AP: Eckersley offered to keep quiet in exchange for job

The saga of a former aide to Gov. Matt Blunt took another today when Scott Eckersley said he would have not taken his story to the press if the governor’s aides found him another job.

That’s the news coming from a news break from Associated Press reporter David Lieb:

Scott Eckersley was fired in late September for what Blunt’s administration is now describing as poor job performance and misuse of state resources. But neither Blunt’s office nor Eckersley had said anything publicly about his firing until this past weekend.

That’s when Eckersley went public with allegations that he was fired after advising Blunt officials – orally, in a written memo and in e-mails – that the governor’s office wasn’t complying with its own policy about retaining e-mails as public records.

At the same time, Blunt’s administration released a stack of documents to the media intending to show Eckersley had done private work on state time and had received e-mails from a sexually oriented Internet site.

Eckersley said he had remained silent for a month after his firing because a private attorney working on his behalf had attempted to negotiate a deal with Blunt’s administration. Under the proposed arrangement, Eckersley said he would have remained silent and not pursued a lawsuit if he would have received a letter of recommendation and a job, preferably with Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

“I just wanted a positive reference from the governor, and hopefully a place to go,” Eckersley told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Eckersley told the Tribune today that he told administration officials that an e-mail retention policy was going against state law. Richard AuBuchon denied that claim in an prior AP report.

This comes after Springfield News-Leader columnist Tony Messenger wrote a midweek column detailing how he received reams of documents about Eckersley case even though the same information was denied to Attorney Steve Garner. Garner is Eckersley’s lawyer.

Will Graham survive?

Graham

Sen. Chuck Graham’s arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence wasn’t a helpful element to the first-term lawmaker’s re-election hopes, said MU political science professor David Webber.

Webber cited a close race in 2004 and his controversial role in a filibuster of Gov. Matt Blunt’s plan to use sold loans from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority for capital improvement projects as a sign of Graham’s vulnerability.

Now Webber said Graham is presented “with increased challenges” after last Saturday’s arrest. “But I don’t think it means he’s doomed,” he said.

Graham, D-Columbia, kicked off his bid for a second term last Friday at Mizzou Arena. The event, which organizers say attracted roughly 200 people, came less than a week after he was arrested.

No charges have been filed as of yet, although legal action is pending about whether he will lose his driver’s license for a year.

In order to wade off either a defeat next year, Webber said Graham needs to take a number of steps before the 2008 election cycle gets into full swing.

“I think he needs to get the issue behind him as quickly as possible,” Webber said. “So for example, there’s a legal battle over the urine sample — that’s not good for him. I think he needs to… get it over quickly and have a good session. He has control of the agenda with the legislative session.”

Moreover, Webber said, Graham would benefit by staying away from high-profile filibusters. He was instrumental in failed vote-stopping motions to block the MOHELA bill and legislation expanding midwifery. The two moves drew a considerable amount of controversy.

Before that, he lead a filibuster of legislation that transformed Southwest Missouri State University into Missouri State University.

“I would consider he reconsider filibustering,” Webber said. “I don’t think that’s helpful for him.”

In an interview with the Tribune on Wednesday, Graham was asked about he was going to be able to put last week’s arrest behind him a year before he goes before the voters.

“We began by letting the press know so it didn’t look like anybody was hiding anything,” Graham said. “Obviously I came out with a public apology fairly quickly to let people know I’m taking this situation seriously and I’m dealing with it in a very serious manner both on a personal and professional level. A certain amount of it is out of my control because it’ll be up to the special prosecutor and the legal process. You know, I don’t have the ability to hurry or slow down the legal process. It’s going to operate at its own speed. We’ll certainly work with it in a forthright manner. That’s about all I can do for now.”

One aspect that Graham said will help his political fate is an early fundraising start.

“I have probably around $131,000 on hand,” Graham said. “We had a strong fundraiser Friday. We had almost 200 people there and we raised over nearly $15,000. I am humbled and honored for the support that people gave me.”

