The Clock is Ticking: Will Matt Blunt's $300k Loan to Kinder Become A $300k Contribution?

It doesn't always get a lot of coverage, but Peter Kinder still has $315,000 in debt hanging around his neck from his 2008 reelection campaign.  A full $300,000 of that total is owed to Missourians for Matt Blunt, Inc. -- the former governor's campaign committee that is still collecting and spending money, and still has $290,000 in cash on hand. 

Kinder's debt committee was organized on June 30, 2009.  As I understand the relevant laws, debt committees can only exist for 18 months, meaning that the clock runs out for the "Friends of Peter Kinder Debt Committee" at the end of this month. 

Cynical persons (like me) have wondered if the forgiveness of Kinder's debt was part of the deal by which Thomas Schweich dropped out of the Senate race last year and endorsed Roy Blunt.  Kinder, as you may recall, gave $220,000 to Schweich's campaign for auditor -- despite his significant debts to the younger Blunt. 

We'll never know the details of the Schweich's deal, of course, but it will be interesting to see how Kinder handles his big pile of debt.  Stay tuned.