Let’s talk about Eric Greitens
There’s a (rather violent) game I used to play growing up called “Release the Hounds.” All of us would gather in a room while someone hid an object. Then, the person who hid it would release said “hounds.” We’d search for the object and, once it was found, you were allowed to tackle, block, push, pull, bite, kick and punch the person who had it so he couldn’t get to the finish line. Whoever was holding the object at the finish won the game. I think I still have scars.
I was thinking about “Release the Hounds” because someone recently asked how I would describe the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Missouri. In this case, the object the candidates are searching for is the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Then they have to get that endorsement to the finish line and win their election.
An imperfect comparison, I know. Made more so by a presence that arguably looms larger than Trump in this primary: Eric Greitens.
He was once a rising star in the Republican Party. He toured the country raising money for other candidates. He swept into office pledging to clean up corruption in Jefferson City.
Instead, he brought a slew of scandals.
They started with allegations about campaign finance violations. Then came allegations of sexual blackmail, which brought a felony charge and a 15-page report detailing claims that Greitens taped a woman up in his basement, pulled down her pants, took her picture and then sexually assaulted her — bear-hugging her to the ground and forcing her to perform oral sex on him while she was crying.
Then he faced ethics charges involving access to a charity’s fundraising list. A second felony charge alleged he stole the list. He used a self-deleting text messaging app to flout open records law.
Through it all, Greitens denied any wrong-doing. All of the claims were a political witch-hunt, he said, designed to bring him down.
In 2018 he became the first Missouri governor to resign since the 19th century.
Charges against him were eventually dropped (one because the prosecutor botched the case and another because she struck a deal with Greitens). But, given all of the above, there are Republicans who do not want him to win and do not believe that he can win.
In attempts to resurrect his political career, Greitens has actively gone after the GOP’s “America First” wing. He supported Arizona’s partisan audit of the 2020 presidential election results — which only confirmed that Biden won — and is one of two Republican senate candidates who has vowed not to support Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell should Republicans take back the chamber.
Both are part of an appeal to Trump (again, the Trump endorsement is the object the candidates are chasing). Earlier this week, he was seen at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort, a Mecca for those who covet his support.
Trump has not been afraid to endorse people with troubled pasts. In Pennsylvania, he went with a candidate in the throes of a vicious custody battle that involved allegations of domestic violence. He backed Georgia football legend Herschel Walker, also accused of domestic violence.
Meanwhile, the candidates haven’t quite figured out what to do about Greitens. He appears to be polling as the front runner, partly because of built-in name recognition and partly because he still has a loyal base of support.
He’s been denounced by Republicans, but most haven’t gone so far as to say they won’t support him in a general election.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt told reporters this week he would support the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, even if it’s Greitens.
Only Rep. Vicky Hartzler, who included a barb at Greitens in her first campaign ad, has said she would not support him if he were the Republican nominee.
On Thursday evening, Greitens spoke at CPAC, a conservative conference being held in Orlando. It was his largest national platform since leaving office.
He spoke of the oath he took when he joined the Navy SEALS, to defend the country against enemies both foreign and domestic — a line he’s been using on the campaign trail recently — and framed America’s political divide in terms of war. He said Democrats were cruel and tyrannical. He compared Democrats to dictators like Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong and Pol Pot.
“We know and we see the true nature of the enemy that we are facing and the truth is clear: the left is actively trying to destroy our country,” Greitens said. “We are going to stand for our country and we’re ready to fight for it.”
Maybe Release the Hounds wasn’t a bad analogy after all.
More from Missouri:
After months of gridlock, the Missouri Senate whipped into action this week to pass a budget bill that gives pay raises to state workers, funds Medicaid expansion and allocates $2 billion in federal aid to schools. If they didn’t approve the school funding by March 24, they would have had to give the money back to the federal government. The bill also has a line blocking Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid money.
Here are headlines from across the state:
Missouri Senate passes pay raises, renews effort to block Planned Parenthood payments, Jeanne Kuang
- Texts reveal last-ditch effort to save health director, Jason Hancock and Tessa Weinberg, Missouri Independent
- A public data weakness exposed by a reporter this year had existed for a decade, Kurt Erickson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Missouri sued over long wait times at call center for food benefits, Jeanne Kuang
Jack Danforth thinks an Independent should run for U.S. Senate, Daniel Desrochers
And across Kansas:
Gov. Laura Kelly demanded the resignation of the Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson after he made “inappropriate comments” during a virtual conference. The Kansas State Board of Education is scheduled to meet Friday to discuss Watson’s remarks.
Kelly demands top education official’s resignation for ‘derogatory’ remarks, Katie Bernard
- Critics say KS workers compensation law is one of the worst in the nation, Katie Bernard
- The legislature hired a lawyer with GOP ties to defend them in redistricting fight, Katie Bernard
Pompeo was the only secretary state criticizing Biden leading up to Russia invasion, Michael Wilner
- Cotton growing is on the rise in Kansas as the climate changes, David Condos, High Plains Public Radio
The latest from Kansas City:
In Kansas City....
There’s a disagreement over whether KCPD can respond to calls about the unhoused, Anna Spoerre
- $900,000 settlement reached in wrongful arrest of KC teen, Bill Lukitsch
- How a mechanic became a top Johnson County school leader, Sarah Ritter
Have a news tip? Send it along to ddesrochers@mcclatchydc.com.
Odds and ends
A new tone
Sen. Josh Hawley was pretty aggressive in opposing U.S. involvement in Ukraine earlier this month, arguing that the U.S. should drop its support for admitting Ukraine into NATO, an alliance formed by the U.S. and its European allies after World War II. Hawley, like other conservatives, remained critical of Biden earlier this week, claiming his standing as a leader led to Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.
After Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Hawley and associates backed off slightly. In his official statement on Thursday, Hawley refrained from criticizing Biden, instead calling on him to impose severe sanctions and to boost domestic oil and gas production.
It didn’t last long. At CPAC Thursday night, Hawley again put the blame for the invasion on Biden, saying the president doesn’t believe in American strength.
Trump-stakes
Attorney General Eric Schmitt is hosting a fundraiser at Mar-A-Lago — Trump’s south Florida resort — on March 10. It costs $1,000 to attend and $5,800 to be listed as a host. It’s another in the long list of efforts by candidates in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate to woo Trump and earn his support. At filing day, several made sure to mention that they had spoken to him.
Ukraine
I am not an expert. To keep up with what’s going on, I’m paying attention to outlets that have reporters on the ground — like the BBC, the Associated Press, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Per usual, be careful about misinformation and make sure something is coming from a reliable source before you share it.
Happy Trails
Jeanne Kuang, our intrepid Jefferson City reporter, is leaving the Star this week to take on a new job in Sacramento, California where she will cover economic inequality for CalMatters. We’ll miss her dearly!
Happy Friday
Here’s a long read about Kentucky writer Wendell Berry. Have this drink in honor of Jeanne who is, well, the bee’s knees. Here’s a Paul Simon song for the road.
Enjoy your weekend.
Looking for more?
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For more politics news, follow @KatieJ_Bernard, @drdesrochers, @JeanneKuang, @jonshorman and @Cortlynn_Stark.
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This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 9:17 PM.