Koster Defies Kansas City Priorities

One of the interesting sidelights to the controversy over Festival Licenses has been Senator Chris Koster's abandonment of Kansas City.

In a quick recap, Kansas City listed as one of its priorities in Jefferson City the increased flexibility in making "Festival Liquor Licensing" available for districts in Kansas City. It's a great idea - a few more festivals with adult beverages available would make our city a better tourist attraction.

Believe it or not, Chris Koster actually voted against this common-sense, pro-Kansas City proposal when it came up in committee. Fortunately, a bipartisan majority, led by Senator Jolie Justus, outvoted Koster's anti-Kansas City sneak attack.

Bad News for Koster's CAFOs

As described earlier on this blog, Chris Koster likes factory farms (a/k/a CAFOs). He likes them so much that he wants to prevent local people from having a voice in where they can locate their sewage lagoons and generate their stink. If you would prefer to avoid pig feces and urine next door, you definitely do not want Chris Koster to be in charge of our environmental laws.

Blog CCP put up a great post on Monday about a CAFO that is trying to argue that it can put 4800 pigs about 400 yards away from a soldier's front door. "He's not there now, anyhow," the factory farm argues. Disgusting people pushing a disgusting farm. Koster's work on behalf of CAFOs has been focused on preventing local communities from having a voice in allowing corporate pig farms, so that small towns cannot fight back to save the home of their local soldier. That's the sort of crowd that Koster is running with. Sound like Democrats to you?

This morning's paper brings more attention to Koster's CAFOs. The first paragraph gives just a whiff of the stench that Koster wants to inflict on Missouri's small towns:

Industrial farms where animals are kept tightly confined present a serious and growing threat to humans, animals and the environment, a private commission reported Tuesday.

The article goes on to point out the dangers in the antibiotics and waste products of these pig factories.

Ironically, the conclusion reached by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the exact opposite of what Chris Koster wants to impose. Where Koster has been trying to rob local communities of the right to interfere with corporate pig farms to locate wherever they want (such as next door to a soldier's home), the bipartisan commission says that local control is better than state control.

Would a real Democrat support corporate pig farms?

Don't Take My Word For It - Come And See the AG Candidates for Yourself

Here's a rare opportunity - indeed, probably a unique opportunity on this side of the state of Missouri. On May 22, the Committee for County Progress is hosting a debate for all four Democratic candidates in the Missouri Attorney General Primary. You are invited. You will be welcomed. The doors will open at White Recital Hall in the UMKC Performing Arts Center at 5:30, and the debate will start at 6:00. There will even be a free reception afterward.

I know I've been pretty direct in my assessment of the candidates - Harris is the only one with the Democratic values combined with high-level Attorney General experience, and deserves to win the primary election and the general election. If you're content to take my word for it, then go ahead and do something else on May 22nd, but, if you want to form your own opinion, show up at UMKC.

Here are a few ways to figure out if you're in the right place. If you see Chris Koster there, talking about being a prosecutor, and avoiding all mention of his time working for a criminal Republican in the AG's office, you're in the right place. If you see Margaret Donnelly there, with her campaign staff telling her that Kansas City is St. Louis' western most suburb, you're in the right place. If you see Molly Korth Williams there, wearing a "Koster" button "because Judge Dandurand asked me to", you're in the right place. If you see Jeff Harris there, tuning up a guitar, you're in the right place.

Mark your calendar today, and come out to the Attorney General debate. See if you agree with my pick . . .

Candidates, Slander, and the 44th

My humorous extended metaphor on baseball box scores and quarterly campaign finance reports ignited a surprisingly bitter round of accusations and attacks. The simple facts I pointed out from Coffman's campaign finance report (fewer dollars, non-union t-shirts, and donations from pro-voucher lobbyists) triggered accusations that Kander's wife does my writing, though I do Stephen Bough's writing, and hints that Kander's military service to our nation in Afghanistan means that he is some kind of war criminal.

Once again, the partisans are turning out to be worse than the principals.

The three candidates in this race, Jason Kander, Amy Coffman, and Mary Spence are fine people. And I don't say that as a simple nod to polite political conversation - I've talked to each of them, and I like each of them. I know their supporters, and their supporters are good people supporting a candidate that they think would served the district well. I hope all three find their way into public office in some role.

My rosy view seems to be shared by the candidates themselves. I've talked a fair amount with the Kanders, and I've never heard them say a negative word about any of the others. I've chatted a little with Amy Coffman, including a conversation about the tone of the race, and she is 100% in favor of a clean race. While I haven't discussed the topic with Mary Spence, those supporters of her I know would react with disgust at the sort of slander spread in the comments of my Tuesday piece.

