285 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY… 194 DAYS UNTIL THE AUGUST PRIMARY

STATE OF OUR UNION — Soon after President Barack Obama delivered his third State of the Union address, where he called for economic fairness and for political leaders to work together, members of the Missouri delegation to Congress offered their own, mixed, reactions to Obama’s remarks.

— Sen. Claire McCaskill, D.: “The vision President Obama laid out to bolster manufacturing, like we did at the Ford plant in Kansas City, and invest in our work force is a starting point that we all should be able to support. Missouri’s middle class families can’t endure more partisanship, brinksmanship, and political games. They expect us to work together and be willing to compromise. I’m ready to work towards that goal.”

— Sen. Roy Blunt, R.: “Tonight we heard a lot from the President about ‘economic fairness’ and ‘American values.’ The most important American value in the economy is the value of an individual to get a job, and hopefully to get a private sector job. The President’s economic policies have not only failed – they’ve clearly made the economy worse. … We need to work together to meet the number one domestic priority in the country, and that’s more private sector job creation. The President needs to understand that, or else we’re not going to solve the problems of this economy.”

— Rep. Lacy Clay, D.-St. Louis: “Tonight’s speech demonstrated President Obama’s positive vision, and reminded me of Presidents Bill Clinton and Franklin Roosevelt. … American manufacturing and the skilled jobs that it creates is already showing real strength. We’re seeing that in the St. Louis region at companies like Boeing and General Motors. … Under President Obama’s leadership, the economy is growing again.  The economy has added a total of 3.2 million private sector jobs over the last 22 months. … President Obama and I intend to keep moving forward and rebuild an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded – an economy built to last for everyone.”

— Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R.-Harrisonville: “What we heard were more of the same failed economic policies. The President’s idea of an economic development plan is to spend and borrow more and to put this country deeper into debt. This is a plan that is doomed to failure. President Obama should have called for the embracing of sound economic policies that would help small businesses and spur job growth. … I am disappointed that President Obama has once again failed the American people by putting his tax and spend political agenda ahead of what is in the best interests of the America people.”

— Rep. Billy Long, R.-Springfield: “President Obama can’t cover up his bad policies with more fancy speeches. Over 1.7 million people have lost their jobs since the President came into office three years ago and the deficit has gone up $4.6 trillion dollars. It would be hard to do a worse job if you tried. The President tried to pass the buck and claim that Republicans are to blame for the mess we’re in. … If you had his record you wouldn’t want to run on it either so of course he is blaming Congress. The President continued campaigning tonight against a do-nothing Congress much as Harry Truman did. The difference is out economy was in much better shape in 1948.”

— Congressional Black Caucus Chairman, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, R.-Kansas City: We stand at a critical moment in American history. We can choose to uplift a small segment of our population or we can work together to improve the lives of all Americans. … I along with President Obama believe that we all deserve a fair chance, access to jobs, good education, fair taxes and an opportunity to achieve the American dream, but every American does not have access to these kinds of opportunities. Recklessly eliminating vital programs like job training, education, and health care for millions of hardworking American families is not a roadmap to getting our economy back on track. … Tonight, President Obama laid out a clear blueprint to continue rebuilding our economy through American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values that will strengthen our nation’s fragile economy, not just for our children’s children, but for generations to come.”

THE PREBUTTLES — Sen. McCaskill and Rep. Cleaver both released their statements last night with an embargo before the president finished his remarks. 

MO IMPACT — ‘President’s words watched closely in Missouri town stung by failed factory from China,’ AP in the Washington Post: “As President Barack Obama again pledged to repair the American economy in his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, some Moberly residents chalked up his pronouncements as just more rosy rhetoric by a politician — not unlike the July 2010 day when Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and former Gov. Bob Holden came to the town of nearly 14,000 and hailed the Mamtek project’s potential. Others blamed an intractable Congress for not working more closely with the president to lift the country’s economy. Still more held out hope that manufacturing companies lured by the region’s low cost-of-living and central location would once again seek out Moberly, a 136-year-old railroad hub that became known as the Magic City in the late 19th century for its seemingly overnight emergence on once-empty prairie. … Political affiliation aside, Moberly residents interviewed Tuesday tended to agree that improving the economy and creating more local jobs are the most important issues facing their community and the country. Look no further than a commuter parking lot along U.S. 63 packed with cars while their owners work 35 miles south in the college town of Columbia. Moberly, in turn, attracts workers from dozens of surrounding rural towns.” http://wapo.st/Axd42z

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

GOV. JAY NIXON will be in Mexico and Liberty, Mo., today to detail his Missouri Works plan at local manufacturing facilities. 

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE Bill Randles will be in Jefferson City and Columbia today meeting with reporters and local Republicans. 

