MOScout Daily Update: Trump Down on Greitens? - Nixon Hint? - Parson Vetoes - Map Musings and more...
Trump Down on Greitens?
Passed around over the weekend, this Politico article…
· It’s Donald Trump’s most frequent complaint: people profiting off his name. The latest offender? His son’s girlfriend, MAGA’s own Eva Perón, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
· Aides told Playbook that Trump has been openly griping that Guilfoyle joined Eric Greitens’ campaign for Senate in Missouri as national campaign chair, and he’s becoming increasingly short with Guilfoyle.
· “Trump thinks Greitens is problematic, and that Kim is annoying,” said one Trump adviser. “He said, ‘Why the f--- is she working for him?’”
Parson’s Vetoes
Governor Mike Parson issued a few vetoes. Find them here. Missourinet reports on the bills. See their article here. The bills were approved by the lopsided numbers in the legislature.
· The Missouri House approved House Bill 362 by a 154-1 vote in May.
· The Missouri House approved Ruth’s House Bill 661 in May, by a 130-22 vote. The Senate approved it 29-3.
· The Missouri Senate approved Representative Chipman’s bill 30-1, and the House approved it 146-1.
Still, there’s no indication of a real desire among the Republican majority to override their governor. We’ll see. It’s about two months until Veto Session, so some momentum could build on a specific bill.
Parson’s GOP Approval Drops
Last weekend’s poll (see the poll here) showed Governor Mike Parson’s job approval among Republicans at 67%. That’s down from the April 9 Remington/MOScout poll which had his job approval among Republicans at 75%.
Other interesting nuggets from the poll…
· The Republican side of the auditor’s race is wide open with 61% undecided. But the benefits of being a statewide office-holder are apparent as Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick takes an early 28% while Reps. David Gregory and Rob Vescovo start in the single digits.
· Not as wide open as the Dem auditor’s race though which currently has no one stepping up to run…
· Congressman Jason Smith’s inclusion in the US Senate race polling did little to change that race’s essential dynamic: Greitens leads a splintered field – for now. A Trump endorsement would likely create a seismic shift.
Fired Teacher Hires Lobbyist
In the lobbyist registrations below, Jean Lamfers is now representing John Magoffin. Who and who?
Lamfers is the attorney for Magoffin, a Harrisonville teacher who was fired.
Fox4KC reported that the Harrisonville School Board “said John Magoffin was terminated because he violated the rules and regulations of the District when he used the N-word… The district previously said that three students confirmed Magoffin used the N-word in April. When first questioned about the incident Magoffin told administrators he didn’t recall using the full six-letter word and said it came up during a discussion about rap music during the biology class.”
Magoffin is appealing the board’s decision, but it’s unclear if the registration is in relation to that appeal.
Map Musings
Folks are starting to foodle around with the Missouri map and how congressional districts could be drawn. Of special interest are the “7-1” maps. These would create 7 theoretical Republicans districts, eliminating Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s stronghold.
Of course, we don’t have the data yet. But why let that slow the speculation?
Thompson Passes
Fox2Now reports: Former Missouri State Representative Betty Thompson has died… A cause of death was not made public as of Sunday evening. Thompson was 81.
In 1980, she became the first African-American elected to the University City City Council. Thompson stayed on the council for 18 years until she won a special election to become a state representative for Missouri’s 72nd Congressional District, covering University City, Wellston, and Pagedale…
Thompson was born in Mississippi in 1939. She was one of 13 children. Her family moved to St. Louis when Betty was just 3 months old. She grew up in the Carr Square Village and Pruitt-Igoe housing developments.
Thompson graduated from Sumner High School in 1958. Betty Thompson attended Harris-Stowe State University and went on to receive a certificate in management from Washington University.
Nixon Tea Leaves
Missouri Independent reports on a possible Jay Nixon candidacy for US Senate. Read it here.
· A Democrat who served two terms as governor and four as attorney general, Nixon began fielding calls from national party leaders the moment U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt announced his retirement in March.
· Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York has dropped Nixon’s name in calls with donors discussing potential 2022 races to watch — the only Missourian who gets a mention, according to those on the calls.
· Nixon is talking to longtime aides, friends and acquaintances, gaming out the 2022 landscape and weighing his options.
· Those close to the former governor say he hasn’t made any decisions about whether to come out of retirement for another statewide run. But he’s considering the possibility very seriously.
· How serious? After years of staying mostly out of the spotlight, Nixon is planning to headline the Clay County Democrats annual fundraising event next month in Excelsior Springs.
Rowden Tweetleaves
Sen. Caleb Rowden tweeting about Cuba… seems more congressional than Columbia…
Freedom is the most sought after thing on planet earth. And so few really have it.
What we are seeing in Cuba today is a reminder of why fighting to maintain freedom and liberty in our great country is so important for so many others around the world.
NYTimes: Fork in the Energy Road
Fascinating New York Times article about the future of energy. Read it here.
· The nation is facing once in a generation choices about how energy ought to be delivered to homes, businesses and electric cars…
· On one side, large electric utilities and President Biden want to build thousands of miles of power lines to move electricity created by distant wind turbines and solar farms to cities and suburbs. On the other, some environmental organizations and community groups are pushing for greater investment in rooftop solar panels, batteries and local wind turbines.
· There is an intense policy struggle taking place in Washington and state capitals about the choices that lawmakers, energy businesses and individuals make in the next few years, which could lock in an energy system that lasts for decades. The divide between those who want more power lines and those calling for a more decentralized energy system has split the renewable energy industry and the environmental movement. And it has created partnerships of convenience between fossil fuel companies and local groups fighting power lines.
· The option supported by Mr. Biden and some large energy companies would replace coal and natural gas power plants with large wind and solar farms hundreds of miles from cities, requiring lots of new power lines. Such integration would strengthen the control that the utility industry and Wall Street have over the grid.
· But many of Mr. Biden’s liberal allies argue that solar panels, batteries and other local energy sources should be emphasized because they would be more resilient and could be built more quickly.
New Committees
Chandler Haynes formed a candidate committee (Friends Of Chandler Haynes) to run for House 139 as a Republican. Incumbent Rep. Jered Taylor is termed.
$5K+ Contributions
Webster Groves Residents Organization, LLC - $6,000 from Richard Mazzarella.
Bruce Sassmann Election Committee - $10,000 from Bruce Sassmann.
Lobbyists Registrations
Jean Lamfers added John Magoffin.
Robert Mock added Hikma Specialty USA Inc. c/o Velocity BioGroup.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jay Ashcroft, Melissa Leach, and James Knowles.