KC Buzz Blog

New at Election Central...

   We've posted a bunch of new stories on various races on Election Central. You can also find links to ballot language in Missouri and Kansas and dozens of candidate questionnaires.

New at Election Central

• Jim Sullinger examines the claims and counterclaims over the prisoner supervision bill in the Kansas AG race between incumbent GOPer Phill Klein and Democrat Paul Morrison?
• Benita Y. Williams looks at the Johnson County 5th District commission race between incumbent Doug Wood and Kathleen Huttmann.
• David Klepper covered yesterday's debate between Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore and challenger Chuck Ahner in the Kansas 3rd District congressional race.

New at Election Central...

   Reports or take-outs on the:

• 1st District Johnson County commission race
• Missouri state auditor's battle
• Missouri 6th District congressional contest

   And Matt Stearns' report on the "Meet the Press" debate Sunday between GOP Sen. Jim Talent and Democrat Claire McCaskill. And a link to the transcript.

New on Election Central: A Talent-McCaskill poll and a Q&A with the candidates

   In case you missed these stories in The Star over the weekend, we've posted at Election Central:

• The McClatchy-MSNBC poll that shows Missouri GOP Sen. Jim Talent and Democratic challenger tied at 43-43.
• A Q&A with the candidates on various issues.

On election central: stem cells, Talent-McCaskill PAC fund-raising

    New at Election Central:

• Kit Wagar's look at the stem-cell battle in Missouri.
• David Goldstein on Sen. Jim Talent's fund-raising lead over Claire McCaskill, driven by PAC contributions. There's also a .pdf chart listing what kinds of PACS are giving to the two candidates.

Primary preview: State school board in Kansas' 3rd District

    At Election Central, we've posted Melodee Hall Blobaum's look at the primary battle among three GOPers for the state school board in Kansas' 3rd District.

New at Election Central

• Steve Kraske on the Kansas GOP gubernatorial primary. You did know there was one, didn't you?
• Tim Hoover on the Missouri state auditor primaries.
• Jim Sullinger on the Kansas GOP secretary of state primary.

Posted by Keith Chrostowski

On the ballot: stem cells, term limits

   Two new posts in Election Central.

• Opponents of Missouri's stem cell initiative are girding for battle.
• Kansas City voters on Aug. 8 will decide whether to keep term limits.

Voter guide puts candidates on the hot seat

  Hey Voters: In Election Central, we've posted for your reading pleasure an outstanding voters guide put together by four neighborhood organizations in Northeast KC: Indian Mound, Scarritt Renaissance, Pendleton Heights and Sheffield.

   The guide was developed for a candidate forum held June 29. The associations asked candidates in several races to answer questions on a remarkably wide range of issues important to the Northeast. But the candidates' answers are valuable to voters throughout Missouri, particularly in Jackson County. The pols weigh in on issues ranging from vouchers for private school tuition to Medicaid cuts to KC parks & recreation programs to crime to rising property taxes to their own qualifications for office. And it's all in their own words.

   The candidates include those running for Jackson County executive; the Missouri Senate's 10th District; the Missouri House's 40th District and the Jackson County Legislature's 1st District.

   This guide provides insight into candidates' knowledge of problems facing the state and the county and provides hints about how those candidates might approach issues that arise in the future.

   There are some glitches. For example, one question states that "since 2000 the amount of the Missouri budget devoted to elementary and secondary education has gone down dramatically." Actually, state funds appropriated for public schools have risen from $2.25 billion in fiscal year 2000 to $2.74 billion in fiscal year 2006, which ended June 30. Total state funding for schools now tops $5 billion, up nearly a third since 2000.

   For the most part, however, the guide provides an excellent glimpse at the candidates. So check it out.

   (A tip o' the hat to Scott Wagner of Wagner Marketing who designed the printed version of the voters' guide and provided an electronic version for KC Buzz Blog.)

Posted by Kit Wagar

Wheeler: "I like Gov. Blunt very much"

   As promised, Sen. Charles Wheeler, Democratic candidate for Jaco Exec, appeared at a bill-signing Wednesday with Gov. Matt Blunt.  It took place at Children's Mercy Hospital.

   It was a pretty bi-partisan affair.  The two were joined by a handful of other legislators, Republicans and Democrats, and Mayor Kay Barnes.

   The bills included measures that raise the required age for child safety seats (from 4 to 8); establish a Missouri-side mass transit district; and allow 16-year-olds to donate blood (Wheeler's bill).

   But if Wheeler was afraid, just a few weeks before primary election day, of a link with Matt Blunt, he didn't show it.

   "I like Gov. Blunt very much," Wheeler told KC Buzz Blog.  "I think he's getting better all the time."

     Here's the video -- stay with it, the Blunt stuff's at the end.

Posted by Dave Helling