David Pearce (r – advocate of automotive deer hunting) has the benefit of the republican Majority Fund, Inc. to continue his whining for him in the open seat race with Chris Benjamin (D) in the 31st Senate District.

First, the Majority Fund’s republican benefactors, via the Missouri Ethics Commission [pdf]:

That $25,000.00 ain’t for pizza to feed the three volunteers at the local republican headquarters.

What, say you, Matt “baby” Blunt has his fingers and money in this stuff? Say it ain’t so. And, as Master Yoda once said, “There is another…” [pdf] That’s an additional $25,000.00 from the carcass of the Blunt campaign.

And what hath all that republican establishment money wrought? A nasty attack piece! It came in yesterday’s mail:

Paid for by:

Shall we untangle the little web they weave and play “Six Degrees of Jeff Roe”?:

Via the Missouri Ethics Commission:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe[e]: MAJORITY FUND INC

Report[ ]Date: 10/13/2008

C. MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS MADE (REGARDLESS OF AMOUNT)

NAME AND ADDRESS OF CANDIDATE OR COMMITTEE Date Amount

Pearce 08 Warrensburg, MO 64093-7566 09/15/2008 $10,000.00 Monetary

[emphasis added]

And from the same section of the same filing:

Axiom Strategies LLC Kansas City, MO 09/30/2008 push cars [sic] $3,600.00 Paid

[emphasis added]

There’s a certain irony for the typo as it applies to David Pearce. Okay, so it’s “One Degree of Jeff Roe”.

Let us continue with the attack piece:

A volatile mix of the republican cult of victimization and excessive hyperbole, anyone?

Uh, David, how does leaving the republican party because of its bankrupt policies have anything to do with “the public trust”? The sense of outraged entitlement is touching. Is that like Mel Brooks in the History of the World, part 1 looking at the audience and saying, “It’s good to be the King”? The only people still remaining in the republican party are the right wing nut jobs and the opportunists hoping to grab up a few of the leftover scraps. Did I just write that out loud?

Further evidence of republican irony impairment.

Uh, is it me, or did they just accuse Chris Benjamin of doing in the past what they’re now doing in this mailing? Just asking.

David Pearce (r – advocate of automotive deer hunting) is going negative in his mail. We received the following piece today:

Apparently the Missouri GOP thinks David Pearce is not a politician. Though it’s very clear to me that he seriously sucks at math and economics. The current economic crises (under the watch of which administration?) is exacerbated by what? As if 516 trillion dollars in derivatives didn’t exist and have nothing to do with screwing the economy and us. Evidently David Pearce and the Missouri GOP is counting on everyone else being stoopid. Same planet, different world, eh David?

And there’s that damn ugly tie again.

David Pearce and his enablers spent upwards of a quarter million dollars on his primary and they can’t change ties in a photo shoot?

By the way, Chris Benjamin (D) is a much nicer guy than your mailer picture indicates, David. And he’s a much better politician and smarter public servant than you will ever be:

Chris Benjamin, Democratic candidate in the 31st Senate District, speaking with volunteers prior to the Chilhowee parade on August 30th.

I received an (im)personal form letter from David Pearce (r – advocate of automotive deer hunting) addressed to me in today’s mail. It’s one of the lamest political personal form letters I’ve ever received.

“Dear Friend”? “Dear Friend”? Has anyone in your campaign ever heard of mail merge?

The best future for our families is the end to republican rule.

I haven’t participated yet. The election is on Tuesday, November 4th. I will participate on that day. Part of my participation will be in voting for Chris Benjamin (D) in the 31st Senate District race.

Wow! A genuine fake candidate signature in my personal form letter.

On to the contents:

Chamber of Commerce? National Federation of Independent Businesses? Uh, those are republican fronts.

