Capitol Calling

3. MO-9

BACKGROUND: You could argue that I was covering the battle over Missouri's Ninth District congressional seat before it was cool.

That's because I was assigned to the race in 2006, which featured a match up between Kenny Hulshof and Duane Burghard that was effectively over before it began. Even though Burghard was arguably a better candidate than previous Democratic challengers, he was underfunded and didn't come close to breaking through in the GOP-leaning congressional district. But you could say that I got hooked on the annual race, as it allowed me to examine a big area with an extensive and fascinating political history.

Things became more interesting when state Rep. Judy Baker waded into the Ninth District race in late 2007. But it wasn't until Hulshof decided not to run again that all electoral hell broke loose.

The Ninth District is unusual, because it has a fairly large bench of potential candidates from both major parties. Two former Democratic statewide officials - Joe Maxwell and Roger Wilson - are from the Ninth. And there are a whole bunch of Republicans who could hypothetically run for the seat. When filing ended, there were five Republicans and four Democrats running.

In essence, the Republican race was between Bob Onder and Blaine Luetkemeyer. And the Democratic contest was between Baker and Steve Gaw. But the other candidates had intriguing roles throughout the primary. Danie Moore, for instance, actually raised enough money to run television and radio advertisements. Lyndon Bode tried to appeal to conservative Democrats who were against abortion rights. Ken Jacob challenged Baker from the left. And there was also a random Republican candidate - Dan Bishir - who didn't really play any role in the campaign.

Despite the drama during the primary, Baker and Luetkemeyer won their primaries fairly easily. Afterward, both national parties promised to invest big money into the Ninth District race. That meant the district was subjected to a deluge of negative ads from both parties, a sure-fire sign of a competitive race. And while the race was indeed close, the Ninth stayed Republican with a Luetkemeyer victory.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: Out of all the races I've covered, the Ninth District featured more interesting candidates, exchanges, controversies, weird events and drama than any other campaign. It brought national attention to a congressional district that few thought about in the realm of competitiveness. And it signaled Blaine Luetkemeyer's comeback from the political abyss.

Alas, redistricting means that it'll be a rare event for U.S. House seats to be regularly contested. Although this year may break that trend, it may become a pretty predictable affair after 2012. So, I'm thankful I got to cover such a wild affair before it becomes boring again.

 

FUN FACT: Jeff Schaeperkoetter - a Democrat from Gasconade County - nearly ran for the seat. He dropped out, making a Luetkemeyer-Schaeperkoetter match impossible.

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4. McCaskill and Talent go to political war

BACKGROUND: Most politicos know Claire McCaskill as a fixture on national talk shows and as a world-class Twitter user. But back in 2006, she was just one of many politicians trying to break into the World's Foremost Deliberative Body.

McCaskill decided to forgo another term as a state auditor and instead challenge Sen. Jim Talent's bid for a second term. Talent was smart, politically wonkish and had a pretty long tenure in Missouri politics. And after a close loss for the Missouri governorship in 2000, he managed to beat Sen. Jean Carnahan in a surprisingly good mid-term election for the Republican Party.

Thus, McCaskill's venture in national politics was not without risk. Talent didn't have any discernible scandal or flaw that made him easily beatable. He didn't have an abrasive personality like Conrad Burns or create a "Macaca" moment like George Allen. But he was weakened when the public became disenchanted with the Republican Party. And it didn't help that McCaskill was a fairly energetic campaigner who wasn't afraid to aim for votes in Republican strongholds outstate.

In the end, McCaskill was victorious. And her win helped the Democrats take over the U.S. Senate - a feat that was not expected by many pundits at the beginning of the election cycle. It was the start of what would be a full collapse of the Republican Party in Congress.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: I think my blog post from 2006 said it best:

This choice is about as surprising as the outcome of the 25th District state House race. But the clash of the two well-honed, statewide personalities was about as exciting as any contest in recent memory. Staying close up until the final moments, the contest ended with McCaskill emerging triumphant and Talent being ousted from the Senate.

Although Virginia Sen. George Allen’s spectacular fall ultimately gave the U.S. Senate to the Democratic Party, McCaskill victory was a crucial piece in the party’s jaunt to take back Congress. Now that the campaign is over, the state — and the country — will be watching to see what the 110th Congress accomplishes.

Even today, the Senate race between McCaskill and Talent still sticks out. It featured two candidates that were relatively evenly-matched in terms of experience and campaign savvy. The race eventually resulted in McCaskill becoming a rather high-profile national political figure, thanks in part to her decision to endorse Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Still, I wouldn't be surprised if Talent made a political comeback. Few of the state's Republicans have the experience of running three statewide campaigns. And even though he lost two of them, they weren't exactly by landslide margins. Who knows? Maybe a 2012 re-match could end up differently. Stranger things have happened.

