Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Sorry I lied… “winners and losers” tomorrow (the suspense is killing you I know). Just bits again today…
Montee in 2016?
Susan Montee formed a campaign committee yesterday… Montee for Missouri. According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, it is for a statewide office in 2016. Let the rumors start…
Her former Montee for Missouri committee – from her unsuccessful 2012 lieutenant governor race – is now a “debt service” committee, carrying $505,000 in debt, a loan she gave herself.
McCaskill’s 2012 “Tell-All” Coming
Deirdre Shesgreen has the story, see it here.
Pull Quote: McCaskill's most recent financial disclosure form, filed last week, shows that her publisher — Simon & Schuster — gave her $70,000 as part of its deal to publish her political tome. The Missouri Democrat said most of the money she earns from the book will not go into her own pocket.
"The majority of all income I receive from this book will go to my co-writer and charity," McCaskill said. Freelance journalist Terry Ganey is helping her write the book.
McCaskill announced last spring that she was working on a behind-the-scenes account of her headline-grabbing Senate race against then-Rep. Todd Akin. She has promised to detail how she helped boost Akin in the Republican primary, because she believed he would be the easiest candidate for her to beat.
Hanaway as Pawn?
I wrote yesterday about the trajectory of Auditor Tom Schweich’s fundraising, and that he’ll likely be over $1 million cash on-hand at the end of this quarter. In looking at Catherine Hanaway’s nascent campaign, her last quarter relied heavily on heavy donor (and chess nerd) Rex Sinqeufield.
Sinquefield previously has been very supportive of Chris Koster, and at the time of his Hanaway contribution, I mused in writing whether Sinquefield was “switching teams.” I was told (by folks who say they know) that Sinquefield was most definitely still on Team Koster.
Which brings the question: is Sinquefield’s support of Hanaway perhaps just a maneuver to foster a spirited Republican primary and increase Koster’s prospects?
Barnes Pens Open Letter to Nixon
Reps. Jay Barnes and Noel Torpey hand delivered a letter to Governor Jay Nixon yesterday morning. See it here.
In six years as governor, you have expressed a consistent willingness to reach across party lines on important issues. We write today to ask that you live up to your own words... We agree with your consistent message about the need to work together. In order to move forward on the most important issues facing our state, we believe it’s necessary to reach across the aisle and spectrum of political opinion. But doing so is never easy.
For example, over the past two years, you’ve made Medicaid legislation your top priority and repeatedly asked Republicans to put aside partisanship and ideology to move our state forward. And we have joined you to advocate for Medicaid reform and increased access to quality health care for the working poor.
As Republicans who think the ACA as a whole is terrible public policy, it was not easy for us to join you in this endeavor. It remains difficult for us to convince fellow Republicans to reach across the aisle to move this legislation which you clearly believe is the most important issue to face our state in decades. But we did it because we believe the cost of inaction is worse than the cost of taking action.
Just last week, the General Assembly proved it is still able to work across the aisle to pass difficult and controversial legislation which we believe is just as, if not more important than Medicaid. As you are well aware, the legislature Truly Agreed and Finally Passed Senate Bill 493 relating to school transfers with bi-partisan majorities in both chambers. Incredibly, the bill passed by a vote of 29-3 in the Senate and by the narrower margin of 89-67 in the House.
Together, elected officials from both parties, widely-divergent ideologies, and every area of our state made difficult choices and compromises to solve this problem and improve education in struggling school districts. In your words, we got up early, worked hard, stayed late, and got the job done… We understand that you have serious concerns about the private option portion of the bill. But we ask you to live up to your own ideals. Instead of insisting on a bill which is “perfect” to you, we ask that you read the bill as a whole. If you do, we believe you will find that the private option is only a small portion of the bill – a portion we believe is vital and necessary, but a small one nonetheless...
As you consider how you will act on SB 493, we ask that you consider the message you will send to the General Assembly regarding Medicaid. Just like Medicaid, we believe, in your words from 2009, “The solutions to our problems are within reach. And the only thing that can stop us is the same thing that always stops progress: a failure to listen, a failure to compromise, or a failure to walk a day in someone else’s shoes. By working together, we will tear down old barriers and tackle the challenges we face.”
Clay: Transfer Bill “Locks” Students Into Segregated, Failing Schools
Meanwhile Congressman Lacy Clay in his “Backbone” newsletter (see it here) to the opposite side on SB 493…
The Missouri legislature has passed and sent on to Governor Nixon, Senate Bill 493, a massive special-interest laden mess that leaves thousands of minority students in failing districts, without transportation to attend a better school in an adjacent district, thereby locking them into mostly segregated and often failing schools.
The flawed legislation also introduces for the first-time, public school vouchers to pay for tuition at private schools in St. Louis and Kansas City. This voucher experiment, which cynically targets mostly minority students, is the long-held dream of certain right-wing special interests and their handful of clueless legislative allies who have abandoned urban public education in favor of taxpayer-funded private alternatives. If allowed to stand, this dangerous precedent could spell the beginning of the end of public education in Missouri.
Martin: Bedtime Stories
Missouri Party Chair Ed Martin veers a little off message again in his latest email blast…
Dear Friend,
Last week, I was out of town for work which of course meant I was away from my family. I returned on Sunday. That night, I put my sons to bed and we went through our usual prayers. They asked me to tell them a story. I suspect it was so they could stay up a little longer, but I missed them all week, so I indulged them…
This night I was inspired by some excellent preaching I had heard earlier that day. Rather than my usual embellishments, I decided to tell the boys about a real life hero of old: Shamgar.
Shamgar is the Israelite hero who slew 600 Philistines using only an oxgoad. Shamgar v. the Philistines was a David v. Goliath - only more awesome. David had a sling against an armored giant. Shamgar fought 600 Philistine troops with what was essentially a pointy stick. Against all odds, Shamgar rolled to victory.
While the Bible only offers a few verses about Shamgar, I and my sons were able to "fill in" the gaps creatively. Shamgar, transformed by the power of God, became an unstoppable warrior, a real mixed martial arts/Rambo figure. By the time we were done and ready for bed, all three of us agreed to start using "Shamgar" as our nickname as in "Mikey Shamgar," "Edward Shamgar," and "Daddy Shamgar."
Lying on their bedroom floor as my sons ascended to their bunk beds, I quietly thanked God for his gifts to me - especially my sons. Tucking them in and saying our final “good nights” I hope my boys will remember the central truth of the story of Shamgar vs the 600 - that the Lord will use us where we are and with the tools we have at hand. There is no doubt that Shamgar’s victory was the work of God. So long as we are prepared to give God the Glory, he will accomplish great things in our lives...
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Gate Way Group website:
Matthew Tye Grant and Steven Young added Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City.
$5K+ Contributions
Committee in Support of Public Educators - $15,000 from Northeast Region.
Friends of Kirk Mathews - $5,001 from Mark Thom.
Friends of Kirk Mathews - $6,000 from Joyce Wood.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to former Rep. Jim Guest (74).