MOScout Daily Update: MRL Agenda - More on AG Race - Corrigan to Exit AG's Office and Make Rain - Blue Missouri and more...

1 Big Thing: MRL’s Increasingly Empty Agenda

Without talk of a pro-choice initiative petition, Missouri Right to Life would hardly have any reason to rally their troops.

Their endorsement statement for Ashcroft sounded like an organization struggling to justify itself after abortions have been totally outlawed in the state.  One of their main objectives now is protecting children from “social narratives?”

While Missouri has had many successes in saving the lives of the unborn, there is much left to do. We cannot wait on necessary policy and legislative initiatives when lives are at stake. We must advance the pro-life culture in Missouri, truly defund abortion promoters and providers, and protect our children from those pushing the "proudly pro-abortion" social narrative.

And

·       One stalwart Republican rolls her eyes at their endorsement criteria… “They could have chosen all three [Republican gubernatorial candidates] instead they chose the only one who has never had to take an actual vote. Mike Kehoe and Bill Eigel are just more qualified to claim a title of Pro-Life through the votes and issues they worked on.”

·       Meanwhile, Team Eigel shrugs: Eigel has plenty of Pro-Life creds including two previous MRL endorsements and a string of pro-life votes that Ashcroft doesn’t have.

Meet Blue Missouri

Dems are hoping to “crowdfund” opponents to Republicans across Missouri through Blue Missouri.  See the website here.

·       The executive director is Jessica Piper who garnered attention for her strong online presence and fundraising while running in northwest Missouri.

·       How they distribute their cash… Blue Missouri uses a “bathtub” method of funding, where the community funds are used to lift the nominees from the bottom up. After the primary, we’ll look to the Democratic primary winners’ most recent campaign finance filings, and distribute community funds until the nominees all have at least $1,000. Then we’ll raise the “water level” to $2,000 … then $3,000 and so on and so on until the Blue Missouri community funds are exhausted. Only nominees (the Democratic primary winners) are eligible for funding. We do not fund candidates in the primary or make endorsements – this is a project to make sure Democrats have support to fight fiercely in the general election.

Readers Reaction to AG Race Comparisons

Like in 2016, the deciding factor in the 2024 AG Primary will be the message, and good fucking luck getting to Bailey's right!

For those who see Bailey v. Scharf as Hawley/Schafer part deux, some notable distinctions:

1) neither Schafer nor Hawley was a statewide incumbent.  No one outside the political class knew where either candidate was - same with Scharf. Point to Bailey.

2) during the heat of the primary, Schafer was stuck in JC doing legislative stuff.  Both candidates here are free to travel the state campaigning or, in Bailey’s case, making official appearances and being a proper AG. Point to Bailey.

3) Being a Boone Co Senator, Schafer had a record of squishy votes to overcome and Hawley was able to tar him as a Dem-loving moderate.  Bailey has no such handicap, and good luck painting him as a moderate after all he’s done in the past six months.  Point to Bailey

4) and finally, as for the money, Team Bailey is generating over $1MM PER DAY in earned media. Neither Schafer nor Hawley came close to that and Scharf can’t either.  Again, point to Bailey.

As someone who does zero lobbying and 100% political consulting… every statewide race is going to follow more of the Hawley/Schaefer model! Ashcroft wins if he gets outspent by less than 3-1 (approximately). Smith outspend Malek and he wins. Scharf outspends Bailey by around 2-1, he will win.  Appreciate all the sentiments about “do’ers” but… it’s bullshit. 80% of the Missouri primary electorate won’t know a single thing any of these candidates try to do to generate earned media.

Moves

Governor Mike Parson appointed former Rep. Mike Leara as State Supervisor for the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control within the Missouri Department of Public Safety. “Mr. Leara, of St. Louis, has served as the Chairman of the Missouri Gaming Commission since August 2019. He has also owned and operated Gateway Advisors, LLC, in St. Louis since 1999.”

KSDK reports that Roy Blunt joined the board of Southwest Airlines.

Political Influence reports that “American Airlines has hired the former chief of staff to House Transportation & Infrastructure Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) as it seeks to defeat a push from rival carrier Delta to add additional slots at Reagan National Airport for direct flights beyond the airport’s mandated perimeter.  American retained Cassidy & Associates’ Paul Sass beginning Wednesday to lobby on issues related to commercial airline industry policy and infrastructure, according to a disclosure filed today. Sass, who worked under Graves for close to two decades before heading to K Street last year, is the only lobbyist listed on the account.”

St. Louis Business Journal reports that Bill Corrigan – who lost to Charlie Dooley in the 2010 St. Louis County Executive – will leave the Attorney General’s office and “will become managing partner of the Clayton office of [Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP] on Oct. 1… ‘I have relationships with clients and lawyers around the country. I believe I can help with recruiting and rainmaking….’”

$5K+ Contributions

Ameren Missouri Political Action Committee - $8,054 from Ameren FEDPAC (Washington DC).

Liberty and Justice (Pro-Bailey) - $10,000 from XCALIBER International LTD LLC (Pryor, OK).

Conservative Leaders of Missouri - $40,000 from Phoenix Home Care.

Missouri Senior PAC - $40,000 from Phoenix Home Care. 

Missouri Growth PAC - $40,000 from Phoenix Home Care.

MO Majority PAC LLC - $40,000 from Phoenix Home Care.         

Missouri C PAC - $40,000 from Phoenix Home Care.         

Missouri AG PAC - $40,000 from Phoenix Home Care.      

General Motors Company PAC Missouri - Federal Committee - $25,000 from General Motors Company Political Action Committee (Washington DC).

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Sen. Rusty Black, Rep. Chris Brown, John Griesheimer, Tami Holliday, David Overfelt, and Ashley Varner.