Boom Goes The Dynamite

THE NEWEST HULSHOF AD

POUNDS NIXON ON TRIAL LAWYER TIES, STATE PAYOUT ON BIG TOBACCO SETTLEMENT

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"Nixon Made Them Rich . . . Now They Want To Make Him Governor."

ALSO: Hulshof cancels Springfield appearance to tout his education plan Wednesday. "Kenny will instead meet with constituents and small business leaders regarding the bailout bill being considered in Congress," says Hulshof spokesperson Jordan Clothier.

The Haley Barbour Interview

In the first clip, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour makes the case in favor of a federal bailout, citing an example of how the credit crunch is already impacting a business in his homestate.

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He seems to paint one of the most vivid pictures of the consequences I've heard . . . Or maybe it's just that swanky southern drawl . . .

In this second clip, we ask how Barbour thinks Congressman and Republican candidate for Governor Kenny Hulshof should handle the bailout situation going forward. Barbour also gives his advice on how to make up ground against Democrat Jay Nixon. Two issues Barbour would target: Taxes & Guns.

In the third clip, Barbour talks about Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin.

EXCERPTS:

"She doesn't have a chip on her shoulder like some women politicians."

"Obviously in a McCain administration she will not have much of a role in foreign policy . . ."

"It is honest to say, though, if I live in the state closest to Russia, I probably have got more sensitivity. I live in a state on the Gulf of Mexico, I got more sensitivity to hurricanes than people in Kansas."

Allen "Can't Accept" Emerson's Bailout Vote

The Democratic candidate for the 8th Congressional district is challenging Rep. Jo Ann Emerson on her support of a Wall Street bailout bill that failed in the U.S. House Monday.

"These Wall Street firms gambled in very high risk, and questionable financial gambling schemes in the mortgage industry and elsewhere. I cannot, and I believe that most of us who actually live here in the 8^th Congressional District in southern Missouri cannot understand, nor accept Jo Ann Emerson’s vote to bail these Wall Street gamblers out of a jam of their own making," said Joe Allen in a statement released Tuesday.

Emerson said her vote sought to minimize the damage to the economy.

"The failure of this legislation means financial institutions, small businesses and Americans with pensions, retirement accounts and savings are still at risk from irresponsible actions on Wall Street," Emerson said in a statement issued after the vote, as reported by the Southeast Missourian. "This is a serious problem that requires a serious solution. The threat posed to Main Street Southern Missouri is real, and I will continue to work for a solution that is transparent and accountable to taxpayers," she added.

Allen said Emerson's "yes" vote was a vote "against the woman who worked all day . . . the people who go in at 3 a.m. in the morning to shelves at Wal-Mart . . . the college student working their way through school at McDonalds."

Allen said: "How could Jo Ann Emerson vote against them and believe that they should be the ones to pay-off the gambling debt of the Wall Street bankers who gambled and lost in some really questionable schemes that are now under investigation by the FBI."

"Under the Wall Street Bail Out plan which Jo Ann Emerson voted for on Monday, those Wall Street gamblers who played it high and loose will get to keep their $300 million dollar yachts, while our citizens in southern Missouri are having to sell their bass boats and are losing their homes. I don’t believe that that is at all fair to the people in the 8^th District. I, unlike Jo Ann, have lived in this district all my life. Not many people whom I know, Republican, or, Democrat would think that people who played the Wall Street game and lost should go Scott Free; while the people back here in the 8^th District will be forced to pay off the banker’s gambling debts on Wall Street," Allen added.

Barbour Talks Bailout, Hulshof, Palin

The Notebook sits down one-on-one with Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to talk about the bailout, advice for Kenny Hulshof and if Sarah Palin's qualified to be vice president.

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Barbour is in Springfield for a reception with about 60 area Republicans to help raise money for the state G.O.P.

***

DEVELOPING . . .

Get Your Obama-Biden Sign . . . For $15?!

Midnight Tuesday was the financial deadline for the month -- and Barack Obama's fundraising machine sent out an e-mail to supporters looking for those final few dollars to pad their titanic totals.

But there was something disturbing included in this latest solicitation. The Obama campaign was offering up "official Obama-Biden yard signs" for a . . . $15 dollar contribution . . . or more?

"Your sign will arrive no later than Friday, October 17th, so you'll have plenty of time to show off your support and remind your friends and neighbors to vote for Barack," reads the e-mail.

Whew. That makes me feel better.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but didn't campaigns used to ask/request/beg voters if they could put signs in their yards. With this approach, it costs the supporter to put up a yard sign for a candidate that needs THEIR vote -- and gets a benefit out of the sign they are charging for?

Sound backwards to you?

So, if you were to go to Obama or Democratic headquarters, and you were an enthusiastic first-time voter asking for a sign, would you still have to buck up $15?

It's probably even worse if they didn't charge you. Because it'd make those people ponying up $15 bucks or more for a sign . . . suckers.

Here's a platform I can endorse: If you're a candidate running for office --- ANY office --- give out your bumper stickers, posters and yard signs . . . for free.

Besides, they're just likely to get stolen anyway;)

Blunt Backs Off Pelosi, Looks To Local Banks For Support

In an interview with ABC's Nightline Monday, Congressman Roy Blunt backed off the assertion that an overly partisan floor speech by Speaker Nancy Pelosi cost the $700 billion dollar bailout deal 12 Republican votes.

"We clearly had some members that were there, but were precariously there. Now one or two of them may have been affected by the Speaker's speech," Blunt told ABC's Jake Tapper.

Tapper also reported that Blunt believes one of the problems was that few in Washington or on Wall Street seemed to understand that "the American people themselves" actually had to be convinced that this was a good thing for them in order for their elected representatives to vote for it.

"At some point, it helps a lot if there's a real credit crisis in the country, if local banks start calling their Congressmen and say, 'Well, it's finally gotten here. We now feel the pinch,'" Blunt said.

For Or Against Bailout, Public Seems Fed Up With Congress

BAILOUT BLUES

WATCH KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE

(includes why Kenny Hulshof voted "no")

Our lede: This is a rare case where the public was able to quickly and directly influence their lawmakers. But this also shows just how little voters trust anybody in Washington.

Reaction from Springfield residents:

"The taxpayers should not have to pay that bailout of Wall Street. I think the people who made it the problem should have to pay it out," said Ruth Newton. "The things they have tried to sell us that have to be done right now and then they don't turn out to be right, so I don't believe what they tell us now."

***

"It was just too iffy a thing, there was no guarantee that this was going to do much of anything," said Shirley Langford. "They tell you all those scary things that your 401s are going to disappear and all of that, I really wasn't quite trusting that was going to happen."

***

"I was extremely disappointed in their behavior," said Bob Miller, a supporter of the bailout plan. "As a retired person, I have to watch where the investments are, and if the places where I've invested go south, I'm in deep, deep trouble. They all came up with egg on their face as far as I'm concerned."

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G.O.P. WHIP ROY BLUNT COMES UP WITH 10 FEWER VOTES THAN HE NEEDED

"This was one of those situations where nobody really wanted to do it on either side," Blunt said after the vote.

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REPUBLICANS BLAMED SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI'S SPEECH BEFORE THE VOTE
Blunt said he had 12 Republicans who would have voted for the bill but changed their minds.
Watch PELOSI's speech HERE.
***
BUT REPUBLICANS DISPUTE THAT PELOSI WAS THE REASON
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said the GOP leadership comments were untrue, asserting that House Republicans voted against the bill because of its contents. “We’re not babies who suck our thumbs,” Bachmann said at a press conference after the vote.
***
ALSO . . The Associated Press paints the tense timetable behind the scenes . . .
About an hour before the vote was to begin, Blunt reported back to Boehner.
"We're going to have a tough time getting there," Blunt said, according to the GOP leader. Together, the two parties needed to change about a dozen minds.
***
With the measure stalled, 12 votes shy of what was needed, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., came over to GOP leaders and extended six fingers as if to say: Give us six and we'll do the rest.
"They at a minimum had to get the momentum shifting the other way," he said later. "They didn't flip anybody."

Why Kenny Voted No

In Statement From Washington, Congressman and Candidate Kenny Hulshof Explains His Opposition to the $700 Billion Dollar Bailout Plan That Went Down in Defeat in the U.S. House Monday

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His gripes with the bill include: Lack of regulatory corrections, "complete discretion" for Treasury Secretary and the price tag

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FULL STATEMENT BELOW:

(Scroll Down, To Watch Rep. Roy Blunt's Reaction)

"Economic uncertainty is being felt in every corner of the country. Americans are understandably anxious about the value of their homes, investments and retirement accounts. Businesses--small and large--are looking to the federal government for stability and guidance.

"Last week, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson insisted that Congress immediately authorize a $700 billion bailout plan to shore up our ailing markets. While I agree that time is of the essence, there is a potential downside for Congress to act too hastily and without adequate deliberations. For instance, over the preceding five days, House Republicans have insisted upon taxpayer protections and have scuttled many onerous provisions that would have benefited special interests. These changes have substantially improved the initial plan between the Administration and Congressional Democrats.

"Unfortunately, in my view, the final bill is still flawed in several respects:

"First, the bill is silent on changing 'mark to market' rules, which were a factor in exacerbating the current crisis.

"The bill also contains no regulatory corrections to naked short selling. A short-term ban has been in effect since September 19, aimed at curtailing this practice. However, that ban expires on October 2, and this bill does nothing to address any of the long-term ramifications of this practice.

"Additionally, Congress should be required to proactively authorize additional loan authority for the Treasury Secretary. The current bill only allows Congress to retroactively ‘veto’ actions by the Administration.

"The price tag of this bill is excessive.

"Finally, the current bill gives the Treasury Secretary complete discretion whether to utilize the market-based option of insuring the assets of troubled institutions. Given the Secretary’s outspoken opposition to this proposal, I fear this innovative solution, which truly protects America’s taxpayers, will be disregarded outright.

"For all of the foregoing reasons, I voted ‘no’ on the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act."

ALSO: WATCH REP. ROY BLUNT EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED

Marsh Endorses Burlison In 136th House Race

"He’ll continue the work I've started by restoring health care funding for those most vulnerable," writes Rep. B.J. Marsh, in an endorsement letter to his constituents

Outgoing Republican Rep. B.J. Marsh is endorsing Eric Burlison in the race to fill his open seat in Springfield's 136th House District.

Burlison is running against Democrat Nick Beatty to replace Marsh. The term-limited Marsh's endorsement is significant because of his history for political unpredictability.

"It's very important that we elect someone who shares our vision of better government in Jefferson City. I have known Eric Burlison for several years and will be supporting him to fill my seat," writes Marsh in a letter dated Oct. 1st.

In the letter, Marsh specifically points out that he is backing Burlison because "he'll continue the work I've started by restoring health care funding for those most vulnerable." He adds that he's not supporting him because he's a Republican, but rather because he's a good person.

Residents of the 136th district will receive a copy of Marsh’s endorsement, said campaign spokesperson Keith Miller. "We want everyone in the district to know that Marsh backs Eric 100 percent," Miller said.

Here's the rest of Marsh's letter:

Eric shares the same vision of fiscal responsibility, dedicated leadership, and ensuring that our top priorities are properly funded. He’ll fight for quality health care and better schools—without increasing our taxes.

As a Cox Health employee, Burlison understands the issue of health care better than anyone. Eric will also ensure that our schools receive their fair share of state funding.

As a graduate of Springfield Public Schools and Missouri State, he’ll support our schools in the Missouri House as much as I have. Eric has deep roots in the community and understands our needs.

Most important, Eric is someone who will listen to what you have to say. It's refreshing to have a public servant who understands that their job is to serve the people, and not the other way around.

I am not supporting him because he is a Republican. I am supporting him because he is a good person. I will not vote for someone because of a political party. I vote for Republicans and Democrats, and this year will be no exception.

No Deal In The House

$700 BILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT FAILS IN THE HOUSE
Vote: 206-227 AGAINST

KENNY HULSHOF VOTES "NO"

***

BLUNT BLAMES PELOSI:

"We did think we had a dozen more votes going to the floor than we had," said Rep Roy Blunt of Missouri who was lead negotiator for the House Republicans. But he blamed a "partisan" floor speech by the Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for rousing enough opposition to kill the bill.

***

He pledged to reach out to Democrats to try to avert widespread economic fallout from the defeat of the bill. "We're going to reach back out to them, we're certainly going to reach back out to our members," Blunt said. "We're going to see how we can come together to reverse whatever negative there may be on the economy over the next few days because Congress has failed to act."

AP: Report Says Bond Pressure Lead To U.S. Attorney Firing

A report released by Justice Department Monday reveals that the dismissal of Missouri U.S. Attorney Todd Graves probably resulted from pressure from the office of Sen. Kit Bond.

The Associated Press is reporting that Attorney General Michael Mukasey is appointing a prosecutor to pursue possible criminal charges against Republicans who were involved in the controversial firings of U.S. attorneys.

His move follows the leading recommendation of a Justice Department investigation that harshly criticized Bush administration officials, members of Congress and their aides for the ousters, which were seen by many as politically motivated.

In a footnote, according to the Kansas City Star, investigators say they tried to interview Sen. Kit Bond in connection with the Graves ouster. He declined.

To read the Justice Department report, click on this link: http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/new.htm

It also said that the dismissal of Todd Graves, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, probably resulted from pressure from the office of Republican Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond. Bond was upset that Graves did not intervene in a dispute between the staffs of Bond and Republican Rep. Sam Graves, the prosecutor's brother, the report said.

McCaskill's Political Intelligence

A BOOK REVIEW OF "THE POLITICAL MIND"
Author Dissects McCaskill's P.I. During Her 2006 Race

"The Political Mind," by clinical, personality and political psychologist Drew Westen, is a scientific look at how pure emotion is the most important factor in driving voters decisions --- and ultimately election outcomes. Westen's fascinating discoveries through years of research shows how emotion trumps reason and how impressions trump issues in campaign after campaign. Westen, who reveals he's a partisan Democrat, skewers his own party for not understanding the need to move an electorate. His conclusion: Personal feelings towards a candidate are more important than positions on issues. And policies of a candidate only matter to voters to the extent that those policies influence their emotions.

Throughout his book, Westen, an Emory University professor, points to Sen. Claire McCaskill's use of words and emotions during her 2006 campaign to help build his case. Westen, who calls Missouri's junior Senator a "rising superstar," argues that McCaskill is one of the few Democratic candidates who understands and successfully uses emotion, imagery and rhetoric to her advantage. In one exchange on Meet the Press, Westen praises McCaskill for her combinded "bluntness, folksiness and a powerfully evocative metaphor," to make her point.

MR. RUSSERT: Ms. McCaskill, you said this. "We should redeploy our troops strategically within the region over a two-year time frame." What does that mean?

MS. McCASKILL: . . . You know, as a daughter of rural Missouri, we have a saying, "If you're in a hole, you need to quit digging."

Westen credits the success of McCaskill and other Democrats in 2006 to this: "On a range of issues, Democrats began to use phrases and imagery that translated the Democratic litany that had shown little traction earlier in the campaign into the language of values and emotion."

