Full disclosure: Koster makes preemptive strike
Everybody knows about opposition research: Read everything ever written relating to your opponent – especially everything your opponent has ever said — and look for errors.
Given that campaign reality, would-be AG Chris Koster’s campaign staff is making a preemptive strike, believing that an error in the spring issue of the University of Missouri Law School alumni magazine, Transcript, is likely to be eventually found by his primary opponents, Jeff Harris and Margaret Donnelly.
In a piece about lawyers turned lawmakers, Koster discusses his time as the prosecutor in Cass County, and the investigation and eventual sending-to-jail of John Robinson, the serial killer. His quote:
“I’ve been fortunate to have many memorable experiences during my career, but few compare to leading the successful prosecution of serial killer John Robinson. His crimes were so heinous, the damage so irreparable and the horror so unspeakable that his conviction was immensely important for both the family members and the people of Missouri. When the jury came back with a guilty verdict sentencing him to life in prison, it was a landmark day for both my career and the history of our state.”
Folks following that ordeal know that there was never a jury verdict. Robinson pleaded guilty. The quote would make Koster look rather bad.
But Koster’s campaign says that misquote came from a staffer responded to the questionnaire from the magazine. The staffer no longer works with the campaign.
Spox Danny Kanner, says Koster wouldn’t have botched such a reference because the case was a highlight of his career.
“There was no jury verdict because the case never went to trial. Koster got Robinson to confess to the murders after 40 hours of interrogation, and negotiated a plea deal that resulted in five life sentences without parole,” Kanner wrote in a statement.
So how exactly is Koster admitting that he let a serial killer off the hook with life in prison a victory for him? The Kansas prosecutor got the death penalty for Robinson. Koster pled it out. So much for the tough talking prosecutor.
And what happened to that staffer? Seems like every week Koster has a new mouthpiece. Maybe these problems wouldn’t happen if Koster ever opened his own mouth and talked to reporters.
It’s hard to believe that someone as arrogant as Koster is would let a staffer write anything for him. The staffers in the Missouri Senate can verify he never trusted his staff to write anything for him. After all, NO ONE is as smart as he is - at least in Koster’s own mind. I think Koster wrote what he believed to be the truth and then when called on it blamed the mistake on a former staffer. Why doesn’t he name the former staffer???? Because the staffer would call him out on it????
Maybe Kanner can do a better job for Chris Koster than he did as the body person for Eliot Spitzer. Obviously he likes going from one loser to another. Maybe it was Koster’s brother “Jack” who filled out the questionnaire.
This Kanner guy must like working for politicians who have no moral values. Koster isn’t a step up from Spitzer. Just ask the hard working decent woman he left at the alter for the young heiress from Arizona. When she got sick of him she divorced him and he got over a million dollars.
8 months! Only 8 months!! I have written time and time again about the lack of experience Jeff Harris has vs Koster. I never had any idea how little experience Harris really had until now.
Did you know that when Jeff Harris served as an Assistant Attorney General it was ONLY FOR 8 MONTHS. This is all he talks about and he only held the job for 8 months.
For heavens sake, what kind of experience does he think he got in only 8 months. Did he take any vacation days? Did he catch a cold and stay home for a couple of days? Maybe he really only has 7 and a half months of experience as an Asst AG.
I have interns in my office that have 6 months stints. Was Harris really an just an intern? That might make a little more sense.
For crying out loud, who holds a job for 8 months and then brags about how much “experience” they earned. Most people don’t even put a job on their resume if they don’t stick with it for at least a year.
I think Paris Hilton was in jail for longer then Harris worked as an Asst AG.
Why would anyone ever elect a guy to be AG that could not even put forth an honest effort when he took a job as an Assistant AG. Why would anyone elect a guy that had such little interest in the AG’s office that he quit inside of a year of being hired. Harris accuses everyone else of being political opportunist and using this election as a stepping stone to the governor’s mansion. What did he do? Serving ONLY 8 MONTHS!! Was Harris padding his resume?
