7th District Power Rankings

This is the third installment of The Notebook's monthly survey of the 7th Congressional District field and each candidate's chances of winning the GOP nomination in 2010.
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The higher the candidate's ranking, the more likely he/she is positioned to win the nomination at this point and time -- and be put on the path to replace Roy Blunt in the U.S. House.

For last month's rankings, click HERE.

1. Jack Goodman -- (Stable) Team Goodman has spent most of the past month staffing up, conducting grass-roots meetings and raising money. Did we mention raising money? No matter what the campaign finance numbers report later this month, Goodman's political allies will note that the Senator spent two-thirds of the fundraising quarter "in session." (But he better raise more than Nodler, who had just a month.) Still, Goodman's got his team in place (Miles Ross, campaign manager/David Barklage, consultant, etc . . .) and he's attempting to penetrate hard into Nodler's base. The campaign believes Joplin is Jack's number one area for growth. He held a fundraiser in Joplin which drew about 50 people and he's done the rounds in D.C. He can become the beneficiary of Nodler's enemies, but can he sustain Nodler's deep contacts around the state and his aggressive nature when the heat turns on?

2. Gary Nodler -- (Stable) In the end, both the Nodler and Goodman camps privately believe the race will come down to them, and Gary Nodler is pretty confident in his chances. Some politicos are wondering how Gregg Keller will be able to focus on day to day operations with half of his mind in Connecticut. But as Nodler notes, all the "who's who" consultants dip their pens in multiple reservoirs of ink. Nodler will report about $100 K raised in a month, and he's more than hinted he really hasn't even begun to tap his resources. (Can anybody else raise substantial dough in Kansas City and St. Louis?) Nodler thinks it's much too early to get consumed by the month-to-month horse race, but his backers believe that once voters get engaged they'll see the Joplin Senator as a doer -- a mover and shaker. And because the stakes are high, they believe voters will opt for the man in-the-arena over a wallflower.

3. Sarah Steelman -- (----) The Notebook is done guessing Sarah Steelman's intentions, but we do know someone has done polling in the 7th District testing her name identification. (Who would poll her name other than her?) And of course, the mere fact of phone calls as recent as a week and a half ago has got all the other 7th District candidates wondering. "Last time I checked, Sarah doesn't live in the 7th district," snapped one ally for another candidate. "She got killed in the Joplin area against Kenny," noted another. Yet, she makes her debut on the Power Ranking list because the buzz about a potential candiacy merits a slot. If Steelman gets in, it dramatically alters the field. Is she the Carpetbagging opportunist -- or the Maverick populist? Unanswerable for now. Because her strength lies in the eastern half of the district, she probably hurts Goodman/Long more than Gary Nodler -- initially. But even those who like Steelman fear the longer she waits, the more donors commit elsewhere.

4. Billy Long -- (Down 1) Billy Long's biggest strength is that he's the only major contender running who isn't on the government payroll. He's also worth a bunch of money. That counts in a tanking economy. Those close to Long say he'll hit his Quarter 2 fundraising mark, but they don't expect to win the quarter. His campaign team seems to be coming together. Spotted recently at a Long fundraiser: Consultants Jeff Roe & James Harris. Can they help turn his sweet twang into a real penetrating message? It remains the outstanding question. Long clearly remains the dark horse in the race -- the ultimate wild card with a question mark at the end.

5. Darrell Moore -- (Down 1) The candidate least happy about Moore's entrance into the race is Jack Goodman. Local attorneys say the Greene County prosecutor's bid has put a bit of a chill on Goodman's ability to tap his attorney friends for big dollar contributions. This raises another question: Will anyone turn up the heat to demand Moore resign his seat in order to pursue his campaign? What trial lawyer going up against Moore in the courtroom would feel comfortable lending financial aide to his Congressional opponent?

6. Jeff Wisdom -- (Down 1) I'm not sure what this means, but I recently noticed I have two Jeff Wisdom friends on Facebook -- and both are the same person. Wisdom has recently been vacationing in Orlando. On June 25th, he announced key endorsements "from Goofy, Pluto, Eeyore, Pooh, and Tigger...Donald Duck and Mickey are holding out though...the darn liberals! LOL"

7. Hal Donaldson -- (Up 1) There's word that some local GOPers have suggested that the Convoy of Hope president run for State Senate rather than the 7th District. He hasn't done anything publicly to suggest a full-fledged campaign, but even if he had, he'd probably be in close to the same slot as far as political "power" goes. Maybe Donaldson and Steelman should get together and talk it out.

Nodler Estimates $100 K Haul in 30 Days

State Senator Gary Nodler tells The Notebook he'll report raising about $100,000 during the first month of his 7th District Congressional campaign.

The second campaign fundraising quarter ends Tuesday night. Reports are due mid-July. But Nodler said he's proud of his money haul, considering "we actually didn't even have a month" to tap donors. Nodler announced his Congressional bid on May 28th. Full quarter reports are based on 3-month increments of fundraising.

"Since we started we haven't had one fundraising event, not one dinner or one house party," Nodler said in an interview with The Notebook Tuesday night. "We'll report somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000, and we're very pleased. I think some people are too focused on the quarter by quarter reporting, like a sprint, but it's a marathon. You've got to have sustainability," Nodler explained.

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OTHER CAMPAIGN Q & A with NODLER:

ON HIS TEAM: Says Gregg Keller will serve as "general consultant." "He'll be the main point of contact, and we've got a couple of volunteers," Nodler said. Asked about Keller's commitment to a U.S. Senate race in Connecticut, Nodler pointed out that none of the other candidates have consultants who won't be dedicated to other races as well. "Gregg is in touch with me multiple times a day. He'll be in Missouri more than he's in Connecticut. He's handling the Connecticut race, but all of these consultants will be handling multiple races. This race is a top two priority for Keller," Nodler said.

ON THE FIELD: "I wouldn't write anybody off. It's an unpredictable year. The public mood is fluid. There's really no way to sit here in 2009 and get a real accurate account of the climate in 2010. The filing deadline isn't even close. It's too early for anyone to be dismissive. I can recall when everybody wrote off John McCain when his campaign went bankrupt in the summer. I'm not about to dismiss any candidates."

ON HIS OWN LIKABILITY: Asked about how he'll handle the perception that he has more enemies than Senate colleague Jack Goodman, Nolder responded, "I've got a lot more people that like me than Jack does too. It goes both ways." "I'm not too polarizing . . . People want to elect legislators to Congress. If the objective is to find a neutral or unremarkable person, or someone who doesn't have as much substance, that's probably not me," he said.

Kinder Calls Nixon Bonding Plan "Another Bailout"

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder has come out staunchly against Gov. Jay Nixon's proposed bonding initiative, a plan designed to help finance capital projects around the state.

Nixon's bond proposal is seen as a way to pursue most of the construction projects he cut or withheld from the 2010 budget he signed last week.

"Our nation is facing the greatest economic recession since the Great Depression. The governor’s bonding plan is nothing more than another government bailout that will put our state in debt for nearly a quarter of a century," Kinder said in a statement. "The 2010 balanced budget that was passed by the legislature took into account all the realities of the current recession. The key focus of our past legislative session was job creation, and our budget reflected that priority. This bonding initiative is merely a debt plan that will fail to put any Missourians back to work in the near future. The risk of failure is too great," he added.

"I strongly urge the governor to utilize the one time funds available in the state's bank account and fund the construction projects that legislators authorized just a few months ago. That is a plan that will truly make a difference for hardworking Missourians," Kinder added.

The Kansas City Star's Jason Noble notes that while House Speaker Ron Richard also issued a statement critical of the bonding initiative Tuesday, he supported a similar plan which passed the House earlier this year.

NRSC Backs Blunt

ENDORSEMENT TRAIN KEEPS ROLLING

The U.S. Senate Minority Leader and the Senate GOP campaign arm has thrown their support behind Roy Blunt's 2010 campaign.

The backing from Sen. Mitch McConnell and National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) chair John Cornyn follows a flurry of endorsements for Blunt during a month where he's focused on uniting the Republican establishment around his U.S. Senate campaign.

"Throughout his tenure in Congress and during the early days of this campaign, Congressman Roy Blunt has demonstrated that he understands the difficult issues facing the people of Missouri," said Cornyn in a statement. "While the likely Democrat nominee prefers to remain silent or undecided on the challenges confronting our country, Roy Blunt is - as he always has - providing critical leadership at home and in Washington."

The Blunt campaign said that this is only the 2nd open seat endorsement by the NRSC in the country.

That the Blunt campaign is even touting this endorsement is telling of the position they knew they were in just months ago when it heard dissatisfaction from conservatives and felt the pressure of numerous primary threats.

ALSO: Later Monday, the Blunt campaign announced the endorsement of Cape Girardeau State Senator Jason Crowell. "In his public service Roy has always represented Missouri's common sense, conservative values, supporting limited government and fiscal responsibility," Sen. Crowell said in a statement.

Crowell becomes the 19th of 23 Senate Republicans who have endorsed Blunt.

Asked about the timing of his endorsement Crowell told The Notebook: "I didn't want to during session and I wanted to talk to Roy Blunt first. I got to this weekend and he earned my support."

Crowell said he was not waiting for another potential candidate to enter the race: "I have had no conversations with Sarah Steelman and she did not factor in," adding jokingly,"and no i was not thinking of running."

AND: The Carnahan campaign sent out a release to donors today, attempting to capitalize on a weekend "GOP pig roast."

On Saturday, Blunt was quoted saying that a vote for Carnahan would be like a vote for "her friends that are pro-abortion, or anti-Second Amendment, or environmental extremists."

Wrote Carnahan Finance Director Emily Elbert: "In Robin's email on Friday, she talked about moving past the partisan bickering and finding real solutions for Missouri's families, not the big special interests invested in the status quo. Well, this weekend Republican insiders who also happen to be big supporters of pork-barrel spending went to a pig-roast and proved her point. Lloyd Smith, Peter Kinder and Congressman Roy Blunt attacked Robin with the same old mudslinging we're all so sick of hearing. CLICK TO HELP ROBIN FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE PARTISAN ATTACKS!"

The second quarter fundraising deadline is tomorrow.

Another Nixon Donor Wins A Fee Office

Another campaign contributor to Gov. Jay Nixon has been awarded a license fee office -- and Republicans are calling foul.
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On Friday, the Department of Revenue announced three new bids for contracts in Bolivar, Savannah and St. Charles. Ken Kielty of Kielty Enterprises Inc. has been awarded the St. Charles office. The Missouri GOP has identified $18,435 in contributions to Nixon from entities linked to Kielty during the 2008 cycle.

The Notebook identified $5,000 in contributions from the 1009 Devonshire Lane address that Kielty is most often associated with.

The Department of Revenue released the bids Friday afternoon, which is widely as a viewed as a way to bury unfavorable news. But the GOP release came Monday afternoon.

"Burying stories by sending out press releases on a Friday afternoon is the oldest trick in the book," said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party. "For the second consecutive week, Jay Nixon attempted to avoid criticism by announcing as late as possible on a Friday that he had rewarded a major campaign contributor with a license office. Nixon clearly knows that his actions fly in the face of his pledge to clean up the process, but instead of actually fixing the problem, he is simply trying to hide it," Smith added.

By the state GOP's calculation, license offices have been awarded to people who have given around $80,000 in campaign contributions to Nixon.

ALSO: T & J Stark Enterprises LLC has been awarded the contract to operate the Bolivar License Office. The company is affiliated with the current office agent, Karen Jean Stark, who has been the agent since 2005. The office will move to a new location at 450 S. Main Ave. (Southgate Center Mall).

Monday Fun

The latest cartoon from the Missouri Record has a little fun with us & Twitter.

Check out all of the Record's cartoons by clicking HERE.

Week 24: Nixon's Grade

NIXON'S WEEK 24 GRADE: A -

After Gov. Jay Nixon announced $430 million dollars in cuts and restrictions from the 2010 state budget, the Missouri Republican Party accused him of "mismanagement." But it appears that Nixon was able to swing his ax without the tree falling back on him. Vetoes are never pleasant. They are a test of priorities. But while there was the expected disappointment and grumbling, Nixon seemed to dodge major fallout from his decisions. When Nixon cut $4.5 million for a business incubator in Southeast Missouri, the dean of the business school told the Southeast Missourian, "it's disappointing, and we understand the situation." When Nixon sliced $10 million for a highway interchange in Jefferson City, the local Chamber of Commerce didn't seem surprised, calling the project "a long-shot." KBIA even quoted a sympathetic Sen. Gary Nodler, explaining that cuts were needed due to deteriorating revenues. Heck, he even shrunk government, firing 200 more employees (isn't that conservative?). And the Governor even flexed some muscle by vetoing MoDOT money in retaliation for taxpayer financed poll the agency used to show support for the motorcycle helmet law. It's not that the cuts aren't without local consequences, it's that most people seem to be giving Nixon a pass. The economy is rough, so the state has to tighten its belt. Even the Governor talked about rolling the dice and praying "our budget turns around." But he quickly added, "Frankly, that is the exact type of thinking that has landed so many other states in the dire straits they find themselves in today." Oh, and one more thing: Nixon made his cuts the day Michael Jackson died. As a media savvy friend of mine concluded, "Most regular people won't know about it, and the rest will forget."

Skelton Promises Hearings on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

The Hill reports that House Armed Services Committee Chair Ike Skelton has agreed to hold hearings on the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding gays in the military.

Skelton's decision was reportedly, in part, based on pressure from fellow Democrats.

"On Thursday, freshman Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) challenged and urged House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton to take action on already existing legislation—the Military Readiness Enhancement Act—which repeals the ban," wrote The Hill. "As a consequence, Skelton -- who played a major role in crafting Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” -- promised to hold hearings to weigh the implications of a repeal."

BUT: Some Senators, like Michigan's Carl Levin believe it will take White House leadership to overturn the ban.

AND: Service members and veterans marched to the White House on Saturday in order to protest the law that bans openly gay people from serving in the military.

Striking Ike

The Missouri Republican Party has issued a rare attack on Rep. Ike Skelton following his vote for an energy-climate bill that narrowly cleared the U.S. House Friday.

The vote on the legislation was 219-212.

44 Democrats voted against it; 8 Republicans voted for it.

Missouri Republican Party Chair David Cole said Skelton's vote shows he's completely "lost touch" with his district.

