Volume 18, Edition 3   •  August 17, 2007

Governor Visits Neosho in Wake of Tragedy

Gov. Matt Blunt was in Neosho on Monday to meet with local and state law enforcement officials following the fatal shooting at the First Congregational Church. “Yesterday, a terrible crime harmed the people of this community, our state, and our shared American values by attacking Missourians in a peaceful place of faith and worship,” the governor said. “My thoughts and prayers are with all who mourn the loss of the victims and the citizens of Neosho as they begin the healing process following yesterday’s tragic events. I commend the Neosho Police Department, the Newton County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. We are all very proud of your professional, rapid and courageous response.” The governor was joined by Missouri Public Safety Director Mark James, Missouri State Highway Patrol Superintendent Colonel James Keathley, Neosho Sheriff Ken Copeland, Neosho Police Chief David McCracken and Neosho Mayor Howard Birdsong. The governor and law enforcement officials provided an update on the actions taken following the deadly shooting, and Governor Blunt directed state law enforcement officials to provide whatever assistance is asked of them by local law enforcement and the city of Neosho.

Governor Outlines Principles on Illegal Immigrants

Governor Blunt has sent a letter to the Missouri Housing Development Commission outlining principles for the commission to consider regarding illegal immigration that include possible sanctions of up to a lifetime ban of contractors and developers who knowingly hire illegal workers. The governor proposes that the commission consider up to lifetime bans from future contracts with the state for contractors and developers who knowingly employ the use of illegal immigrants. He also outlined that private employers who receive state aid and incentives should check the status of their workers using tools like the Basic Pilot program administered by the Department of Homeland Security, and those contractors or developers who knowingly use illegal workers should be subject to immediate cancellation of their contract or tax credit. The governor also wants the names of contractors who knowingly hire unlawful workers to be posted so developers can know they should not use them. Earlier this year, Governor Blunt ousted a state contractor who hired illegal workers and ordered state agencies to enact a no tolerance policy through tough new contract protections. The governor cancelled the state’s contract with Sam’s Janitorial Services and barred them from doing further business with the state after local and federal law enforcement agencies identified dozens of suspected illegal immigrants working under falsified documents.

Focus on Long-Term Health Care Backed by Governor

Governor Blunt this week kicked off Missouri’s “Own Your Future” Long-Term Care Public Awareness Campaign to help Missourians take an active role in planning ahead for their future long-term care needs. Missouri joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to encourage Missourians to start planning and preparing for their long-term care needs. Missouri was chosen by the Health Department to become the 16th state to participate in this educational and outreach campaign. The governor is reaching out to residents who are between the ages of 45-65 to promote awareness of long-term care needs and encourage people to order a free Long-Term Care Planning Kit that features information about long-term care insurance, financial planning, legal issues and future living and care options. The state will be sponsoring town hall meetings throughout the Missouri to promote awareness about this important issue. For more information about these meetings and this campaign, visit Missouri’s “Own Your Future” Long-Term Care Public Awareness Campaign Internet site at www.ownyourfuture.mo.gov.

New Efforts in Fight against Sexual Predators

Governor Blunt and officials with the “I Know Better” campaign continued their efforts this week to protect Missouri’s children from Internet predators. Blunt this week ceremonially signed House Bill 8 providing $150,000 for the “I Know Better” campaign to help fight against online sexual predators. The funds will support the public awareness campaign and education initiative to fight Internet predators. The governor’s strong leadership has ensured Missouri has one of the toughest versions of Jessica’s Law in the nation. The legislation mandates a lifetime sentence with a minimum of 30 years for serious sexual crimes that are committed against young children and calls for certain sex offenders to be monitored their entire lives. The governor also has led the successful effort to expand the state’s sexual offender registry and add new tools to make it a more powerful resource for parents and law enforcement officials. Governor Blunt also created Multi-jurisdictional Internet Cyber Crimes Task Forces and a related grant program to help protect children from online predators. The budget the governor signed this year provides a total of $1.25 million for the cyber grant program to help further law enforcement efforts to protect Missouri children from cyber sexual predators. “As a matter of principle, I have made our children’s safety and security a high priority in my administration,” the governor said. “If we cannot keep our children safe, we cannot ensure they have access to the opportunities they deserve. We are providing members of the law enforcement community with the tools they need to help ensure our children are protected when they log on to the Internet.”

