Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Large Contributions Database and What It Tells Us

The Missouri Ethics Commission website maintains a daily database of campaign contributions over $5,000.  See it Here.  This is where I visit each morning to gather the previous day’s large contributions.

During the legislative session, checks over $500 must be reported.  That database is Here.

By flanging the $500 database, we can keep track of how this fundraising quarter is going.  Obviously it doesn’t account for a possible flurry of low-dollar checks – the fabled “grassroots groundswell.”

Governor

With David Spence expected to write checks from his personal account, and the inevitable entry of third party national organizations, the fundraising horserace has less meaning here than in other races.

Jay Nixon: 25 checks totaling $313,200.

Dave Spence: 21 checks totaling $133,250.

Lieutenant Governor

Lager muscled about $750,000 in contributions last quarter based heavily on a few big donors.  This shows that his fundraising activity hasn’t broadened beyond that.  Also, no activity from Ridgeway means after announcing for LG, she hasn’t actually done much.  Meanwhile on the Democratic side, this should be Baker’s period of grabbing low-hanging fruit, but Montee is still besting her.

Peter Kinder: 8 checks totaling $23,000.

Brad Lager: no activity.

Luann Ridgeway: no activity.

Susan Montee: 21 checks totaling $41,905.

Becky Plattner: no activity.

Judy Baker: 14 checks totaling $20,500.

Sara Lampe: no activity.

Secretary of State

Kander chugs along while GOP remains mired in primary.

Scott Rupp: 3 checks totaling $3,750.

Shane Schoeller: no activity.

Bill Stouffer: 1 check totaling $5,000.

Jason Kander: 7 checks totaling $7,000.

Attorney General

Koster had two checks which were cut for $4,995, seemingly to avoid a mention in the $5K+ database.  They were LLCs with the same address.  One of the LLCs, according to the SOS website, was organized by Joseph Shepard, a name which might sound familiar as Sen. Claire McCaskill’s husband.

Chris Koster: 4 checks totaling $12,990.

Ed Martin: 3 checks totaling $7,000. (Although I have seen three others checks (totaling $23,500) come through the $5K+ database for some reason not included here).

Treasurer

This pretty well sums up how this race has been going so far.

Clint Zweifel: 17 checks totaling $31,251.

Cole McNary: 3 checks totaling $3,000.

Clone Wars: MO Roundtable Fires on Jones, Silvey, Others

Missouri Roundtable for Life’s increasingly bombastic press releases are starting to border on Ed Martinesque.  Seriously – when Tim Jones isn’t conservative enough for you, it’s going to be hard to build a legislative coalition…

“House Majority Leader Tim Jones accepted $10,000 from pro-cloning political action committees in the most recent reporting quarter. The contributions were dated October 3, 2011, just days after Jones led the fight in the Missouri House to pass the controversial MOSIRA bill without protections against spending taxpayer dollars on abortion services, human cloning, and life-destroying experimentation…

“After accepting the money from the cloners on October 3, 2011, Jones turned around and gave $5,000 to House Budget Committee Chair Ryan Silvey on December 30, 2011. At the same time, Silvey accepted an additional $10,000 total from two other pro-cloning politicians, House Speaker Steve Tilley and Representative John Diehl.

“Now just a few weeks after accepting these contributions, Silvey and his budget committee are debating whether to illegally fund MOSIRA with $1 million in taxpayer money at the request of Governor Jay Nixon. The funding of MOSIRA is a long-sought goal of the cloners…”

Rumorville: Senators Working on a Map

Three sources from the House Dems were wringing their hands last night passing on the rumor that key senators on the other side of the building had agreed to a new consensus map for the senate redistricting.

By key senators, we’re talking about Republican Sen. Kurt Schaefer, who was behind the lawsuit, and Sen. Tim Green on the Democratic side.  House Dems has focused their ire at Green.

Says one Dem source, “Lot of dems pissed off at Timmy... Pretty sure these senators are selling us (D's) out for a pretty narrow agenda.”

And another, “Timmy's trying to f**k all dems for one seat that we already have.”

According to the rumor, this new consensus map would be similar to the second senate map but Senate 19 (Schaefer’s district) would include Cooper County instead of Howard County.  Cooper is less Democratic than Howard and presumably more favorable to Schaefer’s reelection.

But

Even if this all is true, there’s no guarantee that the commission would go along.  The map – assuming it’s close to the first or second appellate map – would favor Republicans heavily and so the senators would need to flip one Democrat to vote for it.

If that happened they could finish the process before filing closed and avoid the train-wreck not far down the tracks.

Bits

AG Chris Koster in today’s NYTimes concerning “robo-signing” of mortgage documents.   Read it Here.

E-retail sales surge 14% in the 4th quarter.  Read it Here.

Beacon’s Jo Mannies says that Mayor Francis Slay will headline Susan Montee’s kickoff (for LG) today.  Read it Here.

$5K+ Contributions

MO Democratic State Committee - $7,200 from Jay Nixon for Missouri.

MO Republican Party - $10,000 from Missouri Health Care Association.

Spence for Governor - $25,000 from Big Sky Properties LLC.

Friends of Wayne Wallingford - $10,000 from YPYKYA Inc.

Missourians for Ed Martin - $5,000 from Steve Notestine

Other Contributions of Note

Missourians for Koster - $2,000 from Mark and Carol Vittert.  Mark Vittert was a founder of St. Louis Business Journal, and sits on the board of Lee Enterprises.

Judy Baker for Missouri - $1,000 from Todd Patterson.  Todd Patterson is former ED of MO Dem Party and is on the Senate redistricting commission.

Hamby on Voting Today

From an email blast of Tea Partier Paul Hamby:

“Today is the Presidential Preference Primary. If you are a Republican or identify more with the Republican party than any other, today's election is your opportunity to vote for the individual you prefer to be the Republican nominee for President. The election on Tuesday will send a message to the Missouri Republican Party and will influence the March caucus and the selection

of the Republican nominee for President…

“7 reasons to vote on Tuesday.

“1. Your opinion matters.

2. Your opinion matters and the nation is watching Missouri.

3. First in the nation 3 way race between Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney.  (Newt Gingrich is not on the ballot.)

4. The outcome of the Missouri vote could change the dynamics of the national race if Ron Paul   or Rick Santorum beats Mitt Romney.

5. Your jurisdiction may have other issues on the ballot.

6. You may connect with supporters of your candidate on Tuesday.

7. You will get a really cool sticker that says 'I voted' and people will know that you are part of the majority that is silent no more.”