"After more than three decades in Washington, Representative Ike Skelton has completely lost touch with the families, farmers, and businesses in his district. Skelton is complicit in yet another Washington power-grab. Just like the auto bailouts, the so-called stimulus bill, and the proposed government takeover of health care, the government is using ‘global warming’ as an excuse to assert more control over private business and industry—and Skelton’s decision to vote for the massive energy tax will end up costing Missourians every time they turn on the lights or drive a car," said Cole in a statement released Friday.

"Sadly, this was another vote about politics, not people. Skelton decided it was easier to side with East and West Coast liberals like Nancy Pelosi than to do what was right for hardworking Missourians. The people of Missouri never asked for—nor can they afford—this legislation which has been called 'the biggest tax in American history," he added.
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Here's how it's being covered:

POLITICO: ". . . a major victory for President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that left Republicans fuming about a “national energy tax” they said would exacerbate the nation’s economic woes."

NEW YORK TIMES: "The vote was the first time either house of Congress had approved a bill meant to curb the heat-trapping gases scientists have linked to climate change . . . [It] could lead to profound changes in many sectors of the economy, including electric power generation, agriculture, manufacturing and construction."

ATLANTIC POLITICS: "How much would you pay for cap-and-trade? About $19 a month? Then you're an average American. That's according to this fancy graph (after the jump) drawn up by Nate Silver based on a Washington Post poll."

MSNBC: "Now, the heavy lifting moves to the Senate. And it's not going to be easy. It will likely be reworked before it eventually comes to a vote after the July 4th recess in the other chamber."

Nixon Commits to "Common" Education Standards

Gov. Jay Nixon signed an agreement Friday that commits the state of Missouri to participating in the development of a common core of state standards in education.

The agreement is the first step for Missouri to agree to adopt core standards for states in English and Math for elementary and secondary students.

"Missouri has been a leader in developing high standards and assessments, and will continue in this role," Gov. Nixon wrote in a letter with the agreement, which was sent to the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices.

Because of an ongoing search for a new Commissioner of Education, Nixon said the state was initially going to wait to sign on. "I believe, however, that the development of Common Core Standards is important to warrant taking this initial step and signing on in my capacity as Governor," Nixon said.

The Common Core Standards Initiative is being jointly led by the NGA Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The goal is to have a common core of state standards that states can voluntarily adopt. States may choose to include additional standards beyond the common core as long as the common core represents at least 85 percent of the state’s standards in English language arts and mathematics.

MoGOP Knocks Nixon For Dodge on Office Cuts

A day after the Governor announced $105 million dollars in cuts and another $325 million dollars in withholds, The Missouri Republican Party has hopped on Jay Nixon's dodge of a question about trimming the budget of his own office.

"Are you planning on making reductions in the Governor’s office as well,?" asked Associated Press reporter David Lieb. "I plan on losing 8 or 10 pounds this summer," Nixon responded during a Jefferson City press conference.

The MoGOP has posted the video HERE.

Said MoGOP Executive Director Lloyd Smith:

"Nixon was asked a legitimate question about whether he would make the same sacrifices he is asking of everyone else. It’s an answer that Missourians deserve to know. After all, this is the same governor who increased salaries of some of his staff by as much as 45% . . ."

WH: Missouri Has Tapped 72% of Highway Stimulus

BIDEN: MO STIMULUS ON TRACK

The White House announced Thursday that Missouri has already put to work 72 percent of its stimulus dollars for highway projects.

That amounts to about $320 million dollars. Under the stimulus law, states are required to use 50 percent of their highway funds by June 29, 2009.

"By delivering on these projects ahead of schedule and under-budget, we have been able to do even more than we expected -- create more job opportunities more quickly," said Vice President Joe Biden in a statement.

"Every state not only met the 12o-day deadline, they beat it," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "This is a testament to the fact that we're putting money out there and quickly helping to get the economy back on track."

Missouri's largest stimulus project is the New Madrid-Pemiscot I-55, a 44-mile long pavement of north and southbound lanes.

Nixon Explains Vetoes, Acknowledges Toughest Cut

"NONE OF THEM ARE ESPECIALLY EASY"

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed the new state budget into law today -- but not before slicing $105 million dollars out of it.

One of the smallest dollar vetoes was $3.5 million dollars targeted for dentists who care for Medicaid patients. In the end, dentists still received a reimbursement increase in the 2010 budget. But it still counts as a cut for a Governor who ran his campaign on restoring Medicaid coverage, but has now run into the realities of a fiscal freefall.

*WATCH NIXON COMMENT ON HIS VETOES ABOVE*

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS REPORT HERE

Other Vetoes Include:
$24.7 million Interoperability (emergency radio system)
$16.5 million MOHELA Projects
$12.6 million ethanol funding beyond FY 2011
$12.4 million care management and participant case management
$10 million highway access to old Penitentiary Site
$5 million community college maintenance & repair increase
$3.5 million dental rate increase (leaves ½)
$20.0 million in various projects across all departments, including funding that will not be needed prior to FY 2012.
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ALSO: DENTAL DIRECTOR GIVES NIXON A PASS ON REIMBURSEMENT CUT

"I completely understand the Governor's struggle . . . He's done well with what he has."

*WATCH BELOW*

Rogetta Prueitt, director of the Children's Smile Center in Ozark, says she understands why the full reimbursement rate needed to be cut.

BUT in the KY3 News @ 10 report, Prueitt outlines how important reimbursement rates are in helping improve access. She says there is only 1 private dentist in Christian County who will accept Medicaid patients. The Children's Smile Center currently serves 380 Medicaid children, from Christian & Stone counties.

It's 10 p.m. and Yes, Staff Knows Where Our Governor Is

"I remain in constant contact with my staff"

In response to a boffo question by KSMU's Jennifer Moore about protocol to maintain contact with staff, Gov. Jay Nixon said he hasn't even thought about "going off the radar."

WATCH THE GIVE & TAKE ---

INCLUDING Moore's keen observation that Nixon was nursing a cold ---

"I'm not nursing it very well," he responded.

ON KEEPING IN TOUCH:

"I remain in constant contact with my staff . . . They remain in constant contact with me I should say," Nixon said with a smile, gesturing at press aide Scott Holste. Nixon said staff knows where he is "24-7, 365"

"I have not had the occasion to even giving really much thought of going off the radar screen -- it's a pretty busy job," Nixon added.

Examiner Corrects Blunt Characterization

The Washington Examiner has issued a correction for the way it characterized Congressman Roy Blunt in a story about Gov. Mark Sanford's sex scandal.

Yesterday, the Examiner wrote this sentence: Roy Blunt, the former House Majority Leader who is now a GOP candidate for governor in Missouri, is no stranger to scandal, having gone through an affair, a public divorce and remarriage under the scrutiny of the press.

A Blunt spokesman called that sentence "incredibly inaccurate."

This morning the Examiner modified its sentence to remove the allegation of an affair.

Here's how the new sentence reads: "Rep. Roy Blunt, the former House Majority Leader who is now a GOP candidate for governor in Missouri, is no stranger to scandal, having gone through a public divorce and remarriage under the scrutiny of the press."

Interestingly enough, the Examiner did NOT correct that Blunt is running for U.S. Senate, not Governor.

Even more curious, that both the Democratic National Congressional Committee and Blunt's office were aggressively urging a Notebook correction. Kind of an odd thing: Blunt's people obviously wanted the correction, while Democrats seemed to be eager to see it gain more attention, even if it involved a mistake.

Nixon Carves $100 Million From Budget

CHOPPING BLOCK

Gov. Jay Nixon has stripped $105 million dollars from the $23 billion dollar operating budget he signed Thursday.

The Governor is also withholding an additional $325 million dollars as the state faces declining revenues.

Included in Nixon's line item vetoes are portions of the money budgeted for a new emergency responder radio system, college construction projects, ethanol plants subsidies and a Medicaid rate increase for dentists. Also being vetoed is funding for a new highway interchange in Jefferson City that lawmakers said was necessary to help redevelop the site of the former Missouri State Penitentiary.

Nixon is set to hold a news conference in Springfield at 2 p.m. while he signs an education bill.

For more on Nixon's cuts . . .

Tune in to KY3 News @ 5, 6 & 10

Montee Audit Questions Campaign Contributions to MHDC

"An Attitude Needs to be Adjusted"

A new state audit of Missouri's housing commission (MHDC) suggests that campaign contributions may be influencing where the state's development dollars go.

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE

State Auditor Susan Montee is recommending that elected officials should not make decisions about housing projects submitted by individuals that they've received campaign contributions from.

"The perception is clearly out there that there is a system in place that encourages campaign contributions in return for projects. Whether that's the case or not, it certainly is a perception," said Montee at a press conference in Jefferson City Wednesday.

*WATCH MORE OF HER COMMENTS ABOVE*

Montee notes "questionable uses of public funds"
The audit covers between 2006 and 2008, when Governor Matt Blunt, Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, Attorney General Jay Nixon and Treasurer Sarah Steelman were the four elected officials on the commission. The MHDC has four statewide officials and six other commissioners.

While Montee's audit noted that it was difficult to match "specific donations to developers," it concluded that the perception is that money influences how the projects are selected.

"Something we don't talk about here implicitly in the conflict of interest is whether or not there needs to be a total different way of dealing with the fact that developers are giving campaign contributions to commissioners," Montee said.

A major benefactor of tax credits from the Housing Commission has been former Springfield Mayor Tom Carlson and his former development partner Mark Gardner. The two have tapped into tens of thousands of dollars to revamp old buildings into apartment complexes around the city for low and moderate income people.

A review of campaign finance reports over the past four years shows that Carlson-Gardner entities have donated close to $15,000 to candidates who sit on the board. Other Springfield developers and citizens have privately expressed concern about a system that seems to favor the well-connected, but neither Carlson or Gardner responded to several requests for comment.
The MHDC said it was reviewing its standards of conduct related to that issue.

***ALSO: Other audit findings questioned housing commission expenditures, like $15,000 spent on alcohol for receptions and $18,000 to reimburse the executive director's legal fees. That's due to an ongoing FBI investigation.

Emerson, Blunt React to Sanford Saga

The Washington Examiner nabs comments from Reps. Emerson & Blunt on Gov. Mark Sanford's revelation he had an affair with a woman in Argentina.

Asked about the implications on the Republican party, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson said the GOP would have to wait for a leader to emerge.

"You would think out of the chaos would rise someone, but I don't know who it is going to be," said Emerson, who said she favored former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman before Obama tapped him to serve as ambassador to China.

The Examiner also wrote this biting line about Congressman Blunt: Rep. Roy Blunt, the former House Majority Leader who is now a GOP candidate for governor (nope U.S. Senate) in Missouri, is no stranger to scandal, having gone through an affair, a public divorce and remarriage under the scrutiny of the press. (The Examiner has since issued a correction, taking out the word "affair." See the above post.)

"This can be a distraction," Blunt said of the Ensign and Sanford scandals. "But I think the issues are big enough that they will quickly overcome the distraction."

McCaskill to Lead Impeachment Committee

Sen. Claire McCaskill will chair a committee charged with holding an impeachment trial for a federal judge.

The House of Representatives presented the Senate Wednesday with articles of impeachment for Judge Samuel Kent, a federal district judge in the Southern District of Texas, who has been accused of two counts of sexual misconduct and two counts of obstruction of justice.

McCaskill will be charged with leading a bipartisan 12-member committee that will investigate the evidence against Kent.

"It is not often that the Senate is called on to undertake the constitutional task of holding an impeachment trial of a federal judge. The Senate has a constitutional duty to provide due process and perform independent fact finding before voting on impeachment in every instance in which the House approves Articles of Impeachment. As Chair of the Impeachment Committee, I will work to ensure the process goes forward with no undue delay. I look forward to working with Senator Martinez and the other members of the committee to achieve that result," McCaskill said in a statement.

Kent has plead guilty to one count of obstruction of justice and is currently serving a 33-month prison sentence, but remains a federal judge until he either resigns or is impeached. In the meantime, he continues to receive an annual salary of $174,000 from the federal government, according to McCaskill's office.

A two-thirds Senate vote is needed to impeach a judge and strip him of his salary and pension.

Webster/Laclede County Electric Line Up Against Dem Energy Bill

Officials from Webster Electric Cooperative and Laclede Electric Cooperative tell The Marshfield Mail that Democratic legislation aimed at curbing greenhouse gases "will do nothing to fix a more imminent threat than pollution – the availability of electricity."

"Legislators aren’t calling it a tax, but that’s exactly what it is," said Byron Dudley, Laclede Electric Cooperative public relations manager.

"The thing is, the money is not going to go to solving the issue," said Webster Electric Cooperative manager Tom Houston, adding that customers could see rate increases between $20 and $50 dollars a month if the legislation passes.

Read the entire Marshfield Mail piece HERE.

PLUS: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders are racing to round up votes needed to pass a comprehensive energy and global warming bill.

Congressman Roy Blunt is quoted in the NYT article, saying the bill would raise energy prices "from Pittsburgh to Wyoming" because those parts of the country are most reliant on coal.

"Only liberals in this Congress would figure out a way not to use this," Blunt said about coal use in the bill.

Third Time a Charm for District #30 Dems?

HOEMAN CONSIDERS STATE SENATE BID

With former Greene County library director Annie Busch likely opting against a candidacy, Springfield Democrats may pin their hopes on school board member Michael Hoeman to run for the District #30 State Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Norma Champion next year.

Hoeman tells The Notebook he's seriously considering a campaign for State Senate, and is talking about the idea with family, friends and potential supporters.

Hoeman has frequently been mentioned as a possible candidate in Democratic circles, but this cycle, the stars may have aligned -- partly by default.

State Rep. Sara Lampe has told party leaders she's not interested in State Senate run. She's likely to run for re-election to the House in 2010 and then feel out possible statewide options. Democratic party insiders then turned to Annie Busch, who many viewed as an attractive candidate with significant name recognition.

Busch was seen as someone who could mount a competitive challenge to Republican front runner Bob Dixon, a House member from the 139th District. But now, Democrats believe Busch is likely opting against taking the plunge, partly on the recommendation of her husband.

That leaves Hoeman, a 7-year school board member who has been active in the Chamber of Commerce and the Greene County Medical Society.

"I'm certainly aware of the history of the politics of the area. I'm not so certain the 30th District is not winnable by a Democrat if you have the right Democrat running," Hoeman said in an interview.

