A reminder to those of you who followed Jason Rosenbaum's Politics Blog that
Janese Heavin has taken over the beat and is blogging about politics for the
Tribune at this address:
http://new.columbiatribune.com/weblogs/capitol-notes/ [...]
In the final chapter of a blog investigation into the status of Gobbles the Turkey, I asked Gov. Matt Blunt about the early departure of the first bird he ever pardoned:
And that, my friends, is the final post I will write for this blog.
My random sports observations [...]
In addition to pardoning a pair of turkeys, Gov. Matt Blunt took some questions on a multitude of topics.
Blunt talked about appointing members to a commission on salaries, whether he'll pardon anybody in his last days in office and whether he'll call the legislature back for a special session.
Here [...]
Gobble!
Apparently Gov. Matt Blunt was feeling especially benevolent today.
That's because the chief executive of the state pardoned not one, but two turkeys this morning at a ceremony in front of the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. He pardoned two birds because the results [...]
So, tomorrow Gov. Matt Blunt will pardon a turkey in Jefferson City. But have you ever wondered what happened to the first turkey the governor sparred from the chopping block?
Well, wonder no more:
Two departing legislators from Columbia were tapped to be part of Gov.-elect Jay Nixon’s transition team.
State Reps. Jeff Harris, D-Columbia, and Judy Baker, D-Columbia, were announced Thursday as deputy transition directors to assist in the search for senior personnel in various state agencies. The individuals will also conduct reviews [...]
The person who comes up with the best caption wins an imaginary cookie:
This picture, by the way, was released to the press after Gov.-elect Jay Nixon and Gov. Matt Blunt met at the State Capitol in Jefferson City.
For the record, my favorite karaoke song is Bohemian Rhapsody.
Friends,
Next Wednesday will be my last day at the Columbia Daily Tribune. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who contributed to a wonderful two and a half years.
The experience [...]
President-elect Barack Obama apparently made his pick for attorney general.
That choice is Eric Holder, a Washington, D.C. lawyer who used to work in President Bill Clinton's administration.
From the AP:
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because no announcement has been made. He said that Holder has [...]
Speaking of freshman congressional orientation, here's a somewhat humorous story stemming from a congressional race in California that remains too close to call.
Two contestants in an open seat race - Republican Tom McClintock and Democrat Charlie Brown - both decided to attend the freshman orientation in Washington, [...]
(Photo: AP)
U.S. Rep.-elect Blaine Luetkemeyer is in Washington, D.C. this week to participate in orientation for new members of Congress.
The St. Elizabeth Republican was elected earlier this month to replace departing incumbent U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof. And he said the freshman orientation process [...]
This weekend saw the release of stories stemming from the release of thousands of e-mails from Gov. Matt Blunt's office. The Associated Press reported that a former legal counsel was fired shortly after cautioning his colleagues that their defense [...]
Here's some video of the announcement that Kelvin Simmons will take charge of the Department of Administration under Gov.-elect Jay Nixon:
Gov.-elect Jay Nixon tapped Kelvin Simmons to be commissioner of the Office of Administration.
Simmons is a former chairman of the Public Service Commission and a former director of the Department of Economic Development. Although he has a business in Kansas City, he also has a residence in Columbia.
Simmons' appointment [...]
EVANSTON - I will be in the Chicagoland-area until next Monday. Hence, the blog will receive sparse updates over the next few days.
Enjoy the week.
[...]
Former Sen. Wayne Goode
Gov.-elect Jay Nixon announced that former state Sen. Wayne Goode has accepted an appointment as deputy
transition director for budget review.
A press release states that the former state lawmaker from St. Louis County will "conduct a thorough analysis of the state’s [...]
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| Nixon |
When he was running for governor last year, Attorney General Jay Nixon promised that one of his first acts would be introducing a supplemental budget package changing the eligibility levels of the state's Medicaid program to 100 percent of the federal poverty level.
"I’m not going to take [...]
The election season is over, but three newly-elected Democratic representatives whose districts en-compass Columbia want to make changes for the next cycle.
Reps.-elect Mary Still, Chris Kelly and Stephen Webber — who are all Democrats from Columbia — are advocating several alterations to the election process in the state. One [...]
Tribune reporter Terry Ganey wrote on Sunday about the outcome of last Tuesday's presidential election in Missouri.
In particular, Ganey wrote about a Saint Louis University political science professor's controversial statement about how exit polling data as well as [...]
JEFFERSON CITY - Gov.-elect Jay Nixon announced the formation of a transition team, as well as his pick for his chief of staff.
