Previously:

Missouri Boys State 2012 (June 16, 2012)

Attorney General Chris Koster at Missouri Boys State 2012 – Q and A (June 17, 2012)

Governor Jay Nixon (D) and Kansas City Mayor Sly James at Missouri Boys State 2012 (June 18, 2012)

Kansas City Mayor Sly James at Missouri Boys State 2012 (June 18, 2012)

James Carville at Missouri Boys State 2012 – photos (June 19, 2012)

James Carville at Missouri Boys State 2012 (June 19, 2012)

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) spoke at Missouri Boys State in Hendricks Hall on the campus of the University of Central Missouri on Thursday evening:

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) speaking at Missouri Boys State

in Hendricks Hall on the campus of the University of Central Missouri on June 21, 2012

The transcript:

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D): …. And I want to break it down in, really, to three questions. They seem kind of basic. But it turns out basic questions are really the ones we have to ask ourselves that end up making the difference in how we live or lives.

And the first question seems incredibly simple. Who are you? You might tell me your name, you might hand me your resume. Doesn’t really tell me much about you. Doesn’t tell me about what you value, what your principles are, what you hold dear, what you’re passionate about. You might tell me that you’re a Boys Stater, that might be an Eagle Scout, or somebody on the track team, might be a basketball player, an honor roll student. If I answered those questions I’d tell you I was a fifth generation Missourian, I’m a lawyer, run a few marathons, have a cattle farm, like to fly airplanes. That doesn’t tell you much about me and what I value. These descriptions are useful, but what’s more useful is what’s inside. And what motivates us and keeps us going. It’s our goals….

…You know, when I took this job as Secretary of State, one of the things I have to do is hire a lot of people, so plenty of resumes come in. And it’s gonna, it’s gonna be interesting if you look at resumes. I don’t know how many of y’all have done this. But a lot of times people’s, you know, credentials, they’re all pretty impressive. The real question is which one of them has the integrity and the passion to do what I need ’em to do. That’s never on that piece of paper. I remember talking to a guy who ran a, a HR shop in a big company and he told me that integrity was such an important part of what they looked for when they hired people that he asked this question in every interview. He asked, has there ever been a time in your life when you stood alone on the side of what was right and it cost you something? [pause] That is sort of a telling moment, isn’t it? When you’re doing something that isn’t along with what everybody else does, or isn’t what the crowd, or isn’t the easy choice. And yet, in the end, that is what tells you who you are inside. And that is what ends up mattering to people the most. The best part about that is that you get to decide those things. It’s sort of an amazing thing how many choices you have in life. And I know when you’re young it seems like they’re just so many choices. It is so cool that you get to decide your path. That’s a great thing about America, is we don’t live in this place where where you’re born is where you end up. We live in a place where you have the choice and you’re empowered to do those things.

You know, there’s a great story about a couple of young men that were born not too far from each other in Germany back in the late eighteen hundreds. They were alike in a lot of ways, they were born like two hundred miles apart, they were both altar boys at their church, both really creative, one was big into the arts and another was into music. Both of them wrote books. At one point in their lives they talked about their life’s philosophy. One of the young men, he wandered around Europe as an artist and tried to sell all of his stuff and failed at that and went back and joined the army, found out that he was really good at leading people and went on to do that. His name was Adolph Hitler. [voices: “Oh.”] Another guy who grew up two hundred miles away from him, liked music. Very, very talented. He became a master organ builder. One of the most, foremost authorities about Bach. Earned a degree in theology and philosophy. He had all this talent and everybody in his town thought he could do anything he set his mind to do. The world was his oyster. But here’s where the story gets interesting. This young guy, when he was in his mid twenties made a couple of really profound decisions about his life. He decided that until he was thirty years old he was only going to study things he was really, really interested in. When he got to be thirty he was gonna go to medical school. After he got done with medical school he decided to go to Africa. He started a leper colony and a hospital. People back home in Europe couldn’t understand how this brilliant mind was being wasted. That he had made the choice to waste his life. He has so much to offer in Europe, and yet he went to equatorial Africa to be a doctor. Anybody know who I’m talking about? Albert Schweitzer. You’re right. Albert Schweitzer, a man who went on to make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. These are two people who grew up in very similar areas, who made life choices that were dramatically different fro the world.

Just like you they had to make a choice about who they were. The choices that you make are profound for your community and for your country. Second, second question, told you there were three. Second question, again, pretty simple. Reminds me of another story of a scientist, I love this. It’s about Albert Einstein. He was a professor at Princeton University. The story goes that he was on a train going someplace and the conductor comes down and starts taking tickets, to all the people on the train and came to Dr. Schweitzer [Einstein] and, and he couldn’t find his ticket. He’s looking around, he’s looking in his pockets, he can’t find his ticket, he’s looking in his briefcase, he can’t find the ticket. The conductor says, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry about it, I know who you are, don’t worry about it, I’m sure you bought a ticket, you’re fine. Conductor went on, going down the aisle, taking the rest of the tickets and he’s about to leave the car, when he turns around he sees Einstein, like on the floor looking around still. And so he rushes back and says, Dr. Einstein, really, we know who you are, I know you bought a ticket, don’t worry. And Einstein got up and stopped and looked at him and said, young man, I, too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going. You can laugh at that, that’s supposed to be a joke. [laughter] Come on. [laughter] I actually thought was sort of funny. [applause] You’ve never had that happen before. [applause] You guys. Ah, should have told a joke first. Okay. No, but it’s true.

