WHAT TEAM MCCASKILL IS READING — ‘Dems may cling to Senate majority,’ Dave Catanese in POLITICO: “Democrats have a heavy lift ahead in the Senate: They’re playing defense in two-thirds of next year’s races. Republicans are well positioned to flip at least two seats. The struggling economy could make President Barack Obama a down-ballot drag even in Democratic-leaning states. Yet despite the long odds, Democrats now appear capable of just barely holding on to a majority that was long thought to be unsustainable in 2012 — and that’s a victory in itself.

“With Democrats controlling 23 of the 33 seats up for election next year, the sheer size of the playing field favors Republican pickups — it’s just a question of whether there will be enough to turn the tide. … [S]ince the summer, Democrats have turned a corner — shoring up their incumbents with mounds of campaign cash, recruiting formidable candidates and seizing on GOP missteps.

“… Ultimately, control of the Senate might hinge on the campaigns in Massachusetts, Virginia, Montana and Missouri, all of which are almost guaranteed to come down to the wire. In the latter three races, Democrats are saddled with defending seats in reddening states. But their candidates have proved resilient through the second half of the off year, piling up fundraising advantages and keeping pace in public polling. … While damaged by a revelation she owed back taxes on a private plane, Sen. Claire McCaskill is benefiting slightly from a fractured three-way GOP field. The demographics of these states, however, will very likely allow even a weakened Republican nominee to be competitive.” http://bit.ly/sFDZNZ

EDUCATION FUNDING — ‘Nixon seeks to borrow from campus reserves,’ Rudi Keller and Janese Silvey in the Columbia Tribune: “Gov. Jay Nixon wants to tap campus reserve funds at five state universities to help plug a state deficit estimated at up to $500 million. The proposal, according to several sources, asks the schools, including the University of Missouri, to lend the state approximately $107 million. The money would be used to cover a 15 percent cut in state taxpayer support in the budget that begins July 1, with the five schools being paid back over seven years through payments to the state by the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority. … 

“Along with UM, the schools being asked to approve the proposal are the University of Central Missouri, Southeast Missouri State University, Missouri State University and Truman State University. Nixon’s staff has been pitching the proposal this week and pushing for quick decisions. Nixon must present a budget to state lawmakers in about six weeks. … Higher education leaders reached today said they are considering the idea but have made no commitments.

“Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, said if a plan is worked out through negotiations between Nixon’s office, the universities and lawmakers, something that works could be produced. As originally presented, however, the plan is dead, he said. ‘If this deal is a Bernie Madoff-type Ponzi scheme, it is unacceptable,’ Schaefer said.

“Other area lawmakers were skeptical. ‘Incredibly, the administration is coming up with one of these complicated schemes that require lots of legislative cooperation, and they have talked to no one,’ said state Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia. … And Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, said he opposes participation by Southeast Missouri State, which is in his district. ‘Exactly when did university presidents become Jay Nixon’s payday loan officers?’ he asked.” http://bit.ly/v8aj4j

REDISTRICTING CHALLENGE — ‘Judge issues expected order dismissing redistricting challenge,’ Jo Mannies: “Critics of Missouri’s redrawn congressional districts have filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court, as a result of a lower-court judge’s decision — as expected — to dismiss their suit seeking new boundaries. St. Louis lawyer Gerry Greiman, who represents some of the revamped map’s local Democratic opponents, said today that the appeal was filed earlier this week, after Judge Daniel R. Green followed through Monday with his order dismissing their case. Green had telegraphed that likely was his plan, after hearing preliminary arguments last week by the new map’s backers and critics.

“Green also dismissed a companion suit, filed by Republicans in Kansas City who also challenged the new boundaries. Greiman said that suit’s lawyers are expected to file an appeal with the Supreme Court as well. The two suits were merged earlier this month. Greiman said that plans call for asking the state’s highest court to act swiftly, since candidate filing is slated to get underway in late February for those seeking office in 2012.” http://bit.ly/rMKMv5

SEN. ROY BLUNT was on Andrea Mitchell’s show yesterday afternoon. The highlights: 

— TONE SHIFT: “I think clearly the end of the year is here. We’ve known these moments were coming from weeks and months now. Ine thing that I have trouble with and a lot of members of senate do, why don’t we have a plan that actually works toward a better conclusion that the conclusion that we seem to be reaching now at the last minute every year?” 

— BAD POLLING FOR CONGRESS: “Nobody including the president can feel good about their approval numbers right now. His numbers are lower than any president’s ever at this point in the presidency and congress is lower than any congress at any point …  People don’t think that the federal government is getting its work done because the federal government is not getting its work done and we have to have a better answer to the problems we face than the one that’s coming out of Washington or the congress or the administration right now.” 

— PAYROLL TAX CUT EXTENSION: “It’s not an idea that I think is the best, but I think 72 senators have voted now to extend the payroll tax one way or another so surely the minority and majority leader can take 72 and get 60 out of them. I expect that’s going to happen as will the extension of the payroll tax and the current payment structure for doctors and the unemployment benefits.” 

HAPPY FRIDAY, and welcome to this edition of PoliticMo Rundown. Send your tips, comments, and scoops to eli@politicmo.com. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Levi Mitchell!

GOV. JAY NIXON, STATE REP. CHARLIE DAVIS, and representatives from Coca Cola will be in Joplin today to award a $25,000 private grant to Joplin’s Cunningham Park. 

