265 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY… 173 DAYS UNTIL THE AUGUST PRIMARY

POLITICMO EXCLUSIVE — First in Rundown: The National Republican Congressional Committee will announce in a press release later this morning that 2nd Congressional District candidate Ann Wagner has reached “contender” status in their “Young Gun” program. 

— NRCC release: “In achieving ‘Contender’ status, Wagner has met the third set of these organizational and fundraising benchmarks and has already begun to establish herself as a strong contender. … With the third set of rigorous benchmarks met in order to achieve ‘Contender’ status, Ann Wagner will now work toward even higher goals that will help her advance in the ‘Young Guns’ program and build an effective, winning campaign.” 

— Quote from NRCC Chair Pete Sessions: “We are looking forward to working with Ann Wagner, who has already proven herself by meeting rigorous benchmarks in the ‘Young Guns’ program that will position her campaign for victory. Ann Wagner’s dedication and experience positions her to advocate for pro-growth policies and fight the failed Democrat status quo in Washington. This will stand in stark contrast to Democrats’ record of spending, borrowing and taxing that working families in Missouri know has failed.”

2012 BUDGETING — ‘McCaskill, Blunt criticize deficit in new Obama budget,’ PoliticMo: “Both of Missouri’s U.S. Senators spoke out Monday against the deficit levels in President Obama’s proposed 2013 budget. The proposal, announced Monday morning by the president in Virginia, would cost nearly $3.8 trillion, with a deficit topping $1 trillion for the fourth year in a row. … ‘Unfortunately, this budget still includes unacceptable deficit levels and I’m ready to work with Democrats and Republicans alike to tackle this problem,’ [Sen. Claire] McCaskill said in a statement. … Sen. Roy Blunt dismissed Obama’s proposal as ‘a campaign document,’ instead of a ‘serious’ budget proposal. … The proposal is likely dead on arrival in both the Senate and the U.S. House, where it also received criticism from members of both parties. U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, criticized the budget for its deficit, and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, criticized it for cutting spending too much on some entitlement programs.” http://bit.ly/wLhPsN

THE CONTENDERS —McCaskill’s challengers weighed in throughout the day yesterday: 

+ Todd Akin campaign release: “Today America is threatened with a clear and present danger from within — creeping socialism The Obama/McCaskill Team has America on the brink of insolvency and yet their only solution is more spending. The President just doesn’t understand simple economics.  You can’t spend more than you make; and higher taxes means fewer jobs created.”

+ John Brunner: “Between the inability of Claire McCaskill and Senate Democrats to pass a budget for three straight years and President Obama’s refusal to lead on economic policy, it is clear that Democratic leadership is failing.  As the next U.S. Senator from Missouri, I will immediately get to work using my three decades of business experience managing balanced budgets and creating jobs to press for passing a budget that provides real economic recovery and reform.”

+ Sarah Steelman: “President Obama’s budget proposal is fiscally irresponsible and outrageous. Claire McCaskill and Obama, along with the rest of the senate democrats, sat and watched as our credit rating dropped last summer because of our debt outlook. And what do they do? Spend more money that we don’t have. This fiscal irresponsibility has produced massive debt and meets the definition of insanity—and it isn’t going anywhere! We must start making the tough choices to cut back our federal government and we must start now!”

HOW THEY SEE US — The national liberal blog ThinkProgress criticized Missouri’s own Democratic governor Monday for his decision to use money from a national mortgage settlement to address budget shortfalls: “Last week, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) announced that he would use the funds his state received from a $26 billion mortgage settlement between 49 states and the nation’s largest banks to help balance the state’s budget, even though the settlement money was marked to help homeowners. … Though Walker’s move to push struggling homeowners aside may seem radical, it is now being followed by at least one other state. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) and Attorney General Chris Koster (D) have pledged to put $40 million of the state’s $196 million share of the settlement into the state’s general fund to boost its higher education budget. … [W]hile Nixon and Koster’s plan to boost higher education funding, which faces a 12.5 percent cut in Nixon’s proposed budget, is certainly a noble goal, there are other sources from which the money could come that wouldn’t jeopardize relief from homeowners. … Ending [state tax] credits, many of which go to corporations, could generate more than $500 million in new revenue, more than enough to restore the higher education budget without taking money from programs meant to help struggling homeowners.” http://bit.ly/wxWyij

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

IT IS VALENTINES DAY!