Let’s see who else is supporting David Pearce (r) with their money, via Pearce’s latest campaign finance filing on October 7th with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: PEARCE 08

Report Date: 10/7/2008

Realtors PAC-MO – GENERAL Columbia MO 09/10/2008 $1,000.00

NFIB–MO – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/10/2008 $2,000.00

Consumer Lending Alliance Inc. – GENERAL Wright City MO 09/10/2008 $500.00

Missouri Financial Services – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/11/2008 $500.00

Missouri Mortgage Bankers – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/11/2008 $500.00

Citizens for Insurance Reform – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/11/2008 $1,000.00

Missouri Independent Bankers Assoc – GENERAL Liberty MO 09/20/2008 $2,000.00

MBA Pony Express Region PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/23/2008 $675.00

MBA Mark Twain Region PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/23/2008 $675.00

MBA Truman Region PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/23/2008 $675.00

MBA Capitol Region PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/23/2008 $675.00

MBA Gateway Region PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/23/2008 $675.00

MBA Ozark Region PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/23/2008 $675.00

MBA River Heritage PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/23/2008 $675.00

MBA State PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 65101 09/23/2008 $675.00

C.P.A. MO C.P.A. – GENERAL St. Louis MO 09/23/2008 $675.00

Yeah, like banks have a great reputation in America right now. And in those six years in the House what did you do to help job growth in Missouri? For anyone else who may be reading this – how’s that explosive job growth in our state currently workin’ out for you?

Uh, you voted for SB 539 which stripped access to health care from children, disabled Missourians, and the working poor. All while voting to increase your per diem.

Uh, and how’d that unregulated free market choice work out for people with IRAs, mutual funds, and stock associated with investment banks?

And who else is offering their support?:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: PEARCE 08

Report Date: 10/7/2008

Missouri Dental PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/10/2008 $1,000.00

Missouri Insurance Coalition PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/10/2008 $1,000.00

Northport Health Services of MO LLC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/10/2008 $500.00

AstraZeneca – GENERAL Kansas City MO 09/17/2008 $650.00

HEALTHPAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/18/2008 $750.00

HCA Missouri Good Government Fund – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/18/2008 $500.00

Missouri Pharmacy Association – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/30/2008 $1,000.00

Missouri Eye PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/30/2008 $300.00

Midwest Radiological Associates PC – GENERAL St. Louis MO 09/30/2008 $2,000.00

Missouri Medical PAC – GENERAL Jefferson City MO 09/10/2008 $675.00

BC/BS KC PAC – GENERAL Kansas City MO 09/10/2008 $1,000.00

Hurricanes in Missouri? Confiscating guns? Like that would ever be a problem in Missouri? Way to go out on a limb.

Yeah, the crooked address and the bulk mail permit just screamed “open me!”

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The candidates running for the open senate seat in the 31st District – David Pearce (r – advocate of automotive deer hunting) and Chris Benjamin (D) –  filed their 30 day after the primary election campaign finance reports.

We’ve covered this race in previous posts:

31st Senate District – 8 day before primary election reports

31st Senate District – second quarter campaign finance reports

31st Senate District – first quarter campaign finance reports

We’ve also covered a few other things about this race. All you have to do is search for “31st” in the column on the right. That way —->. Everything we’ve previously done on the subject will show. I highly recommend the mail!

Let’s take a look at the state of David Pearce’s (r) campaign coffers, via the Missouri Ethics Commission:

The report was filed on September 3rd.

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe[e]: PEARCE 08

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $229,692.00

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $33,420.00

15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $246,202.04

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $66,712.89

35. TOTAL INDEBTEDNESS AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD

(SUM 29 + 30 + 31 – 32 – 33 – 34) $94,239.76

[emphasis added]

Oh my. That was one expensive primary. Heh. He could have run for Governor of Alaska – it’s about the same amount of money. And he’s got the “right” ideology.

Contributions?:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: PEARCE 08

Report Date: 9/3/2008

23rd Senatorial District Republican Committee – PRIMARY St. Charles MO 08/13/2008 $5,000.00

4th Republican Senatorial District Committee – Washington MO 08/19/2008 $5,675.00

Johnson County Republican Central Committee – Warrensburg MO 08/21/2008 $1,000.00

Citizens for Shields – St. Joseph MO 08/29/2008 $1,000.00

[emphasis added]

No limits! on the last one.

Let’s look at the spending and the debts:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: PEARCE 08

ReportDate: 9/3/2008

Thompson Communications Marshfield MO 07/28/2008 Radio Advertisement $43,851.88

Thompson Communications Marshfield MO 08/01/2008 Radio Advertisement $9,287.77

That’s an awful lot of radio. Thank goodness this one isn’t in a television market.

Chris Benjamin (D) filed his campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on September 4th:

Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report

Committe[e]: BENJAMIN FOR SENATE

1. TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR THIS ELECTION PREVIOUSLY REPORTED $154,857.35

2. ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED THIS PERIOD $13,615.00

9. TOTAL ALL RECEIPTS THIS ELECTION(SUM 1B + 7A – 8A) $170,002.35

15. TOTAL EXPENDITURES THIS ELECTION (SUM 10B + 14A) $38,785.06

28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 – 27) $122,254.94

35. TOTAL INDEBTEDNESS AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD

(SUM 29 + 30 + 31 – 32 – 33 – 34) $40,000.00

[emphasis added]

Don’t you just love republican primaries?

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: BENJAMIN FOR SENATE

Report Date: 9/4/2008

VERNON CO DEM WOMEN NEVADA, MO 8/28/2008 $400.00

24TH SENATORIAL DEM CO STL MO 8/28/2008 $2,000.00

JOHNSON CO DEM CENTRAL CO WARRENSBURG, MO 8/28/2008 $750.00

…and contributions from individuals and organized labor (representing working familes).

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe[e]: BENJAMIN FOR SENATE

Report[ ]Date: 9/4/2008

DAMAR PRINTING KCMO 8/7/2008 CAMPAIGN MATERIAL $799.50

5. TOTAL: MONETARY EXPENDITURES THIS PERIOD (SUM 7 + 14) $2,523.71

[emphasis added]

What? No radio? Heh.

Low overhead. Not having a primary can put you in good stead for the general election.

You all know what to do:

Chris Benjamin

Chris Benjamin (left, he’s in there) working the crowd at another Democratic candidate’s event in Johnson County last night.

I’ve covered this open seat race in the 31st Senate District a lot, and I’ll continue to do so. The seat was previously held by Chris Koster (D). The republicans would dearly like to take it back and have tapped David Pearce (r – advocate of automotive deer hunting) to run for the seat.

I spoke with Chris Benjamin at the fairgrounds west of Warrensburg last night after a fundraiser which was held there for Steve Shippy, the Democratic Party candidate for Johnson County Treasurer:

SMP: …where does your campaign stand now?

Chris Benjamin: Things are looking very good right now because I was able to save a lot of the, most of my resources, through the primary, not having a primary opposition. I feel very good about where we stand right now. I got a lot, even though I was unopposed, I felt very good about the votes I did get in the four counties, Cass County particularly. It’s fifty four per cent of the district. I feel very good about my chances there and the other three counties as well.

Every place I go voters are very receptive to change. And that we need to change the leadership in Jefferson City and put working familes in charge once again in state government. And I’m very, a lot of people, most people are very excited about that. And I’m very, very, feel very good about the whole team going into this final two months. I think there’s going to be a lot of Democratic victories going in to November. I feel very good about my chances…

…SMP: …You’re not concentrating just on Cass County, you’re actually working all four counties in the district.

Chris Benjamin: I’m spending most of my time right now in, actually in the other three counties. I’m spending quite a bit of time in Cass County, that’s where I work and where I live, but I’m in Johnson County, in Vernon and Bates quite a bit. I spent all day Friday down in Vernon County. And I’m gonna to be here, back here in Johnson County again tomorrow. And I’m not takin’ any area for granted. I’m gonna be workin’ all four counties very hard.

SMP: …You talk about working families in the district. As you’ve gone and talked to people, or gone door to door, what are people concerned about?

