TheChat: Candidates scream `Help!’ to donors
As the year’s second quarter ended, Mo-Kan pols were in a fund-raising frenzy to beat the midnight Thursday deadline. A sampling of their appeals to start today’s edition:
▪ “We’re just about $2,750 away from helping him meet his end-of-quarter goal, and we need your help!” — An aide to Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran.
“We just ran the June numbers for our campaign last night, and I noticed that we hadn’t received a contribution from you this month.” — Jay Sidie, a candidate for Kansas’ 3rd District congressional seat.
“If you give $100 or more, we'll send you a limited edition (ISIS hunting) permit signed by the man who brought everlasting justice to the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Rob O'Neill!” — Missouri GOP gubernatorial candidate Eric Greitens.
“These people must be stopped.” — Missouri Democrats spotlighting photos of Donald Trump and the GOP candidates for governor.
“I have something urgent to tell you.” — Catherine Hanaway, a GOP candidate for Missouri governor.
“Here’s how we can stop special interests in Missouri.” — Josh Hawley, a Republican candidate for Missouri attorney general.
▪ “The Facebook Canvas ad takes over your screen and is interactive, so it allows us to target a message to a particular constituency in an eye-catching and novel way.” — Burson Snyder, a spokeswoman for Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, on the Blunt campaign’s use of a relatively new Facebook advertising feature called “Canvas,” which directs users through their news feeds to video and print messages about Blunt and his Democratic opponent, Jason Kander.
The emphasis on advertising through social media outlets continues to evolve. (link via johncombest.com).
▪ “Once those laws are not in effect we will immediately reinstate abortion at our Columbia location.” — Laura McQuade, president of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri.
Planned Parenthood officials are meeting with lawyers to prepare a challenge to Missouri abortion laws that are nearly identical to the Texas laws that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down this week. McQuade is confident the Missouri laws will be tossed out.
▪ “This commission is a product the ongoing Republican temper tantrum over the UM System that likely won’t do anything but waste $750,000 in taxpayer money.” — Missouri House Minority Leader Jake Hummel on a new review panel that will study the University of Missouri following unrest on the campus last year.
Hummel’s concern: The panel will push a political agenda rather than engage in an unbiased review.
▪ “I’m not going to say failure to expand Medicaid is the sole reason why — it’s a big reason why.” — David Setchel, president of St. Francis Health in Topeka, explaining why the hospital is being sold.
The hospital is missing out on $10 million a year because of the decision not to expand Medicaid, he said.