It's that time of year. The quarterly campaign finance reports are due in to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Representative Jason Kander, a Democratic Party candidate for Secretary of State, filed his report on January 13th:
"...I think that there are two competing visions for the state right now. I think one of those visions is one that says, let's throw up our hands, just kind of get everything we can on the way down. It's sort of that old race to the bottom.... And then the other side is sort of let's do the tough things and this will be a great state...."
Representative Jason Kander (D) is an announced candidate for Secretary of State. On Sunday evening Representative Kander spoke to Lafayette County Democrats at their meeting in Higginsville.
Representative Jason Kander (D) speaking to Lafayette County Democrats in Higginsville on Sunday evening.
Representative Jason Kinder (D): ....And in Afghanistan I was, um, a political military intelligence officer, which is a fancy way of saying my job was to investigate corruption, uh, within the Afghan government, find the bad guys who were pretending to be good guys. Uh, and then, so, I came back and I ran for the legislature, got to Jefferson City and, and found out that, uh, there was plenty of corruption there as well. [laughter] So, so, that's been the real focus of my work in, in the Missouri House of Representatives. I, I, as a minority member of the, of the, as a minority member of the House I've worked with, with Republicans to pass, uh, the first real ethics bill in about a generation. Um, and that's just kind of been my focus....
The October 2011 quarterly campaign finance reports are showing up at the Missouri Ethics Commission. The active Secretary of State campaign committees:
Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) has announced that she is not running for reelection.
Jason Kander (D) filed his filed his filed his quarterly report on October 17th:
We received the following e-mail from Jason Kander's campaign:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011
Former Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook Endorses Jason Kander for the Job
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Former Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook announced today that she is endorsing Jason Kander to be Missouri's next Secretary of State.
"Serving as Missouri's Secretary of State was a true honor for me," Cook said. "Every time a Missourian goes to vote, starts a small business or wants to protect their investments, the office touches their lives. I support Jason Kander for Secretary of State because Missourians deserve a fighter who will aggressively act on their behalf. Whether serving his nation in uniform or his constituents in the legislature, Jason brings unmatched integrity to public service. I couldn't think of a better person to be Missouri's next Secretary of State than Jason Kander."
Cook, from Cape Girardeau, was appointed as Missouri Secretary of State by Gov. Mel Carnahan in 1994. She won reelection in 1996 and served until January 2001.
"It's an honor to have the support of former Secretary of State Bekki Cook," Kander said. "Her leadership in the Secretary of State's office touched the lives of thousands of Missourians. As someone who excelled in the position, I will continue to seek her wise counsel as I lay out my vision for the Secretary of State's office."
Jason Kander is a State Representative from Kansas City and currently serves in the Army National Guard. As a military intelligence officer in the Army Reserve, Kander volunteered in 2006 for deployment and served in Afghanistan. In 2010, he was one of ten soldiers selected as national finalists for Army Reserve Outstanding Junior Officer of the Year. Rep. Kander currently serves on the Missouri Veterans Commission. Kander is a lawyer and lives with his wife Diana in Kansas City.
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[emphasis in original]
Now that's an endorsement. From one of Missouri's respected public servants.
C071012 10/03/2011 FRIENDS OF JASON KANDER Citizens for Stephen Webber 807 Forest Hill Ct Columbia MO 65203 10/2/2011 $5,100.00
C071012 10/03/2011 FRIENDS OF JASON KANDER Andrew OBrien 815 Gyer Ave St Loius MO 63104 O'Brien Law Firm Attorney 10/3/2011 $5,001.00
C071012 10/03/2011 FRIENDS OF JASON KANDER Burgess & Lamb PC 1000 Broadway, Suite 400 Kansas City MO 64105 9/29/2011 $5,001.00
C071012 10/03/2011 FRIENDS OF JASON KANDER Holman Schiavone, LLC 4600 Madison, Suite 810 Kansas City MO 64112 9/30/2011 $5,001.00
Any Democratic Party candidate in statewide race is always going to have to work hard to raise the serious amount of money needed to compete. As we've seen over the years, the republicans will easily have all the money they need...
Update:
There's more.
C071012 10/03/2011 FRIENDS OF JASON KANDER Stephen Gorny 5519 E. Mission Drive Mission Hills KS 66208 Bartimus Frickleton Robertson & Gorny Attorney 10/3/2011 $5,001.00
C071012 10/03/2011 FRIENDS OF JASON KANDER Barry Aycock PO Box 456 Parma MO 63870 Self-employed Agricultural Consultant 10/3/2011 $5,001.00
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) campaigning for the U.S. Senate in Lee's Summit, Missouri on October 30, 2010.
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, in an e-mail to supporters, announced today that she will not be seeking reelection in 2012:
I'm proud of the success we've had in the Secretary of State's office by staying focused on things that matter for Missourians.
We've saved taxpayers money, while still providing terrific services to Missourians. We've cut red tape and costs for small businesses so they can focus on growing their businesses and creating jobs. And we have helped consumers and investors learn how to better protect themselves, and recovered more than $10 billion for victims of financial fraud.
We've made Missouri history come alive by making our state's precious historical resources available on-line to hundreds of millions of people all around the world. And, despite the efforts of some to let politics interfere with Missourians right to vote, we've protected the rights of voters and the integrity of our elections so that we can all have faith in the fairness of the results.
Without question, serving the state and people that I love has been the honor of my life. Your friendship and support over the years have given me the strength to stand up to challenges, both political and personal. But after careful reflection, I've decided not to run for a 3rd term as Secretary of State.
Many who step away from public life cite a desire to "spend more time with family." I've already learned to cherish every moment spent with family and friends, because I know that life is precious and unpredictable.
But I've also learned that service can and does take many forms, and elective office is just one of them.
I watched as my father moved regularly between elective office and private life...always devoted to his family and to making a positive difference in the community. He served on church boards, the local school board and helped the Red Cross and countless other causes--every day committed to helping a neighbor and making the community better. Dad always thought his experience as a private citizen helped make him a more effective public servant and a better governor.
After 8 years as Secretary of State, the time will be right for me to return to private life, to gather new ideas and experiences and a fresh perspective. But my commitment to public service won't stop, because I know the challenges facing our country can't be solved in Washington or Jefferson City alone. It will take ideas, energy and the daily commitment and determination of all of us.
So I plan to stay engaged and involved. And I ask you to do the same. For me, that could include running for elected office again, but it will certainly mean speaking out and working hard for the values we share and the candidates who stand up for them.
My term as Secretary of State continues for another 15 months. During that time, my terrific staff and I will stay focused on providing the type of outstanding service Missourians expect and deserve.
Thanks again for all your help and friendship. It means more to me than you will ever know. I'll look forward to connecting with you soon.
No one can question Robin Carnahan's personal commitment to public service. And no one should second guess when a fine public servant decides it's time for a change.
Representative Jason Kander (D) announced today that he will be running for Secretary of State in 2012:
I spoke this morning with Representative Rachel Storch (D-64) in her office before the start of the day's activities on the House floor. Our discussion touched on the legislative session, term limits, health care and economic development. And a final question about the Secretary of State's office.
Representative Rachel Storch in her office in the state capitol building.
Show Me Progress: ...Is it just more insane now?
Representative Rachel Storch: Well, it's not so much that it's crazier. It's just that with the term limits we have of these people that don't understand the issues and they don't understand the process, and what's worse, they don't care.
SMP: I've heard this before, people talk about institutional memory. And, is there much institutional memory? Or where does the institutional memory come from if there is any?
Representative Storch: Well, we have one legislator who was here for twelve years before he ran this time, that's Chris Kelly. But, he's the only who's here that has, you know, that extent of knowledge of the process. And, you know, I'll tell you even though people like to make fun of the legislature, make fun of the legislative process, something like the budget is really complicated. And it simply takes time to get your arms around it to understand how that process, to understand what the issues are, to understand the needs of the different state agencies and the different programs around the state. So, you know, I think at the end of the day, the people of Missouri really suffer because the quality of the policy making is not as good...
Some might say that African-American politicians are counting their chickens before they're hatched. Ju-u-st in case Robin Carnahan is the next Senator from Missouri--and isn't that where (all) the smart money is?--a group of black leaders under the leadership of the Rev. Earl Nance, Jr., and state senator Robin Wright-Jones, are looking to get an African-American appointed to the remainder of Carnahan's term as Secretary of State. They're not so much counting unhatched chickens as planting seeds in expectation of a harvest.
It's time and past time for us to have an African-American in statewide office, and this situation would give that person the incumbency advantage in 2012.
Andria Simckes, who ran unsuccessfully against Clint Zweifel for State Treasurer last year, would be my pick. She's smart and savvy. She lost that one, but I knew we hadn't heard the last of her.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - President-elect Barack Obama is planning to nominate at least three key members of his national security team at an event in Chicago, Illinois, on Monday, including Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, according to two Democratic officials...
Hillary Clinton at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 16, 2007
...The New York Times reports on the lengthy negotiations between Team Obama and Bill Clinton and the 9 preconditions the former President had to meet...
Bill Clinton at Truman High School in Independence, Missouri on January 26, 2008
It's a small price to pay for competence and instant credibility in the eyes of the rest of the world. There's the extra added bonus of right wingnut heads exploding in apoplexy in pockets of America and on AM talk radio.
Andrea Mitchell reported on tonight's NBC evening news broadcast that two individuals close to the transition have stated that Hillary Clinton is under consideration for Secretary of State.
Hillary Clinton at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa in September 2007 and Senator Tom Harkin (D) (right, background).
Since the lege is bringing back the zombie Voter ID bill, I thought I would repost in full a diary I did last summer. Seems relevant and all. -Clark
We dodged a bullet at the end of the last legislative session when Republicans failed to move a new voter ID bill through the Missouri Legislature before the session came to an end. So why bother with another post on the topic? Because we can't sit on our laurels, especially when the "victory" was just running out the clock. Whether it's voter caging, voter purging, or voter ID laws, Republican voter suppression methods are like zombies - they keep coming back until decapitated. So let's revisit what the voter ID bill means for Missouri, before Republicans resurrect it in the special session, or next regular session, or via ballot initiative.
Secretary of State Robin Carnahan and her office did an excellent job of assembling illustrative anecdotes from real people who would be affected if voters were required to present a government-issued ID (we are already required to present some sort of identification), but as they say, the plural of anecdote is not data. They also released an estimate of how many Missouri voters would be disenfranchised by the government ID requirement, which was about 240,000. But I was curious about where in Missouri these voters might live, so I requested a county-by-county breakdown of how many voters would be disenfranchised.
I was curious to see whether most of those affected lived in the big cities, since the elderly, the poor and minorities would be most affected, and the stereotype is that all poverty and people of color are collected in urban areas. Sure enough, in absolute numbers, Kansas City, St. Louis, and St. Louis County rank at the top of the list.
But added together, the outstate counties actually contain more of the potentially disenfranchised voters. Out of 241,682 disenfranchised, only 40,900 live in the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City, and 57,200 live in the suburban counties of Saint Louis and Jackson. The rest live around the state. Greene County alone (where Springfield sits) has 11,787 potentially disenfranchised voters to Jackson County's 10,365 (suburban KC - a population nearly triple that of Springfield.)
It gets a lot worse (illustrated with a map and tables!) below the flip.
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