He also said that his stand on the MOHELA bill bolstered his support in the academic community because he said it showed he was standing up for MU’s ability to do research.

George Connor, a political science professor at Missouri State University, said Republicans might pour more money into the race than they normally would. But he said he didn’t know whether the “alcohol issue” would be the deal breaker.

“I think it’s going to be his support or lack of support for Mizzou,” Connor said. “It’s going to be his support or lack of support for other issues besides this one. But your rule of thumb is your best chance to unseat an incumbent is the first time he runs for re-election. So any ammunition they have to help them in that task is going to be beneficial.”

“Whether it’s worth pouring in ‘x’ number of dollars, I think I would question the wisdom of that,” Connor added.

Although he’s never lost an election since winning the 24th District House seat in 1996, Graham has rarely won by decisive margins. In 2004, he beat back a strong primary challenge from then-Rep. Tim Harlan, D-Columbia, and prevailed over Republican Mike Ditmore by a handful of percentage points.

The general election result was a shift from previous precedent. Sen. Ken Jacob, D-Columbia, for example, won his general election races with over 60 percent of the vote.

Webber said that result shows that Boone County is far more competitive than it was in year’s past. Graham noted that 2004 was a banner year for Republican candidates and that President George W. Bush — who won Boone County by 200 votes — campaigned on behalf of his opponent.

One of the great unknowns about Graham’s re-election hopes is who his Republican — or Democratic — opponent will be.

The Boone County Republican Party has a fairly thin bench of elected officials to run for state legislative offices. And several of them — such as Associate Circuit Judge Kevin Crane or U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia — are in positions that are already higher on political totem pole than a state senator. One elected official widely seen as a possible challenger was Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia. The two-term lawmaker considered running for state Senate before deciding to go for a third term in the Missouri House.

Rep. Therese Sander, R-Moberly, represents Randolph County — which is also part of the 19th District. But some question whether a Randolph County politician could prevail in the more populous Boone County.

Robb said one problem with recruiting a GOP candidate is commitment from people who have other jobs or positions that they’d rather keep. Kat Cunningham, the owner of the administrative-services outsourcing firm Moresource, seemed primed to run for the seat in 2004 before dropping out due to commitments with her business.

“The individuals who might run all have other significant obligations that they would have to make arrangements for,” Robb said. “Unlike Chuck, who has never had a real job, all of the Republicans who might run against him have either a business or they would have to step down from a job. And that’s asking a lot given what this job pays. Reporters make more than senators.”

Graham worked as the Missouri Coordinator for the ADA Project at the University of Missouri-Columbia before his entry into state politics.

Dave Griggs, a local businessman who also declined to run for the seat, said the arrest was just one part of an overarching case against Graham’s re-election. He said Graham’s role in the MOHELA filibuster looms large.

“Chuck’s run-in with the law is an unfortunate deal. It’s unfortunate for Chuck, it’s unfortunate for all of us,” Griggs said. “But that’s only — at least from my standpoint — that’s certainly a component of where we are today, but it’s not the major component. I think the major component is what else can be done for the university.”

Another possibility is that Graham could face a challenge from within his own party. If the candidate is viable, Webber said Graham’s chances at another term could be in trouble. Nobody has stepped forward as of yet.

When asked if the events of last Saturday made a primary fight more likely, Graham said he couldn’t control who would run for the seat.

“It’s up to everybody to make up their own mind,” Graham said. “I obviously wasn’t able to avoid primaries in the past and we were able to survive that. I would hope that we could avoid that going into this year.”

Graham took a sobriety vow when he was interviewed by the Tribune. And if he stands by those promises, the public might be willing to give him another four years in Jefferson City, said Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence.

“You own to your mistakes, you are sincere about not making them again and you do those things that reflect your sincerity,” Shoemyer said. “If you’re sincere about asking for forgiveness for your mistakes and sincere about what you’re doing to rectify that, then his chances are good.”

Drunk driving has had a mixed impact on Missouri politicians. Rep. Tom Burcham of Farmington eventually stepped away from the political arena after two DWI arrests, while Rep. Chuck Portwood, R-Ballwin, won re-election. Portwood opened a fundraising committee for a state Senate seat that will become open in 2010.

Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, said Graham’s political future will depend on how he handles himself in a time of crisis.

“He’s had a problem,” Hobbs said. “Most people wish for good things for people and wish they can come out of their problems. I don’t know if I would say he’s an underdog. But he’s got a legal situation facing him right now. How he deals with that, what the outcome is — yeah, it’ll have some effect on his race the next time. I think he would tell you that, anybody would.”

“I hope he can work through his problems,” Hobbs added. “I wish no ill will on anybody. It’s a sad unfortunate event in his life and for the whole situation. What do you do? As a Republican, anything I say people will say, ‘that’s just politics.’ I don’t want to be political about that. When somebody’s in trouble, you hope that they have a good outcome.”

Will Graham survive?

Graham

Sen. Chuck Graham’s arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence wasn’t a helpful element to the first-term lawmaker’s re-election hopes, said MU political science professor David Webber.

Webber cited a close race in 2004 and his controversial role in a filibuster of Gov. Matt Blunt’s plan to use sold loans from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority for capital improvement projects as a sign of Graham’s vulnerability.

Now Webber said Graham is presented “with increased challenges” after last Saturday’s arrest. “But I don’t think it means he’s doomed,” he said.

Graham, D-Columbia, kicked off his bid for a second term last Friday at Mizzou Arena. The event, which organizers say attracted roughly 200 people, came less than a week after he was arrested.

No charges have been filed as of yet, although legal action is pending about whether he will lose his driver’s license for a year.

In order to wade off either a defeat next year, Webber said Graham needs to take a number of steps before the 2008 election cycle gets into full swing.

“I think he needs to get the issue behind him as quickly as possible,” Webber said. “So for example, there’s a legal battle over the urine sample — that’s not good for him. I think he needs to… get it over quickly and have a good session. He has control of the agenda with the legislative session.”

Moreover, Webber said, Graham would benefit by staying away from high-profile filibusters. He was instrumental in failed vote-stopping motions to block the MOHELA bill and legislation expanding midwifery. The two moves drew a considerable amount of controversy.

Before that, he lead a filibuster of legislation that transformed Southwest Missouri State University into Missouri State University.

“I would consider he reconsider filibustering,” Webber said. “I don’t think that’s helpful for him.”

In an interview with the Tribune on Wednesday, Graham was asked about he was going to be able to put last week’s arrest behind him a year before he goes before the voters.

“We began by letting the press know so it didn’t look like anybody was hiding anything,” Graham said. “Obviously I came out with a public apology fairly quickly to let people know I’m taking this situation seriously and I’m dealing with it in a very serious manner both on a personal and professional level. A certain amount of it is out of my control because it’ll be up to the special prosecutor and the legal process. You know, I don’t have the ability to hurry or slow down the legal process. It’s going to operate at its own speed. We’ll certainly work with it in a forthright manner. That’s about all I can do for now.”

One aspect that Graham said will help his political fate is an early fundraising start.

“I have probably around $131,000 on hand,” Graham said. “We had a strong fundraiser Friday. We had almost 200 people there and we raised over nearly $15,000. I am humbled and honored for the support that people gave me.”

He also said that his stand on the MOHELA bill bolstered his support in the academic community because he said it showed he was standing up for MU’s ability to do research.

George Connor, a political science professor at Missouri State University, said Republicans might pour more money into the race than they normally would. But he said he didn’t know whether the “alcohol issue” would be the deal breaker.

“I think it’s going to be his support or lack of support for Mizzou,” Connor said. “It’s going to be his support or lack of support for other issues besides this one. But your rule of thumb is your best chance to unseat an incumbent is the first time he runs for re-election. So any ammunition they have to help them in that task is going to be beneficial.”

“Whether it’s worth pouring in ‘x’ number of dollars, I think I would question the wisdom of that,” Connor added.

Although he’s never lost an election since winning the 24th District House seat in 1996, Graham has rarely won by decisive margins. In 2004, he beat back a strong primary challenge from then-Rep. Tim Harlan, D-Columbia, and prevailed over Republican Mike Ditmore by a handful of percentage points.

The general election result was a shift from previous precedent. Sen. Ken Jacob, D-Columbia, for example, won his general election races with over 60 percent of the vote.

Webber said that result shows that Boone County is far more competitive than it was in year’s past. Graham noted that 2004 was a banner year for Republican candidates and that President George W. Bush — who won Boone County by 200 votes — campaigned on behalf of his opponent.

One of the great unknowns about Graham’s re-election hopes is who his Republican — or Democratic — opponent will be.

The Boone County Republican Party has a fairly thin bench of elected officials to run for state legislative offices. And several of them — such as Associate Circuit Judge Kevin Crane or U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia — are in positions that are already higher on political totem pole than a state senator. One elected official widely seen as a possible challenger was Rep. Ed Robb, R-Columbia. The two-term lawmaker considered running for state Senate before deciding to go for a third term in the Missouri House.

Rep. Therese Sander, R-Moberly, represents Randolph County — which is also part of the 19th District. But some question whether a Randolph County politician could prevail in the more populous Boone County.

Robb said one problem with recruiting a GOP candidate is commitment from people who have other jobs or positions that they’d rather keep. Kat Cunningham, the owner of the administrative-services outsourcing firm Moresource, seemed primed to run for the seat in 2004 before dropping out due to commitments with her business.

“The individuals who might run all have other significant obligations that they would have to make arrangements for,” Robb said. “Unlike Chuck, who has never had a real job, all of the Republicans who might run against him have either a business or they would have to step down from a job. And that’s asking a lot given what this job pays. Reporters make more than senators.”

Graham worked as the Missouri Coordinator for the ADA Project at the University of Missouri-Columbia before his entry into state politics.

Dave Griggs, a local businessman who also declined to run for the seat, said the arrest was just one part of an overarching case against Graham’s re-election. He said Graham’s role in the MOHELA filibuster looms large.

“Chuck’s run-in with the law is an unfortunate deal. It’s unfortunate for Chuck, it’s unfortunate for all of us,” Griggs said. “But that’s only — at least from my standpoint — that’s certainly a component of where we are today, but it’s not the major component. I think the major component is what else can be done for the university.”

Another possibility is that Graham could face a challenge from within his own party. If the candidate is viable, Webber said Graham’s chances at another term could be in trouble. Nobody has stepped forward as of yet.

When asked if the events of last Saturday made a primary fight more likely, Graham said he couldn’t control who would run for the seat.

“It’s up to everybody to make up their own mind,” Graham said. “I obviously wasn’t able to avoid primaries in the past and we were able to survive that. I would hope that we could avoid that going into this year.”

Graham took a sobriety vow when he was interviewed by the Tribune. And if he stands by those promises, the public might be willing to give him another four years in Jefferson City, said Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence.

“You own to your mistakes, you are sincere about not making them again and you do those things that reflect your sincerity,” Shoemyer said. “If you’re sincere about asking for forgiveness for your mistakes and sincere about what you’re doing to rectify that, then his chances are good.”

Drunk driving has had a mixed impact on Missouri politicians. Rep. Tom Burcham of Farmington eventually stepped away from the political arena after two DWI arrests, while Rep. Chuck Portwood, R-Ballwin, won re-election. Portwood opened a fundraising committee for a state Senate seat that will become open in 2010.

Rep. Steve Hobbs, R-Mexico, said Graham’s political future will depend on how he handles himself in a time of crisis.

“He’s had a problem,” Hobbs said. “Most people wish for good things for people and wish they can come out of their problems. I don’t know if I would say he’s an underdog. But he’s got a legal situation facing him right now. How he deals with that, what the outcome is — yeah, it’ll have some effect on his race the next time. I think he would tell you that, anybody would.”

