#MOSen: Brad Lager Should Replace Todd Akin for US Senate

Brad Lager

By now you've probably heard about Todd Akin's (R-MO) embarrassing gaffe on the Jaco Report over the weekend. Here's what Akin said:

It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.

A lot has been written about Akin's inexcusable turn of phrase: "legitimate rape." To his credit, Akin's apologized for that; however, his problems go much deeper than that phrase. There are two fundamental problems facing Akin right now. First, he apparently does not understand the science of human reproduction and, second, while he won the three-way primary, 64% of Republican primary voters didn't vote for him.

My policy preferences on abortion are pretty close to Todd Akin's. Because I believe that embryos are not part of their mother, but rather created human beings, I do not support policy carve outs to allow abortion for rape and incest. That said, I do not understand where Akin's comment about the female body shutting down comes from. If you're a conservative and can show me an article in Cell, Science, or Nature--the top three biology journals--that supports that, then maybe I'll reconsider. Until that time, Akin's view about human reproduction appears to me to be faux-scientific babbling. If you're a leftist or even a moderate, Akin might come off as peddling a faux-scientific myth to advance or justify his Christian policy preferences. This horribly undermines his credibility which should be based on facts and truth.

Akin's other problem is that nearly two-thirds of Missouri's Republican primary voters did not vote for him (I voted for Hector Maldonado). That means, that at every Akin misstep conservatives will swarm since his backing is weak.

Akin has until 5PM Tuesday (8/21) to decide whether or not he will end his bid for US Senate. That along with Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Charles Krauthammer, the RNC Chairman, his own advisers, and possibly even Mitt Romney calling for him to get out has created some urgency. That urgency has led to speculation about candidates to replace him.

The list of names to replace Akin is long; however, I will only focus on a few. First, some ground rules. Akin could very well stay in the race. He's said that he'll do so and it is his decision to make. I do not think that any of the candidates that Akin beat for the Missouri Republican nomination for US Senate are good alternatives. I think a replacement needs both party backing and grassroots support. Even though I live in St. Louis, the fact that the Republican ticket in Missouri is basically a who's who of St. Louis Republicans is a problem for me. I think a party ticket should better represent the state.

Gateway Pundit and others have thrown Ann Wagner's name into the ring. I was looking forward to ignoring her race in MO-02.... I guess because she's running for Congress they think she can step up to run for Senate, but if that's the case, then why not tap Vicky Hartzler? Unlike Wagner, Hartzler's actually been elected to public office so she's better prepared for a race on the national stage. The real risk in advancing a woman--especially one as unqualified as Ann Wagner--is that it will be seen as pandering to women. The national press will rightly criticize the Missouri GOP for choosing a candidate to fill a gender quota, though I do not think that criticism works in Hartzler's case because of her Congressional experience.

Unfortunately, the Missouri Republican party does not have many women with the state-wide name recognition and the electoral experience to run for US Senate. There are some great women in the General Assembly who will hopefully change that in the coming years, leaders like: Luann Ridgeway, Jane Cunningham, Cloria Brown, Marsha Haefner, Melissa Leach, and several others who's names escape me at the moment. With the electoral drought for Republicans at the top of the ticket for the past few cycles, only Sarah Steelman had that potential in this cycle and she's effectively been eliminated finishing third behind Akin and Brunner.

And electoral success is important. The United States was founded on the idea that those in power derive their authority from those they govern. With that in mind, I think Brad Lager, who hails from Northwest Missouri, is the best replacement for Todd Akin. Lager lost a close race against Peter Kinder for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor, but in that lose, Lager garnered more votes than any of the Republican candidates for US Senate. The fact that he garnered more Republican votes than any other Republican candidate on August 7th who did not win their election gives him a sort of electoral legitimacy that others lack. If Todd Akin steps down, then, in my opinion, that statewide vote total puts businessman Brad Lager next in line and provides him with a kind of grassroots legitimacy.

