263 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY… 172 DAYS UNTIL THE AUGUST PRIMARY

AD WARS — U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is the target of two new ads launched this week, focusing on her support of the Affordable Care Act and the Obama administration’s new rule mandating insurance policies cover contraceptive services: 

+ Former state Treasurer launched her first TV ad focusing on the issue. Steelman, to the camera: “The Obama administration continues to trample on our constitutional rights by mandating that catholic and other faith based institutions provide services that violate their beliefs. It is a slap in the face for religious freedom, and another disastrous byproduct of Obamacare. Worst yet: Claire McCaskill has agreed with him, I don’t. This rule must be overturned and Obamacare must go.  I’m Sarah Steelman, the conservative running for U.S. Senate.” Video: http://bit.ly/wQrVHQ

+ American Crossroads GPS launched a weeklong, $65,000 radio spot of their own focusing on the same topic: “Republicans and Democrats have called on President Obama to withdraw his extreme rule.  But Washington insider Claire McCaskill is tone deaf to the real world.  She’s defending this Obamacare mandate.” http://politi.co/wnxnZK

ADRIANNE MARSH, McCaskill’s campaign manager, in an email to supporters: “The attack ads that have been launched at Claire so far this election have been outrageous, but a new ad from the Missouri Republican Party is far more offensive than anything else we’ve seen yet. Even Karl Rove’s new ad doesn’t go this far. They have turned Claire’s belief that birth control should be available to women into a political football, shamefully referring to birth control as a ‘procedure’ in their latest ad, which is a term we all know is used as code for abortion. Claire will continue to fight, even in the face of these distortions and mistruths, to ensure women’s access to birth control is protected just as she’ll continue to fight for religious freedom — because she knows that we can have both.” 

— A McCaskill website soliciting campaign contributions features the audio of the MOGOP’s ad. http://bit.ly/x7XZKx

MCCASKILL STICKS WITH OBAMA — As other vulnerable Democrats try to distance themselves from President Obama, POLITICO’s Scott Wong calls McCaskill an ‘Obama loyalist to the end’: “McCaskill has unabashedly hitched herself to Obama — for better or worse, in political sickness or health. Resigned to the reality that her Republican opponents will tie her to the president no matter what, the blunt-spoken senator seems to have arrived at this conclusion: As Obama goes in Missouri, a state he narrowly lost four years ago, so goes McCaskill. …

“A Congressional Quarterly analysis revealed that in 2011, McCaskill voted with the majority of her party only 80 percent of the time, yet it showed she backed the president’s policies 92 percent of the time. In 2010, CQ said she supported Obama 98 percent of the time. ’It’s not complicated. Sometimes I agree with him, and sometimes I disagree with him, and it has to do with the issue and very little to do with him,’ McCaskill told POLITICO in her self-assured, matter-of-fact tone. ‘When you’ve got real objective proof points that your record has been independent, it’s not something that concerns you too much’… 

“Even McCaskill knows her race this fall may be tougher than in 2006, a wave election for Democrats in which she narrowly defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Jim Talent 49.6 percent to 47.3 percent. And while he took swing states like Colorado, Florida and North Carolina in 2008, Obama lost to John McCain in Missouri by 0.1 percentage point.” http://bit.ly/z5nUzZ

— Facts of life: That headline will be in an ad near you as soon as someone has the money to produce one. NRSC emails: “Sometimes a headline says it all.” 

KOSTER WATCH — ‘AG says ‘end is near’ for troubled disability fund,’ AP: “Missouri’s attorney general warned Wednesday that a state fund for disabled workers is on financial life support and suggested it should either be abolished or revamped so that it can be replenished by imposing larger surcharges on businesses. Attorney General Chris Koster said he already has laid off about one-third of the attorneys who defend claims against the fund and has delayed $14.5 million of payments due to injured workers — which are accruing interest at 9 percent — to try to keep the fund afloat. But such ‘triage’ efforts cannot sustain the fund much longer, he said. … 

