Just one week after becoming a Democrat, state Sen. Chris Koster made his first contribution to a fellow Democrat.
Koster's $600 donation to the senate campaign of Rodney Hubbard came from a personal account and not from his own campaign committee according to finance reports released last week by the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Koster's contribution also marks his first to a Missouri candidate in either major political party since at least 2002. However, as MPN reported yesterday, Koster logged nearly $2,500 to conservative Republicans vying to represent Missouri in Congress in 2000 and 2002 as well as a contribution to President George W. Bush's first campaign.
In recent months Koster built a relationship with Hubbard. In July, prior to the big party switch, Koster attended Hubbard's Senate kick-off celebration. When it was Koster's turn to make an announcement in August - the party switch - Hubbard was there. Their relationship is not one that reciprocates with contributions as Hubbard logged no donation to Koster's campaign fund.
But there's another strong tie between the attorney general aspirant and would-be senator: Rex Sinquefield. Hubbard and Koster are both pro-school choice, pro-voucher Democrats who benefited substantially in the last quarter from Sinquefield's wealth. Hubbard received $30,000 directly from Sinquefield while Koster received nearly $100,000 through a series of 75 PACs created by Sinquefield to funnel funds to politicians.
Some Democrats such as former House Democratic Leader Jeff Harris and Rep. Margaret Donnelly, both also vying for the attorney general nomination in 2008, have denounced Koster's acceptance of funds from Sinquefield suggesting that he represents everything that is not Democratic.
“My opponent thumbs his nose at Democratic values when he allows himself to be bought and paid for by a conservative ideologue and think tank that trashes public education, praises pay day loan sharks and opposes universal access to health care,” Harris said.
On a related note, the Institute for Money in State Politics released a report earlier this month addressing the increasing influence of wealthy donors in state campaigns. Sinquefield's donations only support the report's conclusions.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tie$ that bind: Koster logs first contribution to a Sinquefield Democrat
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2 comments:
There is an interesting double standard when it comes to resources donated to campaigns. Granted, the US dollar is still our currency--however, there are many people in the political world who give their time and expertise volunteering day and night on campaigns, blogging to support a candidate that one believes is best. No one limits those contributions, though they are above what most people can afford. Frankly, I make WAY under 3 figures and could afford more than the base limit. It seems to me that Rex is making a legal point about the ridiculousness of limits. It is completely legal to donate through PACs, and the only reason Rex's donations are at all unique in both republican and democrat campaign tactics is that he actually came out and announced that he was creating these PACs. Not many other political donors will do that, but they will use the "funneling tactic". When we lose transparency, we lose accountability.
This is my letter to Chris who is announcing today.
Chris
Here is what you are saying
1) It doesn't matter if you voted to kick 100,000 plus Missourians off health care cuts, photo id, MOHELA, the removal of campaign contributions limits, Blunt's foundation formula which magically said schools are no longer underfunded, banning teaching sex education in the schools, and limiting a women's right to choose because where the attorney general stands on partisan issues doesn't matter.
2) It doesn't matter that you sponsored the polluter protection act which was Republican Farm Bureau's top legislative priority in the 2007 session because that is a partisan issue and you are a law and order Democrat.
http://www.movotesconservation.org/Home.aspx?ContentID=105
http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/ra07/rperry_sb364.html
3) It doesn't matter that you not only voted for previous question motions to shut off debate on a numbers of these issues or that he was one of five signatories on a number of these issues because as we know the attorney general office is not a partisan office and it doesn't matter where he stands on legislative issues.
4) It doesn't matter that you sponsored legislation to give 100 million dollars to a wealthy supporter of Matt Blunt named Paul McKee and then subsequently raised ten of thousands of dollars from him because it doesn't matter who you raise money from.
http://ecoabsence.blogspot.com/2007/08/koster-gets-45k-from -mckee-and-stone.html
5) It doesn't matter that federal election commissions records show that you donated to Blunt, Graves and Ashcroft because that is a political issue and the attorney general doesn't do that.
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/10/before-party-switch-koster-logged.html
6) Is doesn't matter that you were against stem cell research before you were for it because that is a political issue and being a good attorney general has nothing to do with politics.
(SB 160, February 14, 2005, passed by a 7-2 vote. You voted yes and Wheeler and Graham voting no.)
7) It doesn't matter that you ran around the state and told the trial attorneys that you were against the wrong doer protection act (tort reform) when you actually voted for it because that is a political issue which has nothing to do with being a good attorney general
HB 393, March 16, 2005 journal
http://www.senate.mo.gov/05info/journals/DAY40.htm
8) It doesn't matter that you voted with the democrats in the senate less than Matt Bartle or Jason Crowell (who as we all know are moderates) because that is a political issue and has nothing to do with being a good attorney general
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/08/koster-voting-habit-not-democratic.html
9) It doesn't matter that you had a zero voting record on progressive issue. That's goose egg, naught, zilch, nothing, zip.
http://www.democracyformissouri.org/d/node/1184
10) It doesn't matter if you take money from the most right wing of Republicans because any money is good money and we know you are an honorable guy that cannot possibly be influenced by receiving $100,000 from Sinquefield.
11) It doesn't matter that every education group in the state has called on you to return the money because to paraphrase Jesse Unruh if you can't take their money and blank their women you aren't doing your job.
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/7789
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/10/missouri-education-groups-calls-for.html
http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/news-politicalfix/2007/10/education-groups-call-on-candidates-to-reject-sinquefields-donations/all-comments/#comments
12) It doesn't matter that you hired nasty, nasty republican political consultant Jeff Roe because being a good attorney general has nothing to do with politics
I forgot why was it again that you switched parties because as you know being an attorney general has nothing to do with politics and none of your legislative or fundraising actions. I guess the Republican party didn't have enough law order Republicans. Please explain it to little ole me. Just bat your eyes at me like you do. Maybe Jay Nixon or Jack Danforth can help you out because as you know none of their positions on the issues matters only that they were "law and order" attorney generals.
Oops I forgot what does matter is that we need to erase the last four years of public opportunism oops service and remember that what matters is that you were a great prosecutor, great public speaker, all around awesome looking guy, and now a "law and order" Republican oops Democrat.
I guess it doesn't matter that the attorney general himself never prosecutes cases and the vast majority of people in the office don't work on criminal prosecutions. Maybe you should take a look at the website. It might really help give you an idea of what the attorney general does. http://ago.mo.gov/ . But despite that, I am sure happy that you are a "law and order" Republican oops Democrat.
I guess it doesn't matter that the attorney general skirts around the campaign finance laws and refuses to return over the limit contributions because we know you are a "law and order" Democrat.
http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2007/10/new-sinquefield-pac-gives-maximum-to.html
I guess it doesn't matter that your successor as prosecutor has endorsed one of the two well qualified opponents running against you because you are a "law and order" Republican oops Democrat.
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/10/kosters-replacement-as-cass-co.html
Maybe it would help us if you had some families of murder victims with you at your press conference. It would really highlight why you are a "law and order" Republican oops Democrat.
I guess what matters is that you are going to spend the next 10 months tricking the media and a few democrats like you have tricked your friends in the past. Just use those eyes and give a great speech. There's a sucker born every day.
But if you really cared you could do this . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Put the pictures of Dick Cheney and Sam Graves back on your website and run against your cohort in previous question motions and in the Republican leadership Gibbons.
http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2007/08/another-koster-picture-bites-dust.html
http://www.missouripulse.com/production/NewsArchives/August2007/tabid/88/Default.aspx#37
http://mopolitical.blogspot.com/2007/08/koster-pulls-picture-with-cheney-from.html
Since Hanaway left the primary (too bad you left the party when everyone thought she was running for attorney general and had the nomination locked up) you have a better chance over there.
I know you are a good listener with a big heart. So thanks for listening to me and have a blessed day.
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