State Auditor Tom Schweich (r): Hiya, Tom Schweich here. I’m very excited to announce to my, uh, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media friends that I’m going to be announcing that I’m running for governor. I’m gonna do it a little later this afternoon. But, I want you all to know first. We’re gonna be talking about rooting out corruption in Jefferson City, we’re gonna be talking about improving our education for all people of Missouri, and also about improving our economic climate in the state. So, I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail. I just want to let you know first. Thanks.
Meanwhile:
Tony Wyche @tonywyche
Shorter Catherine Hanaway statement: “Why couldn’t you just let me have this by myself.” #MOGov 4:11 PM – 28 Jan 2015
Michael Bersin @MBersin
@tonywyche Shorter Catherine Hanaway statement: “Why couldn’t you just let Rex have this by himself.” #MOGov | Fixed it for you. 5:57 PM – 28 Jan 2015
[*]pops popcorn[*] MT @eyokley: New: Sen. @briannieves withdrawn from Senate reelection race, clearing way for @SpeakerTimJones to enter. #MOLeg 1:26 PM – 13 Mar 2014
Reliving and reinterpreting the 2012 U.S. Senate election in Missouri. What started it all, via Twitter:
Ryan Hite @ryan_hite
Can’t believe they give this crazy airtime. RT @AlanColmes: Restrictive Pennsylvania Abortion Laws & Lack Of Enforcement Empowered Gosnell 7:47 PM – 12 Apr 13
A reply:
caitlin legacki @caitleg
@ryan_hite dude. You worked for Todd Akin. He’s seven different kinds of crazy. 8:08 PM – 12 Apr 13
An impartial sane person would probably agree.
“I insist, after you”:
Ryan Hite @ryan_hite
@caitleg and you worked for Claire McCaskill – who wants to sell our country down the river 7 ways from Sunday. 9:03 PM – 12 Apr 13
So there.
Ryan Hite @ryan_hite
@caitleg besides I’m not sure you’re one to point fingers on crazy and bad ideas. You defended enough. 9:04 PM – 12 Apr 13
So there. Again.
Interesting sleight of hand. Crazy or just bad? You decide.
A point of inquiry:
caitlin legacki @caitleg
@ryan_hite how does a river run 7 ways? You’re not even making sense. Regardless, 55% of MO picked her over Akin. Means something, right? 9:04 PM – 12 Apr 13
Okay, that one was mean. It’s not possible to get inebriated on Kool-Aid.
The test of a truly adept new media denizen is the speed of their retorts:
Ryan Hite @ryan_hite
@caitleg that means people are more gullible than I’d hoped. Unfortunate but apparent 9:08 PM – 12 Apr 13
Waiting, waiting:
Ryan Hite @ryan_hite
@caitleg tell the truth.. Do you actually buy this liberal logic you sell? Because no I haven’t touched a drop all night. 9:09 PM – 12 Apr 13
Okay. Another “nanner nanner boo boo” response.
A truly adept political operative knows how and when to stick the shiv in:
caitlin legacki @caitleg
@ryan_hite they weren’t gullible. They were just completely horrified by Akin. Congrats on the SVU episode, btw. 9:10 PM – 12 Apr 13
That left a mark. Remind us again who became a national joke when they opened their mouth?
Ryan Hite @ryan_hite
@caitleg completely horrified by what you all propagated.. That is true. It’s just unfortunate you had to destroy a decent mans reputation. 9:11 PM – 12 Apr 13
Because the evil opposition and media made Todd Akin (r) say what he said?
Wait for it, wait for it…:
Ryan Hite @ryan_hite
@caitleg yeah and it figures that they Didn’t even quote it right in the episode. Leave it to the media. Lol 9:11 PM – 12 Apr 13
Blame the media, for the score! Lol.
caitlin legacki @caitleg
@ryan_hite he did that pretty well on his own. 9:13 PM – 12
Uh, yep.
And from the political party which supposedly venerates personal responsibility?:
Ryan Hite @ryan_hite
@caitleg actually no that part pretty much came from you all and unfortunately many high up in GoP too. What you all will do to win.. 9:18 PM – 12 Apr 13
Projection, it’s not just for movie theaters anymore.
Over the course of the last year we covered a number of government and political events in Missouri (and elsewhere), in the process taking thousands of photographs. Most of them didn’t make it into the blog. Some of the things we saw and heard made us smile, made us think, made us gasp, made us hope, and made us despair. We thought we’d provide a retrospective of some of the pictures and stories we consider to be memorable.
Jason Kander (D) at a campaign event in Higginsville, Missouri on January 8, 2012.
For the republican candidate in the 2012 Attorney General race.
Follow the money.
The distribution of contributions to Ed Martin’s (r) campaign as indicated to the Missouri Ethics Commission in his 30 Day After General Election-11/6/2012 report [pdf] filed on December 6, 2012. The report covers the period from October 26, 2012 through December 1, 2012.
