AG Race Result to Be Decided Today

Robin Carnahan is expected to announce the results of the Attorney General recount today, and it sounds like Chris Koster will retain his victory over Margaret Donnelly for the Democratic nomination.

I was wrong on this election - way wrong, and I deeply regret it.

I thought Jeff Harris was the one who had the best chance to defeat Chris Koster. Bright, friendly, experienced, and endorsed by people from all over the state, he ran a good campaign, though he was heavily outspent. Polls showed him leading by double digits. (My first line in that post seems cruelly on-target today - "Only fools take polls very seriously, but I'm foolish enough to be blown away by AG candidate Jeff Harris' showing in the recent poll released by the St. Louis Post Dispatch.")

When I met Margaret Donnelly, I wrote "Margaret Donnelly seems like a fantastically dedicated and fine Democrat. She is not, however, a particularly good candidate for Attorney General." That "not particularly good candidate" defeated my candidate by more than 30,000 votes, and came with around 780 votes (we'll know the true number later today) of defeating Chris Koster.

Could my endorsement and enthusiastic support have made a difference? When the margin is that slight, every tiny facet plays a part. While I don't blame myself for supporting Jeff Harris, I do blame myself for dismissing Margaret Donnelly.

It appears that, later today, Chris Koster will finally grab AG nomination for the Democrats.

Will I support him? I need to ponder that one . . .

Should Donnelly Seek a Recount?

Tuesday night's primary surprised a lot of people, myself very much included. As the vote counts trickled in, the margin between Koster and Donnelly bounced around in the hundreds. When I finally went to bed, I hoped that I would wake up to find that Margaret Donnelly had managed to scrape together enough votes to bring in a winner.

As of this writing, fewer than 900 votes separate Koster and Donnelly. 500 votes in St. Louis County were not counted. Yesterday morning, Margaret Donnelly issued the following statement:

At this time we are waiting for certification from the Secretary of State's office. We know that there are still over 500 votes that have not been counted in St. Louis County. And while we are not aware of similar situations elsewhere, we have not had the time to investigate other election jurisdictions. After certification we will weigh our options, including asking for a recount.

A recount often results in changed totals, and it could strengthen Koster's margin, or reverse it.

Meanwhile, the Republican AG nominee, Mike Gibbons, would like nothing more than an extended fight between the Democrats.

So, readers, what should Margaret Donnelly do? Should she seek a recount? Should she accept the reported totals as they stand, and begin the process of welcoming Chris Koster into the party, now that he's been through the most elaborate and painful initiation ritual since hell week at the KA house?

Koster Won't Use the "D word"

Have you noticed anything funny about Chris Koster's yard signs?

They don't use the word "Democrat".

I would put up a photo of one, but it appears most of the people who had Koster signs took them down in disgust when they heard about his ethical problems with money laundering in fundraising. If I find one in the yard of someone who has a strong enough stomach for Koster's behavior, I'll try to get a snapshot and post it.

Jeff Harris and Margaret Donnelly both proudly claim to be Democrats on their yard sings. Perhaps Koster's Republican donors would not pay for signs with the "D word".

Lawyers Strongly Support Jeff Harris - Including Koster's Old Firm

Attorneys generally pay more attention to the Attorney General election than the average voter. They know that the AG is not a prosecutor, but the managing partner of one of Missouri's largest law firms, dedicated to serving as the State's main lawyer.

Attorneys are strongly backing Jeff Harris for Attorney General. Missouri Lawyer's Weekly, a trade newspaper for lawyers, did a thorough analysis of attorney's contributions to the race, and concluded that Harris raised the most money from attorneys, that Harris received the most contributions from Bryan Cave (his former law firm), and that Harris received the most contributions from Husch Blackwell Sanders.

The Harris advantage at Husch Blackwell Sanders is raising a lot of eyebrows, because Koster used to work there! Did Harris draw more support from Koster's ex-colleagues despite that fact, or because of that fact?

More Republican Fundraising Shenanigans - Kinder Cheats on Money Coming In and Going Out

As regular readers know, Chris Koster has run into a whole lot of trouble for his shockingly underworld system of fundraising/money-laundering through third-party committees. Leading Democrats, like Jason Kander, have condemned these kind of tactics.

Peter Kinder, Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, on the other hand, has managed to build upon those tactics. Not only is he funneling excessive contributions through third party committees he controls, he is actually paying his staff through those same committees! He's even paying his rent through the committee he controls!

To read the whole story, visit Fired Up! Missouri.

Vote for Sam Page for Lieutenant Governor.

Molly Korth Williams Starts Rattling a Few Cages

The Williams campaign just sent me a link to this video -



This is the first volley I've seen from the Williams campaign, and it's a little surprising that it goes after Donnelly. If I were going to attack an AG candidate for voting Republican, I'd go ahead and focus on the genuine Republican in the race, Chris Koster, who has a long history of voting Republican and still raises money from Republicans.

Does Williams' odd choice of targets provide more evidence to support those who think that she was recruited into the race by Chris Koster's friends?

AG Race - Harris on Top!

Only fools take polls very seriously, but I'm foolish enough to be blown away by AG candidate Jeff Harris' showing in the recent poll released by the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Jeff Harris is leading by double digits over Chris Koster and Margaret Donnelly!

A few cautionary words are in order - this poll was done before the TV blitz, which has begun and will continue. Chris Koster's republican donors and third party committees - 81% of his war chest - have made it possible for him to interrupt our television viewing more often than Katie Horner in a rainsuit. Second, the survey shows 23% undecided, which means that a lot of people could be influenced by those ads. (Theoretically, though, it also means that Molly Korth Williams could build upon her base of 1% and defeat Koster 24-23. Go Molly!!)

On the plus side of the unknowns, though, the undecideds and some of Donnelly's support may tilt toward Harris, since most democrats are unlikely to support a candidate who endorsed John Ashcroft, campaigned against Governor Mel Carnahan, and helped kick hundreds of thousands of Missourians out of health coverage.

The poll also does not reflect the impact of Jeff Harris' television advertising, which will probably be less widespread yet more effective than Koster's. It's easier to sell a Democrat to Democrats than it is to sell an Ashcroft Republican.

Another reason to suggest that the poll may under-represent Harris' advantage is that the news continues to break on Koster's shady campaigning. Now, we've learned that he has a pending ethics complaint to worry about, based on his money-laundering tactics. Things are crumbling for Mr. Koster.

All told, it's just a poll, and those who want to see a real Democrat in the AG's office cannot mistake a road sign for the destination. Until Jeff Harris wins on August 5 and on November 4, this race is up in the air. Indeed, now would be a great time to go to ActBlue and make a donation for Jeff Harris, to make sure that he does not get outgunned by Koster's republican buddies.

Please Don't Vote for Koster

The Associated Press dropped a bombshell on Missouri politics yesterday when it detailed the cozy triangle funneling money from donors to committees to candidates, and pointed to Chris Koster as the most flagrant and sloppy abuser of the system. Go read the article if you have a strong stomach - it's a disquieting look at the sort of person who views breaking the law as a game that everybody plays, even when they don't.

Let me state this clearly - Chris Koster is NOT a strong enough person to be our Attorney General.

He has demonstrated this time and time again. From his flip-flopping on pro-life positions, to his incendiary tactic of "calling the previous question" against my Senator, Jolie Justus, to his sudden, unconvincing switch to the Democratic party (when it appeared that Catherine Hanaway had the Republican AG primary sewn up), Koster has always sought out the quick fix, the easy way out.

Just look at the way he has conducted himself in this campaign. He has won the fund-raising race, but only because he has raised 81% of his total through his get-rich-quick scheme that sends campaign workers out to trade envelopes with shadowy groups throughout the state. He has NOT done the hard work of meeting ordinary, non-millionaire people throughout the state, the way his opponents have.

When it looked like Margaret Donnelly might have a gender advantage in a three-way race, he arranged for Molly "I'm not serious" Williams to muddy the issue.

When his right-wing donor friends invited him back with their wallets opened, Koster responded by reverting to his Republican ways.

More than any position in the legislative or executive branches, the Attorney General needs to be the sort of person with rock-solid integrity and dependability. Jeff Harris has that. Even though I'm supporting Jeff, I would never deny that Margaret Donnelly has that rock-solid integrity and dependability, as well.

Sometime during the term of the next Attorney General, there will come a time when justice and our Constitution require that the Attorney General do one thing, but the easy way out will beckon to the other path. I know that two of the Democratic primary candidates will do the right thing in that situation.

I also know that Chris Koster will take the easy way out and roll with what is popular.

Please don't vote for Koster. It's important that we have an Attorney General with strong values he or she will stand with, even when it's not easy.

Sorry, Chris Koster, that's NOT What "Unanimous" Means . . .

Last week, I received an email from the Chris Koster campaign announcing "the unanimous support of Missouri’s law enforcement community for our candidacy was solidified when the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association endorsed me."

That would be an impressive accomplishment - if it were true! But it's a lie. Koster definitely does NOT have the unanimous support of Missouri's law enforcement community. Here's a list of Jeff Harris' law enforcement endorsements, and it demolishes Koster's claim.

* AUDRAIN COUNTY PROSECUTOR JASON LAMB
* AUDRAIN COUNTY SHERIFF STUART MILLER
* BOONE COUNTY PROSECUTOR DAN KNIGHT
* CHARITON COUNTY SHERIFF CHRIS HUGHES
* COOPER COUNTY SHERIFF PAUL MILNE
* HOWARD COUNTY SHERIFF CHARLIE POLSON
* KNOX COUNTY SHERIFF MICHAEL KITE
* LAFAYETTE COUNTY SHERIFF KERRICK ALUMBAUGH
* LINN COUNTY SHERIFF TOM PARKS
* MADISON COUNTY SHERIFF DAVID LEWIS
* MARIES COUNTY PROSECUTOR TERRY SCHWARTZE
* MARIES COUNTY SHERIFF DOUG DINATALE
* MARION COUNTY SHERIFF JOHN WALDSCHLAGER
* MORGAN COUNTY SHERIFF JIM PETTY
* RALLS COUNTY SHERIFF PAUL FORNEY
* RANDOLPH COUNTY SHERIFF MARK NICHOLS
* RAY COUNTY SHERIFF SAM CLEMENS
* ST. FRANCOIS CTY. PROS. WENDY WEXLER HORN
* ST. LOUIS CITY SHERIFF JIM MURPHY
* SALINE COUNTY SHERIFF WALLY GEORGE
* SHELBY COUNTY PROSECUTOR JIM MCCONNELL
* FORMER BOONE COUNTY SHERIFF TED BOEHM

Maybe Chris Koster's years of being a Republican have made him comfortable with simply ignoring facts that don't support his position. That's the way that his fellow Republicans like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Matt Blunt have gotten our country into this mess, and exactly why we need true Democrats with REAL values.

Jeff Harris will be an honest Attorney General for Missouri - wouldn't that be better than having one who claims to have "unanimous" support?

Don't Forget the AG Debate Tomorrow!

Tomorrow night, the Committee for County Progress is hosting a debate for all four Democratic candidates in the Missouri Attorney General Primary. The doors will be open at White Recital Hall in the UMKC Performing Arts Center at 5:30, and the debate will start at 6:00. It's free.

Even though it's obvious to anyone who has met all the candidates that Jeff Harris is the best candidate, the event will hold some suspense for even the most savvy observers.

Will Koster admit that his only experience in the AG's office was working for a Republican criminal? Will he continue to conflate the roles of Missouri Attorney General and County Prosecuting Attorney? Will he luridly describe crimes rather than explain his continued support of Republican votes?

