For those of us stationed outside Jefferson City, last week’s filibuster over the proposed repeal of the “village law” (which filled numerous Fix posts) was fascinating drama.

Or was it farce?

While at Mizzou on Saturday for a family college graduation, this reporter heard tantalizing talk among the politicos and others milling around the town, who hinted at something larger than what first seemed to be the case.

Some of the filibuster participants — especially those close to House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill and with a growing cadre of consulting clients on the side  – no doubt sought to block the repeal.

But to hear some of the behind-the-scenes talk around the hallowed pillars, some of the Democrats who aided the filibuster may have had another objective — to slow down or prevent deliberation on other unwanted measures, notably the Photo ID bill.

The idea being to assist those truly against the village law repeal, and in doing so kill valuable time so that other controversial bills died on the vine, so to speak.

That was indeed the case for the Photo ID bill, and Gov. Matt Blunt’s healthcare proposals.  But Republicans still found time before the session shutdown at 6 p.m. Friday  to approve a second attempt at doing away with the state’s campaign-donation limits, as of Aug. 28.

By the way…Attorney General Jay Nixon, a Democrat running for governor and who argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1999 in favor of even stricter limits, issued a statement Saturday blasting those who voted for the repeal.

Nixon is expected to use the campaign-donation repeal as yet another example of GOP greed. 

 Time will tell whether the two Republicans vying to be his rival — state Treasurer Sarah Steelman and U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof – have inoculated themselves against such assertions. Both have said they support donation limits, although Hulshof has called for larger limits and has said that no limits are preferable to the soon-to-be-departed limits now in place ($325 to $1,350 per donor per candidate per election, depending on the office sought.)

As in the village fight, there may be some who question whether what’s said is truly what’s believed.

By the way, whether one is a fan or a foe of Jetton, today’s HUGE editorial offers a probing look at his legacy.