Let's Have A Drink

10 MISSSOURI POLITICAL PAIRS . . .

THAT SHOULD GRAB A BEER

It's midsummer, and boy it's hot out there. The pols are especially testy -- mainly due to a summer news cycle has been busier and peskier than expected. So in honor of Thursday's White House beer between Harvard professor Henry Gates and Cambridge police officer Sgt. James Crowley, here are 10 toasts I'd like to facilitate. If any of the parties are interested, I'm ready and willing to play President Obama.

1. Governor Jay Nixon & Lieutenant Gov. Peter Kinder

2. Carl Bearden of AFP Missouri & Sen. Claire McCaskill

3. Fired Up's Sean Nicholson & Congressman Roy Blunt

4. Ed Martin & Scott Eckersley

5. 7th District chair Mavis Busiek & Radio antagonist Vincent David Jericho

6. Sarah Steelman & Kenny Hulshof

7. Political consultants Jeff Roe & Rod Jetton

8. Springfield Mayor Jim O'Neal & Ralph Manley

9. Sen. Kit Bond & Todd Graves

10. Associated Industries Ray McCarty & Mo. Chamber president Dan Mehan

If It's Sunday . . .

We've got a new weekend morning show debuting this weekend on KY3.

On Sundays, we're experimenting with a political segment to talk about and analyze the political news of the week and look ahead.

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This Sunday, tune in as the Springfield News-Leader's Chad Livengood and I talk about Missouri's race for Governor with Anchor Paula Morehouse. We'll talk about the state of the race, the recent polls, ads and issues, and preview our Friday night debate on KY3.

If you can't make it at 7 a.m., tune in at 7:45 a.m. That's approximately when we expect to hit the tube.

10 Things We Won't Miss In 18 Days

1. Campaign conference calls, every other hour

2. The paranoia and control-freakishness of the staffers on the ground for Team Obama

3. Joe The Plumber

4. Anything involving the slogan "Change"

5. E-mails about Obama's citizenship

6. Voicemails that have no time to be returned

7. Campaign spokespeople kissing up (after they win, there's a noticeable "we don't need ya anymore" change in demeanor)

8. Debates

9. Parodies of debates, debates over debate rules

10. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Your nominees?

We're Back . . .

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

Aloha

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

FEEDJIT

With a busy election last week, we failed to point out a new feature on the KY3 Political Notebook that appears down the page in the right column.

It's called FEEDJIT, and it tracks who's reading the blog, the location of the reader and how they got here --- all in real time. It helps us better gauge our readership, how it comes and goes, and where it's growing. (And monitoring it is kind of addicting.) Check it out at your leisure.

My thanks to KSPR News Director, Brad Belote, for finding it.

10 Thoughts About Tuesday

THE AUGUST AUTOPSY

1. Turnout projections can be as incorrect and unreliable as public polls. The Secretary of State projected a 31 percent turnout statewide; it turned out to be just 20 percent (An 11 point difference.) SurveyUSA gave Kenny Hulshof a 12 point lead over Sarah Steelman the weekend before the election; he won by about 4 points (An 8 point difference.)

2. Sarah Steelman has a strong enough message and following to run for a top-tier statewide office again.

3. Biggest flop: Mark Webb in the Greene County Sheriff's race. Biggest shock: Jeff Harris' poor showing in the Democratic primary for Attorney General.

4. Change . . . is overrated, according to G.O.P. primary voters.

5. Race we should've paid more attention to: G.O.P. primary for Christian County Sheriff.

6. Democrats really are sympathetic, accepting, bleeding hearts. Chris Koster was a Republican a year ago. Now he's on the path to becoming the state's top lawyer . . . as a Democrat! (Whooduthunkit.)

7. Heat could potentially be as big an obstacle for voters getting to the polls as rain.

8. Can you name me a statewide Republican candidate you'd bet your 401k on right now? How about your gas money for a month? A Jack and coke?

9. Losing candidate we expect big things from in the future: Republican Lincoln Hough (43% against Roseanne Bentley in his first shot?! The kid can hold his head up.)

10. Ron Paul Revolutionites (Jeremy Cady in the 138th District and Jim Palmisano in the 135th) were shut out once again. Does this mean The Revolution is over? Or just on hold?

De Plane! De Plane!

PLANE FLYING OVER GREENE COUNTY SATURDAY AFTERNOON CARRIES PRO-SARAH STEELMAN AND MARK WEBB SIGNS

Tonight at 5 p.m: The TARGET Barbeque at Phelps Grove Park

Annual Summer G.O.P. Fundraiser Picnic Will Feature All The Candidates You Ever Wanted to See . . . And Even Some You Didn't

Developing for KY3 News @ 10 . . .

