The Hillary Clinton presidential campaign in Missouri held a local organizing meeting in downtown Warrensburg this evening. Dan Bram, an organizer for the campaign spoke with around thirty-five Democratic Party activists from Johnson and Pettis Counties.

Dan Bram, listening to local activists’ campaign organizing experience and suggestions.

Jim White, the Democratic Party candidate in the 4th Congressional District.

In conversation after the meeting.

Previously:

Oh yeah, Hillary’s gonna run (August 18, 2014)

Go North (September 3, 2014)

Road Trip! – the 2014 Harkin Steak Fry (September 5, 2014)

Bet the farm (September 14, 2014)

The Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014 (September 15, 2014)

Hillary Clinton at the Harkin Steak Fry: “I’m back!” (September 15, 2014)

“I’m Back” Hillary Clinton at Harkin Steak Fry (September 16, 2014)

Super Twitter (February 2, 2015)

The campaign begins (April 10, 2015)

Hillary breaks the Internet (April 12, 2015)

The first rule of campaign swag (April 12, 2015)

Asking for a friend (May 18, 2015)

Populists generally don’t write campaign contribution checks to 2016 republican gubernatorial candidates for $10,000.00.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C141055 06/03/2015 HANAWAY FOR GOVERNOR, INC William Bush 104 Rabbit Run Hobe Sound FL 33455 Bush O’Donnell Chairman 6/3/2015 $10,000.00

Probably not an enthusiastic Missouri populist either.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: making a choice (October 15, 2014)

Every time Rex Sinquefield signs a check a twenty-something campaign consultant gets their wings… (October 22, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Oh, there is a difference… (February 20, 2015)

Campaign Finance: gone quiet (March 21, 2015)

Campaign Finance: back in business (April 5, 2015)

Campaign Finance: all in today (April 9, 2015)

Campaign Finance: trickling in (April 14, 2015)

Campaign Finance: still trickling in (April 20, 2015)

Campaign Finance: more than a trickle (May 8, 2015)

Campaign Finance: Did we call it, or what? (May 11, 2015)

Campaign Finance: inspiring confidence (May 26, 2015)

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C101046 09/14/2014 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 9/12/2014 $1,200,000.00

It would be even more impressive if it was a significant percentage of his wealth.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: how astroturf (the fake grassroots) works (August 1, 2013)

Campaign Finance: Why give 11 cents when you can write a check for $1.5 million? (May 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: “Never give up. Never surrender.” (September 12, 2014)

How “a broad based coalition” is now defined in Missouri and America (September 12, 2014)

Previously:

Campaign Finance: please pass the gas (August 14, 2012)

Today, from tobacco, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C091068 07/29/2013 HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, INC Xcaliber International Ltd LLC 4747 NE 1st Street Pryor OK 74361 7/27/2013 $15,000.00

Yes, that HRCC. They certainly know which side dries their leaves.

A bill, introduced today:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 763

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MCGAUGH.

1743H.01I  D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 115, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the political accountability in campaigning act.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:



           Section A. Chapter 115, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 115.850, to read as follows:

           115.850. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Political Accountability in Campaigning Act”.

           2. For purposes of this section, the term “knowingly” shall mean that a candidate knows that a proposition is false and intends to publicize it, and the term “material fact” shall mean a proposition that is verifiable as either true or false with near certainty during de novo review by an appellate court, and that is not embedded within a context where the overall content of the message is a matter of opinion. The use of interjections including name calling or profane language shall not be deemed to be matters of material fact.

           3. A candidate campaigning for office in this state commits a violation of this section if he or she knowingly publicizes a false statement of material fact in a political advertisement released to the public through any print or broadcast medium that refers to a clearly identified candidate for statewide office or the general assembly that is made after the candidate making the communication has filed for office.

           4. A violation of this section shall be proven by clear and compelling evidence by a court or jury.

           5. A violation of this section shall be punishable by damages limited to the lesser of the amount it would cost to adequately inform the public of the false material fact at issue or a damage award of not more than twenty thousand dollars for each violation. Courts may enforce the provisions of this section by granting injunctive relief to prevent the future dissemination of false material statements in violation of this section.

           6. A candidate who has violated the provisions of this section may avoid the penalty imposed in subsection 5 of this section by retracting his or her false statement of material fact through the same print or broadcast medium used to communicate the false statement of material fact. Such retraction shall be made not later than fourteen days after the false statement of material fact was made and shall be made not later than fourteen days prior to a general or special election for statewide office or the general assembly.

           7. In addition to prosecutors or the office of the attorney general, any eligible voter may bring suit to enforce the provisions of this section. Damages obtained by state officials shall be considered as substantially similar to penalties and shall be payable to the schools in accordance with article IX, section 7 of the Constitution of Missouri, otherwise such damages shall be payable to any eligible voter bringing suit under this section.

           8. This section shall not be held to modify or supercede any cause of action for defamation and the penalties herein shall be in addition to any damages or penalties imposed for defamation by statute or common law.

[emphasis added]

“…A candidate campaigning for office in this state commits a violation of this section if…”

Is that everyone? Because political action committees and special interest groups funded by millionaires and billionaires always tell the truth, right?