“I hope he can work through his problems,” Hobbs added. “I wish no ill will on anybody. It’s a sad unfortunate event in his life and for the whole situation. What do you do? As a Republican, anything I say people will say, ‘that’s just politics.’ I don’t want to be political about that. When somebody’s in trouble, you hope that they have a good outcome.”

Eckersley saga continues to churn

Whether Gov. Matt Blunt’s office would face any corrective or punitive action over its policy of retaining e-mails likely depends on Attorney General Jay Nixon, the governor’s opponent in next year’s election. And Nixon’s spokesman once again declined to say whether the office would pursue civil litigation.

The issue has become prominent after Springfield News-Leader columnist Tony Messenger requested additional e-mail records of correspondence between Blunt Chief of Staff Ed Martin and anti-abortion activists. Martin told him the governor’s office did not retain e-mail records.

Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer later told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch there is “there is no statute or case that requires the state to retain individuals’ e-mails as a public record.” But a 2004 law amended Missouri’s Sunshine Law to specifically include electronic and digital communication in the definition of an open record.

Blunt spokeswoman Jessica Robinson said at the time the governor’s office retains and provides public records under the confines of the law. When asked why Martin’s e-mails were unavailable, she said, “I would say if something was deleted, it was because it didn’t meet the qualification of an open record.”

And now, the firing of a lawyer who worked for Blunt is renewing questions about whether Gov. Matt Blunt is following the law mandating e-mail retention.

At the onset at the controversy, Nixon’s office declined to say whether there would action to order the governor’s office to follow the law. Today, Nixon spokesman Scott Holste again declined to say whether the office would pursue legal action.

Charles Davis, a University of Missouri-Columbia journalism professor, said the governor’s office is “not only not following the law, but rather aggressively not following it.” But getting the governor’s office to change course through a court order, Davis said, would be difficult for an ordinary citizen to do.

First, someone would first have to file civil action against the governor or the governor’s staff, Davis said. And then there would be a judicial interpretation of that law to determine whether or not the governor’s office is indeed violating document retention regulations.

“Meanwhile, tick-tock, tick-tock, the days and months and years go by. So first of all they’re residing in a fair deal of safety behind that,” Davis added. “But let’s say you want to do it. You’d file a motion in court seeking civil damages, you would also seek a judicial determination that they must follow the law and a judicial order that they must follow the law. It’s about the only way to not only enforce the Sunshine Law, but also the e-mail retention law as I understand it.”

Because it takes time and resources to file such a suit, Davis said the attorney general’s office could have the best tools to conduct litigation. But since Nixon is running against Blunt for governor, Davis said such a move could be construed as overly political.

Jean Maneke, a Kansas City lawyer whole deals with open records issues, said “nothing will be done unless somebody goes to court over it.”

“Because the way the law is written, there are no penalties unless a court imposes them,” Maneke said. “So somebody has to file a civil lawsuit against the governor’s office or against whoever in that office is violating the law.”

Maneke added that anybody – such as the attorney general or county prosecutor – could pursue such civil action.

The controversy over the governor’s e-mail retention policy resurfaced this week when Scott Eckersley — who served as deputy counsel for Blunt up until recently — told a handful of news outlets that he was fired for advising Blunt’s office that they were incorrectly interpreting the e-mail retention policy.

“My research wasn’t pointing fingers, it wasn’t sinister. It was pretty matter of fact,” Eckersley told the Tribune today. “And I really took strong issue with the initial assertion whether or not e-mails could be considered public records like anything else. I took issue with the fact that the Sunshine Law specifically said that electronically stored documents are also considered to be open records.”

Eckersley said his issue with retention policy was one of the reasons he was fired from the governor’s office. When asked by the Tribune to produce documentation showing that he advised the governor’s office that their policy was incorrect, Eckersley said he “would be willing to do that.” He said he would discuss the matter with his lawyers.

