Shot of The Day: Odd Couple To Battle Earmarks

MAC-CASKILL

Sen. Claire McCaskill joins Sen. John McCain to sponsor an anti-earmark bill that
would take aggressive steps to prevent pork barrel funding in appropriations bills without transparency and congressional approval.

The legislation would:

• Allow Senators to raise a "point of order" to remove earmarks in appropriations bills if the project was not authorized in a separate bill. 60 votes would be needed to override the "point of order" and keep the earmark.
• Require that all bills that authorize funding be electronically searchable 48 hours before the Senate votes on the bill.
• Requires all recipients of federal funds to disclose money spent on registered lobbyists.

NBC News notes: McCaskill said she was "tickled pink" to share the stage with former presidential candidate McCain Wednesday. (She once derided him for "lies.") McCain had praise for McCaskill as well for her work fighting waste on the Armed Services Committee.

Bellwether Begone!

A.P. CALLS MISSOURI FOR MCCAIN

Call Comes More Than 2 Weeks After Election Day

McCain Won By 3,632 votes with all jurisdictions reporting

More than two weeks after Election Day, the Associated Press today declared John McCain the winner in Missouri, a hotly contested Republican-leaning state where McCain and President-elect Barack Obama both campaigned hard.

McCain leads Obama by 3,632 votes with all jurisdictions reporting, according to unofficial results, a difference of .12 percentage points out of more than 2.9 million votes cast, the AP reports.

The AP notes that McCain's victory breaks the state's 52-year streak of picking winning presidential candidates. Missouri is, though, developing something of a reputation for extremely tight races. Senator Claire McCaskill eked out a victory in the wee hours in the 2006 mid-terms, and Obama beat Hillary Clinton there in the primary after some networks initially called the state for her.

McCain's win in the Show-Me State leaves Obama with 365 Electoral College votes, and McCain with 173.

Mo. Bellwether "Slip Sliding Away"

IT'S MCNIXICANS!!!

THE HOTLINE PONDERS THE SHOW-ME STATE'S ELECTION OUTCOME

HOW DID NIXON WIN SO BIG AND OBAMA APPEAR TO FALL SHORT?

Just 4,778 votes separate John McCain and Barack Obama BUT "Terry Jones, professor of political science at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, said the state is now solidly Republican and that an Obama win was a longshot. Missouri is socially conservative and still boasts an evangelical population (35%) that exceeds national numbers (26%). The magnitude of the Nixon win, not the narrowness of Obama's loss, is the notable exception. "If you take a careful look at the numbers," he said of Missouri's bellwether status, "it was slip sliding away and has been for the past eight years."

The Hotline also picks up the term that The Notebook first coined, and kind of botches it: "It turns out there were a lot of split ticket voters in Missouri this year; local reporters have taken to calling them "McNixons."

Decision '08: Obama, Nixon Win

KY3's FULL COVERAGE of Tuesday's historic election can be found HERE.

At this hour, it looks like Peter Kinder may be the only statewide Republican in Missouri that survives. A Democratic Party official says both Brad Lager and Mike Gibbons have called their opponents to concede.

IN MISSOURI -- McCain is clinging to a small lead

GOVERNOR -- NIXON
LT. GOV -- KINDER
ATTORNEY GENERAL -- KOSTER
SECRETARY OF STATE -- CARNAHAN
TREASURER -- ZWEIFEL

Decision '08: Obama Hovering Over 40%

With 66 of 83 precincts counted in Greene County, Barack Obama is hitting his magic mark in the key southwestern Missouri conservative stronghold.

JOHN McCAIN (REP).  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    50,055   55.97             
BARACK OBAMA (DEM)  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    37,849   42.32 

Decision '08: Hulshof Loses Laclede County

A smart reader passes this along to give us some insight on how bad Hulshof is losing:

In Laclede County, where John McCain defeated Barack Obama 67% to 32%; Hulshof lost to Nixon. Hulshof ran 20 points behind John McCain here.

Here are the raw numbers from Laclede:

Jay Nixon 51% (8,241 votes)
Kenny Hulshof 47% (7,601 votes)

Mason-Dixon Has McCain Up 1 in Mo.

MCCAIN 47%, OBAMA 46%
NBC Mason-Dixon Poll of Missouri
Oct. 29-30, 625 likely voters, 4% Margin of Error

Other Mason-Dixon Battleground Polls:
COLORADO: Obama +5
NEVADA: Obama +4
NORTH CAROLINA: McCain +3
OHIO: McCain +2
VIRGINIA: Obama +3

Jackson Makes The Case For McCain

Col. Jack Jackson speaks to KY3 News about John McCain's path to victory in Missouri and across the country.

Says Republican internal polling shows Obama down in Missouri . . . "He's not winning it right now."

