Roy Blunt To Endorse Hulshof Monday

G.O.P. SOURCE SAYS IT'S A DONE DEAL
Hulshof and Blunt plan 2-day Ozarks tour

LAS VEGAS -- Congressman Roy Blunt will endorse his U.S. House colleague Kenny Hulshof for Governor Monday, a Springfield Republican source tells the KY3 Political Notebook.

Asked how sure the source was about the announcement, the Springfield Republican replied, "100%." Hulshof and Blunt are scheduled to unveil the endorsement in Springfield, Joplin and Mt. Vernon Monday. The duo will then follow-up with appearances in other southwest Missouri towns, including Branson and Bolivar on Tuesday.

Kenny Hulshof and State Treasurer Sarah Steelman are battling for the Republican nomination for Governor in a primary set for August 5th. This endorsement comes at a time when Steelman has been highlighting a string of spending votes that Hulshof has made as a Congressman.

Hulshof campaign spokesperson Scott Baker declined to comment on the topic of Hulshof's press conferences Monday.

When asked if Gov. Matt Blunt was expected to endorse any time soon, Baker replied, "I have not heard anything on that. Last I heard he was remaining neutral."

We'll be listening closely to what Congressman Blunt says Monday about primaries. His political career includes a G.O.P. primary for Governor back in 1992. According to a February 1991 piece penned by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jo Mannies, Roy Blunt asserted that the Republican primary for Governor would be decided "by rank-and-file Republicans and not the Legislature or the state committee." That year Blunt battled Attorney General William Webster for the G.O.P. nomination. Blunt ended up finishing 2nd to Webster in that five-way primary.

Pausing

I'll be outside the timezone until Monday.

Blogging will be light, if occurring at all.

But feel free to keep me updated in the comment section.

Til' then . . .

Death Penalty Debate: Schoeller vs. Brown

SUPREME COURT DECISION ON CHILD RAPE SPARKS STRONG REACTION ON BOTH SIDES

Watch Child Advocate Debate State Lawmaker
on KY3 News @ 10 HERE

Brown Opposes the Death Penalty for Child Rapists;
Schoeller Supports It

Barbara Brown: "I think it was a sound ruling that I feel comfortable with . . . National research tells us almost 90% of the time it's someone that the child knows, loves and trusts that does this to them, so that's not an incentive to turn that person in . . . I think the greater danger would be that less and less people would hotline their suspicions that someone was harming a child because the penalty would be so severe."

Rep. Shane Schoeller: "I think if you try to get into the mind of the criminal too much, you begin to obscure the purpose of the law . . . I don't think you can have all the what ifs, what ifs, if you are thinking about what we need to do to make sure we have a good society when it comes to people perpetuating the worst crime upon a child I can think of."

SurveyUSA: McCain 50%, Obama 43% in Mizzou

Lots of people have problems with SurveyUSA polls --- but for what it's worth, it's Mac by 7 in Mo.

You can read the entire poll HERE.

If McCain picks New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg as his running mate, and Obama selects Virginia Senator Jim Webb, it's 47%-40% McCain --- still holding a 7 point lead.

In southwest Missouri, McCain leads Obama 60%-31%. But Obama's real problem is southeast Missouri, where he gets trampled 72%-23%. And Obama is only beating McCain in St. Louis by seven points.

The poll was taken June 20th-22nd.

. . . For whatever it's worth.

Blunt Warns Thousands May Miss Out On Free Money

The Internal Revenue Service says more than 5.4 million senior citizens and disabled veterans, and about 16,500 in the 7th Congressional District in southwest Missouri, are qualified to receive economic stimulus checks but have not applied.

Congressman Roy Blunt's office says two out of three eligible persons who have not filed a return are over age 65, and all 16,500 have incomes below $10,800.

For the numbers by county, click HERE.

Hulshof Camp: Steelman In Denial

AT ISSUE: 2nd INJURY FUND
HOW SOLVENT IS IT?

Kenny Hulshof's campaign for Governor is questioning State Treasurer Sarah Steelman's belief that Missouri's 2nd Injury Fund doesn't face serious solvency problems.

The Hulshof campaign again points to a 2007 state audit that found the fund will likely run out of money this year. Another investigation by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that it could become bankrupt by 2009.

"Two separate investigations into the financial well-being of the Second Injury Fund (SIF) conclude that it’s not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when’ it will become insolvent. However, State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, the custodian of the fund, denies the existence of serious fiscal problems, which could have devastating consequences for Missouri taxpayers," said Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker in a release Wednesday. "Guess who would have to cover that cost: Missouri taxpayers," he added.

The Steelman campaign pointed to the average monthly balance of the fund under Steelman compared to former Treasurer Nancy Farmer.

From January 2001 to December 2004, that balance was about $16.9 million dollars. From January 2005 through May 2008, under Steelman, the balance was about $32.1 million.

Yesterday, Steelman spokesperson Spence Jackson said he did not agree with the state audit predicting financial problems for the fund.

"If Steelman was as fiscally conservative as she claims, she would be leading the charge to reform the Second Injury Fund before it goes belly up and wallops Missouri taxpayers,” said Baker. "Instead she has chosen to join with the fund’s supposed defense attorney, Jay Nixon, and put the interests of trial attorneys ahead of Missouri’s best interests. It will be the people of Missouri who pay for the inaction of Sarah Steelman and Jay Nixon," Baker added.

Documents: Nixon Inquired About Support on Gay Marriage Ruling

Attorney General Jay Nixon's office inquired about the level of national support for a legal brief protesting California's same-sex marriage ruling before signing on to it, according to documents provided to the KY3 Political Notebook by a Republican source.

The G.O.P. source says this correspondence, acquired through Missouri's Sunshine Law, raises new questions about why Attorney General Jay Nixon waited to sign onto the brief requesting a delay of the California ruling. A Democratic attorney argues that this is normal protocol that any Attorney General goes through when determining how to proceed.

The California Supreme Court issued its decision legalizing gay marriage on May 15th. On May 23rd, the Utah Attorney General first contacted Nixon's office about signing onto a brief requesting a delay.

According to an e-mail on May 27th at 9:49 a.m., State Solicitor James Layton, who works in Nixon's office, asked Utah's Attorney General about the level of support for the brief. "Could you keep me posted via email on what states sign on? Attorney General Nixon and I spoke about this today, and he'll want an update tomorrow," wrote Jim Layton to Helen Peterson, an assistant in Utah's Attorney General office.

Later that day in an e-mail to the Marriage Law Foundation, Layton wrote, "We haven't made a decision yet. It will matter to us how many states are on the letter."

At that point, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii and Idaho had signed on.

On June 3rd, Nixon announced he was joining 10 other states in asking California to delay finalizing is ruling to legalize same-sex marriage. According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for Nixon said the certification of the California ballot measure -- not pressure from Blunt's office -- prompted the attorney general to request the stay Tuesday.

Attorney General spokesperson John Fougere declined to comment about the correspondence.

Governor Matt Blunt's office called the correspondence "disappointing" and "frustrating."

"This is very disappointing," said spokesperson Rich Chrismer. "It is frustrating that Nixon's office provided false reasons for why he did not join other Attorneys General seeking a delay of the California Supreme Court's same sex marriage ruling. It is also frustrating that he missed this opportunity for Missourians voices to be heard," he said.

Whether this action is suspect of political motives or perfectly routine is up for you to decide.

Koster Weighs in On Death Penalty Case

Democratic candidate for Attorney General Chris Koster weighed into the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling today against the death penalty for child rapists.

Here's his statement:

"In 2003, I prosecuted a rapist who drugged his pre-teen victims and then filmed their rapes. In my heart, I believed that he deserved the death penalty. Although I find myself on the other side of the Court's decision, I accept its ruling."

Undecided Voter Reacts to Steelman Visit

An undecided voter in the race for Governor wrote me today reflecting on Sarah Steelman's visit to Springfield's Chamber of Commerce Tuesday.

Eric Naegler is the president of Senior Recruiters, Inc. and is very interested in the issues of healthcare and how to deal with our aging population.

Here's what he wrote after I asked him what he thought of Steelman's visit:

"She struck me as being very sincere. She did not come across to me as a "polished” politician, which I like but this will probably cause her problems against a polished opponent. Overall, I was pleased with the thought that she recognizes that she does not have all the answers. The idea of having independent committees was appealing to me. The idea of an open, honest, transparent government that puts the people above politics sounds great, I’m just not sure how she can accomplish it. An Einstein Quote says something on the line of you cannot use the same level of thinking that created a problem to solve the problem."

"I also am a proponent of free market solutions in many cases. When you look at our current health care system at every level, there is no incentive for cost control or cost reduction. Hospitals, health providers, Medicare reimbursements, Medicaid reimbursements, insurance companies, etc all work on margins which create more revenue with higher costs. I believe I differ from her on stem cell research. I do not think it came up the paper article this morning indicated she opposed this research. I wish we had asked her that question. I am in favor of stem cell research."


"I am looking forward to hearing both Hulsohf and Nixon. At this point, I am truly undecided."

Claire Bucks Up For Jay

"He faces two Republican opponents who are . . . using the same divisive campaign tactics the G.O.P. used against me."

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill has sent out a fundraising appeal for former rival and current colleague Attorney General Jay Nixon.

She's asking for contributions for Nixon's campaign for Governor before the June 30th quarter-ending deadline.

"I'm no stranger to Election Day squeakers. And I know what it's like to go against the national Republicans, the Bush political machine and the Missouri GOP. We took them all on -- and together in 2006, we beat them," McCaskill writes. "But it certainly wasn't easy -- and I know just how tough the road ahead is for my good friend Jay Nixon. He faces two Republican opponents who are already airing television ads, using the same divisive campaign tactics the GOP used against me. They're running far to the right and pledging to continue Matt Blunt's failed policies every step of the way," she adds.

McCaskill then winds up her pitch with a shot at health care. She said that " too often, my efforts to improve the lives of Missouri families have been impeded by GOP leaders in Jefferson City."

"Take, for instance, the children's health insurance legislation last year, SCHIP. This bipartisan proposal would have provided health coverage to thousands of Missouri children. But instead of standing up for Missouri families -- many of whom lost their health care because of the devastating and unnecessary health care cuts of 2005 -- Matt Blunt opposed our efforts in Congress to cover more than 56,000 children in Missouri," McCaskill added.

"Sadly, Jay's Republican opponents still embrace Matt Blunt's cuts to children's health care," she concludes.

Steen Tapped For Top Ag Slot

Former Camden County State Representative Don Steen has

been tapped by Gov. Matt Blunt to lead the state Department of Agriculture.

Steen will replace Katie Smith, who is stepping down in anticipation of an addition to the family.

"Mr. Steen’s lifelong farm experience, history of public service, and active involvement in all that is Missouri agriculture will build on our successful efforts to Missouri agriculture,” Gov. Blunt said. “I appreciate Katie Smith’s service to our state and Missouri agriculture and wish her and her growing family the very best," Gov. Blunt said in a statement Wednesday.

The 58-year-old Steen is from Eldon. He's been in the turkey business for 35 years and holds a bachelor's degree in animal science from the University of Missouri. From 1990 to 1998, he served in the Missouri House, representing citizens from Cole, Camden and Miller counties.

Steen's appointment is subject to Senate confirmation and is effective July 7, 2008.

Blunt, Gibbons "Disappointed" By SCOTUS Ruling

Gov. Matt Blunt said he was disappointed by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that outlawed the death penalty for child rapists.

"I am extremely disappointed in the Court’s decision not to allow the most serious punishment, both as a matter of justice and deterrence to protect our children from vile sexual predators," Blunt said in a statement.

Blunt pushed for legislation that would have allowed a Missouri prosecutor to seek the death penalty in cases of forcible rape and forcible sodomy when the victim is younger than 12-years old.

The Governor and 28 members of the General Assembly filed an amici curiae, or “friends of the court” brief in March, asking the court to clarify previous rulings that the Eighth Amendment does not prohibit the death penalty for child rapists. The brief also argued that the court should not preclude a national debate on this issue and allow states to form a consensus.

"Violent sex crimes against children are among the worst crimes that any criminal could commit. Child predators attack the innocent and defenseless, and the pain they inflict is permanent - in many cases physically and in all cases emotionally," Blunt said.

Republican Attorney General candidate Mike Gibbons also expressed dismay at the 5-4 ruling on a Louisiana case.

Gibbons said he supported Justice Samuel Alito's dissent that in part stated: "The harm that is caused to the victims and to society at large by the worst child rapists is grave. It is the judgment of the Louisiana lawmakers and those in an increasing number of other states that these harms justify the death penalty."

"I am disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision but I will enforce the tough laws we passed to protect our children from sexual predators as the next attorney general of Missouri," Gibbons said in a statement. "We will lock the door and throw away the key on those vermin that prey on our children as well as focus on prevention to make sure our kids are never hurt in the first place."

Bond Pens Op-Ed in USAToday on FISA

With passage of the new FISA bill by the U.S. House, the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is urging his Senate colleagues to do the same.

"The agreement also gives vital civil liability protection to companies that answered the call of duty after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Without such protection, it is likely our private partners will refuse to cooperate with future requests for assistance. This is a risk our nation cannot accept. Unfortunately, Sen. Barack Obama has indicated he will support an amendment to strike these liability protections. The Senate has already rejected a similar amendment and should do so again," writes Sen. Kit Bond.

Read the entire editorial HERE.

"He's Going to End Up Having to Raise Taxes"

Meeting With Reporters After Chamber Speech,

STEELMAN SUGGESTS HULSHOF WILL RAISE TAXES

HEAR WHAT STEELMAN SAYS ABOUT WHETHER SHE THINKS MATT BLUNT IS RUNNING AN ETHICAL GOVERNMENT

Spin the Spending Wheel

The relentless focus on spending in the Republican primary for Governor is beginning to feel a bit like Groundhog Day.

The campaigns of State Treasurer Sarah Steelman and Congressman Kenny Hulshof each offered new examples of alleged fiscal irresponsibility Tuesday. Steelman sparked the exchange again with the launch of a new ad, which takes aim at four specific earmarks that Hulshof voted for in Congress. The Hulshof campaign responded with Steelman's repeated votes to eventually fund a St. Louis stadium that she once fiercely criticized.

There is a difference here though.

For Steelman's side, the issue of spending is now undoubtedly the driving force of their campaign. It is what excites her on the stump, and what they say voters are responding to. For Team Hulshof, it seems more of a defense mechanism. Only when prodded did they offer up examples of Steelman's "hypocritical" spending record. Beyond the back and forth, they see Steelman as a desperate underdog, clinging to "attacks" in order to keep any traction.

"She has no ideas, she has no vision," repeats a seemingly exasperated Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker.

"It's more of the same hypocritical grade school nonsense," said Baker, when asked about the Steelman campaign's latest ad.

Still, Baker did not attempt to defend the votes in question.

THE HULSHOF EARMARKS
In the ad, Steelman's campaign cites 4 earmarks. They were up and down votes on a Lobster Institute in Maine, a "Home for the Perfect Christmas Tree," a San Francisco Urban Center and a Woodstock Concert Hall.

Reps. Todd Akin and Sam Graves seem the purest on these earmarks.

On the Lobster Institute, only Reps. Blunt, Akin and Graves voted against it. On the Christmas Tree, Reps. Akin, Carnahan, Clay, Cleaver, Graves and Skelton voted against it. Only Reps. Akin and Graves voted to get rid of the Urban Center. And on the Woodstock center, it was again Reps. Akin and Graves, joined by Blunt in opposition.

It is curious that two members of the G.O.P. delegation stood up to oppose all those earmarks. We have yet to hear an explanation on the merits of these projects from the Hulshof camp.

Instead, Baker pointed to Steelman's record.

STEELMAN'S STADIUM VOTE, 2nd INJURY FUND

"She is hoping the people are not paying attention, and they'll find out what a hypocrite she really is," Baker said. "She voted multiple times on public financing for stadiums, and she's been in charge of watching the 2nd Injury fund, and she's let it go with her mismanagement," he added.

Baker is referring to a $12 million dollar appropriation for the Trans World Dome, the St. Louis Rams stadium. While Steelman eventually voted to approve the appropriation for the stadium each year for four years between 2000-2004, she initially vigorously opposed the bill. In fact, she introduced a budget amendment that would have dumped the state's $12 million dollar share of the bond issue. According to the Associated Press in April 1999, Sen. John Scott-D, St. Louis, threatened that if Steelman pressed for the amendment, "I'd eliminate everything for your district from the budget."

The Steelman campaign feels like this is a reach. They say Steelman eventually voted for the appropriation, because "once it passed, she obviously had to pay the bill." "The state was already committed to this project, and defaulting on it would put the state in financial jeopardy. The difference here is that Congressman Hulshof didn't have the courage to stand up and say anything about the Bridge to Nowhere, while Sarah stood up (here) and voted against the Cardinals Stadium," Steelman spokesperson Spence Jackson said.

On the Second Injury Fund, the Hulshof campaign notes that under Steelman's watch, "expenditures have continued to skyrocket." Baker points to a recent state audit that concluded the fund faces insolvency.

"Although Steelman has been all but absent in the ongoing public policy debate concerning the fund, she has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign donations from lawyers who have sued the fund," Baker noted.

The Steelman campaign said it's Attorney General Jay Nixon's duty to defend the fund. "She's made sure the money's there. There's $28 million there," Jackson replied. When asked what to make of the audit that signals financial instability, Jackson said, "That's just not true. We just don't think that's the case."

That answer may not sound as convincing as the real evidence the Steelman campaign has to point to on Sarah's fight against spending --- but at least they are armed for a fight.

Whether Hulshof or his campaign will specifically address the four earmarks being broadcast around the Ozarks right now, remains in question.

When asked if spending is the defining issue of this campaign, Jackson replied, "it's one of them. It's certainly a good contrast."

VIDEO: Steelman @ The Chamber

STEELMAN'S ANSWERS ON TRANSPORTATION, HEALTHCARE & THE TAX CODE (In That Order)

STEELMAN'S COMMENTS ON HULSHOF

STEELMAN'S JAY NIXON JOKE

Steelman Sprinkles Speech With Spending

LESS SPECIFIC IN Q&A SESSION

In 20-minute speech to Springfield Chamber, the State Treasurer bashes earmarks, touts previously unveiled tax and ethics measures . . . Accuses "opponent" of helping pass enormous debt onto children

"The lack of transparency and accountability in Washington is why we have earmarks. The lack of accountability and transparency in Jefferson City is what creates things such as the village law."

Also: Pledges to Replace MAP with ACT test for high-school students

On Transportation Funding, no commitments . . .

"I'm not going to tell you I have an answer today . . ."

Favors Market-oriented approach to healthcare reform, but fuzzy on details

Leaves "Fair Tax" on the table

***DEVELOPING . . .

Meet Orville & Ed

UNRELENTING ON SPENDING

TEAM STEELMAN UP AGAIN WITH ANOTHER AD HITTING HULSHOF ON EARMARKS

AD BUY CALLED "BIG" . . . Running in Springfield & Joplin . . . Not St. Louis yet

"The Spending Issue Is Giant," claims one adviser

Questions:

1. Is the Steelman campaign overestimating the resonance "out-of-control" Washington spending has with primary voters or is the Hulshof campaign underestimating it?

2. How does the Hulshof campaign attempt to change the campaign storyline, which has been dominated by the Steelman camp for at least the last two weeks?

3. When does taking "the high road" not look as good anymore? (And: Is Steelman's side willing to venture any "lower?")

New Blog Feature

As you'll see, the upper right hand corner of our site now allows you to sign up for e-mail updates from the KY3 Political Notebook.

KSPR News Director and blog-partner Brad Belote added the feature after discussing ways to better serve our regular readers.

The new feature should allow you to sign up and receive updates from The Notebook to your e-mail, Twitter, AIM, Microsoft Messenger, Yahoo Messenger or Skype. From Brad's test, you should receive updates within 20 minutes of my postings.

Let us know how it works out for you.

Steelman Meets The Chamber

G.O.P. Hopeful Plans Tuesday Speech in Springfield

Will Address Springfield Chamber of Commerce @ 3:30 p.m.

Campaign Says State Treasurer Will Discuss Her Ethics Reform Package

Dead Certain Straight

MORE FROM NIXON'S WEEKEND STUMP SPEECH

Says He's Determined To Stay Focused on His Agenda, Despite Predicting "A Lot of Noise" in October

Beyond November: Much of Speech Focused On What He'll Do "When" He Wins

"We're Now in the Phase of Executing A Victory"

NIXON STUMPS IN NIXA

Watch KY3 News @ 10 Report HERE

Piece focuses on what a competitive G.O.P. primary means for Nixon
About 70 party loyalists attend fundraiser at Kreider farm

Nixon lobs tongue-in-cheek shot at Hulshof-Steelman squabble:

"I can only expect them to be extremely positive and visionary come the fall."

Kreider: Bring Us Hulshof

FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER WEIGHS IN

At Nixon fundraiser in Nixa, Jim Kreider explains why he thinks Sarah Steelman would be the tougher general election opponent for the Attorney General this fall

"I've served with Sarah . . . she's tough, she's a pitbull."

Still, says rough-and-tumble G.O.P. primary will aid Nixon

Also: Calls Hubby David Steelman one of the best political minds in the Show-Me State

McCain Notes McCaskill's Opposition to Levee Bill

Barack Obama is criticizing John McCain for his opposition to a water resources bill, implying that McCain's failure to support the measure for new levees and flood controls is partly responsible for the Midwest flooding.

But McCain's campaign hit back Saturday, noting that Obama's national co-chair, and junior Missouri senator Claire McCaskill also opposed that 2007 legislation.

"In Attacking John McCain For Opposing The WRDA Bill, Barack Obama Is Attacking His Own National Co-Chair -- Senator Claire McCaskill -- Who Voted Against The Bill. Is She To Blame For Levees In Missouri Breaking?," blasted a release from the McCain campaign Saturday.

It is true that McCaskill voted against the passage of the Water Resources Development Act, for basically the same reason McCain did. The bill authorized $23.2 billion for 900 water projects, including $3.9 billion for a new locks and dams system for the Upper Mississippi River.

"This isn't about the projects or merits of the projects. Painfully for me, one is in Missouri. This isn't about the projects. This is about the process. This isn't about Democrats. And this isn't about is about a bad habit. This is about getting into the habit of directing authorization or spending in a conference report instead of under the bright lights of the Senate floor, the House floor or committee work," McCaskill said in a press release on Sept. 24, 2007.

At the same time, McCain said he opposed the bill because it included "outrageous spending"

"The legislation being considered today far exceeds the already outrageous spending that was approved in both the House- and Senate-passed bills and would drastically increase the backlog of Army Corps of Engineers construction projects while doing nothing to modernize the system for funding these projects. I wonder, did we learn nothing from Hurricane Katrina?," said McCain in a statement on the same day McCaskill issued her own.

Look Me In The Eye

HULSHOF STRIKES BACK

Without much fanfare, Hulshof campaign answers Sarah Steelman's claims in new 30-second spot airing in southwest Missouri . . . With picturesque farm in the background, Hulshof looks straight into the camera for the entire ad, and defends his record as a conservative . . . To combat "Washington tag," cites his role in rebuking former House Majority Leader Tom Delay for ethics flap . . .

Pledges to take the high road in tagline: "Sarah can spend all the money she wants on phony attack ads, I'll spend my time talking about Missouri's future.

Nixon pledges review of Government if elected

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon pledges a thorough review of every state office and program if he
is elected governor.

Nixon says he will appoint a Performance Review Commission of private-sector executives, elected officials and senior-level state employees. They will look for ways to save money and make
government more efficient.

Republican Gov. Matt Blunt made a similar campaign pledge four years ago. He appointed a 20-member Government Review Commission that came up with 84 recommendations on ways to restructure state government. Some of those suggestions were implemented.

Blunt is not seeking re-election his year. The Republican
gubernatorial candidates are Treasurer Sarah Steelman and Congressman Kenny Hulshof.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Known Unknowns

10 KNOWN UNKNOWNS


"There are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, The ones we don't know we don't know."

---Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, in a Feb. 12, 2002 Pentagon briefing

1. The impact of the "negative/comparative/attack" ads being launched by the Steelman campaign on Kenny Hulshof's favorable ratings.

2. How much the Republican primary has benefited Jay Nixon over the last four months.

3. Two sources -- both Republican -- one locally, one not -- say they know F.B.I. agents were inside the state Capitol this week. When the F.B.I. launches an investigation, it's common practice that they interview the target of that investigation last. It's also protocol that they don't issue a charge 90 or 100 days before an election.

4. If/when the Hulshof campaign will launch a "negative/comparative/attack" ad in response to Steelman.

5. When Jay Nixon will air his first biographical ad.

6. Who funded the pro-Hulshof 527-ad being run by Americans for a Better America, Inc.

7. If Chris Koster will be able to hold onto a press contract through July 15th.

8. Who Democrats like more -- Jeff Harris or Margaret Donnelly.

9. Why Mike Gibbons didn't draw a primary opponent.

10. What we'll all be talking about Monday.

Nixon in Nixa Saturday

FUNDRAISER SET FOR KREIDER FARM

At 7:20 p.m. event, Nixon will talk about health care, the economy and education

***

Also: In Speech today, Nixon calls for "performance reviews" of state government agencies

"We will determine exactly what works and where we can save the taxpayers’ money," Nixon said in St. Louis.

*Wants to encourage local governments to join the state in bidding on contracts, to increase the size of the purchase and bring down costs

*Promises to cut waste by implementing a technology-based "E-government"

Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Page

The Missouri Veterans of Foreign Wars awarded its "Legislator of the Year" award to Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Sam Page today.

Page is a 3-term state representative.

"I am honored by this award," Page said. " I thank the veterans not only for this award, but for their service to our country as well," he added.

The Missouri VFW also awarded the honor to Rep. David Day.

"This year two state representatives were invaluable in helping us advance our cause of improving veterans care," said Dewey Riehn, Legislative Chairman of the MO VFW. "Rep. Page was our leader in Jefferson City."

Danka

We don't do this often, because it seems tawdry and nerdy to celebrate such a superficial thing as "blog hits."

But we've had a record week for hits, including two record-busting days -- Monday and Thursday.

That's all due to you . . . so I must pause to give thanks -- as we continue to build, grow and experiment here at the KY3 Political Notebook.

Blogging was light Thursday -- because I was weather-logged, covering more wind, rain and of course, tornadoes. More HERE. That will happen sometimes in the business I'm in. But I'm happiest -- and feel the most productive -- here on the blog.

So Thank You for the compliments and the critiques, for your two years of loyalty. But most of all -- thanks for caring about politics.

Oh, and keep those hits comin;)

527

PACMAN

POLITICAL ORGANIZATION GOES AFTER STEELMAN IN NEW SPOT

DEFENDS HULSHOF AGAINST "MISLEADING" ATTACKS

STEELMAN SUPPORTER FILES SUIT; ALLEGES CONSPIRACY

A pro-Kenny Hulshof political group has begun running an ad to refute so-called attacks by rival Sarah Steelman, but a Steelman supporter has filed a lawsuit to stop it from running on Springfield television stations.

Americans for a Better America, Inc. is responsible for the 30-second spot. According to paperwork filed with the federal government, Arthur Fillmore of Kansas City is responsible for the group. The group noticeably claimed an exemption from filing certain forms to report on contributions and expenditures "as a qualified state or local political organization."

Attorney Caleb Stegall filed a lawsuit in Jackson County Thursday "alleging violations of Missouri's campaign finance laws."

"Americans for a Better America, Inc., recently placed ad buys with multiple broadcast stations through John Thompson, who is believed to be in the employ of Kenny Hulshof for Governor, Inc. This purchase constitutes a contribution pursuant to Missouri Campaign Finance Law and Americans for a Better America, Inc. constitutes a continuing committee pursuant to the same law. Continuing committees are required by Missouri law to file a statement of organization within 20 days of formation. As of June 18, no statement of organization had been filed placing Americans for a Better America, Inc. in violation of Missouri law," said Stegall in a press release Thursday.

"The suit alleges that this front group was established as part of a conspiracy to evade Missouri’s campaign finance contribution limits and to avoid disclosure of political donors as required by Missouri law," he added.

Because of the late hour, I was unable to speak with either of the campaigns or any of the parties involved Thursday.

More later . . .

DEVELOPING . ..

Mo' McCain: (The Remix)

EXCERPTS FROM OUR ONE-ON-ONE

MCCAIN ON WINNING OVER THE OZARKS

MCCAIN ON DEALING WITH IRAN

MCCAIN ON "WINNING" IN IRAQ

MCCAIN ON CAP & TRADE

Mo. G.O.P. The F.B.I. Is Always Here

Missouri Republican Party spokesperson Tina Hervey called to respond about about my previous post on the F.B.I. being in Jefferson City.

"The F.B.I. has an office in Jefferson City, so they're always in Jefferson City," Hervey said. "Yeah, they were seen here yesterday, because they're always here."

Clarification: I should have noted the State Capitol building specifically. A local Republican source told the KY3 Political Notebook he had heard the F.B.I. was seen inside the State Capitol this week.

McCain Visit Gossip

10 THINGS YOU "DIDN'T HEAR FROM ME"

Gossip swirling around McCain's visit

Politicos don't like to talk on the record, but some of the things they'll say on background are "better than S*X"

(According to Hunter Thompson, of course)

1. No matter what the Democrats tell you, John McCain isn't the third term of George Bush. Republicans don't like him that much.

