By Antonio D. French
Filed Monday, October 22, 2007 at 2:47 PM
Sources tell PubDef.net that State Senator Chris Koster is going to make it official this week. Koster, who rocked the state's political scene when he switched from the Republican Party to become a Democrat back in August, announced today yet another labor endorsement for his still-unofficial bid for Attorney General. Labels: AG_Race_2008
Amalgamated Transit Union Local #1287, comprised mostly of Kansas City Area Transportation Authority workers, announced today they are supporting Koster for AG.
The Koster campaign was careful to remind the press in their release this morning that Koster now has the most labor endorsements and money of any of his opponents. But Koster's opponents in the Democratic primary have targeted his campaign coffers — and one contributor, in particular — to discredit Koster's independence.
The campaigns of both Jeff Harris and Margaret Donnelly have issued statements attacking millionaire Rex Sinquefield for his contributions to Koster. Sinquefield, a businessman and pro-school choice, pro-free market activist, has made no secrets about using his wealth and influence to change Missouri's political landscape. In recent years, he has donated millions to candidates from both sides of the aisle who support one or more of his ideas about education and business.
Last week, the Harris campaign produced the following video mocking Sinquefield's contributions to Koster:
According to the latest campaign finance reports, Koster has more cash on-hand than all three of his opponents — Democrat and Republican — combined.
*Koster is a client of A D French & Assoc (website design)
14 Comments:
I have to say this before someone else does. Antonio indirectly takes money from Republicans!!! Don't support PubDef!!!! He is a Republican!!!! ITS THE TRUTH! Down with the GOP and Antonio!
10/22/2007 3:19 PM
Thank you for that preemptive attack, Doug.
10/22/2007 3:26 PM
why do you say "sources tell PubDef" when you work from the campaign and I assume you heard it directly from them? It just seems silly.
10/22/2007 4:28 PM
I really like your website but I am so disappointed that you are working for him. He has been terrible on nearly every progressive issue. He has marched hand in hand with Matt Blunt.
Here are sone of the things he voted for that he shouldn't have:
(1) Kicking more than 100,000 MIssourians off health care.
(2) Photo id bill
(3) Blunt's foundation formula that took more than 20 million dollars from the St. Louis school system.
(4) Removing campaign contributions limits
(5) Prohibiting the teaching of sex education in the school system.
(6) Weakening of regulations for large corporate farms.
I could go on but I can't begin to say how disappointed I am in you.
I will sit out the election before I support Koster. Period.
10/22/2007 10:13 PM
I think Koster did a great job as prosecutor and will do a good job in the AG office. He is the most qualified in the race!
10/23/2007 7:21 AM
I don't think you understand how the office works. The attorney general doesn't prosecute cases except inrare circumstances.
10/23/2007 8:31 AM
Jeff Harris actually managed a division of the office. That is clearly more relevant experience.
10/23/2007 8:32 AM
What has Senator Koster done that deserves the endorsement of unions? He was a Republican almost 3 months ago and not once did he push significantly for union needs.
10/23/2007 12:20 PM
Koster's labor endorsements should be a sign to all of you naysayers that he isn't the "DINO" you'd like to make him out to be. Labor is still the backbone of the Democratic party.
Along with stem cell, his number one issue that he broke with the Republicans on was labor. He was a thorn in their side on labor issues in the Senate.
It's pretty telling that the unions are choosing him over Harris and Donnelly and it doesn't speak well to Harris' and Donnelly's credentials on labor issues.
10/23/2007 1:03 PM
My support is with Koster. He deserves the support of the unions.
And, that video of Rex, really? Why is everyone so obsessed with someone giving money to PACs that go towards candidates with similiar issues. When has that not happened? At least Rex was samrt enough to figure out how to do it.
10/23/2007 3:23 PM
The fact that Rex "Buy Democrats and Flex" has made it clear that when he gives money to Democrats they must support his platform against public education, against health care for the uninsured, against minorities and poor people having any chance in hell to prosper in the State of Missouri, and against a real Democrat being elected for Attorney General, then I guess buying a Republican yesterday turned Democrat today makes sense.
Chris Koster, if the shoe fits, wear it.
Chris black people thought you hated them, but your voting record as a Republican Senator confirmed that you hate black people. You hate blacks, minorities and poor people's guts, and don't want them to have a damn thing!
Chris, baking your Republican self in the oven, does not make you a Democrat when you come out of the oven.
X
10/23/2007 10:18 PM
"Why is everyone so obsessed with someone giving money to PACs that go towards candidates with similiar issues."
People are not obsessed with the giving, but the implications of someone who supposedly left the Republicans because they were too conservative taking money from one of Missouri's wealthiest conservative donors after that person left the GOP.
Sinquefield would not spend his money to elect a progressive.
10/23/2007 10:43 PM
What questions would you, the readers, like to ask Koster or any other Attorney General candidates?
10/23/2007 11:53 PM
This is my letter to Chris who is announcing today.
Chris
Here is what you are saying
1) It doesn't matter if you voted to kick 100,000 plus Missourians off health care cuts, photo id, MOHELA, the removal of campaign contributions limits, Blunt's foundation formula which magically said schools are no longer underfunded, banning teaching sex education in the schools, and limiting a women's right to choose because where the attorney general stands on partisan issues doesn't matter.
2) It doesn't matter that you sponsored the polluter protection act which was Republican Farm Bureau's top legislative priority in the 2007 session because that is a partisan issue and you are a law and order Democrat.
http://www.movotesconservation.org/Home.aspx?ContentID=105
http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/ra07/rperry_sb364.html
3) It doesn't matter that you not only voted for previous question motions to shut off debate on a numbers of these issues or that he was one of five signatories on a number of these issues because as we know the attorney general office is not a partisan office and it doesn't matter where he stands on legislative issues.
4) It doesn't matter that you sponsored legislation to give 100 million dollars to a wealthy supporter of Matt Blunt named Paul McKee and then subsequently raised ten of thousands of dollars from him because it doesn't matter who you raise money from.
http://ecoabsence.blogspot.com/2007/08/koster-gets-45k-from -mckee-and-stone.html
5) It doesn't matter that federal election commissions records show that you donated to Blunt, Graves and Ashcroft because that is a political issue and the attorney general doesn't do that.
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/10/before-party-switch-koster-logged.html
6) Is doesn't matter that you were against stem cell research before you were for it because that is a political issue and being a good attorney general has nothing to do with politics.
(SB 160, February 14, 2005, passed by a 7-2 vote. You voted yes and Wheeler and Graham voting no.)
7) It doesn't matter that you ran around the state and told the trial attorneys that you were against the wrong doer protection act (tort reform) when you actually voted for it because that is a political issue which has nothing to do with being a good attorney general
HB 393, March 16, 2005 journal
http://www.senate.mo.gov/05info/journals/DAY40.htm
8) It doesn't matter that you voted with the democrats in the senate less than Matt Bartle or Jason Crowell (who as we all know are moderates) because that is a political issue and has nothing to do with being a good attorney general
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/08/koster-voting-habit-not-democratic.html
9) It doesn't matter that you had a zero voting record on progressive issue. That's goose egg, naught, zilch, nothing, zip.
http://www.democracyformissouri.org/d/node/1184
10) It doesn't matter if you take money from the most right wing of Republicans because any money is good money and we know you are an honorable guy that cannot possibly be influenced by receiving $100,000 from Sinquefield.
11) It doesn't matter that every education group in the state has called on you to return the money because to paraphrase Jesse Unruh if you can't take their money and blank their women you aren't doing your job.
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/7789
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/10/missouri-education-groups-calls-for.html
http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/news-politicalfix/2007/10/education-groups-call-on-candidates-to-reject-sinquefields-donations/all-comments/#comments
12) It doesn't matter that you hired nasty, nasty republican political consultant Jeff Roe because being a good attorney general has nothing to do with politics
I forgot why was it again that you switched parties because as you know being an attorney general has nothing to do with politics and none of your legislative or fundraising actions. I guess the Republican party didn't have enough law order Republicans. Please explain it to little ole me. Just bat your eyes at me like you do. Maybe Jay Nixon or Jack Danforth can help you out because as you know none of their positions on the issues matters only that they were "law and order" attorney generals.
Oops I forgot what does matter is that we need to erase the last four years of public opportunism oops service and remember that what matters is that you were a great prosecutor, great public speaker, all around awesome looking guy, and now a "law and order" Republican oops Democrat.
I guess it doesn't matter that the attorney general himself never prosecutes cases and the vast majority of people in the office don't work on criminal prosecutions. Maybe you should take a look at the website. It might really help give you an idea of what the attorney general does. http://ago.mo.gov/ . But despite that, I am sure happy that you are a "law and order" Republican oops Democrat.
I guess it doesn't matter that the attorney general skirts around the campaign finance laws and refuses to return over the limit contributions because we know you are a "law and order" Democrat.
http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2007/10/new-sinquefield-pac-gives-maximum-to.html
I guess it doesn't matter that your successor as prosecutor has endorsed one of the two well qualified opponents running against you because you are a "law and order" Republican oops Democrat.
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/10/kosters-replacement-as-cass-co.html
Maybe it would help us if you had some families of murder victims with you at your press conference. It would really highlight why you are a "law and order" Republican oops Democrat.
I guess what matters is that you are going to spend the next 10 months tricking the media and a few democrats like you have tricked your friends in the past. Just use those eyes and give a great speech. There's a sucker born every day.
But if you really cared you could do this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Put the pictures of Dick Cheney and Sam Graves back on your website and run against your cohort in previous question motions and in the Republican leadership Gibbons.
http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2007/08/another-koster-picture-bites-dust.html
http://www.missouripulse.com/production/NewsArchives/August2007/tabid/88/Default.aspx#37
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/08/koster-pulls-picture-with-cheney-from.html
Since Hanaway left the primary (too bad you left the party when everyone thought she was running for attorney general and had the nomination locked up) you have a better chance over there.
I know you are a good listener with a big heart. So thanks for listening to me and have a blessed day.
10/25/2007 4:08 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home