Ironically, the two candidates in this race, Congressman Roy Blunt and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, have very similar backgrounds with the exception of Blunt’s years in the U. S. House of Representatives and, of course, their gender.

Both Blunt and Carnahan are from political families and both have relatives who have served as governor of Missouri. Both began their statewide careers as Secretary of State. Both made tremendous improvements to that office and were widely respected for their efforts.

But, beyond their historical similarities the two are diametrically opposed on most issues. Rasmussen polls earlier this year showed Carnahan 8 – 9 points ahead of Blunt, then Blunt 7 points ahead of Carnahan, now the race is neck and neck, the latest poll showing Blunt with a slim two point lead. The next two weeks should be pretty exciting.

According to the Post Dispatch, “Even though Carnahan topped her best previous quarter with $1.55 million in receipts, Missouri's secretary of state finds herself at a disadvantage of nearly $900,000 four months before the November election, campaign finance reports show.”

We all know that “politics makes strange bedfellows” but, these days it seems that many candidates find themselves experiencing more pain at the hands of their supporters than their detractors.

Robin Carnahan, in a state that voted for John McCain, reports that she is supported by groups like America Votes, which proclaims that it represents the “Far Left” of the country.  It includes such controversial groups as ACORN, an organization that advocates for low- and moderate-income families but had at least 14 emplyees admit to voter registration fraud in the last election; SEIU, the largest and fastest growing union in North America; Emily's List and Planned Parenthood, both of which advocate abortion.

President Obama, champion of the poor, reportedly raised half a million dollars for Carnahan when he appeared in support of Carnahan at a lunch where tickets cost as much as $30,000. Tickets for a theater reception had to be discounted form the original prices of $35 to $250 to $17 to $99 to draw more people.

  Her brother, Congressman Russ Carnahan, is in his own battle for Congress in the 3rd District, which in just across the street from our 2nd District, and is going to be in a life and death battle with Republican Ed Martin. Like 70% of Missourians, Martin is an outspoken supporter of strong immigration law while brother Russ enjoys a 0% rating from Border Control authorities.

As for Blunt, having Karl Rove appear on his behalf may not have been the wisest move he has made. The website “FiredUp”, which is run by Robin’s mother, Jean Carnahan, chastises him for getting sustained support from Altria, who owns Kraft Foods and Phillip Morris. Blunt’s wife was a lobbyist for Altria and his son lobbied Missouri legislators on behalf of the tobacco company. FiredUp also finds disdain Blunt’s support from SBC, Union Pacific, Burlington Northern, Verizon, UPS and BellSouth who together have given more than $1.2 million to political committees tied to Blunt.

All in all, it’s shaping up to be good old Missouri race in these last weeks before the election. We hope you will find the information we have presented interesting enough to make you think about your vote.

State Auditor Race Pits Incumbent Susan Montee Against Rambo

by Char Mason

Before we researched it, we thought there was one clear winner in the Missouri Auditor’s race, incumbent Susan Montee who earned the job in a close race in 2008. As far as we know, she has done a decent job as Auditor and does not seem to be involved in any shocking scandal.

However, we find that the race is shaping up to be one of the more interesting and perhaps one that more closely resembles good old mudslinging Missouri politics.

Montee easily defeated her only contender on the Democratic ballot, Dr. Abdul Akram, a Muslim who is the vice-chairman of the MO Democratic Party Asian American Caucus.

Montee, has received large donations including $12,500 from Eastern MO Laborers' Educational & Benevolent Fund;  Simmons Law Firm $25,000; Zimmerman Properties Constr. LLC $10,000;  Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. $10,00; $5,000 from mortgage banker James B Nutter Sr. who has endorsed and bankrolled the general election winner in the KC mayor’s races going back into the 1950s. She also got $1,000 from Senator Claire McCaskill and $1,350 from the Service Employees Union.

The Republican challenger, Tom Schweich, may be slight in appearance but has amassed a history that would make Rambo jealous. Word is, he had his sights set on the U. S. Senate race, but was unable to convince the Party to back him in a statewide run with little or no home state name recognition. His editorial in a major newspaper did little to help his chances of becoming the darling of the Republican Party.

Undaunted, Schweich, whose international credentials predate the first Bush White House, decided instead to run for – a statewide office - which, according to a recent statement, he views as a catapult to national office.  He refutes that statement, promising (as did Montee two years ago) "If I get elected, I will serve four years as Missouri State Auditor."

His list of endorsements comes from names that anybody in Washington will recognize but some folks in Missouri might hold in disdain: John Ashcroft, John Bolton, Mitt Romney, George Herbert Walker III, and others. His history with the Danforth’s leads some to speculate that he would be a moderate Republican, yet he has the Ashcroft endorsement.

  The campaign had to remove State Senator Delbert Scott (R-Lowry City) from its list of supporters because Scott says he never actually agreed to endorse Schweich, and he supported Rep. Allen Icet in the primary.

Schweich has amassed $1.1 million, from donors, several of whom gave $10,000 or more, including  Arch Coal; Hunter Engineering, Martiz, Emerson's Missouri Responsible Gov’t Fund, Hager Hinge, Musick Construction, Cassidy Turley, Tamko Building Products, True Manufacturing and Peabody Investments Corp.

Harbour Group Industries donated $10,000 but, members of the Fox family who run the Clayton based company, donated an additional $29,000. Since 1976, the firm has acquired more than 160 companies, mainly in the consumer and industrial product manufacturing and distribution industries.

Access Health Solutions, Sunrise, Florida is another big donor. Access is billed as a primary care case management services for Florida Medicaid Beneficiaries that also recruits new physicians into Medicaid. According to the Florida Agency for Health Administration, the company earned only a 70% rating in care of clients.

Schweich does have a world view and a proven record of management skills that might be useful to a state auditor.

CHARLES W. BAUM

the Libertarian candidate who made it through the primary, does not appear to be endorsed by anyone other than the Libertarian Party, but when he ran for the same office in 2006 he managed to get 57,185 votes (2.7%) doing little or no campaigning.

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The candidates for the position of St. Louis County Executive, could not be more different and yet, in some ways, they are the same. Incumbent Charlie Dooley is a friend of labor who spent his entire career as an employee of Boeing and still lives in a small home in a neighborhood in North St. Louis County where Google Map photographers have not yet gone. He worked his way into municipal politics before making his way to the highest office in the county.  He is a dyed in the wool Democrat but, has managed to gain respect and votes countywide from all kinds of voters.

His likely November opponent, Bill Corrigan, Ladue, who lives in a 3,716 square foot home which sold for $730,000 in 2002 and is sprawled on a generous lot  off Mcknight Road in Ladue. Corrigon is a Notre Dame/Missouri University attorney with offices in Clayton and serves on the Executive Committee of his firm with over $100,000,000 in revenues and offices in five U.S. cities and Shanghai.

Fundraising for the race has passed $3 million according to campaign finance reports filed this week with the Missouri Ethics Commission in July. But, Corrigan has raised only $1,077,776 while Dooley has collected $2,071,592. Reports indicate that Corrigan is spending his money in an early attempt to gain votes, but Dooley seems to be holding on for what we imagine is some good reason.

For more information about this race Click Here.