He said that means a candidate who is "fairly conservative" on fiscal issues, but takes "strong stands on leadership." "I think in local elections, personalities become much more important than political labels," he said.

Hoeman is not close to announcing his candidacy. That may not happen until the fall, but in his discussion with local Democratic leaders, he said he has been told Busch has decided not to run.

"No one I've talked to in the Democratic Party has mentioned any other candidate," Hoeman said.

While Dems were obviously hoping for a female to take on Dixon, Hoeman's strength is that he's known well among a bunch of key groups in the area.

"I think I could attract a lot of crossover votes among people I've known, known for years. I think I could have pretty broad support in the community," Hoeman said. "I think Bob's done a fine job in the legislature. I just don't agree with all the votes he's made," he added.

Hoeman may be encouraged to sharpen his rhetoric against Dixon if/when the time comes.

But for Greene County Democrats, who seem to struggle to cultivate and attract competitive candidates, there's some hope that the third time is the charm.

Keller to Run Connecticut Senate Campaign

ONCE CONSIDERING STEELMAN, KELLER MOVES ON

A top Missouri GOP political consultant who was seriously considering running Sarah Steelman's potential U.S. Senate bid will instead head the campaign of one of the Republicans attempting to oust embattled Senator Chris Dodd in Connecticut.

St. Louis-based campaign strategist Gregg Keller is slated to become the campaign manager for Connecticut U.S. Senate candidate Tom Foley, The Notebook has learned through multiple sources.

Keller's move to run a campaign outside the Show-Me state offers more evidence to those who believe Steelman will ultimately not launch a U.S. Senate bid against GOP front runner Roy Blunt.

On the other hand, Sarah's husband David, has been public about his frustration with the power of political consultants within the Missouri GOP. And the Steelman's aren't likely to base their next move on a decision by a single consultant.

Keller, whose day-to-day organization skills are widely respected in Missouri political circles, was in close talks with the Steelman camp about coming on board to head her campaign. But in part because Steelman has not yet reached a decision on her 2010 intentions, Keller decided to move on and explore other options around the country.

A veteran of Jim Talent's 2002 and 2006 campaigns, Keller also managed Mitt Romney's 2008 grass-roots coalitions nationwide. In addition, he's vice president of Total Spectrum/Steve Gordon & Associates.

Keller recently signed on as a consultant to Sen. Gary Nodler's 7th District Congressional campaign. It's expected he'll maintain that role, but his focus will obviously be on Foley in Connecticut. That's left some southwest Missouri Republicans wondering who Nodler will hire to handle his day-to-day political operation when the crowded primary to replace Blunt heats up.

Foley, a wealthy businessman and former U.S. ambassador, is expected to battle former Congressman Rob Simmons for the chance to take on Dodd, who is already running television ads in his homestate. In the end, some Connecticut observers foresee a 4-way GOP primary.

Keller would not comment for this article.

McCaskill "Not Sure" If She Agrees With Feinstein's Vote Count

Appearing on MSNBC Tuesday, Sen. Claire McCaskill seemed to contradict California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's assessment that Senate Democrats don't yet have the votes to pass health care reform that includes a public option.

On CNN this weekend, Feinstein said, "I don't know that he has the votes right now," referring to President Obama. "I think there's a lot of concern in the Democratic caucus," she added.

"I'm not sure that I agree with Dianne that we don't have enough votes," McCaskill retorted on MSNBC. "It's just that we all haven't reached an agreement on what this is going to look like," she added.

Added that "compromises are going to be necessary," and that "single-payer" is not going to happen. Doesn't think a plan without any public option is going to happen either.

Talking Points Memo has the VIDEO HERE.

First Pitch President

President Obama will throw out the first pitch of the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis on July 14th.

According to a White House release, Obama will visit Michigan and Missouri on that day. The president will conduct a town hall meeting near Detroit and then travel to St. Louis to perform first pitch duties.

The White House said Major League Baseball's focus on community service during All-Star week is in conjunction with the president's call to service through the United We Serve program at www.serve.gov.

Missouri is also the only battleground state Obama lost in 2008.

Missouri Eagle Endorses Blunt, Slaps "Liberal" Media

The Missouri Eagle Forum, a conservative group affiliated with Phyllis Schlafly endorsed Roy Blunt for U.S. Senate Tuesday.

"Roy Blunt is the best candidate to fight for conservative causes in the United States Senate and he is the only candidate who can defeat the liberal Robin Carnahan. Missouri conservatives can trust Roy Blunt to take principled stands for our causes and provide the vision, solutions and leadership we need in Washington, D.C. Roy Blunt is 100 percent pro-life, believes marriage should be between one man and one woman, wants greater border security and has a record of fighting for lower taxes and smaller government," said Missouri Eagle Forum president Joan Langenberg.

Langenberg also took time to lambaste the media, who she charged were "already fawning" over Carnahan.

"Robin Carnahan's liberal special interests will be pouring millions of dollars into Missouri to air false attack ads against Roy Blunt. Meanwhile, the liberal media who is already fawning over Robin Carnahan will do everything they can to cover up her extreme liberal views by refusing to ask tough questions and making excuses for her failures as a candidate. It will be up to us to provide voters with the truth about Roy Blunt's conservative record and the truth about Robin Carnahan's support for abortion on demand, same-sex marriage and her blind allegiance to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barack Obama and their out of control, big government taxing, spending and borrowing," she said.

The release of the endorsement comes a day after former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft threw his support behind Blunt.

Supreme Court: More Executions Unlikely

ON HOLD

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Executions effectively are on hold again in Missouri.

Incoming Chief Justice William Ray Price Jr. said Tuesday that it's unlikely the Supreme Court will schedule any additional executions while a federal stay is in place for the execution of Reginald Clemons.

The 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals put a hold on Clemons scheduled June 17 execution after his attorneys challenged Missouri's lethal injection procedures.

They are seeking further legal proceedings to ensure Missouri is using competent execution personnel.

Price says a federal decision in the Clemons case could apply to all Missouri inmates facing execution.

Missouri conducted no executions from October 2005 until this May because of a previous challenge to the state's lethal injection procedures.

"Wholehearted, Unreserved, Elation"

**WATCH ASHCROFT ENDORSE BLUNT*

TURNING POINT? JUNE HAS BEEN GOOD TO BLUNT

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's enthusiastic backing of Roy Blunt's campaign for U.S. Senate caps off several weeks of top-tier GOP endorsements for the Ozarks Congressman that are meant to solidify party unity and thwart the perception that Blunt isn't the best candidate to battle Democrat Robin Carnahan in 2010.

"I don't know of any person that I would have more ability to be confident -- that satisfaction would be guaranteed -- than my ability to call on Roy to serer to represent us as the Senator in the U.S. Senate," Ashcroft said at the Greene County Sheriff's Department in Springfield Monday afternoon.

Ashcroft's endorsement comes just two days after Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and former Sen. Jim Talent threw their support behind Blunt in St. Louis. Eleven days ago Blunt won the backing of former Sen. Jack Danforth and U.S. ambassador Tom Schweich, who was contemplating his own campaign for U.S. Senate.

If April and May were turbulent periods for the Blunt campaign, June has served as a rebound.

Though predicting the political moves of Sarah Steelman is a foolish parlor game, Republicans now believe a Senate candidacy is less likely than ever before. And while the endorsements from establishment Republicans are not surprising, they have helped stem the tide of negative Blunt stories and toned down his critics.

These developments also highlight the behind-the-scenes political skills of Blunt to cash in on long-time alliances and cut deals in the clutch.

Despite the predictions, daily chatter and back and forth about a Blunt-Carnahan match-up, some of the smartest political observers believe that much of what happens now won't matter as much politically as President Obama's standing in the country come fall 2010.

Repeating what is probably his strongest argument for his election, Blunt noted Monday that the "balance of power" argument will be a very persuasive one for many Missourians.

But that debate won't be joined for months.

For now, an endorsement from a former Governor and U.S. Senator in "Ashcroftland" sends the signal to conservative Republicans that Blunt is not only an acceptable candidate -- but one necessary to unite behind this early in order to have a chance at beating back a Democratic super majority.

"We will have a stronger Senate. We will make better decisions in the United State of America with Roy Blunt in the U.S. Senate," Ashcroft said.

Transgender Potts Says She'll Run For U.S. Senate

Transgender political activist Midge Potts says she'll attempt to run for U.S. Senate under the Progressive Party banner.

Potts, who ran against Roy Blunt in the GOP 7th District primary in 2006, says she'll make an official announcement Thursday. The Progressive Party currently doesn't have ballot status, so she'll need 10,000 verified signatures

*WATCH THE KY3 NEWS STORY WE DID ON POTTS IN MARCH OF 2006*

Potts is co-chair of the state's Progressive Party, and will make her announcement in conjunction with the Proposition One Nuclear Disarmament Tour. The tour will make a presentation at 8 p.m. at the Magic Bean Coffee House on 940 South National in Springfield. Potts says her campaign announcement will come around 9 p.m.

A self-described fiscal conservative, Potts also said she'd also like to focus on paying of a significant portion of the "$10 trillion dollar debt."

"Other issues that will play an integral part of my platform include cancelling America's participation in NAFTA and the World Trade Organization, withdrawing all US troops from the Middle East, balancing the federal budget, abolishing the IRS, and making it legal for American farmers to grow hemp and marijuana. I will also be talking about not-for-profit healthcare as a defense issue that could save countless lives in the United States," Potts said.

VIDEO: Blunt Lays Out "Balance of Power" Argument

Congressman Roy Blunt argued that the threat of a Democratic supermajority in the United States Senate will draw independents and even some Democrats to his 2010 campaign.

Blunt, who never mentioned probable Democratic opponent Robin Carnahan in his remarks, devoted his time to criticizing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama.

He signaled that energy, healthcare and labor policy would be the battleground of ideas he plans to fight over.

*WATCH FULL CLIP ABOVE*

"Worth the effort"

Asked about the significance of endorsements, Blunt said that they send "the signal to the thousands and hundreds of thousands of Missourians who have supported these people that are helping me, that this is obviously worth commitment and effort.

"I think frankly that early message has so many more dividends than a message that comes a week before the election," Blunt said.

*WATCH FULL CLIP*

Rewind: Flashing Back to Ashcroft-Carnahan 2000

"We will never let the fire go out"

John Ashcroft's endorsement of Roy Blunt Monday got The Notebook thinking about the epic 2000 contest when Ashcroft lost his seat to the late Gov. Mel Carnahan.

In a photo finish contest, saturated with emotion and muddled with allegations of voter fraud in St. Louis, Ashcroft gracefully conceded the race to Carnahan's wife. Former Sen. Jean Carnahan can be seen in the above KY3 video footage, voting with daughter Robin Carnahan -- now the Democratic candidate for Missouri's other U.S. Senate seat.

*CHECK OUT A MONTAGE OF THE 2000 FLASHBACK*

The death of Carnahan in a plane crash prompted Ashcroft to postpone campaigning for several days, something he contended "obviously hurt the campaign." On election night, Carnahan spoke to a gathering of supporters by phone from Rolla, pledging: "We will never let the fire go out."

Defying calls by many in the GOP to fight the seating of Carnahan's wife, Ashcroft conceded the race.

"I will not initiate any legal challnege," Ashcroft said. "I hope the outcome of this election is a matter of comfort for Mrs. Carnahan."

ALSO: About :52 seconds in, we believe we spot a bit younger Carnahan spokesman Tony Wyche (in the lower right hand of the screen) finishing a media interview.

Emerson Part of Gossipy D.C. Dinner Club

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson is one of about 20 female House members who meet for dinner and gossip once a month at an upscale Capitol restaurant.

POLITICO has the dish.

"You like that pork chop," Emerson said to Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) as they waited to cast votes the other day. "I always get the small filet with blue cheese melted on top and try not to eat the potatoes. And we always order a large plate of French fries," added McCarthy.

"They’ve gotten so used to us now, [the server] hardly ever gives us a menu," says Emerson. "It’s pretty loud. It’s funny."

Writes Lisa Lerer: "The dinner circle serves as a sort of informal support group for the women as they try to balance the often-competing demands of legislating, campaigning, raising children and simply having a life in a company town that almost always revolves around work."

And: when Rep. Ike Skelton's wife died in 2005, the women made an exception to their women-only rule and invited him.

Let The Eagle Soar

Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is expected to endorse Roy Blunt for U.S. Senate in Springfield Monday afternoon.

Their event will take place during the noon hour at the Greene County Sheriff's office. A Joplin stop is also planned.

Ashcroft's backing follows the endorsements of Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and former Sen. Jim Talent -- both who threw their support behind Blunt in St. Louis on Saturday.

In 2000, the late Gov. Mel Carnahan still mustered enough votes to knock Ashcroft from his U.S. Senate seat. While some Missouri Republicans alleged voter fraud, Ashcroft emotionally and graciously conceded the race. That marked the first time in history someone had posthumously won election to the U.S. Senate.

Carnahan's daughter, Robin, is the only announced Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and is Blunt's likely 2010 opponent.

Harris on Redistricting: "Seems Hard to Eliminate the 9th"

In a rebuttal to a Daily Kos post published recently about redistricting Missouri, GOP political consultant James Harris calls the liberal blog's map "unrealistic" and argues that eliminating the 9th Congressional district would be hard "for anything other than political reasons."

One Democrat on Daily Kos brainstormed a way to keep Rep. Ike Skelton's district blue, in preparations for the Armed Services Committee chair's retirement.

But Harris, who served as a political consultant for Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer's 2008 campaign, called that map "gerrymandered and unrealistic -- because it does not follow the criteria most states follow. Harris argues those includes 1) compactness of districts and making sure they are contiguous 2) creating districts with equal population 3) attempting to keep pre-existing municipal and county lines

"First, it contains an obviously gerrymandered 4th Congressional – a district drawn to politically advantage the Democrats. Drawing a district with the goal of protecting an incumbent or political party is not a recognized principal in redistricting. This map breaks several rural counties (violating one of the population-based criteria) and it is highly unlikely that the Republican General Assembly would draw such a map," said Harris. "Additionally, the proposed 6th Congressional is drawn into Franklin County, a collar county of St. Louis. There is no need to take away parts of the current district in Clay, Platte, and Buchanan and then shift the district across the state," he added.