You gotta know where you’re going. It’s a question that haunts everybody. Doesn’t matter who you are, the goals and directions that make a difference,
people struggle with those. Sometimes they don’t even bother because it’s such a hard thing.

It’s sort of fortunate I grew up in this family, you heard from my bio, people involved in politics. I discovered at an early age that people in my family didn’t really didn’t struggle with having big dreams. Have ’em all the time. Sometimes we’d get, we, sometimes we achieve ’em, sometimes we don’t, but we never lack for having a big dream. And I know that one of the stories I love is when my grandfather, I was growing up. He was born in the late eighteen hundreds, he was one of nine kids, he was the only one that went to college, went to become a school teacher, but he had these big ideas about what he wanted to do. Even though there was no real reason to think any of this would ever come true, but he still had ’em. And this great story, about the day he walked in to the house and announced to my grandmother that he intended to run for Congress. Well you can imagine my grandmother’s surprise. She thought this was a terrible idea and said so. She said, don’t do it, you can’t win. He’s a big dreamer, hard headed, went to the neighbors, told the neighbors he intended to run for Congress. They said, ah, don’t do that, you can’t win. Told the local politicians he intended to run for Congress, they’re all like, no, no, don’t do that, you will never win. Well, he was a dreamer, went on, ran for Congress anyway. And guess what happened? [voices: “He won.”] He lost. They were right. [applause] He lost. He didn’t win. But it turns out that’s not the end of the story. Because, of course, it was a setback not to win, but that didn’t change his ultimate goal just because there was a setback. Two years later he ran for Congress again and he won. And he kept winning and serving in Congress for fourteen years. Went on to be a delegate to the United Nations and served as an ambassador in west Africa under President John F. Kennedy. It’s a long way from where he started.

Goals and dreams have a way of keeping you on track and giving you a purpose even when they’re hard. And for those of you in this room, this is especially important, having those goals and having the direction, because the chances are, there are gonna be people behind you wanting to follow in your footsteps. And so you all knowing where you want to go will make a difference not just in your life, but in the lives of all those around you.

Okay, last question. What difference will you make? [pause] You ever notice there are some people who seem to live their lives, they wake up in the morning, they go to work, they go home, have dinner, watch television, collapse into bed, and do that same thing again the next day. Their lives are focused narrowly, just on what they can do for themselves, and sometimes they’re pretty successful. But there are other people who not only figure out ways to succeed but they also figure out ways to help others. These are the ones that volunteer at the school, these are the ones that are here at Boys State helping, these are the ones that lead Boy Scout troops, or get involved in campaigns, or help clean up a polluted stream, or get involved at church or a local hospital. You know those people.

You know, the ancient Rabbis had a name for this, they called it tikkun olam. It means repair the Earth. [pause] To me that seems like an incredibly powerful mission to repair the Earth. To right the wrongs that mankind has done to each other and to our planet. And for some of you in this room repairing the Earth might mean running for office, it might mean joining the military, it might mean volunteering at a homeless shelter, or coaching a little league baseball team. Each of you is in a very unique position. To serve. And I hope before you leave here this week you figure out how you can do that when you go back home. ‘Cause service isn’t just about some big idea. It can be small things.

When my father was Governor of Missouri one of the things he did to repair the Earth he never talked about. Live out in the country, and he would go for a walk along our county gravel road he always had a plastic bag with him. He was picking up trash. The Governor of Missouri was picking up trash. He was busy reforming education, doing other things to get money and change things around to make the state better, but he also picked up trash.

So don’t think that you can’t find a way to serve. [applause]

So, that’s my message tonight. Three questions. Now, my challenge to you is to answer those questions for yourself. Who am I? Where am I going? And what difference will I make? And as you do that I hope you’ll consider the words of President Kennedy who said, with a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth and lead this land that we love, asking his blessing and his help, but knowing that here on Earth God’s work must truly be our own.

So, thank you all very much. [applause]

Today is the first day of the week-long American Legion Boys State of Missouri program on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Approximately 1000 boys from across Missouri will participate this week. This is the fifth year we’ve been able to cover the session.

It takes a significant number of volunteers to register the approximately 1000 Boys State citizens.

Why do we cover this? It’s about government and politics. Plus, Missouri Boys State always has an impressive list of speakers, including statewide office holders.

The keynote speakers this week:

MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL CHRIS KOSTER

Saturday, June 16, 2012 (6:45-7:30 PM)

Prior to the Opening Night Ceremonies of the 73rd session of Missouri Boys State current Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster will deliver the keynote address at a special assembly in Hendricks Hall. Following his prepared remarks, Attorney General Koster will hold a question and answer session.

MISSOURI GOVERNOR JAY NIXON

Sunday, June 17, 2012 (6:45-7:30 PM)

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon will deliver a keynote address at a special assembly on Sunday evening in Hendricks Hall. Govenor Nixon has been an outstanding supporter of the Boys State program throughout his years as Missouri’s Attorney General and Governor. We are very pleased to have him back to Boys State. The Governor will hold a question and answer session following his prepared remarks.

KANSAS CITY MAYOR SLY JAMES

Sunday, June 17, 2012 (7:30-8:30 PM)

Kansas City Mayor Sly James will deliver a keynote address at a special assembly on Sunday evening in Hendricks Hall. This is Mayor James’ first visit to the Boys State program and he will provide a candid and entertaining discussion of the issues facing elected officials at the city level. We are very pleased to have him as part of the program. The Mayor will hold a question and answer session following his prepared remarks.