And by no means do I want to single out the attacks on Jason as being the only ones worthy of condemnation. Some anonymous creep over at the BlogCCP posted a horrible comment attacking a candidate's physical appearance.

There is a huge distinction between fair and unfair partisanship. For me the test is whether it is relevant and whether it is supported by specific facts. If I say that Candidate X is corrupt, that's an unfair attack. If I say that Candidate Y is corrupt because he has taken bribes, and I can back up that claim with specific facts, then that's a fair attack.

As I look back over my own political involvement, I can see where I've used both, so don't misunderstand my commitment to fair partisanship as a "holier than thou" pretense. For example, I think my approach toward Chris Koster provides examples of unfair name-calling, but also examples of well-supported and well-deserved criticism. Looking forward, though, I am going to condemn what's unfair, and invite anyone to call me out on any unfair attacks I might make in the future.

Did Chris Koster Recruit Molly Korth Williams?

Over at the Pitch, David Martin connects a few dots and surmises that Molly Korth Williams' last-minute and half-hearted filing for the Missouri Attorney General Democratic primary was engineered by Chris Koster.

Here's the evidence:

- Koster is a very close friend of Judge Joe Dandurand.
- Williams is a very close friend of Judge Joe Dandurand.
- Koster (and, to be fair as always, Jeff Harris, the only candidate with strong experience in the Attorney General's office) may benefit from having another woman in the race to dilute Margaret Donnelly's perceived advantage among gender-based voters.
- Williams is not running a serious race, in that she took off for a vacation immediately after filing, and has not formed a committee to raise funds.
- The recruitment of primary challengers to weaken other candidates has been a hallmark of Cass County (Dandurand and Koster's home base) politics for years. (Actually, Martin didn't make that point, but I will.)
- Williams is a spectacularly weak candidate, with neither money, nor experience, nor even a job in the legal field.
- Koster's campaign doesn't even deny it.

Personally, I think this clipping I took from the Association for Women Lawyers newsletter says all that needs to be said about the relationship of Koster's friend and the new candidate, as well as the tenor of the "Williams for AG campaign":

Donnelly, Harris & Koster Together

The hottest primary in the state is between Margaret Donnelly, Jeff Harris and Chris Koster. They bring different backgrounds and visions to the race. The three of them will appear together on May 22 at a debate sponsored by the Committee for County Progress, free and open to the public, at White Recital Hall on the campus of UMKC. The event is currently scheduled to start at 6, though that could change. If so, I'll post a notice here. The debate will be moderated by Steve Kraske, of The Kansas City Star, Eric Wesson, from The Call, and Mike Mahoney, from KMBC-TV9.

Here's a pdf flier for the event.

This is the only joint appearance scheduled for the Western side of the state, and it should offer a great opportunity to meet and hear the candidates for yourselves.

Koster Votes Republican Again

Chris Koster voted with his Republican friends to repeal limitations on campaign donations. Koster, who has spent his entire political career as a Republican working against Democrats until claiming to switch sides and running for the Attorney General position, has sought to have his cake and eat it, too. He claims to be a Democrat, but participated in Republican Rex Sinquefield's elaborate ruse to siphon money through dozens of sham PACs to Koster's campaign - a ruse which paid off when Koster refused to vote with Democrats on a recent school voucher committee decision.

Koster looked me in the eye and claimed to be sincere in his conversion to being a Democrat. This week, on two important issues, he refused to stand and deliver.

A leopard cannot change its spots.

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.

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.

Correcting Koster's Cuts

Fortunately, a majority of the Republicans in Jefferson City care more about the health and well-being of Missourians than Chris Koster. Last week, the Missouri House undid the damage that Chris Koster inflicted on Missourians in general and Kansas City in particular.

Senate Republicans stripped them out of the bill to punish Democratic Sens. Jolie Justus of Kansas City and Chuck Graham of Columbia for trying to block the sale of the loan authority.

Justus and Graham argued that the partial sale of the loan authority would make it harder for Missouri college students to obtain low-cost student loans.

When they threatened to kill the entire plan through endless debate, Republicans abruptly cut off debate and stripped the projects from the budget.

The spending authorization now goes to the Senate, where most opposition appears to have subsided.