“Koster said he would prefer the fund simply be phased out. … If lawmakers decide to continue the fund, Koster said he would oppose the creation of a four-person board — consisting of himself, Gov. Jay Nixon and the leaders of the House and Senate — to set the surcharge rates. Instead, Koster said the surcharge on businesses should be based on actuarial evidence and mathematics as determined by ‘competent experts.’” http://bit.ly/wH1u1u

GOOD THURSDAY 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 Joplin today to detail his Habit Challenge, and  Lee’s Summit this afternoon, with University of Central Missouri President Charles Ambrose to launch the ‘Missouri Innovation Campus.’ Per release: “The Innovation Campus is a groundbreaking approach to higher education that will train Missouri students for careers in high-demand fields while cutting the time needed to earn a degree and reducing student debt.” 

SEN. ROY BLUNT holds his weekly press call today, so expect your “Roy Blunt” Google Alert — already active this week — to perk up today. 

OUT TODAY —John Combest’s annual Lincoln Days bingo card. Some of the highlights: “Button-down collar with suit,”… “It’s cute how he thinks he can win,”… “Dave Spence serving ice cream in apron,” and, our favorite and most applicable, “Journalist still taking notes with pen, paper” (Somebody has to write the stories!) http://bit.ly/zUeQGN

— We’re still looking for an “official” hashtag for the weekend. Test-ran “#MOld,” this morning, but it’s “growing on” some people. Ideas?  

MISSOURI’S ELECTORAL STATUS —  ‘Will Missouri join national effort to give presidency to winner of popular vote?,’ Jo Mannies: “In a rare bipartisan move, the Missouri House’s top Republican and Democrat have signed on as cosponsors to a bill — part of a national movement — that seeks to commit the state to awarding all of its presidential electors to the candidate who wins the national popular vote. … Called the “National Popular Vote bill,” national supporters say it ‘would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire United States. The bill ensures that every vote, in every state, will matter in every presidential election.’ Under the bill, the adopting state agrees that its electors (equal to the number of its members in the U.S. House and Senate) will be awarded to the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide. The deal won’t go into effect until legislative approval has been obtained in enough states where the electoral votes equal 270 — the number that a presidential candidate needs to win the White House.” http://bit.ly/Ad2J4Q

EDUCATION — ‘Bill to break up KC school district passes Missouri Senate committee,’ BY JASON HANCOCK in the KC Star: “Legislation that would permanently dissolve the unaccredited Kansas City Public Schools district, carve it up and require neighboring districts to take over city schools won approval of a Missouri Senate committee Tuesday. … The bill, which is sponsored by Republican Sen. Jane Cunningham of Chesterfield, would not call for a vote before the district is dissolved. It would happen automatically within six months of a district becoming unaccredited or by July 1, whichever occurs later. For Kansas City, that would mean the 2012-2013 school year would be the last under the current district boundary lines. … Senate Minority Leader Victor Callahan, a Democrat from Independence, also pointed to the lack of a referendum as a key problem with Cunningham’s legislation. Under current law, a local referendum must be held before any district lines can change. The last time the boundary change law was used was in 2007, when the annexation of a portion of Kansas City schools into Independence was approved by voters in both districts.” http://bit.ly/wZqslU

REDISTRICTING FALLOUT — ‘Mo. Senate backs bill to delay candidacy filing,’ AP: “Missouri senators are quickly trying to postpone the state’s candidacy filing period for the 2012 elections because of lingering uncertainties about the boundaries for state Senate, House and U.S. congressional districts. The Senate gave initial approval Wednesday to legislation that would delay filing by about a month, setting the period to run from March 27 through April 24. Barring a change to Missouri law, it is currently scheduled to begin Feb. 28 and run through March 27. … The Senate was expected to give second-round approval Thursday to the legislation delaying the filing period. It would then have to be passed by the House and signed by Nixon before Feb. 28. House Speaker Steven Tilley said last week that the need to delay the start of candidate filing seems to be a more pressing issue for the Senate. However, he said House Republicans were willing to consider the legislation.” http://bit.ly/zCeGw

— Rudi Keller writes about how state Sen. Jane Cunningham is concerned about ballot placement because all of the redistricting mess: “Cunningham worried aloud that she could lose the coveted first spot on the ballot in the Republican primary if she is forced to withdraw and refile after a new Senate map is approved. ‘What happens with first on the ballot?’ she asked. Under the system used by the Secretary of State, candidates who file on the first day are put into a lottery. Drawing the lowest number for a particular race means a spot at the top of the ballot, a position that is considered prime political real estate. Candidates who withdraw to file for a different office or district lose any advantage gained during the lottery draw. … There is little chance Cunningham would face anyone who lives in the current 27th District in an August primary. The district as it stands now designates a region of Southeast Missouri about 100 miles from St. Louis County, where Cunningham lives. But her concerns — and the uncertainty over Senate districts — illustrate how this issue could spill over into other races. There is very little wiggle room in the dates — putting filing off for a month will leave only about four weeks for Carnahan’s office to do all the background checks necessary to make sure candidates are qualified to run.” http://bit.ly/xW1MUP 

ETHICS — The Kansas City Star penned an editorial criticizing Missouri’s campaign ethics laws, after most provisions of the 2010 ethics law was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court: “Cleaning up Missouri’s money-grubbing political culture is hardly a priority for legislative leaders. … In a best-case scenario, a unanimous Missouri Supreme Court ruling this week will bring the issue to the front burner. … The legislature should have passed a clean, comprehensive bill in 2010 instead of settling for a few reforms tacked onto a purchasing bill. It has the chance to correct that mistake. 

“But in a worst-case scenario — which too often defines the legislature’s work these days — lawmakers will simply let matters lapse, and Missouri will lose the few significant reforms it gained in 2010. The biggest step forward was a ban on transfering campaign donations among multiple committees so that the public can’t trace the original donor. The legislation also required candidates for state offices to publicly report contributions of $500 or more within 48 hours of getting them. And it gave new powers to the state Ethics Commission. All of those protections are now gone. … 

“Missouri is picking up some unsavory distinctions. Weak laws make it a magnet for payday loan shops, dog-breeding operations and cigarette vendors. At the same time the state spends too little on education, and its public health outcomes are abysmal. It is no coincidence that Missouri also has the nation’s weakest ethics and campaign finance laws. Good government can’t thrive when special interests are sucking up all the oxygen. The Missouri legislature hasn’t accomplished much of late. Passing legislation to clean up its own act would be a signature achievement and lay the groundwork for better things to come.” http://bit.ly/zCXrox

WHAT CLEAVER IS UP TO — ‘Whitney Houston To Be Honored By Congressional Black Caucus,’ Huffington Post: “The Congressional Black Caucus will honor Whitney Houston with a resolution that will be sent to Houston’s family in time for the late singer’s funeral on Saturday, according to Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), chairman of the caucus. … Cleaver said he is writing the resolution himself. Houston’s family asked that the caucus send something for the funeral, he said. A spokeswoman for the caucus said later that the resolution would be read aloud at the service. Cleaver said he opted not to file an official resolution that would get a House vote because “very little is done around here” and he didn’t think there was time before the funeral. He also suggested it would be inappropriate to bring such a resolution to the House floor. ‘No family deserves to have a debate over whether or not a deceased loved one should be honored,’ Cleaver said.” http://huff.to/AgEtk0

SPORTZZZZ — ‘Missouri avenges loss to Oklahoma State,’ CBS Sports: “ If seeking revenge for one of its only two losses this season was on No. 3 Missouri’s mind, the Tigers kept that goal in the locker room Wednesday night. … Missouri started slow, making just one of its first six shots as the Cowboys took an early 4-point lead. But the Tigers soon found their shooting touch and it fueled a 23-4 run over 9 minutes in first half that helped Missouri put the game away. They led 44-22 at halftime and by as many as 35 points with 7 minutes remaining before a late Oklahoma State run with several Missouri starters on the bench. … Missouri’s lead was so large that coach Frank Haith was able to put little-used reserves Jarrett Sutton and Andrew Jones, a tight end recruited from the football team early in the hoops season to shore up a thin front line, into the game with nearly 5 minutes remaining.” http://bit.ly/xQr85n