The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, just issued its decision in the case of Robin Wright-Jones v. Connie L. Johnson, an appeal from the city of St. Louis involving a challenge to the validity of Rep. Johnson’s candidacy for the senate.

In a 3-0 decision, the Eastern District affirmed the trial court’s decision in favor of Rep. Wright-Jones.

*Wright-Jones is running against Rodney Hubbard, a client of PubDef.net publisher Antonio D. French

Andria Simckes, Democratic candidate for Missouri Treasurer, announced her campaign consulting team on Tuesday led by Marc Farinella, former Campaign Manager and Chief of Staff of the late Governor Mel Carnahan.

Marc Farinella has joined with Eye2Eye Communications to handle Simckes’ direct mail. Pat Ewing and Maurice Daniel, principals in Eye2Eye, have created direct mail for several Missouri campaigns, ballot initiatives and organizations going back to Harriet Woods U.S. Senate Campaign in 1986.

Celinda Lake, of Lake Research Partners, will do polling. Bill Buck, former Press Secretary for the Democratic National Committee, will handle media relations.

In his latest television attack ad, Congressman Sam Graves (R-MO) once again attacks his Democratic challenger, former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, for her liberal “San Francisco values”.

But listen to the female announcer right around :13. Did she say “Gay” Barnes?

For a white Republican from Cape Girardeau who has been an outspoken critic of Barack Obama, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder seemed remarkably comfortable at the head of the parade of 20,000 black men through the streets of north St. Louis on Sunday.

Kinder, who just last week attacked Obama as a class bigot, made his way to the front of the “Call to Oneness” march standing next to St. Louis Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, 4th Ward Alderman Sam Moore, and State Rep. Rodney Hubbard. Kinder even had a better spot than St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and City License Collector Mike McMillan, both of whom were in the second row.

Here is what Kinder said about Obama last week in an editorial entitled “Missourians Reject Obama’s Brand of Radical Liberalism” published on the website HumanEvents.com:

It was not too long ago that Barack Obama, surrounded by radical supporters in San Francisco, claimed that Missourians and other hard-working Americans were clinging to our faith and our 2nd Amendment rights because we are bitter. Is this the kind of class bigotry that Barack Obama will represent? Are we going to see more cases in which wealthy liberals mock the millions of Americans who actually believe in standing by their God and country? There is no other rational answer to these questions than an emphatic “Yes.”

Kinder’s Democratic challenger, State Rep. Sam Page, was also spotted at the “Call to Oneness” march.

In related news… Here’s Kinder’s speech from the Missouri Republican Convention over the weekend in which he called for Republican unity and, of course, took a few shots at Democrats.

Democrat Kay Barnes’ response:

Andria Simckes, a Democratic candidate for Missouri Treasurer, wants the other Democratic Treasurer candidates to agree to support the winner of the Primary, “regardless of which one of us prevails.”

From the press release:

Simckes vows that she will support whoever wins the Democratic Primary.

Simckes also believes that democratic primaries should not be focused on attacking one another. “We need to move beyond the type of politics that only hurts the party and focus instead on the serious issues that matter to every Missourian. The Treasurer’s office needs professionalism, not mudslinging.” Simckes agrees not to attack her fellow Democratic primary opponents. Simckes requests her two Democratic opponents to sign on to run positive campaigns and not attack one another.

Will her two Democratic opponents agree with these two positions?

This race comes down to three points: who has been a life long Democrat and worked in Governor Carnahan’s administration? Who has the most experience of handling money with integrity and know how? Who has the most experience for creating jobs on Main Street, Missouri, as opposed to Wall Street?

Simckes who earned degrees from Brown University and Washington University School of Law, served as a legal aide to Governor Mel Carnahan in the mid 1990’s. She then went on to serve as Executive Director of the St. Louis Regional Empowerment Zone, where she was responsible for $18.9 million in available funds and $130 million in bonding authority.

Simckes was the Comptroller of Win ‘96-Missouri’s Democratic Coordinated Campaign and oversaw the $1.6 million budget for that successful election year. She worked in the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) as the statewide coordinator for the Caring Communities Initiative.

Andria currently resides in Creve Coeur, MO with her husband, Elan, a physician specializing in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Fertility, and their children Liam, Naava, and Ayden. Their oldest, Maayan, attends Tufts University. Andria Danine is affiliated with Kodner Watkins Muchnick Weigley, L.C. in Clayton, MO.

David Knight leaves the Chris Koster Attorney General campaign to lead Joan Barry’s state senate campaign.

Geen Park, MO- Today, Joan Barry hired for two important positions in her bid to fill Senator Kennedy’s seat in the upcoming November election. David Knight joins the Barry team as Campaign Manager and Mike Coleman as Finance Director.

” I am excited to add both David and Mike to the team. David’s grassroots experience is tremendous and will provide great leadership to the organization. He most recently worked for John Edwards in Iowa where he managed an office of five employees and oversaw an eight county region. Edwards, although being significantly outspent by Clinton and Obama, took second in the Iowa caucus.

Mike came highly recommended from the Missouri Democratic Party and various local campaigns where he served as a Finance Director. My first financial quarter illustrated a broad base of financial support in the community and with Mike joining the team, incoming contributions are going to increase significantly. These two seasoned campaigners will greatly enhance the direction and ability of the organization.”

The Barry Campaign continues to build on their long standing support, raise money and gain momentum that will overall lead to a strong win in November.