Blunt Pardons Turkey, Not Martin

Gov. Matt Blunt today pardoned a Missouri turkey at the Governor’s Mansion as part of this year’s Thanksgiving celebration -- and let go of his Chief of Staff Ed Martin.

“As I pardon Gobbles today I am reminded of the many blessings Missourians can be grateful for including a safe, abundant food supply that our farm families help put on our tables each day,” Gov. Blunt said. “Pardoning this turkey is a symbol of the importance of charity and thanksgiving during the holiday season. It is also a reminder for each of us to be thankful for Missouri agriculture and to remember its importance to our state’s economy and to thousands of farm families across Missouri.”

Now, to the meat . . . Jason Rosenbaum has audio of the Governor's press conference. Blunt said Martin exceeded his expectations in his work in state government, and said that Martin wanted to pursue other opportunities in state government.

Blunt dodged around whether he specifically asked Martin to resign --- and seemed to struggle with an obvious question. "We discussed it, we discussed his desire to move on," Blunt said, responding to the third time he was asked.

This awkwardness made it easy for the Democratic hit machine today. "While Blunt went out of his way to say he values Martin’s 'insight, his management, his leadership,' he refused to answer a very direct question about Ed Martin’s job security, according to a video shot by the Columbia Daily Tribune," said state Democratic Party spokesman Jack Cardetti.

"Perhaps this is a little foreshadowing. Tomorrow, the busiest travel day of the year, is officially 'national take out the political trash day," Cardetti went on.

And then there's the Matt Blunt Document Destroyer Game. Wow. Whoever designed this needs to get a raise.

Can the conventional wisdom assume the Blunt administration/political operation realized the e-mail story wasn't going away -- and needed a casualty to prove accountability? Can that CW also assume the Governor didn't want to explicitly say that?

Is this early inside baseball all over the voters heads -- or will it become a bigger issue than the Medicaid cuts during what's expected to be a vicious 2008 campaign.

Blunt Replaces Ed Martin

Gov. Matt Blunt replaced his chief of staff, Ed Martin, with the head of the Department of Revenue. Blunt announced the move during a news conference on Tuesday.

The governor says Trish Vincent is now his chief of staff. The news comes as Blunt has faced growing scrutiny after he acknowledged that administration officials, including Martin, delete certain internal office e-mails.

The chief of staff is in charge of managing the governor’s office, staff and cabinet. Vincent, 53, has been director of the Department of Revenue since Blunt became governor.

The governor credits her with collecting more than $30 million in unpaid taxes by creating a new tax compliance data warehouse, extending regular business hours at the department, publicizing the names of businesses that are behind in sales and withholding taxes, and saving money by reducing the size of vehicle license renewal mailings.

Vincent previously was deputy secretary of state for business services when Blunt was secretary of state. She’s also been the in-state director and district office director for former U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft.

In a news release, Vincent commended Martin for helping the governor achieve his priorities for education, health care and tax cuts during the last legislative session, helping enact a job-creation bill and transportation infrastructure legislation during the special session in August, and helping implement the governor’s directives to fight illegal immigration in Missouri.

She said Martin would help her during the transition. She begins her new duties immediately.

Blunt Counsel Calls Nixon's Investigation "Political"

An attorney for Gov. Matt Blunt is calling Attorney General Jay Nixon's appointment of a special investigative team "political."

Attorney General Jay Nixon appointed former superintendent of the Highway Patrol Mel Fisher to head up the special investigative team to look into whether Gov. Matt Blunt's office or the Office of Administration did not follow Missouri’s records retention and Sunshine laws.

Nixon said Fisher and the team will look into "multiple allegations."

On Friday afternoon, Blunt general counsel Henry Herschel fired off a letter to Nixon and media outlets, accusing the Attorney General of using his public office "as an appendage of your political campaign."

"Your appointment of a supposedly 'independent' committee to investigate our office less than a year before next November's election is unprecedented. There is no reason to believe your appointments represent a serious effort at inquiry independent of you or your political campaign," Herschel wrote.

The Blunt administration is requesting that Nixon explain "in writing" what authority he has to appoint someone to conduct such an investigation.

"Since you have chosen to waste taxpayer money in support of your political campaign, we feel compelled to hire conflict counsel to interact with the paid staff that will apparently make inquiries of the office," Herschel said, adding that he expects Nixon's office to cover the cost.