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL will attend an Armed Services Committee hearing this morning to question Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey, said her office. The event, starting at 8:30 a.m. CT, will stream live here: http://1.usa.gov/AdYe3d

ATTORNEYS SUPPORT NIXON — ‘Lawyers favor Gov. Jay Nixon in donations,’ Post-Dispatch: “Lawyers aren’t hesitating to pull out their checkbooks for Gov. Jay Nixon. … A Post-Dispatch analysis of campaign contributions from that period found that roughly one of every three dollars Nixon raised — about $2 million of $6.28 million — came from lawyers. On average, lawyers have made larger donations than others have. Even when all $100,000 donations are excluded, the average donation from an attorney or firm is $2,446. The average of the rest of the donations is $1,349. It’s not unusual for trial lawyers to donate to a Democratic governor — particularly one who served four terms as Missouri’s attorney general — and they’ve been generous to Nixon. Twelve firms that handle civil litigation have donated at least $50,000 each. … 

“In an email, Nixon’s campaign manager, Oren Shur, said that considering Nixon’s ‘long record of standing up for seniors and consumers,’ the governor’s support from the legal community was unsurprising. And Nixon is part of the legal community, having graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia law school. Donors to the campaign, Shur said, include thousands of contributions ‘from a wide range of Missourians — Democrats and Republicans — who believe the governor has shown remarkably strong leadership for our state during challenging times.’” http://bit.ly/xomfvP

2012 LEGISLATING — Phill Brooks penned a column for the Joplin Globe, ‘Nixon’s stand-off approach to Legislature noticed’: “During the past few weeks, there have been increasing complaints from state legislators about the governor’s relationship with the Missouri General Assembly. Even Democrats, privately and sometimes not so privately, are voicing frustrations about Gov. Jay Nixon’s stand-off approach with the Legislature and individual legislators. … What is unusual about Nixon’s relationship is his near-complete visible absence from the legislative process. He rarely is seen on the Legislature’s third floor of the Capitol where the Senate and House chambers are located, just one flight of stairs up from his own office. The past two times I caught the governor on the legislative floor during the last special session, he was barricaded behind an army of aides and security detail. Those two times involved short visits to legislative leaders’ offices. … 

“What makes Nixon’s legislative detachment perplexing is that he shares some of the attributes of these past governors who had such successful and close legislative interactions. Like Hearnes and Carnahan, Nixon served in the Legislature. Although he never rose to a top leadership position in the Senate, he worked on a number of legislative issues as a four-term attorney general. He knows the process. He knows the issues. He has an ease of conversation on complicated and controversial policy issues that would fit well with lawmakers and their environment. Yet, for whatever reason, lawmakers find almost a complete detachment from Jay Nixon, just one flight of stairs below their legislative chambers.” http://bit.ly/yY3Rat

— ‘House speaker rules out higher Missouri casino fee,’ Virginia Young: “Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley is siding with the gambling industry in firm opposition to Gov. Jay Nixon’s proposal to increase casino entrance fees. … Tilley, R-Perryville, said he is exploring an alternative that would earmark, among other possible sources, future growth in casino fee revenue — money that would be generated from increased admissions. Tilley said he floated his ideas in a meeting with the Democratic governor and hopes to come up with a bipartisan proposal by later this week or next week. … Nixon’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year relies on a $1-per-patron increase in casino admission fees to generate $50 million a year for the homes. The casino entrance fee is currently $2, with half going to the state and half to the home-dock city or county.  Gamblers aren’t charged the fee; casinos absorb it.” http://bit.ly/wnv8jx

— ‘Senate starts workers’ comp debate today,’ MissouriNet: “A rewriting of the state’s workers’ compensation law begins today at the state capitol. The House and the Senate reached a compromise agreement on changes to workers’ comp last year but didn’t have time to pass the bill.   Senator Tom Dempsey of St. Peters is starting this year with that compromise bill. … The bill says employees not legally authorized to  work in this country are not covered by the workers’ comp program. Dempsey expects robust debate but nothing like the debate on changing employment discrimination laws.” http://bit.ly/zrPvgM

CARNAHAN WATCH — ‘Carnahan steps down as Wind Capital chairman,’ Post-Dispatch: “Seven years after founding St. Louis-based Wind Capital Group LLC, Tom Carnahan said Monday that he has resigned as the company’s chairman. Carnahan, who turned 43 last month, left Wind Capital in late January — a year after stepping aside as from his role as chief executive. … The youngest member of one of the state’s most prominent political families, Carnahan gave up his law practice in 2005 to become an entrepreneur. Now, he’s evaluating new opportunities, but declined to be more specific. … Whatever he pursues next will probably involve the wind energy business, but he isn’t limiting himself to that, he said. … 

“Carnahan didn’t have energy industry experience when he started Wind Capital. But he did have a last name that was recognizable to Missourians. But his family’s political clout cuts both ways, and his company became a target of GOP attacks in 2010 at a time when his brother Russ Carnahan was seeking re-election to Congress. And Tom Carnahan hasn’t shied away from politics since then, hosting President Barack Obama at a $25,000-a-person fundraising dinner at his St. Louis home last fall.” http://bit.ly/AkwJPi

MAMTEK MESS — ‘Mamtek report suggests business oversight fixes,’ Rudi Keller for the Columbia Daily Tribune: “The House Special Standing Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability made recommendations in nine areas in the draft that is being circulated to committee members for comment. … The committee report blames most of the public and private entities involved with Mamtek for failing to protect taxpayers. The state Department of Economic Development did not share vital information that raised questions about Mamtek’s financial and business claims, the report noted. And, the committee concluded, Moberly moved quickly to promise city backing for the project without adequate review. Finally, the report concludes, consultants such as bond underwriters and ratings agencies relied on Moberly’s credit, not the viability of Mamtek as a business, to determine whether to participate in the bond issue. … 

