Sarah Steelman: Tea Party Candidate?

Earlier this week, Sarah Steelman filed to run for US Senate in 2012 against Democrat Claire McCaskill. There's a strong presumption that former Senator Jim Talent—the man who lost to McCaskill in 2006—will also run for the Republican nomination. Talent is seen as the party favorite.

Steelman served as Missouri's Treasurer from 2005 to 2009. In 2008 she made a bid for the Governors office, but lost in the Republican primary. In a Talent v Steelman race for Republican nominee for US Senate, she would be seen as an outsider.

With that background, it's interesting to learn that the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has apparently promised Steelman that it would not endorse Talent. Dave at Missouri Scout reports on the NRSC and Sarah Steelman (paid subscription):

The NRSC was burned last year in primaries across the country. In Colorado, Nevada, Alaska, and Maryland [I think he means Delaware - ed.], its anointed candidates lost in each primary and the eventual nominee lost each general election. In other words, the NRSC’s miscalculations (and spending on losing primary candidates) may have cost them control of the Senate.

In short, the NRSC lost money on several primary races so it looks like they plan to keep their money out of Missouri's primary in 2012. I hope they stick with that plan. You might encourage them to do the same in your state.

That said, I have to take exception with Dave for referring to Steelman as the "Tea Party favorite". Dave isn't the only reporter to do that. Jeremy Jacobs of National Journal reported on Steelman's announcement earlier this week this way:

Second, the NRSC is showing a newfound interest in Steelman, a Tea Party favorite, who it shunned last year in favor of Roy Blunt.

Since Steelman did not run in the 2010 Missouri Republican primary for US Senate, it's odd to say that the NRSC shunned her. They certainly anointed Roy, but Steelman wasn't among the candidates that were shunned. Those would be Chuck Purgason (2nd in the primary, 13%), Kristi Nichols (3rd in the primary, 7%), and several others.

I don't understand why Sarah Steelman is being referred to as the Tea Party favorite. She's not. She may be by the time the election is here, but she's not the favorite yet.

There are basically two paths to becoming a Tea Party candidate. The first path is to show up, maybe speak at events, maybe lead a local Tea Party group, recruit others, and just generally participate in the Tea Party. That's the path that Ed Martin and Gary Fuhr followed. The other path is to do something heroic, something exceptional that clearly indicates your commitment to Tea Party values. Once you've done that, you probably need to do some of the things on the first path: speak, lead, recruit, and participate. Paul Curtman followed the second path. I also think that Lt Gov Peter Kinder went above and beyond the call of duty when he brought suite against the federal government over the healthcare law.

Those are the paths to becoming a Tea Party favorite. As of today, there are no Tea Party favorites for US Senate in Missouri. I look forward to learning more about all the candidates. For now, best wishes for a successful campaign to Sarah Steelman, Jim Talent, Chuck Purgason, and Kristi Nichols (assuming the last three decide to run).

The Hand of Providence

KTVI is reporting that Missouri Republicans shake up state senate leadership:

Southeast Missouri Sen. Rob Mayer has emerged the victor in a Republican leadership shake-up in the state Senate.

With 26 Republican seats in the Missouri Senate, a secret ballot, and two candidates (Rob Mayer and Kevin Engler), the leadership decision came down to a coin toss. My sources tell me that on multiple ballots the results came back tied at 13 a piece. Ultimately, the tie was resolved by "drawing numbers" and the hand of providence alighted upon the Tea Party-backed Rob Mayer.

Many thanks to the folks at the Missouri Leadership Project. I'm sure Senator Chuck Purgason will be in line for a committee chairmanship as a result of this vote.

Roy Blunt's First Tea Party

Tea Partiers from the St. Louis area including St. Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin Counties rallied at the St. Louis, MO, GOP Headquarters on Watson Rd. The rally was partly to support Tea Party candidate Chuck Purgason (R-MO), partly in support of the Yes on Prop C initiative, and partly to disuade Michele Bachmann from endorsing Roy Blunt (R-MO).

Bachmann, who had been scheduled to appear at a Roy Blunt fundraiser, had to cancel late Friday after being admitted to a hospital for an undisclosed illness. Tea Partiers join mainstream Republicans in praying for a rapid and full recovery for this icon of the conservative movement. We need her voice back in Congress.

Purgason's campaign continues to revel in the results of a poll released Friday that shows the Caulfield, MO, Republican besting Robin Carnahan (D-MO) 56 to 44. The internals of that poll contain more good news for Purgason. In particular, he runs strong in Missouri's 7th Congressional District—Roy Blunt's district.

The 7th is easily the most conservative of Missouri's nine Congressional Districts. Roy Blunt won re-election in 2008 with 68% of the vote. Purgason out polled Carnahan in the 7th Congressional District 72% to 28%.

GOP Primary Debate for US Senate

Macon County Patriots and Preserving American Liberty have arranged a U.S. Senate Candidate Debate - Macon, MO August 1, 2010:

The U.S. Senate seat is vital to the future direction of America. We are co-hosting a much awaited debate between, who we believe are, the top 4 candidates of the conservative party running in Missouri's August 3rd primary election. This is an opportunity to equip Missouri voters with the information needed to choose leaders who will best represent We The People in Washington D.C.
Join us:

Sunday, August 1, 2010
4:00 to 6:00 pm sharp
Macon Expo Center
(Macon County Fairgrounds)
1303 So. Missouri St.
Macon, Missouri
Seating is limited and will be on a first come basis.

The candidates invited are:
Congressman Roy Blunt, Senator Chuck Purgason,
Hector Maldonado & Kristi Nichols

Moderator for the debate is author of The Big Black Lie, The Black Sphere and
relentless front line warrior for Liberty and Truth: Kevin Jackson.

A Purgason TV Ad

It's an interesting ad. Hopefully it will sway a few votes to Chuck Purgason (R-MO) on August 3rd. Purgason is the leading challenger to Roy Blunt (R-MO) in the GOP primary for US Senate. The fascinating thing about the ad is the last line: "Paid for by Joe the Plumber and friends." I took that as a rebuttal of Tony Messenger (of the Post Dispatch) who suggested that Purgason was paying Joe the Plumber for the endorsement.

Purgason Takes His Message to the Masses

The fundraising news out today shows that Roy Blunt (R-MO) raised $700,000 more than Robin Carnahan (D-MO) in the latest quarter: $2.2M to Robin's $1.5M. Of course, Robin had six times as many donors: 30k to Roy's 5k. Chuck Purgason (R-MO) raised $10k in the same quarter, but has raised $15,000 already this month.

Purgason is taking his message to the voters. I received the following email from his campaign Thursday evening:

Here's another opportunity to Meet Chuck Perguson, Candidate for US Senate. Call in and ask questions, get to know him, or just listen in. Take advantage of this great opportunity to get acquainted with one of the most viable alternatives to the GOP Party Player and Washington DC Insider - Roy Blunt.

Chuck will be having a conference call every night at 9:05PM (Central) Mon-Fri for any voter who wants to talk to him or ask him questions. They can connect to the call through this number:

Get the real scoop! Call in and Meet Chuck!

Conference Dial-in Number: (605) 477-3000
Participant Access Code: 1020755#

Mr Purgason Goes to Jeff City

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: Lost Causes

A seen similar to the one above unfolded in Jefferson City Wednesday morning.

Governor Jay Nixon (D-MO) called the legislature back for a special session. The focus of the session was a tax incentive bill that would only benefit Ford. State Senator Chuck Purgason (R-MO) opposed the bill. He argued that we should provide tax incentives for small businesses rather than Ford.

Purgason refused to pass the bill out of his committee effectively shutting down the special session. Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields (R-MO) removed Purgason and placed himself on the committee to move the bill to the floor.

Purgason filibustered the bill once the floor debate started. He asked supporters to email him and promised to read their emails on the Senate floor. Which he did, for 21 hours. According to Purgason's campaign website, 21 hours is the longest filibuster in at least fifteen years.

I was listening live this morning via the Internet feed (linked on MO Senate home page) when Purgason ended his filibuster. Then I saw Tony Messenger's tweet:

It's over. Sen @ChuckPurgason just tossed down his microphone, walked out of chamber, and ended filibuster.

There were at least two motivations for Purgason's filibuster. First, he's in an uphill battle for the Republican nomination for US Senate. The second reason is captured in this sentence from someone on Purgason's campaign:

The main problem is a misunderstanding of the role of government and the co-opting of state power for private profit -- mercantilism.

The filibuster was covered well on twitter. Afterwards, Ross Carter observed:

I noticed some funny hashtags for @ChuckPurgason's 20+ hour filibuster: #purgabuster #purgatory #chuckapocalypse #purgasonafterdark

Purgason returned to the campaign trail after the filibuster with multiple radio appearances.

Purgason's Primary Path

In March I attended the Senate Candidate Forum in Jeff City. Roy Blunt (R-MO) wasn't there, but most of the other Republican candidates for US Senate from Missouri were. Robin Carnahan also declined, so Roy wasn't the only big name not to show. Those with name recognition never want to acknowledge their competitors for fear of lending them credibility. That's how the game is played.

I liked Hector Maldonado the best—he's the owner of the always salient domain HectorForFreedom.com. I also thought Kristi Nichols and Chuck Purgason rounded out the top three. My informal post forum straw poll had Nichols as the favorite. The problem I have with both Maldonado and Nichols is that they lack any legislative experience. While Purgason has more legislative experience than I would prefer, all of that experience is in the Missouri House and Senate. I assume that long serving politicians develop a sense of entitlement for elected office, but I know that Purgason is committed to the idea of citizen legislators and term limits, so I can overlook his fourteen years of legislative service. (Complete video interview.)

Since March, Purgason has recruited a volunteer base and added some staff; had his website redesigned; gained national attention when he announced he would no longer wear a wig; gained the endorsements of the Jefferson County Tea Party, fellow GOP US Senate Candidate Jim Schmidt when Schmidt dropped out, and now Joe the Plumber. However, Purgason's path to a primary victory on August 3rd is a long one.

Let's take a look back with this bit from Bill Hennessy:

It would be nice if a national pollster would check on Blunt vs. Purgason. The last poll of that primary race was in March and Blunt led 48 to 18 percent. Again, though, Purgason seems to have caught a bit of a tailwind in recent weeks, at least in the St. Louis area.

With support of only 48% of the GOP base in March, Blunt is beatable, but Purgason has to secure the lion's share of that other 34% while also eroding Blunt's lead.

I believe that Purgason's strategy should be to focus on securing the endorsements of his other primary opponents. While an endorsement from a national figure like Sarah Palin would immediately put Purgason in the lead, I doubt that such endorsements are forthcoming. Nonetheless, David Cantanese of Politico reports that Purgason's people are talking with Palin:

Despite Palin's financial support for Blunt, Purgason's not giving up on netting an endorsement from the former vice presidential nominee.

"I've talked with some of her people recently," he said. "She's a very thorough person and [sic] she's looking at some of the things I voted on. I think she'll have a decision in the near future."

"She gave him money. She has not endorsed," Purgason emphasized. "We'd love to have Gov. Palin on board."

Roy Blunt is in the Republican leadership of the US House of Representatives. Until last year, he was the Republican whip. I would be surprised to see endorsements from nationally recognized GOP figures on the because of the potential risk to the endorser's political capital.

Therefore, Purgason has to convince Maldonado, Nichols, and the other GOP candidates to dropout and endorse him. Schmidt has blazed this trail and is setting an example by volunteering on Purgason's campaign. Maldonado and Nichols are great candidates who will have successful political careers in the future. Bob Praprotnik, Deborah Solomon, Davis Conway, Mike Vontz, and Tony Laszacs may distinguish themselves in future races, but I believe that the greatest contribution that each of them can make to the conservative cause today is to rally to the flag of Chuck Purgason.

As the field narrows, Purgason's conservative credentials will distinguish him from Roy Blunt's votes for TARP, Cash for Clunkers, the Medicare expansion, federal involvement in local education (No Child Left Behind), and ethanol mandates. When I've challenged Blunt supporters on these issues, they always respond that Blunt's got the money to challenge Carnahan in the Fall and Purgason doesn't. If you're voting in the GOP primary on August 3rd, you need to decide whether you want to vote for Purgason's principals or Blunt's war chest.

Joe the Plumber endorses Chuck Purgason

Joe the Plumber has announced that he's endorsing Chuck Purgason (R-MO) for US Senate. Purgason faces a difficult Republican primary against Roy Blunt (R-MO). As a leader in the House of Representatives and the father of former Governor Matt Blunt, Roy Blunt is the favorite in the GOP primary for US Senate. However, Blunt lacks the grassroots support of Tea Parties. Those Tea Parties that have been critical of some of the Congressman's votes. I have found that supporters of Blunt don't even try to defend the Congressman's votes for TARP and Cash for Clunkers, but argue instead that Blunt's substantial war chest is required to beat Robin Carnahan (D-MO) in the Fall.

