There’s a blurb by the stenographer on Attorney General Chris Koster and some fallout on Amendment 1 in the Kansas City Star:

Steve Kraske: Chris Koster hits his first speed bump on the road to Missouri governor

By STEVE KRASKE

The Kansas City Star

08/08/2014 3:42 PM

….In recent days, two longtime party leaders – former lieutenant governor Joe Maxwell and former state senator Joan Bray – have questioned Koster’s bona fides for the state’s highest office….

….Bray and Maxwell, known for his work on elderly and children’s issues, pointed to Koster’s public support of the controversial “right to farm” amendment that appears to have narrowly passed. Critics, including Maxwell, called the amendment a sellout to corporate and foreign interests.

Koster backed the “right to bear arms” amendment that passed with National Rifle Association backing but that many Democrats opposed. Koster has long enjoyed NRA support….

Bad Democrat, bad, bad Democrat.

Dude, the speed bumps have always been there.

Here’s the thing. As one Democrat told me a long time ago [paraphrased], “There are maybe eight thousand party activist Democrats who vote in the primary. There are several hundred thousand other voters who cast ballots in that same party primary.”  

Interestingly, the stenographer didn’t bother to mention this:

4:15 pm Fri August 1, 2014

Kander Joins Koster In Backing ‘Right To Farm’ Amendment

By Jason Rosenbaum

Secretary of State Jason Kander is throwing his supporting behind the so-called “right to farm” amendment. Friday afternoon Kander’s office sent out a statement indicating that he will vote for Amendment 1….

….”I served with Jason in the Legislature, and expected more from him,” said [Wes] Shoemyer, the president of the anti-Amendment 1 group Missouri’s Food for America….

Here’s another thing. The Democratic Party statewide candidates we get are not always the Democratic Party statewide candidates we want. In the end the choice in November 2016 is probably going to be between the Democratic Party nominee we have and a right wingnut republican. I may not be particularly thrilled about it, but I know how I’ll vote.

It is always instructive to read the writing of an important, fair and balanced reporter in the Show Me State. Steve Kraske, the chief political correspondent, does an admirable job reporting the concerns of the junior Senator from Missouri.

These concerns that the junior Senator has are important because Kraske, an important stenographer correspondent for one of the important newspapers in Missouri, notes that Blunt “is known as a “reasonable” Republican who understands compromise. But he’s clearly beyond frustrated with the president just days before Obama’s second inauguration.”

Below the fold is what frustrates the “reasonable” Republican.  

Blunt was asked about the raising the debt limit.

“If you’re the president, you can’t just say in an authoritative way, ‘This is the way it’s going to be.’ If you’re the dictator, you can say that. If you’re the king, you can say that. If you’re the omnipotent power, you can say that.”

But Obama has to work with Republicans, who still control the House. Yet he demanded anew on Monday that Congress unconditionally increase the debt limit. No negotiations, the president said. No agreement to raise the ceiling in exchange for an equal portion of spending cuts, even though that’s what’s happened before.

Just raise the limit, Obama said.

. . .

The problem is, Blunt and other Republicans don’t take kindly to dictates. They don’t take kindly to Obama setting all the rules. It’s a tone thing that rubs them raw – that professorial attitude Obama has been criticized for.

“How do you get anything done if you immediately start telling the other side that has to work with you, ‘I’m not going to work with you on this’ ?” Blunt said. “Now what kind of start is that to a new administration?”

As a good stenographer reporter, we can be certain Kraske got Blunt’s irritation right.  

In another world not inhabited by the Kraskes who do such an admirable job in reporting the irritation of a “reasonable” Republican, it might have been interesting to ask the irritated junior Senator what Republican president negotiated on raising the debt ceiling.

Some other questions that might have been asked:

When the junior Senator was in the House, did he ever negotiate with the president on what must be done before he got his vote to raise the debt ceiling?  

Didn’t Obama run and win on not cutting Medicare and Social Security, so why should he now negotiate on what he will cut on those programs?

Of course, isn’t it dictating to the president if he doesn’t give you what you want you will not raise the debt limit at all?

Apparently, I don’t have any knowledge of how a serious reporter is to do his job.  

Democrats: President Obama heading to Osawatomie Tuesday

2 hours, 26 minutes ago

Steve Kraske

@stevekraske

A leaked e-mail to Prime Buzz states that the president will be in Osawatomie – of all places – on Tuesday.

Why Osawatomie? And why Kansas?

We’re scrambling to find out.

But note this from Wikipedia…

[emphasis added]

That prompted these responses:

@annievangsnes Annie Montemayor

Citing Wikipedia? Good job Midwest Democracy Project. Sometimes being a journalist means picking up a phone.[…]1 hour ago

@annievangsnes Annie Montemayor

@stevekraske @smontemayor Better question: Why do you think a tidbit from Wikipedia makes a good hypothesis for his visit. 1 hour ago

That left a mark.

And who is Annie Montemayor?:

Annie Montemayor

@annievangsnes Paola, KS

Graduate of William Allen White School of Journalism at KU. Reporter/photographer at the Miami County Republic….

Okay.

Update:

Oooh, we’re mean.

It turns out that President Obama will indeed be in Osawatomie, Kansas on Tuesday.

Heh. We’re still mean.

Heads or tails? In the universe of political stenography all stupid ideas or concepts have the same value as anything else.

Seriously?:

KRASKE: Where’s Bill Clinton? Why is Robin Carnahan so alone? Just talking with myself…

….Get this: Clinton, who now ranks as one of the country’s most popular political figures (who would have guessed that a decade ago?)….

[emphasis added]

I’ll answer that. Anyone who can read:

Presidential Approval Ratings — Bill Clinton

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling his job as president?

2000

00 Dec 15-17

Approve – 66%

Disapprove – 32%

No Opinion – 2%

00 Dec 2-4

Approve – 60%

Disapprove – 35%

No Opinion – 5%

00 Nov 13-15

Approve – 63%

Disapprove – 33%

No Opinion – 4%

00 Oct 25-28

Approve – 57%

Disapprove – 38%

No Opinion – 5%

Or:

NBC  News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R)….

“Now I’m going to read you the names of several public figures, and I’d like you to rate your feelings toward each one as either very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative. If you don’t know the name, please just say so. Bill Clinton.”

10/13-15/00 RV

Very Positive – 25%

Somewhat Positive – 26%

Neutral – 10%

Somewhat Negative – 11%

Very Negative – 28%

Not sure –

Heh. That 28% has got to be that nascent Faux News Channel watching teabagger core.

Gallup  Poll…

“Next, we’d like to get your overall opinion of some people in the news. As I read each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of these people — or if you have never heard of them. How about Bill Clinton?”

11/13-15/00

Favorable – 57%

Unfavorable – 41%

Unsure – 2%

10/25-28/00

Favorable – 54%

Unfavorable – 44%

Unsure – 2%

CNN/Time  Poll conducted by Yankelovich Partners

“Next, I’m going to read you the names of some people in the news today. Please tell me whether you have generally favorable or generally unfavorable impressions of each, or whether you are not familiar enough to say one way or another. Bill Clinton.”

10/25-26/00

Favorable – 57%

Unfavorable – 38%

Not Familiar – 2%

Not Sure – 3%

“…who would have guessed that a decade ago?…”

Having a memory helps, too. If you weren’t a stenographer you’d get the picture.

Flip you for the narrative…