334 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY… 242 DAYS UNTIL THE AUGUST PRIMARY

DEMS BLAST SPENCE ON BAILOUT, AGAIN — Gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence went on Mark Reardon’s KMOX show Tuesday, where he said, “I’m sure there are those instances where people are looking for handouts, we never did.” The Missouri Democratic Party, pointing to Spence having served on a bank that received $42 million in bailout money it was unable to repay, said Spence made an “outrageous claim.” 

— MDP spox Caitlin Legacki: “Either David Spence just suffered a temporary bout of amnesia about his years overseeing a bank that got a $42 million bailout, or he’s telling bald-faced lies to Missouri voters. Regardless, Missourians deserve better and Spence needs to come clean.” 

OCCUPY HARTZLER — ‘Hartzler DC office site of ‘Occupy’ arrest,’ PoliticMo: “The Occupy Wall Street movement took its rage from the grounds of city parks to Capitol Hill Tuesday, sitting in outs multiple legislators’ offices including the office of Missouri U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R.Harrisonville. More than a dozen demonstrators showed up at Hartzler’s office Tuesday. According to her office, after nearly an hour and a half, the group was asked to leave, but one individual chose not to leave. … According to Hartlzer’s office, one man, a Kansas City resident, refused to leave, and her office called Capitol Police, who arrested the individual for trespassing. Walsh told PoliticMo he did not believe the arrested individual lives in Hartzler’s district.” http://bit.ly/tks68K

ZWEIFEL ENGAGES ON OPPONENT — State Treasurer Clint Zweifel didn’t name him by name, but called out his new opponent in a new fundraising email to supporters: “The combination of term limits in the legislature, legislative redistricting and the misguided elimination of campaign contribution limits pointed strongly to the likelihood that we would end up with an opponent. In Missouri, where the simple red state/blue state paradigm doesn’t fit neatly, any opponent is a serious opponent. Last week, a challenger entered the race. Frankly, I believe voters deserve a choice. That is one of the things that makes this country great. I have said all along that no matter whom my opponent ends up being, I will work just as hard to earn a second term and make that choice clear to voters. … On the day he announced, my challenger stated the following: ‘I don’t have any knock against the current treasurer.’ Though I suspect he will change his mind as we move into 2012, his comment underscores my down-the-middle approach to governing that puts taxpayers ahead of petty politics.”

STILL GOING — ‘Nixon, Schweich constitutional duel will continue,’ PoliticMo: “A constitutional battle between two of the top officials in state government will continue, according to a new court ruling. 19th Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem denied Gov. Jay Nixon’s motion to dismiss State Auditor Tom Schweich’s lawsuit challenging Nixon’s use of budget withholds to pay for disaster response. … Schweich launched his lawsuit late this summer after Nixon announced that his administration would withhold funds from educational programs, health care programs, scholarships, and various other state agencies in order to have $170 million on hand to deal with disasters in multiple locations across the state. … Thursday, attorneys scheduled a hearing on the matter for next week.” http://bit.ly/t7crfI

MO. LT. GOV RACE — ‘Lager still challenging Kinder for lieutenant governor, but Schmitt’s not,’ St. Louis Beacon: “State Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, says his new legislative effort to ask Missouri voters to impose a two-term limit on all statewide officeholders has nothing to do with his continued 2012 campaign for lieutenant governor — which at the moment pits him against incumbent Peter Kinder, a fellow Republican seeking a third term. … ‘In theory, could serve two more times,’ Lager said. But in practice, as for 2012, ‘voters will have to make up their minds if Peter Kinder deserves a third term…’ 

“Lager’s continued candidacy, in the wake of Kinder’s change of heart, implies that Lager believes that Kinder does not deserve an additional term. In the interview, Lager did not say that. When he did say was that he and Kinder had a ‘very cordial, very respectful’ meeting last week in Jefferson City. … 

“[A]nother Republican who had been pondering a lieutenant governor bid — state Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale — said he definitely will not challenge Kinder. Instead, Schmitt  will seek re-election. He said in an interview that redistricting will change some of his 15th District (it’s basically moved a bit north and west), but the core communities of Webster Groves and Kirkwood remain. Schmitt said he looked forward to representing the remapped district.” http://bit.ly/thTt0V

FLOODING RECOVERY — ‘Corps to shut down work on Mo. levee,’ AP: “High river levels and forecasts for more rain have prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to halt repair work on a Mississippi River levee that was blown up earlier this year at the height of flooding along the river. The corps said Tuesday that it will begin closing down its repair work on the Birds Point project area because forecasts call for sustained high river levels and additional wet weather. The planned shutdown will take about 10 days, said Maj. Gen. John Peabody, commander of the corps’ Mississippi Valley Division. … The corps said in a news release that before shutting down the repair work, crews will bring the levee system up to 55 feet using temporary repair tools, such as sandbags. Construction projects in the region typically stop between December and May because of weather, the corps said.” http://apne.ws/tna9m0

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, and welcome to PoliticMo Rundown. Send your tips, comments, and scoops to eli@politicmo.com. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK MADDUX… KIKI CURLS…  

ST. LOUIS MAYOR SLAY will tour the Chouteau Crossing LEED Platinum development facility today as part of his Sustainability Summit. 

IN HONOR OF PEARL HARBOR DAY, Gov. Jay Nixon ordered flags at state and local government buildings to be flown at half-staff today. 

BIG FUNDRAISER tonight for Judy Morgan and Brandon Ellington, hosted by the Missouri House Democratic Campaign Committee. On the host list: Mike Talboy, Jay Swearingen, John Rizzo, etc. Cost: $25-350, at the Uptown Theater. 