MEDIA PERSONALITY AND POLITICAL ICON JAMES CARVILLE

Monday, June 18, 2012 (7:15-8:45 PM)

James Carville will accept the 24th Annual George W. Lehr Memorial Speakers Chair on Monday night at Hendricks Hall. One of the most recognizable figures in politics, James Carville is an insider who analyzes the Obama Administration, Congress, the 2012 elections and the global political landscape with his signature energy and humor. Following his prepared remarks Mr. Carville will hold a question and answer session.

MISSOURI SECRETARY OF STATE ROBIN CARNAHAN

Thursday, June 20, 2012 (7:15-9:15 PM)

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan will deliver the keynote address at the special assembly on Monday evening. Secretary of State Carnahan has been a long time supporter of the Missouri Boys and Girls State programs. Robin Carnahan was sworn in as Missouri’s 38th Secretary of State in January 2005. Carnahan’s family has a proud history of devotion to public service. Her father, Mel Carnahan, served as Missouri’s Governor, and her mother, Jean Carnahan, was the first woman to serve Missouri in the U.S. Senate. Her grandfather, A.S.J. Carnahan, a congressman from south-central Missouri for 14 years, was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to be U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone.

WHITE HOUSE FELLOW AND NAVY SEAL COMMANDER ERIC GREITENS

Friday, June 22, 2012 (7:00-8:30 PM)

White House Fellow, Navy Seal Commander and Rhodes Scholar Eric Greitens will speak to MBS participants on Friday at Hendricks Hall. One of the most accomplished Boys Staters in recent memory, Greitens will share his extraordinary career with Boys Staters in a special assembly. Greitens returned from his last tour of duty in Iraq in 2007. As an award-winning humanitarian leader, Eric has traveled to many war and crisis torn countries to reveal not only the hardship of the people, but also their strength and compassion. Following his prepared remarks he will hold a question and answer session.

Gary Grigsby, a member of the American Legion and a long time Boys State volunteer.

Previously:

Missouri Democratic Convention – photos (June 9, 2012)

Missouri Democratic Convention – photos part 2 (June 9, 2012)

Missouri Democratic Convention – photos part 3 (June 9, 2012)

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan addressing the delegates to the Missouri Democratic Convention on Saturday, June 9, 2012.

On Saturday, June 9th, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan addressed the delegates to the Missouri Democratic Convention:

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D): [applause] Well, thank you all so much. It’s great to be here. Talk about walking into a crowd of friendly faces. [laughter] I, I look in here and it’s like being back home at some family reunion and I appreciate, uh, everybody being so kind. And if you haven’t gotten one of mom’s books, she’s out there selling ’em and signing ’em right now. So, uh, get out there.

You know, I don’t know how many of ya’ll are like me. You turn the television on and big, big old headlines all over everything – it was a bad week for the Democrats, bad week for the President. And I’m sitting there kind of shaking my head thinking the reality that these people live in [laughter] is different than the reality where I am. [laughter] Because it seems to me that we as Democrats are in a great place. [cheers, applause] [voice: “Right.”] A great place. [applause] Think about it. We’ve got, we’ve got a President who stands for conviction, who puts the people in front of partisan politics at every turn. He’s running against somebody who we saw over the past few months is willing to say and do anything. What kind of leader do we deserve and expect in this country? We deserve a leader like Barack Obama who is gonna stand for things, fight for things, and look out for all of the people. [applause]…

…And, when it comes to Missouri I’m even more baffled. Think about it. We’ve got a fantastic senator who speaks the truth and common sense with straight talk in a place that’s full of mush mouthed people [laughter] who won’t take a stand about things. We can be proud of what Claire McCaskill is doing [cheers, applause] We ought to talk about it. [applause, cheers] She’s out there. She’s out there every day fighting for us. She’s fighting to make government accountable and efficient and doing the things that we care about. [voice: “Yep.”] Be proud of that. We don’t even know who she’s running against but they’re busy trying to out ideologue each other. We’ll see who that ends up being.

And then it comes to the Governor. We’ve got this governor that we can be incredibly proud of. [applause] Here we are [applause], here we are in this difficult economic time in our country when jay [Nixon] took the reins of our state and yet he’s continued to balance the budget and he’s continued to have the real priorities that matter to regular people. And he’s continued to fight back the nonsense that continually comes up from the legislature, believe me, I’m there, I see, you all have watched it. And he is the line of attack that stops that and keeps our state focused on things that matter. Be proud of that. Talk about that. [applause]

And then, and then, and then look at these other races. You just saw Clint [Zweifel] , he’s doing a fantastic job being the steward of our resources. You don’t even know the guy that’s running against him. We need to go out there and fight about that – he, every day is figuring what he can do to help regular working families in our state.  And Chris Koster, he’s standing up for things we care about. He’s the kind of candidate, the kind of person we need as the Attorney General. I couldn’t be prouder of these candidates. And for the other races, Lieutenant Governor and my office, Secretary of State, we are gonna have fine candidates that outstrip their opponents at every turn.

So [applause], all this talk [applause] , I, I just want to everybody, you gotta have a reality check. When you’re hearing all this stuff on the TV and you think that this, this isn’t what’s going on in Missouri. Well, you’re right. It’s not what’s going on in Missouri. It doesn’t, it can’t be what’s going on in Missouri. It’s up to us to tell the story of what’s really going on here in our state.