Please read that first paragraph again - the Republicans stripped funding for an essential project at the UMKC Pharmacy and Nursing schools. Specifically, Chris Koster participated in the "nuclear option" against Senator Justus, though Koster now claims to be a democrat and is seeking support of Kansas Citians in his run for Attorney General. Just a few short months ago, he was engaging in parliamentary hardball tactics designed to punish our State Senator for her courage in standing up for poor students.

Does anybody really believe that someone who did his damnedest to punish Kansas City ought to receive support now that he claims he's reformed??

Koster Campaign Falling Apart?

MPN: Missouri Political News has a well-researched post about Koster's financial problems, and the news is pretty ugly. The two most shocking tidbits are that he actually lost money in the most recent quarter, since he failed to raise enough to pay back his over-the-limit contributions, and he brought in exactly 0 dollars from the rural areas on the East Side of the state. Go read the post for a great analysis of the crumbling fortunes of the Republican wunderkind who once seemed on a path of inevitability.

Happy Ronald Reagan Day, Chris Koster

Today, February 6, is Ronald Reagan day in Missouri. Guess who co-sponsored the bill to designate a day to honor the man responsible for Iran/Contra scandal, in which we provided arms to Iran?

Chris Koster, who is now claiming to be a Democrat, who claims that he can represent Democratic principles, stood on the floor of the Missouri Senate and helped make Ronald Reagan Day a reality for Missourians.

There are two possibilities here. One is that Ronald Reagan truly represents ideals that Chris Koster holds dear, and his conversion to the Democratic Party is insincere. The other is that he was insincere in his eager embrace of a Republican icon, and merely trying to fool people into thinking about his party affiliation.

(A third possibility would be that he was sincere then and now, and has entirely changed his view of Ronald Reagan. That would entail a staggering amount of sincerity for someone who is not particularly recognized for that characteristic. If that's it, though, and Chris Koster wants to issue an explanation about why he was gung-ho for Ronald Reagan Day a couple short years ago, but he now rejects Ronald Reagan as a personal hero, I stand ready to publish his apology.)

Koster Misses an Opportunity to "Show Me"

Chris Koster needs to convince Missouri Democrats that he is really a Democrat if he is going to stand a chance in the Democratic primary for Missouri Attorney General. Many of us have adopted a "Show Me" policy, and are waiting to see what he can do over the next several months to atone for his years of vigorously opposing Democrats in our state capital.

One such opportunity came to him in the chance to support the Jackson County Democratic Committee. That Committee is hosting a fundraiser on February 7 to support increased activity in 2008. The theme is Make Missouri Blue Together! - what a perfect opportunity to prove that he's really one of us, really working to make Missouri a Democratic state.

He passed up the opportunity. Here's the list of supporters of making Missouri blue, and Chris Koster is not on it.

Jeff Harris, the likely Democratic nominee for the Attorney General position, appears prominently on the list of donors, even though nobody can doubt his Democratic credentials. (Margaret Donnelly is not on the list, but her absence is understandable, since she is running as the St. Louis candidate, and concentrating her campaign entirely within the I-270 loop.)

I know that Chris Koster has far smarter (and better paid) political advisers than me. He's even paid Jeff Roe for his advice, so he's had access to the full range of political input.

But it seems to me that if I were a candidate trying to prove that I am a real Democrat, and I have a real interest in Jackson County, I would have seized the opportunity to invest some of right wing Rex Sinquefield's money in this event.

372,039 Problems with Anonymous "Insiders"

To live up to a title like that, this post would need to rattle on for for a few pages, at least. But I wanted to point out that a few weeks ago, an anonymous commenter assured us that Jeff Harris was out of money, and would not last until the primary. Without even bothering to call the Harris campaign and check on his finances, I offered to place a bet on that proposition. Naturally, the anonymous commenter refused to back the factual allegation with any proof, or even a few bucks.

Tuesday, the campaign reports came out, showing that Harris has $372,039.11 in cash on hand. I wish I were "out of money" like that! While it's true that Koster has him beat in cash on hand, we have to remember that Koster took a ton of money from right wing interest groups, and that money is likely to cost him votes. Koster's also borrowed half of the difference between them, so the gap isn't quite as large as it appears. As for Donnelly, her lead over Harris is composed entirely of debt.

My point is not to downplay the importance of the money in this race - money is clearly crucial in a statewide race, and I strongly encourage all Missourians who want a Democratic Attorney General with experience to head over to Jeff Harris' site immediately and make a donation.

My point is that when anonymous commenters start providing "facts" without sources, set your BS filter to "high". We were lied to by someone supporting Koster.

