Gaw highlights utilities record with second TV ad

Former Missouri Public Service Commission chairman Steve Gaw released his second TV spot today. The ad shows him outdoors and surrounded by supporters as he speaks about his intentions to “stand up to big oil and drug companies, just like when I stood up to the big utility companies in Missouri, when they tried to raise your rates.”

Gaw has said that an emphasis on domestic drilling (according to individual states’ decisions) while investing in alternative energy sources and cracking down on oil speculators would be his strategy to decrease gas prices.

Baker: “It’s time to take care of our own”

State Rep. Judy Baker (D-Columbia) today released the second TV ad in her campaign for the Ninth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The ad covers a range of issues, including improving the economy, lowering gas prices and withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Congressional hopefuls debate at Muleskinners

All four Democratic candidates for the Ninth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives gathered at Friday’s Muleskinners meeting to answer questions from the Democratic club’s members.

Questions covered topics such as transportation and the War Powers Act, which allows the president to deploy troops without congressional approval as long as Congress is notified within 90 days.

Democratic candidates for Congress to speak at forum tomorrow

Candidates in the Democratic primary for the Ninth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives are scheduled to speak at tomorrow’s Muleskinners meeting.

Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. at Stamper Commons on the Stephens College campus, and the forum is expected to begin around noon. State Rep. Judy Baker, Marion County Comissioner Lyndon Bode, former Sen. Ken Jacob, and former Public Service Commission member Steve Gaw are expected to attend and answer questions from the audience.

Missouri Right to Life endorses Bode

Anti-abortion rights organization Missouri Right to Life has endorsed Democrat and Marion County Commissioner Lyndon Bode for Ninth District State Representative. Bode said in a news release that the endorsement shows his campaign is gaining momentum.

Bode is the only anti-abortion rights candidate in the Democratic primary contest for the Ninth District.

“There are a lot of pro-life Democrats in the Ninth Congressional District,” said Patty Skain, Missouri Right to Life executive director. “This lets them know that he would support their issues and the bills that he might vote on as far as protection of life when he gets to Washington.”

Missouri Right to Life has also endorsed Republican and former state Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer.

“We certainly hope that Mr. Bode wins his primary and Mr. Luetkemeyer wins his and that we have two pro-life folks running against each other,” Skain said. “That would be the best scenario for us.”

Bode is running against State Rep. Judy Baker, former Sen. Ken Jacob, and former Public Service Commission member Steve Gaw.

Dems: Condemnation and concern over FISA renewal

The Senate voted to renew the the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act today with a vote of 69-28.

Earlier today, former Missouri Sen. and Democratic Ken Jacob called the bill an example of weak leadership, citing the 105 Democrats who voted for its June 20 passage in the House. (The measure passed there overall with a vote of 293-129.)

“This is just another instance of the power of the corporate lobbyist culture in Washington attempting to infringe upon Constitutional liberties, and is a direct result of weak leadership in the Congress,” he said in a news release.

The act would allow wiretapping within the United States so the government can gain foreign intelligence. Renewal would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that gave the government information according to the bill.

State Rep. Judy Baker said in an e-mail the act caused her concern.

“The bill is the Bush administration asking the legislature to wipe the slate clean after breaking the law,” she said. “I strongly support our intelligence gathering community having the tools they need to protect us, but I have serious concerns about providing blanket immunity to companies that broke the law.”

Former state Rep. Steve Gaw said in an e-mail that he would have opposed granting the companies immunity for sharing customers’ data. But he said he supports the rest of the act.

“I support doing everything legal to protect our citizens,” he said.

Gaw, Baker, Jacob and Marion County Commissioner Lyndon Bode are running in the Democratic primary for the Ninth District seat on the U.S. Congress. Bode was unavailable for comment today.

Gaw releases campaign ad

Steve Gaw is a Democratic candidate for the Ninth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, released a campaign ad today.

The ad highlights Gaw’s goals to end the war in Iraq, create jobs, lower gas prices and protect Social Security.

“Beginning our television campaign early is what we’ve been planning to do for quite some time,” Jeremiah Levine, Gaw’s spokesman, said in a news release.

Other Democrats running for the seat — Judy Baker, Lyndon Bode and Ken Jacob — plan to run ads after Independence Day.

Rant Back! The Media’s 2008 Presidential Election?

For the purposes of this article, I will be referring to the media as they, not we.

The 2008 Presidential election has presented some new problems with the electoral process. No longer is the media catering to the thought of “fair and balanced” reporting (Regardless of what Rupert Murdoch and FOX News tell you); rather they are supplying America with the information they think Americans want.