Now, you might say, well, what do we have to worry about? It’s so great. Well, I think we do have things we have to worry about. I think we have to worry about money, ’cause this transformation that’s happened with the Supreme Court allowing unlimited contributions. We saw what it did in two thousand ten. It’s gonna be back in two thousands and twelve with a vengeance. The other thing we have to worry about, hear me when I tell you this, is complacency. [voice: “Yeah.”] Complacency. [applause] Let me tell you, [inaudible] clap about that. There’s nothing to clap about complacency. [laughter] What’s important is that we recognize it. [voice: “Right.”] And we know that we can beat the money with our passion, we can beat the money with our politics, we can beat the money with our people, but not if we’re complacent. [voice: “That’s right.”] [applause] And what you’re here today to do is to understand and to get energy from the other people here about what we can do around this state. Because we have got great candidates, we have got great stories to tell, and we have got a great future in this state. And it’s because of the hard work and the passion and commitment that we all have to bring to this.

Now, there are a hundred and forty-nine days, I’m the elections official you know, a hundred and forty-nine days [laughter] before election day. Think about that. We’re gonna see a lot of ups and downs. Sometimes they try to figure out who’s gonna win in the press cycle. I don’t think in the end that’s what matters. What matters is how hard we work, who’s gonna win the hearts of America. And you win that by your passion and your commitment and you devotion to a cause. And that’s what each of us needs to commit to do in the next hundred and forty-nine days.

Can I see a show of hands or you can stand or you can clap if you think you’re gonna be out there fighting hard [applause, cheers] between now and election day. [inaudible] Let me just tell you [applause] I know it’s already started [cheers], so yesterday, yesterday, think about this, a hundred forty-nine days before the election, yesterday somebody knocked on my door for Claire McCaskill. [cheers, applause] Door to door. A hundred and forty-nine days before election day. I’ve never seen that before but I am proud of it. I know Claire’s working, I know everybody is out there working and I’m gonna be out there and I hope it’ll be by my side every step of the way. Thank you all, very, very much. [cheers, applause]

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) speaking with state delegates in the hall during a break in the convention.

The October 2011 quarterly campaign finance reports are showing up at the Missouri Ethics Commission. The active Secretary of State campaign committees:

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) has announced that she is not running for reelection.

Jason Kander (D) filed his filed his filed his quarterly report on October 17th:

REPORT SUMMARY

KANDER FOR MISSOURI [pdf] 10/17/2011

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $65,015.00

10. Expenditures made by cash or check this period $2,195.56

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $232,888.45

34. Total Indebtedness at the Close of This Reporting Period $0.00

[emphasis added]

That’s a healthy cash on hand. And that does not include:

Campaign Finance: Jason Kander (D) continues…part 3 (October 13, 2011)

….A total of $80,406.00 since September 30th. And that’s just the big dollar contributions (over $5000.00) that must be reported within 48 hours.

There are two republican candidates.

Scott Rupp (r) filed his filed his quarterly report on October 17th:

REPORT SUMMARY

RUPP FOR MISSOURI [pdf] 10/17/2011

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $85,700.00

10. Expenditures made by cash or check this period $16,759.94

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $96,210.60

34. Total Indebtedness at the Close of This Reporting Period $0.00

[emphasis added]

That’s a relatively paltry cash on hand.

Bill Stouffer (r) filed his filed his filed his filed his quarterly report on October 17th:

REPORT SUMMARY

FRIENDS OF BILL STOUFFER [pdf] 10/17/2011

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $28,805.00

3. All Loans Received This Period $150,000.00

10. Expenditures made by cash or check this period $19,095.14

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $170,614.39

34. Total Indebtedness at the Close of This Reporting Period $150,000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s a decent cash on hand, but most of it is from a loan:

SUPPLEMENTAL LOAN INFORMATION

FRIENDS OF BILL STOUFFER [pdf] 10/17/2011

1. NAME AND ADDRESS OF LENDER

WILLIAM H STOUFFER

NAPTON MO 65340

4. DATE OF LOAN 9/30/2011

5. AMOUNT OF LOAN $150,000.00

6. ANNUAL RATE OF INTEREST 6%

7. TIME PERIOD OF LOAN 1 YEAR

[emphasis added]

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D), while not running for reelection, has not terminated her committee yet and must still file a quarterly report (and did so on October 15th):

REPORT SUMMARY

ROBIN CARNAHAN FOR MISSOURI [pdf] 10/15/2011

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $3.00

10. Expenditures made by cash or check this period $7,841.14

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $203,002.39

34. Total Indebtedness at the Close of This Reporting Period $0.00

[emphasis added]

That’s a significant cash on hand.

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) campaigning for the U.S. Senate in Lee’s Summit, Missouri on October 30, 2010.

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, in an e-mail to supporters, announced today that she will not be seeking reelection in 2012:

I’m proud of the success we’ve had in the Secretary of State’s office by staying focused on things that matter for Missourians.

We’ve saved taxpayers money, while still providing terrific services to Missourians. We’ve cut red tape and costs for small businesses so they can focus on growing their businesses and creating jobs. And we have helped consumers and investors learn how to better protect themselves, and recovered more than $10 billion for victims of financial fraud.

We’ve made Missouri history come alive by making our state’s precious historical resources available on-line to hundreds of millions of people all around the world. And, despite the efforts of some to let politics interfere with Missourians right to vote, we’ve protected the rights of voters and the integrity of our elections so that we can all have faith in the fairness of the results.

Without question, serving the state and people that I love has been the honor of my life. Your friendship and support over the years have given me the strength to stand up to challenges, both political and personal. But after careful reflection, I’ve decided not to run for a 3rd term as Secretary of State.

