Monday, December 17, 2012
Representative-Elect Ann Wagner answered more Patch user questions and talked about the work being done to prepare as she's sworn into office next month
Visitors to 14551 Manchester Rd., Ballwin, MO 63011 will notice the level of activity there is not up to the level it was just a few weeks ago. In fact, the walls in the campaign office of now Congresswoman-Elect Ann Wagner are now barren, save for the maps she carried around during campaign appearances to explain the boundaries of Missouri's new Second Congressional district. But while the campaign apparatus will wind down as soon as this week, Team Wagner is still plenty busy. As soon as the Ballwin Republican's victory over Democrat Glenn Koenen was assured November 6, another campaign began, this time for a leadership position. She was voted by her freshman colleagues to be their voice with GOP house leaders. Next up was getting a …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Patch is speaking with the former U.S. Ambassador-turned-U.S. Representative-Elect Thursday afternoon.
In a few weeks, Ann Wagner will be sworn in as the next U.S. Representative for Missouri's 2nd district, following her November victory over Democrat Glenn Koenen. Before she goes to Washington, D.C., she's sitting down with Patch Thursday afternoon. We have a good idea of where to start with questions, but we'd like your input. What would you like to know about what she's been doing since election day, or what her plans are once she's seated? What does she think about the looming "Fiscal Cliff" and other matters. Give us your questions in the comment section and we'll try to get them answered.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
In the final survey of Red Arch and Blue Arch insiders before election day, Democrats said they are disappointed President Obama largely conceded Missouri to Mitt Romney.
In a primary and general election season that has seen more than a fair share of advertisements, Republicans and Democrats polled in an unscientific survey have agreed that Senator Claire McCaskill's ad strategy was better than that of her GOP opponent, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin. That result, obtained through the final pre-election survey of "Red Arch" and "Blue Arch" Democratic and Republican activists in Missouri, may not come as much of a surprise, given the fundraising challenges faced by Akin since August. His comments about rape and pregnancy saw party and third party funding sources dry up until the campaign's waning days, as the GOP largely sought his exit from the race. Still when asked, "Regardless of your partisan preference, which U…
Monday, August 13, 2012
Influential Democrats polled Saturday said Paul Ryan's budget plan for Medicare is a recipe for the party to run against Republicans in Missouri.
If Missouri Republicans are galvanized by Mitt Romney's selection of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan as the GOP's Vice Presidential nominee in the fall, Democrats appear to be licking their chops over the prospects. That appears to be one of the major takeaways from a snap poll conducted by Patch over the weekend after Ryan was introduced as part of the Republican Party's Presidential ticket. Patch asked more than 50 Democrats to weigh in on the choice and received 23 responses. When asked if by adding Ryan to the ticket, Missouri Democrats can win by running against Ryan's existing budget plans and particularly his proposal for Medicare, more than 91 percent agreed in some form. Ryan, as chairman of the House Budget Committee, has backed a budget …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
A Patch panel of party insiders from the local and state level believes the presumptive Presidential nominee will carry Missouri in November.
If the presidential election were held today, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney would carry the state of Missouri. That's according to a recent survey of GOP party insiders assembled as part of Patch's ongoing "Red Arch" project. Previous Red Arch Survey Coverage: Of those surveyed, 57.1 percent said they strongly agreed with the statement, while 38.1 percent somewhat agreed. One respondent somewhat disagreed (2.4 percent) while another was neutral on the question. The survey reflects the general evolution of Missouri Republicans as it pertains to the likely nominee. Former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum won Missouri's non-binding primary, and Romney had to work until June to cement a majority of the state's convention …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
He is running against fellow Democrat Gina Mitten to serve as a state representative in the Missouri House.
Jim Trout said he and Gina Mitten, his opponent in the 83rd District race for Missouri House, have a lot in common. The difference he said he brings is experience and leadership. “Sometimes working up at Jeff City has nothing to do with being a lawyer, it has nothing to do with city council experience,” said Trout, who like Mitten is a Democrat. “It’s gritty, seasoned experience working with that culture, and that’s what sets us apart.” (Related: Gina Mitten Says She Seeks Common Ground, Explains Views on Issues) Trout is a builder with experience constructing energy-efficient homes. That’s where much of his background in navigating the legislative process lies. He said he has helped implement portions of the American Recovery and …
Saturday, June 9, 2012
The Missouri General Assembly can place certain initiatives on the ballot, which can be a way to prevent a particularly controversial measure from getting vetoed by a governor.
Statutory changes and constitutional amendments to Missouri state laws can come through petition or through the legislature. The so-called "Right to Pray" amendment is one of these. The General Assembly has the authority to place certain initiatives on the ballot, which can often be a way to prevent a particularly controversial measure from getting vetoed by a governor. The legislature ended up passing three such measures this year. They include: The “Right to Pray” amendment will be voted on during the August primary, while the legislature mandated that the health insurance exchange item will be on the November ballot. Gov. Jay Nixon indicated that the court plan amendment will be voted on in November.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Several of the items, including the cigarette tax increase and the payday loan measure, are tied up in litigation.
This election cycle brought about an unprecedented flow of initiative petitions – 143 to be exact. Even though an innumerable amount of trees were sacrificed in paperwork, only four items have any chance of making it to the ballot. Earlier in May, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced that various groups had turned in signatures for the following ballot initiatives: It’s not known yet whether any of these items will actually be put up for a vote. For one thing, several of the items, including the cigarette tax increase and the payday loan measure, are tied up in litigation. Arch City Chronicle writer Dave Drebes indicated earlier this month that the cases may be heard later in June. The other wrinkle is that the proposals need a …
Friday, May 18, 2012
Country music and laryngitis are two of the methods employed this week.
The last few iterations of this column have noted how several candidates for the U.S. Senate utilized creative means to entice fundraising efforts. For instance, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) used his rhetorical scuffle with President Barack Obama over student loans in a fundraising pitch. And Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has directly attacked third-party organizations that are pre-emptively attacking the incumbent lawmaker as she makes a difficult bid for re-election. McCaskill’s campaign staff continued on a creative path in an email that was sent to supporters earlier this week. They played on the fact that McCaskill had lost her voice right before she was supposed to make a speech at a Democratic gathering in Kansas City. “Between …
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Did the Governor do it to spite U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan?
Back when he was merely a gubernatorial contender, Gov. Jay Nixon reacted to then-Rep. Jeff Harris’ entry into the race for attorney general in fairly simple terms. He said in 2007 that the Columbia Democrat would make a “super attorney general.” When Harris used that line in an ad in 2008, Nixon’s campaign put out a statement that he had not endorsed anybody in the competitive four-way Democratic primary. Harris ended up coming in third place, behind second-place finisher Margaret Donnelly and eventual victor Chris Koster. The episode showcased how reluctant Nixon can be when choosing to endorse people engaged in competitive primaries. That’s why his decision to emphatically endorse Rep. Lacy Clay (D-St. Louis) over Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-…
The Missourian
8:08 am on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
>>>“I’m not going to stay in the office. That I know for sure,” she told Patch in a Thursday interview, noting that about a third of the male members of Congress sleep in their offices. I thought these "principled conservatives" tried to keep costs low by bunking it or sleeping in their offices. Government waste! more ›