"Since Republicans control both chambers of the General Assembly, a map that would be gerrymandered to help a Democratic incumbent is unlikely," Harris went on. "Democrats will be cautious about challenging any map that the Republican legislature passes, as the challenge would be heard before the 8th Circuit, one of the more conservative circuits in the nation.

"Finally, I would dispute the idea of eliminating the 9th Congressional if Missouri loses a seat, which might not happen due to population shifts in other states in recent years. In 2001, the two Congressional Districts with the most population growth were the 7th and the 9th, with roughly 70,000 to 75,000 more citizens. The three districts with the highest population loss were the 1st (107,000) and 3rd (26,000), both in St. Louis County, and the 5th (45,000) in Jackson County. Based on this, the more likely scenario is for the 2nd and 3rd districts to be merged and the 1st Congressional to increase in size to make up for population loss. The result would be two Congressional Districts in metro St. Louis with the 8th and 9th encompassing some of the collar counties. It seems hard to eliminate one of the fastest-growing districts, the 9th, for anything other than political reasons. Republicans have done well and picked up seats with fair districts. Democrats perform better with gerrymandered seats like the Daily Kos map," Harris said.

Week 23: Nixon's Grade

NIXON'S WEEK 23 GRADE: B -

Governor Nixon's backing of a $700 million dollar bond program for building projects comes around the same time he's expected to be close to making some considerable capital cuts out of the overloaded state budget. Though they both have questions, initial signs are that Speaker Ron Richard and Senate Leader Charlie Shields favor the general idea of building bonds, which would need statewide approved by voters. But Republicans are already preemptively ratcheting up the pressure over a potential cut to the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in Columbia as well as other higher education projects. Sen. Kurt Schaefer thinks Nixon's call for a construction plan is a cynical move to soften the ax that's coming. Even Democratic lawmakers are unsure what Nixon will slice, which is causing some nervousness. (Do you get the sense Nixon doesn't even want to show his cards to allies in his own party?) The line-item veto is one of the most powerful acts a Governor has in his executive arsenal. The test for Nixon is how to minimize the political fallout from the lines in bills he decides to cross out. A longer-term question for the Governor is whether encouraging the state to borrow more money is the smartest strategy for Missouri's fiscal health.

Carnahan To Raise Money On Her Farm Saturday

Robin Carnahan is hosting a fundraiser for her U.S. Senate bid Saturday on the family farm in Rolla.

Carnahan will welcome supporters at an Ice Cream & Pie Social, according to the Rolla Daily News. The event runs from 2 to 4 p.m.

The Daily News notes that Rolla's Slice of Pie is providing the pie. The requested donations vary between $50 (friend-level) and $500 (sponsor-level.)

The second quarter campaign fundraising deadline is June 30th.

Emerson's Emissions Amendment Narrowly Fails

A House committee has rejected an amendment by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson that would have blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from measuring "indirect" emissions from land-use changes when calculating the carbon footprint of biofuels.

From the New York Times:

"Emerson and many other farm state lawmakers -- most notably Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) -- oppose the way EPA is determining biofuels' emissions in draft rules to implement the national renewable fuels standard that was expanded in a 2007 law (E&ENews PM, June 17)."

Emerson's amendment would have prevented funds in the fiscal 2010 bill from being used to promulgate rules that measure indirect emissions from land-use changes as part of the overall calculation of biofuels emissions.

Emerson's amendment was brought up as part of a $10.6 billion dollar EPA appropriations bill that has been cleared by the House.

House appropriators approved a $10.6 billion spending bill for U.S. EPA last night, tucking in several amendments aimed at insulating

AP: FBI Investigating Missouri Housing Deals

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The director of Missouri's housing agency confirms he has been interviewed by the FBI as part of an investigation related to low-income housing projects.

Pete Ramsel is executive director of the Missouri Housing Development Commission, which uses tax credits and tax-free bonds to help finance affordable housing.

Ramsel told The Associated Press on Friday that he was interviewed by the FBI last year about housing development issues.

He says the questions related to activities that happened more than a year ago, but he declined to elaborate.

A spokesman for state Treasurer Clint Zweifel, who recently became chairman of the commission, says Ramsel informed Zweifel of the FBI investigation earlier this month.

Talent, Kinder to Endorse Blunt Saturday

ALL ABOARD!

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and former Sen. Jim Talent will endorse Congressman Roy Blunt for U.S. Senate Saturday in St. Louis, the KY3 Political Notebook has learned.

A source with knowledge of the event said Kinder and Talent will join Blunt in St. Louis Saturday morning at 11 a.m. at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac.

Endorsements from Kinder and Talent will cap off a laundry list of endorsements Blunt has received from top Republican officials across the state over the past two months.

Official spokesmen for Kinder and Talent would not comment.

ALSO:

The Busplunge Blog notes that former U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft will endorse Blunt Monday in Springfield.

Notebook Special: Talent Makes Case For Missile Defense

*Special to The Notebook*

Former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent requested space to respond to an earlier post on missile defense. Earlier this week House Democrats, lead by Armed Services Committee Chair Ike Skelton, voted down an amendment to boost funding for missile defense programs.

Below is Talent's complete response:

"The KY3 Political Notebook of June 16 was right to focus on the incongruity of the House Armed Services Committee cutting the budget for missile defense on the grounds that we need to spend money on "the threats that truly exist".

I understand that the Committee felt the need to defend the Administration's position on missile defense, but the Administration is wrong on that issue, and the consequences for America could be very dangerous.

There is a global nuclear "cascade" currently underway. Pakistan has a substantial nuclear arsenal and is engaged in an arms race with India.

North Korea has a number of nuclear bombs and is aggressively developing intercontinental ballistic missile capability. Iran is close to having enough enriched nuclear material to make a bomb, and it too is developing ballistic missile capability. Israel already has nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. In response, other nations -Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea among them - are considering their own nuclear programs, if for no other reason than as a deterrent to North Korea and Iran.

As a result, the threat that a nuclear missile will actually be used - or at least will be used as leverage in support of conventional aggression - is greater today than it ever was during the Cold War.

1. Iran has threatened to use nuclear weapons directly against Israel - a possibility made more plausible by the millennial world view of many of Iran's leaders. Either Iran or North Korea is fully capable of engaging in regional conventional aggression, with nuclear missiles as a "doomsday weapon" should the tables be turned against them in conventional warfare.

2. The terrorists are fighting to overthrow the Pakistani government or to penetrate its government sufficiently to gain control of its nuclear arsenal. In addition, we know that the terrorists have been trying to get enough nuclear material to make a bomb, and it would be a relatively simple matter to acquire a short range missile that could be launched from the deck of a ship against the European or American shoreline.

3. The risk of an accidental or impulsive launch is growing. The danger during the Cold War was a bilateral nuclear confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union - two countries with stable launch protocols and established lines of communications. (Remember the "hotline" between Washington and Moscow). Today, the prospect of a multilateral confrontation is in view - say, between India, Pakistan, and Iran, with China and Russia pursuing their own national interests on the perimeter. Pakistan has an unstable government and a nuclear arsenal that is not secure; India and Pakistan do not have regular diplomatic contact, and some in the current Iranian government would be considered borderline insane by Western standards. You don't have to be an expert in game theory to know that such a confrontation could easily get out of hand.

Currently the United States has partially deployed a missile defense system that provides rudimentary protection against such threats. There is simply no reason not to robustly fund and aggressively deploy the rest of the system. When the concept of missile defense was developed in the 1980's, liberals were concerned that it was destabilizing, because it would cause the Soviets to doubt the effectiveness of their nuclear arsenal.

Whatever the merits of that argument at that time, it bears no relationship to reality today, when the threat is from rogue regimes, failed states, and terrorists. Missile defense is an entirely non-nuclear, defensive system that, once completed, could intercept and destroy nuclear missiles whatever their target, protecting not just the United States but the whole world.

It would make nuclear missiles ineffective and therefore eliminate the temptation to develop and use them. One more word in conclusion. Sometimes the argument is made that the government should cut missile defense to save money.

Obviously, missile defense is important enough to claim a budgetary priority under any circumstances. But in any event, the Obama administration is hardly in a position to claim fiscal concerns as a reason for not funding it.

In four measures passed over six months -- the stimulus, the TARP funding, and the Fiscal Year 2009 and Fiscal Year 2010 budgets -- the government has by its own admission added 4 trillion dollars to the national debt.

Now the administration is saying that it must cut 1.5 billion dollars from missile defense in the name of frugality. That is a level of hypocrisy that even Washington rarely reaches.

Those who want more information about ballistic missile defense should consult the Heritage Foundation website, at http://www2.blogger.com/www.heritage.org/33-minutes."

Jim Talent is a former U.S. Senator and currently a distinguished fellow with the Heritage Foundation, specializing in defense issues.

Skelton Gets Detainee Measure Through Committee

The House Armed Services Committee has passed an amendment to restrict President Obama's jurisdiction over the transfer of detainees.

The amendment, offered by Rep. Ike Skelton, states that no detainee can be transferred without the president presenting a plan dealing with possible dangers the detainees pose and requires the president to consult with governors or the chief executives of territories on proposed transfers.

The overall House bill puts restrictions and reporting requirements on the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the United States and elsewhere.

The AP reports: "The vote kicked off an ambitious effort by House Democrats to pass all 12 spending bills before Congress leaves for its August recess and avoid the budgetary standoffs that have become common in recent years."

Bond: Obama Transportation Budget Lacks Detail

Sen. Kit Bond is accusing the Obama administration of failing to provide important details in its transportation budget.

"The budget we have before us for the Department lacks a lot of very important details.” Bond told Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, according to a release. "We all know the devil is in the details, but these are big details with major policy implications and we are running out of time to get answers from your Department," Bond said.

Bond said the budget contains "no policy recommendations" for major highway programs, at a time when the Federal Highway Trust Fund is going bankrupt. Bond suggested that it might be appropriate for the president's budget to include a footnote that says: "we don’t know how to pay for highways."

Bond is calling on LaHood to begin quickly discussing temporary solutions to the expected shortfall. He also took aim at Obama for his devotion to high speed rail at a time when highway's are in serious danger.

In his statement, Bond warned: "high speed rail does not offer a quick or simple solution to relieving congestion on our nation’s highways and airways. High speed rail projects are costly, risky, take years to develop and build and require substantial up-front public investment as well as potentially long-term operating subsidies."

After DWI Charge, 2 Aldermen Call For Mayor to Resign

Two Nixa Aldermen have called for Nixa Mayor Brian Hayes to step down after he was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Alderman Michael Durbin said he has asked Mayor Hayes to step down and to do so "as soon as possible."

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 5 REPORT HERE

"While he has not been convicted of this charge and I do not know specific details of the situation anymore than anyone else paying attention to the news, I do believe he has placed himself in a position where his leadership can be and is questioned," said Durbin.

Reached by phone, Alderman Kevin Elmer, now a candidate for the 141st House seat, agreed with Durbin. "I think it would be best if the mayor would voluntarily resign. We've been hearing from the community, and if he doesn't listen to the community and the board, it puts us in a difficult position, which says something about his leadership," Elmer said.

Alderman Charles McCorkle said he had no comment on the situation.

Hayes was cited for DWI early Sunday morning. The Christian County prosecutor charged Hayes with DWI Wednesday. He was also cited for failing to show proper insurance.

McCaskill: WH IG Dismissal Appears to be "Well Founded"

A day after blasting the Obama administration, Sen. Claire McCaskill said additional information provided by the White House about the firing of an Inspector General puts them in compliance with the law.

McCaskill expressed her disappointment Tuesday that that White House did not initially provide specific reasons for Gerald Walpin's removal. She accused the Obama administration of violating a law she helped craft that requires the president to give Congress 30 days advance notice of an IG's dismissal, along with reasons for the termination.

The White House quickly released a letter detailing the reasons for the firing, saying that Walpin was "disoriented and confused" during a meeting.

Responding to a Notebook question, Sen. McCaskill sent us THIS TWEET early Wednesday, noting that the "White House is certainly compliance with the law as to reason of removal."

Later Wednesday, she released this statement:

"Last night, in response to my request for adequate information on the firing of Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service Gerald Walpin, the White House submitted a letter to Senators Lieberman and Collins that now puts the White House in full compliance with the notice requirement in the law. The next step for Congress is to use the 30 days provided by the notice to seek further information and undertake any further review that might be necessary. The reasons given in the most recent White House letter are substantial and the decision to remove Walpin appears well founded," she said.

MoGOP Comes After Carnahan For Not Disclosing A Business Never Formed

NIT PICKY . . . NUANCE . . .

or Both?

UPDATED 9:17 P.M.

GOP points to registration doc that says Antolinez "is doing business."

UPDATED 10:25 P.M.

Team Carnahan reiterates: Antolinez never formed the business

The Missouri Republican Party filed state and federal ethics complaints against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Robin Carnahan Wednesday for failing to disclose a business owned by her husband.

State party head Lloyd Smith charges that Carnahan has not properly disclosed Antolinez International trade, which is owned by her husband, Juan Carlos Antolinez.

"Mrs. Carnahan has not registered the business of her spouse. We'd like to know why it's not been done," said Smith. "It's transparency required by the law to show where income comes from. It does raise the questions: What is the business? What does it do? What's the income level?"

But the Carnahan campaign said the business in question was never formed.

"In 2006, Robin’s husband reserved a name with the State, thinking that he might want to create a business at some point in the future. He never formed a business, however. Consequently, there was no income to file on a disclosure report," said spokesman Tony Wyche.

UPDATED 9:17 PM The Missouri GOP said the above statement is "not factual," because a "fictious name" filing (necessary to do business under something other than your exact name) states that Antolinez "is doing business" under the name "Antolinez International Trade" at 3615 Olive Street in St. Louis.

Spokesperson Jonathan Prouty points out the document also states that the registration gives "no protection to the name being registered." In essence, the argument is that Antolinez didn't need to register just to protect the name, because there's no provision in the law that prevents someone else from using the exact same name.

UPDATED 10:25 PM: After checking back in with Wyche, he said that while Antolinez was thinking about a future business, he never took the formal step. "This company does not exist and has not existed," Wyche said.

It may be that the wording "is doing business" on the form is more a formality, in case the person begins the business. Prouty acknowledged that could be possible.

Complaints about the business disclosure were filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission and the Select committee on Ethics for U.S. Senate. But at least on the state level, a majority of complaints filed end up being dismissed.

