Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Air Nixon
The Missouri Republican Party released its first radio ad against Governor Jay Nixon. Hear it Here. The target of the ad is Nixon’s continuing travel budget. Three things…
First, now there’s no doubt, even among the naïve , we’re in the 2012 election cycle.
Second, this is smart. For Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder to effectively fundraise and bring national money in, he has to show that the race is competitive, even if the state seems highly competitive. Negative ads will start to deflate Nixon’s much-ballyhooed high approval ratings.
Third, the issue is largely superficial and yet oddly problematic for Nixon. Within a $21 billion budget, what does the governor’s travel budget really matter? And yet, when the liberal editorial boards of every Missouri newspaper and Every – Single – House – Democrat – are against you on the issue, your defense will look as partisan as the attacks.
It Wasn’t Called “Fix the Seven”
Missouri News Horizon has a video of Speaker Steve Tilley dismissing prospects of right to work this session. See it Here.
Tilley says that the House will focus on the “Fix the Six,” and treat right to work “just like any other bill.” Translation: go to the back of the line.
But that’s not what’s really going on here. Right to work in the Senate isn’t about passing the bill, it’s about opening a fresh front against the diminished Democratic caucus. It’s such a cornerstone to the labor movement, that the Dems there can’t risk it escaping the Senate alive. So they’ll have to spend their energy, legs and filibuster cred on right to work. And that might make passage of another bill – like minimum wage change or the latest tort reform – a little easier.
Playing Both Sides
The Post-Dispatch notes that according to the latest fundraising numbers House staff/political consultant Tom Smith is helping both side of the St. Charles mayoral race. Read the article Here.
Lawyers are incredulous of course. They choke on those boney things, conflicts of interest – “Wow. If you were an attorney and did that you would be potentially subject to discipline.”
But I suppose as long as both candidates knew he was working for the other, caveat candidator. (Three years of Latin in high school…)
James Names
Rumor is this week KC mayoral candidate Sly James will grab local legislators Theresa Garza Ruiz (who mopped up her opposition county wide and sends the message that the West side can get behind Sly) and Crystal Williams. And, remember Crystal received HUGE support of James B. Nutter. Nutter has never been a fan of the millions in TIF handed out by Mike Burke & Co.
Still Working Out Qwest-CenturyLink Merger
From this morning’s Politico Tech: As the review of the $22 billion merger comes to a close, stakeholders are lobbying the commission to attach various conditions. Several parties, including Charter Communications, Cablevision and Free Press, want the commission to stipulate that the combined entity receive less money from the high-cost portion of the Universal Service Fund. Free Press would also like the merger to include a net neutrality condition similar to the one that Comcast agreed to before acquiring NBC Universal.
Bits
From Randy Turner’s blog: Rep. Vicky Hartzler joins Tea Party Caucus; and Rep. Billy Long doesn’t.
Aside from the game of musical chairs thought to be eliminating Rep. Russ Carnahan, each congressional delegation has its own wish-list for its new lines. One hotly contested ground, Cole County which is said to be sought by both Reps. Blaine Leutkemeyer and Vicky Hartzler.
Missouri’s Hispanic population grew 79% from 2000 to 2010. At 212,000, it now accounts for 3.5% of the Missouri population.
The New York Times looks at public sector workers and finds “that median wages for state workers exceeded that of private sector workers in all but three states — Indiana, Missouri and New Hampshire.” Read it Here.
Lobbyist Principal Changes
From the Pelopidas website:
The Giddens Group added Missouri Workforce Housing Association.
James Faul added Missouri State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
Rita Joan Simeone Gralike added National Popular Vote Initiative.
James Harris added The Adam Smith Foundation.
Jewell Patek added Nextera Energy Resources LLC.
David Reynolds added Comprehensive Health Management, Inc.
Ginger Steinmetz added Humane Society of Missouri.
Keith Teel added Altria Client Services Inc and its affiliates – Philip Morris USA Inc, John Middleton Co, and US Smokeless Tobacco Co.
Andrew Blunt deleted APS Healthcare Inc.
Michael Grote added Missouri Pork Association.
$5k+ Contributions
Elect Dr. Jim Ottomeyer - $9,950 from Frontier Integrated Health Center.
Civic Progress Action Committee - $7,400 from Bank of America.