Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Catching up from the long weekend…
Akin Nuttiness Continues
Over the weekend, Republican bigwig Karl Rove jokes that he wouldn’t mind if Congressman Todd Akin “disappeared.” That led to Mike Huckabee and Phyllis Schlafly firing back in Akin’s defense.
You can just hear Claire McCaskill can’t you? “Please don’t let me wake up, please won’t let me wake up…”
And Farm Bureau Gets Weak Knees
The Missouri Farm Bureau announced that they would reconsider their endorsement of Todd Akin. It looks like they are being used as a tool to try to apply more pressure to Akin, but it’s hard to believe that we would crumble to the Farm Bureau if he hasn’t caved so far. And for the Bureau it’s an utterly terrible announcement. It broadcasts to every would-be candidate that their endorsement is only as good as the latest poll
Progressive Ballot Initiatives to Industry Lawyers: Uncle
Sean Soendker Nicholson sent out a press release yesterday announcing that the progressive coalition behind two ballot initiatives – one capping the interest rate charged by payday loan company, and another raising the minimum wage – was calling it quits for this cycle.
They had found frustration in collecting enough signatures and in legal challenges posed by adversaries.
From the press release: “Despite Missourians’ clear desire to have both initiatives on the November ballot, we have reluctantly concluded that the legal hurdles erected by the payday lending industry, their allies and their lawyers are too high for us to cross before the September 21 deadline for finalizing the November ballot.”
What it Means
These proposals were thought to be motivators for working class and Democratic-leaning individuals to come vote. But the organizing effort that went into the collection of signatures will presumably still have some pay-off in the month ahead.
Survivors
The St. Louis Beacon notes that this leaves “a tobacco tax increase, an effort to remove state control of the St. Louis Police Department and a constitutional amendment to reconfigure how the state’s judges to the Missouri Supreme Court and Missouri Court of Appeals are selected. Voters will also decide on a measure barring the governor from setting up a health-insurance exchange through an executive order.” Read it here.
And
Virginia Young reported that the tobacco tax has a stronger chance to pass this year because Big Tobacco is sitting on its hands as it would level their tax playing field with Small Tobacco. Read it here.
Rex Writes Checks
In the $5K+ Contributions below, donorsaurus Rex Sinquefield helped replenish some depleted campaign accounts.
He sent $250,000 to Rep. Shane Schoeller’s secretary of state campaign account. He sent $15,000 to the House Republican Campaign Committee, and $160,000 to his Missouri Club for Growth.
Folks who will likely see some portion of that MO Club $160K are:
Sen. Jim Lembke (R) in a tough fight in Senate 1; Gary Romine (R) in Senate 3 against Rep. Joe Fallert; Robert Cornejo (R) in House 64 running against former Rep. Wayne Henke; and Cloria Brown (R) in House 94 running against former Rep. Vicki Englund.
Montee Done With Trial, On To $$$ Chase
“Susan Montee just finished two weeks of working on a trial for a case that's been going on since the start of the year (if not longer). All last week she had pre-trial motions and the actual trial in St. Joe… But that doesn’t mean she haven’t been working on fundraising. You’ll see her banking some big numbers from commitments she’s received and a lot more in the pipeline.”
Bits
Rep. John McCaherty has an ethics complaint against him dismissed. Read it here.
MOScout tipster: “Welcome to Charlotte… The Missouri delegation is staying at the Hilton and the Courtyard downtown – ground zero for convention activity. Sunday night about midnight, those of us who were staying at the Courtyard had to evacuate after the fire alarm rang…”
Lobbyist Registrations
From the Pelopidas website:
Laura L Kostial deleted Concerned Women for American of Missouri.
Mindy Patterson deleted Missouri Federation of Animal Owners.
D Scott Penman and David Winton added Trans Union LLC.
L Kent Gaines deleted Viceroy Group.
D Scott Penman deleted Missouri Society of Eye Physicians & Surgeons.
$5K+ Contributions
Campaign Committee to Elect Bill Stinson - $16,990 from William Stinson & Sons Co.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $6,060 from UGas Inc.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $6,320 from Citizens for Hinson.
Jay Nixon for Missouri - $25,000 from United HealthCare Services Inc.
Jay Nixon for Missouri - $20,000 from GPA Inc.
Midwest Region Laborers’ Political Leagu Education Fund - $5,491 from Laborers Supplemental Dues Fund.
Missourians for Ed Martin - $5,500 from Drury Development Corporation.
Missourians for Fair and Impartial Courts Committee - $20,000 from Strong, Garner, Bauer P.C.
Missourians for Koster - $10,000 from Green Jacobson PC.
MO Petroleum Marketers + Convenience Store Assoc PAC - $20,000 from Midwest Petroleum.
MO Petroleum Marketers + Convenience Store Assoc PAC - $10,000 from Discount Smoke Shop.
Schoeller for Missouri - $250,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
House Republican Campaign Committee - $15,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Missouri Club for Growth - $160,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Romine for Senate - $5,005 from Citizens to Elect Mike Kehoe.
Kander for Missouri - $10,000 from Gori, Julian & Associates, P.C.
Kander for Missouri - $6,000 from Eastern Missouri Laborers’ Education and Benevolent Fund.
Committee to Elect Jeff Roorda - $7,500 from MO House Democratic Campaign Committee.
Citizens to Elect John Wright - $83,200 from John Wright.
Spence for Governor - $10,000 from Samuel Hamacher.
Spence for Governor - $25,000 from William Koman.
Jay Nixon for Missouri - $15,000 from Freeman Physicians Group Political Action Committee.
Kander for Missouri - $5,077 from Bruce Grench.
Missourians for Ed Martin - $25,000 from Herzog Contracting Corp.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Sen. Jane Cunningham.