Sunday, May 12, 2013
The Marketplace Fairness Act was approved in the U.S. Senate, and is headed for the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would require merchants to collect sales taxes on online purchases.
It's called the "Marketplace Fairness Act" and supporters say it levels the playing field between online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores by requiring online merchants to pay sales taxes to the states, counties and localities where they have done business. Opponents include anti-tax activists and retailers who say it will be overly burdensome—in fact, nearly impossible, they say, to keep track of the tax rates and tax requirements for the myriad of taxing agencies where they may be doing business. The Marketplace Fairness Act passed the U.S. Senate 69-27 on Monday. Next up, the legislation goes to the GOP-led House. President Barack Obama has previously said he supports the bill. Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, voted for …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
How is it possible that Missourians voted overwhelmingly in favor of a Republican presidential nominee, but also voted in a Democratic senator and four Democratic statewide officers?
Explain this, kind Missouri voters. You overwhelmingly voted to give Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney the 10 electoral votes that our state had up for grabs. By more than 450,000 votes, in fact, the state went red—as all the pundits had expected. The presidential race headed the ballot, of course. Close behind, however, were the race for U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, attorney general and secretary of state. With the exception of Peter Kinder's huge win for a third term as the state's No. 2, every other race went blue: What does it mean? How can you explain the seemingly split personality of Missouri voters as manifested by Tuesday's election results? Please give us your analysis in the comments below.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Sen. Claire McCaskill is the projected winner of the U.S. Senate race in Missouri, defeating Republican challenger Rep. Todd Akin.
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has defeated Republican challenger Todd Akin in the U.S. Senate race in Missouri. With 55 percent of the precincts counted on the Missouri Secretary of State's website, unofficial results show McCaskill currently winning by more than 138,000 votes as of 10:10 p.m. Ballots are still being counted in Missouri. McCaskill delivered her victory speech to a cheering crowd of supporters at the Chase Park Plaza at 10 p.m. "With a stubborn determination, tenacity and refusal to give up, we showed the country what Missouri is made of," McCaskill said. McCaskill thanked her supporters during her speech, and went on to mention her mother, Betty Anne McCaskill, who died in the final days of the campaign on Oct. 29. "There…
This is where you can find election results for local and legislative races.
- - - Updated at 11:35 p.m. - - - Incumbent Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced he had received a concession call from Republican challenger Ed Martin. Koster also thanked the 400 or so employees at the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. “My success tonight is completely a reflection of them and their dedication to the state we love,” Koster said. - - - Updated at 11:30 p.m. - - - Peter Kinder, the Republican Lieutenant Governor of the State of Missouri, celebrated his election to a third term with supporters in Creve Coeur Tuesday night. Kinder was doing a radio interview by phone with talk show host Dana Loesch just before 11 p.m. Tuesday when he received a call from his opponent, former State Auditor Susan Montee. He …
In the final survey of Red Arch and Blue Arch insiders before election day, Democrats said they are disappointed President Obama largely conceded Missouri to Mitt Romney.
In a primary and general election season that has seen more than a fair share of advertisements, Republicans and Democrats polled in an unscientific survey have agreed that Senator Claire McCaskill's ad strategy was better than that of her GOP opponent, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin. That result, obtained through the final pre-election survey of "Red Arch" and "Blue Arch" Democratic and Republican activists in Missouri, may not come as much of a surprise, given the fundraising challenges faced by Akin since August. His comments about rape and pregnancy saw party and third party funding sources dry up until the campaign's waning days, as the GOP largely sought his exit from the race. Still when asked, "Regardless of your partisan preference, which U…
Monday, November 5, 2012
With the election only one day away, it's time to fess up: Whether it's Akin, McCaskill, Spence, Nixon or someone else, which political ad will you be happy to see go?
You know the drill. The somber music plays in the background while a deep voice shares a fearful message about a candidate seeking election. Occasionally, a few seconds might be reserved afterward for an inspiring message from that candidate's challenger. These so-called attack ads have grown more prevalent as we've moved closer to the Nov. 6 election. In the U.S. Senate race, an ad from Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) contains a voice that connects Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to President Barack Obama. The voice references McCaskill's support of the Affordable Care Act and her endorsement of the president in 2008. An ad from McCaskill takes a similar approach in connecting her opponent to the 2012 presidential campaign. The ad begins by …
Saturday, November 3, 2012
The U.S. Senate candidate's campaign also addresses reports about the Congressman's arrests in the 1980s at abortion protests.
On Saturday night, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin held what an aide said would likely be the campaign's last campaign rally in St. Louis prior to Tuesday's general election. At what his campaign described as a "Family Values Rally" at Westminster Christian Academy in Town and Country, Akin, currently the 2nd District U.S. Congressman from Wildwood, touched on familiar themes in his campaign against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO). Citing McCaskill's record supporting President Obama'a healthcare reform and the federal stimulus bill, among other areas, the Wildwood Republican called McCaskill Obama's "strong right arm" in front of an audience geared toward religious conservatives. Akin was introduced by former St. Charles County …
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
If the election were held today, which Missouri Senate candidate would you vote for?
A week from today the election season will all be over. All the ads, yard signs and campaigning will be done. In Missouri, one of the most contested, and publicized races, will be finished. Voters will finally get to decide who takes one of Missouri's two seats in the United States Senate. Incumbent Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, is battling with Republican Todd Akin in a tight race. Patch readers, however, haven't seen the race as that close. Twice readers have been asked who they favored in the race and both times Akin came out on top. In the first poll, Akin topped McCaskill with 71 percent of the votes (88 total). McCaskill picked up only 35 votes (28 percent). In round No. 2, Akin's percentage dropped, but he still came out ahead. He…
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Campaign confirms the Missouri Senator has called off campaign events for the remainder of the week.
A campaign spokeswoman confirmed late Tuesday afternoon to Patch that Missouri U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is off the campaign trail for the rest of the week as her family rallies around her ailing mother, Betty Anne, 84. Earlier, the campaign told the Associated Press that "McCaskill and her siblings plan to be with their mother around-the-clock at the hospital and requested prayers and privacy," at a St. Louis hospital's Intensive Care Unit. Her Republican opponent, U.S. Representative Todd Akin, tweeted a link to the AP story along with words of support. "Our thoughts & prayers are with @clairecmc and her mother," the message said.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
On the senate race, political spending by a powerful Missouri contributor and climate change—our roundup of some of the Missouri political stories that hit the media this week.
Editor's Note: The following articles were aggregated from several news organizations in Missouri. You can read more about each story by clicking on the headline. President Emeritus of Missouri Botanical Garden take out billboard to warn about climate change (St. Louis Beacon) Dan Burkhardt said to Peter Raven, emeritus head of MoBOT, spent $2,500 for a billboard along Interstate 70 between Warrenton and Wright City, saying "Climate change is real. Vote for candidates who will work to find solutions." Both men regularly champion environmental causes. Burkhardt created a land trust with his own farmland a few years ago and recently helped launch the nonprofit Magnificent Missouri, celebrating Missouri conservation efforts. No mention of '…
Rich Pope
3:41 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
Foxx, I pay property taxes to pay teachers. Being a teacher, I pay my own salary through my own taxes. Then I pay taxes on the income I earn. Then I pay taxes when I purchase something. I continue to pay taxes on items I've already purchased ( my car and my home). Then I pay taxes on the money to my heirs. more ›