Many who step away from public life cite a desire to “spend more time with family.” I’ve already learned to cherish every moment spent with family and friends, because I know that life is precious and unpredictable.

But I’ve also learned that service can and does take many forms, and elective office is just one of them.

I watched as my father moved regularly between elective office and private life…always devoted to his family and to making a positive difference in the community. He served on church boards, the local school board and helped the Red Cross and countless other causes–every day committed to helping a neighbor and making the community better. Dad always thought his experience as a private citizen helped make him a more effective public servant and a better governor.

After 8 years as Secretary of State, the time will be right for me to return to private life, to gather new ideas and experiences and a fresh perspective. But my commitment to public service won’t stop, because I know the challenges facing our country can’t be solved in Washington or Jefferson City alone. It will take ideas, energy and the daily commitment and determination of all of us.

So I plan to stay engaged and involved. And I ask you to do the same. For me, that could include running for elected office again, but it will certainly mean speaking out and working hard for the values we share and the candidates who stand up for them.

My term as Secretary of State continues for another 15 months. During that time, my terrific staff and I will stay focused on providing the type of outstanding service Missourians expect and deserve.

Thanks again for all your help and friendship. It means more to me than you will ever know. I’ll look forward to connecting with you soon.

No one can question Robin Carnahan’s personal commitment to public service. And no one should second guess when a fine public servant decides it’s time for a change.

Representative Jason Kander (D) announced today that he will be running for Secretary of State in 2012:

Representative Jason Kander (center) (D) on the House floor in Jefferson City, May 14, 2010.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, September 30, 2011

Rep. Jason Kander Thanks Secretary Carnahan for Her Tremendous Service; Announces Candidacy for Secretary of State

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rep. Jason Kander (D-Kansas City) issued the following statement today regarding the announcement by Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan that she won’t be seeking reelection:

“I want to express my deep gratitude to Secretary Carnahan for her years of service to Missouri. In a state full of accomplished public servants her achievements stand out. Her dedication to public service has made this state demonstrably better. From fighting aggressively to protect our senior citizens from fraud to ensuring fair elections year in and out, Secretary Carnahan has led from the front. I am confident that in her future endeavors she will continue to stand up for Missourians, and I look forward to continue working with her in the future.

“It is important that the next Secretary of State continues moving the office forward in the most efficient and effective manner. Our next Secretary of State must be someone who knows the difficulties small businesses face. Our next Secretary of State must be someone who has a record of fighting fraud and corruption in government. Our next Secretary of State must be beholden to no one but the voters. Our next Secretary of State must be committed to working every day to making Missouri stronger.

“I am the son of a cop and a juvenile probation officer. I am the husband of a small business owner. I am the product of an extended family of foster brothers. I am a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. I am running for Secretary of State and I look forward to talking with citizens from across Missouri about my vision for the office.”

Jason Kander is a State Representative from Kansas City and currently serves in the Army National Guard. As a military intelligence officer in the Army Reserve, Kander volunteered in 2006 for deployment and served in Afghanistan. In 2010, he was one of ten soldiers selected as national finalists for Army Reserve Outstanding Junior Officer of the Year. Rep. Kander currently serves on the Missouri Veterans Commission. Kander is a lawyer and lives with his wife Diana in Kansas City.

###

Jason Kander has also demonstrated a strong commitment to public service and personal sacrifice.

We’re in good shape when good people choose to serve.

Randy Turner at The Turner Report has a post up about focus group results released as part of the discovery in the Faux News Channel lawsuit against Robin Carnahan’s (D) 2010 senate campaign. There’s an interesting refrain about ACORN, showing that the rightwing’s assault based on fake charges and Congress’ capitulation with a bill of attainder did more damage than just shutting down the group which legitimately registered voters and provided other legitimate services.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Documents in Fox News lawsuit indicate why Robin Carnahan lost Senate election

Documents turned over to Fox News attorneys by a consulting firm provide evidence why Roy Blunt defeated Robin Carnahan in last year’s U. S. Senate race….

….Among the comments from people asked about their greatest concerns about Robin Carnahan:

-Why was she quiet about ACORN?….

-May have ignored problems with ACORN, whatever that is….

-She is too close to ACORN.

-I would want to know if there is any truth to those ACORN accusations….

-She supports ACORN.

-Too cheesy or fake with the farming. Too tied in with ACORN….

-She is too much a yes man for the president. She also caused too much money to given to the ACORN people.

-How closely is she tied to special interests like ACORN?….

-What is ACORN?….

Never mind that the rightwing and their Mighty Wurlitzer stooges beat their truthiness drum. As we can see, all they have to do is repeat the lie.

At Show Me Progress:

ACORN vindicated (March 2, 2010)

….Get that – the videos were “edited to meet their agenda.” In other words, these full-of-themselves rightwing echo chamber trainees, O’Keefe and  Giles, were running a scam.

The Brooklyn investigation is the third such to cast doubt on O’Keefe’s and Giles’ veracity. Investigations by the former Massachusetts Attorney, Scott Harshbarger, and the Congressional Research Service have found ACORN innocent of wrong doing….

At the Huffington Post:

John Atlas

Posted: June 15, 2010 02:41 AM

ACORN Vindicated of Wrongdoing by the Congressional Watchdog Office

On Monday, June 14, a preliminary probe by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)of ACORN has found no evidence the association or related organizations mishandled the $40 million in federal money they received in recent years.

