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Tag Archives: Kurt Schaefer

Kurt Schaefer and the pander principle

17 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by willykay in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Kurt Schaefer, Planned Parenthood, Protests

Remember how then potential Attorney General candidate, Kurt Schaeffer, like a dog with a really, really tasty bone, wouldn’t let go of the Planned Parenthood issue that erupted after a video surfaced that purported to show that the organization “sold baby parts.” Long after a state investigation cleared the Missouri Planned Parenthood affiliate of anything verboten, and, indeed, long after the videos themselves were widely discredited, Schaefer kept shaking that juicy, and, in terms of tax-dollars and legislative time, very expensive, ultimately imaginary bone.

Remember how he wanted to shut down abortions in Columbia by making the far-fetched claim that the University of Missouri was violating a law that forbids spending tax-dollars on abortions because the University Hospital gave a doctor who performed abortions at the Columbia Planned Parenthood the hospital privileges also required by state law? Remember how when a judge ruled against his efforts, he whined that Attorney General Chris Koster should “appeal immediately to enforce long-standing state law”? Expensive, time-consuming, futile. For sure. But Schaefer didn’t care. Then.

Well, guess what? Schaefer seems to have had his come-to-Jesus moment. As St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger put it:

… He [i.e., Schaefer] was the star witness for the defense — yes, the defense — in the case of 23 members of the clergy — most of them African-American — facing charges of trespassing and obstruction of the state Senate related to a protest they held on May 6, 2014, in the gallery of the Senate.

[…] on Tuesday, Schaefer stood up for the state constitution. He stood up for the law. He stood up for the principles of the First Amendment. He stood up for 23 people who never should have been charged with a crime, people who were in the Senate that day two and a half years ago to protest Schaefer’s stubborn opposition to allowing Medicaid expansion in Missouri.

While this principled stand is not, in itself, in opposition to his earlier actions in regard to Planned Parenthood, his rationale does give one pause:

“This case is all about prosecutorial discretion,” Schaefer told me after his testimony. “I just spent a whole lot of money telling Missourians about my prosecutorial experience. Well, you spend your resources on things that are real, not things like this. This case never should have come to trial.”

Too bad he didn’t remember this principle of “prosecutorial discretion” earlier. He could have saved the state a bundle and perhaps, just perhaps, the legislature might have had enough time to so some real work. Too bad that the principle he chose to observe instead was the pander principle.

Campaign Finance: because he can

27 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

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Tags

Attorney General, campaign finance, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, Rex Sinquefield

Money will do that.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Kurt Schaefer’s (r) 2016 Attorney General primary campaign, from a couple of Rex Sinquefield supported PACs:

C081145 07/27/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Grow Missouri 308 E High St., Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/26/2016 $100,000.00

C081145 07/27/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Great St Louis 308 E High St., Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/26/2016 $500,000.00

[emphasis added]

That makes a total of $3,648,421.29 in contributions to Kurt Schaefer’s (r) campaign to date from Rex Sinquefield or PACs funded by Rex Sinquefield. Must be nice.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: any way you count it (July 3, 2016)

Campaign Finance: escalation – part 2 (July 8, 2016)

Campaign Finance: What does $3,048,421.29 get you? (July 25, 2016)

Campaign Finance: What does $3,048,421.29 get you?

25 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Attorney General, campaign finance, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, PAC, Rex Sinquefield

Today at the Missouri Ethics Committee for Kurt Schaefer’s (r) 2016 campaign for Attorney General from a Rex Sinquefield supported PAC:

C081145 07/25/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Great St Louis 308 E High St., Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/23/2016 $301,529.33

[emphasis added]

So, what else is new?