"It is embarrassing that you have chosen again to use your office to play politics and misuse the taxpayers' money," Herschel said.

Blunt Unveils E-mail Policy; Dems Scoff

Gov. Matt Blunt has decided to create a permanent e-mail message retention system for state government that he says goes beyond legal requirements. Blunt said Thursday that every e-mail message in all of state government should be retained automatically and permanently, and be open for public inspection, except where "legal and privacy concerns apply."

The announcement comes as Blunt has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after disclosing that employees in his administration delete certain internal office e-mail messages.

The release from the Governor's office can be read HERE.

Sloca Says LeVota "Wrong on Request"

Missouri Republican Party spokesperson Paul Sloca says House Democratic Minority Leader Paul LeVota is mischaracterizing the G.O.P's Sunshine request of more than a dozen state lawmakers.

In an e-mail to the KY3 Political Notebook, Sloca said the request "asks only for three years of e-mails."

Details on the request he's referring to can be read two posts down, or by clicking HERE.

"The request is for all emails as second sentence of second paragraph clearly points out. Obviously, the representative didn’t read the request very closely," Sloca said in his e-mail to me.

Sloca has included Springfield Rep. Sara Lampe in his request as well as Rolla State Senator Frank Barnitz.

The Sunshine request reads, "I am requesting all documents from your office or any other documents in your custody, control, or possession responsive to this request. I am requesting copies of all emails sent by or to you by or to your staff, deleted or undeleted, within the last three years or whenever you were sworn into office, whichever is earlier."

LeVota Asks Lampe, Others to Comply with G.O.P. Sunshine Request

E-mail wars are now beginning to develop on multiple fronts as a result of the Scott Eckersley firing.

From the media and Democrats at Governor Blunt.

From Republicans at Sen. Claire McCaskill.

And now from state Republican party at Democratic lawmakers.

House Minority Leader Paul LeVota told his colleagues to comply with the Republican Party's Sunshine request. Spokesperson Marc Powers says Springfield Rep. Sara Lampe is one of at least 12 House Democrats to receive the request.

LeVota called the request "desperate," but told his colleagues their willingness to comply would
show their "respect for the law." LeVota said the G.O.P. request seeks "copies all documents and all e-mails in possession of your offices."

"Although this is clearly an act of harassment and a sad and desperate attempt by the state Republican Party to distract attention from Gov. Matt Blunt’s recent and ongoing failure to comply with reasonable and legitimate document requests in violation of state statute, as Democrats we believe strongly in the Sunshine Law and the public’s right to access official records," LeVota wrote.

"If you have received a records request from Mr. Sloca, please take immediate steps to comply. Given the unprecedented breadth of his request – every piece of paper in your files, every e-mail sent or received by you or your staff in the last three years – it will take weeks, if not months, to fulfill and at great expense. Unlike the governor, however, House Democrats respect the public’s right to know what their elected officials are doing at taxpayer expense," LeVota wrote.

Developing . . .

Hardly A Shove, But Less Than Blunt

Newsrooms and politicos are debating a piece of video captured by the Kansas City Star yesterday, where reporters attempted to question Governor Matt Blunt about the Scott Eckersley saga.

The video is HERE.

Is it newsworthy? Is it "outrageous?" Is it neither?

Some news organizations are outraged, calling it a "shove." But looking at the K.C. Star tape, there's no real evidence of a "shove." Maybe a push back. But noone was hurt, so c'mon.

While it may of been rude, this is part of the game -- whether we reporters like it or not.

We in the media have every right to toss a camera in a politician's face and ask him questions, but that politician has every right to shut a door in our face -- and in some cases, we should expect it.

Blunt certainly didn't answer the question posed -- and that's more of the story here, not the fact that some reporters were offended by getting brushed off.

Like politicians, we reporters have delicate egos as well. I haven't been in this business that long -- but long enough to learn to not get my feelings hurt when a politician ignores me or my calls, takes a microphone off, or slams a door in my face. Sure it stinks, but you get over it. And then you try to get your question answer another route, another time.

These incidents should say more about the politician -- and they don't need the fake outrage of news organizations to trump up or dramatize what happened.

Sure, it's newsworthy. But outrageous?

Put on the pads.