Blunt’s deputy administration commissioner, Rich AuBuchon, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that if Eckersely did possess documents regarding his advisement on the records retention, the governor’s office would not waive its attorney-client privilege and release them. He added that Eckersley “never once voiced a concern, never once wrote an e-mail, never once talked to other employees in the office evidencing any concern that the governor’s office was not complying with the Sunshine Law or any record retention policies.”

AuBuchon also told the AP that Eckersley was fired for performance related issues — including spending an inordinate amount of time conducting legal work on state time for his father’s health-care business. He also noted that Eckersley accessed an adult Web site on a state computer.

“He was fired for poor performance, habitual tardiness, threatening a supervisor, insubordination, using state resources to do significant private work on state time for Employers Health Network and using his state e-mail account for a subscription to a group-sex” Internet “account,” AuBuchon told the AP on Tuesday.

Eckersley has denied accessing the adult Web site and said he was approved to do work – which he said was a minimal amount – for the business.

Blunt spoke out about Eckersley’s firing yesterday at news conference in Springfield. “If he’s an attorney, it would be attorney-client privilege what his advice to us would be, he said. “I don’t think his assertions, though, are accurate.”

Democratic spokesman Jack Cardetti said in a statement that Blunt should allow Eckersley to release documents concerning his supposed advisement on the e-mail retention policy. He added that the attorney-client privilege only binds the attorney, not the client.

“The Governor has the power to resolve this issue today,” said Cardetti. “He can end the well-warranted suspicions of many that despite the advice of his attorney, he knowingly violated Missouri’s record retention policy. If he believes that no documents exist, he should waive attorney-client privilege today. If he continues to refuse to do so, it will be clear that the Governor has something to hide.”

Signals Over the Air

Hulshof

U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia, is drawing fire for his votes on a bill reauthorizing and expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program from the campaign arm for House Democrats.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that the six-term congressman will be targeted with “ radio ads, a mobile text message campaign, and an e-mail campaign.” Other lawmakers included in the buy are:

• Richard Baker (LA-06)
• Steve Chabot (OH-01)
• Ric Keller (FL-08)
• Joe Knollenberg (MI-09)
• Peter Roskam (IL-06)
• John Shadegg (AZ-03)

“Across the country Republicans are feeling the heat for supporting President Bush instead of the health care for America’s kids,” Rep. Craig Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said. “Since Republicans continue to play politics with children’s health care, we will continue to go district by district to hold them accountable for voting in lockstep with President Bush.”

Hulshof has repeatedly voted against legislation to expand the program for families who don’t have health insurance but make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. He has given a multitude of reasons for his votes, ranging from the cigarette tax increase used to pay for the expansion to the inclusion of families making $60,000 to $80,000 onto the program. He said last week that a revamped version of the bill didn’t do enough to keep illegal immigrants off the program.

But proponents of the legislation note that people included who make that income level pay premiums. They also noted that the bill did allow states to mandate certain documentation in order to be enrolled onto the program.

The SCHIP bill has been a popular instrument for Democrats to use against GOP lawmakers. Out-of-state groups, for example, launched advertisements targeting Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, for his votes against the expansion.

But unlike Graves – who is expected to face a competitive match-up against former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes — Hulshof does not have an opponent yet for the 2008 election cycle. He’s won his last three elections with over 60 percent of the vote.

So why would the national arm of the House Democrats exert resources against an incumbent in a district that isn’t on anybody’s list of competitive electoral races yet? Could it be a sign that national Democrats are considering targeting Hulshof the same way they’ve targeted Graves?

Ryan Rudominer, a spokesman for the DCCC, says the advertising campaign is about holding a lawmaker accountable for votes.

“Since Republicans like Congressman Hulshof and Congressman Graves continue to play politics with children’s health care, we will continue to go district by district to hold them accountable for voting in lockstep with President Bush,” Rudominer said.

Hulshof spokesman Scott Baker noted that some of the targeted lawmakers – such as Sheddegg – live in fairly safe House districts. That, he said, could mean the DCCC could be trying to make them vote in favor of the legislation. Baker also said there has been some constituent reaction to the SCHIP bill. He said a few constituents have called about the 61-cent increase in cigarette taxes to fund the expansion.

