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 Jo Ann Emerson |
A review of campaign finance reports filed earlier this week with the Federal Election Commission shows that Emerson, a Republican who has been in office since 1996, and Sowers, a former U.S. Army major from Rolla, raised only a small fraction of their money at home.
For the three months ending Dec. 31, Emerson raised $318,863, while Sowers took in $179,127. Of the $301,100 in itemized contributions Emerson reported, $52,750, or 17.5 percent, were from addresses within the district. For Sowers, in-district contributions totaled $14,075, or just over 10 percent of the $139,951 in itemized contributions on his report. Contributors who give less than $200 do not need to be named in federal election reports.
 Tommy Sowers |
Two other candidates, Republican Bob Parker of Texas County and independent Larry Bill of Jackson, raised far less than either Emerson or Sowers. Parker reported raising $1,145, while Bill, who must seek petition signatures to get on the ballot, reported putting $3,548 in personal funds into his campaign.
Emerson's fundraising total includes $154,000 from political action committees, none based in the district. The biggest single group of PAC contributors during the quarter were labor unions, which gave Emerson $28,000. The unions include several in the construction trade that have ties to Emerson's husband, Ron Gladney, either as the union's lawyer or as a lobbyist registered with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
PACs with ties to agriculture gave Emerson $25,000, while those related to insurance and banking gave $11,000 and $15,000, respectively.
Sowers raised far more from donors outside Missouri than from within the state. Donors with addresses in other states gave about $91,000 to Sowers' effort, while those inside the state, including the 28-county 8th District, provided just under $50,000.
In a news release sent out earlier this week, Sowers said the amount Emerson from PACs, which represent groups that lobby Congress, shows she has lost touch with the district. "People here tell me they are tired of business as usual in Washington," Sowers said in the prepared statement. "The lobbyists and special interests behind Emerson are exactly what people here are sick of."
A statement issued Thursday by Emerson aide Jeffrey Connor on behalf of the campaign said her donations represent support from people and organizations that care about the district. "Jo Ann's support comes from some 1,200 individuals who live in the Eighth District and from organizations with a direct connection to Missouri and the interests of our state," the campaign said. "Campaigns also should be about the courage of candidates to take positions on the issues and their good ideas for the people they seek to represent."
Emerson's supporters have repeatedly questioned when Sowers would take strong stands on the issues facing Congress.
Sowers' campaign did not issue a statement before press time.
Parker, who has been campaigning since July as a conservative alternative to Emerson, said he won't need the big dollars that Sowers or Emerson has raised. He is relying in part on tea party activists to spread his message that Emerson voted for the $700 billion bank bailout and spending bills that add to the deficit.
"Her rhetoric is completely a deception of what she has actually been doing," Parker said. "She is hoping someone like me isn't going to be passing out brochures with her votes. I don't have a big staff hired and pay them tons of money. And I don't think it is going to take a million dollars to beat Mrs. Emerson."
388-3642
Pertinent addresses:
Cape Girardeau, MO
Rolla, MO
Jackson, MO
Texas County, MO
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Hurry, look surprised!
All United States Congress(people) and Senators are going to receive funding from individuals and interests all across the country - and the better they are at navigating the waters of this heavy responsibility, the more diverse and far reaching the donations will be. Sure, this is a story, but it's not a new story; and it certainly isn't breaking news. If I was serious about running for office, I'm not sure I would openly declare that I'm not going to do everything I can to solicit donations from as wide a range of contributors as I can; and use those recourses to get my word out to as many voters as I could. I'm not sure 'Aw shucks' politics works well on the national level.
Bob Parker and I have contributed more to our cause than the two big contributors. Jo Ann had so much commitment, she gave ten (10) dollars to her own campaign and Tommy gave zero (0).
For more info on campaign fund-raising, visit this article as well:
http://www.semissourian.com/story/160739...
Thanks,
Larry Bill, Independent Conservative Candidate for Congress, 8th District, Missouri
3,000 signatures so far!!!
http://larrybill.com/
One 'recourse' of using spell check as a 'resource' is that not paying full attention will trip you up, of course of course.
"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from his government." ~ Thomas Paine
Thanks for the article on money Rudy, wish you could have gotten Sowers to talk about the issues.
I have to commend Rudy Keller, he is the only journalist who has been able to get Sowers to say where he stands on any issue. Rudy reported late last year that Sowers supports Nancy Pelosi's government take over of health that provides tax-payer money to fund abortion.
Keller Article 11/8/09 "Sowers spoke as the Democratic leadership in the U.S. House was pressing members to a vote on a health care overhaul bill that sets a goal of providing health insurance coverage to 96 percent of the eligible population. Emerson announced Friday evening she planned to vote against the bill. Sowers said he would vote for it."
Emerson's comments on Nancy Pelosi's bill right before voting against the government takeover of healthcare: "This bill does not reflect the changes we need to see in our health care system," Emersons said. "It's too big, too expensive and too bureaucratic to effect a positive change -- especially in rural areas where access issues are very real. We need more technology, more health care professionals in our rural communities and concrete savings on the medical expenses -- like prescription drugs -- that are causing family budgets to capsize all over southern Missouri."
A vote for Sowers is a vote for Nancy Pelosi's radical San Francisco agenda.
Blogbudsman,
Let's continue the debate. It will be very difficult for an "aw shucks" politician as myself to personally buy advertising and hire staff. But if you want to fundamentally correct the insanity in Washington, you have to stop conducting business as usual, or what's the point?
I repeat, if you are going to operate like a typical politician, what's the point?
Campaign contributors (individual, industry representatives, union, and corporate) rarely donate in the interest of good governance. They do so to have access and political influence in their favor.
It was discovered that J.P Morgan and Citibank lobbyists (in 2004, and we know who claimed to be conservative then) convinced Congress to tinker with the tax code. Their reduction in taxes resulted in a 22,000 per cent return on investment.
My own lobby from the real estate industry convinced politicians to continue bankrupting the country. In 2008, Congress borrowed money from the Chinese to provide first time home buyers with a $7,500 house warming gift that was to be paid back $500 a year for 15 years through their income tax return.
For this lobby, that wasn't good enough.. In 2009, Congress converted this program to an outright "gift" of $8,000 to first time homebuyers (the lobby wanted $15,000 for everybody) that never needed to be repaid. Now this program has been expanded to include people who are not first-time homebuyers who will get a $6,500 house warming gift financed by the Chinese. Incidentally, the Chinese have told our President not to visit with the Dalai Lama in our own country.
Didn't the real estate bubble (caused by a glut of homes and poorly supervised massive lending institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and AIG) cause this downturn in the first place? This downturn can be directly traced to campaign contributions used for Congressional elections.
I have benefited from this and other federal programs and openly admit it.
Visit: http://larrybill.com/i-have-met-the-enem...
Thanks,
Larry Bill, Independent Conservative for Congress, 8th District, Missouri
I agree that I wish that Mr. Sowers had been asked where he stands on the issues. He has been getting a free ride up until now ... travelling throughout the region and being critical of Mrs. Emerson. But he never says where he stands on the issues that are important to us all. How would he have voted this week on raising the national debt ceiling? How would he vote on Speaker Pelosi's health care bill? Mr. Sowers free ride should be over and the reporters should start asking him the real questions.
Woodsie:
Completely agree with your thoughts on Sowers not being willing to take a stand on the issues.
HOWEVER, the one issue he has taken a stand on is Pelosi's health care bill which he said he SUPPORTS.
At this point, that is the only issue he will give a stance on.
A vote for Emerson is a vote for more of her massive spending and bank bailouts. In addition, while we have two wars underway, a young soldier's perspective is needed in Congress.
Until Mr. Sowers takes a stand on the issues, one has to assume that he will be following the party line, and voting the way his campaign contributors want. Likewise, Jo Anne's votes have been bought by her contributors. Jo Anne makes it sound as if the interests of the east coast are the 8th district's interests. I'm not buying that. At some point, if you are truly sick of the thought of more of the same, you have to change your own voting pattern. If you have not yet checked out larrybill.com, what are you waiting for? Here is a retired US veteran, raised right here, with the knowledge and desire to lead us where WE want to go. Let's put our thoughts into actions and get him and other conservative independents on the ballot. Ask yourself.....
Had a great time campaigning in Farmington and Cape the last three days. Met a lot of great people, as well as many that are not happy with Mrs. Emerson's voting record.
A person I met on the campaign trail there said '' I think once people realize who you are and what you stand for, the Emerson support will fall like dominoes''.
This seat is not ''Emerson's'' seat. It is the people's seat. The people will decide here in the 8th district who will represent them in Congress, not the big money special intesests from outside the district. I don't think that is going to work this year, not for Emerson, and not for Sowers.
