Headlines: Tuesday, August 17

Tuesday's Top Topics

• Nieves claims Missouri 'kingmakers' seek to destroy his political career 
• Carnahan campaign launches “Seniors for Robin” coalition
• Nixon silent on Proposition A
• Judge strikes down Missouri funeral protest law
• Route 17 bridge opens as 1st project funded by fed. stimulus dollars 
• Sowers: It is past time for Congress to make difficult decisions about Afghanistan 
• Nixon holds meeting for Mo. higher education
• Mo. renewable energy mandate stirs anxiety, confusion

Brian Nieves

• Nieves claims Missouri 'kingmakers' seek to destroy his political career [Beacon]
  At a "prayer vigil" held Monday night by his allies, state Rep. Brian Nieves blamed his legal troubles on unnamed "kingmakers and the powerbrokers in the state of Missouri" who he contends want to block his likely ascension to the Missouri Senate. "They want to hang me up like a scarecrow," asserted Nieves, R-Washington, to at least 150 people attending a riverfront rally in downtown Washington, Mo. The crowd frequently broke into cheers and standing ovations to show their support.
• Tea Party Narrative: GOP Staffer Accusing Nieves Of Assault Is A Dishonest "Democrat Operative" [Fired Up]
• Is this just a bad dream? [Star]
  Police in Washington, Mo., say their investigation into the assault allegations against state Rep. Brian Nieves could be completed and forwarded to the Franklin County prosecutor this morning. Then the prosecutor will have to decide if the findings merit any charges.
• Dana Loesch Calls Victim of Alleged Assault a "Pansy" Who Should Be Slapped and Thrown Through Glass [St. Louis Activist Hub]

US Senate Race

• Carnahan campaign launches “Seniors for Robin” coalition [PoliticMo]
  Robin Carnahan announced “Seniors for Robin” Monday. The group was to bring like minded seniors together in support of her U.S. Senate bid.
• Carnahan, Blunt prepare to hit the road Tuesday [Post-Dispatch]
• Chamber of Commerce Endorses Blunt [KTTS]

CD3 Race

• Martin ad attacks Carnahan for spending, job loss [PoliticMo]
  Ed Martin released a new ad entitled “Lost,” focusing on spending Congressman Carnahan voted for in his time in the House.

CD7 Race

• Republican Divide: Former republican congressional candidate Wardell to endorse democrat Eckersley [The Fuse Joplin]
  Nixa business owner Michael Wardell will endorse democrat Scott Eckersley at a press conference in Springfield.
• Carnahan calls Eckersley a strong candidate” [The Fuse Joplin]
  “I think the nominee here [in the 7th] is a strong candidate,” Carnahan said. “He’s shown his toughness and ability to stand up to folks that abuse power, and that’s one of the things we need in Washington – folks willing to stand up, speak truth to power, and look out for citizens.”
• Trouble connecting for Long, Eckersley camps [News-Leader]

CD8 Race

• Sowers: It is past time for Congress to make difficult decisions about Afghanistan [Turner Report]

Judge Strikes Down Funeral Protest Ban

• Judge: Mo. funeral protest ban unconstitutional [AP]
  A federal judge ruled Monday that Missouri laws restricting protests near funerals are unconstitutional.
• Judge strikes down Missouri funeral protest law [Star]
• Judge's ruling opens door for more perverted funeral protests from Westboro Baptist Church [Turner Report]

Proposition A

• Nixon silent on Proposition A [KWMU]
  Governor Jay Nixon is not yet taking a stand on Proposition A, the ballot question that could lead to the elimination of earnings taxes in St. Louis and Kansas City.

DNC in STL

• Biden headlines national Democrats meeting this week in St. Louis [Beacon]
  Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine are headlining a meeting of national and regional Democrats in St. Louis later this week for the DNC's annual summer meeting. The two-day session, which runs Thursday and Friday, comes as St. Louis bids to host the Democratic presidential convention in 2012 -- and as national Democrats face a challenging political future.

Tuscumbia Bridge

• Route 17 bridge opens as 1st project funded by fed. stimulus dollars [Missourinet]
  Hundreds of people celebrate in Miller County, as the first project in the country funded by the 2009 federal stimulus package is finally complete. Work on the new Route 17 bridge over the Osage River near Tuscumbia started about a year and half ago. It replaces a bridge built in 1933, which was in such terrible shape the Department of Transportation had to shore up the sub structure of the bridge numerous times over the last decade to prevent it from slipping into the river.
• Mo. opening new bridge funded by stimulus package [AP]

Higher Ed

• Nixon holds meeting for Mo. higher education [AP]
  Better use of technology and raising the number of college graduates highlighted the agenda for a meeting of higher education leaders in Missouri.

Clean Energy

• Mo. renewable energy mandate stirs anxiety, confusion [Post-Dispatch]
  Promised thousands of clean energy jobs and a reduced dependence on coal, Missourians voted in the fall of 2008 to require AmerenUE and other electric utilities to increase their use of renewable energy. But persuading the public to embrace clean energy is one thing, writing a set of detailed rules to implement the law is another. After months of debate among utilities, consumer groups and others with competing interests, the so-called renewable energy standard is mired in confusion.