Here's another Westen rule for campaign managers: "There is no more important task of a lead strategist or debate coach for a candidate than to identify areas of ambivalence or defensiveness and to work with the candidate until he or she has an emotionally resonant response to tough questions."

Westen again points to the 2006 McCaskill race versus then-Sen. Jim Talent. Defensiveness, in Westen's eyes, erodes voter enthusiasm and leaves a bad taste in voters' mouths. In their Meet the Press debate, Westen says, "Tim Russert simply asked Talent the kinds of questions Democrats should have been asking their opponents about their stands on abortion for years, challenging them on the natural entailments of their black-and-white position on when life begins:

MR. RUSSERT: When do you believe life begins?

SEN. TALENT: I believe it begins at the beginning, at, at conception.

MR. RUSSERT: So that embryo is a human being?

SEN. TALENT: Yeah. I think whatever it is that makes -- if I . . .

MR. RUSSERT: And so, and so to use that for research is taking of a life?

SEN. TALENT: Yeah, it's the, it's the use -- instrumental use of a person for some purpose . . .

MR. RUSSERT: Then why do you favor exemptions in abortion law for rape . . .? If it's a human being, why are you allowing the taking of that life?

SEN. TALENT: Ok. Well, I've I've supported those exemptions over the years. It's a situation where the pregnancy was not voluntary, and I think the law ought to draw a different balance under those circumstances. But as I said before, I mean, I support . . .

MR. RUSSERT: But it is the taking of a life under your . . .

SEN. TALENT: That's, that's right.

Westen continues to point out the probing of Talent's position, noting Russert's reference to Senator Danforth's support of embryonic stem cell research.

MR. RUSSERT: If you have a three-year-old with juvenile diabetes, people believe that research on the embryonic stem cell may in fact bring about a cure.

SEN. TALENT: That's right. The research -- I've said I think the research is promising. I think it's speculative. And the good news, Tim, is we're not in a position where we have to make this kind of choice, we have alternatives that science is developing. At MI . . .

MR. RUSSERT: Right now?

SEN. TALENT: Well, yeah. I mean, look, all this is speculative. They haven't, they haven't been able to clone an embryo, they haven't been able to get cures yet out of pluripotent stem cell research . . .

In Talent's response, we see all the signs of defensiveness: stammering, hemming and hawking, making illogical leaps, inserting abstruse language (pluripotent stem cell research). And Talent's response set McCaskill up for one of the most brilliant displays of political intelligence of the 2006 midterm elections:

MS. McCASKILL: My faith directs me to heal the sick. God gave us the miracle of human intelligence to find cures. Our country has never turned its back on medical research and we shouldn't in Missouri . . . I respect people who disagree with me on this issue on principle, I understand there are differences. I come down on the side of hope, hope for cures and supporting science. And I think it's very important that someone be principled, strong and not muddled, but very clear and straightforward about their position on this issue.

Normally Democrats are the ones hedging on "values issues." But in this case the shoe was on the other foot. Talent's moral principle (life begins at birth, so a discarded has the same moral status as a child with diabetes) made clear that he was putting a moral abstraction above the life of a living child. McCaskill artfully contrasted their two opposing moral positions. She appealed to hope and compassion and challenged Talent's religious position with one of her own. In speaking of the miracle of human intelligence, she used a word that signaled to many conservative Christians that she cared about their values and culture while enunciating a stance with strong appeal to those in the political center. She acknowledged her respect for people with principled stands other than hers but made clear that her stand was a deeply principled one.

McCaskill's political intelligence was apparent from her first moments on the political stage in 2006. One of the reasons Democrats won more elections than expected in 2006 was that party leaders carefully picked candidates high on political cases.

But Westen is not without criticism for McCaskill. He says McCaskill showed that same defensiveness on he touchy topic of abortion. Here's his analysis of McCaskill's answer on a question on partial-birth abortion during that same Meet The Press appearance:

The vast majority of Americans (85 percent) believe abortion should be permitted when the mother's life is in danger. But nearly 90 percent support some restrictions . . . The most frequent interpretation of these seemingly conflicting results is that Americans are 'divided' on abortion, a position that makes Democrats anxious, particularly in red or purple states, and typically leads either to silence or to a defensive, "I'm kind of pro-choice, but not really" response. A prototypical example is Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill's response with then Senator Jim Talent on Meet the Press in 2006:

MR. RUSSERT: Do you support a ban on partial-birth abortion?

MS. McCASKILL: I do, within the constitutional framework that we currently have, with the exception for the life of the mother. I also support parental notification. On the whole issue of abortion, what we need to do --- I, I, I certainly believe that abortion should remain safe, legal and rare in the early term, but why don't we concentrate on prevention? Why don't we all -- none of us want abortion, none of us support abortion [turns to Talent, as if seeking support]. Let's come together and work on preventing abortions in this country, making adoption easier and, and, and do the right thing to, to, drop the number of abortions instead of making health care more unavailable to poor women, which in fact drives up the number of abortions in this country.

McCaskill was one of the sharpest, most emotionally intelligent candidates the Democrats fielded in any race in 2006 and was able to defeat an incumbent in a state that usually sees red in national elections. Yet her response was defensive, indexed by the initial retreat to legalism ("within the constitutional framework . . ."), followed by a gratuitous reference to her position on parental notification (which Russert hadn't asked about,) followed by an uncharacteristic stumbling for words and a barrage of half-measures designed to change the subject from what she apparently believed was an unpopular stance in her home state.

Westen goes on to in part blames this on the national party, for being unable to generate a principled stand that could spare its candidates from having to "invent their own response" at every turn. He argues that the Democratic Party's position on abortion is incoherent. He argues that it would be better if Democrats took a principled stand and stuck to it.

If you tell the truth about what you believe, people are more likely to hear your message. And they're even more likely to be receptive if what you feel happens to converge with what they feel. So here is a simple, compelling, three-dimensional distillation of what the average American feels about abortion . . . It represents a compelling moral vision that Democrats can contrast everywhere with the moral vision of the right . . . And it is deceptively simple, and in this case readily summarized in three sentences:

Abortion is a difficult and often painful decision for a woman to make. It's a decision only she can make, based on the dictates of her own conscience and faith, not on the dictates of someone else's. But except under exceptional circumstances, such as rape, incest or danger to her health, she should make that decision as early as she can, so she is not aborting a fetus that is increasingly becoming more like a person.

United For Life Targets Nixon With Radio Ad

The state's newest anti-abortion group, Missourians United for Life, is launching a radio ad against Democratic candidate for Governor Jay Nixon, who the group labels "the most anti-life statewide candidate to ever run for office."

"Electing (Nixon) would mean that lives would be ended as he and his allies would seek abortion-on-demand paid for by tax dollars and would likely support euthanasia of our seniors," said Ed Martin, Gov. Matt Blunt's former Chief of Staff and current spokesperson for Missourians United for Life. The radio ad is expected to run statewide.

Ironically, when Nixon ran for the Missouri Senate in 1986 and for the U.S. Senate in 1988, he ran as a pro-life candidate. He has since switched his position. In an article published Sunday, Nixon told the Southeast Missourian he supports Missouri law as it currently exists. "I don't support the zeroing out of family planning money," he said.

United for Life was established to counter Missouri Right to Life, which angered some Republicans because it would not endorse some of their candidates due to certain votes taken during the legislative session.

United for Life also released 50 endorsements of candidates for federal, statewide and local office. All of Springfield's local Republican candidates and/or incumbents for State House received endorsements. The group also announced it has sent over 40 contributions to their endorsed candidates. State House candidates received $119.73 and State Senate candidates received $219.73.

"As MUL receives more financial support from supporters, candidates can expect more contributions," said Martin. "MUL puts its money where our mouth is – because candidates who support life deserve our support," he added.

Blunt Lobbying Retiring Congressmen

Congressman Roy Blunt lobbied about 10 retiring Republican representatives late Sunday in hopes of getting their votes on the proposed $700 billion dollar financial institution rescue plan, Politico reports.

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Illinois Rep. Ray LaHood reportedly encouraged the lawmakers in the room to back the proposal, telling them, "We're not going to face repudiation from the voters."

Less About Win/Loss, More About Gaffes and Moments

Score it on journalistic points, and give the first debate victory to John McCain.

But as snapshot opinion polls have shown since Friday, the public watching at home fills out their scorecards a bit differently.

In their first debate in Oxford, Mississippi, John McCain was animated, aggressive and at times bold on economic issues (calling for a widespread government spending freeze). He also showcased the depth and breath of his foreign policy knowledge. But while Barack Obama seemed reserved, and not as willing to hit back, the Democratic nominee exemplified a poise and coolness that allowed voters to begin imagining him as a potential Commander in Chief.

Obama said "Sen. McCain is absolutely right," so many times, the McCain camp turned it into a web ad. Oddly enough, McCain controlled the 40 minutes spent on the economy by pounding away at spending while Obama's strongest retort was during the foreign policy section, telling McCain he was "wrong" on Iraq in several ways.

To McCain's credit, he did not look like George W. Bush on that stage. He was feisty, energetic and credibly looked like he wanted to shake things up. On foreign affairs, McCain's initial move was to go on the attack. He tried to paint Obama as stubborn as President Bush for not admitting the surge worked. He attempted to make the case that Obama was too hawkish and a bit naive on how to deal with Pakistan. The Republican nominee also tapped into emotion -- using the story about meeting troops wanting to re-enlist. He then went on to tap into history, talking about his opposition to military intervention in Lebanon in 1983, and closing with, "Tragically I was right."

McCain also mixed his foreign policy critiques with fun but pointed zingers. When Obama suggested McCain has taken his eye off the central front on the war on terror in Afghanistan, McCain fired back, "Maybe you should've went there."

When Obama made his case for meeting with leaders of rogue countries like Iran's Ahmadinejad, McCain first noted he doesn't have a White House visitor schedule yet . . . he then landed an overlooked shot at Obama, "I don't even have a seal yet."

Later, he said, almost mockingly, "So let me get this right, we sit down with Ahmadinejad, and he says, we're going to wipe Israel off the earth, and we say, 'No you're not,' Oh please."

On Russia, Obama and McCain's responses were glaringly different and telling. Obama rattled off his detailed position on Russia's "unwarranted invasion" of Georgia. It took McCain all of three words to go right after Obama's initial response to the invasion, suggesting he's not tough enough.

If it was a boxing match, McCain landed more blows. But after seeking people's reactions this weekend, I realized that it's not always about the "points" we reporters look for. Only the most partisan Republicans would argue that Obama didn't look ready to be president (Disagreeing on policy is a different matter). He never got rattled and showed he had great command of the large issues. In many ways he stood toe-to-toe with McCain on foreign policy. McCain repeated the phrase that Obama "just doesn't get it." But that's the wrong argument. Obama definitely seemed to "get it," he just dramatically disagrees with McCain over how to "get it." In this sense, Obama easily passed the potential Commander In Chief threshold.

So while on points, it's a narrow win for McCain -- that may not be enough this year. Both of these men had solid performances, and with Obama the slim frontrunner, the positions the two candidates took may be more important than how forcefully they argued them. In this type of environment, that favors Obama.

So when you watch the next debate, think less about keeping score, and watch for either a major gaffe that could instantly cripple a candidacy or a memorable "moment" that transfixes America. Those are more likely to impact the remainder of the campaign, than round-by-round scoring and delcaring a simple "winner" and "loser."

Haley Barbour To Visit Springfield

Source Tells The KY3 Political Notebook that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is expected to visit Springfield Tuesday to raise money for the Missouri Republican Party at the Oasis Hotel.

DEVELOPING . . .

A Deal . . . On Ice

DELICATE, TENTATIVE BAILOUT DEAL REACHED

Gov't To Pump $700 Billion Into Cash-Strapped Financial Firms

Not all At Once, Money Would Be Phased In, Limits on Executive Pay Included

House Could Vote Monday, Senate on Wednesday

***

Rep. Roy Blunt: "We need to look and see where we are on paper tomorrow." Blunt said his colleagues wanted to "bring both free-market principles and taxpayer protections to the table." "I think we will be able to have an announcement'' later today, Blunt said.

BUT Some Rank-and-file Republicans announce opposition

From THE HILL:

"House GOP Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) helped negotiate the deal and issued a side-by-side comparison that showed the tentative deal, the original proposal from Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and provisions Democrats had demanded. That was supposed to show the gains House GOP leaders had won, and soothe their roiling conference. Early indications are that the effort has not been entirely successful."

ALSO, Newt Gingrich on ABC's This Week:

"Something has to be done, the question is whether it has to be this, and whether it has to be over the next 48 hours. The fact is, we're about to buy 20 years of bureaucracy and expenditure and centralization of power in Washington in order to get through two weeks. Historically, that's dangerous."

Deal Or . . . No Deal?

From CNN . . . Late . . .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congressional negotiators "made great progress" toward reaching a deal on the White House's proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial system, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

House Republicans have not yet signed on the newest plan, but their negotiator, Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, said he would present it to the GOP caucus Sunday morning after it is written on paper.

"I think we're going to be able to have an announcement tomorrow, but these are difficult issues," Blunt said.

Blunt Walks Timetable Back

BUT ADDS . . . PROGRESS IS BEING MADE, AND THAT LAWMAKERS WOULD WORK THROUGH THE NIGHT IF NECESSARY

Rep. Roy Blunt seemed to walk back his comments about a Sunday night deadline for a bailout Saturday, according to The Politico.

The top Republican negotiator in the House told reporters Saturday afternoon that Congress will not move on "any kind of artificial timeline" to finalize an economic rescue package before the markets open Monday morning.

"Somebody, maybe it was Einstein, said things should be done as quickly as possible but no quicker than possible," Republican Whip Roy Blunt told reporters Saturday afternoon before heading into a negotiating session with Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.

"We're not moving on any kind of artificial timeline," Blunt said as reported by Politico. "We're moving toward the very best solution in the shortest period of time."

But earlier Saturday on FOX, Blunt said a deal "needs to happen by Sunday."

Also from the Politico piece:

"In a bit of posturing before the negotiations, Blunt and other House Republicans called on Democrats to remove proposals that would give bankruptcy judges more authority to re-work mortgages and limit the portion of potential revenue generated by this debt-buying program that goes to a recently established affordable housing trust fund. Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, a lead author of the GOP alternative, also complained about language in the proposal that Republicans believe would benefit labor unions."

Blunt: Deal Needs To Happen By Sunday

BUT ANOTHER TOP REPUBLICAN SAYS A DEADLINE COULD MEAN DISASTER

Ozarks Congressman Roy Blunt said Saturday that if Congress doesn't reach a bailout deal for Wall Street by Sunday, it may not happen until late next week.

But Republican Policy Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) said earlier that putting an arbitrary deadline on a final bailout bill could lead to electoral disaster for the G.O.P. in November.

According to Roll Call, McCotter said raising expectations of investors could spark a downturn if lawmakers missed the deadline. He added that, if the hypothetical deal failed because of House Republican misgivings, they would ultimately face the wrath of voters if an economic meltdown ensued.

"The irresponsible desire to meet a deadline solely for the sake of meeting a deadline will produce an ‘agreement’ that does NOT protect taxpayers from this bailout,” McCotter said, as quoted by Roll Call. "Thus, the public will be outraged a month before the election; principled House Republicans will view any internal whip count as a political dead pool; and the irresponsible, anti-taxpayer ‘agreement’ will fail. … This avoidable outcome, too, could lead to a catastrophic economic meltdown."

