Randy Turner ‏@rturner229

Rick Santorum endorses Ed Martin- search party formed to find people who care: http://rturner229.blogspot.com… … 10:29 PM – 2 Nov 12

We are not worthy.

Randy’s Turner explores the Missouri implications of the Disclose act, which would have mandated disclosure of who pays for political campaign adverting – nothing more, nothing less – hardly, as Republicans claim, a ploy to “restrict freedom.” Turner’s screed is  worth reading in its entirety, so read it here or on the Turner Report.

And then cry. The Disclose Act was voted down in the Senate this afternoon:

On a Senate vote of 57-41, Democrats fell short of the needed 60 to clear a procedural hurdle Republicans set up against The Disclose Act, likely killing the measure for the year

Let me associate myself with Randy Turner’s thoughts on the 2008 GOP primary. Steelman hurt Hulshof more in the general by her awkward endorsement than by anything she said or did in the primary. Hulshof was a bad candidate barely able to beat someone in the primary even with the support of the entire GOP establishment, and he didn’t stand much of a chance in the general with or without a primary challenger.

And let me say that primary challenges are on the whole good for a party, not bad. The long battle between Obama and Clinton made Obama better able to take on McCain, a spirited fight in the VA Senate primary in 2006 gave Jim Webb the boost the Democrats needed to win the Senate in 2006, and so on. As long as two sides can come together to work for the greater good after the primary is over, a hard-fought primary is not a bad thing.

Following up on Randy’s point about casinos spending millions on behalf of a proposition that will supposedly help schools, while educators do not, let’s look at the other half of the equation. Part of the argument is that Proposition A really isn’t in the casinos self-interest, since the proposition will increase taxes on casinos and prevent the further spread of casinos in Missouri. I’m somehow skeptical that casinos would spend $8 million for something not especially in their interest. Maybe I’m just too cynical.