Agriculture Gets Boost from Governor

Building on the agricultural achievements of his administration, Governor Blunt announced another step to keep Missouri family farms strong with an expansion of the Adult Agricultural Education Program and pledging full funding for the newly enacted Large Animal Veterinary Student Loan Program. The Adult Agricultural Education Program provides state-funded support for family farmers to learn how to better manage their farms. The program is administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and provides for instructors within local school districts to teach classes on modern family farming issues, including computer financial training and farm business management. This year’s state budget contains $400,000 for expanding this program. “Ensuring that Missouri provides a first class education is vital for future economic growth across our state,” the governor said during a visit to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. “The Adult Agricultural Education Program provides Missouri farm families with important educational opportunities for seasoned and beginning farmers to help enhance the work they do each day on their family farms.”

Governor Announces Opening of Cooling Centers

With extremely hot temperatures continuing to be forecasted across the state during the next week, the governor’s office is working closely with the State Emergency Management Agency, Faith-based and Community Partnerships and Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and local Emergency Management Agencies to establish cooling centers for citizens during the continued hot weather. The Missouri Department of Social Services is assisting local communities as well as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army in establishing cooling centers, while the state is offering some buildings as cooling centers as well. Volunteer organizations have established cooling centers in the following cities: Jefferson City, Columbia, Sedalia, Joplin, Springfield, St. Louis, Kansas City, Vienna, Cape Girardeau, Eldon, Boonville, Camdenton, Hermann, Owensville, Caruthersville, Macon, Rolla, St. James, Bolivar and Polk County. The Department of Health and Senior Services is listing all cooling centers on the Department’s website at http://www.dhss.mo.gov/CoolingCenters8-07.pdf. Missourians are also encouraged to use the state's toll-free abuse and neglect hotline at 1-800-392-0210 to report any elderly or adults with disabilities suffering from the heat and needing assistance.

Nixon Longtime Planned Parenthood Supporter

With a history of support for Planned Parenthood and his own pro-abortion statements, Jay Nixon should publicly agree not to represent Missourians should pro-abortion forces challenge a pending state law requiring abortion providers to comply with new medical and structural standards. The nation’s number one abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, told The Associated Press on July 23 that it was considering suing the state over the law that goes into effect on August 28, but Nixon has been silent on the issue. The defense of the law would fall to Nixon, who has shown for more than a decade that he is unwilling to stand up in court on behalf of Missourians against Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion forces. Nixon’s failures began in 1996 after a federal judge overruled a restriction which prevented state funding from going to Planned Parenthood. Shortly after the ruling, Nixon said he was not convinced the state could “discriminate” when allocating family planning funds, and he claimed Planned Parenthood may have been unfairly singled out. He then decided against appealing the decision. A year later, the legislature passed another bill to ban state funding for Planned Parenthood. In an attempt to sabotage the legislation, Nixon went back to the same federal judge who had rejected the previous legislation to consider the 1997 ban, and once again the judge sided with Planned Parenthood. Pro-life legislators later accused Nixon of torpedoing the legislation, but their attempts to remove him from the case failed. Finally, in 1999 and under pressure from those same pro-life lawmakers, Nixon turned over the defense of a new state ban against Planned Parenthood from receiving state funds to outside attorney Jordan Cherrick. At the time of his decision, Nixon told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “‘I’m pro-choice, I have a conflict’ of interest.”

