O'Fallon Brewery Tasting at Gomer's South

Tony Caradonna of O'Fallon Brewery brought his beers to Gomer's South yesterday evening, and I met two of my beer-loving friends there to sample the line-up. (If you're from St. Louis, you'll want to know that Tony granduated from St. Mary's High School in 1975. If you're not from St. Louis, you don't understand the fascination with high school provenance, but it means a lot to those of us who are. If you think that's just a personal quirk of mine, note that it appears in the second line of his bio. If you look at his staff profiles, everyone who grew up in St. Louis mentions his or her high school at the top, while none of those from out of town mentions the name of his or her high school. What can I say? It's a regional thang.)

As beer-tastings go, this was a casual affair, standing around a counter sipping samples from tiny mouthwash cups. We sampled 6 beers, and they were placed in a thoughtful order. No formal presentation, but the brewer was there to answer questions.

First came O'Fallon Gold. Obviously intended to be a crowd-pleaser, it is lightly hopped, smooth and, frankly, kind of bland. It's not a bad beer at all - I didn't find any flaws with it, and it might be kind of interesting to taste it alongside other brewers' "entry level" beers. An ounce or so of this was plenty to get the idea, though, and then it was upward toward the more interesting offerings.

Next up was O'Fallon Wheat, and it was a clean, basic American wheat beer. Obviously intended to be a crowd-pleaser, it is lightly hopped, smooth and, frankly, kind of bland. It's not a bad beer at all - I didn't find any flaws with it, and it might be kind of interesting to taste it alongside other brewers' "entry level" beers. An ounce or so of this was plenty to get the idea, though, and then it was upward toward the more interesting offerings. Yes, I know I just repeated myself, but the shoe fits. In this case, it might be interesting to try it in comparison to Boulevard Wheat.

On second thought, American wheat is one of my least favorite styles, so why attempt to differentiate between two very competently made, commercially successful beers made by great Missouri brewers? I am thankful that each of them brings in revenue to subsidize the more experimental beers that thrill beer geeks like me. So what if I don't like American wheat beers? Lots of people do, and Missouri produces two excellent, well-brewed versions.

The third beer of the evening was O'Fallon 5-Day IPA. This is the one I bought to take home - well-balanced with hops and malt, it is a great example of an excellent beer that isn't trying to set any records. Too many brewers use their IPAs as entries in a hops arms race, competing to melt your face with overwhelming hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. 5-Day IPA brings a little detente to the IPA world, with a tasty but balanced approach that leads you to say, "I think I'll have another," instead of simply, "Whoa, what just hit me?". This is a really good beer, and it could easily become one of my regulars.

O’Fallon Smoked Porter came next, and it came as a jolt. I'd reviewed this beer 3 years ago in my "99 Bottles of Beer on the Blog" series, and I think I enjoyed that bottle more. The smoke in the beer last night was overwhelming - it tasted like liquid barbecue. Perhaps the bottle I reviewed earlier had aged a bit - aging tends to smooth out strong flavors, and my prior review mentions a slightly tart and acidic aftertaste, which could be a sign of age, and which would have been overwhelmed by the smoke in last night's sample. Even though the beer didn't rank among my favorites last night, it's great to see brewers trying new things and expanding the catalog of beer tastes we can find in our stores.

The fifth beer was O'Fallon Whiskey Barrel Smoked Porter. I wish I had bought a bottle of this to try by itself. As it was, coming right on the heels of the super-smokey Smoked Porter, I was unable to give it a proper tasting. There was definitely smoke there, but I couldn't tell how much of it was due to overlap from the prior beer, and how much was in the sample I was tasting. I picked up on vanilla and maybe even a little honey flavor, but that's about all I'm going to say about this beer until I get a chance to really experience it. I will say, though, that it seemed to have a lot of complexity and that it's a beer I look forward to trying again.

Finally, we closed out on one of O'Fallon's seasonal offerings, O’Fallon Cherry Chocolate Beer. This tasted amazingly similar to those chocolate covered cherries my mother used to get when I was a kid; I wonder if Tony's mom shopped at the same store. I'd never want to plow through a six pack of this beer, but it's a pleasant surprise and, once again, O'Fallon is pushing the limits of what you might expect a bottle of beer to hold. It was also interesting to me that the base beer on this confection is actually a dark wheat, instead of the more typical porter or stout. I would love to see how he makes this beer!

O'Fallon Brewery has a 15 barrel system, which they are using to produce 3,000+ barrels a year. They've been quietly building their reputation and they're the second largest American brewery in the St. Louis area (now that AB has been sold to foreign interests). They recently got their license to produce stronger beers, so look for them to start experimenting even more in the coming years.

(If you're interested in hearing more about tasting opportunities at Gomer's, sign up for their newsletters here.)

Great Beer in Cabool, Missouri?

Have you ever heard of Little Yeoman Brewery? Have you ever heard of Cabool, Missouri?

In doing a little brew research yesterday, I stumbled upon word of a micro micro brewery located on a family farm off a tiny road out around Mark Twain National Forest, producing great beer in tiny quantities. The beer doesn't show up on liquor store shelves - you have to make the 80 mile journey from Springfield, MO to drive down a gravel road to the brewery to buy it. And, despite all that, you might want to call ahead, because they sell out of everything they make.

People from German have made the trek to this outpost of rural brewing, and yet I had never heard of it.

Who's in for a trip to Cabool in October? The brewery hosts an Oktoberfest on the last weekend of October: "We usually cook a pig in the ground for that, or make brats, and we have a live bluegrass band,” Frederick said. “We encourage camping. Bring a tent, bring a lawn chair and come on over."

Sounds good to me.

Osceola Cheese - Disappointment on Highway 13

When traveling through Missouri, there are lots of fascinating spots to visit for a quick break. Those brown Missouri Department of Conservation signs point to dozens of small parks, and the flea markets and antique shops hold treasures.

But the Osceola Cheese Shop is not one of them.

Always crowded with slow-moving sample-takers, the store is harshly lit, poorly laid out and filled with cheese that mostly tastes like American with artificial flavorings. On top of that, you get "gifts" offered by an attached Christian bookstore and Precious Moments figurines next to dew rags festooned with the flag of the Confederate Losers.

It manages the difficult feat of being completely tacky without even offering visitors an opportunity to be ironically amused by kitsch. It's a cheese shop that can't even be engagingly cheesy.

Missouri Bar Keeps its Money in Missouri

For years, the Missouri Bar Board of Governors has treated itself to a lavish trip to some exotic locale, underwritten by the bar dues of less-exalted attorneys. In January, while the rest of the state was struggling with sleet and freezing rain, the Missouri Bar Board of Governors would jet off to the Bahamas or the Florida Keys or the people-watching paradise of South Beach. While there, they would hold a sinfully brief meeting to "justify the expense". Incredibly, they would even use that meeting to plan raising the bar dues or to convince legislators to pass judicial pay raises.

Irony sunbathed on those trips.

Finally, the Bar has listened to the complaints and decided to scale back the meeting, bringing it back to Missouri. Not surprisingly, this dose of common sense comes from Skip Walther, the President-elect of the Bar. Skip is a great guy with excellent judgment. Under his leadership, the Missouri Bar will increase in its credibility as a voice for justice.

No Idea is Too Stupid to Voice in Jefferson City - or to Win a Republican Majority

Missouri State Representative Ed Emery (R-Lamar) has proposed totally eliminating the state income, franchise and corporate taxes, and shifting the cost of government disproportionately onto the backs of the mid-Missouri poor through an increased sales tax. This may be the single dumbest thought voiced out loud in Jefferson City in the past quarter century, but it still passed the House on a voice vote.

