TheChat: Kris Kobach’s credentials on immigration law are hailed

Good morning.

▪ “Kobach’s expertise in immigration law and policy is unmatched.” — Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform following Thursday’s two-hour meeting between Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, and President-elect Donald Trump.

This was Kobach’s second meeting with Trump since the election, and it points to Kobach taking some sort of position within the administration. He will be an intensely controversial choice. Stein was attempting to bolster the right’s support for him.

▪ “I now walk away with as much dignity as I can muster.” — George Lombardi, director of the Missouri Department of Corrections, in a farewell letter to agency employees Thursday.

Lombardi’s department is facing a slew of harassment and retaliation complaints, with some of them stemming from alleged incidents at detention facilities in the Kansas City area.

▪ “They’ve had six frickin’ years to figure it out.” — Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, on the prospect that Republicans can come up with a plan to replace Obamacare that satisfies conservatives and centrist Democrats like herself.

Needless to say, McCaskill is skeptical about the prospects for an alternative plan. But if Republicans develop one, “I think there’ll be a lot of Democrats who would be for it,” she said, “if it makes sense.” (link courtesy of johncombest.com).

▪ “All the tools you could possibly want in a party chairman.” — outgoing Missouri GOP chairman John Hancock speaking about his likely successor, Todd Graves, a Kansas City lawyer.

Hancock said Graves has strong leadership skills, political sense and fundraising ability. He’s also possesses a very “collaborative disposition,” Hancock said. Graves is expected to be formally elected by the Republican state committee next month.