2. Asked a Republican what is wrong with Jay Nixon, she replies, "He's like a used car salesman." Asked why she's supporting Kenny Hulshof over Sarah Steelman, she says, "I won't vote for an airhead."

3. John McCain contemplated holding a Missouri fundraiser at Robert Plaster's "It Takes a Village" compound in Branson -- until locals talked him out of it.

4. The real reason John McCain's Springfield fundraiser was canceled had nothing to do with Tim Russert. The McCain-iac camp was just disappointed with the money it was going to be able to pull in here in Springfield.

5. John McCain will instead come back and go where the money is . . . in St. Louis, of course, on July 15th. He's thinking about coming back to Springpatch for a make-up fundraiser on July 31st.

6. Some Republicans are scared of Mavis Busiek --- and most who are, say if you aren't . . . you should be. Apparently, Mavis keeps score.

7. When my third full story on McCain hit the air at 10 p.m., folks at my favorite new watering hole, "Fedora," booed.

8. Why don't any people who participate in political protests have the J.Crew look--- ever? And another thing, if you're going to organize a protest that gets media attention, get more than a dozen people there.

9. McCain gains props with skeptical peeps for just showing up and answering unvetted questions. Too many people who aren't fans of Bush -- but heard McCain today in some fashion -- have said positive things about the man one way or another for me to believe otherwise.

10. Kenny Hulshof had kids handing out stickers to people in line at the McCain event. Why didn't Sarah Steelman have kids with stickers? "Yeah, well how many of them are wearing them?," replied one Steelman supporter, when I posed that question.

****11. BONUS: The F.B.I. was spotted in Jefferson City the other day, and yes, Republicans are talking (ok, whispering) about it.

The McCain Visit

WATCH MY KY3 NEWS @ 5 PIECE HERE

Plus: Watch Raw Footage of the McCain Speech

TONIGHT on KY3 NEWS @ 10 . . . The One-on-One

First Come, First Served

THE JOHN MCCAIN VISIT

Watch the KY3 News @ 10 preview piece HERE

What You Need To Know:
Missouri State University
Plaster Student Union
Doors Open at 11:30 a.m., Event Begins at 2 p.m.
First Come, First Served
One-on-One Interview to Follow
Wall-to-Wall Coverage on KY3 News @ Noon, 5, 6 & 10
Plus, Web Updates @ KY3.com

Nixon Passes on Transportation Plan

NO COMMITMENTS FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL ON PENDING ROAD CRISIS

***WATCH CLIPS BELOW***

At Missouri Press Association Forum last week, all top candidates for Governor steer clear of specifics on MoDot shortfall besides "no gas tax" pledges

Democrat Jay Nixon urges consensus on coming funding shortage for highways, says he'll wait to hear MoDot priorities before showing his hand. Pledges, "There aren't any taxes on the table for me."

Signals that public-private partnerships to manage Missouri roads give him "deep concerns," because of the potential for foreign ownership . . . Still, Jay Nixon leaves "everything on the table."

VIDEO: Hulshof Expects Opposite Attack Post Primary

In one-on-one Interview last week, Hulshof explained why after Aug. 5th -- if he survives -- the attack on his Congressional record will be flipped.

"After the primary, you're going to hear how I cut spending . . ."

***WATCH CLIP ABOVE***

Plus: Pressed on why he's avoided focusing on his Congressional Record, Hulshof responds . . . "I'm not running for Congress."

The Sound Of Web Ads

KOSTER'S "FAVORITE THINGS" WATCH IT HERE

PLUS: DONNELLY EXPRESSES WORRY ABOUT "STALKING HORSE"

Democratic candidate for Attorney General Jeff Harris has released a new campaign web video that parodies The Sound of Music's "Favorite Things."

The video features a few of rival Chris Koster's "favorite things," according to the Harris camp.

The new lyrics highlight portions of Koster's record, including his support for the "deep cuts to Medicaid that he helped push through" during his Republican tenure in the Missouri Senate.

"In this election, Democratic voters are being asked to believe that candidate who lined up for George W. Bush and John Ashcroft and Matt Blunt should now represent the Democratic Party as our candidate for Attorney General," said Harris Campaign Manager Christian Badger.

"Democrats aren't going to buy it, and they shouldn't. Chris Koster is a Republican who continues to side with wealthy special interests and against Missouri consumers who deserve a voice.

Meanwhile, another rival of Harris for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General, Rep. Margaret Donnelly has sent out a fundraising appeal to help stop the "dirty tricks" of Koster.

Donnelly points to an article by the Kansas City Star that speculates whether A.G. candidate Molly Williams (who hasn't been seen or heard from) was placed on the ballot to siphon votes from herself.

"If this is true, that in fact Koster had Molly Williams enter the race as a "stalking horse" candidate to steal votes from me, it does have a huge impact on my campaign. It is now more critical than ever that I have enough money to make sure there is no confusion between Margaret Donnelly and Molly Williams when casting a ballot on the August 5th primary election day," Donnelly writes in the fundraising appeal.

She then asks for campaign contributions of $45, $135 or $220 to help beat back "the stalking horse" candidate in the race.

Baker Explains Hulshof Viagra Vote

ALSO, SCORCHES STEELMAN

On the VIAGRA Hit: "She has no ideas, she has no vision."

"She cannot finish a sentence about herself without a distortion of Kenny Hulshof."

On How They'll Respond: "It's unlikely we'll stoop to her level"

**UPDATE: Steelman Campaign Responds**

"Contributions Call Into Question Whether His Vote Is For Sale"

Congressman Kenny Hulshof voted to have the federal government cover prescriptions for Viagra because he believes excluding certain drugs could set a "dangerous precedent."

That's according to Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker, who outlined the campaign's defense to Sarah Steelman's new Viagra ad in an interview Tuesday.

"The reason is he doesn't think the government should be in the the medical business of determining what's appropriate," Baker explained, on why Hulshof was the only Missouri Republican House member to oppose an amendment to block Viagra coverage. "Today it's Viagra, tomorrow it's the latest cutting edge high blood pressure medicine."

Baker also said that Steelman's vote for a budget that included Viagra coverage for sex offenders is a completely relevant issue by her own standards. "If it's in the bill you voted for, it's your priority, if you are using Sarah Steelman's definition," Baker said. "That's the way she wants it, and she cannot have it both ways."

Baker said it is factually inaccurate for the Steelman campaign to suggest that the federal government is resposible for the Viagra going to sex offenders.

"No federal money can be spent on Medicaid without a state appropriation. If the state chooses not to fund a specific part, they simply make that change, legislatively, and the federal funds are no longer available," Baker said. "In other words, the state could have said way back when that taxpayer money will no longer go to Viagra."

"Sarah Steelman did not have the courage to initiate the fix in Jefferson City. She basically established a standard by which she does not want to be measure," Baker added.

Asked what he thought specifically of Steelman's latest ad on the Viagra issue specifically, Baker said it revealed her lack of ideas. "She has no ideas. She has no vision. I think the most telling thing is, she has nothing to talk about. She has to manufacture press events to say she has 3 new supporters. She cannot finish a sentence about herself without a distortion of Kenny Hulshof," Baker said.

On Monday, Steelman held an event in Springfield to tout three endorsements from "outstanding Missourians." Janet Hill, a working mother of two, said she's supporting Steelman because "she understands what it’s like to run a household while holding a job at the same time." Retired teacher and longtime G.O.P. loyalist Thelma Neff said "Steelman’s Missouri experience makes her more qualified to address the challenges the state faces." World War II vet Wallace Fieldler Fiedler said he's supporting Steelman because of her "willingness to take on difficult issues regardless of political consequences."

UPDATE 3:28 p.m. . . Steelman spokesperson Spence Jackson fired back Monday noting that Hulshof had received $55,000 in campaign contributions from the various pharmaceutical companies that produce Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. "Those campaign contributions call into question whether his vote is for sale," said Jackson.

On when or how Hulshof would formally respond to the Viagra flap, Baker replied, "I think it's unlikely we will stoop to her level anytime soon." Still, he said that it is possible that the Hulshof campaign would invoke Steelman's name in a television ad at some point in the future.

"At some point, Kenny will defend himself and set the record straight," Baker added.

Questions For McCain

THE MCCAIN VISIT

Scheduled to Speak Wednesday @ 2 p.m. at MSU

KY3 News has confirmed a one-on-one interview with the Senator following the event

If you have a question you'd like asked, shoot me an e-mail at dcatanese@ky3.com for consideration

EXCLUSIVE: Steelman's Viagra Ad

Watch It Here First

Steelman's 2nd Hit on Hulshof To Land on T.V. Screens Tuesday

**Note The Seedy, Sexually-Charged Background Beat

"Congressman Hulshof joined 2 St. Louis Congressmen voting to spend our tax dollars on Viagra . . ."; AD Also Credits Gov. Blunt for stopping reimbursements in Missouri . . . "Congressman Hulshof, he disagrees . . . His Washington thinking . . . Viagra For All, and Taxpayers pay for it."

The Viagra Vote

Hulshof Was Only Mo. Republican To Vote For Gov't Coverage For Viagra, Cialis, Levitra

Check out the June 2005 Vote HERE

UPDATE: Hulshof Campaign Claims Steelman Voted For Viagra in State Budget -- But Was It Mandated By the Feds?

Congressman Kenny Hulshof was the only Missouri Republican and just one of three Missouri House members who voted against an amendment to prohibit government funds from being used to reimburse for Viagra, Levitra or Cialis.

The June 24, 2005 vote was first brought up by Hulshof's rival, Sarah Steelman, at a Missouri Press Association debate in Lake Ozark on Friday. Iowa Rep. Steven King introduced the amendment to ban government funding for these drugs. His amendment ultimately passed 285-121.

But a look at the Roll Call vote from U.S. House records show that Hulshof was the only Missouri Republican to vote against the King amendment. G.O.P. Reps. Todd Akin, Roy Blunt, Jo Ann Emerson and Sam Graves all voted for the amendment. Democratic Reps. Ike Skelton and Emanuel Cleaver also voted for the amendment.

Only Hulshof and Democratic Reps. William Clay and Russ Carnahan voted against the King amendment. Only 33 House Republicans in all voted against the subsidization of these drugs.

You can read the New York Times' account of the vote here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/25/politics/25viagra.html

"We provide drugs through Medicare and Medicaid that are lifesaving drugs; we don't pay for lifestyle drugs," said Representative Steve King, Republican of Iowa, the chief sponsor of the measure at the time.

"I argue that sex has only two reasons, one of them is for procreation, and we don't subsidize procreation in the form of fertility drugs," he said. "And the other reason for sex is recreation, and we should not be funding recreational drugs of any kind, be they psychedelic or for sexual impotency."

Opponents complained afterward that the House was treading on dangerous turf by making medical judgments that could affect Americans' most intimate moments.

UPDATE 12:09 a.m. . . Kenny Hulshof's campaign for Governor fired back, by claiming that as a state Senator, Sarah Steelman voted to cover Viagra costs for registered sex offenders.

“Sarah Steelman made a point of suggesting, several times, that voting in favor of Viagra coverage calls one’s courage into question,” said Scott Baker, Hulshof's campaign spokesperson. “What does she say when it is revealed that she voted to give Viagra to registered sex offenders?”

State government covered the cost of Viagra for some sex offenders in 2004. Steelman cast a favorable vote for the Medicaid budget, including the Viagra coverage, in May of 2004.

The Steelman campaign believes the two issues are not equal -- because while the federal Viagra amendment was a specific vote, the state Viagra issue involved a budget where some of the money was later directed for that purpose.

Audits by New York Comptroller Alan Hevesi showed that sex offenders in that state were receiving Medicaid-reimbursed Viagra during this same period. But according to a May 2005 Associated Press article, Hevesi said the problem was an unintended consequence of a 1998 directive from federal officials telling states that Medicaid prescription programs must include Viagra.

"Additionally, Sarah Steelman voted on multiple occasions to bloat the size of Medicaid. As senator, Steelman was one of only two Republicans who voted against a bipartisan reform of Medicaid that attempted to reign in eligibility for things such as Viagra. Ironically, Steelman didn’t get around to mentioning that last Friday. She was too busy criticizing Hulshof for his "big spending,'" reads the Hulshof release.

"This is yet another Steelman Stumble – criticizing Kenny Hulshof while hoping no one pays attention to her actions," Baker said.

Bet Against Matt Blunt

STEELMAN ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENTS

Campaign Set To Roll Out Support Monday

2:30 p.m. @ The Library Center

***We think we're on firm ground that one won't be the Governor.

Plus: Behind-the-scenes politicos on all sides are digging and dishing oppo-research

Who's winning the shadow spin war . . .

***Developing . . . (For Monday)

McCain Visit in Jeopardy?

Local Republican sources tell the KY3 Political Notebook that Wednesday's scheduled campaign visit to Springfield by Republican presidential nominee John McCain may be in jeopardy because of Tim Russert's funeral.

The event has not been officially canceled yet, but because of Russert's funeral, I'm told major schedule changes for both presidential candidates are in the works.

DEVELOPING . . .

The Issues Summary

HULSHOF vs. STEELMAN
@ Mo. Press Association Forum
(Summaries of the answers provided)

Opening Statement
Hulshof says Attorney General Nixon wants to "take our state into the past," with "old policies and old politics," adds that Missourians are tired of blind partisanship. Cites "Lewis & Clark" initiative as an example. Charges that Nixon opposed it for pure political reasons. Says he doesn't have an ax to grind, scores to settle.

Steelman began talking about the need to strengthen the Sunshine Law, and noted that she opened up meetings as State Treasurer. Promised to think "long-term" as Governor, by establishing a 10-year plan.

The Medicaid Cuts
Referring to the 2005 cuts, Steelman says she believes "some of them should be reversed," to make sure "we have a safety net." She said she believed that "those cuts had to be made," but said she would have done it a bit differently than Gov. Blunt.

Hulshof called the old program unsustainable. He questioned why the chronically ill program was cut, said he would have looked at that "a little differently." He said he was "very open" to tweaking the eligibility, but still defended the health and wellness portions of Blunt's reforms. He said his reforms would be private-sector and patient based. Said he wouldn't put people back on the Medicaid rolls just for the purpose of government health care.

The 2nd Injury Fund
Hulshof said it's an issue that needs to get more attention, called the current trajectory of the fund "unsustainable." Said he has not taken money from attorneys involved in these cases. Noted that "it would be interesting" to hear from the Attorney General and Sarah Steelman on that point. On reforms, said he was not sure "partial disabilities" should be included. Said we needed to hold accountable those who allowed the fund to get to this point.

Steelman talked in vague terms about solutions, but said she was open to a whole range of them. Said abolishing the fund would be a bad idea and a big problem for business. Said "she had no idea" if she received campaign contributions from attorneys involved in these cases. "Can't tell you if I had or not," she replied.

The Media
Steelman said she did not agree with the statement sent out by her party chair which criticized some of the media as "adjuncts of the Democratic party." Said the media has every right to seek Blunt administration documents.

Hulshof also said he didn't agree with the statement either. Said if people lose faith in the confidence in our government, these other things "pale in comparison." Also noted how he stood up to power in Congress to Tom Delay. Acknowledged, "it wasn't a pleasant experience."

Transportation Funding
Hulshof said "this may be the issue that causes me to be a 1-term Governor." Took raising the gas tax to pay for roads off the table. Said he would look a public-private partnerships, including those that would construct separate truck lanes.

Steelman also took the gas tax "completely" off the table. Said it would be "the worst thing we could do at this time." Also signaled interest in public-private partnerships.

TIT FOR TAT OVER STEELMAN'S AD/HULSHOF SPENDING
Hulshof asked for a minute to respond. Noted that he was being criticized for voting for the last Transportation bill, which included the Bridge to Nowhere. Noted it brought back $1.3B for Missouri roads. Steelman said her ad in question targeted the 11,000 earmarks in the bill. Said if she was in Congress, she would have worked to take them out of the bill. Noted her staunch opposition to earmarks repeatedly. "A Governor has to say no to a lot of things," Steelman said. Said this kind of behavior "inflates the budget deficit," said "no one has the guts to say no." Hulshof defended his fiscal conservative credentials. "Ask Jay Nixon on Aug. 6th if I'm a fiscal conservative," Hulshof quips. Noted the vote on the Bridge to Nowhere was up or down. Would not justify earmarks in other districts but said he had a "very aggressive scrubbing process" for earmarks he got behind. Called for a moratorium on earmarks. Steelman came back and noted the Club for Growth gave him a ranking of just 22%. Said he approved Medicaid/Medicare coverage of Viagra. Hulshof said it was easy to pick votes and take them out of context.

State Tax Credits & Missouri Housing
Steelman said she would like to change the length on Missouri Housing Development Commission tax credits from 15 years to 5 years. Said she was not sure she agreed with everything in the recent tax credit housing audit by Susan Montee. Noted it was different to get everyone on the Commission to agree.

Hulshof said he was fairly troubled with the audit's findings. Pledged to not allow any elected officials to serve on the MHDC. Said that their presence fueled the deep belief that the credits were awarded to the politically-connected developers.

Steelman responded that we need elected officials on the board -- because without all of them, the Governor would be able to appoint all the members, and therefor would have all the power. Said Hulshof's idea "makes no sense."

License Fee Offices
Hulshof pledged to end the cronyism by putting all statewide fee offices out for competitive bid.

Steelman said that not all the offices involved "cronyism," said a lot were run efficiently. Turned the "cronyism" issue towards elected officials. Said she did not want elected officials to be allowed to be paid political consultants at the same time. Specifically named Speaker of the House Rod Jetton, as an example. Also reiterated her opposition to allowing elected officials to benefit from state tax credits that they vote into law.

College Scholarships for Family Making More Than $200,000
Steelman supports the continuation of them.
Hulshof also supports continuation.

Shield Law To Protect Journalists
Steelman & Hulshof both pledge support

Steelman Pounces On Hulshof Spending

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 6 REPORT HERE

New McCain Visit Details

Officially from the McCain campaign itself:

Please join John McCain in Springfield for a National Issues Briefing on Wednesday, June 18, 2008.

Details Below:
Wednesday June 18, 2008 . . . Doors open at 11:30 a.m. . . No seating after 1:00 p.m. . . Missouri State University Plaster Student Union 1110 E Madison Springfield, MO 65897 Parking is available free of charge and without a permit at lots #13 and #27.Seating is limited. Please RSVP to Jake Ketzner at missouri@johnmccain.com

The Trio Tangles

SHOWDOWN AT THE LAKE

STEELMAN THE AGGRESSOR

HULSHOF PLAYS DEFENSE

NIXON SPURNS THE MEDIA

***DEVELOPING . . .

Remembering Russert

Tough to go on today with news of Tim Russert's death.

I got to meet Russert twice and interview him three different times during my short journalistic career. I'll have much more on that later. He was an idol in every sense of the word for a political reporter like me.

But, in his memory, we plug on with politics . . .

Tune into special reports on KY3 News @ 5 & 6 . . . on Russert and the Kenny Hulshof-Sarah Steelman clash at Lake Ozark.

Tim Russert Dead

WASHINGTON (AP) - NBC's Tim Russert has died of an apparent heart attack, his family told The New York Times.

The New York Post has the story here.

Friday The 13th Face-Off

What Will A Morning Meeting At The Lake Bring?

HULSHOF vs. STEELMAN

Both Appearing @ Mo. Press Association Meeting

Lake Ozark Forum Begins at 9 a.m.

Truthwatch: Kenny In The Courtroom

WATCH KY3 ARCHIVE CLIPS OF HULSHOF IN COURT ABOVE

THE GEORGE REVELLE CASE

WATCH KY3 NEWS @ 10 TRUTHWATCH HERE

Kenny Hulshof's second television campaign ad for Governor highlights his years of experience as a state prosecutor. But some critics say an infamous murder trial right here in the Ozarks exposes flaws in Hulshof's judgement.

Hulshof was at the center of the George Revelle murder trial back in the winter of 1996. As a state prosecutor, he argued to a jury that the Fremont Hills Mayor and banker murdered his wife, Lisa. Hulshof and the state initially won a conviction. But 21 months later, a state appeals court reversed it because of a letter Hulshof introduced. The letter, written by Revelle's wife Lisa, detailed trouble in the couple's marriage. Hulshof said his decision to use it was based on sound case law, but a court said a jury should have never seen it.

"The jury needed to see that there was another side to that George Revelle and the marriage," Hulshof said in an interview. "I believed it based on caselaw was, there was an exception to the hearsay rule and the trial judge agreed. It was something I thought was important for the jury to hear as they try to determine whether George Revelle was guilty."

Springfield Attorney and Democrat Tom Carver disagrees."There are a lot of mistakes that are made in trials that are called harmless errors, that was not a harmless error," Carver said.

Carver calls Hulshof move to use the letter "a dangerous ploy," that was risky enough to jeopardize the entire case." I think there's certainly a good chance that Revelle would have been convicted had this piece of evidence had not been admitted," Carver said.

Hulshof said he didn't see it as a risk. "Obviously, if I had know how the appellate court was going to rule, we wouldn't of put it out there," Hulshof said. In December 1998, a second jury ended up acquitting George Revelle of murder. No one else has ever been charged for his wife's death. Carver said this case raises questions about Hulshof's judgment, just as the candidate attempts to highlight those skills in a new ad." I think there's certainly a lesson to be learned about his exercise of judgment," Carver said.

"I think it was a dangerous ploy. And I think at the time, if he had done his homework he might have thought better than to try to get that admitted into evidence. I think there would've been red flags raised if he looked closely at that."

Shawn Askinosie, the lead attorney for George Revelle during his appeal, said he could not comment on the case without Revelle's explicit permission.

But David Mercer, a defense attorney on the Revelle appeal said if he was the prosecutor, he would have tried to get the letter admitted as well. "He was a fine prosecutor. In fact, he was really, really good," Mercer said in an interview. "He's an advocate and his job is to advocate for the state. I never viewed this letter as a prosecutor doing anything wrong. There certainly wasn't anything underhanded about it. It could've gone either way," he said.

***(The video clips above are from February 1996, of Hulshof questioning George Revelle, and making his case to jurors. Revelle was aquitted after a re-trial in December 1998.)

EXCLUSIVE: Hulshof Campaign Polling Numbers

BLIND QUOTE FUN: "Those poll numbers sound like my ex-girlfriend," quips one stalwart Steelman supporter

***OFFICIAL RESPONSE BELOW***

Kenny Hulshof holds a double-digit lead over rival Sarah Steelman in the Republican primary for Governor, according to Hulshof campaign polling numbers provided exclusively to the KY3 Political Notebook. But even the Hulshof campaign internals reveal that a wide swath of the electorate is still undecided.

Kenny Hulshof 39%
Sarah Steelman 26%
Undecided 34%

The poll was conducted by American Viewpoint Inc. out of Alexandria, Virginia between June 9th and 10th. The sample was 600 voters and it has a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.

The release of these numbers is an attempt to further solidify Hulshof as the frontrunner in this increasingly combative Republican primary. It is also an attempt by the Hulshof campaign to show how the Congressman has grown as a candidate since the start of the race in late January.

Overall, Hulshof holds a 13-point lead. In Feburary, Hulshof lead by 10 points, 36%-26%, according to the Viewpoint poll.

"Even with being out-spent 2 to 1, Kenny has an advantage statewide, slightly extending his lead from the end of February," wrote Linda DiVall and Randall Gutermuth in a memo to the campaign about their findings. "The more voters know both candidates, the larger Kenny's lead becomes."

Sarah Steelman's campaign declined to release its own polling right now. Spokesperson Spence Jackson questioned the credibility of the pollster.

"This polling firm has produced inaccurate polls in several high profile races including Jim Talent, Bill Hickle and Bob Behnen," Jackson told the KY3 Political Notebook. "It also doesn't take into account our contrast ads or the fact that most people in the state don't even know he's a big spending Congressman yet."

In southwest Missouri (which includes both Springfield and Joplin areas,) Hulshof is holding onto a 37%-34% lead, according to the Hulshof camp's numbers.

"It should be noted that Kenny was behind by a wide margin in Southwest Missouri in early March," said Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker.

Only 50 percent of the electorate is aware of both candidates. But among those people, Hulshof extends his lead 53% to 27%. Only 24 percent of the electorate has a favorable opinion of both candidates -- and among that group, Hulshof leads 65%-24%, according to the Viewpoint numbers.

"The paid and earned media back-and-forth is clearly an advantage for Hulshof in terms of impact, likely a main factor in the Steelman campaign running negative advertising so early," wrote DiVall and Gutermuth.

Other nuggets:

• 37% of voters polled have seen, read or heard something regarding Steelman, compared with 35% for Hulshof.
• Among people who have seen, read or heard something regarding both candidates (21%), Hulshof leads 54%-31%.

DiVall and Gutermuth write that "the problems Steelman has had on the earned media front has definitely impacted her standing." The pollsters come to that conclusion by downplaying the number that shows Steelman "only" leading 43%-38% among those who have seen, read or heard something regarding her in the past few weeks.

"It is obviously a long time between now and the primary, but Kenny is the clear front-runner," DiVall and Gutermuth conclude.

Missouri Gets An Obama Field Director

Buffy Wicks served as Barack Obama's deputy field director in Texas and field director in California.

“Our priority is expanding our strong grassroots movement for change across the state – from rural communities to urban centers – so we can win Missouri and the White House,” said Wicks in a statement. “I am excited to work with our dedicated activists and leaders, like Senator Claire McCaskill, who have been working tirelessly to encourage more Missourians to get engaged in the political process.”


Before joining the Obama for America, Wicks spearheaded campaigns for affordable health care and higher wages for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. She was an organizer for Howard Dean's presidential campaign in Iowa and served as a Legislative Assistant for California Congressman Bob Filner. Wicks is based in St. Louis.

Steelman Takes Aim At Another Blunt Policy

Missouri State Treasurer and Republican candidate for Governor Sarah Steelman today vowed to overturn a provision of an economic development bill that allows state elected officials and their family members to benefit from alternative fuel tax credits.

Gov. Matt Blunt signed the bill into law yesterday.

“At a time of economic uncertainty and ever rising gas prices the last thing Missouri taxpayers need is a provision that will allow lawmakers to enrich themselves at the public’s expense,” Steelman said in a statement. “These kinds of actions by lawmakers are what cause government to get bigger," she said.

The Associated Press reported back in May that "about 20 past or present Missouri officials have received more than $400,000 in tax credits for investing in alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel."

As Treasurer, Steelman took action to prohibit similar conflict of interest situations. "This is wrong and as Governor I will end it immediately," Steelman said.

Steelman also called on her Republican primary opponent, Kenny Hulshof, to support her in ending this policy.

"Hulshof, however, is a shareholder in an alternative fuels business," reads the Steelman release.

Gibbons To Hold Women's Event in Springfield Saturday

Republican Attorney General candidate Mike Gibbons will hold a "Women for Gibbons" event this Saturday at Sen. Norma Champion's home.

According to the release, the event will highlight Gibbons' "long history of success in writing and supporting laws protecting the interests and well-being of Missouri women and their families."

Gibbons will be accompanied by his wife Liz and daughter Meredith, 19, at events in Springfield, Columbia and St. Louis.

“I have long been a champion of supporting issues that protect the interests and well-being of Missouri women and their families, and as the next attorney general I pledge to build on those successes by fighting hard every day to uphold the laws that protect both our families and communities. Missouri’s women deserve an attorney general who will stand up for their interests and that’s what I will do," said Gibbons in a release.

Gibbons stop in Springfield will begin at 5 p.m. at Champion's home on 3609 South Broadway.

I See Numbers

STEELMAN-HULSHOF POLLING

Coming HERE . . .

***Exclusively***

***Developing . . .

McCain To Visit Springfield Wednesday

ALSO: MCCAIN SCHEDULED FOR ST. LOUIS FUNDRAISER ON JULY 15th

As first reported by our sister station KSPR, presumptive Republican nominee for president John McCain will visit Springfield next Wednesday, June 18th.




Local Republican Jeff Layman tells KY3 News McCain will speak at Missouri State University. McCain is expected to speak about energy, but the topic could change.


Rep. Shane Schoeller said an event has been in the works for awhile, but details are still fluid. Schoeller said right now it's set for the Missouri State campus. He said an official release from the McCain campaign would be sent to media outlets Friday morning.




UPDATE 2 . . . Chad Livengood over at the Springfield News-Leader is reporting that the event will be in the early afternoon on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Missouri Republican Party wouldn't comment, but said we would all know more by morning.


UPDATE 3 @ 8:48 p.m . . . McCain will hold a fundraiser at Highland Springs. Republican sources also confirm to the KY3 Political Notebook that McCain will hold a fundraiser in St. Louis on July 15th.

If It's Thursday, It's Truthwatch

THE PROSECUTOR AGAINST GEORGE REVELLE

Kenny Hulshof's role in Infamous Ozarks Murder Case
Tonight on KY3 News @ 10

PLUS: A blog extra . . . Watch old Archive Footage of Hulshof in the Courtroom . . . ***DEVELOPING . . .

Huck-a-show on FOX

From The Washington Post's Trail blog:

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has signed a one-year deal as a political commentator for Fox News, where he will sound off on a variety of programs, reports media reporter Howard Kurtz. A knowledgeable source says an announcement is expected soon. Other cable channels had been pursuing Huckabee, who provided commentary on MSNBC during one of its primary-night broadcasts.

McCaskill Is Mum

Asked on MSNBC today if she is being vetted by Sen. Barack Obama's team as a potential running mate, Sen. Claire McCaskill replied, "Completely against type, I'm not going to talk about it."

Quipped anchor Andrea Mitchell, "That's not a denial."

This is probably good for both McCaskill and the media. The media can continue to speculate about McCaskill's fortunes and Claire can continue to soak up all that tube time by being vague.

In politics, vague is sexy. Don't ya think?

Pump Up The Volume

HULSHOF'S HEAVY ARTILLERY

G.O.P. Congressional Delegation Steps Up With Unprecedented Response To Defend Hulshof Against Steelman's Ad . . .

SEN. BOND, REPS. BLUNT, EMERSON, AKIN, GRAVES SIGN STATEMENT:

"It is disappointing that our fellow Republican, Sarah Steelman, would attack the good work of Missouri's Republican representatives in Washington, D.C. It is not helpful to take votes out of context, distort interest group ratings and cast aspersions on our motives at a time when we, along with Kenny Hulshof, are doing everything possible to thwart the extreme agendas of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Here are the facts. Kenny Hulshof has a 95% rating from the Americans for Tax Reform, a 95% lifetime rating from the US Chamber of Commerce, a 94% rating from Eagle Forum and an 89% lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union. Suggesting that Kenny Hulshof is anything but an effective and committed conservative leader is wrong, misleading and a disservice to voters. The people of Missouri deserve better."

SPENCE RESPONDS:

"The Congressman invited us to compare Sarah’s record to his and that is what we’ve done. Missourians are fed up with wasteful, pork barrel spending on projects like the Bridge to Nowhere. Congressman Hulshof had the opportunity to be a leader and eliminate wasteful projects but he failed," said Steelman spokesperson Spence Jackson.

Blunt Pushes ANWR Drilling

PAIN IN THE GAS

Blunt Puts Blame on Dems for Opposing Drilling

WATCH KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE
Could Drilling in ANWR Really Save .70 to $1.60 a gallon?

"No other country see their natural resources as an environmental hazard"

Also: Questioning Blunt, I Asked Why Gas Prices Have Doubled Under the Bush Administration and why some pledged the War in Iraq would help bring cheaper oil. ***WATCH ABOVE FOR HIS ANSWER***

Congressman Roy Blunt blamed Congressional Democrats for high gas prices Wednesday, saying in a satellite interview that their opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other pristine areas hurts American exploration and energy independence.

Blunt also said that if Congress allowed drilling in ANWR, people would see an impact at the pump almost instantly. "It would take maybe 10 years to see oil from ANWR get from the pump, but it would immediately impact price," Blunt told KY3 News. A spokesperson for Blunt later added in an e-mail, "Dems said that ANWR production would take 10 years to get to the pump . . . 10 years ago."

It was just Tuesday that big oil companies dodged a bullet when Senate Republicans blocked an attempt to slap the businesses with a windfall profit tax. "What nerve does it take for us to give oil companies 17-billion dollars in taxpayer money? With those kinds of profits? This is like the twilight zone. This can't be real. We can't honestly be standing here and saying to the American people it's a great idea for us to keep giving them your money when they are making 83-grand a minute," Senator Claire McCaskill said in support of the bill on the floor.

On Wednesday, Blunt stayed on the gas attack offensive, lambasting a Democratic subcommittee for voting for a policy "that has kept billions of barrels of American oil . . . off-limits to American consumers for nearly 30 years."

"What these politicians fail to understand is that these abundant deep-sea energy resources don’t belong to Congress – they belong to the American people. Unfortunately, for the last 27 years, Congress has prevented the American public from accessing them – and today’s outrageous energy prices are in part the result of it," Blunt said.

"Finally those politics of less supply has caught up to us," Blunt added in our interview Wednesday.

Blunt's office sent the KY3 Political Notebook a chart estimating that bringing onshore sources of oil online (like ANWR) could save drivers .70 cents to $1.60 at the pump. Read more on that chart HERE.

McCaskill said drilling in Alaska is no silver bullet to our problems. McCaskill says it would be years before American consumers would get any benefit from ANWR oil.

Gov. Hearnes Endorses Harris for A.G.

Former Governor Warren Hearnes and his wife Betty Hearnes, herself the 1988 Democratic nominee for Governor, announced their endorsement of Representative Jeff Harris for Attorney General today.

"During this campaign season we have heard a lot of talk about change," said Betty Hearnes. "One thing Democrats don't want to change is our commitment to our values. Jeff Harris has long been a reliable voice for Democrats and Missouri families. We can count on him to stand up for what's right when he is Attorney General."

"Jeff Harris is the future of the Democratic Party," said Governor Hearnes. "He will bring energy and excitement, along with tremendous experience to the Attorney General's office. We've watched Jeff emerge as a strong leader for the party, and we look forward to seeing him continue serving our state as Attorney General."

Hearnes served as Missouri Governor from 1965 to 1973.

Kinder Plays Ball

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder will throw out the first pitch at Thursday night's Springfield Cardinals game.

Tomorrow night the Cards play host to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. You can catch what kind of arm Kinder has at approximately 6:55 p.m. at Hammons Field.

Gibbons Signs Sheriff Pay Bill

Missouri Senate leader Mike Gibbons signed legislation in Camdenton Wednesday that will boost pay for Deputy Sheriffs.

The legislation allows Sheriff offices around the state to receive an additional $10 fee for processing civil summonses, writs, subpoenas or other court orders. The money for
House Bill 2224 will go to the newly created “Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplementation Fund,” which will be used to bolster the pay of county deputy sheriffs.


As Senate President Pro Tem, Sen. Gibbons signs legislation passed by both houses of the General Assembly. The governor then considers whether to place these bills into effect.

Gibbons is the presumptive Republican nominee for Attorney General.

Line of the Day

“I can tell you, there are very few people who are closer to me, who I have relied on more for counsel or advice. Should I be successful in this campaign, she will be somebody who has the utmost access to the Obama administration.”

--Sen. Barack Obama, on Sen. Claire McCaskill, in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Time To Hit Kenny

STEELMAN'S 3rd Ad Takes on Hulshof Spending
Hit Springfield Televisions Today
"He's voted for 11,000 earmarks, including the bridge to nowhere."

WATCH IT HERE
***DEVELOPING . . .

"Kenny Was on Our Side, Sarah Was Not"

It's Kenny vs. "The Evil Empire"

Chamber Prez Daniel Mehan says tort reform was "very important" in picking Hulshof over Steelman . . . Tells Crowd At Loren Cook "there's a stark difference" between the candidates on business issues . . . Points to Workers Comp, Civil Justice Reform: "Then Senator Sarah Steelman tried every which way to stop those bills" . . .Skewers Trial Attorney Lobby as "The Evil Empire"

Hulshof Crystallizes Difference Below

STEELMAN CAMP RESPONDS:

"Sarah Steelman has always supported commonsense legal reforms that result in a level playing field. She introduced a bill to reform medical malpractice that included caps on damages. She supports caps on punitive damages, reasonable venue restrictions, and sanctions against frivolous lawsuits," said spokesperson Spence Jackson.

DEMS Tie Hulshof to Bush-Blunt Economics:

"The economic policies of George Bush and Matt Blunt, which Congressman Hulshof supports, have left Missouri's families worried about their jobs and unable to pay for gas and health care," said Ken Franklin, Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party. "Embracing the economic agendas of Bush and Blunt may help Congressman Hulshof appeal to certain interest groups, but those policies are hurting Missouri families. If Congressman Hulshof really thinks Missourians want more of the same failed economic policies, then he really has been in Washington for too long," said Ken Franklin, Executive Director of the Missouri Democratic Party

"Light a Lighter and Yell Free Bird!"

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

WATCH Must-See Clip Above

As Hulshof Talks Up Chamber Endorsement, Loren Cook Goes Dark

***Taking Entries NOW . . . Who's got a creative caption?

Blunt Requests Food Stamp Extension

Gov. Matt Blunt today requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waive its ten-day rule to file for replacement food stamps for Missourians in Ozarks counties that were hit by a devastating round of tornadoes last month.

Blunt requested the relief for those in Barry, Jasper and Newton counties. The extension would give people there until June 20, 2008 to request replacement food stamps.

“The effect of the storms that hit southwest Missouri in early May are still being felt by area residents,” Gov. Blunt said. “As families begin to repair and rebuild their homes and their lives, we want to ensure they have adequate time to request the replacement of these benefits.”

People who lost food purchased with USDA food stamp benefit program may call or come in to have their benefits replaced up to a maximum amount. The regulations call for this to be done within ten days; Blunt has asked for additional time.

Families may qualify to have their food stamp benefits replaced or be approved for the program if their net income does not exceed 100 percent of the federal poverty level, or $20,000 for a family of four.

Dr. Obamanee

Obama Plays Nurse

Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis

Pool Report Provided By The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz:

Dr. Barack reported for duty at 7 am and made the rounds with a cardiac nurse. He seemed absorbed by the medical details and peppered Kate Marzluf, 26, with questions. He asked four patients about their insurance coverage and brought one a breakfast tray. He also took a good-natured swipe at the press. The setting was a cardiac unit at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Obama wore a white shirt with sleeves rolled up, gray slacks and was wired for sound. He began by greeting the nursing staff and sat down with Marzluf, who showed him the charts of the five patients she was working with, which included their allergies and which procedures they were slated to undergo. “This is all in code, huh?” Obama asked. They stood and looked at computerized monitors displaying the vital signs of the patients with green graph lines. Obama stared intently at one patient’s squiggly lines. “How come it’s so messy?” he asked. “How old is she?” Next they slipped into the supply room, where Obama watched Marzluf put cups and needles into a plastic tray. “I know this is a stupid question,” he said, “but how do you make sure you’re not mixing stuff up?” As the nurse talked about the morning’s procedures, Obama said some of it “makes me feint just to think about it. You’re not drawing any blood, are you?” The senator asked about the practice of nurses working three 12-hour shifts and tried to pronounce the medicine Toprol. “Is hospital food not as bad as it used to be?” he inquired. Marzluf declined to take a stand. Obama asked whether most patients are cooperative and she said they are. Drama ensued as Obama was given the task of wheeling a computer cart into the first patient’s room. “See, I’m finally doing something,” he told reporters. “I’m rolling.” Patient No. 1 was Shelby Davis, 17, of Mineral Point, Mo. Obama gave her a tray that featured milk, a banana, and a mystery substance under a metal cover that your pooler failed to uncover. Obama exchanged a few words with Shelby but had a longer conversation with her mother, Katrina Davis, disclosing that today is his daughter Sasha’s 7th birthday. Patient No. 2 was Charles Long, 39, of Belleville, Ill. Obama watched him get a shot and be examined with a stethoscope but did not take note of the fact that Long is one of his constituents. Patient No. 3 was Raymond Bisher, 52, a former police officer from St. John, Mo., who retired after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 1998. Bisher noted that his blood pressure on the monitor next to him appeared high. “When reporters are around me, my blood pressure goes up too,” the presumptive Democratic nominee informed Bisher. Bisher’s pressure, for the record, was 130/90. Obama did not disclose his. Obama had the longest conversation with Bisher, who described how his wife, who has rheumatoid arthritis, is working two jobs, and how his disability payments don’t amount to much. He also said one of his four sons is serving in Iraq. Obama perked up when Bisher said that his wife takes weekly shots that cost $1,500 apiece. “That’s $6,000 a month. Wow,” Obama said. He assured Bisher that he would make health care “a big priority.” “Your wife sounds like a good woman,” Obama said, adding: “You tell your son we’re thinking of him and praying for him in Iraq.” Patient No. 4 was Judy Ladage, 62, of St. Louis, a disaster response coordinator for the Lutheran Church. Obama seemed impressed by her work and the fact that she was in the hospital for a preventive procedure, to “close a little hole in my heart,” as she put it. Obama said the health care system “ends up being a lot cheaper” when patients get preventive procedures ahead of time. That ended the tour, touted by the campaign as the first in a series of efforts to accompany people on their working rounds. Obama spent an hour and 20 minutes with the nurse, after which everyone’s blood pressure returned to normal.

Blunt Signs Champion's Meth-Tracking Bill

Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation Tuesday that will create a new system to track potential meth manufacturers.

Springfield Senator Norma Champion's legislation is also being heralded as a way to alert law enforcement officers to potential abuses of raw materials used to make the deadly drug.

“I’m extremely pleased Gov. Blunt has signed off on this landmark anti-meth legislation,” Sen. Champion said. “By making it increasingly difficult for meth producers to make this destructive drug, we are one step closer to keeping it from hurting our communities — especially our children.”

Specifically, this bill creates an electronic tracking system of the purchase of pseudoephedrine in real-time to cut down on meth makers jumping from location to location to purchase large quantities of pseudoephedrine. The bill also requires that anyone licensed to sell these products submit information about the sale of pseudoephedrine to the Department of Health and Senior Services in accordance with the department’s guidelines while including provisions to protect the privacy and confidentiality of Missouri patients.

The new tracking system will be Internet-based. Pharmacies across the state will enter each purchaser’s information as part of the sales transaction, and the system will alert the seller if that purchaser is over the daily or monthly limit.

Obama on Claire: "Somebody You Want In A Foxhole"

Here's the pool report from Obama's Monday night fundraiser in St. Louis:

The crowd at the Obama fundraising reception at the Renaissance Grand Hotel was a mix of local supporters of Obama and his former rival, Hillary Clinton. Clinton's state director, state Rep. Rachel Storch, introduced Obama to the crowd. Those in the audience included Clinton's most prominent area backers -- former Gov. Bob Holden and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. The pro-Obama folks in the audience included state auditor Susan Montee,who'd headed the candidate's Missouri Women for Obama, as well as Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, her brother, U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, and their mother, former Sen. Jean Carnahan. Two other pro-Obama figures -- U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill and U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay -- remained in Washington, but sent family emissaries to the reception. Obama singled out McCaskill as "somebody you want in a foxhole." Several local organizers predicted that Monday night's events, which included an earlier VIP reception, would raised $1 million for the candidate.

Lots & Lots Of Hulshof

FEELIN' LIKE A FRONTRUNNER

In Chamber Endorsement presser, Congressman Explains Why He's Better for Business Than Steelman

Also: Chamber Prez Daniel Mehan Outlines Why Steelman Didn't Make The Cut

***PLUS: How Kenny Made the Lights Go Out

DEVELOPING . . .

Missouri Chamber Endorses Hulshof

STEELMAN CAMP: "This is a Jefferson City based lobbying group."

UPDATE: FLASHBACK - Spence Called Chamber Endorsement "Instrumental" in Blunt's '04 Victory

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is endorsing Republican Kenny Hulshof for Governor.

Chamber president and chief executive officer Dan Mehan made the announcement on Monday at Hunter Engineering Co. in the St. Louis suburb of Bridgeton.

Hulshof will be in Springfield Tuesday at the Loren Cook Company at 3 p.m. with Mehan to highlight the endorsement.

Sarah Steelman's campaign released this statement following the endorsement:

"This is a Jefferson City based lobbying group trying to shroud Congressman Hulshof’s record on earmarks, pork barrel spending and record deficits," said Steelman spokesperson Spence Jackson. "Sarah Steelman is focused on issues impacting average Missourians like rising fuel prices and providing real tax relief."

***UPDATE . . . According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jackson didn't feel the same way following Matt Blunt's victory in 2004. Hulshof campaign manager John Hancock pointed the KY3 Political Notebook to a statement made by Jackson in a November 16th article:

Said Blunt spokesman Spence Jackson, "The endorsements of groups like the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Bureau, the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police played an instrumental role in the governor-elect's victory."

Obama to Play Nurse Tuesday in Missouri

From the Obama campaign:

Tomorrow, U.S. Senator Barack Obama will be working with a nurse at a local Missouri hospital as part of his “Change that Works for You” economic tour. Over the next two weeks, Obama will travel across the country, talking to Americans where they work and live about how the economy affects their everyday lives, discussing the challenges we face and his plans to turn the economy around. This event is not open to the general public and will be pooled press. Local affiliates should contact their national desks for footage.

No details yet on what hospital Obama will be visiting. You'll know more when we do . . .

Kenny's Combo Ad

3rd HULSHOF AD

Combines Prosecutorial experience, with "traditional" values and moral clarity

Too Red To Turn Blue?

The last Democratic presidential candidate who won Missouri was named Clinton. That'd be Bill Clinton, in 1996.

On Sunday, both the New York Times and Washington Post explored the 2008 electoral map, looking at Barack Obama's potential paths to 270 electoral votes.

Will Obama's path to 270 include Missouri? Does it have to?

The Times piece leads with the premise that Team Obama will make every attempt to broaden the math by challenging John McCain in Republican leaning states. According to the story, "Mr. Obama's aides said some states where they intend to campaign -- like Georgia, Missouri, Montana and North Carolina -- might ultimately be too red to turn blue."

"But the result of making an effort there could force Mr. McCain to spend money or send him to campaign in what should be safe ground, rather than using those resources in states like Ohio," went on the story.

Also in the article, Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe argued said his candidate doesn't need to win any of those states to attain 270 -- but that he has reason to believe Obama can be competitive there.

In the Washington Post, Dan Balz notes the 13 states that were decided by seven or fewer percentage points in 2004. Missouri was not one of them. Balz also notes that Obama has showed strength in 3 Midwest states -- Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. "He also carried Missouri narrowly and will compete harder there than Kerry did," writes Balz.

In this regard, the most significant advantage Obama has over McCain is money. Because of his financial leg-up, Obama will be able to test-market himself in states that he may not have to win -- but can try. McCain may flirt with some blue states, but if money gets tight and Obama is gaining ground on his turf, he'll have to reassess and protect his home base.

Is This The Tape That Shakes The Sheriff's Race?

GREENE COUNTY DEPUTIES HANDCUFF WOMAN AFTER SPEEDING STOP

22-year-old didn't stop immediately because she feared the car could be a fake cop --- Decided to Keep Driving to Well-Lit Area

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS REPORT --- AND THE DASHBOARD VIDEO HERE

***ANGRY CALLS FROM WOMEN RING KY3 PHONES OFF THE HOOK

***

***ALSO: CANDIDATES FOR SHERIFF WEIGH IN
WATCH MY KY3 NEWS DECISION 2008 REPORT **HERE

ONLY WEBB BELIEVES THEY WENT TOO FAR

Republican Mark Webb: "If I'm the Sheriff today, and those are my officers out there, I'm going to start looking for ways to take corrective action, and maybe provide training."

Republican Jim Arnott: Deputies acted "appropriately . . . did the right thing."

Republican Gene Thomlinson: "I didn't see that the officer did anything wrong in what he did. This was a situation where the officer was using his best judgment I think."

Democrat Mike Ramon: "She did what she needed to do to protect herself from her state of mind. The officers did what they needed to do to protect themselves . . . I think this is a happy ending."

Democrat Jerry McGeeHee: "I would've told my daughter to do the same thing."

Covering All Bases, Kinder Orders OA Review of Feltner E-mail

Now this from the Lieutenant Governor:

"Earlier today, I asked the Office of Administration to conduct an internal review of Eric Feltner's state email account, state computer and any other electronic mediums following the disturbing allegations against my former employee. Due to the serious nature of this situation, I sought an expedited review from the Office of Administration.

“As a result of a thorough review of his state computer and email, the Office of Administration has informed me that there is no indication that state resources were improperly used by Mr. Feltner pertaining to these serious allegations. Leave forms and time sheets for Mr. Feltner that have been provided to the media show that Mr. Feltner was on leave during the time frames listed in the prosecutor's charge.

“While it does not appear Mr. Feltner used state resources for personal use, it does not and should not excuse those who would prey on our young people via the Internet, whether they are using state resources or not. I find this behavior both reprehensible and indefensible.

“The Office of Administration and my office will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials and the courts as part of the ongoing investigation into this case."

Kinder Releases Feltner Time Sheets

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has released the timesheets of his former Chief of Staff Eric Feltner --- and said the documents conclude that Feltner was not using state resources during the alleged misconduct.

Kinder's communications director Gary McElyea issued this statement:

"This morning, following the immediate resignation of Eric Feltner our office began a prompt review of Mr. Feltner’s time cards and request for leave forms.

“Office records indicate that Mr. Feltner was on compensatory leave for both days in question listed in court documents. May 25, 2007, Mr. Feltner took compensatory leave from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. On July 5, 2007, Mr. Feltner took an entire work day of compensatory time.

“From our internal administrative review, these documents conclude that Mr. Feltner was not using state resources or facilities during the alleged misconduct.

“The Lt. Governor was shocked to hear of these charges but has responded promptly to the inexcusable appearance of impropriety by this staff member."

Blunt Touts "The McCain Factor" In House Races

CNN is reporting that House Democrats hope to capitalize on Sen. Barack Obama's popularity in Congressional races around the country.

But House Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri argues that the John McCain factor is also at play.


He says McCain is the Republicans' best chance to appeal to independents and working-class voters.


"I do think there's a presidential dynamic that's stronger than it normally is. ... I think the presidential dynamic works to our advantage ... and I think it does because of the unique appeal of John McCain to people who don't always vote for Republicans," Blunt said.

Obama in St. Louis Monday

From the Obama campaign:

Chicago, IL – U.S. Senator Barack Obama will return to Missouri on Monday evening, June 9, and Tuesday, June 10. On Monday evening he will attend a fundraising event in St. Louis. This event is not open to the general public and will be pooled press.


More details will be announced as soon as they are available.

Harris to Gibbons: Gay Marriage Isn't The Issue Here

The first Democratic candidate for Attorney General has responded to Sen. Mike Gibbons' challenge to stand up for traditional marriage with a counterattack.

Gibbons is the presumptive Republican nominee for Attorney General while Harris is fighting in a 4-way primary for the Democratic nomination.

Rep. Jeff Harris issued a statement Friday saying that the recent court ruling in California regarding same-sex unions isn't an issue in Missouri.

"As Attorney General of the State of Missouri, I will consistently work to support and uphold the constitution that governs our state," Harris said. "However, the issue being raised by Senator Gibbons is not one that presently affects our state. Senator Gibbons is attempting to distract the voters – notably in the very first press release of his AG campaign – with rhetoric that is more about divisiveness than substance. These are actions I cannot and will not support. If I had Senator Gibbons' record of caving in to corporate interests instead of fighting to protect consumers, I think I would rather talk about a California court ruling, too."

Update: W.H. Says Its Working With Bond

Sen. Kit Bond's spokesperson Shana Marchio pointed me to a White House statement regarding Bond's involvement in the FISA bill.

As posted here earlier, The Hill reported that Bond had been cut out of White House negotiations. The White House says that's not true.

"An article published today in The Hill newspaper quotes assertions by Democrats regarding the nature of the White House’s communications with Congress on these discussions and deserves a response. At every step of the way throughout the Congressional discussions, the White House has coordinated with Senator Bond and other Republican members, and Senator Bond has led discussions with Majority Leader Hoyer, and House Republican leaders and ranking Committee members. The recent compromise offer on FISA legislation was crafted by Senator Bond and Republican members. Anyone who has been following this issue knows that Senator Bond has been leading the discussions with the House for months. The assertions in the article are simply inaccurate," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto in a statement.

"The White House continues to believe that the best FISA modernization legislation is the bipartisan Senate bill that resulted from the cooperative efforts of Chairman Rockefeller and Senator Bond, and we still believe that the best outcome would be for Congress to pass this bill and send it to the President," Fratto added.

Hulshof Reacts To Feltner

U.S. Congressman and Republican candidate for Governor Kenny Hulshof issued this reaction to the charges against Eric Feltner through his Washington D.C. spokesperson:

"These are very serious charges and I am confident that our justice system will act swiftly and effectively to address this matter, and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to his wife and family."

Hulshof Chief of Staff Erik Rasmussen confirmed to the KY3 Political Notebook that Feltner, who has been charged with furnishing porn to a minor, worked as Hulshof's district director in Columbia. Rasmussen said Feltner left the office in March of 2005 and that he never meet Feltner.

The Kansas City Star reports:

Feltner previously worked 10 years for U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof of Columbia, who is now seeking the Republican nomination for governor. Feltner was Hulshof’s campaign manager when he was first elected in 1996 and later served as district director, overseeing three congressional offices in the 9th District. When Feltner left to join the lieutenant governor's office, Hulshof praised the job Feltner had done.

Kinder Chief of Staff Resigns After Porn Charge

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder's Chief of Staff Eric Feltner has resigned after revelations that he's been charged with providing porn to a minor.

The charges were first reported by left-leaning political blog FiredUp this morning.

Charging documents filed by the Cole County prosecutor indicate that Feltner was found to be engaging in explicit online exchanges with a 13-year-old during what was really a sting operation.

According to the Cole County Court document, Feltner faces a charge of furnishing pornographic material to a minor.

At 1:30 Friday afternoon, Kinder released a statement saying that Feltner had submitted his resignation. Kinder's statement is below:

"This morning shortly after 11:00 a.m. my Director of Communications notified me of inquires to my office regarding the filing of charges against Eric Feltner. At my immediate request, Mr. Feltner delivered to me his letter of resignation as Chief of Staff of my office.

“At no time was our office notified of this alleged misconduct by a member of my staff. While these allegations have yet to be proven, I feel that even the appearance of impropriety on such a disturbing scale cannot be tolerated. I have made it clear to my staff that I will not accept even the appearance of this type of troubling behavior by anyone in my office.

“Within an hour of my learning of these charges, and at my direction, an immediate internal review began of Mr. Feltner’s state email account, state computer and any other electronic mediums by the state Office of Administration.

“As this is an ongoing legal matter, I and my office will cooperate fully with authorities in this matter."

Dems Call on Steelman To Return Contributions

WATCH OUR TRUTHWATCH REPORT ON KY3 NEWS @ 10

DEMS ACCUSE STEELMAN of "FALSE ADVERTISING"

Steelman's Camp: "Sarah drove NRP off the job, working with Gundaker"

Also: Points Finger At Nixon for Missing MHDC Meetings

NIXON Campaign Responds: Steelman Voted For More Credits, While Nixon Voted "No"

The Missouri Democratic Party called on Republican candidate for Governor Sarah Steelman to return thousands of dollars in campaign contributions she received from a development company she once blasted for hiring illegal immigrants.

On Wednesday night, the KY3 Political Notebook reported that Steelman received thousands of dollars in donations from Gundaker Commercial and its partners -- a company she specifically reprimanded in February 2006 for hiring illegal workers for a state housing project in O'Fallon, Mo. In her second television ad of the campaign, Steelman boasted about blocking state tax credits and forcing the company off the job.

Thursday, state Democratic party spokesperson Jack Cardetti called that "false advertising."

"Sarah Steelman wants to act tough on illegal immigration when the cameras are on, but then she turns around, takes their contributions, and quietly sends them tax giveaways," said Cardetti. “Treasurer Steelman claims in her ads that she has ‘guts’ for standing up to these companies, but the facts prove that her courage disappeared when the campaign checks came pouring in. If Steelman wants to retain any credibility on the issue of illegal immigration, she will immediately return all of the contributions she received from Gundaker and she’ll pledge to stop helping the company get tax giveaways from the state," he added.

The state Democratic party claims Steelman accepted nearly $20,000 from Gundaker from June 2006 to March 2008. KY3 News only reviewed contributions received in 2008.

The Steelman campaign attempted to turn the tables on the presumptive Democratic party nominee for Governor, Jay Nixon. As statewide officials, both Steelman and Nixon are members of the Missouri Housing Development Commission Steelman, the entity that approves these type of tax credits. Spokesperson Spence Jackson said while Steelman had the courage to deal with illegal workers, Nixon "stood idly by" as chief law enforcement officer of the state.

"It is Jay Nixon who has stood idly by while illegal immigrants have taken good jobs from Missourians," Jackson said. "Jay Nixon doesn’t want to talk about his acceptance of campaign cash from Ameren after he appointed himself judge, jury and executioner in their destruction of the Taum Sauk reservoir and surrounding areas.”

"The truth is that it was Steelman who took action to remove illegal workers off the O’Fallon construction site and told the managing partner at the time NRP, from Ohio, that the workers had to leave or they would not receive any tax credits. NRP refused and Gundaker stepped up and pledged to finish the job using Missouri workers," Jackson added. The Steelman campaign also pointed to records that show that Nixon attended just two of 28 Missouri Housing Development Commission meetings since 2004.

The Nixon campaign said that line of attack is off-base "on so many levels." Nixon spokesperson Oren Shur points to an October 2007 Associated Press story by David Lieb that quoted Nixon claiming the state housing authority was planning to give" millions of dollars of extra tax breaks to a suburban St. Louis development accused of using illegal immigrants." At issue was allocating another $4 million dollars to Gundaker to allow them to finish the project.

This is more than a year after Steelman had criticized Gundaker initially. The article cites an e-mail sent from Missouri Housing Commission head Pete Ramsel to Steelman's deputy Treasurer, Doug Gaston, saying " it would probably cost more tax credits to get the project revived with union workers" --- and proposing that "we do our thing very quietly, and at the staff level." Steelman said there was no intent to approve a secret plan for Gundaker.

"Gundaker said they would cooperate and make sure this didn't happen again. NRP was uncooperative," explained Steelman spokesperson Jackson. "Sarah drove NRP off the job, working together with Gundaker, the unions and MHDC the illegal labor was replaced with hundreds of jobs," he added.

The Nixon campaign notes that Nixon voted against that project when it finally came to a vote.

