JEFFERSON CITY - In the Republican response to Gov. Jay Nixon's State of the State address tonight, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder stuck with traditional party themes as he chided the governor for not being enough of a "lobbyist" for Missouri.
"Sure, he loves the perks of the job - the ribbon cuttings, the prime seats at sporting events, the taxpayer-funded airplane - but the governor is nowhere to be found on the troubles facing our state," Kinder said. "I think being governor means being Missouri's strongest advocate."
In a new twist on the traditional response to the State of the State address, Kinder used most of his remarks to deliver prepared answers to questions posed by Missouri residents via Facebook and Twitter.
"The time for fancy speeches is over," he said.
Meanwhile, the Missouri Democratic Party issued a release calling the speech "the latest example of Kinder showing himself to be a partisan politician more concerned with his own ambitions than the issues facing Missouri families."
The unconventional format of his speech, though, did not keep Kinder from taking jabs at Nixon, a Democrat. Kinder, who will likely challenge Nixon for the governorship in 2012, sharply criticized the governor for everything from Nixon's staff's salaries, to his travel expenses, to his hesitance to speak with the press.
"Gov. Nixon, live up to the rhetoric in the speech you gave," Kinder said. "It's time to lobby for our state and stand up for Missouri."
As expected, Kinder focused much of his address on the economy and jobs. He echoed Nixon's promise to keep taxes at their current levels, in spite of the state's looming $500 million deficit.
"When Missourians are struggling, we shouldn't be asking for more of your hard-earned money."
"Let me make one thing clear: Republicans will not raise your taxes," he said.
Education, too, was a topic that was as prominent in Kinder's speech as it had been in the governor's. Kinder, though, did not mince words in his response to the governor's proposals.
"We cannot play games with school funding, and the governor should be ashamed of himself," Kinder said.
"I want you to know that Republicans are listening."
At the end of his address, Kinder took a break from state politics to address one of his favorite issues, the federal health care reform law, which he called "costly and burdensome."
"This is far from the end of the fight," he said. "We're prepared to take this battle all the way to the United States Supreme Court."
Last year, Kinder filed a lawsuit challenging the federal health care reform law. Yesterday, the Department of Justice recommended that that case be dismissed.