Blunt made the comments about a bailout timeline on Fox News this morning, but the lead House negotiator for the economic stability package also made the rounds on CBS and ABC's morning programs.

"We're doing everything we can to have a bill the Democrats and Republicans can work for that protects taxpayers in ways that the original proposal didn't, and provide some alternatives out there that are better. We need to be doing things that insure, one, that the taxpayers are protected and, two, that this is done in a way the taxpayers have every reason to expect they'll get all of their money back and maybe even make a profit. And, three, it would be sure that the guy who is trying to borrow money at the local bank is able to do that," Blunt said on CBS's Early Show.

On ABC, Blunt said there are things in the bill right now that House Republicans could just not support, including "things that make it harder for regular homeowners to get credit," and "things that fund big, political organizations, instead of putting money back into the Treasury."

"The Sunday deadline is an important deadline," Blunt said on ABC. "But it more important to get this right than it is to meet a deadline… We hope we can get this done this weekend."

On FOX, Blunt seemed to speak more forcefully about the timeline. "It needs to happen by Sunday, if it doesn't happen by Sunday, it could be Thursday or Friday of next week. There may be a point when we realize that the majority that's in control isn't going to do this on their own and come up with the bill that Republicans in the House can vote for. And that is their decision," Blunt said.

Our Debate Focus Group

About two dozen Obama, McCain and undecided voters gathered at Springfield's Fox & Hound to watch the first presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. Ruscell Pavlin, pictured above, said she's an undecided voter. Afterwards, she scored the debate as an Obama victory. But two other Obama supporters told me they thought McCain won the 90-minute face-off.
WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT

***

Number of e-mails from the Obama press shop during the debate: 22

Number of e-mails from McCain press shop during the debate: 19 (amended from earlier, apparently I wasn't on the list)

Number of e-mails from Mo.GOP during the debate: 2

***

McCain already has a web video from the debate HERE

***

MCCAIN CAMPAIGN STATEMENT:

"John McCain won this debate and controlled the dialogue throughout, whether it was the economy, taxes, spending, Iraq or Iran. There was a leadership gap, a judgment gap, and a boldness gap on display tonight, a fact Barack Obama acknowledged when he said John McCain was right at least five times," said McCain spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker.

***

OBAMA CAMPAIGN STATEMENT:

"This was a clear victory for Barack Obama on John McCain’s home turf. Senator McCain offered nothing but more of the same failed Bush policies, and Barack Obama made a forceful case for change in our economy and our foreign policy. While foreign policy was supposed to be John McCain’s top issue, Barack Obama commanded that part of the debate with a clear call to responsibly end a misguided war in Iraq so that we can finish the fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. John McCain needed a game-changer tonight, and by any measure he didn’t get it," said Obama-Biden campaign manager David Plouffe.

***

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL STATEMENT:

"John McCain is clearly focused on the past and defending the economic and foreign policies of the Bush Administration. What a clear contrast. Barack Obama has his eyes firmly on the future and how to help middle class families. He understands that we must quit spending 10 billion a month in Iraq while the Iraqi government runs up billions in surplus. And he showed his complete understanding of the threat of the Taliban and Al- Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Barack Obama is ready for this job."
***
SEN. KIT BOND STATEMENT:
"Senator Obama is trying to hamstring our troops with budget cuts. He wants to micro-manage our uniformed commanders in the field, and he is threatening the hard-earned American success the Petraeus plan has delivered on the ground. It is a recipe for American failure that we cannot afford to tolerate."
***
GOV. MATT BLUNT STATEMENT:
"Senator McCain was the clear victor in tonight's debate. John McCain showed Missourians his leadership qualities and his experience on foreign policy which again highlighted Barack Obama's weaknesses on this critical issue. John McCain also demonstrated that he is the only candidate for president who will address wasteful spending in Washington and help America become energy independent."





POLL UPDATE: So, at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Barack Obama had 1 vote. By 2:33 a.m, he had 61. Can you say Obama listserv? Those Obama folks sure work late;)

Debate Coverage

Where Does The KY3 Political Notebook Expect To Watch And Cover Tonight's Presidential Debate From?

(Here's the hint . . .)

+

= ?

Answer at TWITTER Tonight @ 8 p.m.

***Look for Live Updates By Clicking on the Twitter Link***

Laura Bush To Visit The Ozarks

The White House announces the First Lady will tour Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri on Friday, October 3rd. The event will be OPEN PRESS.

What To Watch For

MY KY3 NEWS @ 6 DEBATE PREVIEW IS BELOW

Watch the 90-minute debate on KY3 News beginning @ 8 p.m.

Middle Man

***NEW BELOW: OBAMA CAMP DISTORTS BLUNT REMARK

Southwest Missouri's Roy Blunt is central to the debate over whether Congress will pass a bailout for Wall Street.
CQ Politics: Blunt enjoys "considerable esteem from both sides of the aisle."
Article Hints Blunt's relationship with Republicans may be more strained than with Democrats
***
"Blunt has a close relationship with” House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer , D-Md., said a senior GOP aide. “Hoyer will get out the word that Blunt can be trusted."
Rep. Jim McCrery of Louisiana, top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, said, "It’s in good hands. Roy Blunt is a very good negotiator."

***

****UPDATED @ 6:15 PM . . . MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS CALLS OUT OBAMA CAMP FOR DISTORTING A BLUNT REMARK . . .

An Obama statement sent out this quote from Blunt, trying to imply that he blamed McCain for blowing a bipartisan deal . . . "Clearly, yesterday, his position on that discussion yesterday was one that stopped a deal from finalizing," Blunt was quoted.

THE PROBLEM: Blunt's words were taken out of context and the video was edited to make his remarks appear more critical of McCain than they actually were. Blunt's full quote was this: "I do think that John McCain was very helpful in what he did," Blunt said. "Clearly, yesterday, his position on that discussion yesterday was one that stopped a deal from finalizing that no House Republican, in my view, would have been for, which means it wouldn't have probably passed the House."
BUT . . . BELOW, WATCH A CLIP OF BLUNT'S DARE TO THE DEMS

"I WANT A DEAL BY MONDAY"

ALSO NEW . . .BLUNT APPEARS ON CNN:

On House Republicans' demands: "We want a bipartisan solution that has better protection for the taxpayers and more free enterprise principles and better protection for homeowners..."
On John McCain's role in the negotiations: "Everyone else is rushing for a deal and frankly John McCain came back and said, 'the House Republicans have the taxpayers in mind and I am with them.'"
On The Details: "I want a good deal by Monday. Well, we are in for a real negotiation. If there is no real negotiation, there won't be a deal and virtually all of my colleagues can go home to explain what was wrong in their mind with the deal that was being offered and how just a few additions here and there could have really made a big difference for the taxpayers and that is what we are going to try to achieve."

KMOV on Drudge

OBAMA 'TRUTH QUADS': Campaign asks Missouri law enforcement to target anyone who lies or runs misleading TV ads...

Blunt Tells CNN: McCain Is With His Caucus

FROM POLITICO:

Roy Blunt, negotiator for the House GOP, just told CNN that John McCain is "with" his caucus -- even though the Republican candidate hasn't publicly backed any plan yet.

Blunt, seen as a seasoned hand who will smooth differences between the camps, didn't say if the Arizona senator backed their market-based approach ["Certainly... he might be supportive"] -- but suggested McCain agreed the whole process needed to be slowed down." Everybody else seemed to be rushing for a deal and John McCain came back and said, 'Wait a minute, I think the House Republicans have the taxpayers in mind and I'm with them,'" Blunt, the minority whip said.

He also indicated that many in his caucus would be satisfied with the addition of some of their proposals "here and there," and said "almost all" -- but not every -- member of the House GOP believed the economy was on the brink of collapse.

Debate Watch Parties

Want to watch tonight's debate with a bunch of party partisans who have already determined the debate winner prior to its conclusion?

I thought so . . .

REPUBLICANS @ Greene County HQ, 1845 E Sunshine St (Club G.O.P.) 5-7 p.m. Phone Banking, 7-8 p.m. Ice Cream Socializing, 8 p.m. Debate

DEMOCRATS @ Obama Headquarters at 220 S. Campbell in Springfield. Missouri Veterans For Obama will host. The party begins at 7:30 p.m.

PLUS . . . Full Debate Previews at KY3 News @ 5 & 6 . . .

Your Post-Game Show, on KY3 News @ 10. . .

Hulshof Pushes For Better Child Support Collections

TAKES SWIPE AT NIXON FOR MISSOURI'S RANKING

UPDATED: Nixon Responds Below

Republican candidate for Governor Kenny Hulshof wants to increase the collection of child support payments by creating new regional projects to better enforce local judgments.

Missouri children only receive 21 cents of every dollar they are owed in child support, according to the Hulshof campaign. "In fact, nearly $2 billion in child support payments remain outstanding in Missouri. Pennsylvania ranks first in the nation, collecting 46 cents of every dollar. If Missouri collected at a rate similar to Pennsylvania, our state’s children could stand to gain $610 million in additional resources," reads a Hulshof release.

"State government has failed the children of Missouri by not more aggressively pursuing these payments," Hulshof said. "I will work with law enforcement officials, from the attorney general all the way to local prosecutors, regardless of party, to fix it," he added.

The Hulshof campaign also took a jab at Democratic opponent Jay Nixon in announcing their plan. They point to a July 2003 statement by Nixon, saying that "Missouri would rise from the middle of the pack" to the "upper tier" of states in child support collections.

"Unfortunately Jay Nixon did not live up to his promise," reads the Hulshof release. "Missouri remains in the middle tier. If Jay Nixon had done as he promised, more Missouri children would have access to health insurance," it goes on. Hulshof's campaign contends that Missouri ranks 25th in the country in child support enforcement.

UPDATED 7:06 P.M. . . The Nixon campaign said that Hulshof's attack was meant to distract. "Making sure parents pay child support is certainly an important issue, but as Congressman Hulshof knows, the Attorney General’s Office is not primarily responsible for collecting it," said Nixon spokesperson Oren Shur. "With this attack, Congressman Hulshof is trying to distract Missourians from the issue on everyone’s mind today, theeconomic crisis that he helped create in Washington. Congressman Hulshof voted for the failed economic policies that created this mess, but he’d rather just pretend everything is fine and talk about something else."

Baker Responds To Debate Over Debates

Kenny Hulshof's campaign for Governor said that negotiations between their team and Jay Nixon's campaign fell apart and an e-mail exchange posted by the KY3 Political Notebook Thursday occurred early in the process.

Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker said that Nixon's camp did not originally want to agree to the September 11th Missouri Press Association Debate in Columbia.

"You'll notice that Oren's email says "Please confirm we're on the same page: September 11 at MPA: to be converted to a joint appearance. Candidates appear on stage separately, one after the other." Is that the way that event happened? No," Baker told the Notebook Friday.

"That's where the negotiations fell apart. They did not want the Sept. 11 event to be a debate. Ask Doug Crews with the MPA. They fought it tooth and nail. When it became clear that the event wasn't going to be as they wanted, the negotiations fell apart and that was it," he added.

Baker said that's the point where there was no agreement going forward.

"Bottom line - Jay Nixon is agreeing to only four debates - two in the middle of the day, one on high school football night in Southwest Missouri and another on a Saturday night. The question is - Why is that?," Baker asked.

Debate Is On

Confident That A Bipartisan Agreement Is In The Works, McCain Plans To Head to Oxford, Mississippi Tonight For The First Presidential Debate

***

McCain Calls Rep. Roy Blunt the designated House G.O.P. negotiator

***

Campaign Releases Statement:

"The difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was apparent during the White House meeting yesterday where Barack Obama's priority was political posturing in his opening monologue defending the package as it stands. John McCain listened to all sides so he could help focus the debate on finding a bipartisan resolution that is in the interest of taxpayers and homeowners. The Democratic interests stood together in opposition to an agreement that would accommodate additional taxpayer protections."

"Senator McCain has spent the morning talking to members of the Administration, members of the Senate, and members of the House. He is optimistic that there has been significant progress toward a bipartisan agreement now that there is a framework for all parties to be represented in negotiations, including Representative Blunt as a designated negotiator for House Republicans. The McCain campaign is resuming all activities and the Senator will travel to the debate this afternoon. Following the debate, he will return to Washington to ensure that all voices and interests are represented in the final agreement, especially those of taxpayers and homeowners."

Survey Says . . .

NIXON 54%, HULSHOF 37%

SURVEYUSA

The much-disputed automated poll is out with new numbers

***

705 likely voters/Sept 23-24th

***

In Southwest, Nixon leads 50%-41% (C'mon now?)

23% of Republicans go with Nixon as do 49% of Independents

***

ALSO: It's McCain 48%, Obama 46%

Nixon is performing 8 points ahead of Obama

McCain wins Independents 48%-41%

In Southwest, it's a 20-point margin . . . McCain 57%, Obama 37%

No Deal, No Debate?

BAILOUT OR BUST?
Watch the KY3 News @ 10 Report HERE
Missouri's Congressional Delegation Fields Calls -- Mostly in Opposition to Proposed $700 Billion Dollar Wall Street Bailout

Sen. Bond reports 5,000 calls

Sen. McCaskill receives 500 calls a day, more than 1,000 e-mails
Both offices say majority of calls oppose "Golden Parachute For Failed CEOs"

Offices say it's the biggest constituent reaction since the immigration debate

No deal yet; Lawmakers will meet again Friday morning

***

ALSO: Will McCain debate?

--OR--

Is he willing to risk not showing to cut or block a mega bailout deal?

VIDEO: Bond & McCaskill on the Bailout

Both Sens. Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing negotiations on a proposed $700 billion dollar Wall Street bailout. Below are excerpts.

"There are changes that need to be made . . . in attitudes."

"Not a dime of it goes to a payout to anybody who doesn't deserve it."

Nixon Camp Releases Debate E-mails With Team Hulshof

Jay Nixon's campaign for Governor released e-mail correspondence with Kenny Hulshof's political squad Thursday to refute assertions that the two sides did not agree to just four debates.

Earlier this week, Hulshof's campaign said that they never agreed to "have only four debates" with Democratic nominee Jay Nixon.

Nixon communications director Oren Shur provided the KY3 Political Notebook with e-mail exchanges between the two camps. In an e-mail on August 20th, Shur sent a message to Hulshof campaign manager John Hancock and Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker.

"Please confirm we’re on the same page: September 11 at MPA: to be converted to a joint appearance. Candidates appear on stage separately, one after the other. Week of Oct. 6: Mid Mo (KRCG etc) or Kraske Week of Oct 13: Mid Mo (KRCG etc) or KraskeOctober 18: KC/STL (KTVI/WDAF)Week of Oct. 20: Springfield (KY3 etc)," Shur wrote. "Also, can everyone agree that neither candidate will try to appear solo at any debates that are not included on this schedule? We accept jointly and decline jointly," Shur added.