Why, this could put the HRCC out of business.

Not.

From Obama 2012, U.S. Senate candidate in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren (D) on the stakes in November:

Narrator: Not since the days of Franklin Roosevelt had so much fallen on the shoulders of one president.

Elizabeth Warren: I think that question is, why didn’t someone wave a magic wand and make it all better? And, the answer is, that, because it’s not how the world works.

It took a long time to shake the foundations of America’s middle class. But it also means it’s gonna take some time to put that back together.

The President gets about what American families face.

This next election is about the direction that our country takes. It’s about whether or not we are going to be a people who say, I got mine, the rest of you are on your own. Or whether we’re gonna be a people who say, we can invest in our future.

And we can build a real future for ourselves and for our kids so that when the next kid comes up with a good idea they got a shot to make it big. So does the kid after that, and the kid after that.

This election’s going to affect everyone. We really have come to a, to a real choice. And, um, what our future looks like is gonna be very different depending on who’s governing.

[Obama/Biden]

You got that right.

Senator Claire Mccaskill (D), there’s more than a few pages in that book you should use.

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091068 HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC [pdf] 1/14/2011

Missouri Leadership Committee

222 W Columbia St

Farmington, MO 63640

1/14/2011

$100,000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s no typo.

The Missouri Leadership Committee is a PAC. They filed a 30 Day After General Election – Limited Activity Report on November 30, 2010. So far they haven’t filed any reports (including 48 hour reports) in 2011. The last comprehensive campaign finance report from them was an 8 Day Before General Election Report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission on October 25, 2010:  

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe: MO LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

ReportDate: 11/30/2010

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $142,079.28

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $0.00

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $357,519.49

[emphasis added]

They’re flush with cash – $357,519.49.

Since no contributions were received for that report we’ll have to look further back, to the October Committee Quarterly Report filed on October 15, 2010.

Nope, no contributions listed there, either. Nor for the 30 Day After Primary Election report filed on September 1, 2010.

But, wait, there was a single big contribution reported in a 24 Hour report on July 26, 2010:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: MO LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

Report Date: 7/26/2010

A. ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM COMMITTEES REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT, OR FROM PERSONS GIVING MORE THAN $100 TO A COMMITTEE.

FRIENDS OF TILLEY 100 S JACKSON PERRYVILLE MO 63775 07/26/2010 $100,000.00

[emphasis added]

No other reports list contributions until January 15, 2010:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: MO LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

Report Date: 1/15/2010

A. ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM COMMITTEES REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT, OR FROM PERSONS GIVING MORE THAN $100 TO A COMMITTEE.

CHAD WHEELER 168 PCR 712 PERRYVILLE MO 63775 12/14/2010 $500.00

LIFE SCIENCES FUND OF THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 911 MAIN ST STE 2600 KANSAS CITY MO 64105-5303 12/30/2009 $1,000.00

SUPPORTERS OF HEALTH RESEARCH & TREATMENTS PO BOX 220954 ST LOUIS MO 63122 12/28/2009 $1,000.00

Let’s take a look at the Friends of Tilley, in their quarterly report filed on January 4, 2011:

CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED – SUPPLEMENTAL

FRIENDS OF TILLEY [pdf] 1/4/2011

MHA

PO BOX 60

JEFFERSON CITY MO 65102

12/2/2010

$2,000.00

MISSOURI FREEDOM

PO BOX 1792

JEFFERSON CITY MO 65102

12/2/2010

$1,500.00

WYNDHAM VACATION OWNERSHIP

22 SYLVAN WAY

PARSIPPANY NJ 07054

12/15/2010

$1,000.00

US TOOL GRINDING INC

701 SOUTH DESLOGE DR

DESLOGE MO 63601

12/15/2010

$5,000.00

DEAN OPERATIONS INC PAC

PO BOX 419176

KANSAS CITY MO 64141

12/15/2010

$500.00

LEE MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS INC

PO BOX 663

PARK HILLS MO 63601

12/15/2010

$15,000.00

MISSOURI LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

222 WEST COLUMBIA

FARMINGTON MO 63640

12/21/2010

$100,000.00

HOWARD WOOD

203 N E MAIN ST

BONNE TERRE MO 63628

SELF EMPLOYED

12/20/2010

$10,000.00

CARE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES INC

21 BLOOMINGDALE RD

WHITE PLAINS NY 10605

12/20/2010

$2,000.00

LAFARGE MISSOURI PAC

PO BOX 1543

JEFFERSON CITY MO 65102

12/20/2010

$500.00

WINDSTREAM PAC

4001 RODNEY PARHAM RD

LITTLE ROCK AR 72212

12/20/2010

$500.00

SIX STATES RENTAL INC

10276 HWY YY

NEW HAVEN MO 63068

12/23/2010

$10,000.00

CLEARVIEW ENTERPRISES OF THE MIDWEST INC

239 ROCK INDUSTRIAL BLVD

UNION MO 63084

12/23/2010

$10,000.00

THERMALTECH INC

239 ROCK INDUSTRIAL BLVD STE 100

UNION MO 63084

12/23/2010

$5,000.00

MACO DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

PO BOX 68

CLARKTON MO 63837

12/23/2010

$10,000.00

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM USA CORPORATION

PO BOX 2874

CLINTON IA 52732

12/26/2010

$1,000.00

JOYCE WOOD

PO BOX 18

BONNE TERRE MO 63628

SELF EMPLOYED

12/29/2010

$10,000.00

PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH & MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA

950 F STREET NW

WASHINGTON DC 20004

12/30/2010

$3,000.00

EVERGREEN INVESTMENTS LLC

PO BOX 1600

LEBANON MO 65536

12/30/2010

$1,000.00

PYRAMID HOME HEALTH SERVICES

PO BOX 1927

CAPE GIRARDEAU MO 63702

12/29/2010

$10,000.00

ABBOTT LABORATORIES EMPLOYEE PAC

100 ABBOTT PARK RD

ABBOTT PARK IL 60064

12/30/2010

$500.00

MEDICAP PHARMACY

800 VALLEY CREEK DR

FARMINGTON MO 63640

12/30/2010

$30.00

[emphasis added]

Well, that’s interesting. Giveth and receive.

That last one was just for fun.

Back to July 26, 2010 and that $100,000.00 in the Friends of Tilley 30 Day After Primary Election report filed on September 1, 2010 with the Missouri Ethics Commission:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: FRIENDS OF TILLEY

ReportDate: 9/2/2010

C. MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS MADE (REGARDLESS OF AMOUNT)

MO LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE 222 WEST COLUMBIA FARMINGTON MO 63640 07/26/2010 $100,000.00

[emphasis added]

So, to recap, the Missouri House HRCC received $100,000.00 (for more outrageous robocalls?) from the Missouri Leadership Committee, a PAC, on January 14, 2011. Flush with cash, the Missouri Leadership Committee from January 2010 had only one contribution, $100,000.00 from the Friends of Tilley on July 26, 2010. On December 21, 2010 the Friends of Tilley received a $100,000.00 contribution from the Missouri Leadership Committee.

What, they just held the money for five months and gave it back?

I bet Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder (r) would like a piece of that action. Oh, wait…

Jill Schupp told me how she spent her summer vacation: campaigning for other Democrats running for state rep. Amid all the tedium of door knocking and phone calling, she did have some excitement–one harrowing moment. She and some other campaigners were leaving a parish picnic where at least a thousand people had gathered and where they had been campaigning for Cyrus Dashtaki. The car (Schupp wasn’t driving) suddenly speeded up on its own while the driver had it in reverse. It went downhill backwards through a parking lot, through an area where lots of people were walking, through another parking lot and finally down a hill where it ran into a fence. No one was hurt, all of the pedestrians managed to get out of the way, no other cars were damaged. But Schupp realized “sort of the risk that I was putting people in by just taking them around the state to do this.” The people with Schupp were rooting extra hard for Dashtaki to win because they had–and she laughed as she said–“sure been through a lot of trouble to help him.”

Unfortunately, Dashtaki was another of the fine candidates who did not prevail. As was Carl Thompson, who was running to replace term limited Rachel Bringer. Bringer, a rep who studied issues carefully, had taken it upon herself to get the freshman Democrats together each session so that she could bring them up to speed on what was happening and answer their questions. Schupp will miss Rachel Bringer, and now that seat won’t even be filled by the man that Bringer had high hopes for.

Among those Schupp helped who did get elected is Susan Carlson, who will be taking Rachel Storch’s place. Schupp characterized Carlson as “a wonderful, a brilliant attorney” who will do a superb job. Another success was Clem Smith. Schupp and some of her friends–as well as her parents–made phone calls for Smith in the primary. He was running in a safe Democratic district to replace Don Calloway, who gave up that seat to run for the senate.

This brief video will give you the flavor of some of the other races Schupp talked about: Jeanne Kirkton’s, Rebecca McClanahan’s, Courtney Cole’s, and Kelly Schultz’s.

Schupp ended her summer of campaigning for other candidates by holding a fundraiser at her house in Creve Coeur. It was well attended. Democrats, who came to listen to and shake hands with Nixon, Montee, Zweifel, and Koster, donated almost $110,000. Which, along with all the other donations Democratic candidates garnered, still meant that the Ds were way outspent.

But Schupp doesn’t blame our bad year on money woes alone. She stresses that Democrats did not work hard enough to get out a positive message. On both the state and national levels, we could have stressed the values we believe in and emphasized the disaster that stimulus funds averted. And we should have trumpeted the advantages of health care reform on the jobs front. Once national health care gets put into place in our state, not only will more people get much needed care, but more people will be employed. There will be new jobs available for health care providers as well as in the ancillary businesses that spring up to support the providers. Schupp is excited about that and thinks Democrats should have claimed their bragging rights.

But Democrats didn’t have that unified message. As a result, there will be the Heinz 57 in the House this session: 57 Democrats to 106 Republicans. Those Dems will need to be unified, she says. She has some ideas about how to achieve that. More on that later.