"When Sarah Steelman secretly approved a $4 million dollar tax credit for this project, Attorney General Nixon spoke out against it and forced the matter to a vote," Nixon spokesperson Shur explained. "While Steelman voted to go forward with the tax credits, Jay Nixon stood up for Missouri workers and voted no. What happened here is plain and simple. Sarah Steelman teamed with Matt Blunt to help a wealthy campaign contributor continue doing business as usual," he said.

But this basically all comes back to that initial press release that Steelman released on February 16, 2006. If Gundaker was not at fault -- as Steelman maintains --- why did she specifically reprimand them in a release for their role in the arrests of five illegal workers?

"She was trying to draw as much attention as possible to the issue," Jackson told me Thursday. "It should've been handled by the Attorney General. He wasn't doing much about it, so she had to."

Jackson confirmed to the KY3 Political Notebook Thursday that if Steelman received a contribution from NRP -- who she holds responsible for the illegal immigrants on the project -- she would return it. When I asked if his candidate would hold that same standard for any company who had been found to have hired illegal immigrants, he would not go that far.

New Poll: In Mo., Obama 43%, McCain 42%

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows an essential tie between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain here in Missouri.

Obama 43%

McCain 42%

This survey of 500 likely voters was conducted Tuesday night, when Obama clinched the necessary delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. Rasmussen notes, "That’s a big improvement for the Democrat who trailed McCain by six percentage points a month ago and fifteen points in March."

13% of Missouri Democrats say they'll vote for McCain. Only 8% of Republicans will go with Obama. 26% of unaffiliated voters are not supporting either candidate at this time.

SWMO Clinton Chair "Can't Just Back Off Yet"

WATCH MY KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT ON THE OBAMA-CLINTON FALLOUT LOCALLY HERE

Hillary Clinton's southwest Missouri co-chair Angela Acree tells KY3 News that if Barack Obama doesn't select the former First Lady to be his running mate, it could dampen enthusiasm for his candidacy.

"I don't feel the level of commitment to him. I've spent a year working for her," Acree said. "If she's not on the ticket, I don't think I can get a lot of the people that were working for us before to work for Obama."

"I Can Assure You Missouri Is Not in McCain's Column"

SEN. MCCASKILL TALKS TO KY3 NEWS ABOUT OBAMA

In Part One, She Suggests Why A Republican Running Mate Should Be On The Table

In Part Two, She Explains Why Obama Will Be Competitive In Missouri

In Part Three, McCaskill Discusses How Obama's Race Could Impact Voters in Southwest Missouri

G.O.P. General Assembly Endorses Hulshof

By a unanimous vote, the Missouri Republican Assembly is backing Kenny Hulshof for Governor.
The statewide Republican group made its decision at last weekend's state Republican convention in Branson, but released it late Wednesday.

“Kenny Hulshof is genuinely, not as much a politician, as he is truly a statesman, a statesman whose moral compass unwaveringly points to true North. A Statesman, who at core of his very soul, understands that the Liberty, of which the Missouri Constitution speaks, includes; the freedom to be born, not terminated in utero, the freedom to be raised and nurtured in a traditional family, the freedom to choose our own destiny, unencumbered by unnecessary Governmental interference, and the freedom of life and of death with dignity. Congressman Hulshof is not only a friend of genuine conservative values; he is a valiant warrior for them," said William Magill, the first vice president of the group said in a statement.

The Hill: Bush Bypasses Bond on FISA

Rockefeller: "He's not really in it."

From The Hill:

The Bush administration is talking directly with Democrats over rewriting the nation’s surveillance laws and leaving the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee out of the debate, a senior Senate Democrat said Wednesday.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said that negotiations were occurring without Sen. Kit Bond (Mo.), the ranking Republican on the panel.

“He’s not really in it,” Rockefeller said.

Rockefeller said that Bond had made the talks more difficult by insisting he have private negotiations with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), a move Rockefeller called a “non-starter.”

“You know, Bond, he’s just complicating things,” Rockefeller said. “And I’ve never talked to him about [his one-on-one talks with Hoyer], so I don’t understand it.”

Gibbons' First Release Targets Gay Marriage

Following Gov. Matt Blunt and Congressman Kenny Hulshof's lead, Republican Attorney General Candidate Mike Gibbons is now challenging the Democratic attorney general candidates to tell the people of Missouri where they stand on an effort to challenge a California court’s decision to allow same-sex marriages.

The issue might be moot now that California's top court rejected an appeal to stay its decision. But it still shows that Republicans at all levels are ready to use the gay marriage issue in what looks to be a tough year for the party.

“I am challenging all the Democrat attorney general candidates to publicly support Missouri’s decision to fight the California Supreme Court’s ruling that allows same-sex marriage. I am extremely disappointed that the California court rejected the request for a stay,” Gibbons said, in what looks to be the first press release of his campaign for Attorney General. “I have fought to protect the sanctity of marriage through law and the constitutional amendment overwhelmingly passed by Missourians in 2004, I believe it is important for the Democrat candidates to tell the people where they stand on this very important issue.”

Truthwatch: Guts & Gundaker

EXAMINING STEELMAN'S AD

State Treasurer Sarah Steelman continues to receive thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the same company she boasted about blocking tax credits from in a campaign television commercial.

The KY3 Political Notebook found that Steelman received a $1,350 check from Gundaker Commercial on March 31, 2008. Steelman also received thousands more from related properties and partnerships of Gundaker. GHL Development, Gunna Development, HOG Properties and LAD Properties all wrote $1,350 checks to Steelman on the last day of March. They are all listed on Gundaker's website as partners. Gundaker Commercial is the same company Steelman's ad refers to when it it says "Steelman blocked tax credits, and forced the company off the job."

In February 2006, according to a press release from the State Treasurer's office, Steelman offered a blistering reprimand of Gundaker Commercial "following the arrests of five illegal workers on their way to a Missouri Housing Development construction site in O'Fallon, Mo."

"This practice is going to stop," Steelman said in a release. "The state will not do business with developers who think they can rip off the taxpayers and workers of Missouri," she added.

But according to the St. Louis Business Journal, in April 2007, Steelman, as part of the Missouri Housing Development Commision, voted for bond allocations for the St. Louis area. Included in the $58 million dollar bond allocation was some money for Gundaker, according to the same article.

Steelman said she approved further tax credits for Gundaker because "they weren't the guilty ones."

"The guilty one was NRP, and they were removed from the job," said Steelman in an interview.

NRP is a contracting group out of Cleveland, Ohio. Back in February 2006, Steelman also criticized NRP for its role. She said NRP was the main partner in that construction project that involved illegal immigrants -- and not Gundaker.

"They were a minority partner, so they couldn't control it. The majority partner got kicked off the project and that's the one I'm referring to," Steelman explained. "The majority owner was NRP. They were the ones who were kicked off the project because they were in charge of all the people."

A call to a Gundaker Commercial group spokesperson was not returned.

When asked why she continued to receive campaign contributions from Gundaker, Steelman said, "I'm not influenced by campaign contributions."

When I followed up with Steelman spokesperson Spence Jackson about whether Steelman would accept a contribution from NRP, he said he didn't think so, but that he would have to check with the candidate.

Missouri State University political science professor George Connor said that while Steelman's explanation could hold up in court, it probably will have trouble in the court of public opinion.

"There's a legitimate defense on each one of the points, but a legitimate defense, the legal defense, isn't necessarily convincing for Missouri voters," Connor said. "You can't be critical of companies who hired illegal immigrants and then turn around and take money from them," he added.

Connor said while there might not be anything improper about taking the contributions from Gundaker, Steelman is opening herself up to charges of hypocrisy. "This is adding fuel to the fire that we're saying one thing and doing something else on the other hand. The appearance of impropriety is just as bad as impropriety in the minds of most voters," Connor said.

"To slap them on Monday, take money from them on Tuesday and award them on Wednesday, that doesn't look good," he added.

Steelman spokesperson Jackson said Steelman's ability to take contributions from a company who she was still willing to crack down on shows her strong streak of independence.

A television report of this story is set to air in the near future at a date to be determined by the news cycle. A similiar examination of a Kenny Hulshof television advertisement is in the works.

Pow! Wham! Zing!

STEELMAN SWINGS BACK
SAYS LAW-SKIRTING CHARGE IS FALSE
In Reponse to Earlier Volley over Hulshof's Missed Votes

Sarah Steelman's campaign for Governor said a charge by Kenny Hulshof's campaign that the State Treasurer's employees "skirted the law" is patently false.

Steelman's spokesperson Spence Jackson is responding to a Hulshof campaign response over an earlier Steelman charge that Hulshof's missed Congressional votes should raise questions about his fitness for office. (Stay with me.)

Hulshof's camp said the Steelman criticism was only to distract voters from the "ongoing controversy over ethical misconduct in the Treasurer’s office." Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker accused Steelman's employees of skirting the law. He was referring to a state auditor's report that criticized Steelman's deputy Treasurer, Doug Gaston, for improperly reporting his vacation time this winter while working for Steelman's gubernatorial campaign.

Jackson pointed to a Springfield News-Leader article by Chad Livengood that quoted Auditor Susan Montee saying Gaston did not break the law.

"Montee is not saying Gaston broke a law or owes the state for any time, because he ultimately used up his own vacation time," wrote Livengood in his May 29th article.

"Their insinuation that anyone "skirted the law" is patently false and they know it," said Jackson. "Congressman Hulshof is understandably upset because it's been revealed that he has real problem showing up for work. He needs to let Missourians know if he is a typical Washington politician or if he is going to repay them for the time he's been absent from work," Jackson added.

Claire Open To Republican as Obama's Veep

IN KY3 NEWS SATELLITE INTERVIEW, SAYS, "I wouldn't be opposed to someone who maybe was a Republican even . . ."

***DEVELOPING for . . . Tonight on KY3 News @ 10

Hulshof Responds: Steelman Slings Mud

"It Speaks Volumes About The Lack Of Her Ideas"

Kenny Hulshof's campaign responded to Sarah Steelman's criticism over missed votes Wednesday. Below is a statement from spokesperson Scott Baker:

"This is nothing more than attempt to draw attention away from the ongoing controversy over ethical misconduct in the Treasurer’s office. Instead of worrying about Kenny Hulshof’s actions, Sarah Steelman should spend more time teaching her employees within the Treasurer’s office the difference between campaign work and official work. Missourians aren’t going to forget that Sarah Steelman’s employees have skirted the law and they will hold her accountable.

In the meantime, Kenny Hulshof continues to offer solutions while Sarah Steelman slings mud. It speaks volumes about her lack of ideas."

Steelman Questions Hulshof's Patriotism, Fitness For Office

RED-HOT RELEASE ROASTS HULSHOF ON MISSED VOTES

Sarah Steelman's campaign for Governor is criticizing rival Kenny Hulshof for missing Congressional votes on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and on bills related to gas prices.

Steelman's camp points to Hulshof missing a vote involving a $162 billion dollar emergency appropriations bill for Iraq and Afghanistan. They also point to two key votes that he missed impacting "record high gas prices Missourians are paying at the pump."

On May 13, Hulshof missed a vote on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension (HR 6022, Roll Call 307) and on May 20 he failed to show up for work to vote on the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act (HR 6074, Roll Call 332), according to Steelman's campaign.

"Hulshof’s chronic absenteeism also raises questions about whether he is violating the United States Code in abandoning his post to attend fundraisers and hob knob with his Washington friends," reads the Steelman release.

The Steelman campaign included a copy of the code in its release:

Title 2, Chapter 3, Section 39 of the United States Code
says:


“The Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives
(upon certification by the Clerk of the House of Representatives) shall deduct
from the monthly payments (or other periodic payments authorized by law) of
each member or Delegate the amount of his salary for each day that he has
been absent from the House, unless such Member or Delegate assigns as the
reason for such absence the sickness of himself or of some member of his
family.”

"None of Hulshof’s 108 missed votes and counting appears to be due to illness. Hulshof’s lack of concern for troops on the battlefield and for the struggles Missourians are having paying for Washington D.C.’s out-of-control spending also raises questions about his fitness for Missouri’s top elected office. Missouri taxpayers pay Hulshof more than $169,000 a year," reads the release.


Hulshof has repeatedly answered the missed vote question, and has said that missing votes is part of the sacrifice he is having to make as a candidate for Governor. He has said it is not in his work ethic to miss any votes, but that it is a real factor in trying to run for a statewide office while trying to maintain another one.

CLICK ABOVE TO SEE A CLIP OF HULSHOF RESPONDING TO THE MISSED VOTE QUESTION AT A RECENT PRESS CONFERENCE IN SPRINGFIELD

Gracious To Hillary, Obama Claims Victory

MISSOURI SUPERDELEGATES FLOCK TO OBAMA

NIXON, CARNAHAN & TEMPORITI SIGN ON

Attorney General Jay Nixon, candidate for Governor:

"Sen. Clinton ran a strong campaign and she empowered millions of Americans to reach for their dreams. But after eight years of George W. Bush, Sen. Obama is the right candidate to bring about the change our country so badly needs.
“Missourians are ready for a new direction, both for our state and the nation at large. Families are struggling to make ends meet, and they’re looking for new leaders, with new priorities, to move us forward. Just like Missourians don’t want four more years of Matt Blunt’s policies at the state level, they don’t want four more years of George W. Bush’s policies at the national level.
“Democrats are already uniting behind Sen. Obama, and over the coming weeks, I expect to see many Independents and Republicans unite behind him as well. I look forward to joining Sen. Obama on the campaign trail this fall as we fight to change the direction Missouri and the nation.”

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan:

“Barack Obama has secured the requisite number of delegates to become the nominee of the Democratic Party. He has my complete support and will receive my vote at the Convention.
“With the many challenges facing our country – from the high cost of health care and the fragile state of our economy to the war in Iraq and global warming – it is clear that we need a dramatic change in leadership. Both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are extraordinary leaders with a passion for change and clarity of purpose that will serve our country well. It is my hope that in the days ahead both the Senators and their supporters can join together in achieving that common purpose.”

Missouri Democratic Party Chair John Temporiti:

“I want to commend both he and Senator Clinton for running an issue based primary that has energized Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike. As Missouri Democratic Party Chairman, I now urge all Americans to unite behind Senator Obama’s campaign and the ideals he has promulgated these past months. Not since John F. Kennedy have I witnessed a candidate that has energized and captivated the American people, especially our young voters, like Barack Obama has.
“The election this November will quite simply come down to whether the American people deserve change or more of the same. It will be a privilege for me to cast a vote at the Democratic National Convention for Barack Obama as our next President of the United States.”

Hillary Makes Her Case

CLINTON'S BEST HITS

NO CONCESSION, CLAIMS POPULAR VOTE WIN, SWING STATE SWAGGER . . . ALSO GIVES SHOUT OUT TO THE OZARKS

Local Clinton Supporter Will Take Her Cues From Hillary

***THE DEMS REACT***

RECONCILATION?