Just fifteen minutes later on Aug. 20th, Hulshof's Baker appears to respond with this . . . "We don’t want to do KTVI/WDAF on the 18th, right? We’re just shooting for it to be within the week of the 13th?"

About a half hour later, Hancock responds by Blackberry, "Fine by me."

Although none of the exchanges specifically pin down just four debates, it appears that the Hulshof camp didn't privately request more head-to-head opportunities in the final days of negotiations with Team Nixon before the schedule was released to the press.

Lipstick on A Pitbull

STEELMAN DENIES AID FOR ETHANOL

Treasurer Says Plant Should Have No Investment Ties To Politicos

Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman today revoked conditional approval for financial aid for an ethanol plant that has political connections.

Show-Me Ethanol had received conditional approval in October 2006 for a 48 million dollar state bank deposit that would be used for a reduced-interest-rate loan. But the big condition was that the ethanol plant could have no investors who either were state officials or related to them. Among the investors was Governor Blunt's brother, Andy Blunt, and state House member John Quinn.

"Despite repeated requests, you have refused to give information or provide documentation about shareholders and those conflicts. At least four times since April our office has informed you of the need for this documentation and as of today you have still not supplied it," Steelman wrote in a letter to Show-Me Ethanol's Greg Thomas.

Steelman's office said Show-Me's "repeated refusal" to cooperate in complying with the laws that govern the program lead to her decision. The Treasurer said Show Me Ethanol repeatedly refused to clarify "syndication and financial issues."

"The only conclusion that is reasonable at this point is that your organization is not in compliance with the policies and laws of this state, and that you refuse to cooperate in coming into compliance. Two years is well beyond what should be expected by anyone who has come to the state asking for assistance and then refused to make any effort to comply with the laws and policies the state has established for that assistance," Steelman wrote.

"Accordingly, the conditional approval previously granted is revoked, and your application is denied," she concluded.

Blunt, Bond Among Top 10 Recipients of Fannie, Freddie Contributions

OBAMA IS NUMBER 2 ON THE LIST

Congressman Roy Blunt and Senator Kit Bond are at the top of the list of the members of Congress who have received the largest amount of campaign contributions from mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

OpenSecrets.org combed over the campaign finance reports of the two companies, now that the U.S. government has taken them over. OpenSecrets published a list of the 354 lawmakers who have received money from Mae or Mac from 1989 to 2008.

Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, topped the list, receiving $165,400 from the two over that period. Barack Obama was number two on the list, taking $126,349 over a short period.

Rep. Roy Blunt took in $96,950 and Sen. Kit Bond received $95,400 from the two. If you scroll down, you will see in the comment section, that some are questioning how OpenSecrets conducted its search. They note that a special search of John McCain pulls up contributions from associates of Freddie and Fannie.

Springfield resident Ronald Prull said he contacted both Bond and Blunt's offices Wednesday to request that they should both give the money back. "My thought is that the money should be returned however small the amount is," Prull wrote in an e-mail to the KY3 Political Notebook.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

The Cliffs Notes Version of What We Missed While We Were Gone This Week

• The group opposed to the Greene County Non-Partisan Court Plan began airing radio ads, targeting "liberal trial lawyers," aiming to "take away" your right to vote for judges. Listen to Better Courts For Missouri's ad HERE.
• That "other" anti-abortion group that's miffed at Missouri Right to Life, released its endorsement list. Missourians United For Life is backing most of the local Republican state representatives, as well as #136th candidate Eric Burlison. We didn't see #138th candidate Michael Goodart or #134 Rep. Jim Viebrock or #139 Rep. Shane Schoeller on their list. Ed Martin tells the KY3 Political Notebook that the group is still reviewing their surveys. He expects another round of endorsements to come out tomorrow or Monday.
• Kenny Hulshof announced his modifications to the Missouri Plan. In order to decrease the influence of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Hulshof wants to remove "special interests" from the Appellate System, replace the Chief Justice of the commission with a retired Supreme Court judge, and allow the Governor to veto more nominees. Democrats accused him of flip-flopping on the issue, after he supposedly endorsed Greene County's Non-Partisan Court Plan. Maybe it's like a Sarah Steelman endorsement. Lukewarm with caveats?
• Jay Nixon's campaign put up new TV, hitting Hulshof on his vote for trade with China and again for his statements on the economy. A clear attempt to further define Hulshof and drive up his negatives. 22 seconds of the 30-second spot focus on Hulshof --- (is this in response to the closing poll numbers?)
• Nixon supporter David Getty is circulating a petition, to urge Hulshof to debate him about why the Congressman thinks the economy "is in a good place." Getty's job at the Chrysler plant in Fenton leaves on Oct. 31st.
• The Hulshof campaign said Nixon has debate-o-phobia and is lying about an agreement on debates. "Kenny believes Missourians should have every opportunity to see and hear the candidates side by side," read a Hulshof e-mail to supporters. "In fact, he's accepted several additional debate proposals. Nixon has declined. To no one's surprise, Nixon and his campaign have taken liberty with the truth and told the media there was an agreement to have only four debates. That is not true!"
• The Missouri Democratic Party certainly didn't like the Post-Dispatch's poll showing Republican Brad Lager with a lead over Rep. Clint Zweifel in the Treasurer's race. On Wednesday, the party filed an ethics complaint against Lager for failing to properly report campaign expenditures. We're not saying they're related . . . we're just sayin'. . . (Republicans call the complaint ludicrous and desperate.)
  

NYT: Mo. Foreclosures Could Make Voting Tougher

Missourians who have gone through a foreclosure over the last two years could have trouble voting because many are still registered at the address of the home they lost, reported the New York Times Thursday.

"Many of these voters will be disqualified at the polls because in the tumult of their foreclosure, they neglected to tell their election board of their new address," reports Ian Urbina.

While the piece is a national look at the potential problem, the story cites a homebuilder who lost his home in Josephville, Missouri and also notes that the Fair Elections Legal Network, a liberal-leaning voting rights group, has sent a letter to Secretary of State Robin Carnahan about the matter.

The letters were sent to Arizona, Florida, Ohio and Missouri, asking officials to "better educate foreclosure victims on their rights." The letters argue that the laws in these states do not bar such voters from voting in their former jurisdictions if their intent is to move back as soon as circumstances allow.

From the Times:

"In Missouri, where 250,000 people notified the Postal Service of their move, only 22,000 told the election board. Robin Carnahan, the Missouri secretary of state, and a Democrat, said she is trying to get local election officials to increase the number of poll workers to deal with any confusion or challenges of voters."

We're Back . . .

On the Mainland, and we're, of course . . . DEVELOPING . . .

On The Beach, But No Bum

Sunset Beach, North Shore, Oahu

In doing some beach reading Sunday, I came across an article in September's Atlantic Monthly, by James Fallows, who previews the upcoming presidential debates and critiques the increasingly common format of these exercises that end up framing the election.

As we prepare for our KY3 debate for Governor between Kenny Hulshof and Jay Nixon, I'm constantly volleying strategies/questions back and forth inside my head. In his piece, "Rhetorical Questions," Fallows outlines some rules for debates. He calls them the "5 Questions That Should Never Be Asked." Fallows makes the case that we'd be more responsible journalists, and serve the public better if we adhered to these rules.

As you read them, think to yourself whether we should apply these rules to our own upcoming debate. And if you would like, e-mail me your thoughts about them (dcatanese@ky3.com.)

1. DON'T ASK . . . The Will You Pledge Tonight Question . . . Fallows argues no responsible politician should ever flat-out unequivocally promise to do ANYTHING. He says it would be irresponsible, because conditions change. In fact, if a politician does make a solid, flat-out pledge, Fallows argues, they are too "doctrinaire for the job." Pledges either handcuff a leader, or create a flip-flop trap.

2. DON'T ASK . . . The GOTCHA Question . . . This is about a change of policy. You could point out a date in 1998 where the candidate said, or suggested something different than he/she is saying now. Fallows says while some changes are suspicious and should be probed, others reflect a recognition of new facts, and should be accepted as so.

3. DON'T ASK . . .The Loaded Hypothetical . . . Because it assumes factors that can't be known, argues Fallows. He cites Bernard Shaw's question of Michael Dukakis 20 years ago about his wife being raped and murdered. Still, didn't that reveal something about the candidate that was useful?

4. DON'T ASK . . . The Raise Your Hand . . . This isn't even in the cards for us, but they did it at those early primary debates where they had like 12 candidates to get through. Fallows writes "the raise your hand question" is intellectually vulgar and extremely rude.

5. DON'T ASK . . . The Lightning Round . . . Again, we won't be doing this either; it's not in our format. But Fallows says this is also vulgar, rude and offensive.

Aloha

The Notebook on Location
We're in Honolulu, Hawaii for most of the week to attend the wedding of KY3 Chief Photographer Jim Van Dillen and KSPR anchor Michelle Sherwood
***
Between snorkeling and Mai-Tais, we'll be checking e-mail, but posting will slow until Thursday. Oh, and don't worry, we'll torture you with some photos;)
***
BTW: In case you were wondering, Hawaii just held its mayoral primary Saturday, and most of the Islands incumbents look safe. And a new St. Louis Post-Dispatch poll shows Jay Nixon's lead over Kenny Hulshof to be seven points -- 50%-43%. That's better news for Hulshof.

Stateline: Nixon Favored, But No Lock

"VULNERABLE"

The political state website surveys the map for Governors races and says what we all know: It's vulnerable for the G.O.P.
BUT . . .

It goes on to say that John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin could help Kenny Hulshof.

***

"But Nixon’s biggest worry is the Republican presidential ticket’s gains in Missouri," writes Stateline.org. "McCain was improving in Missouri even before he named Palin to the ticket, and she now looks likely to further energize the rural, conservative and Christian base that Hulshof needs if he is to neutralize the boost that Obama is expected to get from black voters in St. Louis and Kansas City. Republicans still see it as an uphill race, but it is no longer a lock for Nixon."

McCain-Palin Target Missouri Women

SATURDAY PHONE-BANKING

Brenda Talent, wife of former Sen. Jim Talent and Katie Smith, former Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture will hold a conference call with phone bankers at 2 p.m.

***

Morning Shift Calls will begin at 10 a.m. and go to 1 p.m.

Afternoon Shift: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
***

@

Greene County GOP Headquarters

2951 East Sunshine

Contact: Field Director Jake Ketzner: jake@mogop.org

Job Volley Continues

3:45 P.M. The Missouri Dept. of Economic Development touts new job numbers. Missouri is up 3,000 jobs in August. That includes an addition of 5,300 jobs in local government. Manufacturing showed a decrease of 3,700. Also, up 75,000 jobs since 2005.

3:50P.M. We ask the Nixon campaign, "What's up?"

3:58 P.M. Oren Shur, of Jay Nixon's campaign: "Congressman Hulshof and Gov. Blunt are probably the only two people in Missouri who think the state’s economy is doing well. Missouri’s unemployment rate continues to rise and we’ve lost more jobs in the past years than all eight of our bordering states combined. Congressman Hulshof can point to whatever academic study he wants, but real Missourians know that our economy is in shambles."

Approx 4:00 P.M. Keener Tippin II of Mo. Econ. Development calls. He emphasizes "We're up 3,000 jobs in August." I ask him why the discrepancy with manufacturing jobs. He says he can't speak to that.

4:05 P.M. Back to Oren, asking . . . to be fair, isn't +3,000 jobs good news? And how about 75,000 new jobs since '05? Are you arguing with that?

4:08 P.M. Oren: "By any measure, Missouri’s economy is moving in the wrong direction. Anyone who suggests differently is simply detached from reality."

. . . TIL NEXT WEEK

Guns Blazin'

G.O.P. CALLS OBAMA GUN AD UNTRUTHFUL

"No doubt, he's equivocated, backtracked and flip-flopped on the issue," said Missouri Republican strategist Lloyd Smith in a Friday afternoon conference call.

***

Smith is questioning a radio ad being run by Barack Obama, which features former Washington Redskin Ray Schoenke. "Barack Obama and John McCain will both make sure we can keep our guns," says Schoenke in the spot.

***

"On the issue of the 2nd amendment, Barack Obama has consistently received an F from the N.R.A," said Smith in the call. "He flip flopped on the gun ban in Washington D.C. . . he can't have it both ways . . . He worked against conceal-carry in Illinois . . . His radio ad . . . is nothing more than an untruth at best, and straight out lie at worst."

***

Smith also noted that the Supreme Court ruled the D.C. handgun ban "unconstitutional," and that's a position rural Missourians feel "strongly about."

***

This is what Obama said, in part, after that handgun ruling:

"As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact common-sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole and improving our background check system, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals."

HERE is some background of Obama's record on guns.

HERE is background on McCain's gun record.

This Just In . . .

From Peter Kinder's Paul Sloca:

"Bottom Line . . . Peter Kinder opposes embryonic stem cell research."

Friday Shorts

• A spokesperson for Peter Kinder sent us this statement in response to Sam Page's accusation that the Lieutenant Governor is having it both ways on embryonic stem cell research: "Peter Kinder stands by his statement that Sam Page is a liberal from St. Louis who continues to criticize Peter for all the work he has done on behalf of the people of St. Louis." Added Paul Sloca: "But Peter would be happy to call Sam Page a liberal from Carter County if that’s what Sam prefers." Sloca did not comment on how Kinder feels about embryonic stem cell research.
• Regarding Thursday's KY3 News @ 10 story on the Greene County Non-Partisan Court plan, Kenny Hulshof's spokesperson, Scott Baker wanted to remind us: "It is important to note that Kenny also said that modifications are needed to the overall Missouri Plan." Better Courts for Missouri, which has voiced opposition to the Non-Partisan Plan, sent out this awkward statement Friday: "We understand that Greene County citizens would reasonably be concerned by statements implying his support for a measure that would take away their right to vote for judges, but, again, we stand by our statement that Congressman Hulshof deserves to be commended for supporting open and accountable judicial selections and opposing the Missouri Plan."
• Dems are almost getting too gleeful when unemployment numbers tick up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Missouri's unemployment rate increased from 6.4% to 6.6% Friday. The Democratic Party notes that Missouri also lost another 3,700 jobs last month. "The thousands of Missourians who lost their job last month do not agree with Congressman Hulshof that either they or our state’s economy are in 'a good place,'" said Missouri Democratic Party spokesperson Zac Wright. So what happens if Jay Nixon becomes Governor, and in March, Missouri is still losing manufacturing jobs?
• Congressman Roy Blunt is calling for bipartisanship to deal with stabilization of the market. "Now is the time to set politics aside and prioritize stabilizing the economy," Blunt said at a press conference, as reported by Politico. "And if we do that and do that quickly, good things can happen and it will happen quickly. We may be seeing that in the market today," he said.

Voters Will Decide How To Pick Greene County Judges

THE NON-PARTISAN COURT PLAN

David Jones won the Aug. 5th Judicial primary against Judge Bob Lawson. But would Greene County be better off selecting its judges by appointment -- or electing them? That's the essence of a County ballot initiative that will face voters in November.

***

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE
***

Republican candidate for Governor Kenny Hulshof announced his support for the Greene County Non-Partisan Court Plan at the Springfield Bar Association Meeting: "I think that having the non-partisan plan here at the county level is a good thing."

***

Democratic candidate Jay Nixon's campaign sent The Notebook this response:

"Attorney General Nixon believes that politics has no place in the selection of judges," said spokesperson Oren Shur. "He is a longtime supporter of the non-partisan Missouri Court Plan, but he believes these decisions must be made at the local level. He trusts the voters of Greene County to make the right decision for their community on Election Day."

***

For more information about the plan, CLICK HERE.

Better Courts for Missouri has expressed opposition. Read Why HERE.
***
AND: The League of Women Voters Plans Forum on the Plan: Monday, Sept. 29th, Retired Judge Miles Sweeney will speak at The Library Center on South Campbell at 6:30 p.m. about the initiative

Page Accuses Kinder of "Double-Talk" on Stem Cells

The Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor is accusing Peter Kinder of "double-talk" when it comes to conservative issues.

"Former presidential candidate Fred Thompson in Joplin yesterday praised Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's conservatism. However, Lt. Gov. Kinder has not received the endorsement of Missouri Right to Life because of his intermittent support for stem cell research certain parts of the state," reads the release from the Page campaign.

"Lt. Gov. Kinder hasn't a conservative ideology, but he has a conservative geography," Page said. "He is a conservative in Joplin and then pops up a liberal in St. Louis. It is time he let Missourians in every county know his position on the important issue of stem cell research," he added.

Page supports embryonic stem cell research and said he "looks forward to advances that make umbilical cord blood easier to collect and use for experimentation to avoid the controversy surrounding stem cell research.

"My stand is a principled one," Page said. "I can't oppose research that gives hope to children with diabetes, young people who injure their spines, nor the families with parents and grandparents suffering from Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. I am not taking that hope away from them.

"And that's my position, wherever I am," he added.

Blunt Expresses Frustration With White House

Republican leaders are expressing frustration the Bush administration for failing to tell Congress about the bailout of American International Group.

That includes Ozarks Congressman Roy Blunt. The Wall Street Journal included this quote from Blunt: "It’s time for them to share a whole lot more information with Congress on what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, and what they’ll do in the future" Blunt of Missouri told reporters Wednesday, noting that the rank and file “don’t understand the coherent strategy if there is one.”

Then, there's this from The Hill:

"Minority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (Fla.) on Tuesday also expressed frustration with the lack of communication from the White House. Blunt told reporters that Republicans were unclear what the "coherent strategy" was regarding which financial entities merited a bailout and which do not."

Does Monroe Have Fuzzy Math?

The Democratic candidate to become Southwest Missouri's Congressman is claiming he's closing the gap with heavily favored Republican incumbent Roy Blunt.

Richard Monroe is calling his race against Congressman Blunt a "horserace."

"By this time, it is normally a foregone conclusion that the Republican Blunt would win again with a 70% margin. With Congressional approval near single digits, southwest Missourians agree with the rest of the country that there needs to be a change in Washington, especially with Congress," said Monroe staffer David Harper in a press release Thursday.

Harper is claiming that Monroe has been able to reduce "Blunt's support to 47%," compared to Monroe's 41%. The release does not detail where the campaign gets these numbers from, if they are approval numbers or figures reflecting head-to-head match up. It's highly unlikely that Monroe would be that close to Blunt in a head-to-head poll.

Still, Harper said that Monroe stands for the same change State Treasurer Sarah Steelman stood for in her primary campaign for Governor. "Steelman bucked the Republican system with her reformer ideals, her standing against Blunt and the machine cost her, their money and the party votes. Many of Steelman’s voters were so outraged by Blunt’s bullying of the party that they are crossing over to support Democrat Richard Monroe," writes Harper in the release.

The Monroe campaign said it has been picking up support "without a lot of fanfare," through door-knocking, phone-calling and e-mailing.

"I’ve been out on the doors and at fairs since March but I can’t find his 70%," said Monroe in his release, referring to the level of support he was told Blunt would have. "I have seen a majority saying that they are ready for a change. I stand for the change that the folks in Southwest Missouri want," Monroe said.

Econ and RGA

THE KENNY HULSHOF INTERVIEW

In this first clip, Hulshof questions whether Jay Nixon is opposed to every initiative by Gov. Matt Blunt, including the Quality Jobs Act. He also talks about "workforce challenges" in response to a question about the rough economic climate, adding that there's a "glaring need" for better workforce training in Missouri.

In the second clip, Hulshof says he doesn't believe a "set policy" has lead to Missouri's job loss over the last year. He notes that Chrysler decided to stay longer in the state than intended because of the economic climate. He also continues to paint Jay Nixon as a creature of the past, saying "we don't want to go back to those days."

In the third clip, Hulshof cites his business credibility over his opponent. As detailed in our reporting Wednesday, Hulshof supported a 2002 roads tax initiative. So, we asked him why he wouldn't support a similar tax hike now to aid the looming financial crisis in transportation?

"NOTHING ABOUT RGA?"

As I wrap up my interview, Hulshof seems primed to talk about the Republican Governors Association's support for his campaign. He makes clear he expects to continue to see their resources through the end. He also attempts to wipe away any perception that this won't be a close race.

ALSO THURSDAY: Hulshof wins the endorsement of the NFIB, National Federation of Independent Businesses. Said Brad Jones, of Missouri's chapter: "Kenny Hulshof understands the challenges facing small business owners and his commitment to solving them resonates with Missouri’s entrepreneurs and family-run companies."

Truthwatch: Hulshof vs. Nixon Tax Ads

Both Democrat Jay Nixon and Republican Kenny Hulshof are on the air with television ads right now accusing each other of the same thing: Voting for "the largest tax hikes in Missouri history."

A special KY3 News @ 10 TruthWatch report digs into the specifics of those charges. Watch it HERE.

The Nixon ad against Hulshof claims that the Congressman "supported raising the gas tax by 23%, and the sales tax by $3 billion dollars, the largest tax hike in Missouri history."

The Nixon campaign is referring to Proposition B, a 2002 ballot initiative designed to raise taxes for a 10-year period, to pay for roads and bridges. Seventy-two percent of voters shot the sales and gas tax increases down. But just days before the vote, Hulshof did tell The Columbia Tribune, he reluctantly supported the hike.

"Kenny Hulshof, a Republican congressman from Columbia, declared himself a "yes" vote before succumbing to a spasm of hedging in which he said the credibility of MoDOT officials is "an issue," wrote the Tribune's Josh Flory. "Even though this bill is in some respects flawed, I’m going to reluctantly support it on Aug. 6," Hulshof is quoted as saying.

That makes the claim in Nixon's ad true. Hulshof discussed his decision with the KY3 Political Notebook Wednesday in Springfield.

"I felt the number of white crosses on the highways and number of funerals of people in the 9th District because of head-on collisions that, even though the measure was flawed in many aspects, that I saw the need to support that initiative," Hulshof explained.

Hulshof's ad against Nixon accuses Nixon of backing the two largest tax increases in Missouri history during the 1990s. The Hulshof campaign points to two State Senate votes. In 1991, as a State Senator, Nixon did vote for Senate Bill 353. It turned out to be a $385 million dollar tax hike for education -- that had to be sent to the voters for approval. The bill never cleared the House. Still, it's true to say that Nixon supported a tax hike that needed approval by the voters. The Hulshof campaign is quick to note that if approved, that $385 million dollars would have been an annual cost -- not one-time. Also at that time, Senate President Pro Tem James Mathewson, who also supported the measure, boasted "it's the biggest package that's ever been voted through the Missouri General Assembly in either body."

"The bottom line is that he VOTED FOR (emphasis his) the tax increase," said Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker. "They're knocking Kenny for a quote in a newspaper. Jay Nixon's was a vote - in favor of the tax increase," he added.

Senate Bill 380 was a $310 million dollar tax hike passed in 1993. The hike again was designed for education. But Jay Nixon wasn't even in the state Senate for that vote. The vote was taken on May 14, 1993. It was signed into law two weeks later. Nixon had already become Attorney General in November 1992. The Hulshof campaign is criticizing Nixon for defending that legislation when opponents tried to force the hike to be put to a statewide vote. But, as Attorney General, it was Nixon's constitutional job to defend the state's bill.

Still, the Hulshof campaign points to a 1998 statement, where Nixon praised the results of the bill. "The reforms and dollars and the help to education have shown that Senate Bill 380 and the efforts made by Governor Carnahan and a bipartisan group in the legislature to improve education has worked," Nixon reportedly said on Aug. 31, 1998. "Nixon speaks highly of 380 in 1998. He thought it was a great bill! That is the definition of support," Baker said.

"There’s a reason why newspapers are already calling Congressman Hulshof’s latest attack ad ‘misleading’ and ‘unfair,'" said Nixon spokesperson Oren Shur. "The Congressman fully knows that it’s the Attorney General’s constitutional duty to defend the state’s laws whether he agrees with those laws or not. When Congressman Hulshof was a public defender, he defended a cop-killer. Does that mean Hulshof supports cop killers, or that he was simply doing his job as an attorney?," Shur asked.

Baker's response: "That doesn't pass the laugh test. Was he doing his job when he sued the state over the KATY trail bridge? Was he doing his job when he threatened to sue over MOHELA? Was he doing his job when he meekly defended the partial-birth abortion ban? How about when the legislature took him off the case regarding state funding of abortion?"

"He didn't just go through the motions on 380. He aggressively fought in court to keep it from the voters," Baker said. "This begs the simple question - does he support 380 today or not?"

To view both of Nixon and Hulshof's ads click HERE.

Ky3 News Political Block At 5 & 6

KY3 NEWS @ 5: CANDIDATES OPPOSE A.I.G. BAILOUT

KY3 NEWS @ 6: HULSHOF SAYS MISSOURI'S ECONOMIC CLIMATE "IN A GOOD PLACE," CITES THIS BALL STATE UNIVERSITY STUDY

ALSO: SAYS NIXON WILL UNDO TORT REFORM

TEAM NIXON RESPONDS TO TORT:

"Jay Nixon supports reasonable limits on law suits, but our economy is in shambles right now and we need to think bigger," said spokesperson Oren Shur. "The economic policies coming down from Washington have caused Missouri families to worry about paying their bills and keeping their jobs. In this campaign, Jay Nixon is focused on putting forward ideas to turn this economy around."

UPDATED 10:27 P.M. . . . SHUR RESPONDS TO HULSHOF STATEMENT:

"In Washington, Congressman Hulshof continues to vote for the failed economic policies that helped create this economic mess. Then the Congressman comes back to Missouri and runs around the state telling everyone the economy is doing just great. It’s as if Congressman Hulshof is completely unaware of the 45,000 Missourians who lost their jobs after he voted to help corporations outsource jobs to China. Or completely oblivious to the fact that families can’t afford gas or health care or college. Congressman Hulshof certainly does not represent the kind of change we need here in Missouri," Shur e-mailed The Notebook at 10:27 p.m., after viewing what Hulshof said Wednesday.

Shameless . . .

. . . PLUG

(Mom, this one's for you;)

My 30-second spot

Our current political promo running on KY3 . . . Thanks to the creativity of Promotions John Stinson . . . and by the way, you have no idea how many takes I did for that first shot.

Albright to Campaign in Missouri -- Not Southwest

Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright will campaign for Barack Obama in Missouri on Thursday in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis -- But NOT Springfield

***

Albright will hold foreign policy town hall meetings in these areas

***

ALSO Today: Team Obama delivers a letter to the local Springfield G.O.P. headquarters from supporters, asking Republican leaders if they really think "the state of the economy is doing well."

Hulshof on The Economy

Republican Kenny Hulshof talks to the KY3 Political Notebook about the economy after speaking to about 90 members of the Springfield Bar Association

Developing For KY3 News @ 6

***ALSO . . .

UNPROMPTED

After I conclude my questioning, Hulshof continues the interview to discuss recent reporting on the Republican Governors Association's priorities. The G.O.P. Congressman adamantly pushes back on assertions he's out of this race.

PLUS: TRUTHWATCHING THE ECONOMIC ADS TONIGHT ON KY3 NEWS @ 10

R.G.A. Calls To Be Clear: Hulshof Still "Top Priority"

PUSHING BACK

The Republican Governors Associated phoned the KY3 Political Notebook Wednesday to reassure this reporter that the race for Missouri Governor remains a top priority for the cash-heavy group.

The call was in response to a post questioning why Kenny Hulshof wasn't mentioned in a Politico article detailing advertising buys in the battleground states of North Carolina and Washington.

"The reason Hulshof wasn't mentioned in that article is because of specific television ad buys," said R.G.A. spokesperson Chris Schrimpf. "Because Missouri law allows us to give directly to the candidate, we don't air independent ads. That article was about the ads we are doing in North Carolina and Washington, because we can't give directly to the candidate."

Schrimpf called Hulshof's race against Democrat Jay Nixon "a top priority," but would not disclose the future plans of the R.G.A. The R.G.A. has already donated about $600,000 to Hulshof's effort. "We're not going to disclose how much we're going to continue to give to signal the Democrats. But that was the first donation, and it won't be the last," Schrimph. "Nixon is extremely vulnerable," Schrimph said, almost describing the Democratic nominee as the incumbent. "It's going to be a very close election and we're 100% focused on getting Kenny Hulshof elected."

Mailbag on Brenda's Story

Here's some of the mail I've received on the story we aired on Tuesday's KY3 News @ 10, detailing the economic troubles of Nixa's Brenda O'Connor.

"I believe I heard the statement she was in aggressive investments. In an aggressive investment you may as well take you money to the casino. If you can't afford to invest risky, don't do it. Because of her accumulated problems she said she might vote for Obama," writes Alfred of Springfield. "I have been retired since 1996, and my investments have been in low growth, but relatively safe. Now let's see Ky3 have a story on someone that is having problems, but because of Obama being a Marxist/Socialist, will vote for not giving up their freedom, and not depending on the government to take care of them," Alfred added.

"Having watched the 10 PM news on KY3 as usual tonight, my wife and I were sorely disappointed with an overly biased feature via David Catanese," write Dr. Larry and Carolyn Shields. "A proported generally Republican leaning female will be voting for B.O. this year in as much as her IRA has decreased 40% in value. Though the Democrats have controlled Congress, make up the major part of the executives at Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, and have had Democrat Barney Frank as chair of their oversight committee they apparently are free of blame for our economic crisis. As Cantanese noted, this lady is the type of switch voter B.O. is hoping for. And, so to it seems is he. Also she is voting "for Jay Nixon." Indeed, unlike most of your news staff who could be able to succeed most anywhere, I believe David has hopes of being a press secretary. News is filtered as being unbiased, biased for or biased against. You now seem to have joined the NBC/ MSNBC standard of little ethic in political reporting. We will sorely miss watching Lisa, Ned and the rest of your quality staff. However, David and his producer have sealed that deal. God Bless and Save you and America," added the Shields'.

Twittering From The Top of Springfield

KENNY HULSHOF SPEAKS TO THE SPRINGFIELD BAR ASSOCIATION

@ The Tower Club

Get LIVE Updates HERE

As Economic Uncertainty Swirls, Nixa Woman Poised To Swing Her Vote

THE WOMAN THE G.O.P. SHOULD WORRY ABOUT

Nixa's Brenda O'Connor voted for President Bush. But she's not married to either party, and after losing her job at Burrell Health, and watching her I.R.A. lost 40 percent of its value over the past six months, this single mom says she's leaning towards checking Democratic boxes this November.