FLOODING PREPARATION — ‘Corps searching for ways to avert flooding repeat,’ AP: “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told Missouri River governors Thursday that it is trying to find more room in its reservoirs to avoid a repeat of this summer’s flooding that caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to states along the Missouri River. Corps Brig. Gen. John McMahon said his agency has so far tallied $630 million worth of flood damage to the levees, dams and channels built to control the river. … 

“McMahon said he is awaiting funding from Congress to complete repairs. He said unrepaired damage to the control infrastructure would leave the drainage susceptible to flooding in 2012 if another unusually wet spring hits the region. He told governors or representatives of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas that the agency is looking for more storage room for floodwater for 2012. McMahon said a report due next week is likely to have specific recommendations.” http://apne.ws/vwVzXr

DISASTER RECOVERY — ‘State considers waiving new federal wage standards for Joplin tornado reconstruction,’ AP: “Missouri’s housing agency will meet in Columbia to consider whether to allow the state to bypass new federal wage standards for tornado recovery projects. A Missouri Housing Development Commission recovery plan requires workers on state-subsidized projects to be paid the prevailing federal wage used on federally funded public works projects. Those wage limits increased substantially in September.” http://bit.ly/s9LfFB

MOVEMENT IN DC — ‘McCaskill, Blunt praise passage of defense bill,’ AP: “U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is claiming victory in passage of a defense bill that she says is free of earmarks. The Democrat from Missouri had complained that a version previously considered by a House committee included 115 spending earmarks for projects. But McCaskill says the final version sent Thursday to President Barack Obama contains no earmarks - thanks to an amendment she sponsored.

“Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri also is praising passage of the bill. He says it begins to authorize the development of a new long-range strike bomber, which Blunt hopes will result in jobs in Missouri. Blunt says the bill also contains an amendment he sponsored ensuring National Guard soldiers activated for domestic emergencies receive the same employment rights as soldiers returning from overseas duty.” http://apne.ws/vAJEQm

GOOD JOB GUYS — ‘Patrol: Missouri likely to reclaim its title as meth capital,’ Springfield News-Leader: “Missouri will likely reclaim the dubious distinction this year of being the methamphetamine capital of the United States, according to Missouri Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Ron Replogle. ‘We are going to exceed 2,000 (labs) this year,’ he said Thursday during a session of the Springfield DWI Task Force. It’s possible that number will rank Missouri first in meth labs, displacing current top state Kentucky, Replogle said. By the end of the year Missouri’s lab seizure total will hit 2,100, he said. … 

“Replogle said Gov. Jay Nixon has given the Highway Patrol permission to support further restrictions on the sale of pseudoephedrine. Replogle said he expects intense opposition from drug company lobbyists to restricting the availability of popular cold medicine. Past drug company efforts have involved warning people their cold medicines will be taken away, he said.” http://sgfnow.co/vJ4bJI

EDITORIAL — ‘Missouri voters must reduce influence of money in politics,’ Post-Dispatch: “[C]ampaign finance laws limit candidates for federal office to seeking no more than $5,000 from any individual — $2,500 each for the primary and general elections. There are no campaign contribution limits, however, for state or local politicians in Missouri. For lawmakers in key positions, five- and six-figure contributions are common. … It’s time for Missouri lawmakers —or more likely, Missouri citizens — to pass a ballot initiative to tame our state’s out-of-control political culture. … 

“Ask any Missouri politician and he’ll piously tell you that campaign donations don’t affect his policy decisions. But follow the money, both in donations and lobbyists’ gifts, which also are unlimited in Missouri, and you’ll find that money and votes mesh way more often than not. That’s why the FBI has sniffed around the Missouri Capitol investigating campaign donations at least twice in recent years. Once the feds were tracing the flow of money from developers to the Missouri Housing Development Commission. Once they were investigating the laundering of campaign donations related to passage of a 2005 bill that sought to outlaw certain adult entertainment business practices. … The Show-Me-The-Money state is one of only four in the nation — Oregon, Utah and Virginia are the others — to place no limits on campaign contributions of any kind. And Missouri is the only state of those four to have the double whammy of no limit whatsoever on gifts from lobbyists.” http://bit.ly/s4PkWx

SLATE MAGAZINE takes a look at Missouri’s New Madrid fault, days before the 100th anniversary of its last major earthquake: ‘The Mississippi River Ran Backward: The strange story of the massive 1811-12 New Madrid earthquakes, and why Midwesterners still haven’t gotten over them,’ by Curtis Sittenfeld: “In the past 20 years, GPS equipment monitoring the fault has recorded little of the movement that would be expected if it were still active … If those holding opposing viewpoints are unlikely to come to an agreement anytime soon, the public is, in a rather weird way, splitting the difference. People I know aren’t preparing for another major quake in practical ways—holding family earthquake drills or stockpiling emergency supplies—but they’re far from ready to accept that the fault has shut down. St. Louis is about 170 miles from New Madrid, and logically, those of us within shaking distance of the fault should be relieved by evidence that it no longer poses a threat, but in both media coverage anticipating the 200th anniversary of 1811 and in conversations I’ve had, it’s clear that people are reluctant to accept that the danger has passed. … 

“So why do so many other Missourians… seem strangely disappointed by and even defensive about this potential downgrading of a natural disaster? Maybe, in our age of nonexistent weapons of mass destruction and sham celebrity weddings, it’s just hard not to be cynical. Or maybe it’s that Midwesterners know we’re not considered particularly interesting by the nation as a whole, and we’re loath to lose one of our few marks of distinction. (Already, Missouri jeopardized its status as a bellwether state with the 2008 presidential election.) Or could it be for the same reason that people watch horror movies—because suspense makes everything more exciting? As it happens, I hate horror movies, but then again, I find everyday life sufficiently terrifying.” http://slate.me/smRlgL