Chamber backs Hulshof — is Blunt next?
Kenny Hulshof inspired a game of political guess-who after his campaign announced that the candidate for governor would be claiming a big endorsement today.
Let’s see: Kit Bond backed Hulshof at the state party convention late last month. Could the next headliner be … Gov. Matt Blunt?
Not yet, anyway.
At a news conference near the airport, Hulshof accepted the support of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which represents some 3,000 businesses around the state.
Citing Hulshof’s Capitol Hill record on issues such as tort reform, Chamber president Daniel P. Mehan said “the choice for business is crystal clear on this one.”
The choice was made easier, perhaps, by Hulshof’s rivals. Democrat Jay Nixon did not fill out an endorsement questionnaire while Sarah Steelman, competing against Hulshof in the August GOP primary, turned hers in late.
“Very, very late,” Mehan added.
Mehan acknowledged the chamber is taking something of a gamble endorsing this early on the process - they might not even have a candidate in November - but said it was a wager the chamber’s board felt comfortable making.
It might even prove cogent if Blunt joins the other Republican insiders lining-up behind Hulshof.
So, congressman, is that the next endorsement?
“I expect there may be fairly prominent endorsements to come,” Hulshof said when asked about the governor’s support. “I’m not answering your question directly.”
No, but even an indirect answer can be revealing.
A Chamber endorsement says a lot. 3,000 business owners can’t all be “Republican Insiders”. If they think Hulshof is going to be good for businesses, which translates to jobs, that’d be a good start for a new governor.
Of course Blunt will endorse Hulshof. Andy’s due to receive $100,000 and Rich Chrismer is going to work for Kenny. The question is will Kenny still support the Governor and his buddies after all the Eckersly lawsuit information becomes public?
The Chamber supports human cloning and Kenny Hulshof has a retirement fund that he will reap a huge reward once cloning occurs in Missouri. It’s your classic Jeff City quid pro quo. The Chamber wants cloning and Kenny supports it.
FiredUP deserves all the credit for making this public but I wonder if Kinder will endorse Hulshof too? They both shared Eric Feltner who was just busted on child porn charges. Eric oversaw the intern program in Kinder’s office including kids under 18.
Did he do the same thing when he worked for Kenny? Will the press even ask him?
I don’t know what blogger “Steve” has been smoking but Kenny Hulshof never has and never will support human cloning! Please get your facts straight.
Steelman hired American Century to make millions off the state a couple years ago, so that can’t be the reason the Chamber supported Hulshof. Maybe the Chamber decided against Steelman b/c she supports state employee collective bargaining, opposes tort reform and her campaign is being bankrolled by many of the same trial lawyers who are funding Jay Nixon’s campaign. Read: anti-business. Maybe the state trial lawyer bar will throw its support behind her flagging campaign.
Kenny is a weak candidate who is being propped up by endorsements in an attempt to make him look stronger than he is.
Alright everybody we can all stop now. Hulshof is a weak candidate because someone calling himself Thomas said so on a blog. Why do you consider him weak Thomas, I mean you make a good argument with all of those arguments and examples that you listed but indulge me and provide something—anything—more.
The fact is Hulshof has experience but doesn’t have baggage. He has a very deep knowledge base but doesn’t come off as wonkish. He has ties to the rural areas but connects to the business community as well. He is the real deal despite how much Jay and Sarah don’t want to pretend he is not.