Sarah Steelman

I'm sure Steelman is just trying to rally her base, or whatever.

"For far too long, we’ve seen jobs leave our country, and now it’s not just China with whom we must compete, it’s the 22 states that have instituted free-market principles by passing Right to Work legislation,” said Steelman. “Missouri employers and workers deserve a competitive economic landscape."

The GOP senate wannabes had a debate recently. Actually, I take that back. TWO of the THREE GOP senate wannabes had a debate recently since John Brunner chickened out of the debate, apparently scared to answer the questions Missourians have. This, of course, after agreeing to debates, even calling for debates, and then backing out. Bwwaaaaaak bwak bwak bwak bwaaaaaaaak. But I digress...

Sarah Steelman and Todd Akin both managed to show up, but their answers were downright frightening, particularly regarding Obamacare. Both were asked what should happen to a 28 year old man who has the ability to purchase health insurance but decides not to - these sorts of folks are often referred to as the "Young Invincibles" - and is then diagnosed with cancer.

Both Steelman and Akin both demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of what Obamacare actually does, like ensuring that insurance companies must justify rate hikes, prohibiting annual or lifetime limits on needed care, ending denials based on preexisting conditions, and many, many others policies. Of course, as was to be expected, both Steelman and Akin rolled out the fear mongering, repeatedly debunked, tea party talking points which boil down to guvment health care is baaaaaaaaaad which, really, is best left to expert fear-mongerer in chief, Ed Martin.

But back to the debate, Steelman talks about affordability and accessibility as if Obamacare doesn't address either - which it does - and talks about door knocking business people. Indulge me here for a minute: when I go door knocking for candidates or issues, I don't door knock business people, I door knock in neighborhoods where families and my neighbors live. What in the world is Steelman doing door knocking and only talking to business people? Does she ever have conversations with a working Missourian who's boss, maybe a small business owner, has now been able to provide his employees with healthcare coverage because of the small business tax credits made available by Obamcare? Has Steelman had a conversation with the mother down the road who now has access to healthcare that she was previously denied because she had a breast cancer scare but now that insurance companies are prohibited from denying healthcare for preexisting conditions she can now rest easy knowing that she can get the care she needs and watch her children grow up? Or does she only talk with business people? Just curious.

Anyway, let's debunk the "let's-sell-insurance-across-state-lines" idea right here and now. Better yet, I'll let Ezra Klein of the Washington Post do it:

Selling insurance across state lines: A terrible, no good, very bad health-care idea

Insurance is currently regulated by states. California, for instance, says all insurers have to cover treatments for lead poisoning, while other states let insurers decide whether to cover lead poisoning, and leaves lead poisoning coverage -- or its absence -- as a surprise for customers who find that they have lead poisoning. Here's a list (pdf) of which states mandate which treatments.

This past summer, Rep Akin failed time and time again to meet with constituents concerned about his votes on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Yesterday, Akin and fellow wannabe Senator Sarah Steelman had their first formal debate. Third man in John Brunner was "unable" to attend.

You can listen to the hour-long debate here. 

Highlights from the coverage:

If a 28 year old man without health insurance gets cancer, Steelman sure "hopes somebody takes care of him".

Also, for the first time in modern history, a Conservative has used the analogy that health insurance is "just like car insurance", which would probably make the folks over at Fox news cringe.

On taxes, Steelman's platform seems a bit confusing typical (emphasis added):

"What I think we need to do is close loopholes, broaden the base and push the income tax rate down as far as we possibly can, both on individual and corporate (taxes) because we're not competitive worldwide," said Steelman, adding she would also favor cutting capital gains taxes.

So yesterday we wrote about John Brunner deciding to skip the first debate to be held for the GOP Senate wannabes, leaving it to Sarah Steelman and Todd Akin to appear on KTRS.

Today we find out that not only has Brunner decided to skip the first debate, but he's been given a second chance to debate in January, this time in Branson on the 30th, and he's chickening out of that one, too!

A spokesman for the 3^rd likely candidate, St. Louis businessman John Brunner, has said he is unable to commit at this time, saying the campaign’s original verbal commitment to Earls Family Broadcasting last November was to a debate, not to a specific date.

A debate in GOP-friendly Branson and Brunner can't commit to being in attendance.  Whatcha hiding, John?  Scared to answer questions about being a "job creator" who actually laid a bunch of workers off while getting rich? Terrified of questions about your refusal to answer other questions about the Ryan plan to privatize Medicare?