Will Donnelly express amazement that the roads in Kansas City are paved, just like in St. Louis, the center of her universe?

Will Molly Williams make a credible and serious showing? (That's a genuine question - just to see if you're paying attention.)

Will Jeff Harris announce yet another important labor endorsement?

This debate offers you a wonderful opportunity to see the candidates and form your independent opinion that I am correct, and that Jeff Harris is the only one with Democratic values combined with high-level Attorney General experience.

Koster Defies Kansas City Priorities

One of the interesting sidelights to the controversy over Festival Licenses has been Senator Chris Koster's abandonment of Kansas City.

In a quick recap, Kansas City listed as one of its priorities in Jefferson City the increased flexibility in making "Festival Liquor Licensing" available for districts in Kansas City. It's a great idea - a few more festivals with adult beverages available would make our city a better tourist attraction.

Believe it or not, Chris Koster actually voted against this common-sense, pro-Kansas City proposal when it came up in committee. Fortunately, a bipartisan majority, led by Senator Jolie Justus, outvoted Koster's anti-Kansas City sneak attack.

Bad News for Koster's CAFOs

As described earlier on this blog, Chris Koster likes factory farms (a/k/a CAFOs). He likes them so much that he wants to prevent local people from having a voice in where they can locate their sewage lagoons and generate their stink. If you would prefer to avoid pig feces and urine next door, you definitely do not want Chris Koster to be in charge of our environmental laws.

Blog CCP put up a great post on Monday about a CAFO that is trying to argue that it can put 4800 pigs about 400 yards away from a soldier's front door. "He's not there now, anyhow," the factory farm argues. Disgusting people pushing a disgusting farm. Koster's work on behalf of CAFOs has been focused on preventing local communities from having a voice in allowing corporate pig farms, so that small towns cannot fight back to save the home of their local soldier. That's the sort of crowd that Koster is running with. Sound like Democrats to you?

This morning's paper brings more attention to Koster's CAFOs. The first paragraph gives just a whiff of the stench that Koster wants to inflict on Missouri's small towns:

Industrial farms where animals are kept tightly confined present a serious and growing threat to humans, animals and the environment, a private commission reported Tuesday.

The article goes on to point out the dangers in the antibiotics and waste products of these pig factories.

Ironically, the conclusion reached by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the exact opposite of what Chris Koster wants to impose. Where Koster has been trying to rob local communities of the right to interfere with corporate pig farms to locate wherever they want (such as next door to a soldier's home), the bipartisan commission says that local control is better than state control.

Would a real Democrat support corporate pig farms?

Don't Take My Word For It - Come And See the AG Candidates for Yourself

Here's a rare opportunity - indeed, probably a unique opportunity on this side of the state of Missouri. On May 22, the Committee for County Progress is hosting a debate for all four Democratic candidates in the Missouri Attorney General Primary. You are invited. You will be welcomed. The doors will open at White Recital Hall in the UMKC Performing Arts Center at 5:30, and the debate will start at 6:00. There will even be a free reception afterward.

I know I've been pretty direct in my assessment of the candidates - Harris is the only one with the Democratic values combined with high-level Attorney General experience, and deserves to win the primary election and the general election. If you're content to take my word for it, then go ahead and do something else on May 22nd, but, if you want to form your own opinion, show up at UMKC.

Here are a few ways to figure out if you're in the right place. If you see Chris Koster there, talking about being a prosecutor, and avoiding all mention of his time working for a criminal Republican in the AG's office, you're in the right place. If you see Margaret Donnelly there, with her campaign staff telling her that Kansas City is St. Louis' western most suburb, you're in the right place. If you see Molly Korth Williams there, wearing a "Koster" button "because Judge Dandurand asked me to", you're in the right place. If you see Jeff Harris there, tuning up a guitar, you're in the right place.

Mark your calendar today, and come out to the Attorney General debate. See if you agree with my pick . . .

Candidates, Slander, and the 44th

My humorous extended metaphor on baseball box scores and quarterly campaign finance reports ignited a surprisingly bitter round of accusations and attacks. The simple facts I pointed out from Coffman's campaign finance report (fewer dollars, non-union t-shirts, and donations from pro-voucher lobbyists) triggered accusations that Kander's wife does my writing, though I do Stephen Bough's writing, and hints that Kander's military service to our nation in Afghanistan means that he is some kind of war criminal.

Once again, the partisans are turning out to be worse than the principals.

The three candidates in this race, Jason Kander, Amy Coffman, and Mary Spence are fine people. And I don't say that as a simple nod to polite political conversation - I've talked to each of them, and I like each of them. I know their supporters, and their supporters are good people supporting a candidate that they think would served the district well. I hope all three find their way into public office in some role.

My rosy view seems to be shared by the candidates themselves. I've talked a fair amount with the Kanders, and I've never heard them say a negative word about any of the others. I've chatted a little with Amy Coffman, including a conversation about the tone of the race, and she is 100% in favor of a clean race. While I haven't discussed the topic with Mary Spence, those supporters of her I know would react with disgust at the sort of slander spread in the comments of my Tuesday piece.

And by no means do I want to single out the attacks on Jason as being the only ones worthy of condemnation. Some anonymous creep over at the BlogCCP posted a horrible comment attacking a candidate's physical appearance.

There is a huge distinction between fair and unfair partisanship. For me the test is whether it is relevant and whether it is supported by specific facts. If I say that Candidate X is corrupt, that's an unfair attack. If I say that Candidate Y is corrupt because he has taken bribes, and I can back up that claim with specific facts, then that's a fair attack.

As I look back over my own political involvement, I can see where I've used both, so don't misunderstand my commitment to fair partisanship as a "holier than thou" pretense. For example, I think my approach toward Chris Koster provides examples of unfair name-calling, but also examples of well-supported and well-deserved criticism. Looking forward, though, I am going to condemn what's unfair, and invite anyone to call me out on any unfair attacks I might make in the future.

Did Chris Koster Recruit Molly Korth Williams?

Over at the Pitch, David Martin connects a few dots and surmises that Molly Korth Williams' last-minute and half-hearted filing for the Missouri Attorney General Democratic primary was engineered by Chris Koster.

Here's the evidence:

- Koster is a very close friend of Judge Joe Dandurand.
- Williams is a very close friend of Judge Joe Dandurand.
- Koster (and, to be fair as always, Jeff Harris, the only candidate with strong experience in the Attorney General's office) may benefit from having another woman in the race to dilute Margaret Donnelly's perceived advantage among gender-based voters.
- Williams is not running a serious race, in that she took off for a vacation immediately after filing, and has not formed a committee to raise funds.
- The recruitment of primary challengers to weaken other candidates has been a hallmark of Cass County (Dandurand and Koster's home base) politics for years. (Actually, Martin didn't make that point, but I will.)
- Williams is a spectacularly weak candidate, with neither money, nor experience, nor even a job in the legal field.
- Koster's campaign doesn't even deny it.

Personally, I think this clipping I took from the Association for Women Lawyers newsletter says all that needs to be said about the relationship of Koster's friend and the new candidate, as well as the tenor of the "Williams for AG campaign":

Donnelly, Harris & Koster Together

The hottest primary in the state is between Margaret Donnelly, Jeff Harris and Chris Koster. They bring different backgrounds and visions to the race. The three of them will appear together on May 22 at a debate sponsored by the Committee for County Progress, free and open to the public, at White Recital Hall on the campus of UMKC. The event is currently scheduled to start at 6, though that could change. If so, I'll post a notice here. The debate will be moderated by Steve Kraske, of The Kansas City Star, Eric Wesson, from The Call, and Mike Mahoney, from KMBC-TV9.

Here's a pdf flier for the event.

This is the only joint appearance scheduled for the Western side of the state, and it should offer a great opportunity to meet and hear the candidates for yourselves.

