MOScout Daily Update: Trump Told Long to Drop?!? - Overalls-Gate - Anonymous Letter to MO GOP Committee and more...
Politico: Trump Told Long to Drop
Folks will be talking about the Politico Playbook article this morning (“INSIDE THE GOP’S MISSOURI CLOWN SHOW”). See it here.
It covers the latest bits: Attorney General Eric Schmitt getting Ted Cruz’ endorsement, Congressman Billy Long calling Josh Hawley a weasel on Twitter, etc.
But the nugget that will widen eyes is the report that Donald Trump asked Long to get out of the race and seek re-election in the House. “Long didn’t take kindly to the idea, ignored the advice and is still trying to gain traction…”
Inside Long’s Head
Long has vowed he won’t drop out of the Senate race. But it would make some sense if he did…
· He’s too far down in the polls to have a legitimate path without Trump’s endorsement. Trump isn’t going to run around and endorse him after he asked him to drop.
· Long’s fundraising has started to sputter, requiring him to put $250,000 of his own money in the campaign last quarter. He’s essentially spending his own money to keep the campaign going at this point.
What It Would Mean: The ABG (Anyone But Greitens) folks would like to see Long drop. They feel a splintered field is Eric Greitens’ best friend. He has name ID and true believers giving him a hard 20% of the electorate. Consolidation among the other candidates is the key to stopping him.
Short Week
The House and Senate adjourned ahead of the winter storm coming in. They’re off for President’s Day on Monday and will reconvene on Tuesday.
The weather was surely driving their decision, but…
· House may also have looked to the other side of the building and wondered, why keep passing bills when nothing’s moving in the Senate?
· And the Senate – with its rifts and frays – could use a little time off from each other. One lobbyist who’s watching the redistricting fight closely thinks a compromise is still doable. Sometimes to keep it together you gotta leave it alone.
Senate Perfects Two Bills Amid Overalls-Gate
Senate drama continues yesterday. President Pro Tem Dave Schatz yanked Sen. Mike Moon off his committees (see below). Last week, Moon had worn overalls on the Senate floor, earning a rebuke from Schatz for breaking decorum. Moon was defiant. One report said that Schatz insisted, in a Republican Caucus meeting, that Moon apologize for his attire.
Apparently amid other tensions, this blew up. You know like when your 4-year-old kid won’t eat broccoli and before you know it you’ve grounded them until they’re 16? Well, instead of storming off and slamming the bedroom door, Moon responded standing on the Senate floor reading a book.
· But eventually, the Senate did move to actual business and perfected two items. (I joked with some folks that of course once the Senate actually works on something this session, it’s to add a sales tax to my newsletter.)
Dear Mrs. Crouse,
Pursuant to Rule 12, I am removing Senator Mike Moon from the following Committees:
Gubernatorial Appointments
Professional Registration
Small Business and Industry
Ways and Means
Sincerely,
Dave Schatz
President Pro Tem
MOScout Exclusive: Anonymous Letter Targets Better Elections
An anonymous letter signed “Missouri Republicans for Truth” was sent (from what I can tell) to members of the Republican Party State Committee, complaining about Republican consultants working on the Better Elections campaign. See the letter here.
The letter says that former Republican Party Chair John Hancock and former Executive Director Jonathon Prouty shouldn’t be working on the campaign which would “cripple Missouri Republican voters’ ability to select their candidates for the general election.”
Better Election is proposing a “ranked voting” method for Missouri. It has hired both Republican and Democratic consultants. One theory is that ranked voting will deter more extreme candidates (from both ends of the spectrum) from winning races.
The funding source for the campaign is unknown as money is coming from an out-of-state non-profit which doesn’t have to disclose its donors.
Lobbyists Registrations
James Harris added Varsity Tutors.
$5K+ Contributions
Spirit of Missouri - $62,500 from RightCHOICE Managed Care, Inc.
The 1821 PAC - $62,500 from RightCHOICE Managed Care, Inc.
The 1821 PAC - $5,500 from Advantage Capital Management Corp.
Missouri Realtors PAC Inc - $10,000 from St. Louis Associations of REALTORS.
NKC Schools Community Committee - $10,000 from McCownGordon.
Legal Missouri 2022 - $10,000 from QPS Missouri Holdings LLC.
American Dream PAC - $10,000 from Matthew Lowe.
Committee for Kenneth Woolsey Fox C-6 BOE - $8,000 from Brooks Mcarthy.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Sen. Brian Williams and Jon Ratliff.