If I were scheduling/hosting debates, I'd go ahead and ask Brunner all the questions I had, and then play this in leiu of any actual answers:

Is John Brunner ever going to step out of the shadows of his handlers and show up to answer the questions voters have or participate in a debate?  Less than a month ago, Brunner sent Sarah Steelman and Todd Akin a letter requesting debates ASAP, then quickly changed course and decided not to be a part of the debates.  Then wanted debates.  Then didn't want to debate.

I'll be honest, there have been so many switcheroos that I can't even keep track!

The fact of the matter is that John Brunner is just too chicken to debate. Bwwwwak!

Earlier today, the first GOP Senate debate was announced:

First GOP debate set for Senate contenders, but without Brunner

The first debate among Missouri Republican contenders for the U.S. Senate is set for next week—Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 9 a.m. and carried live on KRTS Radio (550am) and KTRS.com

What is Brunner so afraid of? Why is it so hard to give answers to direct questions from voters? What is Brunner trying to hide?

From the GOP's Washington Times: "A handful of Republicans are running against first-term Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. in Pennsylvania, but there are no real standouts, Mr. Stuart Rothenberg said. The same can be said of Missouri, where a number of GOP candidates are vying for a chance to take out a weakened freshman Sen. Claire McCaskill."

via @PoliticMo 

[UPDATE: We've received an explanation from Brunner himself on his "debate switcheroo." Click here to view.]

Is John Brunner trying to compete with Mittens on how many times one man can flip-flop on a single topic? This certainly seems to be the case when it comes to whether or not John Brunner will participate in a debate on the issues with his fellow candidates for the GOP nomination for Senate here in Missouri.  Unfortunately, just like pretty much everything else, Brunner can't commit.

Back in October, Sarah Steelman and Todd Akin were both in negotiations to participate in a debate pulled together by KCUR, but Brunner, clearly not ready for primetime, refused to engage.

Who knew the "Most Unpopular Freshman" Senator Roy Blunt could finagle his way into being elected to a leadership position in the Republican Conference, 25-22?

As we wrote earlier, Missouri's highest ranking republican got there with absolutely no help from Senate hopefuls Todd Akin, John Brunner and Sarah Steelman - all of whom took a pass on endorsing consumate Washington insider, Blunt.

Still no word on whether or not Akin, Brunner or Steelman have congratulated Blunt. 

Update: The consumate Washington insider won the Conference Vice Chairman job without tea party support. 

Must-listen stuff from KTRS' McGraw Millhaven show this morning from Sen. Claire McCaskill on the lack of support for Roy Blunt's GOP Senate leadership bid from John Brunner, Sarah Steelman and Todd Akin. 

Last week, GOP Senate hopeful John Brunner finally joined his primary rivals, Todd Akin and Sarah Steelman, in calling for frequent debates in their race for the Republican nomination.

And yet, a week later, there's nary a peep out of the rivals about when these concensus debates will begin.

Maybe it's time for the moderators-in-waiting in the press corps to push them for a date certain.

Meanwhile, the GOP candidiates for President just completed their 17th debate....

Via @RoyTemple

Senator Roy Blunt would really like to be the next Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair, but the guy can't even get support at home.  Later today, during the weekly Republican Conference Lunch, Blunt will face off with ultra-conservative Ron Johnson of Wisconsin who has support from other Tea Party darlings such as Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Jim DeMint of South Carolina, as well as the two republicans running to join Johnson in the senate primary race in Wisconsin.

One would think, given that they would all like to be Missouri's next senator and be able to serve with Blunt, that Todd Akin, John Brunner and Sarah Steelman would announce their support of the hometown guy Blunt, but each one of them have taken a pass on any endorsement.

From PoliticMo:

• Akin: A spokesman for Akin said he had “no comment” on Blunt’s election.
• Brunner: “Not one person has mentioned they are concerned about a leadership election in Washington where nobody running for U.S. Senate in Missouri has a vote.”
• Steelman: A spokesman for Steelman said her campaign “hasn’t even paid attention to it.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the man they'd all like to join in the Senate.

Perhaps this lack of support from fellow republican senators and the folks back home is further indicative of Blunt's current title of "Most Unpopular Freshman."  From the sounds of it, his standing hasn't improved much.