Koster Votes Republican Again

Chris Koster voted with his Republican friends to repeal limitations on campaign donations. Koster, who has spent his entire political career as a Republican working against Democrats until claiming to switch sides and running for the Attorney General position, has sought to have his cake and eat it, too. He claims to be a Democrat, but participated in Republican Rex Sinquefield's elaborate ruse to siphon money through dozens of sham PACs to Koster's campaign - a ruse which paid off when Koster refused to vote with Democrats on a recent school voucher committee decision.

Koster looked me in the eye and claimed to be sincere in his conversion to being a Democrat. This week, on two important issues, he refused to stand and deliver.

A leopard cannot change its spots.

Missouri Senate Republicans Are Junkies Needing the Fix

Honestly, I grudgingly admire the straightforward corruption of Senator Charlie Shields of St. Joseph. In pushing to repeal limitations on campaign donations, he doesn't spout some pseudo-"good government" crap, or act as though he is behaving in the public interest. Instead, he embraces the corruption at the soul of the Missouri Republican party, the one thing that unites the Bond "country club" Republicans and the Bartle "Bible belt" Republicans. It's all about the love of lucre, and the lengths those Republicans will go to get it.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Charlie Shields of St. Joseph, said contribution limits had done little to reduce the flow of money into political campaigns.

Rather, he said, they had encouraged politicians and their fundraisers to devise ever more creative ways to circumvent the limits and obscure the identities of those seeking to gain influence.

“We’ve become so good at this that Missouri politicians could give seminars to Colombian drug lords on how to launder money,” Shields said.

. . .

Shields argued that any rule that attempt to stem the flow of money into political campaigns would be fruitless. People attempting to funnel money to politicians will find a way around any rule.

It's not at all surprising that Shields had drugs on his mind as he was pushing this corrupt subversion of campaign limits the voters of Missouri approved by a 3:1 margin years ago. Go ahead and substitute the "heroin" in for "campaign contributions" in the arguments made by the Republicans and you'll see that our Republicans, Country Club and Bible Belt, are strung out junkies who will stop at nothing to get their next fix, defying the Missouri Supreme Court and the voters of Missouri for just one more fix.

Koster Wants to Name Bridge For Ronald Reagan

I was over in St. Louis this weekend - my mother celebrated her 80th birthday with a great collection of friends, relatives and nieghbors. Happy 80th, Mom!

Did you know that there is a bridge proposed from St. Louis, Missouri to St. Clair County, Illinois? Did you know that Chris Koster, one of the Democratic candidates for Missouri Attorney General, co-sponsored a bill to name that bridge for Ronald Reagan?

What kind of democrat is Chris Koster?

My mother would never vote for a Republican, and she won't vote for Koster, either.

Correcting Koster's Cuts

Fortunately, a majority of the Republicans in Jefferson City care more about the health and well-being of Missourians than Chris Koster. Last week, the Missouri House undid the damage that Chris Koster inflicted on Missourians in general and Kansas City in particular.

Senate Republicans stripped them out of the bill to punish Democratic Sens. Jolie Justus of Kansas City and Chuck Graham of Columbia for trying to block the sale of the loan authority.

Justus and Graham argued that the partial sale of the loan authority would make it harder for Missouri college students to obtain low-cost student loans.

When they threatened to kill the entire plan through endless debate, Republicans abruptly cut off debate and stripped the projects from the budget.

The spending authorization now goes to the Senate, where most opposition appears to have subsided.

Please read that first paragraph again - the Republicans stripped funding for an essential project at the UMKC Pharmacy and Nursing schools. Specifically, Chris Koster participated in the "nuclear option" against Senator Justus, though Koster now claims to be a democrat and is seeking support of Kansas Citians in his run for Attorney General. Just a few short months ago, he was engaging in parliamentary hardball tactics designed to punish our State Senator for her courage in standing up for poor students.

Does anybody really believe that someone who did his damnedest to punish Kansas City ought to receive support now that he claims he's reformed??