Koster Up Close and Personal, and a Lesson Learned

Chris Koster spoke to the CCP yesterday evening, and there was no way I was going to miss it. A rising star Republican speaking to a room full of opinionated progressive democrats months after purporting to switch parties.

Setting aside my partison Harris hat, I have to admit he did a good job. He comes across as hyper-coached - I suspect that if he dropped a word from his canned speech, he would need to go back and start from the beginning. It was, as one would expect from Mr. Koster, a very polished, even slick, presentation.

Naturally, I had a quibbles with it. First off, it was really a speech for a prosecutor's race. He gravely but with obvious relish intoned about the horrible cases he prosecuted - the spouse killers, the child rapists, and, yes, of course, John Robinson, the man who is still alive because Koster got tricked into a bad deal. He even bragged about how he got Robinson to confess to the crimes, and how he was there when they found bodies in steel drums, but he never got around to explaining why Robinson, a confessed, grisly murderer, was spared the death penalty in Missouri.

Chris' tagline was "if experience matters," which I found to be an odd choice for the candidate with the second best experience for the job. Jeff Harris has, literally, five times the experience that Chris does in the AG's office, but Koster knows that the average voter confused the role of the AG with the county prosecutor, so his stories of 12 yeaar-old rape victims and CSI-Harrisonville searches for murder weapons are good enough to fool most people. Even in the comparatively well-informed CCP crowd, I heard the woman behind me lapping it up like titillating honey, while I was rolling my eyes.

I was surprised that the crowd did not follow up with questions when Koster said that he supports "common sense restrictions on Roe v. Wade," as the CCP has a reputation for being more liberal than that.

In short, listening to Koster, I was impressed with his style, but not as much by his substance. He's running as a Democrat while distancing himself from some of the most widely held Democratic beliefs. He's running as a tough prosecutor while handing out a flier packed with murderers who avoided the death penalty under his tenure. Worse yet, he's running for Attorney General on the ground that he could be a good county prosecutor.

But he's good looking and smooth, and could pull it all off if people don't pay enough attention.

After his talk, I chatted a little bit and began walking down a corridor to the elevators. As I was about to escape, I heard Chris shout "Dan!", and motion me back. He guided me into an empty conference room.

It's funny how in the course of a few paces back to a conference room, you can call back to mind every immature statement, every over-stated criticism, and every political cheap-shot you've written about someone. As I walked back down the hall toward Chris "legislative roundheels, incompetent, pretty-boy" Koster "the Imposter", I had a few seconds of sincere regret for being such an ass. I disagree with him on several points, and I am confident that Jeff Harris will be a better Attorney General, but Chris waa walking down that hall on the high road, and I was walking it on the low road.

Fortunately, rather than wanting to kick my ass (I suspect he could take me), Chris just wanted to pass on a few comments to me and assure me that his conversion to the Democrat party is sincere. Indeed, I had to admit that we are a big tent party, and the distinction between a liberal Republican and a conservative Democrat is a fine one.

Let me be crystal clear - Jeff Harris is the best candidate for Missouri Attorney General. Jeff has the substance that Koster lacks - he has the experience with the AG's office and the experience of working as a Democrat supporting Democratic causes. But Koster put on a good show last night, and I hope that I hold to my present intention of treating him and others with a bit more dignity.

What Can Koster Do in 2008?

One of the commenters on a previous thread sought to assure Democrats like me that Koster would prove his Democratic bona fides during the Senate session in 2008. The comment provoked me to wonder, just what in the heck can Koster do in one Senate session to atone for his past and to assuage the concerns of those of us who think of him as a self-absorbed pretty face with zero integrity and no principle above self-promotion?

It's a nice thought - I would love to be able to accept Chris at face value, and I'd love to see him accomplish some miracle in the Senate that would convince me and others that his conversion to the Democrat side of the aisle is something more than an unfortunate misunderstanding of the strength of Republican Attorney General opposition. I would relish the thought that Chris was running toward Democratic values instead of away from Catherine Hanaway.

Unfortunately, I just don't think he can do it. I really don't see how a rising star Republican can, over the course of a few months as one of 34 senators, convince the party faithful that he is really one of us. It's not a slight against Koster - I don't think that Harris or Donnelly, after their years of advocacy for the Democrats, could convince Republicans that they were really Republicans, either. While hope spring eternal and true Democrats can (and do) believe in redemption, we're in the Show-Me State.