Does John Brunner have substantive answers about any substantive issues yet?  Check out this glorious non-answer in the News-Leader to a direct question about the House GOP plan to eliminate Medicare as we know it: 

Q: Would you support transforming Medicare into a voucher program in which seniors purchase insurance in the private market, instead of the current government program, as proposed by House GOP Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis.?

Akin: Yes, he is on record supporting and voting for the Ryan plan.

Brunner: "What I am looking at is, can you give people a choice -- the Ryan plan or keep their current program? Or even a third option? ... Or combinations of those plans to bring some choice, so you can have that incentive to lower costs?"

Steelman: "The cost of living (increase) that's factored into the (voucher proposal) each year is different, and I'm afraid it wouldn't cover the cost of increasing health costs from year to year... And then I also worry about how, if you have that age population, if you can actually get reasonably priced insurance. It's difficult to insure the senior population" in the private market.

More bad news for Rex Sinquefield's effort to raise the taxes on almost everything you buy everyday: Sarah Steelman is actively campaigning against sales tax increases. From an interview earlier today on KCMO:

HOST GREG KNAPP: If you are Senator Sarah Steelman, and Herman Cain is president and comes in with his '9-9-9' tax plan, would you be for that?

SARAH STEELMAN: You know what, Greg, I support a flat tax versus a national sales tax. But I’ll give him credit, I mean I think he got the discussion going, I’m glad he put that out there. I worry about having a national sales tax on top of local and state sales tax ‘cause it's very regressive, and then you know, you may be creating more bureaucracy than less bureaucracy...

At the same time, Steelman says she has no idea what the national 'flat tax' rate should be, even though she wants credit for supporting the right-wing idea to help the very wealthy. 

So, Sarah Steelman and Todd Akin are ready to debate, but John Brunner isn't up for it yet. Not exactly a huge surprise given that his campaign launch revealed his knowledge of the issues is about as deep as a rain puddle. 

PoliticMo has more: 

The Steelman and Akin campaigns had been in contact with the producer of KCUR’s “Up to Date,” hosted weekly by Kansas City Star veteran political reporter Steve Kraske. But St. Louis businessman John Brunner, who launched his Republican Senate campaign just weeks ago, was not as enthusiastic and had not contacted the show.

“We’re open to proceeding with a debate if we can find a date when all three contenders can participate,” Kraske said in an email Tuesday.

How bad was the fundraising quarter for Republicans vying for Governor and United States senate? This bad:  

Missouri Republican Party: Republicans in the state’s Senate and governor’s races continue to struggle big time, despite running in very winnable races. Gov. Jay Nixon (D) outraised Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) $1.5 million to $410,000, while GOP Senate candidates Rep. Todd Akin and former state treasurer Sarah Steelman raised $285,000 and $95,000, respectively – well off the pace set by Sen. Claire McCaskill’s (D) $1.2 million. Steelman needed to donate $400,00 to her own race in order to stay viable.

How unimpressive is the field of John Brunner, Todd Akin and Sarah Steelman? Here's a clue...

Ann Wagner, former candidate for U.S. Senate, retweeted a message the weekend from Politico scribe Dave Catanese asking if Wagner "should switch to #MOSEN after all?"  

Catanese teases a second Senate bid for Wagner in his story on her solid third quarter fundraising haul.  "[T]his eye-raising [fundraising] performance is almost certain to stoke speculation on whether Wagner should reconsider switching to the bigger price: the Senate race....John Brunner is willing to put his own money down, but he's unimpressed insiders and flopped his media rollout. Of course, Wagner's entry into the Senate race now would be a tremendous slight against Akin, who was nudged into the race by some insiders, in part to grant Wagner an opportunity at Congress in the first place."

Sarah Steelman has company in the bad quarter category. Todd Akin's craziness may have finally caught up to him.

I thought her fundraising couldn't get worse. I was wrong. 

According to Steelman's third quarter report, shared with POLITICO, the former state treasurer raised just $96,162 over the last three months. That's about $100,000 less than she took in during the second quarter.

On KCMO this morning, Sarah Steelman indicated that Todd Akin might be in for the debate she has been pining for over the past few weeks. 

Steelman said: "I think his office reached out to Steve Kraske late yesterday. So maybe I put enough pressure on 'em that at least one of 'em decided to join me."

She talks about Akin at around the :50 mark: