Koster said he would appeal the court's ruling. (PoliticMo Photo)

— Attorney General Chris Koster announced Wednesday that he will appeal the Cole County Circuit Court’s ruling that a newly law intended to spur investment in research violates these state’s constitution.

“The Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act is an important economic development tool that can bring high-tech jobs to Missouri and preserve jobs that are already here,” Koster said in a statement. “I don’t want to see important job-creating legislation fail. We intend to appeal this matter to its conclusion.”

Judge Dan Green struck down the law because it was passed with a contingency clause that required a broader tax credit reform bill to be enacted (it was not).

Some lawmakers are hoping to make a new push for the legislation, but it may have slim chances in the state Senate, where President Pro Tem Rob Mayer said Tuesday  he does not think a stand alone bill would pass.

“I don’t think the Senate can pass MOSIRA without comprehensive tax credit reform,” Mayer said, according to the Kansas City Star. “That was true during the special session and that’s true now.”

The legislation, pushed growing number of lawmakers in recent years, has been opposed by anti-stem cell groups, including Missouri Right to Life, who supported the lawsuit.

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Cleaver will help the Obama campaign push its message. (White House Photo/Pete Souza)

— President Obama’s reelection campaign announced the addition of nearly three dozen new surrogates Wednesday, including U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat.

Cleaver, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, will serve as a co-chairman of Obama’s national campaign, along with 35 others, including former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Caroline Kennedy, and actress Eva Longoria.

“The President’s National Co-Chairs will be tremendous assets on the ground as we build the biggest grassroots campaign in history,” said Jim Messina, Obama’s campaign manager. “They each share the President’s vision for a future where every American can have a fair shot at success, where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded.”

Cleaver, who has campaigned with the president in Missouri before, said he wants the president to be elected to a second term so he can push his economic and education agenda for another four years.

“I am committed to working tirelessly as a National Co-Chair for Obama for America to ensure the President can continue to carry out his vision for an economy built to last and continue to bring positive change to our great country,” he said in a statement.

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Ann Wagner (Campaign photo)

— Mid-February is always an important time for former ambassador Ann Wagner. It is the time of her anniversary with her husband Ray (25 years this weekend), and it is also, almost always, the start of a busy political season.

She attended her first statewide Lincoln Days in the late 1980’s. More than two decades later, after serving in Republican party leadership during successful legislative, congressional, and presidential campaigns, Wagner attended her first Lincoln Days as a candidate last weekend in Kansas City.

Last year, Wagner announced she would run for congress in the Second Congressional District to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Todd Akin. She had one opponent at the time, St. Louis attorney Ed Martin.

“We worked really hard and we’ve been running since April 26,” Wagner said in an interview with PoliticMo on Saturday. “We have been driving a freight train and working hard on all fronts, mainly the grassroots,”.

Six months after her announcement, Martin left the primary to run for attorney general, and Wagner’s path to victory certainly eased, but Wagner said she knows it is not a done deal.

First, she has to win her party’s nomination. She is now being challenged by St. Louis doctor Randy Jotte, whose effort at minimum will be a headache for the Wagner team. And there’s a possibility that someone else could jump in the race before filing closes on March 27.

Wagner has gained support from national Republicans, in part because of her ability to raise significant campaign cash. According to her most recent report to the Federal Election Commission, Wagner has raised more than $1.3 million for her campaign.

“I’m going to take nothing for granted, and I’m going to run 110 percent, like we’re running from behind until after we enter those benchmarks,” Wagner said in an interview with PoliticMo. “ I wanted to raise the resources, do the grassroots work, and also line up people of good stature, good conservatives, that were willing to give testimony.”

Second, depending on what the Missouri Supreme Court decides on a case challenging the new congressional districts, U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D., may end up running against Wagner in the Second Congressional District, posing a potentially well funded challenge to Wagner.

Wagner said she supports the new map, as it is, that does not split the city of St. Louis. Carnahan has said he will run where he lives. But if he decided to run in the Second Congressional District, Wagner said she will be ready.

“I would welcome Russ Canrahan into the race in Missouri’s second district,” she said with a grin.

But if he doesn’t, and opts to challenge U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay for the Democratic nomination in the First Congressional Di strict, Wagner, in the Republican-friendly second district might end with some extra time on her hands.

“I hope I’ll be in a position to help the party and to help the entire ticket,” she said.

Wagner said if elected, she would take a stand against the increasing national debt and federal spending, and would not rule out considering a leadership bid, on down the road.

“I’m not going to Congress to take up space: I want to be effective and I want to get something done,” Wagner said. “To the extent that I can be an effective member of Congress, I absolutely want to.”

“That’s up to the people of the Second District,” she added.

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Matt Teter with Susan Montee, former chair of the Missouri Democratic Party

— The Missouri Democratic Party said Tuesday its executive director has been placed on unpaid leave, while the St. Louis police investigators look into allegations of domestic assault.

According to reports, police were called to the home of Matt Teter, 30, the party’s executive director, on Sunday, when a 31-year-old male reported that he had been assaulted by a 30-year-old male at Teter’s home.

“This is a serious allegation that we do not take lightly, as a Party,” said Mike Sanders, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party. “Matt Teter has been placed on unpaid leave until more facts are known.”

The party, led at the time by Susan Montee, hired Teter last April to lead the party’s efforts heading in to an important election year.  Teter, a Missouri native who had been working on organizing in Philadelphia, previously worked as a campaign aide to other Missouri Democrats.

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Gov. Jay Nixon (PoliticMo Photo/Blake James)

— On most issues, gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence makes the point to differentiate himself from Gov. Jay Nixon. But on the issue of campaign finance, the two might be able to find some agreement.

On Friday, following a Supreme Court decision that struck down major parts of a 2010 ethics law law, Nixon, a Democrat, called on the Missouri General Assembly to pass campaign finance reforms that reinstate reporting requirements during legislative session and to pass legislation limiting campaign contributions.

“Openness, transparency and accountability are bedrock pillars of our democracy,” Nixon said during a news conference. “When it comes to our ethics laws, we must keep moving forward, not backward.”

The next day, in an interview with PoliticMo, Spence, a Republican, said he “absolutely” supports both reforms.

“I’ve have no issue with it whatsoever,” he said. “There should be complete transparency.”

Spence does take issue, however, with Nixon, Missouri’s former attorney general, for calling for the reforms, even after receiving several large checks from attorneys, which added up to nearly a third of his $6 million on hand.

“I think the Governor talking about campaign reform is like Charlie Sheen talking about drug abuse. I think it is crazy,” He said. “I think it such a hypocrisy that our governor, who is a poster child for campaign contributions from people who are doing pay for play, is talking about campaign finance reform.”

Before launching his campaign, Spence had contributed over $15,000 to candidates over the last decade. But when he launched his campaign last November, he contributed $2 million to his campaign, likely the largest single contribution in the state’s history.

Spence, himself, has accepted large contributions from industry leaders, including $50,000 from a food storage executive, $100,000 from a piping executive, and another $100,000 from a real estate executive.

Missouri House Majority Leader Tim Jones, R-Eureka, said the issue is unlikely to be brought up in the General Assembly before the 2012 election, so it will likely land on the desk of whoever wins in November to sign.

“If the issue advances, I’d be happy to support it, but I think we’ll attain a better bill in a non-election year,” he said in an interview with the Kansas City Star.

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State Auditor Tom Schweich (PoliticMo Photo)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — In his ninth word on stage at the Missouri Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner, state Auditor Tom Schweich was already talking about Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Just three days later, in a similar speech to Republicans in Cole County, Schweich, who is said to be considering entering the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, gave similar remarks.

While he briefly mentioned state issues, Schweich, just entering the second year of his first term as Auditor, spoke nearly entirely about federal issues.

Schweich said he supports cutting federal spending, reduce regulations, cut taxes, and limit lawsuits. To do this, Schweich said, there will need to be a “new team” running government.

“We need to fire the manager, Obama, fire the assistant manger, Claire McCaskill, and fire the staff, Jay Nixon and Chris Koster,” Schweich said.

Since the speculation started, Schweich, a former attorney and ambassador to Afghanistan, has absolutely avoided speaking to reporters about his future plan. When PoliticMo reached out to Schweich after his speech in Jefferson City, he once again deflected.

“I have no comment,” Schweich said, in response to a question about his political future.

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Audio of his remarks:

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Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder campaigned Saturday at the Missouri GOP's Lincoln Days event in Kansas City. (PoliticMo Photo)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the first time as an incumbent office holder, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder has a legitimate primary opponent for the Republican party nomination.

Kinder, who was elected statewide in 2004, is being challenged by state Sen. Brad Lager, a Marryville Republican who announced his campaign in November before Kinder announced his reelection campaign.

Saturday, during the Missouri Republican Party’s state committee meeting at Lincoln Days, Kinder, who opted to run for reelection instead of governor earlier this year, laid out his case for a third term.

“This is not so much about me, it never has been,” Kinder said in a short speech to the committee. “It’s a team effort, our common conservative cause.”

“In that battle, I’ve always been in that shoulder to shoulder with you,” he added.

Lager, elected to the Senate in 2006 after serving four years in the Missouri House, told the committee he feels it is important that there are new faces in state leadership.

“If we’re going to turn the tide, it’s not about rearranging the chairs,” Lager said. “It’s going to take new leaders.”

Kinder, in an interview later in the day, said on issues ranging from abortion, school choice, religious rights, and taxes, he believes he has a record of “proven results” to take to voters on the campaign trail.

“If you go over the conservative issues of the last 15 years, you find Kinder’s stamp on every one of them,” he said.

Is he upset that he is being challenged from someone in his own party?

“It’s a free country, he can do whatever he wants to,” Kinder said. “I’m a competitor, and I’m suited up to compete. Chinstrap on and ready to roll.”

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Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (Getty Images photo via DayLife)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Republicans ended their two day Lincoln Days gathering Saturday evening with closing remarks from Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association.

McDonnell — a supporter of Mitt Romney for president and a vice presidential hopeful — said Missourians have a major role in deciding this year’s election, and pressed that they have a big opportunity with the gubernatorial race.

“You’ve got a big chance to win a governor’s race this year,” McDonnell told more than 300 attendees at the Lincoln Days closing reception. “You’ve got a couple of candidates running here in Missouri. Once you make that decision, we’ll be behind you 100 percent.”

On stage Saturday evening, McDonnell steered clear of making a pick between Republican candidates Dave Spence and Bill Randles. But earlier in the day, McDonnell met privately with a group of grassroots activists where he appeared to not realize there was a Republican primary between the two.

According to several sources inside the meeting, McDonnell told the group he would back Spence “100 percent.” That remark drew sharp criticism from some in the crowd, largely full of Randles supporters, who accused McDonnell of trying to push the will of the establishment and ignore Tea Party activists. According to the sources, McDonnell said he didn’t realize there was a contested primary, and pulled back on his remarks.

After the incident, McDonnell met privately with Spence and Randles. In an interview with PoliticMo after his meeting with Spence, McDonnell said as chairman of the RGA, he will not endorse before the primary.

“We support the nominee — we don’t get involved,” he said.

McDonnell said he believes the race to replace Nixon, who leads recent public polling by more than 18 percent, is winnable for either contender.

“I think we’ve thought at the Republican Governor’s Association, for a while, that Missouri was always going to be competitive, especially during a presidential year,” he said. “The top of the ticket, the presidential race, will effect other races including the governor’s race, so we think that’s a positive for the Republican candidates.”

For their part, the two candidates were limited in their speaking rolls over the weekend. Instead, they made their pushes at the floor of the halls, where dozens of volunteers, dawning t-shirts for their candidate of choice, roamed making their pitch to attendees.

Spence hosted parties on both nights for attendees in his campaign suite, featuring catered food and themed ice sculptures.

Randles hosted less exquisite evening events, but did host a well attended rally with supporters on Saturday afternoon.

In front of the crowd, Randles did not mention his opponent, but in conversation with smaller groups of supporters, Randles zeroed in on Spence for his campaign donations to himself, which top top $2 million.

“I have an opponent that thinks, ‘what’s it going to cost,’” Randles said of the race. “I think it’s different than that.”

In an interview, Spence shrugged off the charge that he was essentially trying to buy the nomination.

“I’m in this election to win. It’s going to take capital, it’s going to take a lot of effort, and he can say whatever he wants, and I can’t control that,” Spence said.

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McDonnell downplayed speculation that he will be the GOP's vice presidential nominee. (AP Photo via DayLife)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With national ambitions in mind, Virginia’s Republican Governor Bob McDonnell spent some time in the Kansas City area this weekend.

On the surface, McDonnell, who has endorsed for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and recently took over the Republican Governor’s Association, was in Missouri to excite Republicans to support their candidates, particularly for governor.

But below the surface, McDonnell, a vice presidential prospect, was using the weekend to continue to raise his national profile. On Saturday, in addition to his time in Missouri, McDonell also spoke at the Kansas Republican Party’s state convention across the border in Overland Park.

In an interview with PoliticMo before speaking to Missouri Republicans at their annual Lincoln Day’s event in Kansas City, McDonnell said he “isn’t looking” for any of the vice presidential speculation.

“I’ve got a great job,” he said. “If the nominee calls you and says you can do great things for our party and our country, of course you’d listen.”

“I think I’m going to be governor of Virginia for the next two years,” he added, with a grin.

McDonnell — who endorsed Romney in late January — said though Santorum did “extremely well” in Missouri’s non-binding presidential selection primary earlier this month, said he thinks Romney has a chance to do well in Missouri’s binding selection caucuses next month.

“He not only can do well in caucuses, but he can do well anywhere in the country,” McDonnell said.

McDonnell said he doesn’t think that Missouri, or any other individual state, is make or break for Romney.

“This is going to be a marathon: it’s not a sprint,” McDonnell said. “[Romney’s] going to have the best appeal to independent voters, and that’s what’s going to win the election.”

Romney is expected to be in Missouri after March 6, ahead of Missouri’s’ March 17 caucuses.

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Ron Paul. (AP Photo via DayLife)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just a few miles away from the Missouri Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Days event in Kansas City, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul received the endorsement of state Rep. Paul Curtman.

Curtman, R-St. Louis, made the endorsement at a rally at Kansas City’s Union Station.

Curtman, a Tea Party conservative with a rising profile in the House, said he backs Paul for his support for limited government.

“Political office is reserved as a position of service, not a position of status,” Curtman said in a statement. “Blind loyalty to political figures has done nothing but expand the size of government, and it creates budget deficits that will take generations to pay off.”

In his first trip to Missouri during this year’s presidential campaign, Paul pulled a large crowd at Union Station. He is expected to be back before Missouri’s Republican caucuses on March 17.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who won Missouri’s non-binding primary earlier this month, is expected to be in Missouri on March 10.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is also expected to be in Missouri for multiple events after Super Tuesday. Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Romney supporter visiting Missouri Saturday for Lincoln Days, said “of course” he thinks Romney can be successful in the caucuses.

“That’s why we’re involved,” McDonnell said in an interview. “He not only can do well in caucuses, but he can do well anywhere in the country.”

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