MOScout Daily Update: Ashcroft Issue - Behind Koenig’s Tweet - Show Pony, Workhorse - Gephardt Contra No Labels and more…
The Ashcroft Issue
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s response to a question at the Lincoln Days gubernatorial forum continues to reverberate. Ashcroft rejected the idea of special treatment for military veterans saying he didn’t believe in the government picking winners and losers.
It’s out-of-touch with today’s “Thank you for your service” culture. And Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe and Sen. Bill Eigel both hammered him on social media (Kehoe here, Eigel here).
· But one lobbyist wonders if there’s a bigger problem here for Team Ashcroft: that he’s just not a natural politician. And that’s a real problem when running for the state’s highest office. “Ashcroft opposes military discounts. That is amazing… His campaign literally has nothing going for it other than his last name. Every time he opens his mouth, he loses ground. The best thing his consultants can do is the old lock-him-in-the-basement strategy.”
Behind Koenig’s Sweet Tweet
I wrote last week about a tweet from Sen. Andrew Koenig expressing admiration for Speaker Dean Plocher’s handling of his double-dipping scandal. I thought it was perhaps the Freedom Caucus looking for an LG candidate in the race now that Bob Onder has pivoted to Congress.
But I was corrected by several people – all of whom said it was about keeping his legislation moving.
· “Koenig wants his Ed reform bills to get thru the House.”
· “Koenig’s tweet was about trying to be the handler of an education reform bill.”
· “Dean is requiring everyone who called on him to resign to say something nice before he moves their bill. That was the tweet from Koenig.”
Gephardt Contra Nixon
Former Congressman Dick Gephardt was the key to dissuading Senator Joe Manchin from launching a third-party presidential bid.
· Gephardt showed Manchin private polling that he’d bankrolled himself, illustrating that such a bid could only help Donald Trump beat President Biden, according to a person familiar with the conversation. Gephardt reminded Manchin that even third-party bids that win real public support have routinely failed to garner many, or even any, Electoral College votes…
· That argument finally seemed to prevail with Manchin last week, when he announced that he will not be part of any third-party ticket after all…
Gephardt is taking the opposite side of former governor Jay Nixon who has embraced the “No Labels” effort.
Show Pony Josh, Workhorse Erin
Politico profiles Erin Hawley…
· Erin Hawley’s status as a senator’s wife is perhaps the least interesting thing about her…
· She was part of the team that got Roe v. Wade overturned, in the most consequential Supreme Court abortion case in the 50-odd years since Roe itself was decided. She is now a lead attorney on the next-most important abortion case: an effort to restrict mifepristone — a drug now used in more than half the abortions in the United States — at the federal level, including for the remaining states with laws protecting abortion access…
· A conservative lawyer and longstanding acquaintance of the Hawleys who declined to be named, for reasons evident in the next remark: “Josh is a show pony. Erin is a workhorse.”
Dems Who Didn’t HJR
Over forty House Dems filed the same House Joint Resolution to allow local municipalities to impose some gun regulations. The few Dems who didn’t: Reps. Paula Brown, Aaron Crossley, Stephanie Hein, Ian Mackey, Raychel Proudie, Robert Sauls, and Kevin Windham.
· Some of these reps are staring down swing district elections. But some of them aren’t.
Another Dem Gubby Candidate
Filing opens tomorrow, and it looks like we’ll have at least four people file for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. In addition to Minority Leader Crystal Quade, businessman Mike Hamra, and Democratic pariah Sarah Unsicker, Eric Morrison has a campaign committee.
· Morrison placed second in the 5-way Democratic gubernatorial primary in 2020, scoring 6% to Nicole Galloway’s 84.6%
Gubby Appts
Governor Mike Parson various appointments…
· Madeline Romious was appointed to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.
· William (Buddy) Hardin IV and Tony Helfrecht were appointed to the Board of Probation and Parole.
· Becky Whithaus was appointed to the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority.
· Lawrence J. Chrum was appointed as Associate Circuit Judge for the 11th Judicial Circuit.
· Melissa Buckman Young was appointed as Associate Circuit Judge for Audrain County in the 12th Judicial Circuit.
· Chris Cole was appointed to the Missouri Real Estate Commission.
· Andrew Schwartz was appointed to the St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners.
· Ed Adams, Travis Elliott, Todd Hays, Jamie Johansen, and Byron Roach were appointed to the State Fair Commission.
· Chelsea Landgraf was appointed to the Drug Utilization Review Board.
· Timothy Harper was appointed Clark County Eastern Commissioner.
· Rebecca Allen was appointed Pulaski County Public Administrator.
eMailbag on the Irish Caucus
Back in the day, the Irish caucus met every Tuesday at Paddy’s. One lucky lobbyist would pick up the nights tab. It was an initiation for many a young lobbyist…
New PACs
Missouri Rice PC was formed. See the filing here. Its treasurer is Mollie Buckler.
$5K+ Contributions
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom (pro-reproductive rights IP) - $10,000 from Jacob Miller.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $10,000 from Robert Guller.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $15,181 from Abortion Action Missouri Foundation.
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $7,000 from Air Sansone LLC.
American Dream PAC - $8,050 from Air Sansone LLC.
MO Majority PAC LLC - $25,000 from Protection Plus LLC,
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Louis Riggs, Brad Green, and Brad Thielemier.