That makes a total of $3,048,421.29 in contributions to Kurt Schaefer’s (r) campaign to date from Rex Sinquefield or PACs funded by Rex Sinquefield.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: any way you count it (July 3, 2016)

Campaign Finance: escalation – part 2 (July 8, 2016)

Kurt U. Schaefer (r) thinks your stoopit

09 Saturday Jul 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Attorney General, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, social media, Twitter

Through over two hundred years of American history:

MARBURY v. MADISON, 5 U.S. 137 (1803)
[….]
….It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases, must of necessity expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each. [5 U.S. 137, 178]   So if a law be in opposition to the constitution: if both the law and the constitution apply to a particular case, so that the court must either decide that case conformably to the law, disregarding the constitution; or conformably to the constitution, disregarding the law: the court must determine which of these conflicting rules governs the case. This is of the very essence of judicial duty….
[….]

Yesterday, from Kurt Schaefer (r), via Twitter:

Schaefer070816

Kurt U. Schaefer ‏@KurtUSchaefer
We need an AG who will defend our laws and values, not bend to the out of control federal gov’t and Supreme Court. [….] 8:45 PM – 8 Jul 2016

Think about that for a second.

A few people already have thought about it and then responded to Kurt Schaefer (r) via Twitter:

McCune070816

Matt McCune ‏@MisterMcCune
@KurtUSchaefer are you saying as Missouri AG you wouldn’t enforce federal law & #SCOTUS rulings? #askingforafriend #movictory #midmoforward 8:52 PM – 8 Jul 2016

Fogle070816

Ida Fogle ‏@damari19
@KurtUSchaefer You’re campaigning for AG on a promise to disdain federal law & disregard rulings of the Supreme Court? Interesting approach. 8:58 PM – 8 Jul 2016

Crain070816

Robert Crain ‏@stlrjc
@KurtUSchaefer Funny thing about “values”… they tend to vary from person to person. So when you say “our”, I assume you mean “my”. 10:22 PM – 8 Jul 2016

And they can be so changeable, depending on when and which primary election Kurt Schafer (r) wants to try to win.

Then again, $2,746,891.96 can help your primary campaign overcome a whole lot of stoopit.

Campaign Finance: escalation – part 2

08 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Attorney General, campaign finance, Josh Hawley, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, Rex Sinquefield

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Kurt Schaefer’s (r) 2016 campaign for Attorney General from a PAC funded by Rex Sinquefield:

C081145 07/08/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Grow Missouri 308 E High St., Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/8/2016 $587,979.93

[emphasis added]

That makes a total of $2,746,891.96 to date from Rex Sinquefield or PACs funded by Rex Sinquefield.

Josh Hawley (r), Schaefer’s republican primary opponent, has plenty of money available, too.

Are we approaching the point where there isn’t any remaining television ad airtime available? Just asking.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: I, Rex (May 27, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who’s on first? (June 28, 2016)

Campaign Finance: What’s on second? (June 29, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who gets the money? (June 30, 2016)

Campaign Finance: any way you count it (July 3, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who’s next? (July 6, 2016)

Campaign Finance: escalation (July 7, 2016)

Campaign Finance: escalation

07 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

campaign finance, David Humphreys, Josh Hawley, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, Rex Sinquefield

There are no limits.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Josh Hawley’s (r) 2016 campaign for Attorney General:

C151132 07/07/2016 HAWLEY FOR MISSOURI David Humphreys PO Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803 Tamko Building Products Executive 7/5/2016 $1,000,000.00

[emphasis added]

Yes, that’s one million dollars.

We can probably expect to witness the abject failure of the doctrine of mutually assured destruction as a deterrent in Missouri campaign ads on our television machines over the next few weeks.

Or, an illustration of the fallacy of sunk costs.

Whichever you prefer.

Your move, Rex.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: paying serious money to beat up on Josh (July 1, 2016)

Campaign Finance: any way you count it (July 3, 2016)

Campaign Finance: any way you count it

03 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Attorney General, campaign finance, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, PACs, Rex Sinquefield

That’s a lot of money.

