Volume 20, Edition 3  •  October 19, 2007

Contributions Show Confidence in Governor’s Leadership

Missourians continue to rally behind the common sense leadership of Gov. Matt Blunt, steadily adding to his fundraising lead. As of September 30, the governor’s many supporters have contributed a total of $8,952,917.17 during this election cycle. Missourians for Matt Blunt released its third quarter financial report this week showing $1,026,547.79 raised during the latest period and reports $6,010,987.62 cash on hand. To date the committee has received contributions from nearly 7,300 supporters, including Missourians from all 114 counties and the city of St. Louis. Missouri voters continue to support Governor Blunt’s strong leadership and conservative principles, adding to his already significant fundraising lead. The governor’s leadership has turned our state around, with severe job loss turned to record high job creation; withholding funds from classrooms turned to more than half a billion new dollars for Missouri schools; a billion dollar budget deficit turned to a budget surplus and a tax cut for Missouri families; and a failed Medicaid program replaced with a new health care system that empowers participants and improves health. Missouri families can feel the positive impact of these changes and want to help Governor Blunt continue enacting common sense policies that improve the everyday lives of Missouri families. Meanwhile, other Republican statewide officials continued to show support through significant contributions as well. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder raised more than $140,000 for the last reporting period bringing his total to more than $600,000 while State Treasurer Sarah Steelman raised more than $87,000 for a total of $319,000 raised so far. Meanwhile, newly announced candidate for attorney general Michael Gibbons raked in an impressive $86,550 during the last quarter which brings his overall total to $220,000.

Landmark Funding for Students Distributed

Governor Blunt’s plan for Missouri colleges and universities this week provided nearly $40 million to benefit students around the state and help secure Missouri’s role as a higher education leader, without a tax increase. The $39,411,523 payment distribution is the first of the $335 million total that Governor Blunt secured for Missouri students and classrooms through his innovative Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative. The governor’s landmark initiative is a partnership between the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority and the state. The partnership, authorized through legislation and supported by lawmakers, reinvests a state asset to generate $335 million to strengthen Missouri’s colleges and universities for students. The Department of Higher Education and the Office of Administration are working with universities and colleges to process the funding. "The Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative will benefit Missouri students and families for generations," the governor said. "Recent audit findings have only strengthened my position that MOHELA can be and must be a more robust supporter of our students. This funding will help ensure Missouri’s role as a leader in higher education and provide our students with state of the art learning centers so they can more effectively compete in the global economy." The following entities have received funding so far: Harris Stowe State University Children and Parent Education Center, $26,972; Missouri State University, $22,273; Northwest Missouri State University Plant Biologics Center, $6,998,855; Southeast Missouri State University River Campus, $16,540,000; Truman State University Pershing Building, $6,250; University of Missouri-Rolla Engineering Building, $3,304,673; St. Charles and East Central Community Colleges, $4,000,000; Department of Economic Development Missouri Technology Corporation, $8,512,500. For a complete list of projects funded by the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative and for more information visit http://www.ded.mo.gov/lcdi.

Court Reaffirms GOP Commitment to Education

A Cole County judge this week reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Blunt and Republicans to education by rejecting some school districts’ claims that Missouri is not spending at least 25 percent of its revenues on education as required by the state constitution. "Based on the evidence presented," Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan wrote in his opinion, "this court concludes that the state of Missouri has fulfilled its obligation." In August, Callahan rejected most of the school districts' arguments that Missouri was not spending enough money on schools or distributing the money fairly. The only question that remained was whether the state was actually spending at least the 25 percent of state revenues mandated by the Missouri Constitution. “Today’s ruling affirms that we are more than meeting our constitutional duties for Missouri students. With Missouri’s new school funding formula and support from the General Assembly we have delivered more than half a billion dollar increase to Missouri classrooms since 2005. Education is my highest priority and we are providing our students with the tools they need to be successful and compete in the global economy,” Governor Blunt said. “Should this ruling be appealed to the Supreme Court, it is my hope that Missouri’s Supreme Court judges will also recognize our state’s commitment to providing our students with a quality education by upholding Judge Callahan’s ruling.”

Protections for Women Top Priority for Governor

Governor Blunt announced this week that the protection of victims of sexual assault and domestic violence will be one of his top priorities when the Legislature starts work again in January. The governor plans to recommend that more than $2.3 million be available to cover medical exam costs associated with rape or sexual assault investigations in next year’s budget. The governor is also recommending that $1.8 million be made available in the supplemental budget to protect victims. Governor Blunt recently signed bi-partisan legislation to enhance laws protecting women and children harmed at the hands of others, including provisions to allow the state to pay for exams following sexual assault, commonly called a "rape kit", to gather the assailants DNA and archive the assault, and also protect the health of the victim. The governor is recommending supplemental funding for this year as well as funding for next year to cover the costs associated with the exams. Necessity will determine exact dollar amounts. "Protecting Missourians from violent criminals is a fundamental responsibility of state government," Governor Blunt said. "This funding will ensure that sexual assault victims will not be further traumatized by being forced to pay for the medical exams needed to collect information about their attacker’s DNA which requires specialized training. These exams can be vital in the successful prosecution of the assailant and the health of the victim."

