257 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY… 166 DAYS UNTIL THE AUGUST PRIMARY

THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN announced this morning that U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, will serve as a national campaign co-chair for the president’s reelection effort. He and a couple dozen others “will serve as ambassadors for the President, advise the campaign on key issues, and help engage and mobilize voters in all 50 states.”

— Cleaver: “President Obama has called for a national commitment to create an economy built to last – one based on fairness, opportunity, and investments in our future.  With strong investments in K-12 and higher education in our most vulnerable communities and investments in job training, infrastructure and community reinvestment, the President has helped ease the burden for hard working American families and open doors of opportunity for generations to come. I am committed to working tirelessly as a National Co-Chair for Obama for America to ensure the President can continue to carry out his vision for an economy built to last and continue to bring positive change to our great country.”  

GOV. JAY NIXON sat down for a pretty extensive interview yesterday with the Kansas City Star’s editorial board. Barb Shelly on some of the highlights of their conversation: “He doesn’t favor dissolving or breaking up the Kansas City Public Schools District. ‘I think the Kansas City School District is the size that it can continue and it can succeed,’ Nixon said. He added though that ‘this jump from superintendent to superintendent is really problematic’ and ‘you’ve got to get some stability in place.’ … He’s not likely to get behind the push to raise Missouri’s lowest-in-the-nation, 17-cents-a-pack cigarette tax. … Nixon steered away from a discussion about Missouri’s chronic low funding for higher education, public health and other things and focused instead on a laundry list of his administration’s initiatives… 

“[Y]ielding to opposition from Republicans in the legislature, he has no plans to do anything about creating a health insurance exchange before the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. … He thinks the state needs a better long-term strategy for maintaining its interstates than relying on a gas tax at a time when vehicles are becoming more fuel-efficient. But he isn’t ready to say yet whether he favors tolls for Interstate 70 or other highways.” http://bit.ly/z1ClwV

U.S. SENATE RACE — ‘McCaskill Fights Back Against Attack Ads,’ Huffington Post: “Incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is on the defensive after being hit by an onslaught of negative ads from conservative groups and her Republican challengers. ‘I feel like an underdog,’ McCaskill told the Kansas City Star in an interview Sunday. ‘But I do I know my state pretty well.’ … Republicans are targeting McCaskill’s votes in favor of the president’s health care reform bill and economic stimulus, and her support of the Obama administration’s contraception mandate. McCaskill has responded with two radio spots of her own. One ad positions her toward the middle on abortion and contraception. … The other ad criticizes negative campaign tactics.” http://huff.to/AfQHC5

— #WheresBrunner? Brunner stopped in with the St. Charles News-Press Editorial board Tuesday: “[Brunner] discussed his three decades working with his family’s business, Vi-Jon Corp., maker of numerous personal care products, most notably Germ-X hand sanitizer. Several federal agencies watched the operation of this company, where Mr. Brunner served as chief executive until 2009. The candidate said, in the beginning, he valued the standards put in place. ‘It was good business to follow good regulations, and good regulations supported good business,’ he said. But regulations in all areas of business, industry and farming grew in what he came to regard as a ‘self-serving’ bureaucracy. In fact, he said, the regulations became a competitive advantage for large corporations that could afford the compliance costs. Such a business environment, he added, chokes innovation and its subsequent job growth. … In the Senate, where he hopes to replace Democrat Claire McCaskill after the November election, Mr. Brunner would push for laws injecting “common-sense elements” into the regulatory process. … 

“Announced candidates for the GOP nomination include St. Louis-area Congressman Todd Akin and former Missouri treasurer Sarah Steelman. Mr. Brunner wants his outsider status to be an asset. ‘The right attitude is, this isn’t the height and pinnacle of a career. This is a service, this is an obligation, this is a responsibility to get in there and do something,’ he said. ‘You need different kind of people going up there.’” http://bit.ly/wIQBmh

MISSOURI DEMS — ‘Mo. Democrats director on leave, pending domestic assault investigation,’ PoliticMo: “The Missouri Democratic Party said Tuesday its executive director has been placed on unpaid leave, while the St. Louis police investigators look into allegations of domestic assault. According to reports, police were called to the home of Matt Teter, 30, the party’s executive director, on Sunday, when a 31-year-old male reported that he had been assaulted by a 30-year-old male at Teter’s home.” 