Smith said the disclosure was important because "it's required by law," but did not label the complaint "serious." He also did not try to answer his own question of "why" Carnahan would potentially omit the business.

He said the disclosure was relevant because as a Senator, Carnahan may have to vote on a government contract that could involve the company. "If her spouse would benefit from that . . . that would obviously have some issues," Smith said.

When Smith was asked whether Carnahan would have to disclose the business if it produced no income, Smith said that he believed she did.

But Wyche labeled the complaint as a "silly smear."

"This ham-handed effort at a political smear is a perfect example of the type of silly, unfounded, partisan, and untrue political attack that voters are tired of," Wyche said.

Blunt Helps Roll Out GOP Healthcare Alternative

DEMS PLAN THURSDAY CALL TO PUSH FOR PUBLIC OPTION

Congressman Roy Blunt helped roll out the Republican alternative for healthcare reform Wednesday that would be less costly than the Democratic plan and mainly focus on reforming existing programs rather than creating a new mandate for insurance.

"Republicans have a common-sense health care reform plan that will reduce costs, expand access, and increase the quality of care for every American – and do it in a way our country can afford, without costly mandates," said Blunt, a 2010 candidate for U.S. Senate, in a statement.

Major elements of the GOP-backed proposal include tax credits for low and modest-income Americans to buy their own insurance, urging states to create a "universal access program," and doing more to promote prevention and wellness, while reducing unnecessary treatments. Read more details of the Blunt-backed plan HERE.

The overall cost of the plan remains unclear -- as does how many more Americans Blunt and Republicans hope to insure. On the other hand, Democrats have not detailed how they would pay for their plan either.

When asked about the specific numbers at a press conference, Blunt turned mostly to what the Republican plan would not pay for.

"We will not have coverage paid for by taxpayers for people at 500 percent of the poverty level. We will not have coverage that -- where the taxpayers pay for families who make over $100,000. That’s not going to be part of our plan. So we’re going to look at the numbers where we do have to help people," Blunt answered.

"There are ways to get uninsured people on the insurance rolls without having $1 trillion price tag," he added, during the press conference. You can read a transcript provided by CQ Politics HERE.

Blunt also spoke about making Medicaid more efficient, but also making sure that "everybody who has access to Medicaid knows they have access."

That point may be an ironic one for some of Blunt's opponents, who will easily recall that his son, Matt Blunt who cut thousands from the Medicaid rolls in Missouri during his first year as Governor.

"Many of the uninsured today actually qualify for existing programs. Ten million of the uninsured today have insurance available to them at work. And so, among other things, we think employees should have to opt out aggressively of choosing their insurance at work as opposed to aggressively have to opt in," Blunt went on.

Democrats point to an MSNBC report noting that the Republican plan "that still leaves 29 million-plus uninsured that are not specifically mentioned in the plan."

Also on Wednesday, the White House announced the formation of state lawmakers who will push for healthcare reform across the country. No Missourians were listed in the official group, but the Missouri Pro-Vote Coalition is organizing a conference call Thursday to "reinforce President Obama's efforts to pass comprehensive healthcare reform."

Sen. Jeff Smith and State Rep. Sara Lampe will be part of an 11:30 a.m. conference call Thursday to push for a public insurance option.

Skelton Accuses GOP of Playing Politics with Military Benefits

"We do not play games"

House Armed Services Committee Chair Ike Skelton accused Republican supporters of "playing politics" with an amendment for additional military benefits without offering a way to pay for them.

"In our committee, we do not play games," Skelton said. "We do not accept legislation that we cannot pay for ourselves, and we don’t try and gain political points by raising the hopes of the men and women who sacrificed so much for our country."

Skelton's committee blocked GOP efforts to provide a big boost in retiree and survivor benefits because there was no way of covering the costs over the next 10 years, according to the NavyTimes.

"The authors of this amendment know these rules and choose to ignore them, hoping no one would notice their lack of sincerity at truly solving the problem . . .If you have a way to pay for it, tell us," he said, acknowledging that it is a difficult issue.

Purgason Exploring Senate Bid "For Silent Majority"

State Sen. Chuck Purgason said Wednesday he's exploring a 2010 U.S. Senate bid in order to potentially represent "a silent majority" of conservatives upset with the fiscal state of the country.

Purgason, who represents the far eastern portion of the KY3 viewing area in the State Senate, said he's been mulling the idea of a Senate campaign since Sen. Kit Bond announced his retirement plans.

"It seems like people are hungry for someone to tell them the truth and offer real leadership when it comes to the deficit," Purgason said in an interview with The Notebook Wednesday.

In a release sent to reporters earlier Wednesday, Purgason said the GOP bears "some of the blame of the things that are happening today."

"We have forgotten our values, what we stand for, and what made us a great nation. In the past few years, the leaders we sent to Washington did not stand up for our values of smaller government and more freedoms but instead became part of the problem rather than the solution. As a result, we have become a Party without a true base and a vacancy in real leadership," Purgason's release reads.

When asked if he places some of the blame on Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Blunt, Purgason said he just sees "Washington as business as usual."

"I think the Republican party had a great opportunity a few years ago with control of the House, the Senate and the presidency to get our financial house in order, and I'm disappointed that didn't happen," Purgason said, never mentioning Blunt by name.

"In order to shake up Washington, I think we just might need a new, fresh face," he said. "I think the silent majority is a very powerful force. I think there are a lot of people who are disgusted about the direction we're going, with the spending and the bailouts . . . I just want to go out and talk to people," Purgason added.

Purgason said he has not consulted with much of the top Republican establishment about his potential campaign. He said a few close friends who are considered about the growing deficit urged him to consider it.

"I really haven't ever paid attention to a lot of those people to say yes or no to do anything," Purgason said, referring to the GOP hierarchy. "I have the mindset that instead of sitting back and griping, I'll do it on my own."

Purgason said he hasn't talked to Blunt about his potential plans either. He said the Congressman asked him for his support at a GOP Lincoln Day event, but that Purgason told Blunt he couldn't support him "at that time."

Purgason said he's "in no hurry" to make a decision on a run.

It's not clear if his personal timeline with be more Schweichish or Steelmanesque.

Former ambassador Tom Schweich has taken his name out of the running for a Senate bid. Sarah Steelman said she's still "seriously considering" a Senate run of her own.

For more on Purgason, check out his political website HERE.

Skelton Defends Voting Down Missile Defense Funds

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton defended a committee vote that shot down an amendment to spend an additional $1.2 billion dollars on missile defense programs in 2010.

The 36 to 26 vote against the extra funding was part of the committee's work on the 2010 Defense Authorization bill.

"For too many years, we have not taken a balanced approach to missile defense," said Rep. Skelton. "We have spent far too much money on programs that do not protect us from the threats that truly exist."

The move comes on the same day that President Obama called North Korea "a grave threat" to the world.

What's Bugging Obama

*VID OF THE DAY*

Watch President Obama kill a fly during an interview with CNBC reporter John Harwood.

Impressive that it really took him only one full slap.

It's now being billed as "an amazing show of skill and dexterity."

We're just calling it the Must-See VID of the day.

McCaskill Blasts White House on IG Dismissal

Sen. Claire McCaskill says President Obama did not follow the law in the way he fired the Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The Obama administration recently removed Gerald Walpin from his IG post, citing lost confidence. But McCaskill said the law requires the president to give Congress 30 days advance notice of an IG's dismissal, along with the reason for the termination.

UPDATE @ 10:14 PM: From POLITICO: President Barack Obama removed a government agency’s internal watchdog last week and plans to fire him in part because he was “confused” and “disoriented” at a meeting last month, the White House said in a letter to Congress Tuesday night. The letter came after several senators, including key Obama supporter Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), expressed concern that Obama skirted the requirements of federal law.

MCCASKILL'S STATEMENT:

"The White House has failed to follow the proper procedure in notifying Congress as to the removal of the Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service. The legislation which was passed last year requires that the president give a reason for the removal. ‘Loss of confidence’ is not a sufficient reason. I’m hopeful the White House will provide a more substantive rationale, in writing, as quickly as possible."

McCaskill was the lead Senate sponsor on the Inspectors General Act of 2008 and is strong ally to President Obama.

The Washington Post: "Her statement is the first significant sign of Democratic concern with this matter."

Why Steelman's The Best Show In Town

POKER FACE
While she pushes back at The Hill's characterization of her political plans, Sarah Steelman shows no sign of revealing her cards -- keeping politicos guessing.

And that's just the way she likes it.

In early May, former Senator Jim Talent drove down to Rolla to lunch with Sarah Steelman about the 2010 campaign and the future of their party.

Over sushi at Kyoto on Bishop Avenue, Steelman and Talent conversed for a few minutes about how best to rebuild and rebrand the wounded G.O.P before the former state Treasurer made a surprising proposition.

"If you run, I'll support you and step aside," Steelman said to Talent, according to a source who paraphrased the conversation and stressed the move was genuine. "You're the right kind of candidate," Steelman went on.

Talent, of course, had already announced he wasn't interested this time around. And while he was described as "flattered and appreciative" of Steelman's proposition, Talent reassured her it wasn't his time. (A cynic might say Steelman knew the answer was "no", and that's why she offered.)

Still, the story, told by a source loyal to Steelman, is telling because it's meant to rebuff the most cutting critique of Steelman by her critics: That she's a political opportunist who puts personal gain before the broader betterment of her party.

It can't be lost on Steelman that both her strength and weakness, her political success and failure has been driven by her willingness to be a thorn in side of fellow Republicans. The unique profile (female, conservative, maverick) makes her the most intriguing running storyline in Missouri politics.

And now, a full 17 months before November 2010, reading the chessboard of Steelman's next political move has become a reality show that's captivated journalists, frustrated political consultants and downright annoyed her opponents.

It's the Sarah Steelman show, and for better or for worse, it's the best game in town.

Monday afternoon offered a fresh turn in the Steelman "will-she-or-won't-she-or-which-one-will-she saga? The Hill's Aaron Blake seemed to scoop up a new nugget meant to break through the intrigue: Steelman was now less likely to run for U.S. Senate and more likely to run for U.S. House.

The buzz ensued. Tweets twittered. E-mails (mostly off the record) bounced around inboxes. Cell phones lit up. And a new bolt of adrenaline shot through the Steelmanites like a shot of expresso in the morning.

Allies made it clear they weren't happy with Blake's article. But at the same time, it was obvious that at least a few Steelmanites (a small, but loyal "band of brothers") reveled in the renewed attention.

"They don't have a clue what she's gonna do," said one. "And it's driving them all nuts."

That's true. Consultants want to know so they can decide who they'll be working for next cycle. Journalists want to know in order to write a juicy story (guilty as charged). Candidates want to know if she's going to be coming after them.

"Guessing (the Steelmans) next move is quite the challenge," said one GOP politico, not affiliated with a candidate. "And I like them."

But The Hill article seemed to shift the Steelman storyline. For months, it's been reported that Steelman was mainly eyeing the U.S. Senate. Now, a significant change. The report strongly suggested she had turned her attention to the 7th Congressional House seat instead.

Not knowing if I'd get a response, I blackberried Steelman to ask her what she thought of The Hill article. Initially, I got one line back: "I am very seriously considering the US Senate."

But was the article accurate? Was it fair to assume that she signaled that a Senate run is now less likely?

"I don't think Mr. Blake understood what I was trying to say," Steelman wrote back.

"I said I didn't want to be destructive and immediately he thought I was saying I didn't want to be in a primary because he assumed like all the insiders do, that all primaries are destructive. The Republican establishment thinks primaries are destructive. I don't believe primaries are destructive because they provide a healthy debate about ideas such as fiscal responsibility, ethanol mandates and government bailouts," she went on.

"However, the Republican establishment wants to hold on to power at all costs and a primary would force the establishment to admit they made mistakes and take responsibility. Anyone who challenges those ideas threatens their power and they view it as destructive to the party. I want to be constructive and build a bigger and better party based on good ideas. I mentioned "other outsiders" who may want to run because I don't presume to be the only one who can carry that message. However, I do believe that the messenger in order to be credible cannot be a part of the Washington establishment who lead us into the minority," Steelman wrote, signing off with "Funny the way it is."

"Funny the Way It Is," is the new hit Dave Matthews band which contrasts how good and bad can occur in a complicated world at the same time. (Disclosure: Loyal Dave Matthews fan here.)

The song isn't meant to be funny. Matthews speaks of "babies being born" at the same time of a "soldier's last breath," and lyrics about a broken heart becoming "your favorite song."

Still, it's a timely and apt analogy for Steelman's situation and the state of the GOP. On Sunday, Steelman Twittered: "Danforth says we need a fresh face in DC, then turns around and endorses Blunt. Funny the way it is."

What will be less "amusing" to observers is that, even in her explanation to The Notebook, Steelman kept on her political poker face. No real hint, signal or glimpse into a final decision.

But it may just be that Steelman isn't sure herself. One politico, who has spoken to both Steelman and her husband about the race, said he's convinced that they're "absolutely torn and conflicted" about what to do.

Run for the U.S. Senate and immediately you're up against the establishment again. (And Roy Blunt's no Kenny Hulshof -- he'll kick back.) It's a longer shot, a tougher, more expensive race -- and history shows it would lead to a Republican loss in November. (And guess who'd get the blame?)

But run for the 7th District and you're a carpetbagger. Maybe a frontrunner, but still an outsider. And how do you run your anti-Blunt era message in his own district? There's no question that even the hint of Steelman entering the 7th makes the announced candidates a bit queasy. Still, it's no sure bet.

And so the parlor game goes on.

Even some of Steelman's supporters in 2008 don't think she'll end up reaching for the big enchilada -- a seat in the world's most deliberative body.

"The calls, the organization, the reaching out for support hasn't happened. I don't see any of it being worked on," said St. Louis area GOP activist Buddy Hardin, who supported Steelman over Hulshof in 2008 but now backs Blunt.

"I love Sarah, but if Sarah were sincere about it, I believe her candidacy would be declared," said Republican David Klarich of west St. Louis county.

In The Hill article, Missouri GOP political consultant David Barklage is quoted saying, “When you run for statewide office in Missouri, there are 200 people you call. She’s not called any of those people."

To which a Steelmanite quickly replied, in true form, "Calling 200 insiders before you run? That's exactly what's wrong with politics today."

As much as we all try, predicting the Steelmans next move is a bit foolish. But if a gambling man were to lay down his chips, I'd offer this piece of advice: Bet against the spread.

The Hill Goes Bearish on Steelman for Senate

The D.C. based newspaper reports that Sarah Steelman appears increasingly less likely to run against Roy Blunt for U.S. Senate next year.

Aaron Blake of The Hill writes: "Steelman insisted she is still thinking about the Senate race. But in defending the tone of the gubernatorial primary last year, she also suggested it might be time for someone else to take up the mantle against Blunt."

"Republicans close to Steelman and the state GOP say her choice of words is telling. Her other options include running for state auditor next year or for governor in 2012, but they say it’s now more likely that she will run in the 7th congressional district.

ALSO: GOP consultant David Barklage, who's advising Sen. Jack Goodman in the 7th Congressional District race said that Steelman's probably about "50-50" on a run for U.S. House.

"It became apparent she wasn’t going to run for Senate when the Club for Growth looked like they were going to sit out,” he said. “When you run for statewide office in Missouri, there are 200 people you call. She’s not called any of those people."

Another source tells The Hill that Tom Schweich's decision against a possible candidacy is probably impacting Steelman's thinking: "She was looking at it as: Two men against a woman, she’s got a better shot at winning the race," the consultant said. "Now it’s her against Blunt, and it’s a Hulshof thing all over again. She would be heavily outspent and she starts down very far in terms of name ID."

Blunt: Obama Right to Mention Liability Reform in Speech

Congressman Roy Blunt said President Obama "was right" to mention the need for medical liability reform Monday but was also critical of what the president left out of his speech on healthcare.


"I agree with the President that health care is too expensive and that cost limits access for too many families. What President Obama didn’t tell was how raising billions of dollars in taxes, cutting billions more from Medicare and Medicaid, and then spending trillions on new government programs will help," Blunt said in a statement, responding to Obama's speech.

In his Chicago speech before the American Medical Association, Obama said that part of the healthcare fix must include the controversial public insurance option. The president also called the rising cost of healthcare "a threat to our economy."

Blunt said a "tedious" government mandate will cost jobs, but added that he liked Obama's message on medical lawsuit reform.

"An important contributing factor to escalating health costs – and the group the President talked to knows better than most – is lawsuit abuse. President Obama was right to mention the need for medical liability reform and I hope he will push this issue as one of the many ways to reform health care," Blunt said.

But Obama was clear about ruling out caps on malpractice awards -- and instead said he favored other options to curb costs, which he was less specific about.

Nixa Mayor Cited For DWI

Nixa Mayor Brian Hayes is suspected with driving while intoxicated, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol.

A previous post said Hayes was charged, but authorities say, despite the Highway Patrol report -- no charges have yet been filed.

The 42-year-old mayor was stopped at 1 a.m. early Sunday morning. He's been charged with a DWI as well as driving without insurance. The report says Hayes was released to a sober driver.

Hayes was elected the city's 16th mayor in 2008.

Icet Running For Auditor

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) -- House Budget Committee Chairman Allen Icet is running for Missouri auditor.

The lawmaker from the St. Louis suburb of Wildwood is the first Republican to declare his intentions to challenge Democratic Auditor Susan Montee in 2010.

Icet first was elected to the House in 2002 and is prohibited by term limits from seeking re-election. He has served as budget committee chairman since 2005.

Icet touted his experience in crafting the budget while announcing his candidacy for auditor.

Montee said earlier this spring that she plans to seek election to a second four-year term as auditor.

Week 22: Nixon's Grade

NIXON'S WEEK 22 GRADE: A -

Last Monday's conference call held by Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder provided the latest evidence that Missouri Republicans are still uncertain how to paint a contrast with Gov. Jay Nixon. Kinder summoned reporters to suggest that some Missouri universities felt bullied into taking one-time state money to fund the Governor's health education plan. But state government's top elected Republican had no evidence to back up his claims. And when questioned about the allegation, universities officials seemed as baffled as reporters were skeptical. Higher ed stuck with Nixon. Jason Noble of the Kansas City Star landed the toughest blow: "(Kinder) seemed to say, his role was to spread rumors in the media." Somewhere Team Nixon had to be smiling. This past week, Nixon continued his tour of the state touting his economic package. Small business tax cuts were the focus. And even though the targeted cuts are small, anytime a Democrat can claim a tax cut, it's good politics. The Associated Press' David Lieb notes that the Governor continues to stress Missouri's high (but outdated) unemployment rate in order to be able to claim improvement closer to his next election date. Maybe by then Republicans will have figured out how to strategically and cohesively position themselves against a Governor who, for now, is politically sailing over their heads.

Nixon Signs Bill Extending Unemployment Benefits

Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation Friday that extends unemployment benefits in Missouri by using $65 million dollars in federal stimulus money.

Some of the money will give jobless residents up to 20 additional weeks of benefits.
When the average total unemployment rate exceeds 6.5% during a three-month period, unemployed Missourians would qualify for an additional 13 weeks.

Right now, the benefits run out after 59 weeks.

An effort to expand who qualifies for the benefits is less clear. The U.S. Department of Labor is reviewing Missouri's law to determine if the state qualifies. The Nixon administration said Friday that the U.S. Department of Labor yesterday notified the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations that Missouri qualifies for the federally funded extension of unemployment benefits under HB 1075. But a federal labor official told The Associated Press in May that the state likely would not qualify.
***
Individuals who have exhausted their unemployment benefits and who may be eligible for these extended benefits will receive a letter with claim instructions from the Division of Employment Security. Those individuals may file a claim beginning Monday, June 15 at 8:00 a.m. by calling a Division of Employment Security Regional Claims Center:

In Springfield, that number is (417) 895-6851.

Nixon Halts Rockaway Beach Police Funding

Gov. Jay Nixon has directed Attorney General Chris Koster to cut off state funding for the Rockaway Beach Police Department.

Rockaway Beach was one of 12 law enforcement entities listed as "non-compliant" in the annual Missouri Vehicle Stop report issued on June 1st. Gov. Nixon has ordered that funding be stopped for all those who did not comply.

Rockaway Beach was the only Ozarks-area department that was non-compliant.

"Missouri has been at the forefront of collecting and reporting data about traffic stops, and these reports have served as the basis for constructive communications between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve," Gov. Nixon said in a statement. "The vast majority of law enforcement agencies in Missouri have complied with the reporting requirements of the law since it took effect. This is a law we take seriously, and the consequences for not complying are clear."

Missouri's racial profiling report began in 2000.

Read the 2008 report HERE.

Daily Kos: How To Keep Ike's Seat in Redistricting

Although there is no evidence it will happen in the immediate future, at some point, longtime Democratic Congressman Ike Skelton will retire.

Republicans believe when that occurs, his 4th Congressional district will be ripe for a pick-up.

Ike after all, is no regular Democrat. Widely respected for his foreign affairs and military chops, Skelton easily picks off hawkish Republican votes in a relatively conservative central Missouri district.

But when redistricting occurs in 2011, Missouri is one of the potential states that could lose a seat because of population shifts. (The early betting is that Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer's 9th Congressional District will be swallowed up into Congressman Sam Graves' northwest Missouri district.)

But one Democrat on Daily Kos has designed a way to keep Skelton's district blue, when Ike says goodbye. It involves a bunch of maneuvering and a "compromise" by Republican legislators, but it's worth a look:

From ArkDem 14:

"Take liberal Boone County out of the 9th and anchor it down in Skelton's new district. From that point I kept all of Lafayette, (Skelton's home), and Saline counties in and both of these are much more Democratic at a local level than their Presidential numbers would suggest. Then I shifted the lines and absorbed much of western Jackson County to add more Democratic leaning suburbs and give it more areas that were trending Democratic. From there it curled up north, took parts of suburban and conservative Clay and Platte Counties, and then took in all of the City of St. Joseph, the home of the Current State Auditor Susan Montee. Its a traditionally Democratic, Blue Dog area and its inclusion, along with Boone, is meant to give the new district two firm population anchors."

ArkDem concludes that this is a compromise scenario that Republicans could accept.

"Sure it massively cuts down the odds they can pick up Skelton's district when he retires, but in exchange it creates five districts Democrats can never ever win," ArkDem writes.

And, as for Luetkemeyer, ArkDem suggests that he could still "go off and run in the new MO-05, (the yellow, forgot to number them), which is actually amazingly like Skelton's current MO-04."

McKinnon Calls Steelman A "Republican of the Future"

BUT FOR STEELMAN, IS THE FUTURE NOW?

In writing for The Daily Beast, Republicans Mark McKinnon and Jon Henke name Sarah Steelman as one of six "Republicans of the Future."

"Sarah Steelman of Missouri, once called “Sarah Palin with an economics degree,” has been unafraid to call out establishment Republicans in Missouri; she has said, “I’m not part of the good ol’ boys network, and I don’t want to be.” The GOP could use a lot more politicians with the guts to challenge the status quo. She may be a 2010 Senate candidate in Missouri," write McKinnon and Henke.

Steelman seems to get more props from national Republicans than GOPers in her own state.

McKinnon and Henke say their list if made up of Republicans "we can feel good about defending, because they were principled, intellectual, or reasonable at a time when so many were not."

If you ain't a regular -- Steelman is still seriously considering a U.S. Senate race.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Ohio Congressman Rob Portman also made the list.

Schweich Confirms He's Mulling Auditor Bid

Former U.S. ambassador Tom Schweich confirmed to the KY3 Political Notebook Friday morning that he's considering a campaign for state Auditor in 2010.

Schweich, who announced he would not challenge Congressman Roy Blunt for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate Thursday, said an Auditor bid is something he is seriously considering -- but that no final decision has been made.

"During the course of my evaluation to run for Senate, many people in the private and public sector suggested to me that I consider running for Auditor," Schweich said in an interview. "As a result of that, I'm looking at the possibilities for me in that race."

On Thursday, The Notebook reported that Schweich cut a deal with Blunt allies to win support for the state race in order to avoid a contentious U.S. Senate primary.

"Roy never told me to run for Auditor," Schweich said. "This was a natural process, that involved natural questions a potential candidate would ask. People are going to call it a deal, they can call it whatever they want to call it. Really it was a shift away from the Senate idea to another possibility," Schweich added.

Schweich did not say whether he would run for Auditor if he knew he would have a Republican primary opponent. He said that question was something he hadn't even fully considered yet.

When asked how Schweich expected to maintain his credibility after launching such tough criticism against Blunt just a few weeks before endorsing him, the St. Louis law professor said he always did what he said he was going to do.

"I traveled around the state, I talked to a lot of people and everybody said that this would be a divisive primary. After meeting with Roy, I'm satisfied that he'll be able to address the concerns I had. But the main thing is, I wanted to give him a clear path," Schweich said.

Thursday evening, Sen. Jack Danforth, who was Schweich's top backer for Senate, also threw his support behind Blunt at a glitzy "who's who" GOP fundraiser in St. Louis.

As a former diplomat and negotiator, Schweich is completely aware that some of his statements will likely be used against himself and Blunt going forward, but noted that he always called the Ozarks Congressman "patriotic and a fine man."

"I've been in politics about six weeks, but I have no doubt that they will use this against him and I don't doubt they'll use it against me, but they fail to recognize the process I said I'd go through," Schweich said.

On the Auditor race, Schweich said he wants to decide pretty quickly. A formal decision is expected in the coming weeks.

No other Republican has officially announced a candidacy. Democratic Auditor Susan Montee has said she'll pursue a second term.

ClaireTube

KY3 News played 3 questions with Sen. Claire McCaskill Thursday ---

*Watch her answers ABOVE*

Q1: On "Pay as you Go", why should the Obama administration be taken seriously when it has already spent $787 billion dollars on a stimulus package? Hasn't the debt already been racked up?

McCaskill: "If people don't think the President is serious, they ought to vote for the law and watch him sign it into law . . . It can't be a p.r. stunt if we're saying, 'let's pass the law, and I'll sign it.'"

Q2: Democratic Budget Chair Kent Conrad has said he doesn't think it's realistic for Obama to cut the debt in half, do you think that's realistic?

McCaskill: "Whether we will be able to cut the debt in half in 4 years will depend a lot on how successful we've been at motivating the economy with the stimulus . . ."

Q3: On GITMO -- Do you believe it would be safe to house some of the prisoners in Missouri? Is that something you would support?

McCaskill: "Truth be known, terrorist prisoners have been in Springfield, Mo. at the hospital on a number of occasions . . . Question is, do we have to bring them here? I hope not."

***

Later in the day, the Missouri GOP issued a release criticizing McCaskill for "scolding Missourians for their continued opposition" to President Obama's GITMO plan.

"Claire McCaskill scolded Missourians for opposing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay terrorist detention facility, but less than a month ago, she was one of 90 Senators who voted to prohibit funding to bring terrorists to the United States. McCaskill can’t seem to make up her mind,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party.

Sources: Schweich Cut Deal To Run For Auditor

DANFORTH EXPECTED TO ENDORSE BLUNT

In his decision not to launch a bid for U.S. Senate, Thomas Schweich negotiated a deal with Roy Blunt's allies to potentially run for State Auditor in 2010, according to numerous G.O.P. sources across the state.

Multiple sources tell The Notebook that Schweich expressed interest in running for the state office, but that he wanted some assurances that the G.O.P. primary field would be cleared.

"Tom Schweich cut a deal to run for auditor," one source plainly put in, speaking anonymously in order to not offend the parties involved. "He wants to run unopposed in a primary," the source added.

The sources said that in his travels around the state, the virtually unknown former U.S. ambassador and law professor eventually determined that he could not win a Republican primary against Blunt -- but still had the appetite for a political campaign.

Schweich did not respond to a phone call and e-mail Thursday afternoon.

When asked if Congressman Roy Blunt agreed to back Schweich for Auditor if he got out of the U.S. Senate race, spokesman Rich Chrismer replied, "of course not."

"Potential candidates must make their own decisions about whether to run for office," Chrismer said.

Schweich announced Thursday afternoon that he would not run for U.S. Senate, and urged Republicans to unite behind Blunt. On May 15th, he said that he was hearing from many people around the state that "a fresh face" was needed to lead the party, and said he had as good a chance at beating probable Democratic opponent Robin Carnahan as anyone else in the field.

On Thursday night, Sen. Jack Danforth, an enthusiastic backer of Schweich, was expected to endorse Blunt for U.S. Senate at the Spirit of Enterprise gala in St. Louis.

Just a month ago, Danforth said: "I think we have a better chance at keeping Senator Bond's seat with Tom Schweich than anyone else I can think of."

The turnaround is stark, but not surprising if Schweich follows through with his plans to pursue the State Auditor race. But one Republican cautioned, "the situation remains fluid."

This source said that many believed Danforth's backing of Schweich made him a serious contender for U.S. Senate -- and that this quick reversal shows that Schweich may hold unpredictable intentions.

It now appears that former state treasurer Sarah Steelman remains the lone obstacle for Blunt in having a clear shot at the G.O.P. nomination. While some Republicans have urged Steelman to run for Auditor, allies close to her have suggested that's highly unlikely.

Schweich Is Out

Former U.S ambassador and law professor Thomas Schweich announced Thursday that he will not run for U.S. Senate in 2010, clearing one hurdle for Congressman Roy Blunt's path to the GOP nomination.

Less surprising than his decision not to run was his immediate call to unite behind Blunt, who he has previously said would have trouble defeating probable Democratic opponent Robin Carnahan next year.

Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post Dispatch first broke news of Schweich's decision this afternoon via Twitter (how else?).

Schweich was not immediately available by phone, but released this following statement to reporters:

"A few weeks ago, I stated that I was considering running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Kit Bond.  At that time, I indicated that I would only run if my candidacy would contribute to party unity and would make it more likely that Republicans keep the Senate seat.

"Since that time, I have met Republicans throughout the state to discuss the Senate race.  These conversations were very helpful to me.  However, as a result of these discussions, I have concluded that my entering the race would be divisive and probably lower the chances of keeping Sen. Bond's seat in Republican hands.

"I have also had the chance to speak with Rep. Roy Blunt, and he has addressed in a forthright and admirable way the issues that I and others have previously raised about his candidacy.

"As a result, in the name of party unity, I have chosen not to run for U.S. Senate.  I believe that we should unite behind Rep. Blunt."
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

W.H. Fundraiser Next Week to Benefit Carnahan

Robin Carnahan's campaign for U.S. Senate will receive a significant second quarter boost next week from a White House fundraiser expected to haul in near $1 million dollars, according to POLITICO.

POLITICO reports that White House chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will join Sens. Dick Durbin, Chris Dodd and Michael Bennet at a fundraiser in Chicago Monday that will benefit several Democratic candidates, including Carnahan.

The money raised will be split between the Democratic Senatorical Campaign committee and the candidates' own committees, according to sources.

The second fundraising quarter of the year ends on June 3oth.

Gov. Nixon: Don't Judge MIAC on A Few Lines

Gov. Jay Nixon said he hoped that a special committee looking into the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) would not base its evaluation of the intelligence program on a "few sentences" in a single report.
***
Nixon made the comments during a economic development bill signing at the Chamber of Commerce in Springfield Wednesday, in response to a question from KY3 Photojournalist "Country" Tom Schultheis.

"I only hope that the legislators that are looking into it, look at it from the beginning of the process to the end of the process and not focus on just a couple of statements that are in there," Nixon said, referring to the "Modern Militia" report that leaked to the public in February. "I'm hopeful that the legislature, in their review . . . will be thoughtful, calm and apolitical," he added.

Called the "sharing of intelligence," a vital part of law enforcement.

"It's my hope that another branch of government doesn't attempt to baffle or lessen the clear safety that can come from legitimate intelligence analysis," the Governor concluded.

A Case For & Against MIAC Reports

AGAINST

Speaking at the special committee hearing Wednesday, political activist Catherine Bleish called MIAC's centralization of intelligence "a very dangerous" threat to democracy.

"It seems to me from listening to testimony today that the MIAC center was created by a government that is fearful of its people in some way," said Bleish.

"This is a very big red flag. What business do we have walking that fine line of identifying people as potential terrorists?," she asked.

*WATCH HER MAKE HER CASE ABOVE*
ALSO: VID CHECK: About :59 seconds in, notice the MIAC director's reaction (while he's packing up), when Bleish mentions concern about coordination between law enforcement agencies.

FOR

Cole County Sheriff Greg White urged lawmakers to continue to allow MIAC to issue strategic reports because he said they help reduce potential acts of violence and keep Missourians safe.

"Being the poster child for Right to Life, I would tell you, I wasn't the least bit offended by the document published," Sheriff White testified, referring to the "Militia Movement" report.

"We need the strategic arm of MIAC restored . . . To think that we would not do strategic work within the fusion center is to say that it's ok to commit certain acts of violence," he added.

*WATCH HIM MAKE HIS CASE ABOVE*

VIDEO: The MIAC Hearing

"A FINE LINE"

The head of the Missouri's Highway Patrol said the state is no longer producing strategic security reports, like the one on the militia movement that sparked controversy earlier this year.

But at a special State House hearing in the State Capitol Wednesday, Colonel James Keathley also said he couldn't entirely rule them out in the future, especially in the light of recent violent events around the country.

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE

***

*WATCH EDITED CLIPS OF THE HEARING ABOVE*

Some Highlights:

Col. Keathley: "I'm not going to sit here and say that there will never be another strategic report."

Rep. Shane Schoeller: "Let's be frank, most people, they get emotional, they may get excited, but they're not going to do any harm."

Rep. Jim Viebrock: on the suspect in the abortion doctor killing: "The person committing that crime is not a terrorist, that is a murderer."

At the Heart of It: Lawmakers want to know how law enforcement decipher between a passionate political protester and a deranged dangerous person?

Keathley's response: Some indication of criminal activity.

Wednesday's hearing lasted more than two and a half hours, and that did not include the tour of the MIAC facility located on Militia Drive in Jefferson City. Other special hearings are scheduled for his summer in Springfield, St. Louis and Kansas City.

Griggs To Run For Presiding Commissioner

Former Springfield City Councilman Conrad Griggs will run for Greene County Presiding Commissioner in 2010, the KY3 Political Notebook has learned.

Griggs is planning a formal announcement next Thursday at the Library Center on South Campbell at 2:30 p.m.

In 2007, Griggs lost his city council seat to Doug Burlison.

Griggs will seek the G.O.P. nomination. Republic State Rep. Jim Viebrock has also said he plans to run for the county's top seat, setting up a likely primary between the two Republicans. The ultimate victor will get a shot at current Presiding Commissioner Dave Coonrod, who is a Democrat. Coonrod was one of the runner-ups to head the Department of Natural Resources in Gov. Jay Nixon's administration.

MIAC Returneth

GET LIVE TWITTER UPDATES FROM THE MIAC HEARING

*HERE*

A trio of local conservatives sound off on what they hope Wednesday's MIAC hearings at the State Capitol will achieve and if the recent killing of a Kansas abortion doctor will alter the debate about who law enforcement needs to track.

*WATCH CLIPS ABOVE*

Nixa State Rep. Ray Weter said the goal of the Missouri Information Analysis Center hearings should be to differentiate between what's a legitimate approach to targeting and what's an overreaction. He said the report didn't offend him personally, but that his constituents reacted intensely to certain labels used. Rep. Weter called the suspect who is charged with the killing of a Kansas abortion doctor "an outlier," and not a problem Missourians had to worry about.

Right to Life's Dave Plemmons said the goal of the hearings should be to determine "who knew what, when they knew it and why they thought it was ok to issue this on a state level." He called the actions of the Kansas suspect "anti-abortionist," but not "pro-life." Plemmons believes law enforcement has the right to track those with a previous criminal history, but not people who are just associated with a particular group or belief.

2010 State House candidate Kevin Elmer said he wanted these questions answered: "How are they applying it? Where did it come from? What's the reasoning behind it?" He found the MIAC report so general that it could target "anybody who shows up for an abortion debate."

Hearings on the function and procedures of MIAC begin Wednesday afternoon in Jefferson City at 2 p.m. They will be chaired by Springfield Rep. Bob Dixon.

The hearings come after this controversial security document targeted some conservative groups and ignited a political firestorm in Jefferson City that lead to elimination of the report and the replacement of the MIAC director.

Dixon has said the hearings would help ensure that future reports produced by MIAC are "properly and adequately supervised."

To read a timeline of The Notebook's coverage of MIAC for the past few months, click HERE.

Nixon in Springfield Wednesday For Jobs Bill Signing

Gov. Jay Nixon will be in Springfield Wednesday afternoon to sign ceremonial copies of bill that expands incentives the state can use to attract new business.

***

Read the "Quality Jobs" legislation HERE.

Nixon's Springfield event will be held at the Chamber of Commerce on 202 S. John Q Hammons Parkway at 2:30 p.m.

VIDEO: Elmer Launches State House Bid

Attorney, architect and alderman Kevin Elmer launches his campaign for the 141st House seat in Nixa, promising to fight for fiscal discipline and individual freedoms in Jefferson City.

***

*WATCH CLIPS OF ELMER'S KICK-OFF ABOVE*

To kick off his speech, Elmer makes reference to former state treasurer Sarah Steelman, who attended the event: "I could see in her eyes, she's like . . shining. It's like . . another campaign."

Mentions Congressional candidate Billy Long, as a "fine candidate," along with plenty of other fine candidates running to replace Roy Blunt in the 7th Congressional district.

ON POLICY:

"Being fiscally conservative means when you're up in Jefferson City and you're making decisions and doing those bills, you're always thinking about where that dollars comes from before you agree to spend every bit of it," Elmer said.

"People say well if you repeal the helmet law, that increases cost for these things -- that's the critics that say something against it -- What's the cost of taking away a person's freedoms?," Elmer said.

Elmer was elected to Nixa's Board of Aldermen in April 2008. He won that race for three votes. For months, he considered a Congressional bid himself, but after surveying his resources and his chances, he settled on a State House run.

BELOW: PALACE INTRIGUE
SPOTTED: STEELMAN & LONG HAVING A CONVERSATION

When approached, the two politicos scattered in opposite directions.

"This is Kevin's event," Long said, signaling he wasn't interested in attention.

*WATCH BRIEF CLIPS BELOW*

McCaskill Makes Into The Money Shot

On cable and in still photos -- Sen. Claire McCaskill was positioned prominently right behind President Obama as he announced his "pay-as-you-go" proposal.

The above picture is via TIME

The plan asks Congress to pay for new benefit program increases by raising taxes, and cutting budgets.

"Paying for what you spend is basic common sense. Perhaps that's why, here in Washington, it has been so elusive," said President Obama.

More in the White House release HERE.

Blunt Calls Public Healthcare Option "Insurmountable" Obstacle

Congressman Roy Blunt said he's made clear to House Democratic leaders that pushing for a public option in healthcare is a non-starter for his Republican colleagues.

"That is a problem that is virtually insurmountable because we just don't think that it leads to real competition," Blunt said Monday, as reported by CNN.

Blunt also calls President Obama's August 1st deadline for passing a bill in the House "artificial."

The public insurance program would compete with rates paid to doctors and hospitals at a level higher than those charged by Medicare, according to Democratic leaders. It would also include new restrictions on insurers, including out-of-pocket healthcare expenses in policies and bar insurers from excluding people based on pre-existing conditions, according to several news accounts.

WSJ: Justice Ignoring Voting Case in Missouri

The Wall Street Journal pens an opinion piece accusing the Justice Department of "misinterpreting key voting rights laws for nakedly political reasons."

Hans A. Von Spakovsky cites registration numbers that didn't add up from the November 2008 election in Missouri, and says the Justice Department dropped the case one month after Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced she was running for U.S. Senate.

From the piece:

"Registration numbers from the November 2008 election show that more than a dozen counties in Missouri have more registered voters than the Census shows they have voting-age residents. Clearly, the state isn't keeping its lists current. However, in March, one month after Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (a Democrat and the defendant in the lawsuit) announced she was running for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Kit Bond, the Justice Department dismissed the lawsuit without explanation."

VIDEO: Blunt's Scooter Accident

RAW VIDEO of Gov. Matt Blunt's vehicle accident in central Springfield tonight.

More details . . . Tonight on KY3 News @ 10.

*Check ky3.com for more information*

UPDATE: The driver of the scooter is the son of Kellie Freeman Rohrbaugh, formerly of Planned Parenthood and currently a Missouri Democratic Party staffer. Rohrbaugh phoned The Notebook from Denver to say that her son is being evaluated for X-rays. "They're looking at his injuries. It does look like he's going to be ok," said Rohrbaugh, who says her parents and husband have joined her son at the hospital.

BELOW: Lt. Kevin Grizzell explains how it happened

"I think he just didn't see him coming"

PLUS: MORE IRONY: A Springfield policeman also unintentionally weighs into the helmet debate:

"Motorcycles and scooters need to be very careful. We recommend everybody wears a helmet. It's too easy not to be seen and end up suffering a head injury or worse if the vehicles don't see you," said Lt. Grizzell.

"It's like playing roulette. I'd recommend wear a helmet all the time."

AND: IS GOV. NIXON INFLUENCED BY AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING HIS FORMER RIVAL AS HE WEIGHS HIS DECISION ON A HELMET LAW REPEAL?

Breaking: Blunt Involved In Scooter Accident

Former Governor Matt Blunt was involved in a vehicle accident Monday evening in central Springfield that has sent one person to the hospital.

It occurred at the intersection of Kickapoo and Cherry around the 7 p.m. hour.

Blunt was driving an SUV. Police say the scooter collided into Blunt's Ford Explorer as he was crossing the intersection.

The former Governor has been issued a ticket, and a summons to appear in Municipal Court.

More Video . . . DEVELOPING

Full Details on KY3 News @ 10

MIAC Hearings Begin Wednesday

A special House committee will begin holding hearings on the "function and procedures" of the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) this Wednesday.

The first hearing will be held in the Capitol's House Hearing Room 3 at 2 p.m.

It's expected to focus on "an informational overview" of MIAC.

"This interim committee and the public hearings reflect our responsibility as legislators to examine how state agencies are operating within the parameters set for them," said Committee Chairman Bob Dixon. "Law enforcement needs the proper tools and information to prevent unlawful activity, but it's our duty to safeguard civil liberties and privacy and make sure sufficient public accountability exists."

The committee was created by Speaker Ron Richard in response to the controversial MIAC report that labeled some right wing groups as potential terrorists. Additional hearings are expected in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield.

For more of KY3's coverage of the MIAC controversy, click HERE and HERE.

Elmer Announces Tonight @ 5:30

Nixa Alderman Kevin Elmer officially kicks off his campaign for the 141st State House seat Monday night @ 5:30 p.m.

His announcement will be held at Bud & Walt's Pizza House on Highway 160 in Nixa.

Rep. Jay Wasson, who currently holds the seat, is term limited. Elmer had been considering a run for U.S. Congress, but took his name out of the hat last week.

*TWITTER UPDATES FROM THE EVENT*

Kinder Concerned About Funding for College Training Program

Says he's "heard" some universities may be feeling "intimidated" into Gov. Nixon's program

MSU: "We're full steam ahead. We think it's a great idea."

School Says It Plans to Stretch Out Money Over At Least 2 Years

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder strongly suggested Monday that some colleges and universities feel like they are being "forced" and "intimidated" into implementing a program that would help higher education institutions train Missouri students to fill the shortage of healthcare workers in the state.

At issue is Governor Jay Nixon's Caring for Missourians initiative -- a $40 million dollar pot of money that will go schools to educate and train an additional 916 healthcare graduates. More than 80 percent of the state is designated as having a shortage of healthcare professionals.

In a conference call with statewide reporters Monday, Kinder said he is not against the concept of the program, but wants universities to be "keenly aware" that "funds may not be available next year."

"The issue is how this program will be funded today and going forward," Kinder said, adding that he's worried Nixon's plan might "only create a new financial burden on universities."

Kinder suggested that slagging general revenue could force universities to cut back in other areas such as scholarships and staff in order to keep the healthcare initiative afloat beyond the first year.

House Budget Chairman Allen Icet joined Kinder on the call to deliver the gloomy financial forecast. "2010 is going to be a bad year," Icet said. "It is not a good time to create a new program. It's time to batten down the hatchets now," he added.

Kinder did not specifically name any colleges or universities that have expressed concern about the financial solvency of the program's future, but said the goal of his call was to "heighten the profile of the issue and discussion."

He said he did not want to "have anyone forced into and intimidated into this program," and has heard unconfirmed "third-party" chatter that those concerns are out there.

When asked why he didn't reach out to colleges and universities before holding the call, Kinder said: "Because I didn't see it as part of my due diligence. I'm not going to make 15 calls and run it down."

He said that was the job of reporters.

Missouri State University Chief of Staff Paul Kincaid told The Notebook that the university has always been supportive of the healthcare training initiative. Under the program Missouri State will receive $2.2 million; Ozarks Technical Community College is slated to get $471,224.

"It's full steam ahead for us," Kincaid said. "We think it's a great idea. We understand that it's one-time money. But we think we may have some ways to phase it in and make it work beyond the first year," he explained. "We're planning to stretch it out maybe to 2 years."

Asked if the university felt pressured to accept the one-time funding, Kincaid responded, "absolutely not." "We felt this was a great idea from the beginning," he said.

Kincaid did not rule out the option of shifting funding from other programs to keep the expansion of healthcare training in place. "It's too early to tell," Kincaid said. He said he would hope lawmakers would see the merits of the program and provide more extensive funding in the future.

Spokesperson Scott Holste of Gov. Nixon's office said that "anyone who understands the critical need for healthcare professionals in Missouri supports this measure."

"The Governor and officials from the state’s public universities have been working since January to craft this measure," Holste said. "The universities recognize that there is a demand for health care professionals that they are not able to meet, so that’s why they have been working cooperatively with the Governor on this for several months," he said.

Week 21: Nixon's Grade

NIXON'S WEEK 21 GRADE: B -

Anytime a Governor gets to sign his chief legislative initiative into law, he's probably had a pretty good week. Gov. Nixon got to dot the i's on an economic development bill that expands the pool of tax credits the state can give to businesses to help lure them here. He also acknowledged that "I don't think we're done," when it comes to tax credit reform, clearly signaling that the debate over how this money should be used is far from settled. How long Nixon gets to show tangible direct results from the big jobs bill is unclear, especially since so may Republicans signed on to the measure. Speaking of the economy, how about all those Democratic quotes Chad Livengood had in his story questioning Nixon's use of federal stimulus money for tax rebates. Sen. Claire McCaskill and Rep. Ike Skelton don't seem to approve of Nixon's move either. But if the Republicans had to run against Nixon later this year, you'd likely soon see a television ad lambasting the Governor for "promising reform," but instead is rewarding "political contributors." (We're talking about those fee offices.) The GOP pointed to Susan Montee's ex-husband this week as the latest example. He's a major Democratic donor, and he won the bid to operate a lucrative license office in Lee's Summit. But he's also promising to return about 8 percent to the state. There are other examples out there, and the GOP will have their eyes wide open for more evidence of "pay to play." But this is also a tact Kenny Hulshof attempted to use against Nixon, and voters didn't seem to care much. Does anyone outside of politicos even care who runs the offices as long as it is done well? The story the Nixon administration has to worry about is when some reporter digs though all the re-bids and calculates how many new operators are Democratic contributors. Nixon may be very well attempting to make the process more transparent, but in politics, perception is reality. And when a "Montee" wins the bid, some old codger in Henry County is scratching his head, saying "politics as usual." Still, for now, team Nixon is probably more focused on job numbers than fee offices.

For Politico: Congressional Candidates Bluntly Reject Earmark Process

While Congressman Roy Blunt has been a proud and prolific earmarker, the five announced candidates running to replace him are stridently criticizing that process and making appropriations reform central to their U.S. House campaigns.

Read my piece for POLITICO HERE.

The Notebook is Away

We'll return to blogging Sunday. Follow my updates on Twitter.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Lower Bids Pave Construction Savings For MoDOT

WATCH THE KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE

Despite all of its pending funding problems, this rough economy has meant a slice of good news for Missouri's transportation department (MoDOT): Some big area projects are coming in cheaper than expected.

Missouri has had two big recent waves of transportation funding: Amendment 3 money approved by voters in 2004 and most recently -- stimulus money. All this work has attracted more contractors than usual, which ends up pushing down the price.

Elmer's Out of the 7th, Into the 141st

Nixa Alderman Kevin Elmer tells the KY3 Political Notebook he will NOT run for U.S. Congress in 2010.

***

In a statement released Tuesday night, Elmer said he would instead run for Nixa's State House seat being vacated by Rep. Jay Wasson.

"After months of discussing the concerns of Southwest Missourians I have decided not to run for the United States Congress," Elmer said in a statement sent to The Notebook. "I have decided that I can best address their needs by running for the State Representative of the 141st District seat being vacated by Jay Wasson. I want to thank the many citizens of Christian, Stone and Lawrence counties who have encouraged me to seek this office," he said.

For the past few months, Elmer repeatedly said he was very seriously considering a bid to replace Roy Blunt in Congress, but the field may have gotten too crowded and the finances may have become too difficult to raise for the little-known Nixa alderman.

Elmer's departure from the field leaves a five-man field in the race for the 7th Congressional District: Sen. Jack Goodman, Sen. Gary Nodler, auctioneer Billy Long, prosecutor Darrell Moore and community college instructor Jeff Wisdom.

Elmer's formal announcement for the 141st legislative district seat will be held at Bud & Walt’s Pizza House in Nixa at 5:30 PM on Monday, June 8.

Blunt Questions How to Define Earmarks

"Is it an earmark once the Congress of the United States has authorized this as a national priority?"

***

After the Springfield News Leader's Chad Livengood and the Terry Ganey of the Columbia Tribune both penned pieces about the earmark process and what defines it, I began recalling a conversation I had with Congressman Roy Blunt on March 20th of this year about the same topic.

As Livengood pointed out in his story, the specific definition of "earmark" seems to vary depending on who you speak to. In my interview, Blunt suggested that many of the so-called earmarks he sponsors shouldn't be labeled as such. He repeatedly raised questions about how to define an earmark, and said he has "always been for going through the entire process."

To provide context, this portion of the interview, which I never got around to publishing, dealt with earmark transparency. But looking back, I think it gives a glimpse into the mind of how the GOP U.S. Senate candidate views the specific spending projects he's brought back to the district for years.

*WATCH FULL EXCHANGE ABOVE*

"Lot of my so-called designated spending was first authorized," said Blunt. "And John McCain or nobody else believes that that's truly a so-called earmark.

Blunt seemed to question if a project should be labeled "an earmark" if it has been designated as a national priority. "If it an earmark once the Congress of the United States has authorized this as a national priority? John McCain says that's not an earmark," Blunt said, seemingly answering his own question. "If it's a tax provision that only affects 20 companies in the whole country, is that an earmark?"

Towards the end, Blunt seemed to lay out his own standards: "It should have a committee vote, it should have a floor vote. It should have a conference committee vote."

But when asked if he ever slipped something into a bill without these votes, Blunt replied, "I don't know that I've never had anything put in at the last minute, but I've always been for going through the entire process."

***

PLUS:

The Notebook contacted two former state appropriators for their definition of earmarks on the state level, and whether the process is at all comparable to a federal earmark.

Former Rep. Ken Legan served as the ranking Republican appropriator in the State House from 1981 to 2002; State Sen. Wayne Goode was a Democratic Budget Chair in the Senate from 1984 to 2000. Here is a summary of their thoughts, extracted from our conversations:

Rep. Legan: "Some members have pet projects. It's not like an earmark, they make a case for it. Some mistakenly call them earmarks, but it's not the same. To my knowledge, I have never saw any money go into the budget under the table that I didn't know about. If you go line by line through the state budget, you 'll know exactly what's in there. On the federal level, they get things in there that the committee doesn't always see, the way I understand it. It's altogether different. I couldn't slip something in without nobody knowing about it. Now, you can take an amendment to the budget chair, and if the chair says no, you are out of luck. If he says yes, it goes through the full committee and then to the full House. But to me, they are different processes."

Sen. Goode: "It's somewhat the same, but the appropriations process itself is not as loose and unstructured as it is on the federal level. As a member of the House or Senate, you could offer an amendment to the operating budget bills to fund a pet program, but it's not likely to go anywhere without support. In a capital improvement bill, could you stick something in and it not be known? No, not really. If you can get a majority of votes, it's in the bill. You can kind of look at that as an earmark, but it's a limited process. On the federal level, various Senators get the chairman to put (an earmark) in the bill, but an entire bill can be voted on without that particular item. The way it works in Missouri, is that you always need a majority vote somewhere -- either in committee or on the floor. It doesn't really work like it does in Congress. The process is tighter, more structured on the state level. I think at some point there should be an up or down vote on each level, either the committee level or on the floor. There's a big difference between doing it in a public way and sticking it in because you want it."

Road Rider Stands By Helmet Story

A Freedom of the Road Rider stands by his story that Gov. Jay Nixon promised to sign a repeal of the motorcycle helmet law -- despite the Governor's recent denial that he made any commitments to anybody.

***

Motorcycle rider Dean Gunter contacted The Notebook Tuesday after watching Nixon's denial of any pledge HERE.

Gunter previously told the Associated Press that Nixon personally told him he would sign the bill. Per our request, Gunter detailed his brief exchange with the Governor, which he says occurred at the State Capitol on April 8th.

"I watched your interview several times and I noticed you specifically asked about groups, but the second time he answered, he said 'anybody.' To me that meant he never told me that," Gunter said.

"Here is what happened. It was on Tuesday, April 8th. (Nixon) was addressing an older group seated in the rotunda of the Capitol. As he stepped off the podium, a couple of people shook his hand and talked for a bit. Then, it was my turn. Now, when I walked to him and his two patrolmen, I introduced myself and mentioned Martha Hicks," said Gunter, explaining that she's a friend and a member of the Silver Haired Legislature.

"(Nixon) smiled and said how great of a lady she was. I then told him I had been working with the groups and individuals who ride to get Senate Bill 202 passed. His expression changed and he said sharply, and I quote: 'I told them I would sign it, if they leave it clean I will sign it,' unquote. I thanked him, shook his hand and two other men were standing there to talk to him went next. I then left him, and went to visit a few legislators to thank them," Gunter recalled.

"I told everyone what he had just told me. That's it," Gunter said.

Again, you can watch Nixon's denial of any commitment "to anybody" HERE.

The Governor has said he's "truly undecided" about what to do.

Gunter said he would like to "confront" the Governor about his explanation.

June 1st Bullets

A sleepy day in Missouri politics, a slow enough start to possibly take some vaca later this week?

Hmmm . . . Here's our bullets to catch-up:

• MIAC COMMITTEE -- Rep. Bob Dixon announces he'll chair an Interim Committee on "State Intelligence Analysis Oversight" to review the origins of the controversial Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) report that outraged conservatives earlier this year. Dixon, who is running for the 30th District State Senate seat in 2010, released a statement of high praise from Speaker Ron Richard. "Representative Dixon has been vocal in expressing his concerns about the report issued by MIAC and he is one of the driving forces behind the creation of this committee. I believe he is the ideal choice," Richard said. No timetable was mentioned for hearings.
  
• GM GOES BANKRUPT -- And Sen. Claire McCaskill released this statement: "I’m looking forward to GM coming out of bankruptcy a stronger, better company. Ultimately, I’m pleased that we’ve managed so far to save important middle class jobs like those at the Wentzville plant and just across the border at the Fairfax plant in Kansas. I’m also anxious for the U.S. automakers to no longer rely on the federal government and, in the end, for the taxpayers to get their money back."
• REAL HOUSEWIVES -- This is a bit preposterous, but Abigail Blunt has been mentioned as a potential candidate for BRAVO's Real Housewives of D.C. The wife of Congressman Roy Blunt is afterall, one of the "Top 50 Corporate Lobbyists in D.C., and known for her fashionable wardrobe," according to Politics Daily. I don't know what Team Blunt would like less, reading more about Abigail's lobbyist credentials or watching her on reality TV. Although I will say Real Housewives of New Jersey is worthwhile late-night wind down tube.
• REPORT: BLACKS STOPPED MORE -- Black motorists are significantly more likely than other drivers to be stopped by Missouri law enforcement officers - a disparity that has grown greater during the past decade, according to a study from the Attorney General's office. An annual demographic report on Missouri traffic stops released Monday shows black drivers were 67 percent more likely than white or Hispanic drivers to be stopped in 2008. Not shocking. Same report was released last year. Question is: Do policy makers or law enforcement think they need to do anything to address/fix this?
• WHAT'S CID STAND FOR? -- Community Improvement District. Springfield currently has seven of them. Click here to find out why critics are raising some red flags before Council approves two more.