If Chris toes the Democratic Party line for the next session, most of us will think "so what?", and chalk it up to political expediency. If Chris votes with his old friends on the Republican side, most of us will see it as evidence that his conversion is as shallow as his principles. Furthermore, there's not much that a single Senator can accomplish, anyhow. Senatorial politics is a team sport, and Chris isn't going to be quarterback of either team.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, and Koster will work some kind of magic that will convince loyal Democrats that he is one of us. I'll be watching, but I will frankly admit I'm cynical about Chris' depth and his chances. Show us, Chris Koster.

Koster the Imposter Brought Home the Bacon

CAFO is a word that you'll hear a lot more as the AG race heats up. CAFO is an acronym for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, more commonly known as a factory farm. They replace the image of farms we all grew up with with super-sized concentrations of pigs, jammed together in hideous conditions. I'm no PETA member, but even I don't like the idea of eating something that has spent its entire life jammed in a stinky stall like the most crowded and flatulent elevator you have ever imagined.

Setting aside any porcine pity or tenderness for tenderloins, though, CAFOs are huge canker sores on the environment. They pollute ground water with unimaginable quantities of pig feces and urine. Their smell can make your eyes water, or worse - airborne micro-particles of pig feces can pollute entire zones of beautiful Missouri countrysides.

Economical disaster mirrors the impact on quality of life. Corporate farms don't drive the pick-up to the local feed mill for supplies - they import vast quantities of whatever they need on shiny 18 wheelers without contributing positively to the local economy. CAFOs drive family farmers out of business, and towns disappear when there are no people to shop on Main Street.

Not surprisingly, local communities have sought to protect their towns and the Missouri landscape from these destructive behemoths. Much like the zoning laws that protected Koster when he was living in Hallbrook or in wealthy St. Louis suburbs, local controls are ways for the people of Missouri's towns to preserve their way of life and the towns they have grown up in.

Also not surprisingly, corporate interests have the money to buy legislative protection. Also not surprisingly, Chris Koster was for sale when he was a Republican Senator. He became so enthusiastic about CAFO and the wealthy donors that control them that he actually sponsored SB 364, mockingly entitled the Missouri Farm and Food Preservation Act.

What would SB 364 have done? It would have loosened environmental controls on these factory farms. Not tightened the controls to prevent the spread of disease and environmental damage, but actually loosen those controls, to enhance profits. It also would have prevented counties from controlling their own jurisdictions, ripping local control away from the locals and insisting that only state or federal regulations could be applied to CAFOs.

This is not some act of ancient history I dug out of the vaults - this happened this year, during the 2007 legislative session, while Koster was supposedly becoming a Democrat! Mere months ago, Koster was siding with corporate hog farms against small town Missourians in a classic Republican power play. Now he wants us to trust him?

Personally, I think that stinks like . . . a hog farm.

By the way, both Democrats in the race, Jeff Harris and Margaret Donnelly, opposed the CAFO bill.

Now That Koster is Issuing Refunds . . .

Koster has announced that he "intend(s) to begin the process of returning contributions from individuals in excess of current contribution limits." Note the layers of double-speak - he can't simply return the money, cutting checks and getting them out the door. Instead, he announces that he "intends" to "begin the process." I suspect that means that he's going to keep the money in his account for as long as he can possibly draw interest. I also suspect he's the sort of double-speaking slickster who is incapable of a straightforward sentence.

While he's at it, I hope he sees fit to return the dirty money he took from Republican Rex Sinquefield through sham PACs. But I won't hold my breath.

Give the Republicans Their Money Back, Koster!

Even Mike Gibbons, the "other" Republican in the race for Missouri Attorney General, has agreed that contributions received in excess of the voter-approved caps ought to be returned. Chris Koster is now the only candidate in the race who refuses to comply with the law - not a good sign for an attorney general candidate.

Humorously, Koster's refusal to return hundreds of thousands of dollars from a right-wing Republican operative operating through dozens of shell PACs is based upon his belief that the system should be more transparent.

I understand that it must be challenging for Chris Koster to run as a Democrat after years of suppressing Democratic voices in the Senate and fighting against Democratic values. But returning Republican money really ought to be one of the easiest steps.

Unless he's really thinking about flip-flopping back to the Republican side, where he could be running against his weak fellow-Republican Mike Gibbons . . .

Fortunately, the Democrats have a great candidate in Jeff Harris. From all I've seen, Jeff Harris is the only Democrat who is going to seek Kansas City voters, and he's the one who can appeal to outstate voters.

Why Koster Needs to Take Tainted Money from Rich Republicans

At first I thought maybe Chris Koster had made a foolish mistake by taking $100,000 from a right wing Republican millionaire - and it certainly damaged his attempts to try to portray himself as a Democrat. But he's going to need every nickel he can scrape together if he wants to try to overcome clever gigs like this one: Koster the Imposter.

That, and the next Missouri Attorney General, Jeff Harris, picked up a huge labor endorsement today. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees got on board with Jeff Harris - and I bet that Koster the Imposter is wishing he were back on the Republican side of the ticket.

Shark Week for Politics

Quarterly finance reports have been filed in most state and federal races this past week. 99% of the population does not even know what that means, and could not care less. For the 1% of the population that is fascinated with the minutiae of electoral politics, though, this has been like shark week - an orgy of downloaded pdfs and posturing and "shocking" news. The spin cycle is on hyperdrive.

It's really all kind of funny.

Here are a few random observations . . .

Koster got himself caught up with a Republican money-laundering scheme. He is not a Democrat, and he has no respect for the law. He cannot be taken seriously as a candidate in the Democratic primary. It is a prime example of his self-promotion taking precedence over his integrity.

Amy Coffman has some wonderfully creative and resourceful people on her side. Having raised barely half as much during the quarter as Kander, thus falling even further behind, and having fallen even further behind in the number of donors, they are proclaiming that they have the advantage. Good for them! I admire their pluckiness. I also admire their resourcefulness in using the comments section of this site to try to get their news out, since they don't have a website up yet, a month after we were told we would have one. (In all seriousness, the $10,000 Coffman raised shows that she's a credible candidate, and the creativity and resourcefulness of her people shows that she might be able to stretch her limited dollars.)

Has Grisamore given up? He only has a hundred dollars in the bank, and his adventure in Jefferson City has put him in debt to the tune of $8500. Maybe he's just going back to his handsomely-paid nonprofit gig.

Koster and Bartle, Sitting in a Tree . . .

How many other good democrats love sitting in Matt Bartle's office, reminiscing about the years of frustrating the will of the people, depriving kids of health care, and laughing about whether democrats would be stupid enough to believe he's one of us?

(He's not.)

Koster Reveals Election Plans - Gone Mild Exclusive

Chris Koster has been rumored to be planning a run for Missouri Attorney General since he switched parties on August 1. Gone Mild has discovered that Chris "Capricious" Koster has set his eyes on a far more ambitious electoral agenda, running for a full slate of offices across the globe, tossing his hat in the ring for dozens upon dozens of positions. "My willingness to serve resembles my ego - it is expansive and ever-growing," Koster gushed. "Whenever I see a name in the paper, I think it ought to be mine . . ."

Most political analysts attributed his rat-like behavior in abandoning the sinking Republican ship to a desire to run for the Democratic nomination for Missouri Attorney General. Indeed, Koster admits, that was his primary motivation. Koster explains, "Party labels don't matter as much as Chris Koster matters, so, sure, I was willing to play whatever game and say whatever needed saying to make it easier for me. But when I freed myself of my principles, I saw a whole world of opportunity waiting for me. Without principles, the world is my oyster."

Reflecting the type of original thinking that allows a man to believe he deserves a statewide nomination from a party he has not belonged to for even two full months, Koster has decided that if offices have slates of candidates, it's only fair that candidates should have slates of offices. "Makes sense to me," Koster quips.

Here is a partial list of the offices that Chris Koster has decided to run for (more are being added on a weekly basis):

Democratic Nomination for Missouri Attorney General
Class President, Sweet Springs High School (Mo) Sophomore class
Neighborhood Welcome Committee Chair, Rancho Mirage (Ca) Neighborhood Association
Hall Monitor, Miss Donnelly's Second Grade Class, Lincoln Elementary School, Wilmington, Delaware
Minister of Cultural Affairs, Guam
Chief Bikini Inspector, Juan's Cabana, Cancun, Mexico
Pep Club President, Hazelwood East High School, Hazelwood, Missouri
Social Committee Chair, Delta Delta Delta Sorority, Truman State University
Employee of the Month, Omaha, Nebraska Wal-Mart
President, Mug Club, 75th Street Brewery, Kansas City, Mo.
Mayor, Nagpur, India
County Legislator, Washington County, Illinois
Village Elder, Mtondia, Kenya
Captain, Springfield "Strikers" U-12 Soccer Team, Massachusetts

Not surprisingly, Koster's electoral ambitions have caught many by surprise, including the other candidates running for the offices. Tiffany Smith, the current front-runner for Pep Club President at Hazelwood East, protested that Chris Koster is not even a student at the school. "We are the Spartans, the mighty, mighty Spartans, and Chris Koster isn't a Spartan. Why should he be allowed to run for the most important Spartan booster in the school? It isn't right!", she said, tearing up and biting her lip.

