This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 6, 2009 - With Secretary of State Robin Carnahan -- an announced Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010 -- set to be a key attraction at this weekend's Democrat Days in Hannibal, the state Republican Party and anti-abortion groups are marking the occasion by launching a few political attacks.
The effort is similar to the Democratic blasts fired off a few weeks ago against the only announced Republican candidate for the Senate, U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, right before the GOP's statewide Lincoln Days.
The state Republican Party sent out an entertaining, and in some cases surprising, missive this morning entitled: "Top Ten Questions to Ask Robin Carnahan at Democrat Days."
The list includes such items as:
"1.) Why are you refusing to answer media or voter questions about your positions side by side with the only announced candidate?" (This is referring to Carnahan's refusal to participate in joint forums this year with Blunt, saying he needs first to debate his potential primary opponent, former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman.)
"2.) Why did you fail to meet with the press in open news conferences to announce your candidacy, choosing instead a canned video on the internet?" (Interesting line of attack, since a number of officials -- including former Gov. Matt Blunt -- have used a "canned video" for key announcements. Blunt used YouTube to announce he wasn't running for re-election.)
"6.) Senator Bond supports worthwhile projects for Missouri in Congress. Senator McCaskill won't. Would you join with Senator McCaskill, so that Missouri unilaterally disarms itself, and gets nothing while other states get projects in Congress?" (This has to do with McCaskill's opposition to congressional earmarks. Sen. Christopher Bond backs them.)
"9.) Two of your brothers were state lobbyists when your father was governor. Do you believe this was an appropriate and ethical arrangement?" (Also interesting, since Roy Blunt has two adult children and a wife who are lobbyists. Not sure he wants to go there.)
"10.) Do you think it was a political mistake for you to lead the fight against the right of law abiding citizens to carry a firearm to protect themselves and their families?"
(That could be the sharpest political shot, since it hails back to Robin Carnahan's 1999 role as a key tactician in the successful statewide fight against Proposition B, which would have allowed most Missourians to carry concealed weapons. Although her side succeeded, the Legislature overruled it a few years later and the state now allowed concealed-carry. Bringing up the gun issue may help Republicans in outstate areas like Hannibal, where Democrats have made gains. But on the counter side, the topic could be dangerous for the GOP in the suburbs, where Carnahan's side garnered up to 70 percent of the vote.)
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Several of the questions touch on the abortion issue, which has once again become a hot topic in the Missouri Legislature. Several critics of certain forms of embryonic stem-cell research now legal in Missouri are taking particular aim at Carnahan, who generally has been seen as supporting abortion rights and all forms of stem-cell research allowed under federal law.
The Missouri Roundtable for Life, a group whose leaders include former Gov. Blunt's chief of staff Ed Martin, has been sending out releases all week attacking Carnahan over the group's open-records requests. The Roundtable also has sued Carnahan over her wording of the group's proposed initiative petition to get on the 2010 ballot a proposal to bar any state money from going for any of the stem-cell research now allowed under Amendment 2.
The Missouri GOP's anti-abortion questions include:
"8.) With respect to state pro-life laws, would you oppose efforts by Obama, Pelosi, Reid and other national Democrats to impose pro-abortion rights laws on Missouri and other states with the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)?"
That question refers to a proposal, not yet introduced in Congress this session, which would guarantee women's rights to abortion before fetal viability. Opponents say the measure would knock out many pre-viability restrictions in many states, including Missouri. Supporters disagree, and say it would mainly guard against state-by-state efforts to outlaw abortion.
Although not yet introduced, the proposal already has become a rallying issue in the anti-abortion movement.