Chris Benjamin: High gas prices. Problems with a lot of jobs leaving the states. Having a hard time getting health care insurance, small businesses not being able to provide health care insurance for their employees, People are really ready for change right now. And they just, they’re ready for new leadership to come in in Jefferson City. But it’s pretty much right down the line, even Republican areas that I go to, those folks are ready for change as well.

SMP: How has your reception been, generally, within the Democratic Party?

Chris Benjamin: Very good. Starting, starting from the point of not having a primary opposition, all the local Democratic county officials in the four counties have endorsed my candidacy…pretty much just about every Democratic official and anybody involved on the grassroots side with the Democratic Party locally, they’re very receptive, very supportive to my candidacy.

SMP: Your opponent is based in, is from Johnson County…and is a state representative in Johnson County. Has he been able to, how has he addressed, sort of, these voter concerns? What are you hearing from what he’s done?

Chris Benjamin: It’s really, it’s really hard to say. I noticed one thing leading in to the primary. he was running against a guy that was very, very conservative on a lot of issues. So he really ran to the right in the primary, really defending a lot of the Medicaid cuts that he voted for. Really going so far as to saying that, almost toeing the lines, almost to the point where he was saying that he was, had some opposition to things like stem cell research. He had to go very, very conservative in that primary. So it’s really hard to say going in to the general how he’s going to respond, or if he’s gonna try to move to the middle. But, it seems to me, outspending his opponent ten to one in the primary, and not being able to win Cass and Bates counties, he’s having a hard time really getting the message out over in those areas of the district.

SMP: …Campaigns are expensive…You’ve been obviously working to, to, to raise resources and get support. And obviously the Republicans always have enough money for, for their needs. How do you feel, do you feel you’re going to have any kind of parity in, in basically being able to keep up with the support that he’s going to get?

Chris Benjamin: I feel very confident that I’ll be able to match his, his resources going into the general election. He did, he won his primary after outspending his opponent, I believe somewhere between ten and fifteen to one. He was able to, to gain a victory, but he did see some loses within the district. And, by looking at that, by being able to keep up with parity with him, particularly what I believe is gonna be a strong Democratic year in which people are ready for change, I feel very good about my chances going into the general.

SMP: …Thank you very much.

Chris Benjamin: Thank you.

We’ve previously covered the extravagant (and minutely targeted) mail plan of those “independent” republican friends on behalf of David Pearce (r – advocate of automotive deer hunting):

David Pearce (r) in the 31st Senate District – the republican money floods in

Well, we’ve got more of that mail, most of it paid for by the republican “Majority Fund” and some of it paid for by Pearce’s campaign. All of it looks the same, even down to the fonts and photos. These mail pieces contain all of the usual tactical right wingnut wedge issue themes. Uh, David Pearce ain’t no moderate when you read his mail. I bet the voters in Johnson County would be interested in that fact, huh David?:

The details are even more fun. From the piece above:

Sometimes it can be nice to have your “independent” republican friends drop $75,000.00 into your primary.

Hmmm, boasting that he made sure poor people and poor children have no health insurance. That’s republican family values for you…

All by his lonesome self. Yeah, dumping that MOHELA thingy means that it’s a lot more expensive for Missouri students to go to college. Way to go, Einstein…

Yes, there’s that fake movie set office, but there’s something vaguely familiar about that tie.

Ooh, look! Here’s another piece – this time David Pearce’s campaign paid for it. Gee, it looks kind of familiar, you know, with the same fonts:

If you scrimp and save and loan your own campaign $49,000.00, you too, could send out familiar looking mail pieces.

Evidently the cost of all that mail and those loans doesn’t leave you any money to buy a different tie for the photo shoot. Come on, work with us here. At least attempt to make those other mailings look like “independent” expenditures.

Yeah, on that jobs thingy, how have the last six years worked out for you? A word of advice – placing the word “cutting” in close proximity twice to the word “jobs” isn’t going to go over well with voters subjected to this limping republican economy. Just sayin’. You know, because anyone with a basic grasp of reality knows that the job situation ain’t exactly rosy.