POTUS VISITS kANSAS — ‘Obama says middle class faces ‘make or break’ moment,’ Steve Kraske: “President Barack Obama channeled Theodore Roosevelt Tuesday, calling for a more level playing field in America and ending what he called ‘you’re on your own economics.’ Speaking in the same town where Roosevelt delivered his ‘New Nationalism’ address in 1910, Obama pitched his own version of Roosevelt’s ‘square deal’ where ‘everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share, and when everyone plays by the same rules.’ His plan includes extending an income-tax break now dividing Congress, raising taxes on the rich, boosting education funding and demanding more from American banks. … Obama’s visit to this town of about 4,000 was the biggest moment in Osawatomime’s history since Roosevelt’s visit 101 years ago, many residents said. Although they said Osawatomie remains rock-solid Republican in bright-red Kansas, the crowd packed into the snug high school gym greeted Obama warmly and cheered him throughout his 54-minute address. … 

“The speech laid down a political marker for Obama. The president made it clear that as he heads into an election year, he is staking his claim to a second term to his backing of ordinary Americans struggling to make it in a still-soft economy. … Among those attending Tuesday’s speech were Kansas City Mayor Sly James, Wyandotte County CEO Joe Reardon and Health and Human Services Secretary, and former Kansas governor, Kathleen Sebelius.” http://bit.ly/ufHKvx

ENDORSEMENTS — ‘Wagner endorsed by national anti-abortion group,’ PoliticMo: “The Susan B. Anthony List announced their first round of congressional endorsements Tuesday, including 2nd district Republican Ann Wagner, R-St. Louis, on their list. … The group’s of Wagner will be their only endorsement in the 2nd district Republican primary, they said. Wagner’s opponent, St. Louis attorney Ed Martin, has previously tried to position himself as the leading anti-abortion candidate in the race, touting endorsements form activist Phyllis Schlafly and holding ‘No Truce on Life’ campaign events throughout the district.” http://bit.ly/vaQAv5

— ‘Fmr. Lt. Gov. Maxwell endorses Kander,’ PoliticMo: “State Rep. Jason Kander, D.-Kansas City, continued to round up endorsements from Missouri Democrats on Tuesday, announcing former Democratic Lt. Governor Joe Maxwell has endorsed his campaign for Secretary of State. Maxwell, who served as Lt. Governor from 2000-2005, cited Kander’s service in the military in his endorsement. … Kander has continued to gain public support from members of his party after announcing his campaign earlier this year when current Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, D., announced she would not seek reelection.” 

2012 LEGISLATING — ‘Senate leader looks at suspending wage laws in wake of natural disasters,’ Missouri News Horizon: “The bill, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Robert Mayer, R-Dexter, would suspend for five years laws that require government infrastructure workers a wage that is equal to what the majority of other area workers performing a similar task are paid. The suspension of prevailing wage laws – a legal mandate that dates back to the Great Depression – would apply only in areas that have been declared a disaster by the Governor and would include areas effected by the Joplin Tornado and the massive flood events along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers earlier this year. … This is not the only bill that has been pre-filed so far this month related to the multiple disasters Missouri faced in 2011. Last week a state representative filed a bill that would create an income tax break for families that choose to construct storm shelters.” 

— Law proposed to require abuse reports: “It is not a crime in Missouri for a regular citizen to walk away from a child being abused under current law — but a bill filed for the upcoming legislative session would change this. The change would add a single sentence to the state’s mandatory reporting law, which has been in place since 1975, that would expand current reporting requirements to include anyone who witnesses sexual abuse of a child. … The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-St. Louis County, said that recent national events prompted him to evaluate Missouri’s law regarding child abuse. The scandal at Penn State includes a witness to Jerry Sandusky’s alleged child sex abuse who did not to report it to authorities.” http://cbsloc.al/u1St46

WINNING — ‘Globe photographer, staff honored at AP convention,’ Joplin Globe: “A photo of a Joplin police officer carrying a young girl out of the ravaged Academy Sports & Outdoors store after the May 22 tornado won a Globe photographer honors Monday at the Missouri-Kansas Associated Press publishers and editors convention. Roger Nomer, a seven-year member of the Globe staff, was named Missouri AP Photographer of the Year during the convention at the Marriott Hotel in Kansas City. The Globe also was named the David L. Bradley AP Member of the Year for contributions made to the wire service on the night of the tornado and in the days that followed.” http://bit.ly/v9vFN7

MIZ — ‘Yearlong Missouri presidential search nears finish,’ KC Star: “The yearlong search for a new University of Missouri president is down to a single unnamed finalist. Flanked by campus police to ensure the confidential process, 13 members of a 20-person advisory panel met in private for more than five hours and interviewed its sole candidate Tuesday in a guarded conference room inside Mizzou Arena. The group of professors, students, campus workers and alumni will make a recommendation to the university’s Board of Curators, which has final approval of the hiring. Curators are scheduled meet later this week in St. Louis but don’t expect to announce a decision.” http://bit.ly/uxMeFx

SPORTZZZ — ‘Missouri increases its record to 8-0,’ Post-Dispatch: “Under the brightest glare and on the biggest stage it has assumed all season, 10th-ranked Mizzou shrugged off a sluggish start and fended off a late Villanova surge to remain undefeated with an 81-71 win over the Wildcats in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. Marcus Denmon had 28 points, Phil Pressey doled out 12 assists and Ricardo Ratliffe racked up a double-double as the Tigers improved to 8-0 for the first time since the 2006-07 season.” http://bit.ly/uqrAB0