WATCH FULL CLIP ABOVE

Huck in Joplin Monday

Mike Huckabee campaigns for John McCain and Sarah Palin in Joplin Monday.
He'll rally at the Joplin Regional Airport at 3:30 p.m.

Colonel Jack To Respond To Obama

POINTMAN
Former candidate for Auditor and briefly Lieutenant Governor Jack Jackson will be in Springfield Saturday to respond to Barack Obama's rally on behalf of John McCain.
***
The site build for Obama's rally at JFK Stadium begins at 10 p.m. Friday.

Rural Missouri Keeping McCain Competitive

Missouri: McCain 50%, Obama 47%

Politico/Insider Advantage Poll

814 voters, 3.4% Margin of Error

***

In St. Louis County, Obama racked up an imposing 17-point lead, 55%-38%. McCain’s ability to break even against Obama in these two states, despite the Democrat’s strong performance in suburban and urban areas suggests that the Arizona senator is drawing strong support from the less densely populated areas in these states, said InsiderAdvantage pollster Matt Towery.

***

"I think what’s happened is, the less populated areas of these states are coming in heavily for McCain," Towery said, adding that Obama’s performance in St. Louis County was "good, but it’s not great." "It’s good, but it’s not overwhelming," Towery explained. "And that’s in one of the more sophisticated, urban locations in Missouri."

***

ALSO: OBAMA'S SOFT BLACK SUPPORT?

Towery acknowledged that the poll showed a closer-than-expected race among black Missourians – Obama took a lower-than-usual 65 percent of the group – and said that if African-Americans ultimately vote for Obama by the huge margin analysts expect, "it will make the race closer."

McCain, +2

Missouri: McCain 50%, Obama 48%

TIME/CNN Battleground Polls, Oct. 23-28, 3.5% Margin of Error

***

In Missouri:

Men: 43% Obama, 55% McCain
Women: 51% Obama, 46% McCain

Income under $50K: 55% Obama, 43% McCain
Income $50K or more: 45% Obama, 53% McCain

***FOR OTHER BATTLEGROUND POLLS, CLICK HERE

Latest Missouri Poll: Obama By 1

THE ULTIMATE TOSS UP

OBAMA 48%, MCCAIN 47%

Poll done on Oct. 26th of 1,000 voters; Margin of Error 3%

Notes:

Race essentially tied among unaffiliated voters

McCain wins men by 1; Obama wins women by 3

57% view McCain favorably; 53% view Obama favorably

9 Days Out, Missouri Still Not Breaking

A SINGLE POINT
Separates John McCain and Barack Obama in the latest NBC News poll of Missouri
***
NBC's Chuck Todd on Missouri: "It usually is a trailing indicator of where the national polls are, and it's still a Republican state. A pinkie on the scale for the Republicans, not a big thing. But if you see a surge for Obama, five or six points nationally, then he's probably tied, or maybe even a little ahead in Missouri."
***
ALSO, Todd paints an electoral picture for Obama without THE BIG 3:
If Obama wins Virginia, Colorado and Nevada . . . he does not need to win Pennsylvania, Ohio or Florida.
"That really makes it tough," Todd says.
***
"Everything seems too good," says Political Analyst Charlie Cook on Obama's chances.

New Mo. Poll, Same Ole Story

MCCAIN 45%, OBAMA 44%

Suffolk University Poll of Missouri

Oct 17-19th, 4% Margin of Error

ALSO: 80 percent say they've heard of "Joe The Plumber"

Gov. Blunt: Palin "Perfect," McCain Rising in Mo.

Just who is Barack Obama?

After watching Sunday morning T.V., it looks like Missouri Republicans are describing him as a promise-breaking celebrity who hangs around with former terrorists on the weekend while trying to "spread your wealth" around during the week.

Asked for his reaction to Obama's record-setting crowd under the Arch in St. Louis Saturday on CBS' Face The Nation, Gov. Matt Blunt said there wasn't any need to quibble about the exact numbers . . . just after he got done quibbling about the numbers.

"I've heard some differing numbers, perhaps a smaller crowd than might have been reported, but I don't know that we need to quibble over numbers," Blunt said, seeming to question the 100,000 people that reportedly attended Obama's rally.

(But really, does it even matter if it was 90,000 or 100K?)

While his father targeted Obama's associations on CNN, the Governor went back to a charge first raised in July, using the c-word to describe the Democratic nominee.

"He obviously has a great celebrity status, drew a couple hundred thousand people in Berlin, Germany, so he's a global celebrity. He draws big crowds. That doesn't always translate into votes," Gov. Matt Blunt said.

Asked if the endorsement of Republican Colin Powell would make a difference, Blunt brushed it off. "I don't know that it'll make a difference in Missouri," Blunt said, quickly rattling off a host of issues where John McCain lines up better with Show-Me State voters.

Blunt also defended vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, and said that McCain's lead is growing in Missouri.