Charles Burson, the former attorney general of Tennessee and a former chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore, will be the chairman of the transition effort. [...]
House Republicans held a press conference this afternoon to announce the election of Rep. Ron Richard as House Speaker.
The outcomes was known for over a year. But by only losing three seats on Tuesday, Richard and the rest of the existing GOP leadership team pretty much guaranteed they would [...]
After stepping out of today’s meeting of the Senate Republican caucus and agreeing to an interview, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder immediately jotted off election results from his successful re-election bid.
Kinder noted increased margins of victory in Greene County and first-time plurality in Buchanan County. Although he didn’t mention it, [...]
Gov.-elect Jay Nixon and the four legislative leaders of the General Assembly held a brief press conference today in Jefferson City to signal an open line of communication over the next session.
Nixon, the Democratic attorney general, didn't delve into too much policy specifics during his conference on the steps [...]
Here are a few notes from milling around the Capitol as both parties chose their caucuses:
- The contested race for Senate Majority Leader had somewhat of a surprise outcome. Sen. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, won the spot in a battle with Sens. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, and Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville. The [...]
Apologizes for the slow blog traffic today, but I've been either finishing up election stories or talking nonstop on the phone about the results.
Before I head for an early bedtime, here's a few thoughts about Tuesday's results:
- Does anyone find it strange that Attorney General Jay Nixon won the [...]
There were some bright spots for Missouri Republicans on Tuesday. But U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof's performance in the governor's race was not one of them.
Attorney General Jay Nixon racked up 58.4 percent of the vote in the governor's race. That's a substantial win even by [...]
Nick King, Julia Robinson and Gerik Parmele photos
As many of you already know, Boone County just experienced one of the stranger election outcomes in recent memory. While Barack Obama made history as the first African-American to [...]
CNN has projected Attorney General Jay Nixon as the winner of the Missouri governor's race.
Nixon apparently prevailed over U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia.
More later.
[...]Here are the results of an unscientific poll taken today of Boone County voters. Since the polls were taken in different state legislative districts, the state House races do not encompass the entire sample:
PRESIDENT McCain: 58 l Obama: 103 I Barr: 3 l Baldwin: 1
GOVERNOR Hulshof: 59 l [...]
In the final gasp of the general election cycle, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be speaking in Jefferson City.
Those who can't make it out to the State Capitol can check out the CDT Politics Blog's Twitter feed for some bits and bites from the event. After [...]
Earlier in the election cycle, Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer’s campaign called on television stations to stop running ads from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee with a citation regarding the former state representative and tourism director’s position on Social Security. The DCCC eventually sent stations a different ad without a [...]
Ryan Philippe was in one of the worst films I've ever watched on an airplane - Anti-Trust.
Patrons of Generic, take note: your typical night of dancing to techno music will be interrupted a bit by the race for the White House.
That's because Ryan [...]
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be the star attraction of a Monday morning rally in Jefferson City.
Palin, the governor of Alaska, is set to drum up GOP support in Mid-Missouri a day before Show Me State voters go to the polls. Most polls show Republican presidential candidate [...]
Congressional candidate Judy Baker received some support today from retired Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy. In a conference call, Kennedy - who served as an advisor last cycle for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry - talked about Baker's veterans health care plan.
You can listen to the conference call by watching [...]
The battle for the 19th District state Senate seat continued on a sharply nasty path as another robo call has emerged targeting state Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia.
Several individuals told the Tribune on Thursday that they received an automated call directing them to a Web site that features an undated [...]
Tribune reporter T.J. Greaney sketched out some highlights from the overflow crowd at last night's event for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama:
And after Sen. Barack Obama strode onto center stage, it appeared by the rapt attention of the 40,000 people crowded into Carnahan Quadrangle and across Rollins Street that [...]
Nick King photo
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama exhorted thousands gathered on the University of Missouri campus Thursday night to push his campaign to victory next week.
Obama gave the crowd gathered on the Mel Carnahan quadrangle an address that is being billed as his “closing [...]
The line to see Barack Obama is long. That may be the understatement of the day. It is quite the sight to behold.
To put it in perspective, it took a good three minutes to film the line from one point near the end to the start of the [...]
After Republican Kurt Schaefer nabbed a $50,000 donation from Majority Fund Inc. earlier this week, it didn't take long for state Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, to respond.
Graham snagged a $10,000 donation from the gubernatorial campaign of Attorney General Jay Nixon. His campaign also posted a report showing [...]
"God bless all Missouri turkeys." - Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt
It seems that Gov. Matt Blunt enjoy pardoning a turkey so much last year that he's decided to do it again before he steps aside.
Blunt's office announced today that it is opening up voting [...]
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will speak at MU tonight. And if you can't make it up to the Carnahan Quad and are glued to your computer, be sure to keep track of the event on the CDT Politics Blog's Twitter feed.
Stay tuned.
[...]
Boooooooooo.
OK, my fondness toward the Tampa Bay Rays might be an impediment to an honest analysis here. But I dislike all Philadelphia sports teams. And I'm not going to say anything positive about the Phillies winning the World Series.
After all, this is the city [...]
I was one of the guests on a "jammed-packed" version of Midwest Talking Points, a cable access show hosted by Mindy Mazur and Ed Martin.
On the show, I discussed the competitive race for the U.S. Ninth District congressional seat, the battle for the 24th District state House seat [...]
Republican Kurt Schaefer got a big fundraising boost this week from Majority Fund, Inc., the GOP group seeking to elect Republicans to the Missouri Senate.
Filings to the Missouri Ethics Commission show that Schaefer received a $50,000 check from the group on Monday. That's quite a bit of cash [...]
Using warm and fuzzy imagery, both major candidates for governor released ads that effectively bring their campaigns for the Governor’s Mansion to a close.
Democrat Jay Nixon, the state’s attorney general, released this one:
Here’s Republican Kenny Hulshof’s ad:
Most polls show Nixon with a substantial lead over Hulshof, a [...]
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| McCaskill |
There’s a lot of talk now about the effect of one-party rule could have over the legislative process in Congress. Some, such as GOP presidential candidate John McCain, for instance, told voters he would provide a tempering quality to house of Congress run by House Speaker Nancy [...]
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| Kelly |
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| Robb |
State Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, is claiming that his opponent — Democrat Chris Kelly — is contradicting himself on the issue of illegal immigration.
The skirmish comes from an exchange on Gary Nolan’s radio show on the Eagle 93.9. A caller asked Kelly whether he had said [...]
In perhaps a fitting bit of political symmetry, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will speak on Thursday on the Mel Carnahan Quad at the University of Missouri.
The Quad, of course, is named after former Gov. Mel Carnahan, who died in a plane crash while running for U.S. Senate [...]
Last week, I wrote about how a group called "Citizens Taking Charge" sponsored a robo call criticizing Sen. Chuck Graham on the eve of a fundraiser featuring Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri. Today, the group filed a fundraising report showing who paid for the calls.
The report, which was [...]
I just got back from St. Louis and I just got a peek at the latest fundraising figures for Mid-Missouri contests.
The below list will report the amount raised during the period of time from Oct. 1 to Oct. 23, the amount spent during that time and the cash on [...]
A source close to Barack Obama's presidential campaign says that Barack Obama will be coming to Columbia on Thursday.
Details have not been announced yet regarding time or venue, but the source says that both Obama and running mate Joe Biden will be campaigning separately in Missouri on Thursday.
If it [...]
Tribune reporter Terry Ganey examines the race for the Missouri governorship in yesterday's Tribune:
In the early 1990s, when they were both much younger men, Jay Nixon and Kenny Hulshof would regularly square off on the hardwood floor of a basketball court at First Baptist Church in Jefferson City.Nixon, a [...]
AP reporter David Lieb takes a look at how eliminating straight ticket voting will impact this election cycle:
When Republican Gov. Matt Blunt won election in 2004, Bush also won - keeping Missouri's top of the ticket homogenous.But lawmakers in 2006 made a significant change to Missouri's ballots. They did [...]
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, spoke to volunteers for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama:
Sebelius was considered to be a finalist for Obama's vice president. That, of course, went to U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.
[...]
For whatever reason, France is an easy target for ridicule and satire. And it’s not just because the country’s soccer players like to head butt Italian opponents at inopportune times.
Conservative-leaning folks were infuriated with France earlier in the decade over the country’s opposition to the Iraq War — [...]
Republican Kurt Schaefer, a candidate for state senate, has released his first television ad of the election season.
The ad criticizes state Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, for his conduct after he was arrested last year for driving while intoxicated. Also at issue in the ad is the decision for [...]
Remember this ad during the primary season?
The spot was utilized by state Treasurer Sarah Steelman to bash U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof's record on earmarks. It involved two men - Ed and Orville - going around to exotic locations to showcase seemingly dumb pet projects that Hulshof voted on [...]
Reporters got an advisory this afternoon that Republican Attorney General candidate Michael Gibbons was going to make a major announcement.
What was it? Well, the gist of the call revolved around a new ad launched by Democrat Chris Koster:
The ad states that Gibbons “supported release for the killer [...]
Word has it that Neil Peart will endorse Libertarian Tamara Millay soon.
Pat Boone is known for his crooning and his decision to release an album full of heavy metal covers in the 1990s.
But apparently, Boone also had kind words to say about Republican [...]
It might be appropriate at Democrat Chris Kelly is invoking the name of Columbia Public Superintendent Jim Ritter in his latest TV ad.
Why? Because it's becoming increasingly apparent that Kelly is the target of a similar strategy that Ritter withstood in 2006. It's similar because Kelly has been [...]
I reported today about robo calls that were sprung against state Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, on the day before a fundraiser featuring U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri.
After the story printed, Patrick Wilson - the treasurer of Citizens Taking Charge - e-mailed the following statement to the Tribune. Attempts [...]
Apparently Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy is coming out next month.
I'm not kidding.
When work started on this album, President Bill Clinton was in his first term as president. I was in middle school.
Personally, I have no good or bad feelings about the band. But [...]
Trackers often have a less than stellar relationship with people of opposite political affiliations.
That was certainly the case during the primary season, when a tracker was confronted by the husband of congressional candidate Danie Moore.
But the Missouri Democratic Party is circulating a video shot by tracker Vinay [...]
Tribune Publisher Hank Waters is giving a thumbs down to a proposition that would would require the state’s three privately owned utilities to use solar, wind, biomass and hydropower to generate at least 2 percent of the electricity they sell by 2011 and 15 percent by 2021, of which [...]
Wow.
That was the first thing I thought when I saw this ad put forth by Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons’ attorney general campaign. It shows that the Republican nominee is going for jugular in the race against Democrat Chris Koster:
Not to be outdone, Koster — a Democratic [...]
Democratic congressional candidate Judy Baker received the backing of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee.
The group confirmed to the Tribune that Baker, a state represenative from Columbia, had received the endorsement after being recommended by the Missouri chapter of the organization. Other candidates who have received the [...]
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, was in town tonight for a fundraiser for state Sen. Chuck Graham.
The first-term U.S. senator spoke at the Tiger Hotel in front of a few dozen of Graham's supporters. Graham is facing off against Republican Kurt Schaefer and Libertarian candidate Christopher Dwyer. Here's [...]
Clint Zweifel, a Democratic state representative seeking the position of state treasurer, received Tribune Publisher Hank Waters' endorsement today:
If anything, these creative urges might be detractions. I generally think state treasurers and complicit lawmakers dream up too many ways to pursue politically oriented policy goals using state revenues instead [...]
This is a bit after the fact, but here are some scenes from last week's League of Women Voters forum at the Columbia Public Library. I wanted to get these up sooner, but was having some issues with uploading them to YouTube.
The skirmish between state Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, [...]
Democratic congressional candidate Judy Baker received the endorsement of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in the U.S. Ninth District contest:
In the Ninth District, incumbent Republican Kenny Hulshof gave up an all-but-sure shot at reelection to run for governor. Former state Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, 56, of St. Elizabeth emerged from a [...]
On the day before Sen. John McCain visited Columbia, Tribune Publisher Hank Waters endorsed his opponent - Sen. Barack Obama - for president.
From the editorial:
Time comes when even dedicated centrist, middling independents must decide between presidential candidates, and this year from this corner Barack Obama is the one.The [...]
If you're a presidential candidate and you have only a couple of hours to visit Columbia, Missouri - what would you do?
Well, Sen. John McCain answered that question on Monday when he touched down in Columbia - to eat some barbecue.
Joined by Sen. Kit Bond, [...]
This has been quite a busy day, as you can probably tell.
I'll be posting more stuff to the blog later this evening, especially about Sen. John McCain's short stop in Columbia to partake in some local BBQ.
Stay tuned.
[...]
If you don't know who this guy is, you are not a Tampa Bay Ray fan.
The political fires continue to burn like a pig in a bonfire, I'd like to take a few moments to talk about the greatest thing happening in the world [...]
I got a few minutes to interview Jill Biden, the wife of Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden, in Columbia this morning. In the interview, Jill Biden discussed her experience on the campaign trail, her reaction to her husband’s selection as Obama’s running mate and her thoughts on improving troubled [...]
OK, so clearly I misinterpreted two editorials that Tribune Publisher Hank Waters wrote about the contests for governor and in the U.S. Ninth District. I thought they were endorsements, but apparently I was wrong.
That's because Waters penned the official endorsement for Attorney General Jay Nixon in today's paper:
Jay Nixon [...]
It's been another busy day, but I'm hoping to have some postings later this evening.
Stay tuned.
[...]Republican presidential nominee John McCain could be bringing his presidential campaign to Columbia next week.
Major Tom Reddin of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department told the Tribune that the Secret Service contacted the department about the Arizona senator visiting Columbia next week.
“It’s been my experience they contact us when they [...]
I was under an extremely tight deadline yesterday, so I had to forgo taping parts of the debate at Barat Academy in St. Charles County. But luckily, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce was there to film nearly all of the debate. So, I'll post some clips for your [...]
Republican congressional candidate Blaine Luetkemeyer has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
A press release stated that the backing came from NFIB’s Save America’s Free Enterprise (SAFE) Trust and is "based on evaluations of the candidates’ views on legislative issues affecting small business."
“Blaine Luetkemeyer is the proven [...]
For whatever reason, Mid-Missouri has been ground zero for Vice Presidential Joe Biden.
In addition to a visit to Columbia earlier in the election season, the Delaware senator stopped by in Jefferson City last week. Now, Biden's wife - Jill Biden - is coming to Columbia tomorrow.
Jill Biden will hold [...]
If history repeats itself, at least one debate during the 2012 presidential cycle will feature a candidate talking directly to Duke "The Dumpster" Droese.
[...]So I've finally gotten a chance to examine the financial numbers of both candidates in the U.S. Ninth District race. Here's some basic info:
- Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer took in a total of $586,140 during a fundraising quarter that stretched from July 17 to September 30. Luetkemeyer's campaign spent [...]
They'll be a somewhat more expansive fundraising story in tomorrow's Tribune, but here's what we know so far in terms of state contests. I’ll have a more detailed look at the congressional contest tomorrow:
19TH DISTRICT SENATE: In a seemingly prehistoric era, candidates who got a handful of donations near [...]
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| Sabato |
You can't really call University of Virginia political science professor a longtime optimist for a Democratic victory in the U.S. Ninth District.
Earlier in the cycle, he said it was "unlikely" that Democrats would overtake the 25-county district currently held by U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia. But in [...]
So, apparently Tribune Publisher Hank Waters officially endorsed state Rep. Judy Baker's bid for Congress today. I thought he had done that in a prior editorial, but I digress.
Here's a snippet:
Her opponent, Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer, goes out of his way to prove his anti-abortion bona fides. In a primary [...]
I'm working on some articles for the paper today and will not be posting until later tonight.
Be sure to tune in get a looksie at campaign finance filings and other tidbits from the Missouri political universe.
[...]Tribune Publisher Hank Waters endorsed Sen. Chuck Graham's re-election bid in today's Tribune:
Schaefer believes Graham’s influence in the legislature has waned, comparing him with former Sen. Ken Jacob, who became similarly controversial and unpopular. Referring to Graham’s relationship with the Democratic minority leader in the Senate, Schaefer says, "Graham [...]
Democratic Lt. Governor candidate Sam Page struck back today in an ad that criticizes Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder on tobacco, the Tour of Missouri and the $95 million land assemblage tax credit.
The spot comes a few days after Kinder released an advertisement criticizing Page for supporting legislation to [...]
Vice President Dick Cheney is coming to Missouri to help raise money for U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof's potential Republican replacement. (Tribune file photo)
As first reported by the Post-Dispatch, Vice President Dick Cheney is coming to raise money for Republican congressional candidate Blaine Luetkemeyer [...]
In another flip, Tribune Publisher Hank Waters backed Democrat Chris Kelly in the 24th District contest.
It's a flip because Waters has backed state Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia, in the past:
Republican Ed Robb is a smart go-to guy on taxes and economics. He understands the school foundation formula, the tax [...]
Warning: If you dislike irrelevant blog posts, skip this one.
One thing I’ve noticed in this election cycle are ads featuring candidates writing something on a piece of paper. Such an example was shown in Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's latest spot:
The trend has trickled down to [...]
Last week, the re-election campaign of Lt. Governor Peter Kinder released an advertisement slamming Democratic nominee Sam Page for “pushing to increase what the state pays him for his medical practice.” That was a reference to a bid to boost payments made to providers who take Medicaid patients.
That [...]