MRP Launches Radio Ad Exposing Nixon’s Lawbreaking

The Missouri Republican Party this week launched a radio ad running in select markets across the state that exposes Jay Nixon’s illegal activities. In recognition of the ads significance and its importance of getting past the media filter among the liberal members of the media, MRP Executive Director Jared Craighead issued the following statement along with the ad audio:

“Dear friend of good government: Just like Hillary Clinton, whom he will support for President, Jay Nixon never learns. The law notwithstanding, Nixon is trying to return Missouri to the bad old days of one-party Democrat government for the politicians, not the people.

But the facts are getting out! Thanks to you, Missourians are hearing the truth about Nixon’s illegal use of state property for his political campaign! In select markets, MRP is airing a 60-second radio ad that details Nixon’s caught-on-videotape use of an official state car to ferry him to fundraisers and political rallies, in open violation of one of Missouri’s most basic clean government laws. Click HERE to listen to the ad. YouTube had the amateur videotape that nailed the "Eternal" General with misuse of the public’s property. (YouTube clip 1, clip 2, clip 3)

Will you help us bypass the kneejerk liberal big city newspapers in St. Louis and Kansas City, and spread the word further? Please share a copy of this ad — YOUR ad, and the YouTube video that started it all, with friends and neighbors. In letters to the editor and in talking with others, ask the obvious taxpayer-protection questions the leftist media won’t ask. When will Nixon repay the public for his unlawful misuse of a state vehicle? Who will audit or verify his reimbursement to the state treasury, to assure that taxpayers aren’t filched a second time? Nixon knows his predecessor went to prison for misusing public property for politics — why does Nixon believe he shouldn’t meet the same standard?

Thanks to the Republican Party, its leaders, and, most importantly, people like you, Missouri has come a long way from the bad old days of misusing taxpayers and state employees to feed a one-party monopoly. In many ways, Nixon’s actions prove he can’t wait to go back to self-service government for bigshots and their political cronies. This will be a long fight, and well worth making!

Thanks for your help and support in the past, and for your ongoing friendship in MRP’s work!"

Governor Endorses Gibbons for AG

Governor Blunt this week endorsed Michael Gibbons as the Republican candidate who will bring integrity and honesty back to the attorney general’s office. “Senator Gibbons is an experienced leader with a strong record of fighting for the safety of our families,” the governor said. “His leadership was vital to the passage of Missouri's version of Jessica's Law to protect children from dangerous predators. He has been an energetic advocate for victims of rape and domestic violence. As the highest ranking member of the Missouri Senate, Senator Gibbons proved his tremendous leadership qualities again and again, working with legislators on both sides of the aisle. Senator Gibbons will be a tough and effective Attorney General for the people of Missouri who will always act with integrity.” With Mike Gibbons on the ballot along with Governor Blunt, Missourians can be assured that the dark days of Jay Nixon’s government abuses soon will come to an end.

Nixon’s Car Abuse Mirrors Ameren Conflict

Jay Nixon’s guilt-ridden pledge to reimburse the state for illegally using his state car for political purposes is troubling to Missourians who remember that Nixon failed to keep his promise to return political contributions from Ameren after illegally taking nearly $20,000 from the utility while he was investigating them. Nixon’s decision to accept Ameren contributions he supposedly returned raises troubling questions about his most recent pledge to reimburse the state for illegally using a state vehicle. Jay Nixon has lied to Missourians before so what is to stop him from doing it again? It is astonishing that this pattern of abuse has been allowed to continue for so long and one has to wonder how long it will be before outside agencies begin looking at his activities. Perhaps this is why Nixon has been hiding from the public – because he doesn’t want to answer the tough questions about these issues and many more. A review of recent campaign reports shows that Democrat committees never returned their share of the $19,100 in Ameren money to the utility even though Nixon had told Missourians he had “refunded” the money. In fact, three committees have actually sent $17,800 _ almost the entire amount in contributions received _ back into Nixon’s pockets: The 73rd District Democratic Legislative Committee, which funneled $4,800 in Ameren money to Nixon in March 2006, never returned the dirty money and donated $6,000 back to Nixon’s committee in December 2006; the Lincoln County Democratic Central Committee, which funneled $4,700 in Ameren money to Nixon in March 2006, never returned the dirty money and donated $5,800 back to Nixon’s committee in December 2006; the 24th Senatorial Democratic Committee, which funneled $4,800 in Ameren money to Nixon in March 2006, never returned the dirty money and has donated $6,000 back to Nixon since November 2006.