A review of grants by nine federal agencies found no problems with ACORN’s grants. In my book Seeds of Change I document how ACORN, the largest most successful national anti poverty organization in America, was forced to close its door….

….In fact the staff in most of ACORN’s offices turned the pair away, reported the couple to the police, refused to provide them any aid, and in one case tried to convince the phony prostitute to get counseling. In no ACORN office did employees file any paperwork or do anything illegal on the duo’s behalf.

But Fox News broadcasted the deceptive tapes nearly around the clock for several days defaming ACORN….

[emphasis added]

Ironic, eh? And they have a plan.

The 96th Missouri General Assembly went into session yesterday in Jefferson City. New members were sworn in, leadership was elected, and business has started in Jefferson City.

One of the first orders of business was the election of the Speaker of the House. The minority (Democrats) nominated representative Mike Talboy (D-37).

Representative Mike Talboy (D-37), the new House Minority Leader.

Given the overwhelming republican majority in the House Representative Talboy rose to speak on his nomination (remarks as prepared):

The Missouri House has tough work ahead of it, so I won’t take up everyone’s time with a long speech.

Missourians and their families are struggling and we must work to fix this situation. The No. 1 priority of both parties this year must be to preserve and create jobs to help restore our state’s economy.

However, in our efforts to make Missouri more “business friendly,” we must avoid being anti-worker.  

While it is often said that businesses create jobs, it is really consumers who create jobs, because they are the ones who choose to buy the goods and services that make it possible for businesses to exist.

Policies that purport to help businesses by reducing wages ultimately hurt businesses, because it means hard-working Missourians have less money in their pockets to spend.

Education is the foundation for success and economic growth in our state.

We must take steps to make sure we do not decimate our education system to ensure we have the educated workforce to fill the jobs we create.  Investment in education is critical in attracting new businesses and the expansion and retention of existing businesses in Missouri.

Republicans have the numbers in the House to do whatever they want on virtually every issue.

For our part, House Democrats will do our best to keep the majority accountable and work together to find solutions for these challenging times facing Missourians.

Although the majority party has increased power, it comes with increased responsibility.

All of Missouri will be watching the decisions House Republicans make. And ultimately they will be held responsible for those decisions.

House Democrats will offer concrete and realistic ideas to put Missourians back to work and create new jobs in our state. We stand ready to move Missouri forward and we are ready to go to work.  

I am honored and humbled to be nominated as Speaker of this esteemed body, however, I respectfully decline this nomination.

Representative Steve Tilley (r) was elected Speaker by acclamation.

Representative Jill Schupp (D-82) in conversation with colleagues on the House floor before the start of the session.

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) starts the proceedings of the House.

Members of the House take their oath of office.

Speaker Steve Tilley (r) addresses the House.

Previously:

Teabaggers, and nullification, and the cult of the lost cause, oh my! (January 5, 2011)

Teabagger rally at the state capitol: when astroturfing lobbyists speak, they listen… (January 5, 2011)

Jackson County is split between two election boards. One board serves Kansas City, the other board serves everything else. The board for the rest of Jackson County made their results official today.

ROY BLUNT* 63870 54.42%

ROBIN CARNAHAN 47634 40.58%

Other 5561 4.73%

TOM SCHWEICH* 61255 52.73%

SUSAN MONTEE 50567 43.53%

CHARLES W. BAUM 4203 3.62%

It was only 2 years ago that this part of Missouri reported these results

JOHN MCCAIN-SARAH PALIN* 92833 49.79%

BARACK OBAMA-JOE BIDEN 90722 48.66%

So how did it all fall apart? Let’s go region by region

7 townships make up the territory of the Jackson County Election Board. One of these townships (Blue Township aka Independence) is split 8 ways. We will look at the results for each one of the Blue Townships along with the other 6 townships, showing both the results for Carnahan/Blunt and Montee/Schweich (with the reality that Montee/Schweich was a generic “which party do you like more” vote). Map images are taken off of Dave’s Redistricting App

Blue 1

Description: NW Independence and Sugar Creek, MO. The type of precinct that any competent Democratic campaign should win every time.

2004p: Kerry 2954, Bush 2016. JK 58.9%, Bush 40.2%

2008p: Obama 2831, McCain 1868. Obama 58.8%, McCain 38.8%

2010s: Carnahan 1265, Blunt 1238. RC 46.6%, Blunt 45.6%

2010a: Montee 1390, Schweich 1140. SM 51.7%, TS 42.4%

Turnout plunge, 2008 Pres to 2010 Senate: 4812 in 08, 2715 in 10

Home area of this poster. Also worth noting that 12.24% is not the biggest plunge in support from Obama to Carnahan.

Blue 2

Description: NE Independence, moving from the city limits on one side past Missouri Highway 291 on the other.

2004p: Kerry 2961, Bush 2356. 55.2% to 43.9%

2008p: Obama 2994, McCain 2171. 56.7% to 41.1%

2010s: Carnahan 1311, Blunt 1422. 44.3% to 48%

2010a: Montee 1453, Schweich 1315. 49.6% to 44.9%

Turnout plunge: 5277 votes in 2008, 2961 votes in 2010, the biggest drop in this area. Never a great sign when 2/3rds of the McCain voters vote and half of the Obama voters don’t vote for Democrats in 2010.

Biggest drop from Obama to Carnahan. Biggest drop from Montee to Carnahan. This is also part of the 53rd House District, which Democrat Diane Egger lost to Republican Brent Lasater. Lasater spent the vast sum of under $500 to be swept into office, despite a vast disadvantage in yard signs, functioning campaign offices, and family ties.