On a similar note, Baker didn’t know whether Hulshof attended a rather testy meeting with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland. Hoyer received scathing criticism for not reaching out to Republicans in order to get a veto-proof bill through the House.

From the Politico:

They also criticized him and Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois for failing to stop his allies outside Congress from running attack ads in their districts, while they were discussing a bipartisan deal.

The result was a predictable one for this bitterly divided Congress. The House vote for a second SCHIP bill was a healthy majority, but not the two-thirds needed to override another veto vowed by President Bush. Only one Republican switched his vote — to oppose the measure.

Democrats accused Republicans of hurting kids. Republicans howled about a heavy-handed, uncompromising Democratic majority. And another chance at bipartisan consensus slipped away.

“They spent $1.5 million through their various shill outreach groups attacking me and a handful of my colleagues,” Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.) said before the Hoyer meeting, “but they did not spend five minutes to approach me to ask for my vote.”

The SCHIP program will expire in mid-November without another extension from Congress.

Click on the link below to read the entire text of the advertisement.

Blunt responds to Eckersley fracas

The Missouri Democratic Party sent out the above YouTube video of Gov. Matt Blunt responding to questions about Scott Eckersley’s firing.

Eckersley, a former deputy told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Springfield News-Leader recently that he was let go for disagreeing with the administration on a policy regarding the retention of e-mails. Blunt said today he was fired for numerous conduct-related issues.

Don’t call him Sen. Harris

Harris

Koster

Anyone watching to see Roy Temple or Julie Gibson exert themselves in a Columbia-area state Senate race will have to keep on waiting.

That’s because Rep. Jeff Harris, D-Columbia — a candidate for attorney general — has no plans to take his team or his $350,000 war chest to challenge Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia. Such a scenario was discussed last week by the Source, a blog run by GOP consultant Jeff Roe.

“Republican rumors,” Harris called the blog post.

Instead, Harris is taking aim at Sen. Chris Koster, a Harrisonville Democrat who officially announced his entry into the race to replace Attorney General Jay Nixon. Rep. Margaret Donnelly, D-Richmond Heights, and Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, are also engaged in the race.

Koster — who bolted from the Republican Party in August — is currently leading all three candidates in the amount campaign cash on hand. He’s also racked up endorsements from a number of labor unions and prominent political officials, such as St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCullough.

But Harris has been criticizing Koster for months. Recently, he chastised the first-term senator for taking $100,000 from retired businessman Rex Sinquefield. Sinquefield has supported the so-called “school choice” agenda, but Koster told the Post-Dispatch that he didn’t agree with all of his views.

In an interview with the Tribune that was posted yesterday, Koster emphasized his experience as a prosecutor in Cass County. He gained notoriety for taking on the case of serial killer John Robinson, an event chronicled in this YouTube video.

But Harris said Koster’s focus on his prosecutorial experience is a diversion.

“The most important experience and most relevant for this office is service in the office,” Harris said. “And I am the only candidate with a strong record of service in the office. I headed up a section of that office for Jay Nixon and handled some substantial litigation and cases when I headed up that section. Koster, for obvious reasons, doesn’t want to talk about his service in the attorney general’s office because he served under a guy who went to federal prison. So that’s why he’s trying to deflect attention away from his service because it obviously hurts him and helps me.”

Harris is referring to Bill Webster, a Republican attorney general who lost the 1992 Governor’s Race to Mel Carnahan and subsequently went to jail.

Additionally, Harris is taking issue with Koster’s pledge to personally participate on an appellate and trial court level.

“As attorney general, you are the CEO of the state’s law firm… of the taxpayer’s law firm. And so if Koster is suggesting that, it seems to me he’s still running for prosecuting attorney of Cass County,” Harris said. “If he is saying he’s going to get involve in a bunch of cases, then it has been a while since he’s served in that office …. He’s not recognizing that he’ll have significant and major responsibilities as the CEO or managing partner of the office.”