Just think for half a second, and the flaws of this approach will occur to any but the most slow thinkers. The sales tax is a regressive tax, and Emery's idea would tax the poor at a far higher rate than the wealthy. It would eliminate virtually all retail business within an hour's drive from the border, and create boomtowns in our 8 surrounding states. The only positive economic impact would exist only in far-fetched "trickle-down" fantasies, in which corporate CEOs would somehow lower prices rather than simply use their tax boon to finance a new house on the border of Johnson County.

In reality, this thing has zero chance of passing, and only a few of the truly dense people in Jefferson City really think that such a radical, economically disruptive, and anti-working poor proposal is a good idea. But irresponsible Republicans moved it forward because now they can claim on the stump that they voted to eliminate the income tax, and they will draw a hearty cheer from the ill-informed.

In a better world, with better leadership, such a proposal would never see the light of day. In a more dignified time, Emery would feel ashamed of himself for making such a poorly-thought-out proposal, and his Republican colleagues would be embarrassed for him. Instead, we see a majority of his colleagues voting in favor just so they can have a cheap throw-away line in a campaign speech.

We deserve better than crackpot ideas embraced by opportunists.

Are Electric Cars Useless in Missouri? Change the Law!

Sammy Hagar famously claimed he couldn't drive 55.

How does 25 sound?

Under Missouri law, a new breed of electric vehicles will be condemned to go no faster than 25 miles per hour, and must remain on streets with a speed limit of 35 or under, even though the cars are capable of driving at 45 miles per hour.

Personally, I would enjoy the opportunity to handle my 5 mile commute in a noiseless vehicle that doesn't produce emissions, but not if I am going to get pulled over for doing 30 on Gillham or Southwest Trafficway. Such a low speed would be dangerous and obnoxious to my fellow commuters. The laws made sense when electric vehicles were modified golf carts that were incapable of going over 25 anyhow, but Missouri needs to update its laws now so that its citizens are able to take early advantage of emerging automotive technologies.

What Have You Learned in the Past 3 Weeks

Here's what my state representative, Jason Kander, has come up with for the past 3 weeks. I can't claim to have been as productive . . .

10. While it's an honor to receive an appointment to the budget committee as a freshman, it's also pretty intimidating to be on that committee when Governor Nixon is inheriting such a troubled deficit.

9. Just keeping up with my day-to-day schedule is a challenge! Whenever I think that I've caught up, I come back to my office and find a desk full of legislation, research, or correspondence that needs my attention. If you know me at all, you know I actually love this aspect of the job.

8. It's going to be tough to get used tousing language like "the gentleman from St. Louis County" when giving a speech.

7. Reporters pay VERY close attention to the words you use and they are definitely earning their salaries.

6. It's easy to lose touch with reality if you spend too much time talking only to other politicians (especially if you only talk to folks from your own side of the aisle). I've learned a tremendous amount by setting up phone calls with Department Directors, University Presidents, etc.

5. My staff is incredible. Without my legislative aide or my interns, I think I would be a complete and total mess.

4. The Republican majority has the option of shutting the Democratic minority out of all policymaking for no reason at all.

3. The title of a bill may sound good, and the summary may sound great, but it's extremely important to read the actual language. I almost got burned on this a week ago and I've resolved to treat every potential "yes" vote like I do a potential signature on a contract.

2. A law degree and some experience practicing law is, I think, a real advantage. I count myself very lucky to come into this with so much experience interpreting and arguing over the meaning of state statutes.

1. It seems like there are at least five lobbyists for every one legislator in the Capitol at any given time

Keep on keeping on, Jason.

Whitlock - Winning Mizzou Team Should Feel Awful?

I know that Jason Whitlock doesn't get paid to put reasonable views onto paper - he justifies his massive salary by attaching his name to counter-intuitive perspectives, and every now and then he hits paydirt with a fresh insight.

That said, this morning's column berating the Mizzou Tiger football team after they defeated a similarly-ranked team in the Alamo Bowl Game is a classic example of saying something stupid in a vain attempt to be original. In it, he seeks to rain on the Tigers' parade because their victory was not a stomping of their opponent. He called the victory "an embarrassment", because the #21 team in the nation went into overtime to defeat the #23 team in the nation. He was shocked and horrified that the Missouri team celebrated on the field after the game.

Jason, a bunch of 18-24 year-old kids just won a nationally-televised big time football game, and it was the last time that many of them will get to play together. Do you honestly, truly think that they should feel bad about themselves, because they won the game but didn't complete the grim task of meeting the expectations of a middle-aged guy who can't play anymore? Do you really expect the winners of the Alamo Bowl to sulk off the field in a storm of self-loathing because they "merely" won the game?

Congrats to Mizzou for finishing among the top football teams in the country, and enjoy your ticker-tape parade in Columbia. College sports are for college kids, not for semi-pro joy-sucking parade-rainers.

Looking Down Ballot: Dr. Sam Page for Lieutenant Governor

When I met Dr. Sam Page, I asked with genuine puzzlement why he would want to be the Lieutenant Governor. Underlying my puzzlement was my impression that Lieutenant Governor is kind of a half-hearted ambition, kind of like a kid dreaming of being the MVP of Minor League Baseball or wanting to be Alfred instead of Batman.

Sam Page wants to be the Lieutenant Governor, and Missourians should give him the job. It turns out that under Missouri's Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor is more than just a "Vice Governor", and Sam Page is uniquely qualified to carry out the duties of the job. Here, from Sam Page's web site, is a description of the task he is seeking:

The Lieutenant Governor assumes the powers and duties of the Governor when the Governor is absent from the state or is unable to serve. This is common knowledge, but the other roles of the office are little known:

* The Lieutenant Governor is the only statewide elected official that is part of both the Executive and Legislative branches. Under the Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor is President of the Missouri Senate and presides over the Senate, subject to the procedural rules of the Senate.
* The Constitution also gives the Lieutenant Governor the right to debate and vote on issues when the Senate sits as a Committee of the Whole.
* The Lieutenant Governor is to stand ready to cast a vote in the case of a tie.
* In addition, by law, the Lieutenant Governor serves on Twelve Boards and Commissions and of these, half have much to gain by the presence of a physician. Sam can and will make a serious contribution.

Commissions and Boards

* THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HEALTH
The Council promotes physical fitness and health throughout the state by implementing programs, fostering communication and cooperation and developing statewide support.
* THE MISSOURI SENIOR RX PROGRAM (CHAIR)
The Program assists seniors in handling high costs of prescription drugs.
* THE PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE COMMISSION (CO-CHAIR)
The Commission examines existing programs and services, provides community based treatment, facilitates communication and collaboration between state agencies, Health and Community based services, and consumer directed care.
* THE STATEWIDE SAFETY STEERING COMMITTEE
* SPECIAL HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL NEEDS OF MINORITY OLDER INDIVIDUALS COMMISSION
The Commission studies certain needs of the state's minority older individuals and makes recommendations.
* THE BOARD OF FUND COMMISSIONERS
The Board issues, redeems, and cancels state general obligation bonds and performs other administrative activities related to state general obligation debt as assigned by law.
* THE BOARD OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS
The Board has general supervision and charge of state facilities at the seat of government. The Board also has the authority to issue revenue bonds for the construction of state office buildings and certain other facilities.
* THE MISSOURI DEVELOPMENT FINANCE BOARD
The Board assists infrastructure and economic development projects in Missouri by providing the critical component of the total financing for projects that have a high probability of success but are not feasible without the Board's assistance.
* THE MISSOURI HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
The Commission works to provide quality, safe, affordable housing for low and moderate-income citizens of Missouri.
* THE MISSOURI RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
The council adopts and revises a comprehensive state rural investment guide consisting of policy statements, objectives, standards, and program criteria to guide state agencies in establishing and implementing programs relating to rural development.
* THE MISSOURI TOURISM COMMISSION
The Missouri Tourism Commission promotes the growth of Missouri's travel industry.
* THE SECOND STATE CAPITOL COMMISSION
The Commission evaluates and recommends courses of action on the restoration and preservation of the Capitol.
* THE VETERANS BENEFITS AWARENESS TASK FORCE (CHAIR)
The Task Force helps Missouri veterans access and receive their earned benefits.
* THE MISSOURI COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMISSION
The Commission nurtures volunteerism by encouraging an atmosphere that enables citizen service to prosper.
* ADVISOR TO DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND THE PARENTS-AS-TEACHERS PROGRAM

Sadly, our current Lieutenant Governor does not even realize the scope of his duties. Buried in a long article about the race in the Kansas City Star is this horrifying indication of the incumbent's lack of concern for his duties: "On early-childhood issues, Kinder said he did not consider them part of the lieutenant governor’s portfolio of tasks." Sadly, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor has the same uninformed view of his job as I had, before I met Dr. Sam Page.

