What Can Koster Do in 2008?
One of the commenters on a previous thread sought to assure Democrats like me that Koster would prove his Democratic bona fides during the Senate session in 2008. The comment provoked me to wonder, just what in the heck can Koster do in one Senate session to atone for his past and to assuage the concerns of those of us who think of him as a self-absorbed pretty face with zero integrity and no principle above self-promotion?
It's a nice thought - I would love to be able to accept Chris at face value, and I'd love to see him accomplish some miracle in the Senate that would convince me and others that his conversion to the Democrat side of the aisle is something more than an unfortunate misunderstanding of the strength of Republican Attorney General opposition. I would relish the thought that Chris was running toward Democratic values instead of away from Catherine Hanaway.
Unfortunately, I just don't think he can do it. I really don't see how a rising star Republican can, over the course of a few months as one of 34 senators, convince the party faithful that he is really one of us. It's not a slight against Koster - I don't think that Harris or Donnelly, after their years of advocacy for the Democrats, could convince Republicans that they were really Republicans, either. While hope spring eternal and true Democrats can (and do) believe in redemption, we're in the Show-Me State.
If Chris toes the Democratic Party line for the next session, most of us will think "so what?", and chalk it up to political expediency. If Chris votes with his old friends on the Republican side, most of us will see it as evidence that his conversion is as shallow as his principles. Furthermore, there's not much that a single Senator can accomplish, anyhow. Senatorial politics is a team sport, and Chris isn't going to be quarterback of either team.
Perhaps I'm mistaken, and Koster will work some kind of magic that will convince loyal Democrats that he is one of us. I'll be watching, but I will frankly admit I'm cynical about Chris' depth and his chances. Show us, Chris Koster.
Labels: attorney general, donnelly, Jeff Harris, koster
posted by Dan at 1/02/2008 07:19:00 AM
3 Comments:
Steinmaster: Maybe, but the Democratic lawyers are OUR lawyers. We have some control over their opportunism. I do not think that Koster is one of us. I'd like to see him take on the GOP senate a time or two before he goes for the brass ring.
I'm with Harris on this one.
I am sure Koster will get the chance to prove he's a Democrat in the Missouri senate.
Koster led the charge to call the PQ (previous question) when Jolie Justus was filibustering the MOHEALA cluster. Check out Sen. Justus' blog called Freshmeat for a discussion of how rare - and nasty - calling the PQ is in the Missouri Senate. Koster didn't call the PQ on Matt Bartle when he was filibustering the appointment of Kit Bond's former chief of staff, Warren Erdman, to the Missouri Board of Curators. Bartle was filibustering because Erdman was pro-stem cell. Koster is pro-stem cell. Why not call the PQ on his office mate Matt Bartle? Maybe because Matt Bartle, Jeff Roe and Chris Koster were all best friends.
Koster wants to prove he's a Democrat, filibuster a Republican bill. A few other things include:
- Sign on the Justus' state earned income tax credit bill.
- Sponsor a bill to put 100,000 of our poorest back on the health care rolls (even Senator Rob Mayer (R - Dexter) didn't vote for that).
- How about telling Farm Bureau to stick it, he now thinks Clay & Platte Counties should be able to keep corporate pig farms out.
- Take some of his money and sponsor a few Democratic clubs. The Jackson County Democratic Committee needs some cash.
- Write a letter to Doug Harpool, the Democratic senate candidate in Springfield, saying "I'm sorry." Koster went down there and fundraised for Sen. Norma Champion in one of the the narrowist races in the state.
- Tell Gov. Mel Carnahan's wife he is sorry for endorsing John Ashcroft.
- Max out to some Democratic candidates for state rep in Cass County. If Koster isn't returning right wing Rex's $100,000, he should use it to help Democrats.
Now why was it again that Koster got divorced?
Just wondering.
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