***

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE
***

Former MSU Business Department Head Dr. George Swales notes that the fundamentals of the economy "are not as strong as they could be," but quickly adds that history shows in the long term we'll be strong. "I think of the long term, rather than the short term," Swales told KY3 News. "This too shall pass, as the saying goes."

ALSO: He recommends O'Connor keep her money where it is. "You don't want to pull out your money from a 401 K or IRA or anything you might have. If you can ride it out, that's good news."

BUT: O'Connor acknowledges her I.R.A. investments are foreign and high-risk, and says her biggest worry is finding employment that can help her pay for her house and monthly bills. O'Connor was employed with Burrell Health doing work in early childhood development, but she says she was let go because the company was unsure it would be able to renew a state grant it used to pay her annually.

***

"I know I do not see a stable economy," O'Connor says. "I have supported (the President.) (Now) I am leaning towards Democrat. Over the last eight years, it's been Republican and it's been very difficult for me."

Kenny Hits The Bar

Republican nominee for Governor Kenny Hulshof will address the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the top of the Tower Club

***

In his remarks on the 21st Floor, Hulshof will discuss the current state of Missouri's judicial system and propose modifications to the "Missouri Plan."

Incumbent Young Wins Webster County Re-Vote

A second vote -- and a different winner in Webster County.

Incumbent Southern County Commissioner Denzil Young has won the re-vote in the Republican primary in Webster County.

Young defeated challenger Jamie Ayers, 50%-46%. Of the 1918 total votes cast in Webster County's Southern District, Young won by 73 votes.

Here's the breakdown:

DENZIL YOUNG 50% (960 Votes)
JAMIE AYERS 46% (887 Votes)
RON WORSHAM 4% (71 Votes)

On August 5th, challenger Ayers appeared to defeat incumbent Young by just four votes, but a new vote was ordered after the county clerk discovered some people received the wrong ballot and might have voted in the wrong race.

Young will now attempt to defend his seat against Democrat Rex Allen in November.

Skelton Engaged To Be Married

WASHINGTON --- Missouri Rep. Ike Skelton may be known as a military guru but he's a romantic at heart. The 76-year-old Democratic congressman from Lexington is engaged to Patty Martin, a longtime friend from his hometown.

Skelton presented an engagement ring to Martin as a birthday present on Aug. 31 while the two dined at Plaza III, an upscale steakhouse on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza. Skelton says he's "thrilled" and calls Martin "a real sweetheart."

More HERE.

Blunt's Chrismer: Where Was Zweifel on Guard Pay?

Governor Matt Blunt's top communication staffer swung back at State Rep. Clint Zweifel Tuesday for claims he made about a delay in pay for National Guard members.

On Monday, Zweifel, the Democratic nominee for State Treasurer, claimed that some National Guard members wait as long as 30-days to get paid for emergencies because the Blunt administration puts "bureaucratic convenience before financial security of guard members."

Blunt's Rich Chrismer called those assertions "false."

"The state of Missouri makes certain that members of the National Guard are paid in full in the shortest possible time allowed by law which is typically ten to eleven business days after the end of the pay cycle," Chrismer said in a statement. "State law dictates semi-monthly pay and the state pays for actual time worked at the end of the pay period. It is a matter of law, not convenience," he added.

Chrismer also said that changes to the payment cycle would require legislation and "cannot be done by Executive Order" and questioned why Zweifel didn't try to change the law when he could have.

"Zweifel did not take steps to make changes to the pay cycle in the state legislature and now he is attempting to make it a political issue," Chrismer said. "Where was he?"

Blunt in Kosovo

At Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo Tuesday, Gov. Matt Blunt joined Missouri troops participating in the Warrior Leaders Course, a month-long, advanced training course for Army Non-Commissioned Officers preparing for promotion to the rank of Sergeant. Blunt also delivered a care package to Staff Sergeant Dan Campbell, a Jefferson City High School softball coach who joined the Guard after the terrorist attacks on 9-11. Blunt also traveled outside of Camp Bondsteel and into the field, meeting with soldiers dealing with security, public information, military police, command and control, NATO support, and medic and material movement. Above, Blunt meets with Task Force Thunder soldiers while walking in the streets of Gnjilane, Kosovo.

All About The Economy

It's the TOP issue in the presidential campaign and the Governor's race.

Tonight on KY3 News @ 10, a look at how the economic crisis on Wall Street is hitting home in the Ozarks.

***

Plus: What are "the fundamentals?"

And: How should voters cut through the back and forth to pick the candidate(s) with the best economic plan for them?

We talk to an unemployed single Nixa mother and the retired Dean of the Business School at Missouri State University.

DEVELOPING . . .

Re-Vote

Voters in Southern Webster County head to the polls AGAIN today -- to RE-Vote in the Republican primary election for County Commissioner

UPDATE: As of 3:45 p.m., just 50 people had voted at the northern most precinct

***

A Circuit Judge invalidated the primary on Aug. 5th after the County Clerk found that 10 people from the Northern District accidentally got ballots for the Southern District race.

***

Challenger Jamie Ayers appeared to beat Incumbent Denzil Young by 4 votes. Outgoing Sheriff Ron Worsham will also remain on the ballot -- though he has said he hopes Ayers beats Young.

Who will emerge to face Democrat Rex Allen?

RESULTS @ 7 P.M.

RGA Website Notes Potential Gains; No Mention of Hulshof

The Republican Governors Association has posted an article on its website that highlights two key states that could give the G.O.P. a net gain in Governorships. Missouri is not one of those states, and Kenny Hulshof's candidacy is not mentioned.

The article is cited as being written by Politico and notes North Carolina and Washington as two states the Republicans could win.

"The air time the committee has reserved is not insignificant, either; a breakdown of the time reserved in North Carolina provided by one source with knowledge of the strategy shows the RGA has set aside close to $3.6 million for ads there, including $1.1 million in the final two weeks alone," according to the piece.

"The committee would not comment on the size of the ad buy in Washington except to say that it is substantial. The ad there takes on Gregoire for campaign contributions she took from Native American tribes after a deal the state and tribes reached over casinos," it goes on.

Should the no-mention of Hulshof have his campaign and Missouri Republicans concerned?

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall . . .

WHO'S THE BIGGEST TAXER OF THEM ALL?

THE LOBSTER IS BACK . . .

WITH CLAWS.

Nixon Accuses Hulshof of Supporting "The Largest Tax Hike in Missouri History"

HULSHOF CAMP: "Does Nixon Really Want To Talk Taxes?"

Accuses Nixon of Supporting 2 Largest Tax Hikes in the 1990s

In his latest television ad, Jay Nixon's campaign for Governor is attacking Congressman Kenny Hulshof for "wasteful" Washington spending and accusing him of supporting the "largest tax hike in Missouri history."

Yes, the lobster that was meant to symbolize earmarks --- and tormented Hulshof in the primary race with Sarah Steelman --- is back. But Nixon is not only targeting Hulshof on spending, he's attempting to flip the traditional tax issue on its head -- accusing the Republican in this race of supporting higher taxes.

"Does he really want to go there,?" responded Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker Monday. "As a State Senator, Nixon voted time and again to raise an assortment of state taxes by well over $1 billion. You name it. Nixon supported it. This includes higher gas, income and sales taxes. He even supported a $456 million tax package that a Senate leader deemed "the biggest package that’s ever been voted through the Missouri General Assembly.'" Baker said in a statement.

Most recently, the Hulshof campaign is calling Nixon's support of expanding the S-CHIP program a "$71 billion dollar tax hike."

Meanwhile, the most recent Hulshof ad is the Republican campaign's most creative spot of the cycle. It accuses Nixon of backing the two largest tax increases in state history during the 1990s.

In its response the Nixon campaign focused its attention entirely on Hulshof's record. "Congressman Hulshof can't defend his Washington record because, quite frankly, these votes are indefensible," said spokesperson Oren Shur. "The Congressman voted for The Bridge to Nowhere, and the Woodstock Museum, and for deficits as far as the eye can see. In Washington, they just print money and then recklessly spend it. Here in Missouri, we balance our budgets," Shur added.

We're planning to **Truthwatch** these in the near future . . . but for now, which one is winning the ad wars?

PLUS: HULSHOF'S BEST AD YET

Lampe Talks Palin-tology

In the first clip, Springfield State Rep. Sara Lampe (#138th) purposefully dodges the question of whether Sarah Palin is qualified to be on the ticket, but then elaborates on why the issues should be the focal point in the campaign ahead.

In the second clip, Rep. Lampe says she agrees that motherhood brings "a lot to the table," and concludes that Palin's experience shouldn't be the issue. She notes that she had "a lot to learn" when she first got to Jefferson City. Lampe also talks about how Joe Biden should go about taking Palin on in the vice-presidential debate.

In the third clip, Lampe says that we should move past the four incredible life stories of Obama, McCain, Biden and Palin. We also discuss how much of the time "personality" plays a larger role in our politics than issues. Oh, and if you missed it, you can watch Lampe ride a Harley HERE.

Parnell Wants Ike . . .

. . . In a Debate, that is.

The Republican candidate in Missouri's 4th Congressional District, Jeff Parnell, says he has challenged Congressman Ike Skelton to a debate via certified mail.

(No, the debate wouldn't be by mail. That's just how he sent the request.)

"Surely a 32 year incumbent and former prosecutor will have no fear of debating a tire man from Webster County," Parnell wrote in an e-mail to media outlets Monday.

CQ Politics Disputes McCaskill's Abortion Claim

A charge made by Senator Claire McCaskill that John McCain wants to jail some women who have abortions is being disputed by CQ Politics.

The KY3 Political Notebook first raised questions about McCaskill's accusation in this post on Sunday.

"This is a ticket that wants to put women in prison for having an abortion after they've been raped," McCaskill said on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

CQ's analysis concluded that "McCaskill’s claim is a highly questionable stretch of what McCain has said and done on the volatile issue of abortion." The Obama campaign is standing by the statement because McCain has said he'd like to see Roe v. Wade overturned. "Many states would criminalize abortion for women by making it a felony punishable by jail time — some even in cases of rape," an Obama spokesperson told CQ.

While that may be true, it cannot be assumed that McCain would explicitly support jail time for the women who have abortions. There's no public record of McCain ever uttering such a thing.

"The extrapolation that a Roe foe, of necessity, wants to lock rape victims behind bars is seen as twisted in the view of some Democrats who oppose abortion," reports CQ.

“I don’t think it’s a fair accusation. It’s scare techniques,” said Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America, an organization that supports Democrats who oppose abortion rights.

CQ concludes: "Even if McCain had not explicitly said in the past that he thinks abortion should be legal for rape victims and even had he not explicitly stated his opposition to prosecuting women who have abortions, it takes a further leap of logic to make real the prospect of rape victims doing hard time for having abortions."

The KY3 Political Notebook agrees with CQ's conclusions.

Gov. Blunt Visits Troops in Kosovo

Gov. Matt Blunt was in Pristina, Kosovo Monday to meet with Missouri troops stationed overseas.


"Missouri’s patriots are doing tremendous work and representing our state with honor," Gov. Blunt said. "We can all take great pride in everything they do to keep our state and nation safe. It is inspiring to witness the roles these fine young men and women are filling, the selflessness of their sacrifices and their dedication to service," he added in a statement.

Blunt met with members of the Missouri National Guard at the Kosovo Force (KFOR) Headquarters in Pristina. According to the Governor's office, more than 1,000 citizen soldiers of the Missouri National Guard are currently working in Kosovo. Since September 11, 2001, almost 8,000 citizen Soldiers and Airmen have been mobilized. This is the third time Blunt has visited Missouri troops overseas.

Also, Monday, the Governor announced he is sending 141 Missouri Department of Social Services’ (DSS) employees to Louisiana to assist with disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

Zweifel To Blunt: Pay The Guard Faster

The Democratic candidate for State Treasurer is calling on the Blunt administration to fix the 30-day pay lag for activated National Guard members when the respond to emergencies.

The Associated Press reported on the problem last week.

"The Blunt Administration needs to stop putting bureaucratic convenience before the financial security of guard members," Rep. Clint Zweifel said in a statement Monday. "There is no reason with our current technology that a system cannot be created to pay activated guard members in a timely manner," Zweifel added.

"The men and women of the guard are willing to leave their families and civilian jobs at a moments notice when called upon to assist their neighbors in state emergencies," Zweifel said. "The least the state can do is ensure that guard members and their families do not suffer financially because of their sacrifice," he added.
According to the A.P.:

When the governor activates the Guard to help with disasters in Missouri, those soldiers are paid through the state payroll system. The state payroll is done in two-week increments with the paycheck covering one cycle behind for accounting purposes. So work done for the first two weeks of the month is paid at the end of that month. And work done in the second half of the month is paid in the middle of the following month.

Team Obama Targets McCain on Taxes

TAX FIGHT

In Conference Call, Team Obama says their candidate will not raise taxes on any family making less than $250,000 -- Adds that John McCain "can't make the same pledge."

***

Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee and Obama’s National Economic Advisor Brian Deese unveil Missouri "Truth Squad on Taxes"

***

G.O.P's ICET RESPONDS

UPDATED BELOW: OBAMA SPOKESPERSON RESPONDS TO ICET

A top Obama national economic adviser told reporters Monday that the choice on taxes between John McCain and Barack Obama is simple, but stark: Obama won't raise taxes on any family making less than $250,000 and McCain "cannot make that same pledge."

Republican House Budget Chairman Allen Icet responded by noting that Obama's plan to raise capital gain taxes impacts everyone. "If an increase in capital gains were to be passed . . . it would be about $200 million plus less than we'd receive otherwise," Icet said. He added that of the $8.8 billion dollars Missouri receives in general revenue, ten percent is associated with capital gains. "By increasing the capital gains taxes, people won't turn stocks over as normal as they would," Icet said.

Obama economic adviser Brian Deese called McCain's tax plan "totally, completely unaffordable." Deese added that McCain's plan leaves out millions of middle class families. "Don't take our word for it," Deese added, noting that conservative groups like The Heritage Foundation, National Review, and The Tax Foundation have all criticized McCain's plan. Icet said that he has not read Obama's plan in detail, but has focused on the capital gains tax.

Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee said that Obama's plan "cuts more taxes for more people," including "95% of Missouri workers." "What he's saying about Senator Obama's tax plans are just plain lies. These distortions can't keep going without being answered," Montee said. Deese also noted that McCain's plan would "tax health benefits of workers" for the first time in American history. Icet said he does not believe McCain's intent is to raise taxes. He said McCain's plan is designed to allow more Americans to receive healthcare coverage.

The two camps views on the state of the economy were also quite different. Montee called McCain "out of touch" for thinking that the economy has made great progress under President Bush. She noted that Missourians have seen 163 percent increase in gas prices and that in 2008, Missouri has lost 19,000 jobs. Icet said that general revenues remain on target, and "that reflects the economic health of the state." "The state of the economy is doing well," Icet said.