Dr. Sam Page not only knows what the job of Lieutenant Governor entails, he is eager to take it on and do it well. Missouri is lucky to have a man of his caliber running for the job, and we should take the opportunity to replace an uninformed, underqualified Republican with an impressive, serious Democrat.

Vote for Sam Page for Lieutenant Governor.

AG Race Result to Be Decided Today

Robin Carnahan is expected to announce the results of the Attorney General recount today, and it sounds like Chris Koster will retain his victory over Margaret Donnelly for the Democratic nomination.

I was wrong on this election - way wrong, and I deeply regret it.

I thought Jeff Harris was the one who had the best chance to defeat Chris Koster. Bright, friendly, experienced, and endorsed by people from all over the state, he ran a good campaign, though he was heavily outspent. Polls showed him leading by double digits. (My first line in that post seems cruelly on-target today - "Only fools take polls very seriously, but I'm foolish enough to be blown away by AG candidate Jeff Harris' showing in the recent poll released by the St. Louis Post Dispatch.")

When I met Margaret Donnelly, I wrote "Margaret Donnelly seems like a fantastically dedicated and fine Democrat. She is not, however, a particularly good candidate for Attorney General." That "not particularly good candidate" defeated my candidate by more than 30,000 votes, and came with around 780 votes (we'll know the true number later today) of defeating Chris Koster.

Could my endorsement and enthusiastic support have made a difference? When the margin is that slight, every tiny facet plays a part. While I don't blame myself for supporting Jeff Harris, I do blame myself for dismissing Margaret Donnelly.

It appears that, later today, Chris Koster will finally grab AG nomination for the Democrats.

Will I support him? I need to ponder that one . . .

Should Donnelly Seek a Recount?

Tuesday night's primary surprised a lot of people, myself very much included. As the vote counts trickled in, the margin between Koster and Donnelly bounced around in the hundreds. When I finally went to bed, I hoped that I would wake up to find that Margaret Donnelly had managed to scrape together enough votes to bring in a winner.

As of this writing, fewer than 900 votes separate Koster and Donnelly. 500 votes in St. Louis County were not counted. Yesterday morning, Margaret Donnelly issued the following statement:

At this time we are waiting for certification from the Secretary of State's office. We know that there are still over 500 votes that have not been counted in St. Louis County. And while we are not aware of similar situations elsewhere, we have not had the time to investigate other election jurisdictions. After certification we will weigh our options, including asking for a recount.

A recount often results in changed totals, and it could strengthen Koster's margin, or reverse it.

Meanwhile, the Republican AG nominee, Mike Gibbons, would like nothing more than an extended fight between the Democrats.

So, readers, what should Margaret Donnelly do? Should she seek a recount? Should she accept the reported totals as they stand, and begin the process of welcoming Chris Koster into the party, now that he's been through the most elaborate and painful initiation ritual since hell week at the KA house?

Race for the 44th Ends Peacefully

One of the underlying themes of the Kander/Coffman campaign has been the issue of dirty campaigning. Who would do it, when, and how much? Like the wired boats floating in Gotham City harbor in The Dark Knight, each campaign has sat there, feeling vulnerable, wondering if the other will be quicker to act.

No movie spoiler here.

In this case, at least, it appears that neither boat triggered the other's bomb. Neither Amy Coffman nor Jason Kander launched the kind of attacks that we all feared. Bravo to them both.

That is not to say that there aren't quibbles that may fuel post-election conversations. Jason Kander's mailer contrasting his and Amy's positions on lobbyists was a strong piece, and left no doubts in anybody's minds about which candidate was closer to lobbyists. From the other side, Amy Coffman's treasurer falsely claimed that Jeff Roe (to carry the prior metaphor one step further, Jeff Roe is the Joker) had endorsed Jason Kander, and Tony's KC repeated the exaggeration.

In the grand scheme of things, though, this has been a pretty darned good race. Any of the three candidates would be a fine representative for the 44th District, and each of them kept their dignity throughout the campaign. Whatever the vote totals are at the end of the day, I hope each of them is glad to have participated in the process.

Now that the primaries are over, let's run the table in November!

Is Beth Low's Seat in Danger?

This ought to be a great year for the Democrats in Missouri. Hopes are high that we will win back a large number of legislative seats and executive offices. Add to that the prospect of Obama's two dozen offices in Missouri fueling further gains, and this state could have a very, very blue year.

It would be a shame for one of Kansas City's bluest districts to change colors in such a year.

While it's unlikely, it's possible. One prominent local Democrat told me only two weeks ago that Beth is unopposed this cycle. And she's been running as if she's unopposed. She has no campaign website, and she's spent 50% more on donations to campaigns of other candidates this cycle than she has on her own campaign, leaving her with less than $5,000 in cash on hand. On top of that, the candidates she's supporting are not even being embraced by local democrats - not a whole lot of people are pleased to make donations to Beth Low only to find out that their money is winding up in the coffers of Democrats they don't support and who are going to lose in their primaries.

Meanwhile, Lance Weber is mounting a stealthy campaign as a Libertarian, meeting people in coffee shops and neighborhood meetings. He's a young guy with an engaging manner and a good command of citizen interests. He has spent almost no money at this stage, but, if he cobbles together a bunch of attorney contributions from lawyers who appreciate having legislators who understand the court system, and if he attracts the attention of the national libertarians who would love nothing more than to pick up a shiny blue jewel of a seat like Missouri's 39th, he could leave a lot of local politicos with one horrible shock on an otherwise glorious election day in November.

I hope it doesn't happen. Beth Low's a fine legislator and deserves another term. And, in fact, I think it is about 90% sure she will get that opportunity. But one big blitz at the end by a charismatic, hard-working, written-off candidate could change the picture.

Expose' From Inside the Kander Campaign - What I've Learned in Working With the Kanders

Sorry, friends and readers, this is going to be a long post, so either click to another page or settle in for a few paragraphs. The primary votes will be cast in 10 days, and I suspect that what I type here will be too late to either show up on a campaign post card or change the minds of anyone who reads it. So this post is not an attempt to sway voters or to impact a campaign. This one's for me.

When I first spoke of supporting Jason Kander to seek Jenee Low's seat when she was "termed out", several people cautioned me against it. A political insider told me I would be wasting my time, because the "insiders have found a lobbyist they like". An old friend assured me that the Kanders would run a dirty campaign. Several people told me that the Kanders had an awful lot of enemies, and it would be unwise for me to associate with them. One person emailed me and told me that they would try to destroy my life if I crossed them.

My own experience, though, suggested otherwise. I had met Jason a couple times, and he was bright, straight-shooting, and honest. Where he disagreed with me, he asked questions to make certain he understood where I was coming from. When I pushed him on topics, he didn't candy coat his perspective or try to be all things to me. He promised to work hard and run a clean campaign, and he looked me in the eye. I believed him.