Party backing is something that Lager will mostly have to arrange on his own. To some extent his experience in the Missouri Senate and his race against Kinder garnered him a base within the party, but I'm not sure if that is sufficient. Kinder, as the de facto head of the Missouri Republican party, could express support for Lager as a replacement to Akin. The fact that Lager waged a scorched earth campaign against Peter Kinder makes that personally hard for Kinder to do, but it also heightens the political rewards because it symbolizes the coming together of two factions within the party to make common cause against a greater foe: Democrats.

Lager represents a fresh start for Missouri Republicans eager to unseat Claire McCaskill. He doesn't live in the St. Louis area like so many other candidates on the Republican slate. He has something of a grassroots base as well as establishment support. He's a businessman who's started multiple companies and he's a legislator with a track record as a fiscal hawk. He's earned an A+ rating from the NRA. But ultimately, he's a compromise candidate.

When I first started hearing that Akin might step down, my initial response was to tweet my support for Hector Maldonado. Later I thought about drafting 2010 Tea party favorite Chuck Purgason for the job. I've seen the establishment names out there, too. Former Senator Jim Talent would be ok, but he's already declined. His wife, Brenda Talent, would be an interesting choice, but I think I'm the only one who thinks that. Matt Blunt would be a stretch because his dad's already a senator. Ann Wagner is a non-starter for me as is Kit Bond. And none of them has the legitimacy of a recent, closely-fought statewide election like Brad Lager does. A nod from Peter Kinder in support of Lager represents an opportunity to bandage the wounds the party suffered during the primary much as Indiana's elder statesman Dick Lugar recently salved the wounds of his primary loss to Richard Mourdock. It's time to set aside the factions and compromise on a unity candidate: Brad Lager.

Related articles

• Step Aside, Todd Akin (nationalreview.com)
• Report: Republican Todd Akin Will Withdraw From Missouri Senate Race (theothermccain.com)
• Todd Akin Must Withdraw (nicedeb.wordpress.com)
• The Todd Akin mess (michellemalkin.com)
• Todd Akin refuses to drop Senate bid amid 'legitimate rape' outrage [AUDIO] (dailycaller.com)
• Todd Akin defies calls to withdraw from Mo. Senate race (dailycaller.com)
• Toxic Todd Akin Told Not to Come to RNC Convention (thegatewaypundit.com)
• Who could be a replacement for Akin? (midwestdemocracy.com)
• A Few Thoughts About Todd Akin (pjmedia.com)

Photos: Brad Lager Meets Press in Kirkwood

Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Brad Lager, stopped by McArthur's Bakery's Kirkwood store today to speak with the press and public. Lager will face incumbent Peter Kinder in tomorrow's Republican primary.

Related articles

• Governor Mike Huckabee Endorses Brad Lager for Lieutenant Governor (24thstate.com)
• Missouri Republican Assembly Endorses Brad Lager for Lieutenant Governor (24thstate.com)
• Brad Lager Endorsed by Four Fiscal Hawks of the Missouri Senate (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Brad Lager Earns A+ from NRA (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Video: Brad Lager on Getting Government Out of the Way of Business (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Brad Lager Built That (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)

Brad Lager Built That

The defining quote of presidential election may very well be Barack Obama's gaffe: "You didn't build that!" As The Wall Street Journal observed: "Rarely do politicians so clearly reveal their core beliefs."

One politician whose core belief in the American Dream is driven by hard work is Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, Brad Lager. Tuesday afternoon, I had an opportunity to speak with this state senator who hopes to move to higher office next November. We talked about the businesses that Lager's started and worked for over the years.

By the end of our conversation, it was clear to me that Brad Lager is a serial entrepreneur, but his political career is also of note.

Lager entered politics in 2001 when, at 25, he became the youngest councilman ever elected to the Maryville City Council. At the time, Maryville was facing some difficult fiscal decisions. The council reigned in the town's costs returning it to sound fiscal footing. That held an important early lesson for Lager: "That's when I realized that good people, who work hard, who are focused on good results, can change the way that government operates."

The summer after Lager finished high school, he went to work for a real estate office. That experience taught him about the importance of investing. With that knowledge, he saved money during his college years and used that money to buy an older, six-unit apartment building. He spent the next few years fixing up each unit and ultimately getting all the units rented out before selling that property. With the money he made from that investment, Lager and his father bought a car wash--Squeaky Clean Car Wash.

The real estate office where Lager started his working career was also a sales agent for Northwest Missouri Cellular. When Lager graduated from college with a degree in computer management systems, one of the partners at Northwest Missouri Cellular told him: "If you're willing to stay, run it like it's yours." At that time, Northwest Missouri Cellular had several hundred subscribers and two employees. Recognizing the great entrepreneurial opportunity that he'd just been given, he dove in.

With such a small staff, most of their business functions had been outsourced--billing, customer service, etc. Bringing those business functions in-house would allow the company greater competitive flexibility by reducing their cost structure, so they began to plan for growth. As each business function was brought in-house, jobs were created. In short order Northwest Missouri Cellular had five employees and had to start dealing with workers comp and the regulatory environment that faces all small businesses. Soon they had eight employees. Lager remembers setting up a retirement plan and shopping around for the best health insurance for his team.

In the late 1990s, the regulatory environment for placing cell towers became much more rigorous. In addition to the existing process for building a cell site which involved engineering and regulatory approval from the FAA and FCC, Northwest Missouri Cellular found itself having to do Indian burial ground studies and migratory bird reports. These added regulatory burdens drove up the cost of each new cell tower by tens of thousands of dollars.

In late 2001, as Lager began to focus more on his political career and a run for Missouri's House, he stepped down as the day-to-day manager at Northwest Missouri Cellular. At that time the company employed about fourteen people. He's still involved with them as a consultant for their strategic planning as they continue to grow their cell tower network. Today, Northwest Missouri Cellular employs thirty-two people.

Lager has started other businesses in recent years as well. He partnered with a friend in the lumber industry to form Northwest Additions which purchased fifteen acres in Savannah, Missouri, for real estate development. The economic downturn has meant that their new home sales have gone more slowly than he would have liked; however, the few homes that have been built have brought some contracting work to the area.

In 2007 Lager with two business partners bought a Made-Rite franchise in the food court of the Columbia, Missouri, mall. I couldn't imagine an elected politician working behind the counter in a mall food court, so I had to ask:

Me: You're telling me that a Missouri State Senator was making sandwiches while the General Assembly was out of session? 

Lager: No. Well... Occassionally, yes, but not very often. I didn't run the business day-to-day. We hired someone who had a background in the restaurant business.

At one point the franchise was employing about a half-dozen people; however, the economic downturn brought mall traffic to a standstill and Lager and his partners decided to close down the business. They admirably did not file for bankruptcy. Instead, he and his partners are still making payments on the loan they took out to start the franchise.

Lager grew up on a farm and has longed to get back into agriculture. Last year, he took advantage of an opportunity to join an existing cow-calf operation run by a neighbor. Cow-calf operations use a predominantly female herd of cows to produce calves for the beef industry. Lager also does some cattle backgrounding--raising weaned calves typically in a pasture. The cow-calf operation has a herd of almost thirty while Lager has about 250 that he is backgrounding.

In addition to those businesses, Lager is an employee of Cerner Corporation. Cerner employs over ten thousand people in the healthcare technology industry. Their business is built around technological innovation in healthcare systems. As Lager put it: "They build software for hospitals and doctors." Because Lager's degree is in computer management systems, his technical skill set makes him a perfect fit for Cerner. He began working their in 2009.

Lager works on a team that is building health information networks. The problem that this team is working on is: how do you share healthcare data in a way that is secure, but that ultimately allows consumers to control their own information? The team is trying to figure out how to deliver your doctor's notes, x-rays, and other medical information to your computer or even your cell phone. The difficulty of the problem is two fold: first their's the integration of the many heterogeneous healthcare systems in use today and, second, security--they have to be sure that the person receiving the data has a right to see it. Lager is confident that private businesses like Cerner are part of the solution. As he told me in the interview:

I'm proud of the work I do at Cerner. You talk about fundamentally thinking about healthcare differently and understanding that the private sector does have solutions that can help us fix these problems. I can tell you this: I am more reassured than ever that if we get government out of the way, the private sector can address these problems.

Simply put, Brad Lager is an engineer at Cerner. It's just politics as usual for Lager's opponent, Peter Kinder, to accuse him of being a lobbyist. The fact of the matter is that Brad Lager has built more businesses in his 37 years than most people build in a lifetime.

Related articles

• Brad Lager Endorsed by Four Fiscal Hawks of the Missouri Senate (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Video: Brad Lager on Getting Government Out of the Way of Business (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Brad Lager Fights for Missouri's Taxpayer Protection Act (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Brad Lager Earns A+ from NRA (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Will Dana Loesch Interview Peter Kinder about His Cerner Solicitation? (24thstate.com)

Video: Brad Lager on Getting Government Out of the Way of Business

Republican candidate for Missouri Lieutenant Governor Brad Lager spoke at state senator Jim Lembke's birthday fundraiser this past weekend. Lager spoke about the importance of economic issues and the need for government to get out of the way of businesses. As a business owner and job creator himself, Lager understands the impediments that government regulations and bureaucrats put in the way of America's engine of prosperity: small businesses.

Related articles

• Brad Lager Endorsed by Four Fiscal Hawks of the Missouri Senate (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Brad Lager Earns A+ from NRA (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Lager calls for special session (midwestdemocracy.com)

Right to Pray will be on the August Ballot as Amendment 2

Ozarks First reports that an amendment to the Missouri Constitution is on the August 7th ballot. Amendment 2 would guarantee a right to pray in schools and public places in Missouri:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri voters will decide in August whether students should have the right to pray voluntarily while at school. 

It's called the Constitutional Amendment Number 2 and it is right to express religious belief and not to be infringed upon. It's that school children have the right to pray in the school," states Bonnie Earl, Jasper County Clerk.

Brad Lager

I first heard about this effort to protect religious freedom in an email from the Brad Lager campaign touting his support for the amendment:

SAVANNAH, MO—Today Brad Lager, Republican candidate for Lt. Governor, announced his support for Amendment 2, which will appear on the August 7th primary ballot. Amendment 2 would bolster the following protections in Missouri’s Constitution and ensure:

• That the right of Missouri citizens to express their religious beliefs shall not be infringed;

• That school children have the right to pray and acknowledge God voluntarily in their schools; and

• That all public schools shall display the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.

“Religious liberty is a founding and fundamental principle of our constitutional form of government,” said Lager. “Massive government programs, like Obamacare, are trampling on rights that have been afforded to our citizens since the founding of this great country. Amendment 2 reinforces the rights of Missourians to practice their faith, or not practice any faith, as they see fit. In the wake of Obamacare, it’s time Missourians make clear that we believe the Constitution means what it says. Regardless of which candidates you support in the primary, I hope you’ll join me in strengthening our rights to religious liberty by voting YES on Amendment 2.”

Brad Lager is a small business owner and job creator. In 2010, Lager was re-elected to represent the 12th Senatorial District in the Missouri General Assembly. Brad and his wife Stephanie reside near Savannah with their two children, Addison and Andrew. Lager is also a proud graduate of Northwest Missouri State University.
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I'm not sure what I think of this amendment to the Missouri constitution. I certainly understand that conservative candidates like Lager and some 80 other candidates will support it out of political necessity, but I'm not convinced the amendment will accomplish anything. That said, you can review the language of the Amendment online to help you reach your own decision.

