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Kasten won't run for full house termSunday, February 24, 2008
In a statement issued Saturday, Kasten, a Republican, said she would not file for a full term as the lawmaker for the 158th District Missouri House seat she won in a special election Feb. 5. Filing opens Tuesday for partisan offices, with nominees to be decided in August for the Nov. 4 general election. Kasten, 79, held the seat from 1983 until 2001. Under Missouri term limits, she is eligible for one more full term in the Missouri House. "Late last fall when I was approached by community leaders and friends to run again for the state legislature, I knew Cape Girardeau needed a representative that could hit the ground running on day one, and that is what I am doing now," she said in a prepared statement. "I also understand the need for seniority in the legislative process. Cape Girardeau needs a representative who has the potential to serve several terms." Kasten received 50.1 percent of the vote in the Feb. 5 special election, defeating Democratic Party nominee Mike Keefe, a former Cape Girardeau postmaster, and Libertarian Party nominee Steve Kinder, a pharmacist, for the seat given up by Nathan Cooper following his guilty plea to federal immigration fraud charges. Several Republicans had sought the party's nomination prior to the selection of Kasten. Her decision to step aside after filling out the remainder of Cooper's term could set up a scramble in the August primary. Wayne Wallingford, an executive with McDonald's of Southeast Missouri, seemingly had the nomination in hand until issues over his voter registration scuttled his bid. Clint Tracy, son of Cape Girardeau City Councilwoman Debra Tracy, also sought the nomination, as did Harry Rediger, a prominent retired businessman. Kasten has not been sworn into office yet because the ice storm that hit the county Feb. 11 and 12 cut power to county offices and delayed certification of the election results, Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark said Thursday. Power was out at county offices for three days and the certified results were sent by overnight courier service to Jefferson City on Feb. 16. The following Monday was a state holiday and paperwork from the Secretary of State's office had not reached the Missouri House in time to swear Kasten in before lawmakers adjourned for the week Thursday. Kasten said she has watching legislative work from the sidelines in preparation for becoming a member. Republicans have held the Cape Girardeau legislative seat since Kasten won the office in 1982. 335-6611, extension 126 Comments  Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on semissourian.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
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What is this? Why didn't she make this known prior to the election? It's underhanded and a disgrace. How many people would have voted for her if they knew she wouldn't be there in a year?
I would have still voted for her. She's just honoring term limits, although she is technically exempt.
That's the type of leader we needed in Jefferson City! KUDOS to Mrs. Kasten, a true public servant!
Yep, schnuckered again by the Republican party. Screwed over, lied to, and tricked. The GOP is a POS.
She's just completing the end of an incomplete term. The law requires an election and not a gubernatorial appointment for this seat. Cooper had to relinquish the seat for committing a felony. I am glad she can serve-out this term and watch over our needs until a new election can be held in the fall. . .
Maryjo, Cape Girardeau has been overwhelmingly Republican for damn near 30 years now. It will remain a Republican stronghold, so you might as well accept that. If you don't like it, move 10 miles south to Scott County and you will be surrounded by Democrats.
You speak like a true blue union Democrat.
Thank you Southeast Missourian for putting the "comics" on page one today.
gman, you are correct. She looks pretty hilarious in those googly Woodsy the Owl glasses.
..very disappointing.
More nonsense from the GOP. They knew about Cooper's problems and backed him anyway and now this.
Let me repeat that: the GOP knew about Cooper's problems and backed him anyway. Crowell, Jetton, Lipke, Kinder, Emerson, et al, knew he was into some shady business and was under investigation when Cooper ran in 2004. It was common knowledge in some circles.
IKE, YOU ARE CORRECT! It sure was!
Ike and MaryJo, I sure wish you had posted about your knowledge at the time. Saying it now, after the fact, is suspect at best.
This was fraud at best. She should have been required to disclose that she was only going to serve out the term. The Republicans basically cheated. They figured she was the only 1 electable, and if they made this disclosure, she might not have won. So they in effect lied by hushing this up. I think she should step down immediately. I don't care what party has the seat. This was deceptive, deceitful and wrong.
Ya'll are crazy.
There was no wool pulled over anyone's eyes. We all knew she was just filling in for the rest of this term.
The people of Cape Girardeau dodged a bullet when Mary Kasten announced she's giving up the ghost.
During her previous term, she really dropped the ball, and due to her incompetence, lost a brand new voc-tech school to Sikeston, which had originally been planned for Cape. While Mary was in this fog, Sikeston's representative stepped in and scooped it up for his constituents. Sikeston thanks Mrs. Kasten. Cape? Not so much.
Be glad she's leaving before she could do futher damage. She's not the sharpest tool in the shed.
heye1967
After your comment on the funeral everyone on here thinks your are a zit.
Hellomynameis
Better go further than that. Scott County is becoming Republican fast. Tell them to make a left at Benton and try Mississippi County.
Ike
How come I didn't know? More Democrat lies. Mary Jo proves it. Not only do your policies suck your lies do also.
Congrats 158th district! You sure hit the nail when electing this old woman.
it all seems a bit too coordinated
it will be interesting to see who throws their hat in the ring this time around.
i'd bet we see a new face, as apparently the other candidates were unacceptable.
the gop missed an opportunity to establish some seniority. a viable candidate chosen to finish out this year's term could have had two more terms and had seniority in the house possibly serving 9 years, if re-elected.
makes one wonder who is calling the shots
We were saying it! To the right people. Personally!
Those of us that know Mary Kasten are glad to see her back in office. Mary is a fantastic person. I just wish she would run for another term..
Dear All,
I usually never ever blog, but I heard about what happened to Nathan Cooper and just needed to say something.
I knew Nathan in the SEMO College Republicans when I was in graduate school and he was still an undergraduate. I cannot be a judge of his character because I did not know him all that well; however, it does remind me of an article I wrote for the John Dewey Society in November of 2003 entitled, AMERICAN PRINCIPLES OF SELF-GOVERNMENT. I wrote a layman's version that can be downloaded at: http://www.designnine.com/library/docs/o.......
Anyway, the point I want to make is that the First Condition of the American Principles of Self-Government holds that only mature individuals can be entrusted to govern. This has nothing to do with age of course, but it has everything to do with a person being able to govern his own affairs in an ethical and legal manner in order for him to be entrusted by the community to govern their affairs. Nathan's actions also are relevant to the Fourth Condition of these Principles which holds that one must live by both the cardinal virtues of his community and the distributive virtues of his vocation. Obviously, Nathan forgot both the First and Fourth Conditions of the American Principles of Self-Government and for whatever reason he became susceptible to a situation that led him down the wrong path and completely destroyed his legal and political career and the faith in which the people of Cape Girardeau have in our American political system.
Therefore, it should serve as a lesson to those in politics and the electorate of Cape Girardeau that only persons who emulate the American Principles of Self-Government and their Conditions should truly be leaders of our communities.
VE RI TAS
Michael Reber
mary-jo, and others,
It was a "known" fact that she was running just to fill in for the rest of Cooper's term. The GOP committe members that post on this paper stated as much from the beginning. And that they have people in mind to fill the full term next election. Though why they didn't run those people is still in question, other then Mrs Kasten had the name recognition in Cape.
Also, did you notice that the GOP had to run out and put "pro-life" on all her signs just before the election because the Dem canidate got the pro-life endorsement??
One thing I will give the local GOP, they know how to manipulate the populace of Cape to get what they want. Guess that's the name of politics for you.
Politics in Cape is a joke. It took Emerson's staff to come in and run Kasten's campaign for her anyway. Volunteers? Just wait until the final campaign finance report comes out. I didn't think Volunteers were paid but I guess when you can't do it yourself, you bring in the best. Speaking of doing it herself, will she have a full time nursing assistant with her like when she's at the nursing home. Do the taxpayers have to pay for her driver, when she goes to Jeff City. Once again, blindly following the party will bring nothing of substance to Cape again. Way to go GOP!!!!!
People on here can think whatever they want about me. It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt. At the time that ridiculously excessive funeral was held there were THOUSANDS of people in SEMO with no heat and no electricity because of the ice. But many so-called Chistians in Cape, and people like Who Me clearly aren't intelligent enough to figure out that the $$ spent on that funeral would have been better used to procure some generators and hot meals for people and their children. But I'm sure that didn't occur to you.
And to Who Me, a childish name-calling comment like that shows who the embarassment "on here" is.
I can't believe how many people did not know this. I thought this was common knowledge. She is way too old to run that long. She was the best candidate to make sure the democrats didn't win. Short-term or not, it worked. Now there is Wallingford or Glenn ready to take over.
heye1967
Most people around here took care of themselves. I went to the shop got my generator and had power, TV, Internet, and heat within 2 hours.
But of course there are the wimps like yourself that always wait for the government to tuck them in. There were hot meals at places called restaurants and convenience stores. You take them money and they will give you hot food.
Of course that is not the way a socialist thinks.....right?
Hurry up and finish SEMO so we can be rid of you.