Jetton: Lt. gov. went too far

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- House Speaker Rod Jetton said Thursday that the lieutenant governor -- a friend and fellow Southeast Missouri Republican -- went too far in questioning the ethics of working as a political consultant and fundraiser while serving in the legislature.

Jetton said he thinks "it's more politics than ethics" driving Kinder's criticisms and said it could distract Republican candidates from focusing on important voter issues such as gas and food prices.

Jetton said his consulting company is legal, was approved by the Missouri Ethics Commission in 2006 and has disclosed its clients.

Kinder traveled the state last week calling it a "matter of conscience" to bar lawmakers from also working as political consultants. The lieutenant governor said he has tried privately to persuade Jetton and his lawmaker-clients to end the arrangement.

Republican gubernatorial candidates Sarah Steelman and Kenny Hulshof also have said they support barring lawmakers from working as paid political consultants or fundraisers.

Jetton said he's "totally comfortable" with a law or policy that bans lawmakers from simultaneously consulting for political campaigns, adding that he is taking umbrage only with the way Kinder has called for the consulting ban.

"He was kind of attacking me personally," Jetton said. "It was way beyond a proposal for a law change."

Jetton said he does not remember a conversation with Kinder about his consulting contracts. He said the lieutenant governor even tried to recruit him to consult for Kinder's campaign when he was considering a run for governor earlier this year.

A spokesman for Kinder's campaign said Thursday that David Barklage, a political consultant for Kinder, asked Jetton to consider joining the campaign but denied that Kinder knew an offer had been made.

The spokesman declined to further elaborate on the nature of conversations between Kinder and Jetton about ceasing the consulting work.

Kinder campaign spokesman Paul Sloca said had the lieutenant governor known about the offer to Jetton, "he would have had a problem with that." Sloca said Kinder believes that the consulting ban is needed for the good of the Missouri Republican Party.

Sloca also works for the campaign of Blaine Luetkemeyer, a Republican running in Missouri's 9th Congressional District.

Jetton's business, Commonsense Conservative Consulting LLC, is helping Republican Rep. Bob Onder, who also is running for Congress from that district.

Jetton's firm was paid about $140,000 from January 2007 through this March by Republican Sens. Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau, Rob Mayer of Dexter and Luann Ridgeway of Smithville. Jetton also has consulted for presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign.

Jetton's complaints were delivered Thursday during a news conference in the parking lot of the Missouri Ethics Commission. It came more than a week after Kinder called for the consulting ban and was the first time Jetton has answered Kinder's criticisms.

Jetton said he wanted time to think before responding, noting a desire to avoid "an inner party fight if you can help it."