Related articles

• Brad Lager Endorsed by Four Fiscal Hawks of the Missouri Senate (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Brad Lager Earns A+ from NRA (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Brad Lager Fights for Missouri's Taxpayer Protection Act (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Missouri Grassroots Radio - Culture Vigilante (culturevigilante.wordpress.com)
• Missouri House lawmakers discuss right-to-pray initiative (columbiamissourian.com)
• Catholic bishops endorse Missouri prayer measure (columbiamissourian.com)

Brad Lager Earns A+ from NRA

There is no candidate running for Lieutenant Governor of Missouri with a higher rating from the NRA than the A+ that Brad Lager recently earned (see letter below). With recent endorsements from fiscal hawks like state Senators Jason Crowell, Jim Lebmke, Brian Nieves, and Rob Schaaf as well as a conservative stalwarts like Missouri Senate Ag Chairman Brian Munzlinger, this NRA rating helps to burnish Lager's reputation in what is expected to be a close primary fight.

Update: When I originally blogged this, I was unsure about the terms "NRA" and "NRA-PVF". I contacted Lorien Johnson, NRA's Campaign Field Representative in St. Louis, to clarify the ratings of both Brad Lager and Peter Kinder. She wrote back:

NRA and NRA-PVF are under the same umbrella of NRA. PVF is the Political Victory Fund, the arm which makes endorsements, sets rankings, etc.

Kinder and Lager both earned an A+ ranking. Kinder received the endorsement.

Related articles

• NRA Gives Lager an A+ Rating (stlouis.cbslocal.com)
• MO Grassroots Senators Endorse Brad Lager for Lt. Governor (24thstate.com)
• Brad Lager Fights for Missouri's Taxpayer Protection Act (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Missouri Grassroots Radio - Culture Vigilante (culturevigilante.wordpress.com)
• Will Dana Loesch Interview Peter Kinder about His Cerner Solicitation? (24thstate.com)

Brad Lager Fights for Missouri's Taxpayer Protection Act

Rep. Eric Burlison produced the video above to help explain the taxpayer protection legislation that he sponsored. From the YouTube description:

I've been fighting to pass the Taxpayer Protection Act for the past two years because I believe that budgetary accountability is crucial to good governance. Government bureaucrats think they should be immune to economic recession, so they encourage politicians to increase government expenditures at all costs. Unfortunately, this pressure results in zero savings for the state government (even in years of robust economic growth), and during inevitable economic declines and accompanying short-falls in government revenue, the state has to drastically cut spending, or even worse, increase taxes. Neither of these options is a viable long-term solution, so I've offered a systemic approach; by amending our State constitution, the Taxpayer Protection Act ensures that excess revenue is saved in boom years so that the funds are available in years of recession.

Republican Lt. Gov. candidate Brad Lager speaks at the 1:30 mark about how Missouri government spending has been allowed to grow off the books through tax credits. St. Louis Tea Party founder Bill Hennessy has recently written about how tax credits kill society:

Tax credits reward particular businesses or developers with tax dollars from the general population. They concentrate wealth in a few hands. Tax credits are the way politicians play the market with someone else’s money.

Broadly speaking, tax credits burden the general welfare to advantage the particular welfare of favored constituencies. There are other instruments of government that do that like the 2009 stimulus bill, the 2008 bank bailout (TARP), and, on a local level, tax increment financing (TIF). The general welfare is also burden through zoning laws and other regulations that then advantage the particular welfare of certain property owners and land developers.

At the 3:10 mark in the video above, Brad Lager talks about how the taxpayer protection act will reign in expenditures like tax credits with spending caps.

Related articles

• Brad Lager Endorsed by Four Fiscal Hawks of the Missouri Senate (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• KRASKE: Race for second banana in Missouri features two very different men (midwestdemocracy.com)
• MO Grassroots Senators Endorse Brad Lager for Lt. Governor (24thstate.com)

Brad Lager Endorsed by Four Fiscal Hawks of the Missouri Senate

Republican Brad Lager picked up endorsements today from four fiscal hawks of the Missouri Senate--Jason Crowell, Jim Lembke, Brian Nieves, and Rob Schaaf--in his bid to become Missouri's next Lt. Governor. Lager's campaign issued the press release below. Lager will face Peter Kinder in the August 7th Republican primary.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Ray Bozarth
Wednesday, July 18 2012
(573) 268-8177

Senators Crowell, Lembke, Nieves, Schaaf Endorse Lager

SAVANNAH, MO—Brad Lager, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, today announced endorsements from conservative Senators Jason Crowell, Jim Lembke, Brian Nieves, and Rob Schaaf, reflecting a clear changing of the guard within the Republican Party. Lager’s endorsements solidify him as the real conservative in the race.

“Our elected officials are looking for real conservative leadership and I am proud to have conservative Republicans from across the state supporting my campaign,” said Lager. “Now is the time for new ideas and bold leadership from citizen legislators, not more of the same from career politicians. These endorsements reflect that sentiment.”

“If we keep electing the same people we are going to continue on the same path, and that has led Missouri to 48th in job creation,” said Crowell. “Government should not pick winners and losers. Government needs to get out of the way of the private sector, and only one man in this race understands that. That’s why I’m proud to endorse Brad Lager.”

“Brad Lager understands that the status quo must change if we want to improve our state,” Lembke said. “Brad Lager’s conservative leadership is exactly what we need to change the direction of Missouri.”

“Senator Lager is someone who shares our conservative family values and will govern by those same values,” said Nieves. “As a small business owner, Brad understands that government must get out of the way and allow the private sector to flourish. It’s an honor to support his campaign.”

“Senator Lager is a committed advocate for Missouri taxpayers and small business owners,” said Sen. Schaaf. “I have full confidence that Brad Lager will continue his stellar record of stewardship to the people of Missouri when he is elected Lt. Governor.”

Brad Lager is a small business owner and job creator. In 2010, Lager was re-elected to represent the 12th Senatorial District in the Missouri General Assembly. Brad and his wife Stephanie reside near Savannah with their two children, Addison and Andrew. Lager is also a proud graduate of Northwest Missouri State University.

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Related articles

• Was Peter Kinder a Community Organizer? (rebootcongress.blogspot.com)
• Lager calls for special session (midwestdemocracy.com)
• Is Dana Loesch in the tank for Peter Kinder? (ozarkspolitics.wordpress.com)
• Will Dana Loesch Interview Peter Kinder about His Cerner Solicitation? (24thstate.com)

Was Peter Kinder a Community Organizer?

I saw the photo to the right in Jefferson Thomas's twitter feed. It's a photo of a marked ballot that was paid for by "Voters for Good Government" and distributed to polling places in St. Louis city and county on election day 2008. The top screams: "Support our Community Ticket" and Republican Peter Kinder is clearly marked.

What's odd is that all of the other candidates that are checked off are Democrats: Barack Obama, Jay Nixon, Robin Carnahan, Clint Zweifel, Lacy Clay, Russ Carnahan, and even Chris Koster who is hated among St. Louis city Democrats.

Is that really the company that Kinder keeps?

Kinder suffered a series of missteps last year which led him to abandon his gubernatorial bid and try for a third term as Lt. Governor. It would appear that the LG office is a sort of Mendoza Line for Kinder and now it's time for "the coach"--Missouri Republican primary voters--to decide whether they're satisfied with his batting average or whether they should tap someone from their farm team. Fiscal hawk Brad Lager is the guy I think Republicans should put in their lineup. Lager is one of only two Senators during the 2011 regular session to oppose the China hub/aerotropolis bill. 

Related articles

• Steve Kraske | Questions surround Lager and Kinder (kansascity.com)
• Is Dana Loesch in the tank for Peter Kinder? (ozarkspolitics.wordpress.com)

Video: Brad Lager in St. Charles

Brad Lager joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Lager is running as a Republican for Missouri Lieutenant Governor.

Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!