Craig Hosmer, Greene County Democratic Party Chairman:

"A lot of it depends on what she says tonight and what she does over the next few days. Does she throw her support behind him unconditionally or wait for some kind of offer on the ticket? I know there are superdelegates in Missouri, two or three who are going to support Senator Obama, who have not indicated it yet . . . This is going to be all resolved sometime Wednesday or Thursday."

. . .OR RELUCTANCE?

Angela Acree, Springfield Clinton Supporter & Delegate:

"I'm not going to concede until she does. If she wants to take it to the convention, I'm going to be there. I'm not going to do anything other than vote for Hillary Clinton. Even if she released her delegates, I'd vote for her at the convention . . . I'll absolutely support (Obama) as the nominee, if he's the nominee. Am I going to work and mobilize the kind of organization I did for Hillary Clinton? I don't know. I'm still in denial. A lot of her southwest Missouri supporters don't know what to do yet. If he picks her for vice president, I think the whole entire organization down here would work hard for them as a team. If he doesn't, I don't know if I'll stand on a street corner holding signs in the cold weather."

Drudge Snags Obama's Speech

What looks to be the full draft of Barack Obama's speech in St. Paul tonight is HERE.

Key lines include:

• "Because of what you said -- because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States."
• "Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she's a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she's a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight."
• "And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, she will be central to that victory. When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen. Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton."
• "There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided. Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time. There are Independents and Republicans who understand that this election isn't just about the party in charge of Washington, it's about the need to change Washington.Ê There are young people, and African-Americans, and Latinos, and women of all ages who have voted in numbers that have broken records and inspired a nation."

It's still unclear what time Obama will speak.

***Tune in for full coverage tonight on KY3 News @ 10.

Nixon Asks For Gay Marriage Stay; Blunt Gloats

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon joined 10 states in asking California to delay finalizing a court ruling that legalizes same-sex marriage.

Nixon said California should wait until November when its voters decide on a ballot measure that would overturn the ruling. Gov. Matt Blunt has been asking Nixon for several days to request the stay.

“Though it is nearly a week overdue, I am glad Nixon finally answered my call and joined with other attorneys general as he should have done last Thursday,” Gov. Matt Blunt said in a statement. “Missourians overwhelmingly believe that marriage is between one man and one woman and they deserve an attorney general who stands up for traditional marriage because it is the right thing to do, not because they receive pressure from others.”

Attorneys general in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah also want a stay.

Road Riders Endorse Steelman

Says Steelman:"I am honored to have the support of these freedom-loving Missourians."
Missouri's Freedom of Road Riders group has endorsed Sarah Steelman for Governor.

“I am honored to have the support of these freedom-loving Missourians,” Steelman said. “They believe, as I do, in preserving the freedoms granted to all Americans through the United States Constitution. I look forward to their activity in our campaign and to working with them to preserve liberty as Governor," she added.

Freedom of Road Riders (FORR) has more than 4,000 Missouri members across the state and is active in working with the Missouri General Assembly to educate lawmakers on motorcyclists’ rights. FORR has been involved in the creation of a state safety program with FORR training sites and instructors to help reduce motorcycle accidents, the revision of Missouri’s helmet law to remove serious penalties and make them more comparable to seat-belt laws, and efforts to repeal Missouri’s helmet law.

A ROAD RIDER MEMBER SPOKE TO US THIS WEEKEND ABOUT WHY HIS GROUP FAVORED STEELMAN . . . CLICK ABOVE TO WATCH

Clinch?

***AP REPORT SAYS OBAMA HAS EFFECTIVELY REACHED MAGIC NUMBER OF 2,118***

(WASHINGTON) — Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House.

The AP tally was based on public commitments from delegates as well as more than a dozen private commitments. It also included a minimum number of delegates Obama was guaranteed even if he lost the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana later in the day.

Timing The Endgame

HOW HIL' TURNS OFF THE LIGHTS

1. It's unlikely that Hillary Clinton will formally concede the Democratic nomination Tuesday night.

2. It's likely that she appears gracious towards Barack Obama in her speech Tuesday, and uses the evening to celebrate the 17 million voter movement she created.

3. It's unlikely that much of the political pack will spend a great amount of attention on the results in South Dakota and Montana tonight.

4. It's likely that Hillary Clinton's New York event is the hotter ticket than Barack Obama's St. Paul rally.

5. It's likely that most of the remaining superdelegates are ready to declare for Barack Obama, but are waiting to do so to allow the primary process to officially end -- as well as show due respect to Mrs. Clinton.

6. It's likely that if Barack Obama has the necessary delegates to clinch the nomination Tuesday night, Clinton will acknowledge that fact in some cursory way.

7. It's unclear if Barack Obama will officially have those superdelegates before he speaks Tuesday night.

8. It's unclear if Clinton will formally end her campaign Wednesday or Thursday.

9. It's unclear if Clinton will hint towards any possibility of a unity ticket in her speech Tuesday night.

10. It's possible that even Hillary Clinton isn't completely sure what she'll say when she steps on the stage to speak tonight.

Gay Marriage: Relevant or Distraction?

HULSHOF QUESTIONS NIXON ON CALIFORNIA RULING

Nixon Camp: "Let's Keep Our Eye On The Ball"

God, check.

Guns, check.

And now gays . . . check.

Both Sarah Steelman and Kenny Hulshof alluded to God and faith in their first television ads. Sarah Steelman pumped up her support of 2nd amendment rights by buying her son a gun. And now Kenny Hulshof is the first candidate in the race for Governor to bring up the hot-button issue of gay marriage.

The move was telegraphed by Gov. Matt Blunt, who in Branson Saturday, skewered Attorney General Jay Nixon for not signing onto a letter criticizing California's recent court ruling permitting same sex marriage.

On Monday, Hulshof joined in, questioning why Nixon hasn't signed on to a list of those states calling for a stay of the California Supreme Court ruling. Attorneys general from several states with constitutional bans on gay marriage are asking the court to delay finalizing its ruling to ok same-sex marriage.

"It’s time for Jay Nixon to represent Missourians, and the laws we have overwhelmingly passed," said Hulshof, in a release. "Why wait? Failure to act could harm the efforts of those trying to delay the impact of this harmful decision."

"California does not have a residency requirement for obtaining a marriage license. The potential exists that all California marriages would have to be observed nationwide," the Hulshof release reads. "Nixon is purportedly in favor of traditional marriage, but his failure to act on this issue is telling."

“Jay Nixon should make it clear where he stands on traditional marriage, bolster the efforts of his fellow attorneys general, and ask the California Supreme Court to stay this ruling," Hulshof added.

The Nixon campaign reaffirmed Nixon's opposition to gay marriage, and said he would look into the letter.

"Jay has always believed marriage is between a man and a woman, and as Attorney General he’s fought to protect traditional marriage. He’ll take a look at the letter and continue to do everything necessary to protect marriage in Missouri," said Nixon spokesperson Oren Shur told the KY3 Political Notebook.

"But Jay’s focus in this campaign is on finding real solutions to the core challenges that Missouri families face during these difficult economic times. Many Missouri families don’t know how they’re going to pay next month’s bills, so let’s keep our eye on the ball," Shur said.

How We Stop Quick Getaways

"You've Got Our Mic On"

All politicians set time limits on their press availabilities. Often they end them when they get a question they don't feel like answering. But in the clip above, Kenny Hulshof finds out the secret TV weapon that keeps the pols from quickly escaping the media's wrath.

"Tell Me How I'm Supposed To Breathe With No Air"

Clint Zweifel's campaign office doesn't have an air conditioner --- and his Democratic campaign for Treasurer is now trying to use that inconvenience as a fundraising tool.

Zweifel's campaign sent out a fundraising e-mail to supporters today noting that a contribution of $325 can buy an air conditioner.

"I wanted to thank everyone for all their financial support to date. In three short months we have gone from no campaign to an office, staff and even a microwave - but no air conditioning yet," said Zweifel campaign manager Patrick Lynn.

Then, of course, there's the plea to donate.

Other donation references for you to ponder:

• One 30-second campaign commercial during the evening news in Kansas City is $700.


• In St. Louis it can cost $1200.


• $25 buys 60 stamps.


• $50 buys a radio commercial


• $675 buys 1900 brochures


• $1350 buys 30 seconds of television

The second quarter fundraising deadline is June 30th.

Nixon: Health Care Cuts Will Be Clearest Contrast

AFTER THE DUST SETTLES IN BRANSON, NIXON WEIGHS IN

Attorney General Jay Nixon said his position on the 2005 Medicaid cuts will offer the biggest difference between his candidacy and his Republican opponents, Kenny Hulshof and Sarah Steelman.

His comments come following the state Republican convention, held this weekend in Branson. “Over the course of this campaign, my opponents and I will disagree on a variety of issues. But Gov. Blunt’s health care cuts and the future of our state’s health care system may present the clearest contrast," said Nixon in a statement Monday.

A release from the Democratic candidate points to comments made by both Hulshof and Steelman at the convention. "Congressman Hulshof strongly reaffirmed his support for Gov. Blunt’s massive 2005 health care cuts, and even used it to generate applause and cheers from the crowd. Treasurer Steelman has also made it clear in recent weeks that she supports Blunt’s health care cuts," reads the release.

"Our health care system is broken, but instead of offering solutions to fix it, my opponents have embraced Matt Blunt’s massive cuts," Nixon said.

"While my opponents support Gov. Blunt’s health care cuts, I strongly oppose them. While my opponents want to continue with Gov. Blunt’s failed health care policies, I believe we need new, fresh ideas on health care. While my opponents seem perfectly content that 125,000 kids in our state don’t have health coverage, I believe we need to make sure these kids receive the health care they need. And while my opponents have no objection to recklessly allowing more than a $1 billion in federal health care dollars to go to other states, I know we need that money right here in Missouri," Nixon added.

What Lies Beneath

If Sarah Steelman is able to attain her party's nomination for Governor this August, it will be a striking rebuke to top Republican leaders and a G.O.P. establishment that clearly has an aversion to her candidacy.

It's not just Senator Kit Bond's endorsement of Kenny Hulshof that lends evidence to this reality. The Steelman people openly acknowledge it, and are learning to embrace it. It's no secret Gov. Matt Blunt is no fan of Steelman. After Blunt's decision not to run for re-election in January, a former high level official in his administration refused to list Steelman as a potential candidate in an interview. After the camera stopped rolling and I asked why, he let me know he left her off the list intentionally. "Conservatives can't trust Sarah Steelman," he said. Hulshof has the backing of around 70 state lawmakers. And, the KY3 Political Notebook has learned that some of those local lawmakers are making personal calls and aggressive pleas to Steelman supporters to switch sides.

"It was like your pastor calling to ask why you weren't in church on Sunday," said one Steelman supporter who received several calls from different Hulshof backers. "They just say Sarah would be a weak candidate, but never said why. Then they go into everything under the sun Kenny has done, and they are totally convinced that Nixon is terrified of Kenny," said this Springfield Republican.

There are multiple theories about why the bigfoot Republicans don't like Steelman. Steelman's supporters will say it's because she can't -- and wouldn't be controlled by them. "They don't like her because they can't tell her what the do, and they can't push her out," said one at the state Republican convention on Saturday. You can point to some of Steelman's positions on issues as non-traditional for a Republican. There are examples of votes or stands she took as a state Senator that riled the G.O.P. leadership in Jefferson City. And when many of the top Republicans lined up behind George W. Bush back in 2000, the Steelman's ran John McCain's state campaign in Missouri.

Some argue the animosity can be tracked going all the way back to David Steelman's political career in 1978. Steelman was elected to the House in 1978 and became GOP leader at the age of 27, one of the youngest politicians in state history to hold the post. News accounts say that job often put him at odds with then Republican Gov. Kit Bond.

"I've seen him battle Bob Griffin one day and Kit Bond the next and never bat an eye," said Derek Holland of Lee's Summit, himself a former GOP House leader who served with Steelman, quoted in a Kansas City Star article in October 1992.

That year, Steelman handily defeated John Hall in the Republican primary for Attorney General. Hall, a former aide to Sen. John Danforth in Washington, was widely seen as the establishment choice at that time. Some Republicans cite Steelman's campaign as a thumb in the eye of the establishment. In a nasty general election against Jay Nixon, journalists categorized the Steelmans as a hard-core political family that plays hardball politics.

Whatever lies beneath the surface in the minds of the G.O.P. honchos, after this weekend in Branson, the Steelman campaign seems ready to embrace the title of underdog. While many Republicans privately scoffed at the Ron Paul supporters, Steelman reached out to them. And there are some indications the campaign may try to tap into the anger of the anti-establishment Paul backers and transfer it to Steelman's effort.

"They are claiming there are 900 Republicans in this room -- and I doubt there are even that many. And Ron Paul's people had 1300, maybe 1500. Those people may not like McCain, but they have to vote for somebody for Governor," suggested one Steelman backer close to the campaign.

Steelman's campaign can now argue that Hulshof's effort is being built top down, while hers is being run bottom up. And while Hulshof is well liked and known better among party convention goers, he's still undefined to a large portion of the Republican electorate -- especially in southwest Missouri. That makes the next decision an interesting one for the Steelman camp: Do they decide to go negative?

One supporter called to say, they should. "Tactically, we've got to define him before he defines himself. He's an unknown still. So you hit him, with Washington, Washington and and more Washington."

All of this only matters if Republicans feel like they have a real shot at unraveling Jay Nixon's path to the Governorship. In speaking with Democrats, it's hard to get a real solid feeling on who they would really, truly rather run against. The "Nixon is terrified of Kenny" line is being pushed by Hulshof supporters --- but in talking to several smart Democrats and political operatives, the feeling is that Hulshof might be more conventional opponent than Steelman. (And possibly easier to beat, in some Democrats eyes.)

Against Hulshof, you tie him to Bush. You tie him to Blunt. You pick apart the thousands of votes he's taken. And oh, you tie him to Bush again . . . and again. The ads almost write themselves. The campaign against Steelman may be more tricky, these Democratic politicos argue. She's less polarizing in many ways and she doesn't have that lengthy Washington record. Sure, you can try to tie her to Blunt. But if conservatives can't trust her -- the perception may be she's not a radioactive right-wing Republican. (Even though her record is pretty conservative.) Plus, she's a woman. And that makes attacks and Jay Nixon's debate strategy a bit more complicated.

Steelman's challenge will be whether she can begin to engage Hulshof on her terms, and if not defeat him in a rhetorical debate about issues -- at least buck expectations, and try to match him.

Hulshof had a pretty good weekend in Branson. He is the chosen one, but that status also means he has bigger expectations to fill. As we kick off the 2-month summer stretch of this primary campaign, it's important to remember two things. One is that the media -- always searching for a new story -- can sour on a frontrunner quickly. Two is that, this year in politics -- we've learned to expect the unexpected.

If you missed Saturday's KY3 coverage of Hulshof & Steelman in the News @ 10, it's HERE.

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