Most people here in the 8th district don't support what Mrs. Emerson has been voting for, bailouts, pay raises, embryonic stem cell reseach [She didn't even get the Missouri right to life endorsement]. Cash for Clunkers, the 410 Billion dollar Omnibus bill,[she said she didn't vote for that in the Rolla paper], public service for your kids in Obama corps and on and on.
Don't count the true conservative Republican out. I have the message. I have the passion. And I will fight the big spending, big government polititians in both parties that are bankrupting us and our families.
I would rather stay on my Ranch in Raymondville and stay out of politics but my country is calling and I will stand up and fight this out of control government that is destroying out freedoms.
I have found that the truth can overcome the big money, but it takes someone willing to stand up and expose the deception. Can you trust someone that get's a standing ovation for saying ''we need to stop bailing out the bankers'' but voted for it TWICE like Mrs. Emerson did at the Poplar Bluff Patriots Rally?
We are losing our freedom's as never before and I am fighting for our principals and our God given rights. Where is bailing out Wall Street in the Constitution Mrs. Emerson?
How is this workin for ya Missouri?
Bob Parker
www.electbobparker.com
Take America Back!
While I like the fact Larry Bill is not limited on his thoughts, I wish someone limited Bob Barker's thoughts. I would also like to know Bob Barker's position on Plinko? Best game ever if you ask me!
Jo Ann Emerson is a liberal. The American Conservative Union rates her at 56 percent while the Americans for Democratic Action (liberal) rates her at 65 percent. The National Taxpayers Union gives her a C-.
Hey, but keep sending money to her campaign. What follows is a few examples of how she spends it.
Hotel rooms at Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, FL. Chateau on the Lake in Branson. Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Greenbriar Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV. Hilton Suites in Chicago. Hyatt Regency in Chicago. Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fl. Petite Auberge Hotel in San Francisco. Radison Hotel in Branson. Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Miami. Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Fernandina Beach, FL. Sheraton Hotel in New York City. Westin Hotel in New York City. Westin Hotel in New Orleans. Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans. Wyndham Hotel in New Orleans.
Meals at Bayona Restaurant in New Orleans. Cantina Laredo Gourmet Mexican Food in Branson. Chateau on the Lake in Branson. Commander's Palace in Branson. Country Club Restaurant and Bar in Lake Ozark. Emeril's Restaurant in New Orleans. Galatiore's Restaurant in New Orleans. GW Finns Restaurant in New Orleans. Ralph Lauren Restaurant in Chicago. The Pelican Club in New Orleans.
Gifts from Andrew's Ties in Rome, Italy. Coach in Nags Head, NC. Famous Barr, L.L. Bean, Neiman-Marcus, and Pottery Barn. The Glove Shop in Rome, Italy. Tiffany Jewelers, Toys R Us and Williams-Sonoma.
How many of you received a gift from her? I haven't.
Sowers, Parker, Bill... Three blind mice, Three blind mice, see how they run.
Smooth01,
I'm open for suggestions.
Is our current Congress bankrupting us or not?
Did the Republicans expand or contract the size of federal government when they controlled Congress and the White House?
Who had the most earmarks we can only fund with printed money, Jo Ann Emerson or Claire McCaskill?
Jo Ann has demanded the price of prescription drugs should come down, and ......?
Sorry we three blind mice are so naiive, but we feel compelled to do something.
Visit: http://larrybill.com/
Thanks,
Larry Bill, Independent Conservative for Congress, 8th District, Missouri
If you want to check on voting records, go to http://www.votesmart.org/official_congre...
and select the elected official. Then you can select by topic. For example, if you select Joann Emerson and Women's Issues, you find that she has voted against every equal pay for equal work act (Lily Ledbetter Acts) that has been passed. Women in the 8th District make significantly less than me and actually have the lowest wages of any congressional district. Fairness is always an issue. Joann has voted on a pile of bills so it's easy to research. She has also given speeches recently announcing grants etc which she actually voted against so you have to check what she says against how she votes.
Joann Emerson is holding a campaign fund-raising dinner in Washington DC at $1,000 a seat on Feb. 24th at Charlie Palmer's Steak House. I don't think many SE Missouri 8th District people live in DC nor could they afford to attend a dinner like this. See http://www.firedupmissouri.com/content/e...
Bob, where have you been campaigning?