KC Buzz Blog

MO Dems have new party leader

   John Temporiti is the new chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party.

   A St. Louis lawyer who's helped St. Louis County executive Charlie Dooley win election in 2004 and re-election last year, Temporiti is said to be well-versed in the high-tech ways of politics that include micro-targeting of voters.

   The new vice-chair is Yolanda Wheat, a lawyer and wife of the former Kansas City congressman.

   Temporiti succeeds outgoing chair Roger Wilson.

   Western Missouri Dems were glowing in their early reviews of Temporiti.

   "What John brings to the party is phenomenal organizational skills, fund-raising skills and a real ability to work with all parts of the state at a time when we really need that looking forward to the 2008 elections," said Jackson County executive Mike Sanders.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Funny guy Al Franken signs up for U.S. Senate

   Comedian Al Franken announced today that he's running for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Norm Coleman.

   Franken did not say, as his SNL character Stuart Smalley once did, "I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And gosh darn it, people like me."

   But Franken probably will at least once during the campaign.

  Go here for an early story.

   And a couple of questions: Can a comedian like Franken be taken seriously enough to win a U.S. Senate seat? And can he win in Minnesota, a state that has elected a conservative, Coleman, and a lib, Paul Wellstone, in recent years?

   Blast away.

Posted by Steve Kraske

New Demo leaders named to take back MO House

   The task of retaking the Missouri House for the Democrats will be led by a St. Louis lawmaker who will be assisted by several from the KC area.

   State Rep. Rachel Storch of St. Louis this week was appointed chair of the House Democratic Campaign Committee.

   Also on the committee are several KC-area lawmakers: Paul LeVota, Beth Low, Trent Skaggs and Mike Talboy.

   The five seats gained by House Democrats in November was their best showing since 1978. And it was the first election since 1986 where Democrats actually gained seats in the House.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Tickets for Clinton available on V's Day

   If you want to see President Clinton next month when he speaks to the Kansas Democratic Party, get your track shoes on.

   Tickets for the March 2 speech go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, (Valentine's Day, don't you know), and they are expected to go fast.

   The cost: $125 each.

   You can get them online at www.ksdp.org or by calling (785) 234-0425.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Pioneer Harriett Woods dead

   Harriett Woods, the first woman elected to statewide office in Missouri, has died.

    She was 79.

   Woods died about 10 p.m. Thursday of leukemia, the Associated Press said. She was surrounded by family, her son said.

   “She will be remembered most as a loving mother and grandmother, but we are also incredibly proud of her life devoted to public service and her passionate and determined efforts to aid society's most vulnerable — the elderly, minorities and the homeless, to obtain equal opportunities for women, and mentor future generations of leaders,” the family said in a statement.

   Woods, a Democrat, served one four-year term as the state's No. 2 executive. Before that, she served eight years in the state Senate, two years on the state transportation commission and eight years on the University City Council. She also made two unsuccessful bids for the U.S. Senate in the 1980s against Republicans Kit Bond and Jack Danforth.

   But the closeness of those races heralded a new day in Missouri politics, and that was that women could be significant players on the statewide scene.

   "I tried it twice. I gave it a shot and moved on. No regrets," she once said of those races.

   Woods was diagnosed with leukemia in March while teaching political and community involvement courses at two New York colleges. She also has taught at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and served as a commentator for KWMU radio in St. Louis.

   Woods will also be recalled for her devotion to electing women political candidates. She served as president of the National Women's Political Caucus.

Posted by Steve Kraske 

Gov. Holden to teach at Dole Institute

   Former Missouri Gov. Bob Holden will lead a study group at the Dole Institute of Politics at KU.

   The seminar's working title: "You Be the Governor: Challenges and Solutions in State Government." To be featured are "real-life examples of problems and decisions governors face."

   The institute also is presenting its Presidential Lecture Series in February at the institute. The lineup:

• "Remembering President Gerald R. Ford" featuring Richard Norton Smith, former director of the Ford Presidential Library and founding director of the Dole Institute. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8.
• "Blog to the Chief: The Impact of Political Blogs on the 2008 Election" with five prominent political bloggers. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13.
• "America's Foremost Political Prognosticator" with Charlie Cook, publisher of the Cook Political Report. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21.
• "Winning the Nomination" with David Yepsen, reporter with the Des Moines Register, and others. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28.

   For more info, call the institute at (785) 864-4900.

   One more thing: A salute to Dole last week in Washington drew a crowd of 700 and raised more than $2 million for the institute.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Jeff City stunner: Wilson out as Demo state chair

   Former Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson stunned a crowd of party activists Saturday by announcing that he was stepping down as chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, the AP is reporting. 

   Wilson, 58, of Columbia, had served as party chair since August 2004. Claire McCaskill had selected him after she defeated Gov. Bob Holden in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

   Wilson had recently announced that he would seek another term. He'll stay on while a  seven-member committee he appoints looks for a new chairman. The pick will have to be elected by the state committee.

 Wilson had been traveling to political meetings and fundraisers about a couple times a week, a state party spokesman said.

   "He didn't think he could devote the same time and energy he had over the next (few) years," party spokesman Jack Cardetti said.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Gates to go for three-peat

   Larry Gates, the most successful Kansas Democratic Party chairman in a loooonnnng time, said today he'll seek a third term.

   Gates had quite a 2006. Kathleen Sebelius won re-election. So did Congressman Dennis Moore. Add to that the elections of two other Democrats: Attorney General Paul Morrison and 2nd District Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.

   Finally, Democrats in the state House picked up a handful of seats.

   The election for chairman takes place March 3.

Posted by Steve Kraske

Why your favorite politicos were yawning today

  Apparently quite a few folks were up into the wee hours of the morning listening to that riveting filibuster in the Missouri Senate as Sen. Matt Bartle objected to the nomination of Warren Erdman to the MU Board of Curators. Among them were former U.S. Attorney Todd Graves, who listened until 2:30 a.m.

   "It was fascinating to listen to it take place," he said.

   Graves said the personality of Bartle, his law partner, really came through. The two first met when they were undergraduate students at Mizzou two decades ago.

   "He is a loyal and kind and good person," Graves said. "I've heard filibusters before but I've never heard someone's personality come through so strongly."

   He said it was a complete "Matt Bartleism" that Bartle listed every single state representative and senator and said something complimentary about each of them. (colleague Kit Wagar said Bartle also lauded members of their staffs). Graves joked when is the last time anyone had something good to say about every single member of the Missouri General Assembly.

   (One could also argue that the personality of fellow filibusterer Sen. Victor Callahan also came through this morning, from the rough-and-tumble side in remarks about former JaCo exec and now mayoral contender Katheryn Shields to the softer teddy bear side with the heartfelt comments about his father.)

   About 1 a.m., Graves said he talked to big brother, Sam. The congressman noted that during a filibuster he conducted when he was a state senator -- in 1998 against the KC school deseg settlement -- no one came to his aid by speaking to him.

Posted by DeAnn Smith 

Rocky Mountain high

  Looks like the Democrats are headed to Denver for their 2008 presidential convention.

Posted by Keith Chrostowski