Deep Democrat Divisions Exposed in AG Race

Republican successes in Missouri have always been tied to our party’s ability to remain united, while repeated Democrat failures have been the result of inter-party animosity, and 2008 won’t be much different. The attorney general’s race on the Democrat side is already exposing deep historic divides among the Mel Carnahan/Bob Holden loyalists that support Margaret Donnelly, the Roger Wilson loyalists behind Jeff Harris and the Jay Nixon backers that prefer Chris Koster. Donnelly’s decision to hire longtime Carnahan/Holden operatives Richard Martin, Mike Kelley and Patrick Lynn and Wilson’s decision to back Harris creates an interesting dynamic because of the hard feelings created in the late 1990s when Wilson’s expected run for governor was undercut by Carnahan and Gephardt Democrats who hand-picked Holden as their candidate for governor. Then there is Nixon, who has long been the step-child of the Democrat Party, sitting quietly by as his longtime political aide Chuck Hatfield openly supports Koster’s renegade campaign that has deeply divided Democrats. These stark divisions raise serious questions about Democrats’ ability to lead this state because of their focus inward. Republicans meanwhile, continue to focus on the needs of Missourians rather than become embroiled in internal party politics. This one should be fun to watch.

Nixon’s Secret Rendezvous with Pal Koster Caught on Tape

Jay Nixon may have told the Columbia Daily Tribune this week that he is “aggressively neutral” in the contentious Democrat primary for attorney general, but his secret meeting with Chris Koster recently caught on tape at the Missouri State Fair tells a very different story. In fact, it appears from this video taken far from the prying eyes of the media and other Democrats that Nixon is privately endorsing his trial attorney pal. Wonder how Jeff Harris and Margaret Donnelly will feel about this clandestine endorsement meeting on the Fair’s back 40 between Nixon and Koster? And of course, most of Missouri knows that Koster is working closely with longtime Nixon political toady Chuck Hatfield. Also interesting to know would be if this is an appropriate use of Jay Nixon’s state vehicle and official staff time – hardly seems reasonable to assume that “official government work” was transacted at this clandestine rendezvous.

“Hamming” it up at the State Fair – Craighead Observations on Koster

The annual Governor’s Ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair is a unique gathering for Missouri politicos. Republicans and Democrats alike from across the state gather to support one of our leading industries – agriculture. This year’s gathering was particularly intriguing as candidates and elected officials gathered to see and be seen. I thought some might be interested in my observations from yesterday’s affair.

Chris Koster – I ran into Chris for the first time since he decided he was a Democrat (i.e. did the political calculus and decided he couldn’t win as a Republican). Chris approached me with his handler Liz Smith (Claire McCaskill’s 2006 spokesperson) at his side and we chatted briefly. I’d been told before I saw Chris that one supporter who had dedicated hours of volunteer time on his behalf “let him have it.” This super-volunteer had walked in parades, handed out literature and gone door-to-door on Chris’ behalf. She expressed her significant disappointment in Chris who didn’t seem to have time to hear that kind of feedback. She expressed to me personally that she felt he had lied to her and misrepresented himself. She had given all that she could to him – her blood sweat and tears – she isn’t a wealthy woman. That feedback is very similar to the feedback we’ve received from Missourians all across the state. I’ve heard that Chris has told reporters “no one” has asked for contributions he’s received back. That is completely false as demonstrated by a recent MRP press release although somewhat understandable. If you don’t take Republican “friends” and supporters’ calls Chris, they can’t tell you they want their money back. Similarly intriguing were stories I heard about Chris speaking with former fellow Republican Senators at the breakfast and Liz interrupting with “you need to be talking to Democrats Chris.”

But I digress.

During our brief visit I asked Chris how things were going and his answer was interesting. He said things were “turbulent.” Turbulent is probably an understatement for the situation Chris has faced after he turned his back on friends, volunteers, contributors and others who he had convinced should support him because he was a Republican. Turbulent probably doesn’t quite describe the extreme frustration he’s feeling that the Democrats haven’t exactly embraced him with open arms (see Jeff Harris’ comments). Turbulent probably isn’t an accurate description of the things a man encounters when he’s lost the mooring that friends in life provide that keep each and every one of us waking up the next day knowing that no matter how rough the water is or how bumpy the ride gets, we know we’ll make it through because of the support of our friends. I’m tired of feeling betrayed and torn by what I thought was a strong friendship with Chris. I guess at times in life we all have people we know who do the wrong things for selfish reasons.