Rasmussen's latest poll of the Missouri Senate race shows Blunt leading Carnahan 48% to 43%, with 6% undecided and 3% committed to voting for one of the other fifteen candidates in the race. Perhaps the endorsement from Joe the Plumber will help Purgason pull away from the pack of eight trailing Republicans and challenge Blunt on August 3rd. One GOP candidate, Jim Schmidt, has already dropped out, endorsed Purgason, and volunteered to help the Purgason campaign, but Purgason will need more volunteers and more endorsements if he's going to move those polling numbers and win on August 3rd.

Previously:

• Chuck Purgason Interview: Full Video Coverage
• Jim Schmidt drops out and endorses Chuck Purgason

Update: Tony Messenger of StLToday.com's Political Fix writes:

(It should be noted, that in Missouri and elsewhere, Joe-the-Plumber-endorsed candidates have been criticized for paying an honorarium to Joe to come to campaign rallies to speak in favor of candidates).

I contacted Purgason's campaign to ask whether Joe was paid for his endorsement. My contact at the Purgason campaign told me Joe was NOT paid. My contact added that they had recently heard Purgason say: "I don't pay people to be my friend." That will surely distinguish Chuck Purgason if he's elected to serve in DC!

Chuck Purgason Interview: Full Video Coverage

I interviewed Chuck Purgason (R-MO) last Friday. We talked about his race for the US Senate in Missouri and what his campaign is doing to beat Roy Blunt (R-MO)--the favored candidate in the primary. The winner of the GOP primary will likely face Robin Carnahan (D-MO) in November. Purgason and I also talked about his experience and policies for small business, TARP and banking, bringing jobs back to the US and Missouri, education, healthcare, term limits, and regulatory reform. You can learn more about Chuck Purgason at his campaign website: www.purgasonforsenate.com.

• 01 Chuck Purgason Introduction
• 02 Chuck Purgason on his first political race
• 03 Chuck Purgason on his race for US Senate
• 04 Chuck Purgason talks about his Primary Opponents
• 06 Chuck Purgason needs Volunteers
• 07 Chuck Purgason talks Small Business
• 08 Chuck Purgason on Jobs and Taxes
• 09 Chuck Purgason on Banking and Business
• 10 Chuck Purgason on TARP
• 11 Chuck Purgason talks about his marriage
• 12 Chuck Purgason on Lobbyists
• 13 Chuck Purgason on Smaller Government
• 14 Chuck Purgason on Education
• 15 Chuck Purgason on state budget deficits
• 16 Chuck Purgason on healthcare
• 17 Chuck Purgason on term limits
• 18 Chuck Purgason on regulatory reform

Previously:

• Chuck Purgason needs volunteers
• Chuck Purgason

Chuck Purgason Needs Volunteers

I've uploaded several segments from my interview with Chuck Purgason (R-MO) on Friday. Purgason is running against Roy Blunt (R-MO) in the Republican primary for the US Senate seat that is will be vacant after Kit Bond's (R-MO) retirement. Once all of the video from my interview is posted, I'll put all the segments in a YouTube playlist. Above, I've posted Purgason's response to my question about what he's doing to build his campaign for the August 3rd primary. You can find more of my interview at my YouTube channel.

Previously:

• Chuck Purgason

Chuck Purgason

I interviewed Chuck Purgason (R-MO) this afternoon at the Gateway Arch. Purgason is running for the US Senate seat that will be vacated by Kit Bond (R-MO). His main opponent in the primary is Roy Blunt (R-MO). Blunt's state-wide name recognition and leadership role in the House of Representatives (he's the Republican whip) make him the presumptive GOP nominee and a formidable opponent. There are other candidates; however, Purgason is the only candidate with significant legislative experience; therefore, he's the one best able to challenge Blunt for the nomination.

Purgason has criticized Blunt's votes in support of TARP, No Child Left Behind, and other expansions of the Federal government. State's rights (10th Amendment issues) are very important to him as is a balanced budget. Purgason said that if the Show Me State sends him to Washington, DC, he will not vote for a budget unless it is balanced.

I will be uploading video from my interview late this weekend.

Jim Schmidt drops out and endorses Chuck Purgason

From the website of Jim Schmidt for US Senate

Dear Friends,

After much consideration, I have decided to withdraw my name from the Missouri Republican Primary Election ballot for the United States Senate.

I recently learned that the work I perform on federal grants for the St. Peters Police Department may stop me from seeking partisan political office....

...

I urge you to vote for Chuck Purgason in the August 3rd Republican Primary Election and to support the winner of this Primary contest in the General Election on November 2, 2010.