And who paid for the next mail piece? It’s from the republican right wingnut campaign playbook – noun, verb, anti-choice:

If you’re a republican candidate you never have to worry about raising money for your campaign, your “independent” friends will pay for things. And they’ll throw in a meaningless “fake” endorsement to boot.

Uh, yeah, we pointed this out last time. It’s just plain stupid to say that we should pass a law to make something illegal when it’s already illegal. And then there’s those raging radicals at Planned Parenthood, running through our high schools and forcing pregnant teens to get abortions. Next thing you know, they’ll plant tracking chips in our brains…

You all know what to do. Chris Benjamin (D).

Somebody spent an awful lot of money on David Pearce’s (r – advocate of automotive deer hunting) senate primary campaign and it wasn’t his campaign (well, yeah, he spent some money, too).

Okay, what’s with the baby photo? Is that supposed to be subtly catering to the right wingnut anti-choice republican base?

So who paid for this, and what did they spend?

Uh, where did these folks get those charming high quality family photos? Public domain?

Okay, let’s take a look at the Majority Fund’s 8 day before the election campaign finance filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission on July 28th:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: MAJORITY FUND INC

ReportDate: 07/27/2008

Axiom Strategies LLC Kansas City, MO 07/15/2008 mail production and posta $74,901.90

[emphasis added]

Axiom Strategies. Axiom Strategies. Where have I seen that before? Oh, yeah, around the same time David Pearce spent some  money on whatever Axiom Strategies does. They must have a lot of people in their offices. Nah.:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: PEARCE 08

ReportDate: 7/28/2008

Axiom Strategies Kansas City MO 07/20/2008 Campaign Mail $44,839.76

What did all those expenditures get David Pearce (r)?:

The county by county primary results, courtesy of the Missouri Secretary of State:

Bates County

State Senator – District 31 Precincts Reporting 16 of 16

Rector, Rex REP 733 59.1%

Pearce, David REP 507 40.9% [loss]

Benjamin, Chris DEM 1,686 100.0%

Total Votes   2,926

Cass County

State Senator – District 31 Precincts Reporting 48 of 48

Rector, Rex REP 3,416 54.3%

Pearce, David REP 2,876 45.7% [loss]

Benjamin, Chris DEM 5,071 100.0%

Total Votes   11,363

Johnson County

State Senator – District 31 Precincts Reporting 11 of 11

Rector, Rex REP 431 15.5%

Pearce, David REP 2,348 84.5% [win]

Benjamin, Chris DEM 2,092 100.0%

Total Votes   4,871

Vernon County

State Senator – District 31 Precincts Reporting 17 of 17

Rector, Rex REP 491 47.9%

Pearce, David REP 533 52.1% [win]

Benjamin, Chris DEM 1,873 100.0%

Total Votes   2,897

Counting in the chunk of change Pearce spent on Kansas City radio I figure Bates and Cass Counties cost him about $40.00 a vote. Holy cow. It would have been easier and cheaper to buy everyone in each county a steak dinner.

Maybe some people should ask for their money back.

The word on the ground in Bates and Cass Counties was that they were inundated with mailings in support of David Pearce. I have yet to hear about similar mailings in Johnson County. Probably because the texts were so, well, you know, right wingnutty. And that probably wouldn’t go over very well in Johnson County because, you know, David Pearce is a moderate. Yeah, and I have a bridge I could sell you in Brooklyn.

Here’s some of the details from a mailing:

That one won’t go over very well in Johnson County, David.

Johnson County

Constitutional Amendment No. 2 – 2006 Precincts Reporting 21 of 21

Stem Cell Initiative

Yes 8,544 55.7%

No 6,796 44.3%

Total Votes   15,340

[emphasis added]

I wonder if David Pearce is telling us how he voted in 2006. Is that why you didn’t send that mailing to Johnson County voters?