Joan Langenberg 49 Conway Close Rd Saint Louis MO 63124 none — writer 10/30/2012 $7,000.00
Deanie Reis 7 Greenbriar Dr Saint Louis MO 63124-1819 retired — mother 11/3/2012 $2,500.00
Charles Willey 23 Summerhill Ln Chesterfield MO 63017 Self — Physician 10/31/2012 $5,000.00
Missouri Soybean Association PO Box 104778 Jefferson City MO 65110 10/27/2012 $5,000.00
Ann Wagner For Congress 14551 Manchester Road Manchester MO 63011 10/31/2012 $5,000.00
Eagle Forum Pac PO Box 618 Alton IL 62002 11/1/2012 $5,000.00
Friends of Tom Schweich 3220 W Edgewood Jefferson City MO 65109 11/1/2012 $2,500.00
CJW Enterprises Inc. 1134 Richland Meadows Dr Ballwin MO 63021 11/2/2012 $10,000.00
Forest Hills Properties LLC 1 Oak Ridge Dr Washington MO 63090 11/3/2012 $5,000.00
Citizens for Timothy Jones PO Box 434 Eureka MO 63025 11/5/2012 $5,005.00
Republican State Committee 204 E Dunklin Jefferson City MO 65102 11/6/2012 $5,000.00
Republican State Committee 204 E Dunklin Jefferson City MO 65102 11/16/2012 $1,800.00
David Humphreys PO Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803 Tamko Building Products — Executive 10/27/2012 $100,000.00
[emphasis added]
David Humphreys contributed a total of $350,000.00 to Ed Martin’s campaign. The Republican State Committee contributed a total of $321,800.00. Other individuals and campaign committees contributed total amounts from $11,000.00 to $25,000.00.
That doesn’t appear to be particularly grassrootsie.
And for the republican candidate in the 2012 Secretary of State race the sources weren’t particularly grassrootsie.
The distribution of contributions to Shane Schoeller’s (r) campaign as indicated to the Missouri Ethics Commission in his 30 Day After General Election-11/6/2012 report [pdf] filed on December 6, 2012. The report covers the period from October 26, 2012 through December 1, 2012.
That’s well over a half a million dollars in contributions in the week before the election, the vast majority from a single entity:
DRURY DISPLAYS INC 721 Emerson Road Saint Louis MO 63141-6755 11/13/2012 $2,500.00
Hunter Engineering Company 11250 Hunter Drive Bridgeton MO 63044-2306 11/5/2012 $2,500.00
David Humphreys PO Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803-4050 Tamko — Owner 10/27/2012 $100,000.00
Twyla Cordry PO Box 4040 Waynesville MO 65583-4040 Citizens Mortgage Co — Mortgage Broker 10/30/2012 $2,500.00
William Kapp 543 Deer Creek Lane Cape Girardeau MO 63701-8580 Self — Surgeon 11/13/2012 $2,500.00
[emphasis added]
Follow the money.
After October 23, 2012 the RSLC-Missouri PAC received the following amounts from the Republican State Leadership Committee in Washington, D.C. (from the Missouri Ethics Commission):
[8 Day Before General Election-11/6/2012 10/29/2012]
Republican State Leadership Committee 1201 F Street NW Washington DC 20004 10/29/2012 $250,000.00
Republican State Leadership Committee 1201 F Street NW Washington DC 20004 10/31/2012 $50,000.00
Republican State Leadership Committee 1201 F Street NW Washington DC 20004 11/2/2012 $25,000.00
[emphasis added]
Follow the money.
On December 6, 2012 the Republican State Leadership Committee in Washington, D.C. (with the same address in the Missouri Ethics Commission reports) filed their Form 8872, Post General Election Report, with the IRS. There was an interesting contribution from Missouri:
Todd Akin (r) had some friends return to the fold at the last minute. Is anyone really surprised? The National Republican Senatorial Committee [NRSC] dropped a lot of money to support him in the week before the election
Republican National Committee 310 1st St. S.E. Washington DC 20003 10 19 2012 Transaction ID : 21205.C262355 [$]51[,]805.40 Transfers From Affil./Auth.
Republican National Committee 310 1st St. S.E. Washington DC 20003 10 22 2012 Transaction ID : 102920120C262228 [$]5500.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.
Republican National Committee 310 1st St. S.E. Washington DC 20003 10 25 2012 Transaction ID : 21205.C262356 [$]83[,]613.60 Transfers From Affil./Auth.
Republican National Committee 310 1st St. S.E. Washington DC 20003 11 01 2012 Transaction ID : 110220120C262303 [$]77[,]000.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.
National Rep. Senatorial Committee 425 2nd St Ne Washington DC 20002 11 01 2012 Transaction ID : 110220120C262302 [$]360[,]000.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.
National Rep. Senatorial Committee 425 2nd St Ne Washington DC 20002 11 02 2012 Transaction ID : 21205.C262323 [$]400[,]000.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.
Target State Victory Fund 1609 Shoal Creek Blvd., Ste. 203 B Austin TX 78701-1022 10 22 2012 Transaction ID : 21025.C262056 [$]1296.78 Transfers From Affil./Auth.
Ann Wagner for Congress P.O. Box 50 Ballwin MO 63022 10 19 2012 Transaction ID : 21019.C261996 [$]85[,]000.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.
[….]
Image# 12941220313
SCHEDULE F (FEC Form 3X)
ITEMIZED COORDINATED PARTY EXPENDITURES MADE BY POLITICAL PARTY COMMITTEES OR DESIGNATED AGENT(S) ON BEHALF OF CANDIDATES FOR FEDERAL OFFICE (2 U.S.C. §441a(d))
Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal
Has your committee been designated to make coordinated expenditures by a political party committee?
If YES, name the designating committee: National Rep. Senatorial Committee
Strategic Media Placement 41 South High Street Columbus OH 43215 COORDINATED TV 10 30 2012 Name of Federal Candidate Supported W TODD AKIN[$]386[,]000.00 Transaction ID : 21206.E30970
Strategic Media Placement 41 South High Street Columbus OH 43215 COORDINATED TV 11 01 2012 Name of Federal Candidate Supported W TODD AKIN[$]370[,]000.00 Transaction ID : 21206.E30971
[emphasis added]
That’s $756,000.00 for someone they supposedly disavowed.
Well, they have all they money they need and/or they rationalized their own polling.