The Missouri Republican Party has announced Tina Hervey will replace Paul Sloca as the mouthpiece of the party. Sloca resigned as Communications Director a few weeks ago.

“Republicans in Missouri have an incredible three year record of accomplishment that includes turning a billion dollar deficit into a surplus, providing unprecedented increases in education funding for our students, record job creation and holding the line on job killing taxes,” said Jared Craighead, executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, “We are excited about Tina’s role in making sure that story is told.”

“I look forward to working with the media and our grassroots organizations to share with Missourians the remarkable record of accomplishment that Republicans in Missouri have achieved,” said Tina Hervey, communications director.

Ms. Hervey, 32, has spent the last 10 years working in Washington, DC. Most recently, she worked at the US Department of Education, as the Deputy Director of Regional Services. There she assisted with the direction of the Regional Affairs Unit by ensuring the implementation by the Regional Representatives of the Department’s outreach and communication goals and strategic priorities.

Prior to her job at the US Department of Education, she worked for former Attorney General Ashcroft at The Ashcroft Group, LLC., where she traveled with General Ashcroft on his book tour, and served as primary media contact. She has also worked in the Office of the Press Secretary and Office of Public Liaison at The White House. Ms Hervey began her career in Washington, DC working for Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)

She is a graduate of Albion College and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Political Management at The George Washington University.

Reporters at Congressional Quarterly Online are taking a peak at some Missouri Republican strongholds that may be ripe for the picking by Democrat insurgents.

CQ singles out two prime House races in the sixth district, consisting of the rural northwest as well as portions of Kansas City and its suburbs, and the ninth featuring northeast Missouri and Columbia.

The sixth district race stars a four-term Republican incumbent Rep. Sam Graves fighting to stave off former Kansas City Mayor, Democrat opponent Kay Barnes. The fight for the ninth is a nonagon battle royal, featuring no less than five Republicans and four Democrats including current Republican Rep. John Hulshof who’s absconded away to run for governor, leaving his district exposed.

The GOPers are state Reps. Bob Onder and Danie Moore; Brock Olivo, a pro-footballer and Mizzou alum; and former state Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer. The Dems consist of state Rep. Judy Baker, county commissioner Lyndon Bode, Steve Gaw, the former state House Speaker, and Ken Jacob, who lost a Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in 2004.

Like with many Dem. versus GOP battles squaring up for the fall, fund-raising is the dog whistle of potential trouble-a-brewin’.

With more than $1 million raised and $743,000 cash on hand through the end of 2007, Barnes is among the best-funded candidates who are challenging incumbents of the opposite party. Republicans, though, are painting Barnes as a “big-city mayor” and touting Graves’ roots in rural northwestern Missouri. Graves is also well-funded, having reported $1.2 million in receipts and $868,000 cash on hand as of Dec. 31.

Hulshof waited until late January to announce his bid for governor, so most of the candidates to succeed him got off to a fairly late fundraising start. The only exception was Democrat Baker, who entered the race last year as a possible challenger to Hulshof and raised $103,000 by Dec. 31. Candidates in this and all other House races are due to file their next campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission by April 15 for activity through March 31.

CQ doesn’t like the Dems chances in other places in Missouri, ranking the Show-Me-State as a righty, hence singling out these districts as the Dems best chances in the GOP’s Fortress of Conservative Missourian Solitude.

The Kansas City Star’s Prime Buzz Blog is reporting that Missouri is leaning towards Republican John McCain for president against either Democratic rival in the latest Rassmussen Report.

McCain edges out Hillary Clinton 50-41 percent and beats Barack Obama out-right, leading with a whopping 15 point lead at 53-38 percent.

Divine from this what you may, but the KC folks think Missouri’s “bellwether” state status is in jeopardy.

You’ve got to give it to Ron Paul supporters - they never back down.

Despite the Texas Representative’s poor showing in the primaries, his supporters, determined to keep Paul’s agenda in the forefront, bum rushed the Republican county caucuses last weekend. The Kansas City Star is reporting that Paul supporters elected hundreds of delegates for congressional district and state conventions. And The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said pro-Paul Republicans may have finagled about a third of the 2,137 state Republican delegates.

These Paulites along with other Missouri delegates will set the state GOP agenda this spring and pick the presidential delegates to attend the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis in September.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch called the Paul rush a “political guerrilla attack.” Paul supporters swamped the St. Peters City Hall caucus and hijacked caucuses in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Kansas City and Springfield.