Was I getting scammed by a smooth politico? If so, it wouldn't be the first time that someone I admired turned out to be something less than what I thought he was. As an enthusiastic delegate for Gary Hart, I've learned that you cannot judge politicians by looking at them.

I also had some experience with Jason's wife, Diana. Diana worked for Doug Gamble when he ran for City Council against my friend, Beth Gottstein. Diana and I had several conversations throughout the campaign, and, even though we both strongly wanted the opposite side to prevail, she was always respectful, thoughtful, and honest. I once posted something that I mistakenly attributed to the Gamble campaign, and when she telephoned me to point out my error, she was calm, accurate and professional. She impressed me as intense but absolutely fair and upstanding.

The campaign was a tough one, though, and the lowest point, in my opinion, was reached by a campaign piece that I thought was anti-Semitic. A lot of people attacked me for making that accusation, and many local politicos thought I was being oversensitive, but I call them the way I see them, and that was definitely the way I saw it. After the campaign, I had an opportunity to discuss the matter with her. She is a Jew who fled Odessa because of anti-Semitism, so I wanted to know the background. Our conversation was confidential, but I can say that I walked away from it satisfied that her integrity was beyond reproach.

So I volunteered my time to help Jason Kander on his campaign.

This may seem an odd choice to some. Why would I volunteer to work to elect a guy I didn't know incredibly well, when my friends were telling me he was bad? Why would I affiliate with a guy who the "insiders" weren't supporting?

Those are fair questions, and they get to the very heart of why I blog and why I am interested in local politics. In a nutshell, I think a lot of local politics is controlled by a relatively small group of not-incredibly-bright insiders, and they are accustomed to getting their way. Second, I think that reputations are often completely unearned, both positive and negative. Reputations, by their very nature, reflect mob mentality. Third, the whole reason I blog is to stroke my own ego and perhaps have a positive impact on my corner of the world. As such, the Kander campaign offered a no-lose opportunity for me.

If I got involved early for Jason, and I was right about him, I would have the opportunity to support a great, hard-working candidate who has the determination and skills to be HUGE in Jefferson City. I win, and the citizens of the 44th win.

But, if I got involved early for Jason, and I was wrong about him, I would have an opportunity to make a huge impact by loudly breaking with those evil Kanders. I am not one who believes that bloggers generally have much influence on anything, but I'll flatter myself and say that if I loudly denounced the Kanders and wrote about bad tactics they had employed, after having loudly been on their side, it would have had a major impact on this local race. The local insiders would love me, and I would help cut short the career of an up-and-coming slimeball. I win, and the citizens of the 44th win.

So, my little win/win scenario dancing through my head, I called up Jason and told him I'd like to help on his campaign.

Since then, I've gotten to know both the Kanders a lot better. I've stuffed a few envelopes, filled out a few postcards, made a few phone calls, put up a few yard signs, and hosted a small neighborhood event. I've participated as a volunteer - not a great volunteer, or a spectacularly dependable one, but I like to think I've helped. I've traded emails with the candidate on a couple policy issues, though not too much of that (he's better thought-out than I am, and needs my input like he needs another tour of Afghanistan), and I've been around at the end of long days in the unguarded moments when exhaustion and camaraderie allow you to say whatever you want to say.

(Let me interject here what I have not done. I have NOT served as a mouthpiece for the campaign. I have NEVER allowed Jason or Diana to write anything for me, and they have not even suggested what to write about. I have never offered them an opportunity to review what I write before I post it, and they have never asked me to edit my pieces. I suspect, as some commenters have surmised, that they have occasionally wished that I would shut the heck up, since I have certainly provided those who oppose Jason plenty of opportunity to dish out whatever anonymous abuse they want. The ONLY time that I received a request from Jason regarding my blog was one time he called me up and directed my attention to a comment that described a local politico in nasty homophobic terms, and he requested that I delete the comment. I did so, and felt awful that I had missed the comment when it was made.)

So here's the news, folks. Jason is running a squeaky-clean campaign, and he really is as bright, sincere and hard-working as he appears.

A campaign presents thousands of temptations, and it takes a person of remarkable character to avoid them. It's a weird phenomenon, but campaigns attract the attention of nutcases and scumbags from all over. I've seen it as a blogger in past campaigns, when people send me "shocking" info about some candidate's minor arrest from decades ago, or claim that the candidate is having sex with someone s/he shouldn't be, or that they cheated on their 4th grade math test. It's even worse in a campaign, because people who have grudges from anywhere along the person's life feel compelled to call the opposing camp and report all kinds of transgressions, minor to allegedly major. And, in the heat of a campaign, it's tempting to spread the word about some of them. But a great candidate says, "Really, I'm not interested in hearing that. I'd rather talk about why I am running." And that is how Jason has handled those calls, and I admire him for it. My friends who told me about how dirty Jason is would be shocked. Or disappointed.

(It occurs to me that in the crazed world of blog commenters, someone could think that I wrote the above paragraph to sneakily hint that some awful facts about Jason's opponents have come to the campaign, and that I'm trying to plant that seed without making a real accusation. No. Simply no. I have heard nothing about either of Jason's opponents that is both credible and major. Nothing. So, if that seed has been planted, please douse it with Roundup, okay?)

So, while commenters here have been telling us all that Jason is a lying sack of sh*t and that he and his wife are the local versions of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, I've been witnessing something quite different.

One would have expected that the complete absence of negative or dirty campaigning by the Kanders would silence the complaints about negative or dirty campaigning by the Kanders. Unfortunately, such an expectation would be unjustified. Instead, it has only turned the complaints louder and more unhinged.

Tony's Kansas City did a post yesterday about the gossip attacks on the Kanders. The KC Blue Blog did a follow-up post responding to the bogus nature of the attacks and busted out the red letters for an "easy" endorsement for "Democrat and Veteran Jason Kander for State Representative."

Rumor has it that the next ten days will see some negative pieces sent out to trash Jason and his wife, Diana. I hope the rumors are mistaken, but the figure of $20,000 has been attached to them, allegedly at the absolute insistence of a local elected official. Who knows? Again, this stuff is circulating at the rumor level, and may have exactly the same lack of credibility that I have seen were behind the accusations of the Kanders engaging in underhanded campaigning.

So, here I am, nearly at the end of my little experiment in local democracy. The people who were shrill in attacking Jason at the beginning of the race for being an underhanded campaigner have shown themselves to be the ones engaging in negative tactics and underhanded campaigning. The rumor-mongers and spreaders of hate, it turns out, have not been in the Kander camp.

When this campaign got started, I thought there was a chance I could be writing a huge expose' today about slimy tactics, lies, rumors, and underhanded campaigning. Instead, I find myself writing about a candidate I admire more than when I started. When people at the doors have been mean to him, he has been polite in response, and respected their views. When I have been angered, he has been calm. When cheap shot opportunities have presented themselves, he has refused them.

I don't know how the votes are going to come in next Tuesday. Amy Coffman and Mary Cosgrove Spence have run good races, and they have been supplemented by an enormous amount of gossip and nastiness directed at Jason Kander. Amy's years of lobbyist experience have paid off in lobbyist money and endorsements. Mary Cosgrove Spence has some wonderful volunteers and supporters who are refreshingly enthusiastic and positive. All three of them are good Democrats who I hope to support in future elections.

As for my expose' - well, I'm just awfully proud and happy I didn't get to write one this time.

Koster Won't Use the "D word"

Have you noticed anything funny about Chris Koster's yard signs?

They don't use the word "Democrat".