Blue 3

Description: The most Northeastern Parts of Independence. Includes unincorporated Jackson County, bordered by the Little Blue River

2004p: Kerry 3256, Bush 3337. 49% to 50.25%

2008p: Obama 3531, McCain 3253. 51.1% to 47%

2010s: Carnahan 1664, Blunt 2163. 40.8% to 53%

2010a: Montee 1828, Schweich 2032. 45.25% to 50.3%

Turnout drop: 6915 votes in 2008, 4080 votes in 2010.

Another 10% swing. Another big Montee/Carnahan drop (you have realized why the generic statewide Dem race is being listed here, right?). Although this was an area of importance for the groundgame of the campaign, more so than Blue 2 or Blue 1. Well, we held things at the state average in Blue 3.

Blue 4

Description: The Independence Square and lots of area that was in Independence pre-annexation binge (in the 1940s). Also includes Englewood

2004p: Kerry 2750, Bush 2428. 52.5% to 46.4%

2008p: Obama 2877, McCain 2197. 55.6% to 42.5%

2010s: Carnahan 1388, Blunt 1472. 45.3% to 48.1%

2010a: Montee 1443, Schweich 1423. 47.7% to 47%

Turnout drop: 5173 votes in 2008, 3058 votes in 2010.

In an ideal world, precincts you win by 13% are not 50/50 in the next election. But then again, in an ideal world, candidates who spend under $500 don’t get elected for being in the right party.

Blue 5

Description: Independence south of Missouri-78, stretching from Blue Ridge Boulevard to Lee’s Summit Road

2004p: Kerry 3519, Bush 3455. 50.1% to 49.15%

2008p: Obama 3462, McCain 3316. 50.1% to 48%

2010s: Carnahan 1935, Blunt 2305. 42.7% to 50.8%

2010a: Montee 2095, Schweich 2183. 46.7% to 48.7%

I would point out the examples of suburban areas moving to the right, but there’s a lot of examples of that and no clear diagnosis as to the cause other than the obvious cause of “Suburbanites are not voting for us”

Blue 6

Description: Independence, mainly east of Lee’s Summit Road, includes Blue River Community College and a lot of growing areas

2004p: Kerry 3609, Bush 3741. 48.8% to 50.5%

2008p: Obama 3744, McCain 3533. 50.7% to 47.8%

2010s: Carnahan 1930, Blunt 2478. 41.15% to 52.8%

2010a: Montee 2073, Schweich 2395. 44.5% to 51.4%

You might be looking at the Blunt/McCain percentage thinking that’s the sign of future hope. Overlooking that a lot of protest votes went to two right-ring candidates due to the fact that neither Senate campaign ran much positive advertising in the first half of the campaign. It would be surprising if significantly more people voted for the third party candidates from the Dem side than from the Rep side.

Blue 7

Description: SW Independence, going all the way to Phelps Road (in-between Noland and Lee’s Summit)

2004p: Kerry 3866, Bush 3749. 50.50% to 49%

2008p: Obama 3577, McCain 3473. 49.9% to 48.5%

2010s: Carnahan 2155, Blunt 2537. 43.8% to 51.6%

2010a: Montee 2320, Schweich 2407. 47.45% to 49.2%

Blue 7 is probably the best example of what i’d call “Obama underperforming” in 2008. Or maybe the best example of a turnout drop. But the post 2004 results posted online by Jackson County don’t show the turnout of registered voters.

Blue 8

Description: SE Independence, lots of nice houses, and lots of economic development over the last 15 years

2004p: Kerry 3671, Bush 4320. 45.6% to 53.7%

2008p: Obama 3945, McCain 4115. 48.2% to 50.3%

2010s: Carnahan 2397, Blunt 3038. 42.1% to 53.4%

2010a: Montee 2585, Schweich 2868. 45.85% to 50.9%

The only Blue Township ‘realm’ won by McCain, which didn’t get drastically bluer on the Auditor’s side (Schweich beat McCain by a little over 2 percent in the areas featured in this post, but we can see that they ran even in this area). For every 1000 Blue-8 voters who voted in 2008, 695.9 of them voted in 2010, the best rate for Independence. As well, it had the most votes cast (beating Blue-7 by 700) and the most Bass Pro Centers of all the Blue areas.

Brooking

Description: Raytown, Missouri

2004p: Kerry 7559, Bush 6527. 53.3% to 46.05%

2008p: Obama 8123, McCain 5702. 57.9% to 40.6%

2010s: Carnahan 4659, Blunt 3894. 52% to 43.4%

2010a: Montee 4910, Schweich 3640. 55.2% to 40.9%

Only one township was better for Carnahan in the “not running far behind Obama” category, but that township wasn’t as important as this one. In the JCEB-area, Carnahan ran 8.1% behind Obama and here, she ran 5.9% behind Obama. Plus Raytown did not bleed turnout like the Independence townships did.

Fort Osage

Description: Northeastern Jackson County, includes small towns like Buckner, Sibley, and Levasy

2004p: Kerry 1166, Bush 1863. 38.2% to 61.1%

2008p: Obama 1240, McCain 1965. 38% to 60.3%

2010s: Carnahan 662, Blunt 1408. 29.9% to 63.7%

2010a: Montee 740, Schweich 1327. 33.9% to 60.8%

Sadly for Sibley residents (their precinct went for Obama, really), this area is out of the running for the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Prairie

Description: Lee’s Summit, Missouri

2004p: Kerry 17136, Bush 27762. 38% to 61.6%

2008p: Obama 21589, McCain 27557. 43.5% to 55.6%

2010s: Carnahan 12818, Blunt 20167. 37.4% to 58.9%

2010a: Montee 13369, Schweich 19598. 39.4% to 57.75%

That 2008 swing sure didn’t last into 2010.