SIGH — ‘Gabby Giffords and an Ominous Development in Missouri,’ Mother Jones: “There was overwhelming bipartisan agreement on Tuesday night that Gabrielle Giffords’ arrival for President Obama’s State of the Union address was the most compelling moment of the evening. … Her story is as potent a mix of painful and inspirational as there is, and you’d hope that it could stand as something of an antidote to the poisonous politics of the era. Which is why some news out of Missouri on Tuesday was particularly stomach-churning: Just hours before Giffords made her way into the nation’s Capitol, an unknown provocateur was stalking the halls of the Missouri Capitol, tagging the doors of lawmakers—most of them Democratic women—with images of rifle crosshairs. … It’s an apt moment to recall that Giffords once criticized Sarah Palin for using a map that literally put political enemies in the crosshairs.” http://bit.ly/zBuqED

— AP: “The point of the stickers was not immediately clear. However, their discovery came as the Senate was debating legislation on whether Missouri should implement a portion of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Several Democrats were leading the opposition to the Republican-backed bill, which would require approval from the state Legislature or voters before Missouri can take steps to create a state-run health-insurance exchange. … Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, a Republican from Dexter, said both the Missouri Capitol Police and State Highway Patrol were investigating the stickers. He vowed that senators would seek punishment for whoever was responsible for ‘this horrible conduct.’” 

— PIC: http://bit.ly/AAbgp5

2012 BUDGETING — ‘Blunt blasts budget delays,’ PoliticMo: “S. Sen. Roy Blunt, newly elected to Senate Republican leadership, said with the fiscal challenges the federal government is facing, ‘we can’t wait’ to pass a budget. ‘I hope the President and Senate Democrat leaders will embrace their own mantra and say ‘yes we can’ to working with Republicans in Congress to accomplish this important task,’ Blunt said in a statement Tuesday morning. Monday, the White House announced they will delay submission of their budget until February 13, a week later than previously scheduled. Speaking with reporters Tuesday morning, Blunt blasted the delay. ‘It’s an annually required exercise,’ Blunt said, ‘that makes spending of people’s money much, much harder.’” http://bit.ly/zVR7bu

— KC Star: “Blunt … defended the lower tax treatment for investment (sometimes called unearned) income compared with the effective tax rate for ordinary (sometimes called earned) income. The issue is part of the discussion surrounding Mitt Romney’s tax returns, which were released Tuesday. … Blunt said the lower tax rate for investments is justified, despite arguments from billionaire Warren Buffett and others that it’s unfair to tax earned income, like wages, at a higher rate than investments. … Blunt is upset that the White House uses the Buffett example to argue for higher income tax rates for millionaires, not for a higher tax rate on investment income.” http://bit.ly/y87xuF    

2012 LEGISLATING — ‘Schoeller Voter ID bill moves through committee,’ PoliticMo: “A law mandating voters present photo identification at polling places has moved one more step up the legislative ladder. Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller’s legislation, House Bill 1104, passed the House Ethics Committee Tuesday morning. … Democrats accuse Schoeller, and other Republicans, of trying to make the voting process more difficult for lower income voters who, they contend, may not have resources or time to obtain valid identification, and who also tend to support Democrats. … The bill now heads to the entire House for debate.” http://bit.ly/xlDqm9

— ‘Mo. House weighs bill on state regulations,’ AP: “ The Missouri House is preparing to debate legislation requiring periodic review of the state’s administrative regulations. The bill on Wednesday’s calendar would require state agencies to take a fresh look at rules and regulations from time to time. Agencies would consider such factors as whether a rule is necessary, overly restrictive or obsolete. Existing regulations would expire on a rolling schedule starting in 2015. State agencies that want to keep specific rules would have to renew them once a decade.” http://apne.ws/ABNvmy

— ‘Mo Senate Debates Separation of Church and State,’ KMOX: “A Senate proposal would allow state funding to go to religious institutions. The possibility is sparking debate over its impact on the separation of church and state. Sen. Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville, introduced the proposal to the Senate Thursday. If passed, the resolution would repeal a current constitutional amendment prohibiting state funding for religious organizations. Rupp said his reasoning for the proposal came about in part because schools in Kansas City and Saint Louis lost state accreditation. Rupp says under performing public schools are part of his motivation in garnering support for parochial schools.” http://cbsloc.al/xOIhZf

SPORTZZZ — SIREN: “Could Mizzou win Big 12,” asks SB Nation: “With 12 games to go in the regular season, the Missouri Tigers are within striking distance of their first regular season conference title since 1994. How can they finish on top of the Big 12 in 2012? … Missouri caught the attention of a ton of national pundits after their performance in Waco last weekend because they proved they could win on the road against a team with a lot of size. After that showing on Saturday, they are making people stop and think if they could really win the Big 12 this season. … Missouri only really has two challenging road games left, one against Texas and one against Kansas. … Yes, Missouri has some tougher home games left on the schedule (Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State), but Mizzou Arena has been very, very kind to the Tigers in the past few years and they should also be favored in all of those games. … 

“Missouri is not perfect, but they do have an unbelievable amount of confidence and quickness at this point in the season. … Missouri has a style and they have embraced it and got the most out of it. … All of these points show that the No. 2 Tigers should be favored to win the conference.” http://sbn.to/x29X25