This article first appeared in the St. Lous Beacon, Nov. 19, 2010 - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says he plans to continue his approach of keeping politics out of his governing, even as he acknowledged that some fellow Democrats -- and perhaps rival Republicans -- would prefer that he be more combative.
"The easy part of politics is finding differences," Nixon told reporters Thursday in St. Louis. "The challenging part of public service is bringing people together. And that's where I spend my energy, trying to use my energy to bring people together."
"I don't think about 'What are the tactics you can get to make somebody look bad?' " he added. "I really spend my time trying to see the better angels sitting on the shoulders."
Nixon offered such observations in response to queries about his low profile in the Nov. 2 election, in which his Democratic Party suffered heavy losses.
The governor declined to reply to critics such as state Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, who said earlier this week that she couldn't support the governor's re-election in 2012. Among other things, Nasheed complained that Nixon had thrown some Democratic candidates "under the bus" by not campaigning harder for them.
For the most part, Nixon re-emphasized that he is focused more on governing than on politics. He pointed to why he was in St. Louis on Thursday, to speak at a ceremony celebrating the opening of high-tech company Unisys' new facility in St. Louis, which is estimated to create 300 new jobs over the next 18 months.
"I get up every morning trying to do the things that I talk about right here: create jobs, improve education, move our state forward," Nixon said. "This is a job that requires me to spend a great deal of time trying to bring people together.
"Unfortunately in the world we live in, quite often political campaigns are about dividing people," the governor continued. "I just think Missourians are especially sick of the partisan bickering going on in Washington, D.C. I really do."
Nixon's stance is particularly striking because it contrasts with his public demeanor before he was governor. In his 16 years as attorney general and, earlier, as a state senator, Nixon was often portrayed as a public official who viewed politics as a contact sport.
Nixon's overtly conciliatory demeanor since he took office as Missouri's chief executive in January 2009 reflects, in part, his acceptance of the reality of divided government: He's a Democrat, and those who control the Legislature are Republicans.
Nixon may also want to avoid the fix facing the last Democratic governor, Bob Holden, who found himself in high-profile -- and often, extremely bitter -- disputes with Republican legislative leaders as the GOP took control of the Senate in 2001 and the House in 2003.
But Holden's tenure offers another lesson. Holden ended up serving only one term, not because he was knocked off by Republicans, but because of a fellow Democrat -- then-state Auditor Claire McCaskill -- who ousted Holden in the primary by portraying him as too weak and unassertive. She lost in the general election to Republican Matt Blunt.
Nixon's allies say he doesn't believe his approach poses the type of political danger that beset Holden.
Governor May Resurrect Nuclear Plant Proposal
In fact, Nixon's attempt to forge a possible deal with Republicans is likely to be on display again Friday, when the governor travels the state for a series of news conferences discussing what his office called "the future of electrical power."
Although the governor and his staff declined to offer more details, rumors were rampant that he was going to endorse a second attempt at changing Missouri law to make it easier for AmerenUE to build a second nuclear plant. The Legislature previously had rejected Ameren's bid to allow it to charge electrical users for some construction costs before the plant is operational. That's currently barred under state law.
But at least one newly elected GOP legislator has announced plans to introduce a bill in the next session to change the law to encourage Ameren to resurrect its nuclear proposal. Consumer groups previously had attacked the idea.
Nixon's announcement here is to be at a union hall; most labor groups side with Ameren because of the construction jobs that would be created.
On Thursday, Nixon spoke mainly in generalities when it came to issues, adding that his office will announce in six to eight weeks its proposed legislative priorities for the next session, which begins in early January.
Nixon emphasized that he was optimistic that he could work with Republican legislative leaders, who now oversee historic majorities in the state House (106 of 163 seats) and Senate (26 out of 34). He noted that the GOP already had controlled the Legislature since he was inaugurated almost two years ago.
Nixon said he was particularly optimistic that on fiscal issues, "we can continue to find our way to the agreements necessary to keep our fiscal house in order."
On his two key objectives -- creating jobs and improving public education -- Nixon said, "I expect we'll have real and significant action."
As governor, Nixon also heads the state Democratic Party. He plans to talk to party activists and fellow politicians about what needs to be done to prepare for 2012.
But Nixon implied he didn't agree with some who are pressing for changes, such as the selection of a new state party chairperson. Some St. Louis Democrats are lobbying for soon-to-be fomer state Auditor Susan Montee, among the Nov. 2 losers.
"I'll visit with all the parties, but I think chairman (Craig) Hosmer has done a solid job and will continue to provide that leadership," Nixon said. Hosmer is a lawyer and former legislator from Springfield.
The governor said he believed Hosmer shared his vision. "I've tried to work to have a broad coalition," Nixon said. "My sense is that chairman Hosmer works on that. And ultimately, that's a long-term solution that's most effective to the state."
Nixon added later: "As I travel across this state, people thank me and come up to me and talk to me, from all political stripes because they know that after elections, you try to bring people together."
That's the governor's stance, and he's sticking with it.