I would put up a photo of one, but it appears most of the people who had Koster signs took them down in disgust when they heard about his ethical problems with money laundering in fundraising. If I find one in the yard of someone who has a strong enough stomach for Koster's behavior, I'll try to get a snapshot and post it.

Jeff Harris and Margaret Donnelly both proudly claim to be Democrats on their yard sings. Perhaps Koster's Republican donors would not pay for signs with the "D word".

Lawyers Strongly Support Jeff Harris - Including Koster's Old Firm

Attorneys generally pay more attention to the Attorney General election than the average voter. They know that the AG is not a prosecutor, but the managing partner of one of Missouri's largest law firms, dedicated to serving as the State's main lawyer.

Attorneys are strongly backing Jeff Harris for Attorney General. Missouri Lawyer's Weekly, a trade newspaper for lawyers, did a thorough analysis of attorney's contributions to the race, and concluded that Harris raised the most money from attorneys, that Harris received the most contributions from Bryan Cave (his former law firm), and that Harris received the most contributions from Husch Blackwell Sanders.

The Harris advantage at Husch Blackwell Sanders is raising a lot of eyebrows, because Koster used to work there! Did Harris draw more support from Koster's ex-colleagues despite that fact, or because of that fact?

More Republican Fundraising Shenanigans - Kinder Cheats on Money Coming In and Going Out

As regular readers know, Chris Koster has run into a whole lot of trouble for his shockingly underworld system of fundraising/money-laundering through third-party committees. Leading Democrats, like Jason Kander, have condemned these kind of tactics.

Peter Kinder, Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, on the other hand, has managed to build upon those tactics. Not only is he funneling excessive contributions through third party committees he controls, he is actually paying his staff through those same committees! He's even paying his rent through the committee he controls!

To read the whole story, visit Fired Up! Missouri.

Vote for Sam Page for Lieutenant Governor.

Molly Korth Williams Starts Rattling a Few Cages

The Williams campaign just sent me a link to this video -



This is the first volley I've seen from the Williams campaign, and it's a little surprising that it goes after Donnelly. If I were going to attack an AG candidate for voting Republican, I'd go ahead and focus on the genuine Republican in the race, Chris Koster, who has a long history of voting Republican and still raises money from Republicans.

Does Williams' odd choice of targets provide more evidence to support those who think that she was recruited into the race by Chris Koster's friends?

Sam Page Poised to Win

One of my most pleasant political moments of the past year was the opportunity to sit down and chat with Dr. Sam Page, the leading Democratic nominee for Missouri Lieutenant Governor. Dr. Page is bright, compassionate, genuine and freakishly well-qualified for the Lieutenant Governor position.

The lieutenant governor spot is usually a place to park a political hack while he waits for his turn to run for something else. That's how the Republican party is using it now, and thus we have Peter Kinder taking up space in that office.

The power of incumbency ought to have given Kinder a massive lead, but Dr. Sam Page's dedication to the position and hard work have now drawn him even with Kinder in cash on hand, and the momentum has shifted strongly in Dr. Page's advantage. Kinder actually lost money in the past quarter, and Dr. Page is now even with him in cash on hand.

More shockingly, Kinder made a terrible mistake in hiring Richard AuBuchon - a central figure in the Blunt email scandal - to be his Chief of Staff. Kinder's prior Chief of Staff was forced to resign after he got caught furnishing pornography to a minor. In a nutshell, Kinder has gone from a guy who got caught in an internet scandal to one who has created one. Great work.

The indefatigable Stephen Bough over at Blog CCP has more on this tale of a quiet, hard-working, well-qualified Democrat kicking the daylights out of a Republican who should have had an easy time retaining his office, if he weren't Peter Kinder.

Please Don't Vote for Koster

The Associated Press dropped a bombshell on Missouri politics yesterday when it detailed the cozy triangle funneling money from donors to committees to candidates, and pointed to Chris Koster as the most flagrant and sloppy abuser of the system. Go read the article if you have a strong stomach - it's a disquieting look at the sort of person who views breaking the law as a game that everybody plays, even when they don't.

Let me state this clearly - Chris Koster is NOT a strong enough person to be our Attorney General.

He has demonstrated this time and time again. From his flip-flopping on pro-life positions, to his incendiary tactic of "calling the previous question" against my Senator, Jolie Justus, to his sudden, unconvincing switch to the Democratic party (when it appeared that Catherine Hanaway had the Republican AG primary sewn up), Koster has always sought out the quick fix, the easy way out.

Just look at the way he has conducted himself in this campaign. He has won the fund-raising race, but only because he has raised 81% of his total through his get-rich-quick scheme that sends campaign workers out to trade envelopes with shadowy groups throughout the state. He has NOT done the hard work of meeting ordinary, non-millionaire people throughout the state, the way his opponents have.

When it looked like Margaret Donnelly might have a gender advantage in a three-way race, he arranged for Molly "I'm not serious" Williams to muddy the issue.

When his right-wing donor friends invited him back with their wallets opened, Koster responded by reverting to his Republican ways.

More than any position in the legislative or executive branches, the Attorney General needs to be the sort of person with rock-solid integrity and dependability. Jeff Harris has that. Even though I'm supporting Jeff, I would never deny that Margaret Donnelly has that rock-solid integrity and dependability, as well.

Sometime during the term of the next Attorney General, there will come a time when justice and our Constitution require that the Attorney General do one thing, but the easy way out will beckon to the other path. I know that two of the Democratic primary candidates will do the right thing in that situation.

I also know that Chris Koster will take the easy way out and roll with what is popular.

Please don't vote for Koster. It's important that we have an Attorney General with strong values he or she will stand with, even when it's not easy.

Sorry, Chris Koster, that's NOT What "Unanimous" Means . . .

Last week, I received an email from the Chris Koster campaign announcing "the unanimous support of Missouri’s law enforcement community for our candidacy was solidified when the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association endorsed me."

That would be an impressive accomplishment - if it were true! But it's a lie. Koster definitely does NOT have the unanimous support of Missouri's law enforcement community. Here's a list of Jeff Harris' law enforcement endorsements, and it demolishes Koster's claim.

* AUDRAIN COUNTY PROSECUTOR JASON LAMB
* AUDRAIN COUNTY SHERIFF STUART MILLER
* BOONE COUNTY PROSECUTOR DAN KNIGHT
* CHARITON COUNTY SHERIFF CHRIS HUGHES
* COOPER COUNTY SHERIFF PAUL MILNE
* HOWARD COUNTY SHERIFF CHARLIE POLSON
* KNOX COUNTY SHERIFF MICHAEL KITE
* LAFAYETTE COUNTY SHERIFF KERRICK ALUMBAUGH
* LINN COUNTY SHERIFF TOM PARKS
* MADISON COUNTY SHERIFF DAVID LEWIS
* MARIES COUNTY PROSECUTOR TERRY SCHWARTZE
* MARIES COUNTY SHERIFF DOUG DINATALE
* MARION COUNTY SHERIFF JOHN WALDSCHLAGER
* MORGAN COUNTY SHERIFF JIM PETTY
* RALLS COUNTY SHERIFF PAUL FORNEY
* RANDOLPH COUNTY SHERIFF MARK NICHOLS
* RAY COUNTY SHERIFF SAM CLEMENS
* ST. FRANCOIS CTY. PROS. WENDY WEXLER HORN
* ST. LOUIS CITY SHERIFF JIM MURPHY
* SALINE COUNTY SHERIFF WALLY GEORGE
* SHELBY COUNTY PROSECUTOR JIM MCCONNELL
* FORMER BOONE COUNTY SHERIFF TED BOEHM

Maybe Chris Koster's years of being a Republican have made him comfortable with simply ignoring facts that don't support his position. That's the way that his fellow Republicans like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Matt Blunt have gotten our country into this mess, and exactly why we need true Democrats with REAL values.

Jeff Harris will be an honest Attorney General for Missouri - wouldn't that be better than having one who claims to have "unanimous" support?

Jeff Harris Unites Kansas City Lawyers

Lawyers tend to be a fractious bunch. Plaintiff's lawyers tend to dislike defense attorneys, and the defense attorneys tend to return the favor. Big firm lawyers tend to think that small firm lawyers don't have what it takes to make the "big time", and small firm lawyers tend to think that big firm lawyers are book-smart eggheads who can't make it in the real world. Nobody likes the divorce lawyers, except their clients.

With all those disunifying tendencies, it is great to see this invitation.doc, for an event back on 4/4. The list of sponsors includes a who's who of plaintiff's lawyers, defense lawyers, big firm lawyers, solos, and even academics. It's a great list, and speaks well of Jeff Harris' ability to unify the Democratic Party behind him after he wins the primary for Attorney General.

Missouri Historical Review - Hilary Bush, and the Best Bargain in Missouri

Did you know that Missouri's Lieutenant Governor from 1961-1965 was a man named Hilary Bush? Just a little tidbit gleaned from my weekend reading.

Late this week, I received my copy of the latest edition of the Missouri Historical Review, a journal published quarterly and mailed out for free to the members of the State Historical Society of Missouri. It includes a fascinating article about Tom Eagleton's first Senate Campaign - a political drama played out amidst the Humphrey v. Nixon election of 1968. It also includes a great analysis of a drawing of "Persephone's Shade Tree" by Thomas Hart Benton, a drawing which served as a study for the best painting ever painted by a Missourian.

I love the Missouri Historical Review. I've loved it since I was in late grade school, and first read the well-illustrated, detailed articles that struck the exact balance I sought between interesting yarns and academic history. It's serious stuff, with long, detailed articles about diverse topics such as Branch Rickey (the inventor of the "farm system" for Major League Baseball), civla war battles and a resort town that flourished and disappeared near Warrensburg, but it is always readable and accessible.

Amazingly, annual membership in the State Historical Society of Missouri is only $20, and it includes the Missouri Historical Review.

I've spent $20 on a lot of things that have brought me less pleasure than the Missouri Historical Review.

Welcome to the Blog World, John Burnett

State Representative John Burnett has started to publish a blog called the Jeff City Report. Most politicians make lousy bloggers, because they try to avoid saying anything that could avoid offending anyone. Fortunately, the Kansas City area is blessed with two politicians who put out first-class blogs - Fresh Meat and now Jeff City Report.

In judging blogs, I look for lively commentary, reasonably open commenting, and regular updating. What other blogs by elected officials rank among your favorites?

Missouri Senate Republicans Are Junkies Needing the Fix

Honestly, I grudgingly admire the straightforward corruption of Senator Charlie Shields of St. Joseph. In pushing to repeal limitations on campaign donations, he doesn't spout some pseudo-"good government" crap, or act as though he is behaving in the public interest. Instead, he embraces the corruption at the soul of the Missouri Republican party, the one thing that unites the Bond "country club" Republicans and the Bartle "Bible belt" Republicans. It's all about the love of lucre, and the lengths those Republicans will go to get it.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Charlie Shields of St. Joseph, said contribution limits had done little to reduce the flow of money into political campaigns.

Rather, he said, they had encouraged politicians and their fundraisers to devise ever more creative ways to circumvent the limits and obscure the identities of those seeking to gain influence.

“We’ve become so good at this that Missouri politicians could give seminars to Colombian drug lords on how to launder money,” Shields said.

. . .

Shields argued that any rule that attempt to stem the flow of money into political campaigns would be fruitless. People attempting to funnel money to politicians will find a way around any rule.

It's not at all surprising that Shields had drugs on his mind as he was pushing this corrupt subversion of campaign limits the voters of Missouri approved by a 3:1 margin years ago. Go ahead and substitute the "heroin" in for "campaign contributions" in the arguments made by the Republicans and you'll see that our Republicans, Country Club and Bible Belt, are strung out junkies who will stop at nothing to get their next fix, defying the Missouri Supreme Court and the voters of Missouri for just one more fix.

Kinder Video

Fortunately, Dr. Sam Page is running strong for Lieutenant Governor. He's smart, responsible, compassionate and freakishly well-qualified for the position.

Look who the Republicans are running:

Koster Wants to Name Bridge For Ronald Reagan

I was over in St. Louis this weekend - my mother celebrated her 80th birthday with a great collection of friends, relatives and nieghbors. Happy 80th, Mom!

Did you know that there is a bridge proposed from St. Louis, Missouri to St. Clair County, Illinois? Did you know that Chris Koster, one of the Democratic candidates for Missouri Attorney General, co-sponsored a bill to name that bridge for Ronald Reagan?

What kind of democrat is Chris Koster?

My mother would never vote for a Republican, and she won't vote for Koster, either.

State Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford's Inside View of the Battle Over Religious Freedom In Jefferson City

The following piece was written by Missouri State Representative Jeanette Mott Oxford from the 59th Distict. She gave me permission to publish it here. I've never met her, but I look forward to the privilege!

It was an interesting day on the Floor of the MO House. We debated Rep. Mike McGhee's House Joint Resolution (HJR) 55 which calls for a vote to amend the Missouri Constitution in the November 2008 election in order to reaffirm "religious freedom in public places." This is fairly similar to a bill that former St. Charles rep Carl Bearden carried the past couple of years.

It is clear that the real purpose of the constitutional amendment is to throw a bone to the radical right (especially theocrats who would like to impose one model of christianity on all of us) in order to attempt to bring out the Republican base in the November election. (This is also the purpose of Rep. Nieves "English for official proceedings" constitutional amendment - only the appeal there is to anti-immigrant or anti-multicultural bigots. In an inquiry that I did with Rep. Nieves, he admitted that there is no problem currently in Missouri - all official proceedings, that is, meetings covered by the Sunshine Law, are conducted in English.)

My Democratic colleagues had some interesting amendments and debate points to offer. First Rep. Trent Skaggs of Clay County attempted to move the ballot date from November to August. Rep. McGhee said children had been banned from bringing their Bibles on school buses in his framing of the resolution. Skaggs said he was concerned about that, and since school starts in August,shouldn't we move the date up?

Several GOP members replied that a constitutional amendment is very important, so we should want the biggest possible number of people to go to the polls, and historically that's in November, so they asked the body to vote no. I spoke in favor of the amendment, arguing that if people really believe in personal responsibility, then we would expect every registered voter to do his or her duty and go out and vote in August. I suggested that we are encouraging laziness and irresponsibility if we excuse our neighbors from voting in August by setting the date for November.

Rep. Levota and Rep. Skaggs then talked about why the GOP ought to want the vote to be in August. They said the voters don't seem very excited about coming out for McCain in November, but since there's a hotly contested Republican primary in August, that ought to draw voters out.

The August vote amendment failed on a party line vote.

Next Rep. Leonard "Jonas" Hughes of Kansas City offered and amendment to add "the saints and Virgin Mary" after the word "God" so that Catholic children would know they were able to pray any way they wanted to as well. Rep. Ryan Silvey did an inquiry with Hughes and argued that the word God encompasses the saints and the Virgin Mary and Vishnu for that matter. (We won't be nominating Mr. Silvey to represent us at an interreligious dialogue group any time soon obviously. People of different faiths tend to want to state their own definitions and theologies about the divine instead of having others lump everything under the one heading "God.") Hughes amendment also failed (by a bigger margin - guess some of my Democratic colleagues come from predominantly Protestant districts where the "saints and the Virgin Mary" amendment could get them in trouble; the 59th where I live is so predominantly Catholic that I "voted my district" by pushing Aye.)

Rep. Jamilah Nasheed os St. Louis (one of three Muslim members in the House) also had an amendment ready to add "Allah" to the resolution. Before the Speaker could call on Nasheed, Majority Floor Leader Tilley laid the bill over. The bill could come back up at any time. Maybe some on this listserve will want to write a letter to the editor about it. Find the language of the HJR at: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills081/biltxt/commit/HJR0055C.HTM

Personally I don't see why anyone would believe that Missourians who aren't informed and responsible enough to exercise their First Amendment Freedoms now will suddenly be able to do so after a constitutional amendment to reaffirm freedoms that we already have. I wonder how many of my colleagues who belong to the NRA would argue that we have to amend Missouri's constitution to protect gun rights. I think instead they would argue that this is already protected by our constitution (well, unless they were trying to draw certain voters out in November....). Why should we be any less passionate and clear about asserting our religious freedoms then the right to bear arms?

Second Thoughts on Humor in the Senate?

A Missouri Republican Senator has introduced a bill to make the Jayhawk the official state game bird for Missouri.

Yeah, that made me smirk for just a moment.

And then it made me shake my head. Unfortunately, those of us who are not Missouri Republicans are cursed with these things called "second thoughts", and they take the humor out of many such things that seem okay on first impression. Here are just a few of those kinds of thoughts that apparently never flickered across Senator Clemens' mind.

- Humor about shooting rivals really isn't all that funny, particularly in light of the bloody history of the Missouri/Kansas border wars.

- You've just blown your party's opportunity to argue that anything whatsoever the opposition introduces is a waste of time and Senatorial resources.

- After your party has decimated MOHELA and damaged the ability of average Missourians to pursue education at Mizzou or elsewhere, it's ironic to see you rallying around Mizzou sports instead of Mizzou academics.

- Proposing that Missourians be able to hunt fictional birds reminds many of us that your party has a penchant for trying to stir up trouble based on chimeras, such as gay weddings and activist judges.

- Will Cheney be invited on the first hunt? Will Senator Clemens go hunting with him?

- I'm a Mizzou fan, but, let's face it, Saturday's basketball game against KU is not necessarily going to be a Mizzou win. When #71 is suiting up against #1, a humble and hopeful determination is a better tool than a loud mouth.

Senator Clemens, I appreciate your attempt at expressing pride in our state's flagship University, and I can understand why republicans would rather talk about other things than the 100,000 kids they deprived of health care, but I don't think humor is really your strength, either. Maybe you should have thought twice about your bill . . .

The Bar Needs a New Missouri Plan

As regular readers know, I am a vocal supporter of the Missouri Plan, and I oppose the Republicans' attempts to use our system of judicial selection and retention as a wedge issue. So, let's be clear - I like our Missouri Plan.

On an unrelated issue, though, I think the Missouri Bar needs to recommit itself to Missouri and Missourians. Did you know that in late January, the Missouri Bar will be hosting an official meeting, complete with a meeting of its governing body, the Board of Governors, outside of Missouri? And not just outside Missouri, outside of the United States!

Allow me to quote from the Missouri Bar's website:

As January's freezing temperatures grip Missouri, The Bahamas expect sunny skies and warm days, perfect for golf, shopping, relaxing on the beach, and sightseeing. Located near the capital city of Nassau and just a short hop from Florida, Atlantis is an exhilarating adventure of thrills and discoveries amidst the tropical splendor of the Caribbean. Take advantage of CLE in the morning, with afternoons and evenings free to enjoy all this paradise has to offer.

And in case you're wondering if they're serious about "CLE (continuing legal education) in the morning, yes, the latest they even offer seminars is 11:30.

Why is a Missouri quasi-governmental body channeling its dollars to The Bahamas? Why, at a time when it is working so hard to represent the best interests of the average Missourian through its defense of the Bar Plan, is the Missouri Bar leaving Missouri behind for an exclusive resort in The Bahamas?

The resort they are visiting is named Atlantis - after the mythical island that sunk into the sea. Perhaps the Missouri Bar will take the hint and sink this tradition of using its Mid-Winter meeting as an expensive tax deduction for its wealthiest members.

Missouri Plan II ought to be a commitment to hold Missouri Bar meetings in Missouri.

Sunshine Law Resource

Jean Maneke is a lawyer here in Kansas City who is THE go-to person on all matters involving Missouri's Sunshine Law. She is also the blogger behind "Sunshine in Missouri", a blog devoted to discussion of open government.

Some of us spout off about things we think based on what we hear. Sunshine in Missouri is dedicated to helping people find the real facts and the actual documents that show us what our government is doing.

If You Can't Say Something Nice, Don't Say Anything at All

As longtime readers know, I'm not a huge fan of Jay Nixon. Indeed, the titles of my prior writings on him do a pretty good job of conveying my feelings on the subject. But, like it or not, he's the guy running against Matt Blunt to be Missouri's governor, and it is absolutely beyond dispute that he would be a better governor than Matt Blunt.

This is the part of politics I don't like - being faced with a candidate I don't like running against a candidate I despise. It's the flipside of how I felt about the recent KC Mayor's race - I had a strong favorite running against a man I admire.

But, I'm a 95% loyal Democrat, and I definitely want Nixon in the Governor's Mansion. But I still have trouble saying nice things about him without taking a shower soon after.

That's why this news is so gratifying. Nixon is whipping up on the incumbent by a margin of 57-38, winning every part of the state. Even the Ozarks region is supporting Nixon by an astonishing 9 point margin.

This is good news for me. Not only are we likely to get Blunt evicted from the Governor's Mansion, but it looks like it won't even be much of a race. I'll be able to remain silent about it, and not feel obligated to write much about Nixon. Since I have trouble saying anything nice about him, it will be nice not to say anything at all.

If You're a Kansas City Lawyer . . .

You should have received a corrected ballot for the Missouri Bar Board of Governors race. You get three votes, and there are four candidates. Cumulative voting is not permitted, but you are allowed to cast less than three votes.

I strongly encourage you to cast one vote for Dana Tippin Cutler. Here is her bio. I know her and each of the other candidates, and she is simply the best person for the Board of Governors. She is a smart can-do person who avoids getting stuck in the "student council" nature of politics on that body. Please cast one of your votes for her.

New Group Political Blog - BlogCCP

With the demise of the KC Buzz Blog, Kansas City needs a new political blog with multiple voices and varied topics. The Committee for County Progress, a "Democratic political reform organization established in 1964 to reform and restructure Jackson County government" has launched BlogCCP to meet that need. It's just getting started, and your comments, criticisms and advice could help form it into an attractive political gathering place for Kansas Citians interested in politics.

It is set up now so that each of the 150 members of the CCP is allowed to do original posts, and anyone can comment. Anonymous comments are allowed. Blog posts do not reflect official positions of the CCP, so the debate should range far and wide.

Road Food Between KC and St. Louis - Les Bourgeois Blufftop Bistro

Where do you eat when driving between St. Louis and Kansas City? Personally, I hate to spend money at the fast-food chains that infest the exits, but I'll admit that the lure of convenience and the security of knowing what I'll be getting has guided me to a drive-through or two.

That's not to say that there aren't good options at the exits. Biffle's Smoke House in Concordia comes to mind.

If you're willing to go a mile or so off the highway, your choices improve. Far and away the most impressive of the choices is Les Bourgeois Blufftop Bistro, at the Rocheport exit. Go north about a mile, and it's on the left (west) side of the road. Take the meandering walk down from the parking lot, and you'll be greeted by a white building with a glass wall and a truly gourmet menu.