Democrats Equate Nixon’s Lawbreaking with Clerical Error

In a desperate attempt to gloss over Jay Nixon’s lawbreaking and the ensuing cover-up surrounding his illegal use of a state vehicle, Democrats are trying to equate criminal activity with common clerical errors that can be found even on Nixon’s campaign finance reports. The Missouri Republican Party this week filed a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission citing numerous clerical errors in Nixon’s campaign finance reports – the same kind of common errors Democrats are trying to compare to Nixon’s previously hidden violations of state law that prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars for political purposes. In a ridiculous and desperate diversionary ploy, Democrats have tried to compare Jay Nixon’s blatant lawbreaking with easily explained clerical errors that even Nixon has made, but the fact remains that Nixon has been using the state car like he’s been using his office – for overtly political purposes. Jay Nixon has always failed to separate official business from politics and this time he broke the law just like Bill Webster did. Democrats are playing fast and loose with the truth and that’s an insult to Missourians who are quickly realizing just how corrupt the attorney general’s office has become since Nixon promised to restore integrity to the office 14 years ago. Events for supporters at the Governor’s Mansion are traditionally held by Republicans and Democrats alike, but Governor Blunt has insisted they not be held at taxpayer expense. However, Nixon’s recent admission that he has been breaking the law and that he lied to the state auditor by refusing to disclose the political use of his state vehicle is a very different matter. Not surprisingly, Democrat State Auditor Susan Montee has refused to review Nixon’s proposed “reimbursement” to the state for his illegal activity or investigate his failure to admit the political use of his state vehicle to the previous auditor.

Tongue-Tied Nixon Goes Quiet on Praise for Old MOHELA

Much-needed capital funds are flowing to universities and colleges. Gross waste of student funds under Democrat administrations has been ended by Gov. Matt Blunt’s reform-minded appointees. And Jay Nixon is falling silent in his once-noisy defense of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority. After a recent audit unmasked past abuse under Democrat rule, including lavish spending and salaries and other perks, Nixon has said nothing about past misuse of the agency. On his political website, the once-frequent blasts as Governor Blunt’s reform of the agency have become less frequent. Where Nixon counted on an audit by fellow Democrat Susan Montee to attack Governor Blunt’s plan for $335 million to deliver high-quality education to Missouri students, Montee proved unable to discredit the governor’s plan, instead revealing more than $2 million in severance packages and 12 weeks paid vacation for top executives and hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses for executives meeting easy-to-reach goals. In the end, the audit ended up highlighting Governor Blunt’s successful and ongoing efforts to reform the system, making MOHELA a partner to students and schools, instead of an unaccountable, high-spending hidden corner of state government. The impact of the audit on Nixon was clear from his campaign website which once regularly praised the old, corrupt MOHELA system including a petition asking the governor: “Don’t Touch MOHELA.” Nixon's "Don't Touch This" message is now less frequently displayed as the tongue-tied Democrat tries to slip away from the partisan obstruction that backfired when the Democrat-era standard for MOHELA was exposed.

Nixon’s Immigration Hypocrisy Exposed with New Form

Jay Nixon’s new online Employer Workforce Accountability Complaint Form is just another example of Nixon’s hypocrisy since the form’s goal of cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants is at odds with his public support for providing taxpayer-financed services to illegal immigrants. An equally important concern is whether Nixon will use the information gathered from the complaint forms to ultimately advocate for illegal immigrant benefits. Nixon claims the new form makes it “easier for Missourians to report employers who try to take unfair and illegal advantages” but what Nixon doesn’t say is that in a 1998 Project Vote Smart survey, he supported the following immigration issue included in the survey: “Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services (medical care, education) to illegal immigrants or their children.” A copy of the Vote Smart Survey is available at http://www.mogop.org/media/votesmart.pdf. It is the ultimate in hypocrisy for Jay Nixon to use taxpayer dollars in an attempt to cover up the fact that he supported using taxpayer dollars to provide benefits to illegal immigrants. Nixon is calling for accountability with this new form but doesn’t want to be held accountable for his own positions clearly stated in the Project Vote Smart form. Nixon continues to try and hide from his support for using taxpayer dollars to support illegal immigrants but each time he tries, his policies come back to haunt him by exposing his flawed positions to Missourians.