"I'm not a Democrat, either," Koster responded, "but they're letting me run for Attorney General as one. At least I haven't spent the last 3 years working AGAINST the Spartans, like I have the Democrats . . ."

One of the leading village elders of Mtondia, Kenya, responded to Koster's candidacy with a curt "Chris Koster can atanonea my muta mkundu." He spoke on the condition of anonymity, though, because he heard that Koster has the support of several unions. "I don't want saruji viatu."

Here in Missouri, Koster's announcements have raised eyebrows, but some political analysts are congratulating him on a bold move. "I've looked at the bylaws and rules applying to each of the positions he's running for, and he's found a loophole, in that none of them actually require residence or membership in the respective group. They just assumed that anyone running would actually be a member. But, if Chris Koster can run as a Democrat after 3 years of attacking everything that Democrats stand for, why shouldn't he be able to run for Sophomore class President of Sweet Springs?", says UMKC Political Science Professor Mike Andrews. "Besides, if I say anything bad about the plan, he threatens to run against me for chair of the department."

Some suspect that this may be a scheme to hold onto big donations he has received that violate the reinstated caps. Koster has been rumored to be working to come up with ways to circumvent the law, perhaps through claiming some kind of bogus hardship.

"There are no campaign limitations in the bylaws of the 75th Street Brewery Mug Club," reports Koster, flashing his perfect pearly-white teeth. "If the unions and a few trial lawyers who have supported me so far want to donate to my Mug Club candidacy, then I can do massive media buys across the state talking about my good looks. It just so happens that my good looks are also my strongest qualification for Attorney General."

As mentioned above, Koster is still looking for more positions to contain his ambition. Gone Mild suggests that if Koster calls you and seeks your support, that you offer it to him in the form of another position he could run for. Like, maybe District 31 Senator. As a Democrat. Wouldn't that be nice?

Meeting Margaret Donnelly & Sticking with Jeff Harris

Margaret Donnelly is running for Missouri Attorney General, and I had the opportunity to meet her yesterday evening. I went with an open mind, because my admiration for Jeff Harris pales in comparison to my desire to keep the Attorney General's Office in Democratic hands. If she proved to be a better candidate than Jeff Harris, I was prepared to get enthusiastic about her.

Suffice it to say, I'm more on board with Jeff Harris than I ever was.

Does anyone remember Geri Rothman-Serot, the St. Louisan who emerged from a 14-sided Democratic primary in 1992 only to lose a Senate race to Kit Bond? Margaret Donnelly is her political reincarnation.

One thing is perfectly clear - Margaret Donnelly is a St. Louisan. When asked how she plans to win the primary, she pointed out that it is a three way race right now, and that St. Louis provides 40% of the primary vote. She managed not to taunt us insignificant backwater hicks with "do the math, rednecks!", but she did say that "her geography" was one of the reasons she is confident she will win the primary. She also relied on quotations from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and held herself out as the "only player in the St. Louis region" on Medicaid issues.

Like Rothman-Serot, Donnelly has a severe case of 270 myopia. It's a disease that afflicts many St. Louisans, who wind up thinking that St. Charles is the West, Affton is the South, and Normandy is the dangerous North. These people can thrive in their narrow world, but they fail miserably when the rest of the state gets to vote on them.

When asked how she intends to appeal to outstate voters, Donnelly had no real answer. She claimed that her legislative record regarding Medicaid would somehow help her win voters, but was unable to articulate why she thought that would be a major issue for the Attorney General's race, against a candidate who will undoubtedly be smart enough to voice support for health care.

Worse, though, was her attempt to claim that she has adequate experience. She was a family lawyer who handled some juvenile cases. The Attorney General, of course, does not handle divorces. She also showed confusion about the Missouri Plan, pointing to a couple recent rulings by a judge not subject to the Missouri Plan as evidence that the attacks on it are already having a chilling effect. (If you're scratching your head and muttering, "huh?", join the crowd.) (Update: An anonymous commenter correctly points out that her discussion of Judge Callahan makes more sense in the context of the broader attack on the independent judiciary. To be fair, that is probably what she meant, though my question was about the Missouri Plan.)