— Mike Sanders, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party:  “This is a serious allegation that we do not take lightly, as a Party. Matt Teter has been placed on unpaid leave until more facts are known.” http://bit.ly/wIGZGI

ETHICS — ‘Nixon, Spence: Agreement on campaign finance?,’ PoliticMo: “On Friday, following a Supreme Court decision that struck down major parts of a 2010 ethics law law, Nixon, a Democrat, called on the Missouri General Assembly to pass campaign finance reforms that reinstate reporting requirements during legislative session and to pass legislation limiting campaign contributions. … The next day, in an interview with PoliticMo, Spence, a Republican, said he ‘absolutely’ supports both reforms. … Spence does take issue, however, with Nixon, Missouri’s former attorney general, for calling for the reforms, even after receiving several large checks from attorneys, which added up to nearly a third of his $6 million on hand. 

“‘I think the Governor talking about campaign reform is like Charlie Sheen talking about drug abuse. I think it is crazy,’ He said. ‘I think it such a hypocrisy that our governor, who is a poster child for campaign contributions from people who are doing pay for play, is talking about campaign finance reform.’

“Before launching his campaign, Spence had contributed over $15,000 to candidates over the last decade. But when he launched his campaign last November, he contributed $2 million to his campaign, likely the largest single contribution in the state’s history. Spence, himself, has accepted large contributions from industry leaders, including $50,000 from a food storage executive, $100,000 from a piping executive, and another $100,000 from a real estate executive.” http://bit.ly/yCFQ5e

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

REP. RUSS CARNAHAN, D., and REP. JEFF MILLR, R., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, will be in St. Louis today to visit Cochran VA Hosptial.

REP. VICK HARTZLER, R.,  will hold a jobs roundtable in Jefferson City this afternoon.  

—  Today she announced that after 14 months into her first term, she has been asked to serve as a policy advisor with the Republican Study Committee. 

REP. BILLY LONG, R.,  will begin his campaign to promote reading to school children during a stop at Pershing Elementary this morning. 

MISSOURI PRO-VOTE will host a protest and press conference outside Sen. Roy Blunt’s Clayton office today at 12:15 P.M. Per release: “Employers, faith leaders, constituents and women’s preventive health care advocates will call on Sen. Blunt [today] to ensure that Missouri women, most of whom have used birth control and support no-cost access, are not targeted for arbitrary discrimination. They will tell Sen. Blunt he should be championing preventive health care for consumers instead of trying to return health care decisions to insurance companies.” 

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE SARAH STEELMAN will be in Rodgersville today to discuss her “Show-Me Solutions” 60-day plan .

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE DAVE SPENCE penned an editorial in the Springfield News-Leader focused almost-entirely on the federal health care law: “This job-killing, personal freedom trampling, liberal monstrosity is being used to overpower religious institutions and force them to provide services that they do not agree with based on their deeply held convictions. … I am going to cut to the chase. There is nothing stopping you from instructing Attorney General Koster to join the over two dozen states fighting the federal government to stop ObamaCare. I’m sure they would welcome the help in taking on Big Brother and preparing their case before the United States Supreme Court. And I am sure the 71 percent of Missourians that voted to stop ObamaCare and the individual mandate would appreciate you advocating their interests. 

“A weakly worded letter from the attorney general and your ‘leading from behind’ on this issue is simply unacceptable. And your public silence on ObamaCare, not only allows religious freedoms to be trampled, it also threatens the financial security of Missourians. … Furthermore Governor Nixon, you should stop your backdoor efforts to implement ObamaCare here in Missouri until the Supreme Court renders a decision. … Between now and 2014, I expect a favorable court ruling and also plan on having a new president of the United States and a new governor of Missouri.” http://sgfnow.co/yEmtB1

WAGNER PROFILE — ‘With eased path to win, Wagner still fighting,’ PoliticMo: “Mid-February is always an important time for former ambassador Ann Wagner. It is the time of her anniversary with her husband Ray (25 years this weekend), and it is also, almost always, the start of a busy political season. She attended her first statewide Lincoln Days in the late 1980’s. More than two decades later, after serving in Republican party leadership during successful legislative, congressional, and presidential campaigns, Wagner attended her first Lincoln Days as a candidate last weekend in Kansas City. … Wagner has gained support from national Republicans, in part because of her ability to raise significant campaign cash. According to her most recent report to the Federal Election Commission, Wagner has raised more than $1.3 million for her campaign. … Wagner said if elected, she would take a stand against the increasing national debt and federal spending, and would not rule out considering a leadership bid, on down the road.” http://bit.ly/ykHYIy (Click for some decent quotes) 

RESEARCH SPENDING — ‘MOSIRA science startup fund is ruled unconstitutional,’ Post-Dispatch: “A Cole County judge late Monday tossed out the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act, saying the way lawmakers approved it last fall violates the state constitution. The ruling by Circuit Judge Dan Green tosses out MOSIRA - through which Gov. Jay Nixon had hoped to set aside $4 million this year for science and technology startups - because it was passed with a ‘contingency clause,’ which said it would only take effect if legislators also passed a broader tax credit reform bill. That bill failed. This is the latest setback for MOSIRA, which has been a top legislative priority of St. Louis-area business and biotech groups in recent years.” http://bit.ly/xpGTJ0

— Kelly Gillespie, Executive Director, Missouri Biotechnology Association: “MOSIRA has enjoyed bipartisan support in both chambers of the legislature for years.  This is too important to the future of our state, its citizens and its economy.  We need to get this done.  MOSIRA deserves the follow-through of this General Assembly and we will continue to work with them to pass, implement and fund MOSIRA.”

EDUCATION — ‘Missouri board approves No Child Left Behind waiver,’ AP: “The Missouri Board of Education has approved the state’s request for a waiver from some provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law. Members voted Tuesday to support the waiver’s submission to the U.S. Department of Education with minor edits. … Missouri officials plan to submit the waiver by Feb. 28, the deadline for the second round of requests. Ten states were granted waivers earlier this month from the first round of requests.” http://bit.ly/xEIE68

CAPITOL SECURITY — ‘Threatening email, followed by apology, causes brief alarm in Missouri State Senate,’ Jake Wagman: “The original email came into the office of State Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, around 4 a.m. Tuesday. With a subject line bemoaning rising gas prices, the email, in a vulgar manner, questioned the fortitude of four Senators: Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, Jack Goodman, R-Mt. Vernon, Victor Callahan, D-Independence and Robin Wright-Jones, D-St. Louis. The email, according to Mayer’s office, also said: ‘Hey, how is GIFFORDS?’ The mention of the former congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt prompted concern at the Senate, where last month three of the same members mentioned in the email — Callahan, Wright-Jones and Justus — found orange target stickers affixed to the entrances of their Capitol offices.” http://bit.ly/xW5MYe

SPORTZZZ — ‘K-State outmuscles Mizzou,’ Post-Dispatch: “Kansas State built a 16-point lead in the second half and then resisted Mizzou’s comeback attempt to lead for the final 32 minutes and hand the Tigers their first home defeat. After shooting 33 percent in Manhattan, Mizzou didn’t fare much better in the rematch, making only 38 percent. The loss puts added emphasis on Saturday’s game at Kansas, which is trying to win at least a share of the Big 12 title for the eighth consecutive season. Having been knocked around in the first meeting, a 75-59 Kansas State win, the Tigers certainly knew what was coming. But that didn’t make them any more prepared.” http://bit.ly/w5Mw19

— Photo gallery: Mizzou Tigers visited the State Capitol building yesterday afternoon for an education day: http://bit.ly/yzdcfV