“Among the legislative recommendations, the committee wants to: Require third-party verification of financial claims such as private capital backing and contracts to pre-sell a new business’ products; Full sharing of information between state and local agencies; Clear listing of responsibilities for conducting company reviews;  Require third parties involved in financing to do independent evaluations of the project for viability or require bond insurance; Impose minimum time limits for industrial bond issues so they can be fully reviewed or require voter approval for any local economic development bonds.” http://bit.ly/zS09up

PDK — ‘After seven years in office, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder hands over keys to state car,’ Jake Wagman: “Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder feels so passionately about saving taxpayer dollars that, after seven years in office, he is giving up his official state automobile. In a release from his office Monday, the state’s No. 2 said he is relinquishing the keys in hopes the state can sell the car and use the money to boost revenue. Kinder said giving back his taxpayer-owned wheels is part of an effort to keep costs down in his office. Since 2009, Kinder says, he has cut his office budget nearly 10 percent. The lieutenant governor has enjoyed access to state automobile since 2005, his first year in office, but he reimbursed the state for personal or campaign use of the vehicle. … 

“Kinder’s stab at further frugality comes as he fights off a primary challenger, Northwest Missouri State Sen. Brad Lager, to hold onto his seat. If he hasn’t already, Lager is sure to mention the $52,000 Kinder repaid the state for his travels across Missouri, including trips to St. Louis for Tea Party and sporting events.” http://bit.ly/zpSiyR

SINQUEFIELD — ‘Author of column cited by Sinquefield says it was meant as satire,’ Jason Rosenbaum: “In remarks that have since gone viral, retired businessman Rex Sinquefield referenced a column in a central Missouri newspaper that seemed to suggest that the Ku Klux Klan created public education to harm blackchildren. But the author of that column said the piece was meant to be satire and dark humor to make a broader point about the need for school vouchers, and was not meant to be taken literally. The 2007 column ‘speaks for itself,’ said author Ralph Voss, a former judge and a Republican, in a telephone interview. ‘I could elaborate, but I couldn’t make it any more clear.’ … 

“Said Sinquefield about the column: ‘He starts off – and it’s something like this – he said a long time ago, decades ago, the Ku Klux Klan got together and said how we can really hurt the African-American children permanently? How can we ruin their lives And what they designed was the public school system.’ That comment has sparked a flurry of condemnations from Democratic lawmakers and education groups. For instance, the Missouri School Boards Association called on all politicians to return their donations from Sinquefield. And Rep. Margo McNeil, D-Florissant, said she was ‘flabbergasted’ by Sinquefield’s comments. … 

“In the telephone interview, Voss said the column was not meant to be taken literally. Voss was a Republican associate circuit judge in the state’s 20th Judicial Circuit for 23 years. He retired fromthe bench in 2002. … Voss said it was making a point that the institutions have become so poorly run that they may as well be run by the white supremacist group. Voss added on Monday that he thought his column ‘speaks for itself.’ Voss pointed out that he explicitly wrote in the piece that the Klan did not start public education.” http://bit.ly/wlwKce

JOPLIN RECOVERY — ‘Young Professionals Give Up Careers To Rebuild,’ AP: “One was a busy financial adviser. Another was an insurance agent. A third had recently finished law school and embarked on a legal career. Then came the tornado. The twister that blasted an immense hole in this Missouri city almost nine months ago also smashed the carefully crafted career plans of many young professionals. With much of their community in ruins, they abandoned secure corporate jobs to devote themselves to the town’s long recovery. … [Zach] Tusinger, 26, quit his job practicing insurance law at a private firm. He now helps low-income tornado survivors as a Legal Aid attorney. Kate Massey, 30, who worked at Edward Jones investments, cut short her maternity leave when her daughter was just six weeks old to become executive director of Rebuild Joplin, a community nonprofit. … 

“Exact numbers of people who left corporate jobs to join the recovery effort are difficult to determine. But local leaders say the influx of public servants has been noticeable. ‘It’s wonderful. It’s another example of the miracle of the human spirit,’ said Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr. ‘Joplin is underrepresented in the younger ages as far as leadership is concerned. This sets the stage for them to play a bigger role not just now but also in the future.’” http://huff.to/y5QyyB

SPORTZZ — ‘Missouri men’s basketball moves up to No. 3 in rankings,’ Columbia Missourian: “The Missouri men’s basketball team moved up one spot to No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press poll. The Tigers also moved up to No. 3 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll. Kentucky and Syracuse are the top two in both polls. Missouri’s rise comes after previous No. 3 Ohio State lost to Michigan State on Saturday. Missouri won both of its games last week, beating Oklahoma 71-68 and then-No. 6 Baylor 72-57.” http://bit.ly/zWdhEB

— Popping online: “Tradition Together, Rivals Forever,” a petition urging the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas to continue their “Border War” rivalry, as Mizzou moves to the SEC. http://on.fb.me/w1eGdL