JEFFERSON CITY - Fearful of having to answer tough questions about his support for illegal immigrants and other uncomfortable issues, Jay Nixon has resorted to waging a news release candidacy that was on display yesterday when he hid behind spokesmen instead of answering questions himself about his politically-motivated immigration plan.

Nixon, who in the past never met a camera he didn’t like, issued a news release to tout the immigration “proposal” he copied from Arizona yet was nowhere to be found when it came time to answer questions that Missourians deserve answers to. Nixon’s invisible man syndrome is in stark contrast to Governor Blunt’s willingness to remain accessible to the media by answering tough questions in public on a variety of topics.

“Jay Nixon is engaging in a news release candidacy in which he doesn’t have to answer the kinds of tough questions that Missourians are demanding answers to. Nixon prefers to hide behind his minions rather than discuss his support for illegal immigration, his illegal use of state vehicles, his acceptance of campaign contributions from Ameren while he was investigating the utility, his secret taxpayer-financed settlement for discriminating against a quadriplegic, his political abuse of the Missouri Foundation for Health and his pay to play scheme involving the Second Injury Fund, to name just a few,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “While the governor is showing true leadership by publicly addressing issues important to Missourians, Nixon is cowering behind his taxpayer-financed office staff and his team of out-of-state campaign hacks.”

So back by popular demand, here is a list of questions released earlier this week by the Missouri Republican Party that Nixon fears to answer.

1. Nixon admitted one year after a 2006 audit of his office that he was using a taxpayer-funded car for personal and political purposes. Who in his office falsely "represented," as Auditor Montee has said, that he was only using his state car for official purposes?
2. Missourians for Matt Blunt has pointed out that Nixon has proposed a more than three quarters of a billion tax increase in order to access federal dollars for his proposal to return to the old, broken Medicaid system that failed many Missourians. Why is Nixon proposing this massive tax increase on Missourians?
3. Nixon told the Dexter Daily Statesman that he would only campaign on the weekends but he got caught using a taxpayer-funded car for weekday campaigning and has continued to campaign Monday through Friday. Why did Nixon decide to break the pledge and promise he made to Missourians?
4. Nixon has been criticized for being a bully as attorney general. In fact, he said in a campaign speech that he wanted to "fight" Governor Blunt. Nixon claimed the governor "started it" but Missourians can find no record of the governor ever saying he wanted to fight Nixon. Some have called this language anything but gubernatorial. Doesn’t this negative language give credence to Nixon’s critics’ claims that he is a bully?
5. Nixon talked about his candidacy and attacked Governor Blunt’s record as governor before Governor Blunt had even been sworn in. So is Nixon’s three year campaign more about his personal ambition than it is about issues and policy?
6. Jay Nixon filled out a public questionnaire which showed he supported providing taxpayer dollars for illegal immigrants. Nixon should explain to Missourians why he supports this policy when the majority of Missourians support the governor’s strong stance against illegal immigration.
7. Jay Nixon received campaign contributions from Ameren while he was investigating the utility. Who specifically from his campaign asked for this money or did Nixon solicit the contributions himself? Also, why have those contributions not been returned and in fact found their way back into Nixon’s campaign coffers despite his false claims the money was returned?
8. Jay Nixon has been sued by a quadriplegic state worker who was fired from her job because of her disability. A settlement has recently been reached in the case but when will Jay Nixon release the details of the settlement?
9. Jay Nixon has sought to attack Governor Blunt’s health care reforms in the media. But Nixon has yet to explain how he can launch those attacks when he Nixon defended Democrat-enacted Medicaid cuts that sought to reduce or eliminate benefits to over 300,000 Missourians. What has changed besides the Party membership of the governor?
10. Besides hypocritical and scurrilous political attacks, what exactly does Nixon stand for and what is his vision for Missouri?