FUN FACT: When McCaskill was declared the winner, I watched her victory speech with Rep. Steve Hobbs and future House Speaker Ron Richard at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia. Needless to say, the atmosphere in the room was not exactly cheerful.

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5. Running Up That Hill

BACKGROUND: I've seen big issues come and go. But I've never seen anything with the staying power of the MOHELA asset sale.

I've always had a bit of trouble describing the MOHELA saga in succinct terms. That's because it is one of the most complicated and twisty political stories in recent memory. The brouhaha stems from Gov. Matt Blunt's desire to utilize assets from a quasi-government agency that provides low-interest student loans to build capital improvement projects at universities. Now just look at that previous sentence. I bet you think that sounds like a mundane legislative exercise.

You're wrong.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: Since the plan was introduced in 2006, the MOHELA sale caused a revolt within the Missouri Republican caucus, became embroiled in the aforementioned stem cell research controversy, brought about questions of the effectiveness of the University of Missouri's standing in the legislature and became a major point of difference between Jay Nixon and Matt Blunt. But it also was the catalyst behind the most epic filibuster that I ever covered.

I will never forget how I came to the Missouri Capitol Building at the edge of an afternoon and watched floor debate continue into 6:30 a.m. By the time I came back to the offices of the Columbia Daily Tribune at 8 a.m., I had already worked for eight hours. And that was only the first part of the filibuster. The second portion featured a dramatic - and consequential - usage of a parliament move that shut off debate. By the time the smoke cleared, the University of Missouri lost their projects and the Missouri Senate had become a not-so-nice place.

To this day, the University of Missouri is still trying to find funding for the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center that was ultimately included in the MOHELA bill. And although it seemed the end of the cash chase was near this year, Nixon decided to withhold the money in the midst of a dismal budget situation.

The drama over the MOHELA sale proved that a seemingly routine political issue can provide some heated emotions and long-term consequences. And a lot of missed sleep.

FUN FACT: Sen. Jason Crowell used part of the MOHELA filibuster to announce that some dude was voted off American Idol. 

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6. Stem cell politics takes Missouri by storm

BACKGROUND: When I first started my professional career as a state government reporter, I knew almost nothing about stem cell research. I remember that President George W. Bush made a highly-publicized speech in 2001 about the subject, but the issue got overshadowed by 9/11.

Then, I got assigned to write a story for the Columbia Daily Tribune profiling a ballot item making it illegal for the legislature to curtail the research. It was a fascinating experience that prompted me to interview scientists, theologians, politicians, doctors and regular people who had incredibly strong opinions. It was a great experience.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: The issue of stem cell research had a sizable effect on Missouri politics in 2006 and 2007. It played a big role in the battle between Jim Talent and Claire McCaskill. It caused splits in the Republican Party, and to some extent the Democratic Party. And the issue played a role in legislative policy over the MOHELA sale and funding for the Life Sciences Research Board.

The issue also sparked an intense disagreement between Missourians. Some felt the research would cure diseases. Others believed the research was immoral. I've seen political debates unfold about a multitude of issues, but this was one that had profoundly passionate voices.

After the battles of 2007, the issue started to fade from the political radar. And besides some attempts to weaken Amendment 2, the issue of stem cell research has been largely absent since the 2009 session began. But the controversy generated gave it a decent place on this list.

 

FUN FACT: Michael J. Fox's advertisement in support of Claire McCaskill was one of the most talked about advertisements of the 2006 election cycle.

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7. Palin Power

BACKGROUND: Some people wonder why John McCain made Sarah Palin his running mate. To answer that question, you've got to go back to the time before the Arizona Republican senator made his decision.

The selection of Joe Biden as Barack Obama's running mate was widely seen as a "safe" choice. Biden was seen as having gravitas in foreign affairs and domestic matters. But still, the Delaware senator was not exactly a barnburner of a pick. Given his dismal standing in the polls at the time, McCain needed a "game changing" selection.

Palin had been a favorite of some conservatives for a long time. Many liked how she took on Frank Murkowski in 2006 and how she governed in Alaska. Still, few seriously thought that McCain would pick Palin as his running mate. McCain proved the experts wrong.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: Only a few days after McCain's decision, Palin was the star attraction at a huge rally in St. Charles County. The rally featured many Republican luminaries, including Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and McCain. But I guarantee that thousands of people would not have come to T.R. Hughes Stadium if Palin had not been on the speaking list.

This was a period of time when Palin breathed quite a bit of life into McCain's floundering campaign. It was before her standing wilted in some respects under intense media scrutiny. But it should be noted that even after she went through the proverbial media cleaver, she still managed to attract thousands of people to pre-election rally in Jefferson City. Even today, she's still drawing interest after she's departed from elected office.

 

As noted before, I don't think Palin will be the Republican presidential nominee in 2012. But that doesn't mean that she won't be relevant force in American politics. On the contrary, I think she's only begun to shake things up.

FUN FACT: Numerous national media figures were at the St. Charles rally. Not only did I get to see FOX News' Carl Cameron scope out the speech in neat sunglasses, but I also got to meet James Rosen. Rosen - who probably is not related to me in any particular way - is a political reporter for FOX News.

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8. [John] McCain in Columbia

BACKGROUND: As a resident of southern Columbia, the most exciting event I've experienced in the area was a balloon lift-off that occurred close to my apartment.

But John McCain easily surpassed the mounds of hot air when made a surprise visit to Columbia. Although the Republican
presidential contender only stopped for a bite to eat at a local BBQ joint, the trip understandably set off a local media frenzy. Me and my good friend Parker Eshelman were part of the local media pool that followed McCain from Columbia's airport to Buckingham Smokehouse Bar-B-Q.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: McCain did make a statement at the end of his lunch about how Barack Obama wouldn't be good for the economy. But other than that, it was a terribly substantive affair. But it did give me a chance to meet some members of McCain's media horde, including Glenn Johnson. Johnson, of course, is the Associated Press reporter who confronted Mitt Romney about whether the former Massachusetts governor had lobbyists running his campaign. It was great getting to talk with him for a few moments.

I also enjoyed talking to Russ Duker, a local businessman active in the Boone County Republican Party. Duker was one of the people picked to have lunch with the presidential aspirant, and I enjoyed conversing with him after the event was over. It showed that a mundane event to the media can be a life-changing moment for others.

 

FUN FACT: McCain's actual lunch was closed to the media, so Eshelman and I ate outside the front door. The food was excellent.

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9. [Bill] Clinton in Columbia

BACKGROUND: If you came of age during the 1990s, then you know how memorable Bill Clinton was when he was President of the United States.

After vanquishing the seemingly invincible George Bush in 1992, Clinton presided over a fascinating time in American history. As the Internet grew in popularity and the economy boomed, Clinton shifted to the right in both his approach to foreign affairs and domestic issues. It's hard to believe that a Democratic chief executive launched military excursions in Iraq and the Balkans, significantly curtailed welfare and actually reduced the federal deficit. If a Democrat did that today, Republicans would likely praise that person as the second coming of William McKinley (or, more likely, Ronald Reagan).

But Clinton did not endear himself to the right when he was in office. Part of this disgust may have stemmed from jealousy over Clinton's political maneuvering, which included "triangulating" a lot of Republican ideas. Yet Clinton's sometimes abrasive personality and dangerous liaisons probably didn't help either.

 
Bill Clinton received a lot of criticism during the 2008 election cycle for various reasons, as it became big news when the former president would say something controversial while Hillary Clinton was campaigning. But when he came to Columbia in the midst of a testy primary battle with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton showcased for Columbia why he was likely elected in the first place.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: As you can see, many presidential contenders made this list. But I found Clinton's speech to be one of the best. Not only was the address substantive - Clinton managed to back up every argument to vote for his wife with some notable reasoning - but I think he managed to keep the audience interested even though it was a lengthy speech.

Clinton is one of the most paradoxical presidents, mainly because his successes are sometimes overshadowed by his high-profile failures. His foreign policy initiatives in Ireland and the Balkans probably did a lot of long term good. But he's been criticized for his response to terrorism and for his lack of action in Rwanda. On the domestic front, he seemed to stay out of the way of the booming economy. But he also took stances on abortion, gun control and taxation that provided openings for the Republicans further down the road. And even though managed to easily escape being removed from office, the fact that it was considered in the first place probably isn't good for his legacy.

Even though this aforementioned legacy will take some time to formulate, Clinton's abilities as a speaker probably aren't in question. He seemed to be adept at persuading people that he could productively solve problems. That's what he showed on his visit to Columbia.

 

FUN FACT: The Missouri Student Recreation Center has a Lazy River.

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10. "Stand Up Chuck!"

BACKGROUND: When a candidate is campaigning for state representative or state senator, it's reasonable to expect that the person knows simple qualities about people they introduce.

But things get trickier when a person is campaigning for Vice President of the United States. For someone like Joe Biden, unless he's campaigning in Delaware or parts of Pennsylvania, he probably depends on staffers to give him notes about prominent individuals at rallies. And on a September day on the campaign trail, somebody screwed up really, really, really bad.

Soon after Biden started speaking to a packed crowd at the Columbia ARC, he started going through a list of elected officials. The first stumble came when he listed off a couple of people - such as departing state Rep. Jeff Harris - who were definitely not in attendance. After every introduction, Biden would tell each elected official to "stand up" and be recognized.

Biden went through the same routine when he got to Sen. Chuck Graham, a Democrat who had been an early and active supporter of Barack Obama. He told Graham - who has been in a wheelchair since he was a teenager - to "stand up."  And with that, Columbia became one point on the map for Biden's many gaffes.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: Yes, this moment received a lot of attention on the Internet and on some late night television shows. And it probably wasn't Biden's best moment. But it should be noted that Biden noticed his flub right away, immediately apologized and greeted Graham personally. It could have been a lot worse.

And in the end, I don't think Biden's gaffe had much of an impact on the 2008 election cycle. But the moment was memorable, which is why it's on the list. Also, a subpar video I made of the incident is still my most watched Youtube clip.

 

FUN FACT: In 2009, I decided to join the ARC. I have spent many winter months running at least two miles on the superb elevated track. I used it a lot less during the summer, as I typically prefer to run outdoors.

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11. Romney in St. Louis County

BACKGROUND: It's been decades since the governor of Massachusetts make a successful transition to the White House. As it turned out, former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney did not break that streak.

Like former President Calvin Coolidge, Romney wasn't originally from Massachusetts. The similarities pretty much end there. Coolidge spent his entire career either in law or in politics, while Romney spent most of his adult life in the private sector. And unlike Coolidge - who is widely seen as the gold standard of let-it-be Republicanism - some GOPers were questioning Romney's conservative credentials.

But at least in Missouri, Romney was lining up some major support. Gov. Matt Blunt, former Sen. Jim Talent, House Speaker Rod Jetton and many more had endorsed Romney's campaign. That lead to Romney being the guest of honor at Lincoln Days, the top event for Missouri Republicans. In addition to making a speech, Romney answered a few questions from assembled reporters. At the time, military issues were prominent, so I asked him about whether his lack of foreign affairs experience would affect his hypothetical presidency.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: While the Republican primary in Missouri lost some steam, it still showcased some interesting endorsement dynamics. Even though Romney arguably had the most prominent support, he still ended up coming in third behind Mike Huckabee and John McCain. I think McCain's strong support of the "surge" in Iraq helped him capture the Republican nomination for president. And unfortunately for the Straight Talk Express, that focus on foreign affairs over economic matters probably went a long way toward his defeat to Barack Obama.

 

So in some ways, Romney was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Had he been the nominee, he may not have been able to defeat Obama. But his focus on economic matters probably would have made the election a lot closer. And it's the reason that Romney is probably - at least in my opinion - the front-runner to win the 2012 nomination. No, he's no universally liked. But I think he engendered some good will by bowing out early and helping McCain, even though I'm sure the two men don't like each other.

In any case, the event in Frontenac showed that big named support doesn't equate to electoral victory. After all, the person with arguably the fewest endorsements - McCain - took Missouri.

 

FUN FACT: Frontenac is home to the nicest mall in the world.  

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12. Obama comes to Rolla

BACKGROUND: Although then-Sen. Barack Obama's visit to Columbia was a huge spectacle, I enjoyed watching the future president speak in a less hospitable outpost.

The Illinois senator decided to go on a "rural swing" through the Show Me State, which in some cases emulated Sen. Claire McCaskill's focus on outstate Missouri throughout her 2006 U.S. Senate campaign. After stopping in Springfield, Obama came to Rolla, arguably the most popular city in Phelps County.

The subtext of the visit was pretty clear. Obama had barely won the Missouri Democratic primary by capturing big margins in some of the state's urban areas. But he did pretty darn terrible elsewhere, allowing then-Sen. Hillary Clinton to nearly swipe the state away. In the end, Obama won a plurality of votes, even though the two candidates evenly split delegates.

Obama spoke for a pretty long time in Rolla. In addition to making a somewhat controversial statement about how he "wouldn't look like presidents" on currency, he spent most of the event taking questions from the overflow crowd. He talked about the economy, foreign affairs and issues involving veterans. When he was through, he made a stop in Union and called it a day.

WHY IT MADE THE LIST: I put this on the list for the same reason I included the Kirksville debates. I thoroughly enjoy
visiting different parts of the Show Me State. And this trip gave me a chance to scope out Rolla, a Republican-leaning area that's the homebase of the Carnahan family. Plus, it was interesting to see Obama speak in an area that was probably out of his political reach.

 

FUN FACT: One other great thing about going to Obama's Rolla event was meeting Leslie Spencer. The Democratic activist was standing outside the event with a "Rednecks for Obama" banner.

I'm not sure if Obama succeeded in attracting the "redneck" vote in Missouri. But I'm guessing that some in that self-professed group in North Carolina, Indiana and Virgina helped put Obama over the top. 

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