( – promoted by Clark)

According to the KC Star’s Prime Buzz Blog, Rep. Jim Guest (R-King City) is petitioning the Missouri Ethics Commission to allow him to keep the over-limit contributions he collected.  

Hey, how about that . . . Jim Guest is my representative.  I wonder what is so unfair about compelling him to refund the over-limit contributions?  

When you examine Rep. Guest’s hardship claim, however, it’s pretty laughable.  The only “hardship” appears to be that he would have to raise more money:

Guest said he was fighting to keep the money because giving it back would “deplete” his campaign funds and because the contribution was received “in good faith at the time.”

The Star’s post said that Rep. Guest has $21,833 on hand, and would have to return $15,525 in contributions.  This would leave him with only a $5,000 war chest.

Poor Jim Guest!  Why, with only $5,000, he is only marginally better off than someone who files and decides to run in March.  Oh, the humanity!  Where are his God-given, incumbency-protection rights?

The Fifth District is eminently winnable.  As hotflash already pointed out, the DPI for this district is 48.5 — basically a toss-up.  Guest won reelection in 2006 by 290 votes.  The majority of the district is located in Democratic Clinton County, with the remainder in DeKalb and Gentry counties.  The biggest “city” in the 5th is Cameron.  A Democratic county officeholder (of which there are many in the district) would probably be a formidable opponent, especially if s/he were from Clinton County.

Furthermore, Rep. Guest’s relationship with the Sam Graves political machine is strained, at best.  I wouldn’t count on Jeff Roe & Co. to bail him out should he be caught in a tough reelection campaign.

Representatives LeVota, Storch, Zimmerman, and Talboy: beat those bushes and find a good Democrat we can support in the 5th!