Pic of the Day

A SHINING ENDORSEMENT

Couldn't resist . . . from my friend and fan, Jamie Carroll, and her little girl Ally

Technical Difficulties

I am aware of the technical problems some of you are having in trying to get to the KY3 Political Notebook. I've been told it is impacting those of you who use Internet Explorer to read it.

I'm attempting to reach our technical people to find the problem and the remedy as soon as possible. For now, I'm told the blog can be read without problem on MAC systems and by using Firefox.

My apologies, in the meantime.

Costner Promotes "Swingvote" in Springfield

SCREENING BENEFITS LOCAL CHARITY

Kevin Costner movie based on an election that comes down to 1 vote

Watch excerpts of the interview with KY3 News HERE

We're Back

. . . from a little vaca in Sin City.

So if we didn't post or cover your event or release over the past four days, it's because you can't count on old media for that anymore.

First stop back . . . a 1 p.m. presser with Republican candidate for Governor Sarah Steelman on why she's calling for a repeal of the state ethanol mandate.

Pausing

I'll be outside the timezone until Monday.

Blogging will be light, if occurring at all.

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

Til' then . . .

New Blog Feature

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

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

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

Let us know how it works out for you.

Danka

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, and keep those hits comin;)

McCain Visit Gossip

10 THINGS YOU "DIDN'T HEAR FROM ME"

Gossip swirling around McCain's visit

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

(According to Hunter Thompson, of course)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remembering Russert

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

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

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

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

Springfield Is The Worst

Or at least one of the worst . . . places to raise a family that is, according to a magazine most people haven't ever heard of called "Best Life."

Yes, Springfield is used to its step-daughter status in the state of Missouri. Like the middle child between St. Louis and Kansas City, we're a bit paranoid, sensitive and often aiming to prove our worthiness.

But even for an East Coast guy like me, this survey seems a bit out of line. It's easy to pick on the little guy, but just as the politicos have found out . . . we may be taken for granted or shunned aside, but we're tough, gritty and the chip on our shoulder helps us . . . FIGHT BACK.

Watch HERE.

Truth & Consequence

***8 HAPPENINGS***
Ranked in order of impact, through the mindset of a local TV newsroom

1. The House voted to repeal the controversial "village law," which allows one person to hold an election to incorporate an area as a "village." It now goes back to the Senate for a final vote. If it clears, an emergency clause is attached to make it effective as soon as the Governor signs it.

2. John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama.

3. Gov. Matt Blunt threatened to call a special session if lawmakers don't approve his illegal immigration reforms.

4. Kenny Hulshof and Sarah Steelman launched the first TV ads of their primary campaign for Governor right here in Southwest Missouri.

5. Sarah Steelman called on state lawmakers to "reverse course" and remove a provision that would allow state lawmakers and elected officials who have a "conflict of interest" in the alternative fuels industry to receive taxpayer subsidies and tax credits. She cites an A.P. story that reported about 20 officials have received thousands of dollars in those subsidies.

6. A Senate committee approved a resolution to put a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot that would create a revenue growth lid for the state. The Joint Resolution needs to pass the full Senate before it could be placed on a statewide ballot. But some groups are already saying its passage would result in a severe fiscal crisis in Missouri.

7. The Office of Administration announced its investigating Attorney General Jay Nixon's handling of $629,987 in state funds acquired through a multi-state settlement with a prescription benefits company. House Budget Chair Allen Icet asked for the investigation, citing concern that Nixon and his office may have misappropriated state funds by spending the money without the approval of the General Assembly.

8. GOP Whip Roy Blunt downplayed the Republican House election loss in Mississippi Tuesday, saying that “six months ago, Rudy Giuliani was the front runner in the Republican contest and Barack Obama did not have a chance.” Blunt said that Democrats won in Mississippi and Louisiana by running “on what the GOP is for.” “So we know now that the message works,” he said, according to The Politico. “So we have to be sure that nationally, we connect the message with the Republican Party, rather than the other party.”

Line of the Day

"She must be talking to more people than I am... We'd like to have our say before the superdelegates weigh in, and I know our neighbors in Kentucky feel the same way."

---Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, a Hillary Clinton supporter, reacting to Sen. Claire McCaskill's claim that a majority of the superdelegates in Congress have decided to back Obama.