My wife and I stopped there on the way to St. Charles on Saturday, and the food was as far from McDonald's as possible. Seated at a window table overlooking the Missouri River, she got the "Grilled rare yellow fin tuna on a toasted sourdough baguette with olive salad, sliced roma tomatoes, hard cooked egg, baby greens & red onion" and a cup of the "Bisque - creamy puree of cauliflower, lightly smoked sea scallops & aromatics, garnished with crawfish cognac butter." I had a "Fresh sourdough baguette with thinly sliced fresh herb roasted pork loin, apple smoked bacon, Fontina cheese, frisee lettuce & Martha’s mustard" served with a warm potato salad composed of french fingerling, purple, and baby red potatoes. Each choice was $8 - a bit more than a Big Mac and fries, but a ridiculous bargain by any other measure.

Though we were tempted to spend the afternoon on the scenic overlook of the river, we were back on the road in around 45 minutes - the service was prompt, but we lingered over the food and views.

I know there are other wonderful places to eat at or near the exits in I-70. G&D Steakhouse in Columbia serves up cheap, flavorful steaks and awesome baked potatoes.

Where do you stop for a bite between St. Louis and Kansas City, when you want to avoid the chains?

YouTube Political Activism Hits Missouri

I don't know who "The Missourian" is, but somebody smart, informed and humorous has created a series of YouTube videos about Missouri politics. Spend a few minutes watching this and other efforts.

AG Race Looks Like a Republican Brawl

Jay Nixon will be leaving the Attorney General's office to win the Governor's race in 2008 (Blunt has no chance, and may even draw a primary opponent), and the Republicans are lining up to take a (remote) chance on running against likely Democratic nominee Jeff Harris. More than any other, the Republican AG primary is shaping up to be a microcosm of all that is wrong with Missouri Republicans.

First off, we have Michael Gibbons, the simian South St. Louis Senator. Plainly stated, Michael Gibbons is a nanny state Republican who wants to make us all live in his world. The Republican party has a Libertarian streak that I occasionally admire - but Michael Gibbons is the exact opposite. He has drafted a law to prosecute families that allow twenty-year-olds nieces and nephews to participate in a Thanksgiving toast. He supported anti-consumer Tort Deform and reductions in the amount of compensation that injured workers receive. As Senate President Pro Tem, Gibbons gets and deserves much of the blame that Missourians are directing toward the ineffective Missouri legislature. He has no chance of winning, but he will raise lots of money from people seeking to buy favors in the Senate. I'm thrilled he's in the race, because he is unelectable and likely to ruin the bankrolls of the other candidates.

Chris Koster is a pretty boy candidate who seemed like he was on the fast track to Republican prominence. He's a smart guy, and even tells the truth once in a blue moon. “There is a sense in this building that if an interest group brings four really bad ideas to the table, we are obligated to pass at least one of them because they are our friends,” Koster once said when the insurance companies tried to gain virtual immunity for their misdeeds. Unfortunately, Koster's conscience is up for the highest bidder. Even when his gag reflex was triggered by the insurance companies' avarice, it was only after he had started working for a trial lawyer.

Most damning for Koster, though, is that he has hired Jeff Roe. Roe has shown himself to be incompetent at anything other than self-promotion. His career is over, after he single-handedly sunk Becky Nace's campaign for mayor. Dozens of people told me that she was their favorite candidate, but they refused to vote for her because she hired him. One of the biggest fights in the Gottstein/Gamble race grew out of a rumor that Gamble had hired Roe - the Gamble people viewed that as poisonous slander. Well, Koster sunk his own campaign when he hired Roe. Neither Koster nor Roe has a discernible shred of morality.

Finally, there's Catherine Hanaway, the current US Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. This one cracks me up. Remember when holding the US Attorney position was a huge badge of honor? Remember when being a US Attorney meant that you were a straight-shooting, highly competent attorney who earned a reputation for integrity? Those were the days, weren't they? Unfortunately, though, the Bush administration's contempt for competence and pride in partisanship has turned that post into a scarlet letter on the resume. What kind of voter would vote for someone appointed by Bush now?

On top of that, she's another St. Louis county Republican. She and Gibbons will split the bankroll of Clayton and Ladue, and the votes of all the SUV drivers on the East coast of the state. Because she's much smarter than Gibbons, less dogmatic and mildly better looking, she will have the edge over Gibbons, and the race will come down to a divisive, ugly and horribly expensive contest between her and Roe/Koster. With Roe/Koster in the race, we can be assured that mud-slinging and nastiness will alienate anyone who ever thought of voting for a Republican.

In a way, it's almost a shame. Jeff Harris, the Democratic candidate, is smart, well-respected, likeable, and well-informed. He's not a good candidate - he's a great candidate. For those of us who like watching good races, it's a shame he is going to face such weak competition.

Claire McCaskill Gives Bush a Blank Check

Claire McCaskill brought shame upon Missouri Democrats by joining the Republicans and giving Bush a blank check to continue his wreckless and feckless quagmire in Iraq. Rather than insisting upon some accountability with our tax dollars. I'm still glad she beat Talent, but, today, she was his moral twin, voting in lockstep with Kit Bond. She should be ashamed of herself. I'm ashamed of her.

Republican Hardball - Will of the People?

My Senator, Jolie Justus, has distinguished herself with energy and hard work during her first term in the Senatorial Chamber. I could not be more pleased that she is representing this district, and I'm proud that I supported her.

It seems that even Jolie's enthusiasm, determination and good ideas can run into the occasional brick wall of Republican hypocrisy, though. When she introduced a resolution disapproving of the President's escalation strategy in Iraq, she ruffled a few feathers, even though polls show that the vast majority of Americans reject the Bush administration's ill-thought-out plan.

Senator Vogel of Jefferson City, however, has seen fit not only to disagree with the electorate of Missouri, he is abusing his chairmanship of the Senate Ways and Means Committee to punish both Jolie Justus AND the poor people of Missouri. He has admitted that he is bottling up legislation which would help Missouri's working poor and homeless, as political revenge for Justus' introduction of the resolution against the Iraq war escalation.

It says something profound about Republican values that they would punish the poor and defend war. WWJD, indeed.

Idiotic Democrat

Lest anyone accuse me of having a liberal bias, or not being fair and balanced, let me be among the first to point out that State Senator Tim Green, from the east coast of Missouri, is a goofball for proposing legislation firing principals who don't send all their 9th graders to prison for a day.

How confused must you be to think this is worth proposing? How badly must he have been shaken as a baby?

On the other hand, maybe it is a nice plan to encourage people to visit Governor Blunt and the rest of the his corrupt republican cronies after they are imprisoned for their misdeeds.

Jolie Justus - Let's Keep in Touch

After they get elected, political candidates tend to become like former workmates. When you leave, you promise to stay in touch, and then you get busy, and then a few months go by, and you realize you haven't talked to your old buddy in accounting for a year. Then you run into him at the grocery store, and have a warm and enthusiastic exchange of greetings, and swear you're going to have lunch soon. And you mean it. But then, 6 months later, you see each other at the grocery store again . . .

It's worse with political candidates, because they come around every few years, wanting to re-win our votes, and even, perhaps, a campaign contribution. I used to hold an association office that required running every four years, and I always felt sheepish calling and writing to people I hadn't spoken to since I last needed their vote . . .

It's good to see a local politician do a bit better than that.

Not surprisingly, Jolie Justus is a creative leader in this area of public service. Her blog, Fresh Meat is as fresh, comfortable, and direct as the Senator herself. Through it, she keeps us informed about what she's doing and working on. It's not some PR site run by a focus-group-obsessed consultant - she says what she thinks and serves her self up like, well, fresh meat. You have to appreciate Senator Justus asking for our luck before her first meeting with Blunt, or expressing her admiration for Matt Bartle's filibuster. It's a great read, and a way for Jolie to stay in touch with those of us who appreciate her (and those who don't) while she's not running for office.