***UPDATED 10:42 P.M. . . "Today, when Republican Allen Icet repeated John McCain's claim that the "state of the economy is doing well", we confirmed that the Missouri GOP is just as out of touch with the needs of everyday people as its Presidential nominee," said Obama Regional Press Secretary Jean Weinberg. "After we reaffirmed that Senator Obama will cut taxes for 95% of Missouri's families and that John McCain couldn't make the same claim, how did Missouri Republicans respond? By avoiding the truth--that McCain's tax plan will leave 72% of Missouri families behind," Weinberg added.

McCaskill Goes After Palin on Earmarks, Abortion

In an aggressive ABC Sunday morning interview, Sen. Claire McCaskill labels Sarah Palin "The Queen of Earmarks," and says the Republican presidential ticket wants to jail some women for having abortions.

Sen. Claire McCaskill criticized Sarah Plain for requesting "hundreds of millions of dollars" in earmarks and suggested that a McCain administration would attempt to jail some women for having abortions, in a tough interview on ABC's This Week Sunday.

Missouri's junior Senator accused Palin has taken more federal earmarks per person "than any Governor in the history of the planet. "While John McCain was making fun of DNA earmarks for bears, she was asking for a DNA earmark for seals, almost at the identical moment," McCaskill said.

"She just requested this year George, she requested hundreds of millions of dollars of earmarks for Alaska. She took the money for the bridge to nowhere. She hired lobbyists to get earmarks. This is a woman who has been lobbying for earmarks, received earmarks, as a mayor, as a Governor," McCaskill went on. "You've got to be honest about the facts. Sarah Palin has been an earmark queen in Alaska. That's the facts."

According to FactCheck.org, while it's true Palin has scaled back Alaska's earmark requests, within the last two years, in 2006, she requested $197 million dollars in earmarks. It's also been widely reported that after Palin began criticizing the Bridge to Nowhere, she still accepted non-earmarked money that could have been used for the bridge. She then used that money for other state transportation purposes.

McCain surrogate Carly Fiorina, appearing with McCaskill, noted that Barack Obama has requested almost $ 1 billion dollars in earmarks "during his very short term in the U.S. Senate." Fiorina would not acknowledge that Palin did in fact keep money related to the Bridge to Nowhere, while McCaskill dodged a question about whether Hillary Clinton would have been a smarter selection as Obama's running mate.

McCaskill quickly noted that earlier this summer, Palin called Clinton "a whiner." She also said that when McCain had the opportunity to call out sexism against Clinton earlier in the year, he failed to do so. "When John McCain was asked a question at a forum, someone said, how do we stop the b****," McCaskill recalled. "And John McCain laughed." Fiorina said Obama made a critical strategic error by not choosing Clinton.

McCaskill also signaled that questions about John McCain's age are fair game. "Other people talk about his melanoma, we're talking about a reality here that we have to face. This is someone who's going to be one heartbeat away from the presidency. All of us know it," McCaskill said. Fiorina replied that raising questions about McCain's age is "disrespectful in the extreme." "This is ageism," Fiorina said, adding that the strategy showed "desperation."

The line of attack that will most likely raise the most eyebrows was McCaskill's assertions about what the McCain-Palin ticket would do on the issue of abortion. "This is a ticket that wants to put women in prison for having an abortion after they've been raped," McCaskill said.

"John McCain proudly states he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade," McCaskill added later.

The KY3 Political Notebook could not find a statement made by John McCain advocating the jailing of women for having an abortion. Abortion opponents are usually vague about the punishments for those who have, perform or assist an abortion. In reality, the power of a McCain administration to affect the issue of abortion would be limited to his appointments to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court did, at some point, overturn Roe v. Wade, that decision would give states more authority in writing abortion laws. While some would surely impose restrictions, others would not. And none of those laws or penalities would be written by John McCain.

Finally, McCaskill accused McCain running an ad "full of lies." "John McCain has not told the truth about Sarah Palin. He's run an ad that is terribly distorted and full of lies," McCaskill said. "When women figure out that John McCain has run an ad saying that when Barack Obama wanted to give education to kindergartners about how to avoid sexual predators, that in fact, they ran an ad that said he wanted to give them sex education," she said.

It's true that the words "comprehensive sex education," appeared in the bill the ad referred to, but Obama does not support explicit sex education for kindergartners. According to FactCheck.org, the bill would have allowed "age appropriate material and a no-questions-asked opt out policy for parents." But Obama was never even a co-sponsor of this bill -- and the bill never left the Senate. The bill also included "sex education" on information that would help students recognize "inappropriate touching, sexual assault and rape."

Ashley Judd to Stump For Obama in Springfield

The American actress will host a women's roundtable, then make calls.

1 p.m. Sunday at Obama HQ, 220 S. Campbell in downtown Springfield

***

Judd will join Obama Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes to discuss the Obama-Biden plan for working families. The campaign says they will be speaking with "undecided local women." ***BUT -- The last time the Obama camp billed a veterans event as a meeting with "undecided locals," I couldn't find one person in the room who wasn't already supporting Obama.

***

After the roundtable, Judd and Barnes will make calls with volunteers

WONDERING WHY you aren't hearing about similar local events for John McCain?

Answer: Because there AREN'T ANY.

Do these events win free media? YES

Do they gain Obama votes? UNKNOWN

Poll: Hulshof Down Fifteen

NO PALIN BUMP HERE
Nixon 54%, Hulshof 39%
Rasmussen Reports Survey

Telephone Survey of 700 Likely Voters, September 11th, Margin of Error 4.5%

***
Nixon Leads By 17% Among Unaffiliated Voters

The Attorney General is up by 23% Among Women

66% View Nixon Favorably; 49% View Hulshof Favorably (-6 From Last Month)

37% Say Gov. Matt Blunt is Doing A Good Job

TOPLINES HERE

***

***PLUS: NIXON BEGINS TO HIT HULSHOF ON SPENDING IN NEW ADS

Craighead: Obama Will Pull Out Of Missouri

"CLAIRE'S ANNOYING"

That's the answer State G.O.P. Executive Director Jared Craighead gave in a conference call when asked why Barack Obama's campaign continues to put resources into Missouri. He predicted that eventually the Obama campaign would pull out of Missouri, much like John Kerry did in 2004.

***

PLUS: Rep. Blunt mocks Obama's bipartisan credentials:

"If he is infatuated with his own life (enough) to write two autobiographies, I assume he is happy with the way he has been acting, and he hasn't been acting in a bipartisan way legislatively anywhere," Rep. Roy Blunt tells McClatchy newspapers.

***

***UPDATED***

ALSO: TEAM OBAMA RESPONSE TO CRAIGHEAD'S RESPONSE:

"Obama regional press secretary Jean Weinberg chuckled at some of Craighead's assertions. Weinberg also denied the 40-phones-shipped-out story, adding that the GOP "seems to have no problem inventing facts when it's politically convenient for them to do so."

The executive director of the Missouri Republican Party called Sen. Claire McCaskill's claims that John McCain is losing ground in the Show-Me State "disingenuous," and predicted that Barack Obama's campaign would eventually pull resources out of the state.

Jared Craighead's comments were made in a conference call in response to early claims by the Obama campaign. You can read that post HERE. McCaskill said that John McCain's losing ground in the state, and that the Obama campaign would "surprise" the media in November.

"They're just not getting traction here," Craighead said. "That's clear in the polls you see. I hope you just don't take them at their word. (Obama's) message just isn't resonating in Missouri," Craighead said.

Craighead said he believed that recent polls showing McCain ahead by 5 or 6 points are probably accurate. He pointed out that typically no statewide candidate usually wins Missouri by more than four points. "For Claire to say John McCain should be up by more than 6 points, it's just very disingenuous. It doesn't reflect the reality of Missouri," Craighead said.

He then offered an anecdote. Craighead said he recently heard from a postal worker that an Obama office was shipping 40 phones out of the state. He said that illustrates, "they clearly understand they are not competitive, not moving numbers."

To say that Obama isn't competitive in Missouri is a stretch. But McCaskill's claim that McCain is "losing ground" seems inaccurate as well. "She's put herself on the line on this. She's told Barack Obama to waste time in rural Missouri," Craighead said of McCaskill, adding that Obama's plan has "zero chance" of resonating in places like the Ozarks.

Craighead also said be believed the Obama campaign is lying about some of their organizational numbers. He noted that the G.O.P. has already provided evidence to show that the Obama campaign doesn't have as many operating offices across the state as it claims. He said McCain has about 10 statewide offices, dedicated fully to the Republican nominee. "They like to brag about a bunch of numbers. We're not bragging about voter contacts," he said.

When asked if Obama would eventually pull out of Missouri like John Kerry did in 2004, Craighead responded: "They're out of here. I think they'll be out." When asked why the campaign still seems to be organizing heavily and competing here, Craighead replied, "Because Claire's annoying." "She can't be rational (about this)," Craighead said. "If I was advising Senator Obama, I'd be out (of Missouri)," he added.

Bikers For Obama Hit McCain on "Buying American"

BIKERS BACK OBAMA

AT ISSUE: Obama's support of requiring the government to purchase American-made motorcycles, like those produced by Harley-Davidson. Area bikers chastised John McCain for calling that "Buy American" policy "disgraceful."

***FACT CHECK***: McCain DID in fact call a requirement for the federal government to buy American products "disgraceful" . . . FROM POLITIFACT . . . "McCain has repeatedly voted and spoken against requiring the government to buy American-made products. He argues that such a requirement hurts trade and doesn’t guarantee the lowest prices for taxpayers."

***

Springfield State Representative Sara Lampe, join area Teamsters/bikers, Bryan Emory and John Cook in lambasting McCain's position.

**PLUS: MUST-SEE VIDEO**

LAMPE RIDES A HARLEY

**WATCH IT BELOW**

Jim Kabell's Big Bad BBQ

LET ME SEE YA' GRILL

The local Teamsters Union member hosts most of the major Democratic statewide candidates at his Lawrence County farm Saturday for a barbeque that will draw hundreds for both grilled --- and RED meat.

***

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, Attorney General candidate Chris Koster, Lieutenant Governor candidate Sam Page and Treasurer candidate Clint Zweifel are all expected to attend (Nixon is campaigning in northern Missouri). The grilling begins around 11:30 a.m. The pols will speak around 1 p.m. Kabell's farm is in Miller, Mo.

Huckabee: Missouri 1 of 5 Battlegrounds

Former Arkansas Governor and White House contender Mike Huckabee tells the KY3 Political Notebook that Missouri could end up deciding the next president. He first speaks about the selection of Sarah Palin. Huckabee says Palin's candidacy could "awaken independent women," who see her as a way to elevate women in the electoral process.

***WATCH IT ABOVE***

Huckabee was in Springfield to address the anti-abortion Vitae Society in Thursday. Word is he could be returning to the area for an event for G.O.P. Treasurer candidate Brad Lager.

Claire Call

"We're Gonna Surprise You"

In a conference call, Sen. Claire McCaskill plays the expectation game, spinning that John McCain is the one actually losing ground in the Show-Me State.

***

CONFIDENCE IN THE GROUND GAME

State Director Buffy Wicks rattles off a slew of numbers to demonstrate the Obama ground game, in an effort to beat back the perception that Missouri may be slipping away from the Democratic nominee.

***

The call comes at a time when Obama has lost tracking in national polls, and when the most recent poll shows him down 5 points in Missouri.

Sen. Claire McCaskill warned reporters against assuming that Barack Obama can't win Missouri Friday and claimed that John McCain should be holding a bigger lead right now.

McCaskill made the comments in a conference call with reporters, in an effort to remind the media that Obama shouldn't be counted out in the Show-Me State. The call was also designed to showcase Team Obama's confidence in their groundgame effort with workers and volunteers.

"You'd think the polls would be going up, instead you see the polls going in the opposite direction," McCaskill said. "John McCain is losing ground."

But a look at the most recent polls taken in Missouri show McCain's lead has stayed relatively stable. Five out of the last six polls taken show that McCain has lead Obama by 5 or 6 points. Just one poll, by Public Policy Polling, gave McCain a 10-point advantage. A Rasmussen survey out Friday puts McCain up by 5 and the Real Clear Politics average gives McCain a 6.6% edge.

"He's been up as high as 7, 10 even 14," McCaskill said. "McCain has been in double-digits," she added, trying to raise the question of why McCain is losing ground.

When asked to provide any empirical example of how Obama is closing the gap, McCaskill said there has been "a lot of polling available to us, and not the public" in recent weeks. "I'm so proud the polling is closing in our favor. All of you thinking Barack Obama can't win Missouri, we're going to surprise you," McCaskill said.

THE GROUND GAME

Obama National Field Director Jon Carson said be believes the strongest factor in why someone may vote for his candidate is what they hear from neighbors. "Word of mouth, one-on-one conversations," Carson said. He called Missouri "one of the most important states," and added that they've sent some of the best field staffers to work here.

State Director Buffy Wicks said that they are basing their turnout projections on the 2000 presidential race and not 2004, because four years ago John Kerry pulled out of the state with three weeks to go, "and that's something we won't be doing in this state."

Wicks explained that each neighborhood in the state has five Obama volunteers that manages 8 to 12 precincts. Wicks said right now Obama's Missouri campaign has about 2,000 volunteers serving as team leaders. She said volunteers hit 30,000 doors statewide this past weekend alone. She also said the goal of Team Obama is to register 75,000 new voters in Missouri. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has reported 200,000 new voters have registered so far. Wicks thinks that's a good sign for Democrats. "We're not ceding any ground in this state at all. We're borrowing Sen. McCaskill's 2006 strategy. Of our 40 offices statewide, 27 serve rural communities," Wicks said.

It's clear that Obama has a larger, more sophisticated and more aggressive operation throughout Missouri. The question is how many points its worth to him come election day.

Five

Latest Missouri Poll Puts McCain Up By A Nickel

McCain 51%, Obama 46%

700 Missouri voters polled on Sept. 11th, Margin of Error 4%

McCaskill on "This Week"

Sen. Claire McCaskill will appear on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos this Sunday. Carly Fiorina will also appear as John McCain's surrogate.

DEBATE VIDEO: Hulshof vs. Nixon on Ethics, Campaign Finance

***THE FIRST DEBATE***

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE

The Columbia Tribune's Terry Ganey asked the question that evoked the most spirited back-and-forth between Jay Nixon and Kenny Hulshof. It also sparked a separate debate about ethics and campaign finance reform. WATCH the clip above to here Ganey ask what each would do about the open-records lawsuit hovering over Gov. Matt Blunt's administration.

The debate over Gov. Matt Blunt and ethics lead Nixon to accuse Hulshof of "Washington doublespeak" on the issue of campaign finance reform. Nixon supports limits, Hulshof said he believes a system without limits is better than the old system because it lacked transparency. CHECK OUT the campaign finance debate ABOVE.

***

***POST-DEBATE: Nixon Campaign Calls Hulshof a Hypocrite . . . Hulshof wants to eliminate "committee pass-throughs," but has continued to accept $150,000 in those types of contributions over the past few weeks, charges MoDem Part spokesperson Zac Wright. He then points to a statement by Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker, defending these committee contributions . . . "My question would be, why not? If a group of citizens, in this case a committee, decides they want to give to a candidate, why shouldn't they,?" Baker said.