Sni-a-Bar

Description: Blue Springs and Grain Valley

2004p: Kerry 13974, Bush 20824. 39.9% to 59.5%

2008p: Obama 16464, McCain 20980. 43.4% to 55.3%

2010s: Carnahan 8656, Blunt 14741. 35.2% to 59.9%

2010a: Montee 9274, Schweich 14239. 38% to 58.3%

Biggest plunge in percent outside of Independence. This township fell back to the norm in 2010 (well, at least for Auditor)

Van Buren

Description: Southwestern Jackson County, includes Lone Jack (where everybody going to school in Warrensburg had one friend get pulled over for speeding) and Lake Lotawana

2004p: Kerry 1458, Bush 2456. 36.95% to 62.2%

2008p: Obama 1579, McCain 2591. 37.5% to 61.5%

2010s: Carnahan 989, Blunt 1964. 32% to 63.5%

2010a: Montee 1054, Schweich 1887. 34.4% to 61.6%

The best township when it comes to not having a huge drop from Obama to Carnahan. Which means nothing significant because it’s very Republican and is still very Republican. Also, for every 1000 voters who voted in 2008, 733.6 voted in 2010, the best rate of any township in 2010.

Washington

Description: Grandview, MO

2004p: Kerry 6168, Bush 3666. 62.4% to 37.1%

2008p: Obama 7121, McCain 3084. 68.9% to 29.8%

2010s: Carnahan 3764, Blunt 2193. 60.9% to 35.4%

2010a: Montee 3814, Schweich 2090. 62.4% to 34.2%

Turnout plunge: 10338 for President, 6182 for Senator

Grandview is pretty much the only area with a significant minority population in the district and it’s votes as a percentage of the 2008 votes still beat Blue 1 and 2. If 1000 people voted in Grandview in 2008, 598 of them would have voted in 2010. The overall percentage was 62.9% and the worst townships put up around 56% of their 2008 turnout in 2010.

Election results sorted by the 2008-2010 turnout plunge

Places where the 2010 vote total was under 60% of the 2008 vote total: Carnahan 49.4%, Blunt 44.7% (18996 votes, from Blue 1, 2, 3, 4 and Washington) – Obama 59.5%, McCain 38.7% (32515 votes)

Places where the 2010 vote total was over 2/3rds of the 2008 vote total: Carnahan 37.9%, Blunt 58% (50163 votes, from Blue 7, 8, Fort Osage, Prairie, and Van Buren) – Obama 44.1%, McCain 54.8% (72416 votes)

Places not included in the last two lines: Carnahan 40.15%, Blunt 54.7% (42787 votes, Blue 5, 6, Brooking, Sni-a-Bar) – Obama 48%, Obama 50.6% (66266 votes)

It’s no coincidence that the areas with the biggest plunge in turnout are the areas with the biggest drops in Democratic support in this area.

As someone who did a share of volunteering with the knowledge of where the walks were going to, I can tell you that a lot of canvassers went to Blue 3 and Blue 8. The logic being used was that from August to mid-October, voters who we had no data on were being contacted to figure out where they stood on the election.

But the problem seems to be not the people who were unknown and undecided, but the people who were passed over because we knew they were Democrats. And ultimately, the GOTV approach seemed to be a lot closer to just one visit on the last weekend. The coordinated campaign (of the MO Democratic Party and OFA) found a way to aim for one group, lay off another, only to see both groups not vote for Democrats on election day.

The 4 Blue areas which saw the biggest drops in turnout and Democratic performance will likely still be very White when the 2010 Census totals are released. The 2000 totals showed those areas standing in-between 85% to 92% and the precinct results from the 2008 primary showed strong majorities for Hillary Clinton. So I feel it would be inaccurate to categorize the drops in turnout as a “diehard Obama supporter” thing like the turnout drops in St. Louis City and Kansas City will be categorized (both areas had turnout below 40% on 11/2). Without knowing the number of registered voters in Blue 1 through 4, I’d imagine there’s no way the turnout broke 40% and may be closer to 33%

The most concise advice is the most vague advice here. Don’t move left or right. Just figure out what you actually stand for which is relevant to the voters and talk about that stuff. It seems that the Republican message was more relevant to inspiring people to vote. It may not be a message of realistic positions, but what was the alternative? Insane beats Irrelevant most of the time.

Missouri Secretary of State (and U.S. Senate candidate) Robin Carnahan (D) made a quick campaign stop in Lee’s Summit in eastern Jackson County late this afternoon. This was one of those events, in a long series for the day, that takes place in the last seventy-hours of a campaign as the get out the vote operation shifts into high gear.

Those attending this event are the folks who tend to be Democratic Party activists who will be instrumental in making the calls and knocking on doors to turn out the Democratic vote in the final hours leading up to Tuesday.

Robin Carnahan (D) spoke for a few minutes to the crowd about the importance of turning out every vote. She reminded everyone of past close elections. After her remarks she took time to greet everyone in attendance and give and accept best wishes along with encouragement for the next few days.

Then it was back on the bus for the next event of the day.

Listening to a question about the campaign.