Margaret Donnelly seems like a fantastically dedicated and fine Democrat. She is not, however, a particularly good candidate for Attorney General. She has no relevant experience, and she does not project the toughness and solidity Missourians want to see in their chief law enforcement officer. She seems to think that Clayton is mid-Missouri.

I've now met all the candidates for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General. They are all good people, but only one has the experience, the outstate appeal, and the Democratic credentials to become our next Attorney General. Jeff Harris is that candidate.

Danny Gibbons on Koster, Missouri Plan, and AG Tensions

A friend of mine was flying home from St. Louis the other evening, and found herself seated next to two brash young republican types. What follows is her account of her enlightening trip, enhaned only by my bolding of my favorite parts:

The kid by the window starts giving his compatriot a crash course in Missouri politics, and I can't help but overhear him. Turns on that he first goes on to say what a huge deal for Republicans in Missouri the Chris Koster switch is, and how everyone in the Republican party is just shocked. He goes on to say that Koster had this big problem with wanting to support stem cell research which "isn't a Republican issue", but that Koster had been a good Republican soldier for Medicaid cuts, and MOHELA, and all that, so basically they are all just shocked. He then goes on to posit that the real reason Koster left the party is that he is worried about running for MO AG against the kid's dad in the Republican primary, which is when I figure out that the kid is Danny Gibbons, 20-something son of Michael Gibbons, the illustrious Republican President Pro Tem of our state senate, if it even deserves that title anymore.

The kid then turns his attention to the recent Supreme Court panel, where he states that the whole deal was totally unfair, because the best candidate who had applied, and whom our illustrious governor had clearly indicated that he expected to be on the panel, is the kid's dad-Mike Gibbons again. He says that the Repubs are all in shock and anger that Gibbons didn't make the panel after the governor indicated that he wanted him on the panel, and the fact that Gibbons didn't make the panel is proof that the system doesn't work, and that the selection is not non-partisan. You would have been proud of me; I did not jump into the conversation to point out that failing to put a guy on the panel for the Supreme Court who is barely a practicing lawyer, let alone isn't a judge, and who apparently doesn't really have much of a commitment to the position, since he is running for Attorney General at the same time, can hardly be considered partisan, but I just keep listening, in awe and horror, as the kid goes on to try to explain that this is what is wrong with the Non-Partisan Court plan-it clearly is partisan because the sitting governor can't get any political hack appointed to the Supreme Court at the snap of his fingers. The kid then goes on to say that Blunt is not going to appoint anyone from this panel, and that the Repubs plan to use this as a big campaign issue.

The kid then goes on to say some more interesting stuff, like that his mom doesn't really want his dad to run for AG, because she doesn't like Jeff City and because she doesn't want to have to give up her job, and she makes as much as the dad.

So, it appears the Republicans are going to refuse to appoint any of the three highly-qualified attorneys on the current panel (including a Republican Ashcroft appointee) and try to use the Missouri Plan as a wedge issue to drive zealots to the polls, and it appears that they are shocked that a "good Republican soldier" like Koster defected over stem cells, which is "not a Republican issue" - just another wedge issue they use.

Normally, I dislike people who talk loudly on planes. Sharing your insider political knowledge with a planeload of people is rude, and not necessarily wise.

Show Me, Chris Koster

Chris Koster has switched parties, and I, for one, welcome his participation as a Democrat. I can't claim to be surprised, either. Way back in May of 2005, I identified Chris as a "legislative roundheels", and pointed out that "there may be a shred of dignity and conscience underneath all that shallow self-promotion and naked ambition".

Rumor has it that he is considering a run for Attorney General. I've already voiced my opinion on Koster's candidacy for AG:

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.

The fact that Koster has fired Roe and joined the party with a conscience doesn't quite get him onto the list of acceptable candidates, though. Let's remember - this is a guy who honestly thinks that Roe's tactics are okay, and is willing to pay Jeff Roe to work on his behalf. Does that sound like anyone you want to be associated with? Does that sound like a Democrat you can support?

Again, I welcome Chris Koster to the Democratic Party. I look forward to stuffing envelopes alongside him, and manning phone banks. I look forward to seeing Chris raise funds for good Democratic candidates, and work on their behalf. In a few years, after he has done those things, I might even consider backing him in an election as a Democrat.

But, please remember, this is the Show-Me State. Chris Koster has shown the Republicans. Let's be careful about what he's showing us.

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.