Kraske, Mannies Promote Democrat Talking Points on CBS

Steve Kraske of the Kansas City Star and Jo Mannies of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch took their Democrat talking points to the CBS Early Show with Harry Smith recently. Kraske claimed that a SurveyUSA poll that oversamples Democrats and is filled with flawed methodology showed that Jay Nixon is running strongly against the governor. Meanwhile, Mannies took her cue from her Democrat-run editorial page to claim that the governor’s Medicaid reforms are going to be the top issue in 2008. The comments by Kraske and Mannies – on a network that once employed the disgraced Dan Rather -- confirm once again that most Missouri reporters are nothing more than Democrat Party pawns. In related news, new polling data from the oft-cited and reputable Pew Research Center concludes that more than half of all Americans view news organizations as biased, inaccurate and uncaring. To make matters worse, Americans who rely on the web for their news are even less forgiving of news organizations. To see the entire Kraske/Mannies debacle, click here.

MissouriPulse.com Post of the Week

Buzz Word Abuse: “Nonpartisan”

For weeks, hordes of editorials have inundated Missourians with the misguided notion that Missouri’s current method of selecting judges is somehow “nonpartisan.” To those who have so liberally utilized the term “nonpartisan”, this site would like to introduce the title “research director” to your lexicon.

In 1998, Governor Mel Carnahan named his campaign's former “research director” Mike Wolff to the Missouri Supreme Court. Wolff was chosen from a supposedly “nonpartisan” selection panel.

Some background on Wolff’s opposition research work from the P-D, 8/11/1998:

In two bids for state attorney general, Wolff gained a reputation as a scrappy but underfunded campaigner who personally researched the backgrounds and records of his opponents and then peppered them with accusations. In 1988, he was the Democratic nominee for attorney general against incumbent Republican William Webster. . . . Webster, who later pleaded guilty to federal charges of misusing state resources, said Wolff used sleazy tactics and innuendo in his campaign.

Four years later, Wolff lost the party's attorney general's nomination to Jay Nixon, who is now the attorney general. That was a heated campaign, too. . . . After Wolff lost the nomination for attorney general in 1992, he went to work as a researcher in Carnahan's campaign for governor against Webster.

As recent events have demonstrated, naming opposition researchers to high-profile legal posts will trigger partisan firestorms except of course in Missouri where the appointment of an opposition researcher to the state Supreme Court is viewed as “nonpartisan.” How dare anyone question this “nonpartisan” process through which “nonpartisan” judges are selected from a “nonpartisan” panel comprised of “nonpartisan” selection committee members!  If the process really is that "nonpartisan", how is it that a partisan opposition researcher slipped through the cracks?

More Wolff...

They’ll Always Have Haiti

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"Research director" cite taken from P-D, 1/8/199

The Cornerstone - Volunteers Make State Fair Booth a Success

Missouri Republican volunteers are a committed group that often braves the elements to promote our Party and candidates, and the Missouri State Fair is no exception. With historically hot weather bearing down on the state, the following groups have been staffing the Missouri Republican Party Fair Booth since August 9 and will be on the job through August 19: Wright County Central Committee, Salt Fork Pachyderms, Miller County Central Committee, St. Charles County Pachyderms, Jackson County Central Committee, Henry County Republican Club, Missouri Federation of Republican Women, Camden and Dekalb County volunteers, Warren County Central Committee, Pettis County Central Committee. Under the leadership of Joy Gerstein, the efforts of our volunteers were recognized recently in an Associated Press article about the State Fair: “The Missouri Republican Party offered free cups of water in exchange for entering their booth …,” the article said.

Thoughts and Prayers

The Missouri Republican Party encourages Republicans across the state to keep these individuals in your thoughts and prayers:

Paul Busiek, husband of Mavis Busiek. Paul’s health concerns continue.

Harold Hamann, father of 15th District State Committeewoman Peggy Adams, who was recently hospitalized.

Mike Keathley, Commissioner of Administration, who has cancer.

Teresa Kelley, Pettis County Committeewoman, who was seriously injured in an automobile accident.

Rosemary Kochner, 13th District State Committeewoman, who has continued health concerns.

State Rep. Scott Lipke, 157th House District, whose unborn daughter has been diagnosed with a heart condition.

Mary Mallien, 14th District State Committeewoman, who has continued health concerns.

Dawn Sprick, daughter of 21st District State Committeeman Gary Harris, who has cancer.
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