Don’t call him Sen. Harris

Harris

Koster

Anyone watching to see Roy Temple or Julie Gibson exert themselves in a Columbia-area state Senate race will have to keep on waiting.

That’s because Rep. Jeff Harris, D-Columbia — a candidate for attorney general — has no plans to take his team or his $350,000 war chest to challenge Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia. Such a scenario was discussed last week by the Source, a blog run by GOP consultant Jeff Roe.

“Republican rumors,” Harris called the blog post.

Instead, Harris is taking aim at Sen. Chris Koster, a Harrisonville Democrat who officially announced his entry into the race to replace Attorney General Jay Nixon. Rep. Margaret Donnelly, D-Richmond Heights, and Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, are also engaged in the race.

Koster — who bolted from the Republican Party in August — is currently leading all three candidates in the amount campaign cash on hand. He’s also racked up endorsements from a number of labor unions and prominent political officials, such as St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCullough.

But Harris has been criticizing Koster for months. Recently, he chastised the first-term senator for taking $100,000 from retired businessman Rex Sinquefield. Sinquefield has supported the so-called “school choice” agenda, but Koster told the Post-Dispatch that he didn’t agree with all of his views.

In an interview with the Tribune that was posted yesterday, Koster emphasized his experience as a prosecutor in Cass County. He gained notoriety for taking on the case of serial killer John Robinson, an event chronicled in this YouTube video.

But Harris said Koster’s focus on his prosecutorial experience is a diversion.

“The most important experience and most relevant for this office is service in the office,” Harris said. “And I am the only candidate with a strong record of service in the office. I headed up a section of that office for Jay Nixon and handled some substantial litigation and cases when I headed up that section. Koster, for obvious reasons, doesn’t want to talk about his service in the attorney general’s office because he served under a guy who went to federal prison. So that’s why he’s trying to deflect attention away from his service because it obviously hurts him and helps me.”

Harris is referring to Bill Webster, a Republican attorney general who lost the 1992 Governor’s Race to Mel Carnahan and subsequently went to jail.

Additionally, Harris is taking issue with Koster’s pledge to personally participate on an appellate and trial court level.

“As attorney general, you are the CEO of the state’s law firm… of the taxpayer’s law firm. And so if Koster is suggesting that, it seems to me he’s still running for prosecuting attorney of Cass County,” Harris said. “If he is saying he’s going to get involve in a bunch of cases, then it has been a while since he’s served in that office …. He’s not recognizing that he’ll have significant and major responsibilities as the CEO or managing partner of the office.”

New player enters 23rd District jumble

Former Boone County Presiding Commissioner Don Stamper effectively left the contest to replace Rep. Jeff Harris yesterday. Today, it seems a new candidate has emerged to jump into the fray.

Candece Iveson, who used to work for Citizens for Missouri’s Children and runs an organization called Policy Works, LLC, filed papers to raise money for the 23rd District House seat. Iveson filed to run as a Democrat.

Iveson also placed her name in the running for a vacant seat on the Columbia School Board.

If Iveson enters the contest, she would face off against Russ Unger, an apprentice trainer with the Sheet Metal Union. Unger has been actively fundraising for past few quarters, totalling up over $20,000 to run for the seat.

Harris is stepping away from the Missouri House to run for attorney general.

New player enters 23rd District jumble

Former Boone County Presiding Commissioner Don Stamper effectively left the contest to replace Rep. Jeff Harris yesterday. Today, it seems a new candidate has emerged to jump into the fray.

Candece Iveson, who used to work for Citizens for Missouri’s Children and runs an organization called Policy Works, LLC, filed papers to raise money for the 23rd District House seat. Iveson filed to run as a Democrat.

Iveson also placed her name in the running for a vacant seat on the Columbia School Board.

If Iveson enters the contest, she would face off against Russ Unger, an apprentice trainer with the Sheet Metal Union. Unger has been actively fundraising for past few quarters, totalling up over $20,000 to run for the seat.

Harris is stepping away from the Missouri House to run for attorney general.