Jay Nixon’s Grandstanding Makes Little Kids Cry

Jay Nixon’s political grandstanding and practical mishandling of the ongoing “Hannah Montana” ticket debacle has outraged parents and upset children now barred from seeing the show because of Nixon’s ticket policy. Despite Nixon’s publicity-motivated decision to exempt Stephanie Abdullah from his requirement that people would have to show up in person with photo identification and a credit card to pick up “Hannah Montana” tickets for her sister and 9-year-old niece Destiny, there are many others who aren’t so lucky. The response from Nixon’s office about other parents’ concerns was as cold-hearted as any you’ll ever hear: "Everyone else that we heard from understood the conditions and accepts those conditions in order to be able to buy those tickets at face value," his office told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. For example, a father who reserved two tickets for his daughter at Saturday’s sale told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Nixon’s rules will cause trouble for other parents who aren’t able to pick up tickets in person and result in a lot of disappointed kids. Abdullah had previously called the requirement “unreasonable” and discriminatory against “a certain class of people” who don’t have credit cards or the Internet. Nixon’s political grandstanding is hurting kids and their families by denying them a few hours of enjoyment because they don’t meet Nixon’s lame criteria to score a few cheap headlines for his political campaign. Nixon’s involvement with Hannah Montana tickets has been a disaster from day one and Missourians must be scratching their heads and asking what exactly does Jay Nixon do all day. Another question Nixon has yet to answer is why he is requiring Missourians to show photo identification to purchase Hanna Montana tickets but has long opposed requiring Missourians to show photo identification in order to vote in an effort to prevent voter fraud. Does Nixon really believe that attending a concert is a right more sacred than voting?

AP: Governor Reaches Out, Nixon Hides Out!

It’s no surprise that Jay Nixon has been hiding from Missourians. Nixon won’t answer questions about the campaign contributions he received from Ameren while he was investigating the utility. Nixon won’t explain why he illegally used taxpayer dollars to pay for a state vehicle so he could attend political fundraisers. Nixon also refuses to discuss a survey he filled out in which he supported using taxpayer dollars to pay for benefits for illegal immigrants. All this hiding out was exposed October 14 when The Associated Press highlighted the significant difference between the amount of time Governor Blunt spends communicating with Missourians and Nixon’s failure to do so. The bottom line of The AP story: Governor Blunt has attended more than 350 public events this year while Nixon has stuck his head out of his political bunker just 11 times. Governor Blunt feels it is duty as the state’s chief executive to discuss the issues with Missourians from every region of the state. In fact, the governor averages more than one public event a day. While Governor Blunt is updating Missourians about the progress being made through record high job creation, half a billion new dollars for classrooms, a tax cut for Missouri seniors, and a new and improved health care system – Jay Nixon continues to hide from the reality that he has no vision for the state, just empty rhetoric.

MissouriPulse.com Post of the Week

Politico: Hsu Shook Down Donors For McCaskill

Last night, a Politico story on disgraced Democratic fundraiser and crook Norman Hsu included the following excerpt that reveals Hsu to be much closer to Senator Claire McCaskill than previously thought:

One California businessman, who would discuss his political contributions only on the condition of anonymity, said he had received a refund from Clinton of $4,600 — the maximum he could have given. And his experience — as recounted to Politico and detailed in Monday night’s report to Federal Election Commission — illustrates how Hsu became such a fundraising force for Clinton and other Democrats.

The executive said he met Hsu through a friend and knew him socially. At Hsu’s urging, he last year gave his first federal political contribution on record: $1,000 to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).

Hsu “suggested that a candidate needs support [in] a tough fight against Republicans,” he said of the pitch on behalf of McCaskill. Her office didn’t return a request for comment.

Last month, McCaskill adamantly refused to give up more than $20,000 in donations linked to Hsu until mounting pressure from Missouri Pulse and other sites coerced her to donate the dirty money to charity. Considering the Politico’s disclosure, it seems only appropriate that McCaskill be asked why she initially refused to give up the dirty money linked to Hsu, who was shaking down donors on behalf of her campaign. It’s not as though McCaskill and her fundraisers were unaware of Hsu’s solicitations as he was anything but a rogue fundraiser.

Let's see if McCaskill decides to answer some tough questions in the next day or two...

The Cornerstone - New Website Touts State Convention in Branson

The countdown has begun to the 2008 Missouri State Republican Convention in Branson and the Missouri Republican Party has launched a new website designed to make your convention experience a better one. The website contains all the information you could ever want about our Party’s delegate selection process in Missouri. Some of the other highlights include the official and quick FAQ sheet for those new to the caucus process, helpful tools for our county and congressional chairmen, and an area for those planning to attend to make hotel reservations for the 2008 convention from May 30 to June 1. So please stop by and visit the site at www.mogop.org/convention. See you in Branson!

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.

Mike Keathley, Commissioner of Administration, who has cancer.

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

State Rep. Scott Lipke and family, 157th House District, whose newborn daughter is recovering from surgery to correct a faulty heart.

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

State Sen. Delbert Scott and family, whose father, Donovan Scott, passed away following a stroke.

Bob Schwartz, 3rd District State Committeeman, who has cancer.

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

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