It's Hit Your Non-Opponent Day . . . Carter Criticizes Harris

Democratic candidate for Governor Mike Carter is criticizing Rep. Jeff Harris' plan to ban political robo-calls.

Harris is running for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General.

Carter sent out a release Monday that said he would "truly and legally answer voters' complaints about robo-calls," by establishing a Missouri Political "Do Not Call List," legislatively.

In March, Carter created that type of list on his site. He claims nearly 10,000 voters have signed up.

"First Amendment scholars across the nation know that the outright banning of politically-focused robo-calling would be Constitutionally suspect on its face,” said Carter. While last week Harris said he would be open to pursuing a similar list with or without an "opt out" option, Carter said that could present Constitutional problems.

Carter believes an "opt out" is the only way to pursue such a political robo-calling ban.

"A legislatively enacted Missouri Political 'Do Not Call List' would speak to ‘political calls’ specifically and be somewhat analogous to a voter having the choice of which newspaper to purchase (or not) or to turn the channels on her radio and television – if not completely turn them off," said Carter. "Voters pay for their phones and phone-lines just as they do for cable television & newspapers and should be able to control what comes to them over the medium," said Carter.