortion:

“Matt Blunt can't talk about fixing health care, making college more affordable, or creating good-paying jobs. That's why 16 months before the election Blunt is already resorting to dishonest attack ads that distort Jay Nixon's mainstream values on reproductive rights. Missourians are tired of Matt Blunt's negative politics. They are ready for change," said Oren Shur, Nixon's communications director.

Bond Critizes The President, Sticks With the Surge

EDIT 8:51 p.m.
This is an amended post after some confusion around what Sen. Kit Bond said about Iraq today.
As soon as I ventured into the newsroom today, I was encircled by producers telling me that the Sen. Bond had broken with the President on Iraq.

They referred to an A.P. story:

Yesterday Bond said the White House has pursued the wrong policy in Iraq for years. He says the U-S should have adopted a counterinsurgency strategy, and blamed Bush for the error.

“The strategy we had before was not the right strategy,” Bond, one of the president’s staunchest supporters, told the Associated Press. “We should have had a counterinsurgency strategy.”

When asked who bore responsibility for promoting the “wrong policy,” the Missouri Republican replied: “Ultimately, obviously, the president.”

I was also told a television feed was coming down with Bond's speech on the subject. But as I watched the speech, it occurred to me that Bond was not breaking with the President's policy -- and therefore I had the wrong headline on this blog post.

I was wrong to just go what was being told to me by some of my colleagues without listening to the entire Iraq speech first. I then spoke with Bond's spokesperson Shana Marshio to clarify what Bond was saying.

Bottom line: Bond was criticizing the President's previous strategy; but emphasizing his continued support for the surge.

Marshio told me "there was nothing really new here." She said Bond made the statements about the President's mistakes in an interview -- and after a press conference reiterating his support for the current policy.

"It's not really new," Marshio said.

That explanation paled in comparison to the frenzy in the newsroom -- caused by a rip and read of an A.P. story without going any deeper.

On the floor today, Bond spoke against several Democratic amendments designed to stage a withdrawal from Iraq. He criticized the Senate for debating "timelines." He said the surge was working and said this "political debate" has sidetracked our country's national security.

"Sen. Bond did criticize the post invasion strategy, for reasons he has noted before," Marshio explained. "But the new strategy takes care of many of those problems. And his statements do not detract from his consistent support for the war," she added.

Ozarks Values '08: Chad Cole

Residence: Republic

Occupation: Computer Software, former Alderman

Politics: Democrat, Voted for Kerry & Gore, but Blunt over McCaskill

Immigration is supposed to be the issue that drives Republican voters this election cycle. But for Democrat Chad Cole, the issue is so important to him that he likes what ultra-conservative Tom Tancredo has to say on the subject.

"We've got to secure our borders," says Cole. It's also the reason he ended up supporting Claire McCaskill over Jim Talent this past November. Cole voted for Matt Blunt over McCaskill in 2004. But McCaskill won him over in 2006 for her hard stand on immigration. "McCaskill's strong on immigration, and stem cells," Cole says.

Still, while immigration is important, Iraq will still drive his vote. He wants most of U.S. troops out of Iraq by 2008. So his presidential pick for 2008 is a bit more complicated. He's not a fan of Hillary Clinton because "she doesn't seem like one of us." He likes John Edwards' populist approach, but concedes the former Senator is "soft on immigration."

So who is his dream candidate? Al Gore.

2 Top Aides Resign from McCain Campaign

The beginning of the end -or- a fresh start?

Two top aides to Sen. John McCain are out. It's unclear if they were pushed.

Here's the statement from the Senator:

"Today, John Weaver and Terry Nelson offered their resignations from my presidential campaign, which I accepted with regret and deep gratitude for their dedication, hard work and friendship. Terry is a consummate professional, who has ably lead this campaign through a challenging political environment. John Weaver has been my friend and trusted counselor for many years and to whom I am greatly indebted. In the days and weeks ahead this campaign will move forward, and I will continue to address the issues of greatest concern to the American people, laying out my vision for a secure and prosperous America."

Blunt Ad Targets Nixon on Abortion

The Missouri Republican Party is up with an ad targeting Attorney General Jay Nixon on abortion.

The ad focuses on Gov. Mat Blunt's support for legislation that makes it a crime to transport a child across state lines for an abortion without parental consent as well as tougher restrictions on abortion clinics in Missouri.

The ad calls Nixon "an abortion on demand Democrat."

“This ad shows that Gov. Matt Blunt agrees with the vast majority of Missourians who oppose killing unborn children and exposes Democrat Jay Nixon’s support for abortion on demand in Missouri,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “The people of Missouri deserve to hear these unfiltered contrasts between their pro-life Governor and a pro-abortion candidate like Jay Nixon.”

The 60-second ad is running in select areas. Not sure if it's up here? But then again, I don't listen to much radio.

To listen to the ad, click here: http://www.mogop.org/media/rightandwrong.mp3.

Huckabee's New Digs

The Huckabee campaign has finally revamped its website.

Here it is.

A Blunt Veto: Splits the Governor with Kinder, Could Spur Special Session

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt has vetoed a massive package of tax breaks he says is "loaded down with excessive spending."

But the Governor contends he is prepared to call lawmakers back for a special session if they are willing to pass a slimmed-down version of the economic development bill.

The vetoed bill would have spent an estimated $200 million in excess of Quality Jobs reauthorization, and there were unknown expenses associated with the legislation that could cost Missourians even more, according to a release from the Governor's office.

Projects that Blunt had problems with included creation of an “eminent domain train,” tax breaks for “phantom flights” to Europe and a provision that would harm many existing Missouri employers by putting them at a competitive disadvantage.

“There are important initiatives in the bill,” Blunt said. “The Quality Jobs Act we created in 2005 has helped Missourians create more than 94,000 new jobs since 2005. Ultimately, however, it became loaded with excessive spending that simply does not benefit the average Missouri taxpayer. There is no difference between spending taxpayer dollars by appropriations and spending them by tax credits. Each should meet the same test of fiscal responsibility.”

“I am committed to signing a fiscally responsible expansion of Quality Jobs, Enhanced Enterprise Zones and the New Market Tax Credits. The savings from a sounder bill will benefit the state for decades to come,” Blunt added.

The veto comes on the same day Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder penned an editorial supporting the legislation in the St. Louis Business Journal. Johncombestblog.com has Kinder's entire editorial.

The tax-cut legislation posed the largest question mark as the governor weighed whether to sign or veto bills by a mid-July deadline.

Blunt Signs More Restrictions on Abortion Providers

From A.P. & KY3 News:

Missouri abortion providers will face new regulations for their clinics and new restrictions on teaching sex education classes.

Gov. Matt Blunt is signing legislation placing more abortion clinics under government oversight by classifying them as ambulatory surgical centers. Planned Parenthood claims the law could force it to spend more than $1 million to remodel some of its buildings. The bill also bars people affiliated with abortion providers from teaching or supplying materials for sex education courses. The legislation allows schools to offer abstinence-only programs. It also puts into law an existing grant program for pregnancy centers that encourage women to give birth instead to have abortions.

“The Missouri Alternatives to Abortion Services Program is an important program to the women we serve at LifeChoices. Many of the women we see feel overwhelming pressure to choose abortion due to circumstances, individuals, or difficulties in their lives. This bill will empower women to make an informed decision based on information instead of fear,” said Rita Lawson, client services director at LifeChoices, at a event in Joplin this morning.

Kellie Rohrbaugh of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Missouri said the bill "expressly prohibits family planning services. “If the Governor were serious about prevention of unintended pregnancy, he would ensure that women have access to birth control, which is the best ‘alternative’ to abortion," said Rohrbaugh.

“Governor Blunt is using the health care of women as a political tool—he has taken away the option for women to visit our health center for life-saving screenings,” said Rohrbaugh.

Ozarks Values '08: Paul Schmitz

Residence: Springfield

Occupation: Retired Postal Worker, Now a teacher's aide

Politics: Voted for Bush twice, but voted for Carter over Reagan

War isn't something Paul Schmitz just watches on TV. He fought in Vietnam, and got the scare of his life when he got word his son was shot in the back while fighting in Iraq. Paul Jr. was told he'd be paralyzed.

That's why it's not surprising Iraq remains a defining issue for himself and his family. Schmitz has his problems with how we got into Iraq and the current "surge" strategy. But he believes we need to stay to finish the job.

The values he's looking for in a 2008 presidential candidate are strength, stability and courage. "I'm looking for a candidate who's got his head and feet on the ground. I want someone to say, 'this is where I stand,' no matter who they are talking to," Schmitz says. "I want someone willing to take the heat."

Schmitz is willing to give a politician credit for standing his ground. He admits he wasn't a big fan of Gov. Matt Blunt at first. "Thought he was living off daddy's name," Schmitz says. "But now that he's been through the fire, I've got more respect for him."

On the presidential contest, Schmitz says he's listening to both sides of the aisle. From Hillary and Barack, to Romney and Giuliani. He likes Romney because of how he has responded to the Mormon question. "When everyone hammered him for his faith, he said, 'I'm sorry, this is what I believe," Schmitz says.

It's clear that a good solid spiritual foundation is also important to Schmitz. It helped his family through their ordeal with their soldier son, who - defying the odds - is now walking again.