RIGHT BACK AT YOU . . . Hulshof Camp Says Nixon's a Hypocrite . . . They point to several fines Nixon has been forced to pay for "over the limit expenditures and donations." Team Hulshof also notes a June 1997 Post-Dispatch editorial . . . according to the piece, Nixon held a fundraiser where donors gave more than the federal legal limit. The excess money would be later tallied for a Campaign Committee. "Apparently, Mr. Nixon's advocacy of reform, doesn't require that his actions be consistent with his beliefs," wrote the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

DEBATE VIDEO: Hulshof vs. Nixon on Education

Jay Nixon and Kenny Hulshof also debated their higher education plans during the 75-minute debate at the University of Missouri. Hulshof criticized Nixon's plan for "pushing kids" towards community colleges. Watch the exchange above, and then Nixon's response to Hulshof's critique after the debate. Nixon said that Hulshof apparently doesn't understand his plan, because it is meant to give a pathway for a student to move from a 2-year school to a 4-year institution.

***PLUS: Gov. Blunt's office responds to the Nixon campaigns criticism of the MOHELA sale . . . "Had Jay Nixon's opposition to a comprehensive higher education package succeeded, it would have killed two reforms," said Rich Chrismer, referring to the Access Missouri scholarship program and tuition controls.

***

"Gov. Blunt's Lewis & Clark Initiative was an innovative solution to increasing funding for higher education without new spending or a tax increase," Chrismer said. "Jay Nixon has proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in new big government spending for welfare and other government programs, yet when asked earlier this week by KY3 where he would cut spending, Nixon could not answer the question," he added.

In their sparring over K-12 education, Hulshof noted that Missouri only graduated 1 high school physics teacher last year. He wants to focus on recruiting more teachers in math and sciences. Nixon called for "reinventing the senior year of high school," but he was most passionate when expressing his fierce opposition to private vouchers.

DEBATE VIDEO: Hulshof vs. Nixon on Medicaid

Medicaid eligibility was the first question posed to the candidates at the Missouri Press Association Debate in Columbia. Watch Kenny Hulshof and Jay Nixon's answers about how they would increase healthcare access to those without insurance. Hulshof opposes putting 700,000 Missourians back on the government roles; Nixon counters that Hulshof's plan based on "market forces and tax incentives" won't solve the problem.

Patriots Day

NIXON vs. HULSHOF on 9-11 = ?

The Missouri Press Association Debate

3:15-4:30 p.m. in Columbia at the University of Missouri

Libertarian & Constitution Party candidates expected to attend

***

Get up-to-the minute updates from the 1st Debate For Governor HERE

Then . . . For A Full Report, WATCH KY3 NEWS @ 10

Scholarships, Hi-Tech Jobs Focus of Hulshof Higher Ed Plan

Republican candidate for Governor Kenny Hulshof announced a higher education plan Wednesday that focuses on more scholarships and emphasizes preparing students for new economy jobs in biotechnology, engineering and math and sciences.

Hulshof pledged to expand eligibility for needs-based college scholarships and increase dollar amounts, but the campaign of his Democratc Jay Nixon said that voters should view those promises with a skeptical eye.

"Congressman Hulshof talks one way in Missouri but plays a different kind of game in Washington. He embraced Matt Blunt’s gutting of MOHELA, crippling its ability to help Missouri young people afford college. In Washington, Congressman Hulshof opposed expanding access to college time and again," said Zac Wright, a Missouri Democratic Party spokesman staffed to focus solely on the race for Governor.

A considerable portion of Hulshof's plan highlights bolstering education in math and science. The Congressman wants to designate a portion of Missouri's needs-based scholarships to those areas, and wants to craft a public-private partnership to strengthen current degree programs in those disciplines.

"State contributions will be leveraged by requiring a 2-to-1 match from businesses and philanthropic interests," reads the Hulshof plan. Within the same fund, Hulshof wants to create a scholars fund that would be aimed at attracting world-class researchers to Missouri. The idea is that they would increase the potential for new business start-ups in these fields around the state.

The Nixon campaign pointed out a host of Congressional votes by Hulshof meant to showcase his previous opposition to similar programs at the federal level. Most recently, the Nixon camp notes a 2007 vote "against creating 2,500 math, engineering and science scholarships for students from low and middle-income families."

The Nixon campaign also notes Hulshof's support of the sale of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, more commonly known as MOHELA. On funding for higher education, Hulshof said that starting in 2011, he will increase state funding to the "rate of inflation plus two percent." He called that plan "aggressive, yet affordable." To make sure that money is being spent correctly, Hulshof said he would require Missouri colleges and universities to file an annual report detailing appropriation decisions.

Nixon has also talked extensively about performing sweeping government audits to reduce waste and inefficiencies. His education plan focuses on expanding the state's A+ program, which allows students who graduate from certain high schools to attend community college tuition-free. Nixon has said all high school students who get good grades and "play by the rules" should be eligible for this program. Under his plan, those students could go on to a four-year university tuition-free by meeting grade and community service requirements.

Drill Baby, Drill

NO MERCY on PALIN

Springfield City Councilman Denny Whayne tells the Notebook all gloves should be taken off in the race for president . . . and vice president. He offers the following advice to Joe Biden.

***

"On October 2nd, Biden's got to go after her," Whayne said when asked about his reaction to the Sarah Palin phenomenon. "None of this playing around anymore. He has to drill her . . . She's in the game now, so let's go."

***

Whayne, an Obama supporter, acknowledges Palin has brought energy and excitement to the Republican ticket but warns that Democrats should not view her as untouchable because of her gender. Palin and Biden debate in St. Louis on October 2nd.

Todd: Missouri Is Must Win For McCain, Not Obama

RED STATE . . .

But HOW RED?

NBC NEWS Political Director Chuck Todd Explains How To Gauge Missouri's Significance in the Race For The White House

***WATCH CLIP ABOVE***

-OR-

READ THE CLIFF NOTES VERSION: "If Obama's winning in Missouri, it means he's winning around the country in a borderline electoral landslide. Obama can win the presidency without Missouri, McCain cannot."

Bond Bearish on Bailout

Missouri's Senior Senator Expresses Concerns About the Bailout Involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

***

Says Action May Be Necessary, But Raises Important Concerns About Future Regulation

***

In a statement, Bond said that any rescue plan must first protect American taxpayers and not Wall Street shareholders. He added that the treasury plan included some good steps like firing the failed leadership of the institutions but the long term cost to taxpayers is unclear. Bond said that it is unacceptable to use American's hard-earned taxpayer dollars for fat compensation packages for failed executives.

Obama Losing Whites By 20 Points In Missouri

THE LATEST SHOW-ME STATE NUMBERS:

McCain 50%, Obama 45%

Time/CNN poll conducted by phone, Sept. 7-9th, of 940 Missouri voters

The margin of error is 3%

***

With third party candidates added in, McCain's lead in Missouri narrows slightly, 48% to Obama's 44%. The Opinion Research Corp. polled four swing states. Read all the results HERE.

***

From TIME: "The polls found that Obama has problems attracting white voters. In Missouri, Virginia and Michigan he loses that segment, by 14 percentage points in Michigan and 20 points in Missouri . . . Key to McCain's lead in Virginia and Missouri is his appeal to Independent voters. While Obama holds an edge over McCain with self-identified moderate voters in all four states, he's losing among Independent voters in Virginia by 9 percentage points and Missouri by 18 percentage points."

***

GEOGRAPHY: McCain and Obama are splitting Missouri's urban areas, while McCain holds a large lead in the rural parts of the Show-Me State.

Shermanesque

"He is absolutely attending the debate."

Kenny Hulshof's spokesperson Scott Baker quells speculation swirling about whether the Republican candidate would back out of Thursday's Missouri Press Association Debate in Columbia to possibly return to Washington for a vote on energy.

***

Baker added: "If there's a vote on Friday, Kenny will try to attend the vote."

***PLUS: Some of our eyes and ears in Jefferson City spotted Kenny Hulshof at Panera Bread today . . . The Notebook is told his staffers ordered a "chai latte, a 'very white' cappuccino (no idea what that is), and a half-baked potato." Hulshof ordered unseasoned chicken on white bread.

Nixon vs. China

Watch the KY3 News @ 10 Report HERE.
Jay Nixon says Congressman Kenny Hulshof's vote on free trade with China in 2000 has cost Missouri 45,000 jobs, including 400 in Rolla. But Springfield businessman Tim Rosenbury, who says he'll vote for Nixon, argues that international trade has bolstered his architectural and engineering firm and thinks candidates should acknowledge that the loss of manufacturing jobs is painful, but inevitable.
***
"Permanent Normal Trade Relations status made it easier to move jobs to China," reads a Nixon release. "Workers at Briggs & Stratton in Rolla, received trade adjustment assistance after the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2006, determined that the 'decline in employment,' was due to 'a shift in production of vertical and horizontal Intek engines and quantum engines to China.'"
***
HULSHOF CAMP RESPONDS:
"Kenny believes American workers can compete with anyone, so long as the playing field is level. That's what free trade agreements are designed to accomplish. Kenny agrees with Sen. Claire McCaskill that America will benefit from strong and fair trade relations with China. Kenny is focused on attracting new jobs and has a detailed plan to do so. Once again, Jay Nixon is short on details," said Hulshof spokesperson Scott Baker. "As to driving jobs out of Missouri, if you ask anyone who is in the business of creating a job-friendly climate, they will tell you that potential employers look at things like tort reform and workers comp laws when they are looking at a state in which to set up shop. Jay Nixon is wrong on both of those issues, which means he is pathetically positioned when it comes to job creation," Baker added. "It is also worth noting that Jay Nixon favored NAFTA, which was one of the largest free trade deals in the history of our nation. That's the definition of hypocrisy," he said.
ON NAFTA, NIXON ACKNOWLEDGED his feelings have changed. "We were hoping it would work and it didn't. I mean, it hasn't added jobs here in Missouri the way a lot of people thought it had the opportunity to do."
***
ALSO TUESDAY. . .
In Springfield, Hulshof announced a plan to increase government accountability through the Missouri Accountability Portal. Hulshof said his plan would make it easier to track state budget bills through the legislative process so taxpayers can monitor proposed spending. He would make this portal available to city and county governments. "The taxpayers of our state deserve to know where their money goes," Hulshof said.

Rahmbo Dares Roy

As House Democrats plan to roll out new energy legislation this week, Republican Whip Roy Blunt indicated he may recommend that the President veto an annual stopgap spending bill if it contains a renewal of the drilling moratorium.

NPR reports that brought a sharp response from Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, a member of the House Democratic leadership.

"If Mr. Blunt's recommendation to the president is for a veto to force that, he'd be the author of the shutdown of the government," Emanuel said.

One-on-One with Jay

Our interview with Democratic nominee for Governor Jay Nixon on trade with China, healthcare, bipartisanship and Sarah Steelman's so-called endorsement.

In his speech to Springfield's Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, Attorney General Nixon said he would look for "dramatic" efficiencies to trim state government. In this first clip, I ask him to name specific areas he'd target.

Nixon promised a new era of bipartisanship, if elected. He pledged to sit down with each member of the state legislature personally to ask them about their priorities. I asked him if these overtures about working with Republicans meant he'd be willing to compromise on his most controversial proposal -- his healthcare plan.

Earlier Tuesday, Sarah Steelman released a statement that some are viewing as an endorsement of Kenny Hulshof. I'm reluctant to call it that. It read in part, "I look forward to supporting Senator McCain, Governor Palin, Congressman Kenny Hulshof and other Missouri Republicans on the issues that are going to make a difference to every Missouri family." She's supporting Hulshof on "issues." The release doesn't include a headline about an endorsement of the campaign, nor does it ever even use the word endorsement. The News-Leader's Chad Livengood seemed to have to prod the words out of her, and she dodged giving a reason about why her supporters should sign on with Hulshof. (I know what you're thinking . . . ENOUGH already!) In this third clip, I had to ask Nixon what he thought about Steelman's statement.

"The Bush Legacy" Tour of Missouri

A anti-Bush tour sponsored by Americans United for Change will stop in Springfield on Thursday, Sept. 11th.

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The 45-foot, 28-ton bus will target Rep. Roy Blunt from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Teamster Hall on 1850 Division Street. A press release states the event will be designed to hold Congressman Blunt accountable for "voting in lockstep with Bush's failed policies."

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The tour is traveling the country and plans to make 150 stops in 25 states from New Hampshire to New Mexico. The tour started near the White House on June 24.

Skelton Reacts to Bush's Troop Reduction

The President announces 8,000 U.S. troops will be home from Iraq by February; Rep. Ike Skelton says calls for more reductions

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"The President's plan to reduce force levels in Iraq may seem to signal movement in the right direction, but it really defers troop reductions until the next administration," said the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo. "More significant troop reductions in Iraq are needed so that we can start to rebuild U.S. military readiness and provide the additional forces needed to finish the fight in Afghanistan."

Nixon @ The Chamber

LIVE TWITTERING OF JAY NIXON AT THE SPRINGFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Campaigns Capitalize on Energy From Veep Picks, Conventions

Nineteen-year-old Lindsay Brown registered to vote on Monday. She also stepped into Barack Obama's campaign headquarters in Springfield to help register other new voters.

Brown was always behind Obama but, as an international political studies major, it was the selection of Joe Biden as the Democrats' pick for vice president that sparked her to get involved.

"So whenever he signed on Biden, who I really like his foreign policy, that kind of put me into motion to start getting on the campaign because I liked his V.P. pick," said Brown.


Local Republican Kristen Sanocki says more people are working for the Republican nominee than just a week ago because of the pick of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate.

"Definitely, when Palin announced, we had a surge of people come to us asking how they could get involved," Sanocki said.

WATCH THE ENTIRE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE.

NBC Moves Missouri To McCain's Column

The NBC News Political Unit has moved Missouri to John McCain's column in its ever-evolving electoral battleground map for the 2008 presidential race.

NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd made the switch on Monday's edition of Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC.

"We've moved Missouri to McCain," Todd said. "That's a Governor Palin reaction, pure and simple. They were there today. She excites Evangelicals. There's a strong presence there in Missouri," he said.

"Plus, she'll do well with economic populists, women who are economic populists but culturally conservative, that's going to help there," Todd added.

"I always thought Missouri was tilting slightly Republican," said Stu Rothenberg, asked to comment on Todd's map.

After a few other shifts, NBC's new electoral projection is Obama 228, McCain 200. That leaves 110 battleground electoral votes. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to clinch the presidency.

Todd has moved Pennsylvania to the Obama category and said the math still favors the Democratic candidate. That's because McCain is only seriously contesting two "blue states," according to Todd, those being Michigan and Wisconsin. "He's given up on Minnesota, they won't claim that they have. Pennsylvania is looking tougher and tougher," Todd said of McCain.

If Todd pushes the remaining "leaner" states to one side or the other, it's Obama 260, McCain 232. That leaves the four toughest to call toss-ups.

In the end, Todd and Rothenberg agree that election 2008 will come down to these four states: Colorado, Ohio, Virginia and New Hampshire. "Those are the four toss-up states. You tell me where those go and I'll tell you who's the next president," said Rothenberg.