Uh, that’s already the law in the State of Missouri. Talk about pandering to the right wingnut base.

That “agenda” is probably news to Planned Parenthood.

So much for a so-called republican moderate. It’s just so creepily unseemly isn’t it? This blatant brown nosing of the republican right wingnut base.

And so, the republican money flows.

You all know what to do. Chris Benjamin (D).

Ah, Fall is in the air. The leaves are falling, the temperature is (supposed to be) dropping, and the quarterly campaign finance reports are in at the Missouri Ethics Commission.

David Pearce (r-plastic smile and party rubber stamp), current representative in the 121st House District, is a declared candidate for the senate seat in the 31st District (currently held by Chris Koster and previously held for 28 years by Harold Caskey).

Well, David Pearce’s third quarter report, filed on 10/15/07, shows that Pearce 08 raised $35,408.29 ($29,960.00 cash, $3000.00 in a loan, and $2,448.29 in kind) with a cash on hand balance of $50,190.40.

Pearce’s expenditures included $2,500 to the McKellar Group in Kansas City for “fundraising” and $369.00 for postage.

Now comes the fun part – contributions (look at all those PACs!):

AIM Political Action Comm. P.O. Box 1709 Jefferson City MO 65102  09/11/2007
$200.00

AT&T MO Employee PAC One AT&T Center St. Louis MO 63101  09/01/2007
$325.00

Bank of America MO PAC800 Market St St. Louis MO 63101  08/17/2007
$300.00

Citizens for Bryan T. Pratt 1123 SE Eastridge Dr Blue Springs MO 64014  08/17/2007
$650.00

Citizens to elect Doug Ervin 19800 NE 128 Kearney MO 64060  08/20/2007
$325.00

Credit Union Political Action Comm. 2055 Craigshire Dr St. Louis MO 63146  09/11/2007
$200.00

District 7 MHCA PAC 236 Metro Dr Jefferson City MO 65109  09/11/2007
$650.00

Embarq Employee PAC 319 Madison St Jefferson City MO 64101  09/20/2007
$250.00

Home Building Industry PAC 10104 Old Olive St Rd St. Louis MO 63141  09/07/2007
$325.00

HSBC North America H-PAC MO 2700 Sanders Rd Prospect Heights IL 60070  09/11/2007
$325.00

Anheuser-Busch Inc. P.O. Box 1708 Jefferson City MO 65102  09/11/2007
$650.00

KCP&L Power PAC P.O. Box 418679 K.C. MO 64141  08/27/2007
$650.00

MAPAC MO Ass. Of Insurance Agents P.O. Box 1785 Jefferson City MO 65102  09/11/2007
$300.00

MEDA PAC 326 E Capitol Ave Jefferson City MO 65101  09/30/2007
$650.00

MHA HealthPAC P.O. Box 60 Jefferson City MO 65102  $400.00

MO Chamber PAC  P.O. Box 149 Jefferson City MO 65102  09/11/2007
$650.00

MO Council of School Administrators PAC – PRIMARY 398 Dix Rd STE 201 Jefferson City MO 65109  09/11/2007
$250.00

MO CPA PAC  P.O. Box 419042 St. Louis MO 63141  09/06/2007
$325.00

MO Dental PAC  3340 American Ave Jefferson City MO 65109  09/11/2007
$400.00

MO Independent Bankers Assoc.  5 Victory Ln STE 201 Liberty MO 64068  08/27/2007
$650.00

MO Professionals Mutual  287 Lindbergh Blvd Saint Louis MO 63141  07/02/2007
$300.00

Realtors PAC  P.O. Box 30635 Columbia MO 65205  09/11/2007
$650.00

UST Public Affairs Inc. 100 W Putnam Ave Greenwich CT 6830  08/15/2007
$300.00

Then again, $50,000 is not particularly stellar fundraising for an open senate seat.

For a minute there I was getting worried that the bankers had run out of money. It certainly looks like David Pearce has organized labor really locked in.

So far there is no declared Democratic candidate for the seat.