"She is a perfect candidate for Missouri," Gov. Blunt said of Palin. "I could take Sarah Palin to my hometown of Strafford or any community in our state and she would immediately connect with people. She understands the real world," he added.

"She's been a great help in Missouri as we move forward in this campaign. You know, Senator McCain is the underdog, he's being severely outspent in Missouri, but he appears to be in the lead today, that lead's been growing over the past several days," Blunt said.

The latest poll I could find is from Rasmussen Reports, showing Obama with a six-point lead over McCain, 52%-46%.

Super Saturday In Missouri

100,000 TURN OUT FOR OBAMA IN ST. LOUIS

Officials Call It A New U.S. Record

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has pictures and video

OBAMA'S SPEECH FOCUSES ON TAXES:

"Here's the truth Missouri -- we are both offering tax cuts. The difference is who we're cutting taxes for."

***

"I think it's time to give a tax cut to the teachers and janitors who work in our schools, to the cops and firefighters who keep us safe, to the waitresses working double shifts, the nurses in the ER, and the plumbers fighting for their American Dream . . . And while Senator McCain ignores the payroll taxes you pay to score a few political points, I'll put a tax cut into the pockets of working people so you can pay the bills."

***

MCCAIN CAMPAIGN TARGETS OBAMA ON TAX PLAN

RESPONSE:

"Barack Obama would give tax cuts to Americans who don't pay any income taxes - it's a policy Democrats used to call welfare, what Barack Obama calls 'spreading the wealth,' and what Joe the Plumber calls socialism,'" says Tucker Bounds, McCain-Palin spokesperson

ALSO AT RALLY: MCCASKILL HITS PALIN

Sen. Claire McCaskill took aim at Sarah Palin for a comment she made this week about campaigning in "pro-America" places. "We have reached a new low in American politics when someone dares to say that one part of America is more pro-American than another part of America," McCaskill said. Read more at the Wall Street Journal blog HERE.

***

JILL BIDEN HELD AN EVENT WITH SUPPORTERS IN SPRINGFIELD THIS AFTERNOON, OBAMA MOVES ON TO KANSAS CITY FOR AN EVENING RALLY TONIGHT

Check for Full Reports on KY3 News @ 6

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JUST ANNOUNCED: FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WILL HOLD A RALLY ON MONDAY AT KIRKWOOD HIGH SCHOOL IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY

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AND DON'T MISS SARAH PALIN ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE TONIGHT AFTER KY3 NEWS @ 10

McCain Camp Ramps Up Robocalls

The message being sent to voters in the Ozarks links Barack Obama to former domestic terrorist Bill Ayers.

Watch the KY3 NEWS @ 10 REPORT HERE
***
"It's scary to me because I'm afraid somebody's going to take this literally. There's a lot of people that aren't rational and could do something horrific, that's what scares me," says Springfield independent voter Carol, who asked her last name be withheld for fear of retribution for complaining.
***
BUT HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE AUTOMATED CALLS?
"I don't think we'd even declare its effective. I think what we can say is its cheap, because you don't have to pay callers to do it, and you can say anything you want," says Missouri State University professor of Political Communication Elizabeth Dudash. "I don't know anyone who is necessarily pro-Obama who is going to go, oh yeah, he's a terrorist, I'm out of here," Dudash goes on, adding that it's probably more effective reinforcing impressions among the base.
***
THE FACTS ON AYERS:
Ayers & Obama did serve on the same Chicago charity board in the 1990s and Ayers did host a campaign event for Obama during his 1995 state-senate run. When Ayers co-founded the militant group the Weathermen in 1969, Obama was 8 years old.
FAIR POINT FROM THE RIGHT?
Pat Buchanan on MSNBC's Hardball: "Suppose we had a Klan bomber, who had bombed churches, black churches in the 60s, unrepentant and said, 'I wish I had done more,' . . .you would not let me get away without ramming that home, saying 'what are you doing, hanging around with trash like that?'"

Wrong Number

Angry viewers flood KY3 with complaints about anti-Obama robo-calls linking the Democratic nominee to Bill Ayers and terrorist acts.

***

Who's robo-calling you?

***

DEVELOPING . . .

***If you have received a robo call from a candidate or special interest recently, let us know from who and if you saved the message by e-mailing me at dcatanese@ky3.com

McCaskill Compares McCain to Missouri Weather

Appearing on FOX News Wednesday, Sen. Claire McCaskill compared John McCain to Missouri weather:

"John McCain, frankly, Neil, has reminded me of the weather in Missouri, when it comes to economic policies. Wake up tomorrow, and it's going to change.
He has been all over the map. One day, he's a regulator. One day, he's a deregulator. One day, he says government should get out of the way. The other day, he's proposing huge government programs."

***

McCaskill goes on to talk about race, and Obama's tax plan.

FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE