Friday, January 25, 2008

Steelman Sets Up Primary Fight Saturday

"IT'S UNPRECEDENTED"
IT'S KINDER VS. STEELMAN VS. ?
LOCAL DEMS COOL ON CARNAHAN
The rumors are running faster and harder than even the eager candidates. Maybe it's time to take a breathe.
Until tomorrow, when Sarah Steelman officially enters the fray. It counts to be first. In Republican primaries, Southwest Missouri might count even more.
And it looks like we are about to see a Republican primary for Governor. "It's unprecedented," said one former aide to Sen. Jim Talent. He said he recently spoke with Talent and said the former junior Senator was mulling over a decision. But who knows? That was hours ago. And this stuff is changing so fast, it is hard to keep up.
Watch my Friday KY3 News @ 10 report HERE. It includes the state of the race on both sides, from Kinder and Steelman -- to my background reporting on local Dems who seem cool on Robin Carnahan's possible run for Governor.

4 comments:

Conservative Guy said...

MEMORANDUM

To: The Renegades (Jeff Roe and the Steelmans’)
From: The Republican Faithful
Date: 01/26/08
RE: A Few Observations

Dear Jeff-

It was with much pain and sorrow that I read today how you single-handedly, against the advice of just about everybody in the party, in a vain and futile bid to get gather more power to yourself, actually convinced a political ‘lightweight’ (I use that term generously here) like Sarah Steelman, that it would be a great idea for her to run for Governor, David must really been “asleep at the wheel” to allow you to slip that one past him! Setting aside the obvious concerns about her dubious past in Jefferson City or her inability to string more than two or three sentences together coherently when speaking in public, I think the lack of any legislative or executive accomplishments (other than the terror-free investment stuff, but is that really all the agenda/vision you want to run on?) and any kind of effective statewide organization will quickly doom this ill-conceived venture before it gets off the ground.

I guess I have to say that I thought that I could expect more from an experienced political operative like yourself, that you would put the needs of the party over your own selfish ends, but then again we do have you to thank when it came to the likes of stellar candidates such as Sandra Thomas and Chris Koster, so forward ho Jeff, I just hope your not a very lonely man come August!

The Republican Faithful

Busplunge said...

Dear Republican Faithful,
I agree with you. However, Sarah Steelman looks just like Farah Faucet in that famous poster of her in her bathing suit that so many of us gen x'ers had hanging on our bedroom walls.
We won't be voting for Steelman, we be voting for the memory of lying in bed and looking at that poster while wondering if we will ever meet anyone as gorgeous as that.
Thanks for the letter
Jeff

Matt said...

I guess this is "inside baseball" stuff, and although I'm not Jeff Roe or a member of the Steelman family, as someone who was there today, I feel inclined to answer.

The post above speaks of being alone "come August". I don't think the poster needs to fret about that. Judging by the turnout this morning which packed a decent-sized house, I think there will be a number of people at the side of Sarah Steelman as she pursues the office of governor.

Secondly, the poster stoops to ad hominem attacks against Treasurer Steelman. This is absurd on its face. Steelman holds a master's degree in economics and worked as an economist in the Bond and Ashcroft administrations. After an accomplished career as a state senator, she was elected statewide in 2004. As state treasurer, Steelman has turned an office which historically has been a caretaker office into an advocate of the people through initiatives like divesting Missouri's portfolio of any ties to sources which could be friendly to international terror groups and a college savings plan which holds the promise of good returns to many parents of Missouri children.

Thirdly, and more broadly, the poster has chosen to impugn Steelman personally. I was at the event today when many members of the press offered Steelman a chance to take a swipe at one of her fellow Republicans. She declined, choosing rather instead to talk about her vision for moving Missouri forward in challenging times.

This road is the road less traveled in politics, and I'm glad that Sarah Steelman has chosen this road.

Busplunge said...

You know Matt, those are wonderful things you just said about Sarah Steelman. I don't know if they are true or not because I don't know her and I wasn't there this morning.
I do remember that Steelman was very instrumental in getting the so-called gay marriage amendment passed in Missouri.
Debating the issue on the Senate Floor, then Senator Steelman associated a marriage between a man and woman with values that could not be replicated elsewhere.

When asked to list these values, Steelman answered with the ability to have children and the ability to create a stable, strong family.

If you are a single parent, in a non-traditonal relationship, an adoptive parent or in a same sex relationship, Steelman probably isn't going to court you to vote for her.