The Paulies caused a ruckus, sparking shouting matches and walk outs by frustrated caucus goers unable to deal with the zeal of the pro-Paul supporters.

Paul came in fourth place with only 5 percent of the GOP vote in the Missouri primary and state party leaders said the caucus results shouldn’t change the votes at the Republican National Convention. They are still likely to go John McCain.

Despite this there is still some cause for concern.

According to the Kansas City Star:

(T)hey’re a complication for McCain, the presumptive nominee, and an embarrassment for party regulars across Missouri. There are Internet rumors that Paul supporters have or will attempt similar actions in other states, though national GOP leaders say it does not appear to be an issue nationally.

Here, one Republican — the chairman of the Jackson County Republican committee — was so upset at the behavior of some Paul sympathizers that he led a walkout from his party’s caucus Saturday.

Independence attorney Bunk Farrington said he was angry that Paul supporters reneged on an agreement to divide the county’s 187 caucus delegates between those sympathetic to the Texas congressman and supporters of other candidates.

“We had a compromise,” Farrington said. “They broke the deal.”

The group is now pushing for a repeal of the Missouri Republican Party requirement that all of the states GOP presidential delegates, 58 in total, must back McCain. But Paul supporters say their en masse attack wasn’t about some quixotic bid for the White House.

According to the Post-Dispatch:

Carlson and other Paul supporters say their aim is to force the Missouri Republican Party to embrace Paul’s principles.

“We’re not holding out an illusion that Ron is going to win the nomination,” said Debbie Hopper, Paul’s national field director. “This is about calling the Republican Party back to its roots.”

BREAKING NEWSLooks like John McCain is going to be the Republican nominee for President.Saying he wanted to clear the way for Republicans to fight both Al-Qaeda and the Democrats, Mitt Romney, who had a less-than-super Tuesday, has just dropped out of the race.

Romney pictured with Governor Matt Blunt, a supporter of his failed presidential bid.

Governor Blunt today issued the following statement on Romney’s announcement:

“Obviously I am disappointed because I believe Governor Mitt Romney was the best candidate to bring conservative change to Washington. Governor Romney is a great leader and a tremendous competitor. I am proud to have supported his campaign.  “I have tremendous respect for Senator McCain. He is a revered hero at our shared alma mater, and, in fact, he was the commencement speaker when I graduated the Naval Academy. He is held up as a model of heroic leadership in the face of tremendous adversity. “I also admire Governor Huckabee. He is an honorable man and a great neighbor to the south. He has obviously captured the aspirations of many, and we share a large number of supporters. “Melanie and I have enjoyed campaigning with Governor Romney and his wonderful wife Ann. They are both great friends and patriots and we wish them the very best for the future.”

Keep up with St. Louis politics at www.pubdef.net

Starting tomorrow, Republicans from across Missouri will gather in Springfield for their annual Lincoln Days event.All three announced Republican candidates for governor, current Governor Matt Blunt, federal, state and local elected officials.U.S Congressman Kenny Hulshof, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder and State Treasurer Sarah Steelman will meet with attendees and share their plans for building on positive accomplishments made through Republican leadership.The event is from Friday, February 8, to Sunday, Feb. 10. A host of approximately 20 hospitality suites will be open to the public beginning at 9:00pm on Friday & Saturday evening.Check the website at www.MoLincolnDays.com for a full schedule of events.

Keep up with St. Louis politics at www.pubdef.net

The Missouri Republican Party today slammed the Democrats for three elected officials’ hig-profile run-ins with the law.

From the GOP press release:

In a stunning miscarriage of justice, Democrat Sen. Chuck Graham will not face the same mandatory revocation of his driver’s license that other Missourians would face after being convicted of drunken driving. Meanwhile, Democrat Rep. John Bowman is set to plead guilty in St. Louis on federal fraud charges while Democrat Jeff Smith is in court in Cooper County over his illegal entry to a Missouri casino.

“Missouri Democrats are a disgrace for violating the very laws they are sworn to uphold on behalf of hard-working Missourians. It is disturbing to most Missourians that an ever-increasing number of Democrat lawmakers are being exposed as lawbreakers,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “With their ongoing pattern of malfeasance, Missouri Democrats are the last people Missourians want to hear a lecture from regarding the behavior of elected officials. Even more disturbing is that the head of the Democrat Party, Jay Nixon, is the attorney general of the state.”

The Columbia Daily-Tribune reports that after a two-minute hearing, Boone County Associate Circuit Judge Carol England reinstated Graham’s license even though a mandatory suspension of his license is required because he refused a Breathalyzer test. Ironically, Graham serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee that hears bills proposing new Missouri laws.

“Obviously, there is one justice system for Democrats like Chuck Graham and another justice system for average, hard-working Missourians,” Sloca said.

Smith, who was charged last year for using a fellow Democrat lawmaker’s identification to enter the Isle of Capri casino in Boonville, is facing a hearing in Cooper County today on those charges. Democrat Joe Aull, who provided the identification to Smith, is scheduled for his hearing in February. Smith also serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Jeff Smith violated the law and now he must face the consequences, although Smith has spent months hiding behind his attorney’s legal maneuvering,” Sloca said.

The Turner Report today says that Bowman is going to change his plea from not guilty to guilty for his role in a bank and credit card fraud scheme in U.S. District Court. Bowman was indicted for agreeing to a scheme in which a bank executive took a lending program which provided money to small businesses by offering a $25,000 credit limit, then arranged with Bowman and others to apply for the loans, often with fictitious companies, in which the executive received kickbacks ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 on each loan. Incredibly, Bowman serves on the House Budget Committee which handles taxpayer dollars.

“John Bowman broke the public trust and must be punished as any other Missourian would be punished. Democrats must realize that they are not above the law,” Sloca said.

Best line from tonight’s Republican debate:

John McCain to Mitt Romney (referring to Romney’s change in position on several issues over his political career, including abortion, stem cell research, and gay rights):

“I agree, you are the candidate of change.”

More from TPM:

Around the city and county, signs supporting Republican Presidential Candidate Ron Paul have been popping up on roadsides and overpasses.

The signs aren’t being put up by the official Ron Paul campaign, though. Paul, a Texas Congressman has several devoted, internet-based grassroots support teams. Online, the supporters flood YouTube, message boards, social networking sites and blogs with comments, graphics and videos supporting their favorite candidate. Offline, these street teams are less visible but they make their support known through signs, fliers and protests.

The St. Louis area Ron Paul support group started this past summer. The group has grown from 40 members to roughly 250. On top of that, nearby cities like Edwardsville and St. Charles have their own groups.

The essentially Libertarian Paul is attracting Internet support reminiscent of former Democratic candidate and current DNC chairman Howard Dean. According to the lead organizer for the St. Louis area Ron Paul group, Tim Blessing, Representative Paul has won over many local apathetic and first-time voters, like Blessing himself, who admittedly voted for Ralph Nader twice, just to support a third party.

“Apathy is a tremendous thing, I’ve found out,” says Blessing. “It’s pretty easy to cure once you find someone or something to inspire you.”

Blessing sat down this week for an interview with PubDef.net to discuss how he came to lead the group and what he’s doing to attract new members.

Click To Play

Last weekend, State Rep. Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield) launched her campaign for the state Senate.

According to Jo Mannies at the Political Fix, former St. Louis Democratic state rep. Fred Kratky’s “Facts ‘O Life” band was there, as was State Senator Scott Rupp, State Rep. Allen Icet and Speaker-Elect Ron Richard.

The kick-off’s host committee included the mayors of Chesterfield, Town & Country, Creve Coeur, Manchester, and Fenton.

Rep. Jane Cunningham with State Rep. candidate Robin Harris and Wanda Harris

Nicholas Britto, St. Louis City school board member Veronica O’Brien, Celeste Oakland, and Jack Hoffmann of Chesterfield.

Guests at the Stand by Me fundraiser, left to right around the table…Dr. Ben Mayes (closest), Joan Kehr, Kent Kehr, Donna Hearne, Mark Hearne, Bob Bacon (mostly hidden), Karen Bacon and Ellen Mayes.

Chesterfield Township Republican Committeeman Paul Matteucci, Alicia Matteucci and Donna Hearne.

Carl and Debbie Bearden.

Cunningham campaign manager Kit Crancer with Molly Tallarico, who represents the University of Missouri.

Photos from the Cunningham campaign