Harris’ slogan is “Real Democrat, Real Experience”. Real experience, my foot. I bet 99% of the people working currently as an Asst AG have more experience then Harris.
I must admit that when I have blogged in the past about Harris’ lack of experience, I had no idea he held the Asst AG job for such a short amount of time. Talk about exaggerating his experience. I thought when I would say “Koster has 10 times the experience of Harris”, I was using poetic license and that I was exaggerating a bit. Little did I realize that Koster really has 15 times the experience of Harris.
Think about it, Harris started his job. It probably took him 2 or 3 months to get to know everyone, figure out where the bathroom was and get worked into the equation. After that, he worked, at most, for 2 or 3 months before starting to think about quiting. He barely started, and he quit (we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he did not get pushed out). For God sake, isn’t it kinda normal to call somebody “the new guy” until they have been there at least a year? Harris was still “the new guy” when he quit And now he wants people to believe that in this short 8 MONTH stint he somehow generated some huge amount of experience….please.
Does Harris have any other experience we should know about now that the whole Asst AG thing is kinda not all that impressive.
Sorry Jeff, experience is not something you can not just say you have. You actually have to work at it. And just a little more advice, it typically takes more then 8 months to gain truly valuable experience (i.e. knowing more then just where the bathroom is)
Kathy-your comment is not accurate. Yes, Koster did leave a woman very shortly before their wedding. During their engagement he decided to see if he could get a better deal. The woman and her family were democrats. He persued a woman from a republican family in St Louis. She moved to AZ after the divorce to care for her father who was ill with cancer, he is still living so not an heiress. She was unaware he was engaged and Chris was not truthful with her about many things and continued to have a problem with truth throughout the marriage (he also stuck her with the bills). I am a longtime friend of Chris’ ex-wife and I know that she did not get sick of him, leave him and pay him off. Chris asked for the divorce and despite having a prenup he put her and her family through hell to get money out of her(check the divorce documents the actual amount was 650,000 but you may be confused because including living rent and bill free he also received money from her family and had all his debt paid off during the marriage so he DID end up with well over a million in benefits from the marriage. She has been told that Chris tells a story about being left and that he had money in her house but that is simply false. I also know that she is now on good terms with Chris’ first fiance’s family…they have all been burned by Koster. Hopefully Missouri voters will not be fooled.
What an interesting discussion concerning the Attorney General’s race. In my humble opinion, people should support Michael Gibbons for Attorney General. He has high moral ethics, the respect of all who know him, and he is knowledgeable in Missouri law. Harris makes me nervous as I’ve seen him in action on the House floor numerous times, resorting to name-calling and childish comments rather than substantial debate. And Koster, well, “Koster the Imposter” says it all in more ways than one. If we all support Michael Gibbons, we won’t have to worry about the other two mentioned.
BW is right about the $650k from the ex to Koster. Just saw it on casenet.
Interesting.
I think the concern with Koster is that he supported Bush,Ashcroft and Blunt and voted for the health care cuts. Until he answers those questions I just don’t think democratic primary voters will embrace him. Koster has ducked this question time and time again. Maybe Mid Mo democrat can answer it but I bet he won’t.
Let me say it five times. I have no personal anger toward Koster but he needs to explain why he supported Bush, ashcroft and Blunt.
I have no personal anger toward Koster but he needs to explain why he supported Bush, ashcroft and Blunt.
I have no personal anger toward Koster but he needs to explain why he supported Bush, ashcroft and Blunt.
I have no personal anger toward Koster but he needs to explain why he supported Bush, ashcroft and Blunt.
I have no personal anger toward Koster but he needs to explain why he supported Bush, ashcroft and Blunt.
can you help us Mid Mo Dem ?
can you help us ?
Jeff served in the office for about three years not eight months. He was also house minority leader for three sessions. This six year of experience is more than either of the other candidates have in those roles.
He has the most detailed set of policy positions by far. Koster has little support among progressives. Koster has little support outstate outside of law enforcement. Jeff has more endorsements. Jeff is the stronger candidate.
This doesn’t seem the first time koster has had problems with staffers on this campaign. check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKLZKBfyug4