TheChat: Out-of-staters spend big on Eric Greitens

Good morning.

▪ “Eric Greitens has now received more than $10 million from out-of-state contributors — the most out-of-state campaign cash ever spent on a single race in Missouri.” — Andrew Whalen, campaign manager for Missouri Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Koster, in an email fundraising appeal Tuesday.

The Koster campaign claims that money from “DC special interests and out-of-state billionaires” make up 70 percent of Greitens’ campaign fundraising. “Eric Greitens isn’t ashamed of his base of support outside Missouri,” Whalen wrote.

▪ "Voters will be left with no doubt that Jason Kander is a loyal Hillary Clinton partisan.” — a Republican source telling Politico that Republicans are gearing up for a million-dollar-plus ad buy targeting Missouri Democratic Senate candidate Jason Kander in the days ahead.

The news comes on the heels of some buzz from Democrats who plan to spend another $2 million on Kander’s behalf. The GOP plan: Tie Kander to Clinton. Bottom line: A TON of money is going to be spent on this race, which is seen as close.

▪ “We don’t have that anymore.” — former Missouri state Auditor and Democratic Party chair Susan Montee pointing out that when Mel Carnahan was governor, the Democrats had a terrific get-out-the-vote operation. But that, she said, is no longer the case.

Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon has been roundly criticized for not focusing more on party needs.

▪ “The remarkable aspect of the new Morning Consult poll is that Governor Brownback is less popular than governors in states who are struggling with serious controversies.” — Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University in Topeka, on a new survey that showed Brownback retaining his standing as the nation’s least popular governor.

Kansas probably qualifies as a state that’s dealing with serious controversies, given its budget problems. Still, Brownback’s national standing is something to behold and is probably unprecedented in Kansas history.

This story was originally published September 21, 2016 at 5:43 AM.