Tuesday, July 17, 2007

SKY'S THE LIMIT

This is the first campaign season in Missouri without limits on campaign contributions. No more caps on how much you can donate to a candidate. Last year the most you could give to someone running for governor was $1,275. This year? Matt Blunt and Jay Nixon both list six-figure donations from individual donors.

Springfield-based Prime donated $50,000 to the governor. The contributions were spread over five companies with the same address on North Mayfair.

AT&T in St. Louis donated $50,000.

The former Burlington Northern -- now known as BNSF Railway -- has given the governor $51,200.

Springfield businessman Gerald Cook contributed 50 grand this quarter, upping his total to nearly $52,500.

Silver Eagle Distributors of Houston donated $50,000, via the company and its owner. According to its web site, Silver Eagle is the nation's second-largest distributor of Anheuser-Busch products.

Burgers and beer are a good pair at the table -- and on the campaign trail. CKE Restaurants -- that would be Carl's Jr. -- gave $25,000 to the governor.

Harold Simmons, founder of Dallas-based Contran Corporation, had given $50,000 to Blunt. He did it in two payments -- 10 grand on June 11, the rest on June 29.

The biggest Blunt backer is Bob Perry, owner of Perry Homes in Houston -- known in political circles for being the money man behind Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in the 2004 presidential election. Perry and his wife have so far contributed a combined $300,000 to Matt Blunt.

Attorney General Jay Nixon has plenty of deep-pocketed contributors, too. His campaign finance form lists a 25-cent donation from a retired rancher in South Dakota -- but it also includes $50,000 in contributions from Springfield attorney Tom Strong and his law firm.

The biggest Nixon donor is the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees -- the nation's largest union for public-sector workers. It contributed $100,000 to Jay Nixon on May 18.

Another union group -- the Ironworkers Political Education Fund -- gave 25 grand. The United Food & Commercial Workers Union has given more than $16,000. So has Taxpayers Unlimited of Kansas City, another union front.

Kansas City Councilman Bill Skaggs gave 10 grand -- as did his son, state Rep. Trent Skaggs. They made their contributions on the same day. Very handy.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Matt Blunt had any honor left over from that gained at the U.S. Naval Academy, he would not accept any money from the person who funded the swift boat attack on the official Navy record of a fellow Navy officer. As a fomer Navy man myself, I can tell you with all assurances that the Navy will fully investigate any and all action resulting in Purple Heart and or Silver Star nominations. If the the official Navy record (after action reports, the following investigations, AND the Army Special Forces guy saved By John Kerry coming forward to tell his story) isn't enough for the Swift Boat flavored Kool Aid drinkers, then what is? Conservative folks, don't you get the fact that you have been lied to?
I believe Matt Blunt still serves his country as a reserve officer. I guess the price to pay for one to turn his back on the Navy and his fellow officers is $300,000.

Matt said...

Talk about buying an election. Those limits were in place for a reason. This doesn't bode well for the health of the political discourse in our state. This is nothing less than an egregious assault on our representative form of government. What message does this send? That someone with money willing to give equals access; the more money one gives, the more access one gets. That's always been the case but at least the limits kept some semblance of equality. That's now been obliterated. Thank you governor and our legislature!

Betty B. said...

Ron, This report makes it sound as though Nixon and Blunt have received equal amounts in big money donations, which is not the case.

Yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an overview of the Nixon-Blunt campaign thus far,

"Overall, Monday’s campaign reports showed that Blunt has expanded his financial edge over Nixon. The governor reported $5.8 million in the bank, compared to $2.4 million for Nixon...

In their earlier reports, filed in April, the governor had almost a dozen $100,000 contributors. Nixon, however, had none.

Although the election is more than a year away, Blunt’s financial edge puts him in a better position to air early TV and radio ads. He’s already running radio ads in rural areas attacking Nixon."

School Voucher proponent Rex Sinquefield has contributed $200,000 to Blunt to date, along with smaller sums to Missouri politicians on both sides of the aisle that share his desire to divert funds from public education to private schools.

It will be interesting to see if Missouri voters can be swayed by the massive amounts of advertising that will be generated by Blunt's huge pile of cash.

Anonymous said...

Nothing related to political donations, but a tip on a local "media" figure: Breck Langsford, publisher of the Community Free Press weekly paper (you know, the one in bed with Vince David Jericho, runs VDJ print columns, etc.) will appear in court next week (7/24) on felony "driving with license revoked" charges. Seems Mr. Langsford spent time in the state penitentiary for peddling LSD several years back (1990s), and has had several dust-ups with the lawman, the latest earlier this year. Serious stuff. Check out the docket sheet at the Greene County courts website. Search on his name...you'll find quite the list, and all of it public info.

Busplunge said...

His dad was a former state representative, Les Langsford back in the late 60's or early 70's as I recall. He had a brother names "Rookie" who was killed in a car wreck. The Langsford's are Under Car Digest People, big in mufflers and u-joints and other stuff that goes on the dirty side of your car.
I always felt that the CFP had a great potential a neighborhood newspaper, going after the stories that got away from or never made the SNL.
Too bad.

Anonymous said...

I believe Breck's mom was Carol Langsford who had something to do with the leadership in the Republican party for many years.

The people in MO have not the strength to wake up and see what their Bible-toting, Church-going, manipulative Republican leadership has done to them. If they did, they would see they are most Un-Christian people. What a facade...go back to canada, jericho, and take the self-serving Republicans with you.

Way to go to Tony Messenger for bringing the $50,000 Prime Inc donation to the people. This is just the start. I want Gov Nixon.

Anonymous said...

Hey at least Breck and Vince tried to bring sunshine to the media coverage Sorry---I mean lack of by the "paid media"

Pretty smart for News-Misleader---slice and burn---why not run it on the front page.

There seems to be plenty of corruption to go around---but maybe shutting down any "problems" would be best!

Anonymous said...

Sorry Slash and Burn is what I meant!

By the way Ron has been naughty---why not throw some mud his way for questioning authority!

Sorry we will have the FBI looking over this site before it is over.

Anonymous said...

Wow...interesting stuff. The B Publishing Group (CFP) is just a front for Mom Carol L. to try and keep Boy Breck L. out of trouble anyway. But, as the old saying goes, he who lives in a glass house...and beds down with VDJ...

Anonymous said...

From the the News-Leader in response to editorial:

Why do you continue to refuse to report the $75,000 donation made by Carlson-Gardner, the Mayoir and his partner, to Blunt - and the $45 million in tax credits they received, as reported in chronological detail by the Columbia Tribune?

Why do you continue to refuse to report that Gardner sold the Governor the Springfield mansion he spends most of his time in - while all these tax credits were being handed out?

Could it be because the Springfield bank involved with them in this scheme to rip off taxpayers through the MHDC has just bought huge ads in the News-Leader?

Posted by: Casino on Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:07 am