Do the math. $2,158,912.03 for one of the 2016 republican candidates for Attorney General. Effectively from one person. That’s contributions to Kurt Schaefer’s (r) campaign in amounts over $5,000.00 made by Rex Sinquefield or by PACs largely supported by Rex Sinquefield from October 2014 to date. In 2014 at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C081145 10/15/2014 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 retired retired 10/15/2014 $250,000.00

In 2015 at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C081145 07/31/2015 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Grow Missouri PAC 308 E. High Street Jefferson City MO 65101 7/30/2015 $7,392.00

C081145 10/09/2015 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 10/9/2015 $500,000.00

[emphasis added]

In 2016 at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C081145 06/24/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Missourians for Excellence in Government 6175 Westminster St Louis MO 63112 6/24/2016 $246,123.87

C081145 06/24/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Great St. Louis 308 E High St. Jefferson City MO 65010 6/24/2016 $248,764.53

C081145 07/01/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Great St Louis 308 E High St., Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/1/2016 $404,629.92

C081145 07/01/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Missourians for Excellence in Government 6175 Westminster Saint Louis MO 63112 7/1/2016 $253,288.22

C081145 07/01/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Grow Missouri 308 W High St., Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/1/2016 $248,713.49

[emphasis added]

$750,000.00 from Rex Sinquefield. $1,408,912.03 in distinctly non-round numbers from the PACs.

That’ll pay for a lot of television commercials.

Previously:

Canpaign Finance: it’s probably cheaper than buying the entire state (September 2, 2012)

How much does it cost to buy a state? (September 3, 2013)

Campaign Finance: Oh, hell, just buy the state already (December 8, 2014)

Campaign Finance: I, Rex (May 27, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who’s on first? (June 28, 2016)

Campaign Finance: What’s on second? (June 29, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who gets the money? (June 30, 2016)

Campaign Finance: subsidiary (July 2, 2016)

Campaign Finance: paying serious money to beat up on Josh

01 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Attorney General, campaign finance, Josh Hawley, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, Rex Sinquefield

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Kurt Schaefer’s (r) 2016 campaign for Attorney General from three PACs funded by Rex Sinquefield:

C081145 07/01/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Great St Louis 308 E High St., Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/1/2016 $404,629.92

C081145 07/01/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Missourians for Excellence in Government 6175 Westminster Saint Louis MO 63112 7/1/2016 $253,288.22

C081145 07/01/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Grow Missouri 308 W High St., Suite 301 Jefferson City MO 65101 7/1/2016 $248,713.49

[emphasis added]

Uh, that’s $909,631.63. In one day. On a Friday. Right before the start of a holiday weekend.

It’s just so, so grassrootsie. Not.

Josh Hawley (r) must be feeling really good right about now. We’ll be seeing a lot more about his evil deeds on our television machines thanks to Kurt Shaefer’s (r) campaign commercials.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: I, Rex (May 27, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who’s on first? (June 28, 2016)

Campaign Finance: What’s on second? (June 29, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who gets the money? (June 30, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Why spend a dollar when you can spend $494,888.40?

24 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Attorney General, campaign finance, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, PAC, Rex Sinquefield

And not a penny more. Dream on about that second part.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Kurt Schaefer’s (r) campaign for Attorney General from PACs funded by Rex Sinquefield:

C081145 06/24/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Missourians for Excellence in Government 6175 Westminster St Louis MO 63112 6/24/2016 $246,123.87

C081145 06/24/2016 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Great St. Louis 308 E High St. Jefferson City MO 65010 6/24/2016 $248,764.53

[emphasis added]

They’re definitely not done slinging mud in those television ads yet.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: I, Rex (May 27, 2016)

So much better than spending too much money on television ads (June 24, 2016)

So much better than spending too much money on television ads

23 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Attorney General, Jean Peters Baker, Kurt Schaefer, missouri, social media

Today, via Twitter, from Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D):

JPBaker062316

Jean Peters Baker ‏@jeanpetersbaker
Heard Kurt Schaeffers most recent political ad. If Schafer is a prosecutor then I’m an astronaut.
9:50 AM – 23 Jun 2016

Heh.

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