That's some friend, that $30,000.00 friend. Why is a car dealer in NC investing tens of thousands of dollars into the campaign of a

political rookie in NW Springfield?

Didi Tang reports in this article in this morning's SN-L big bucks are pouring into two local state representative campaigns -- Sellars and Leach.John Sellars (SN-L photo)

Sellar's glossy mailers haven't been reaching the bus barn, I suspect someone pulled our name from the mailing list. I did get one yesterday, a slick piece with a photo of John that looks different from the photo the SN-L uses. Has John lost some weight? If so, that's good because I worry about his and Billy's health.
In John's mailer, he asks for my vote because he believes "Missouri needs citizen-legislators with experience in the real world."

The flip side of the mail piece shows Sellars with a group of children in what I thought was a classroom. (Both Sellar's wife Jane and Sara Lampe, whom Sellars is hoping to unseat, are educators.)
I don't think it is a classroom in a school, I think the photo was taken in the history museum where John works as the director.

I don't know if it is a stretch to say that working in a history museum is working in "the real world" and working in education isn't (I wonder what John's wife has to say about that) -- I think John is in basically the same business as his wife and opponent.

The tag line on this side is again with citizen-legislators not career politicians I guess those lunches John had with Billy were productive after all. Billy uses that same phraseology. It must have polled well.)


In a bit of irony, I did receive a fund-raising letter from John earlier this month. In the letter he said:

My campaign has relied on the support of friends, family neighbors and concerned citizens, not deep-pocketed special interests

My opponent on the other hand, has received tens of thousands of dollars from outside special interest groups. These groups have no interest in our district; rather, they want someone in Jefferson City who will stand up for their cause, even if it hurts our district.

So far, we have been able to keep up financially with my opponent, but there is little doubt that, in the end, the special interests will try to come in and buy this seat. We cannot let them do it!

Tang reports in today's article that on Tuesday, the House Republican Campaign Committee gave Sellars $40,050, following an Oct. 13 payment of $8,050. On Friday, fellow Republican and state Rep. Eric Burlison contributed $5,001 to Sellars' campaign and on Wednesday, Burlison gave Sellars another $1,000.

I guess it depends on what the meaning of the term "special interest" is, but it sure sounds to me like, as John says in his letter, "the special interests will try to come in and buy this seat".


Melissa Leach and her $30,000.00 friend. Leach is a fundraiser for conservative causes. Do you think she met this guy while cold calling for cash? Why would someone put $30,000.00 into a house seat campaign in NW #SGF, especially someone from North Carolina.

STOP THE BUS! SELLARS IS RIGHT! He just had the wrong district!

These groups have no interest in our district; rather, they want someone in Jefferson City who will stand up for their cause, even if it hurts our district.

So far, we have been able to keep up financially with my opponent, but there is little doubt that, in the end, the special interests will try to come in and buy this seat.

Melissa Leach (SN-L photo)

Melissa Leach has been on the bus before, recall this post from February, 2010: That's some friend, that $20,000 friend!

A political sign in the front of Greene County Damaged Freight Sales on West Kearney succinctly sums up the Leach campaign. Charlie Norr has a sign that is hung from two metal fence posts at that location. Leach piggybacked on Norr's sign, using Norr's fence posts to hang her own sign. Leach 'leached' on Norr's sign. I'll go back out there today and get a photo.

Leach's campaign must have spent a heck of a lot of money on 'robo-calls'.

The calls have an urgent message for "all Christian families" claiming Charlie Norr has taken "hundreds in campaign contributions from a representative of the hard core pornography industry".

I think the connection is that a local magazine distributor might have contributed to Norr's campaign.

Meanwhile, Norr is fighting to pass legislation to control interest on "Pay day Loans", helping families with austic children, and serving his constituents. Read the SN-L endorsement of Norr.

Leach, in contrast, received over $30,000 from David Bryan, a car dealer in Fayetteville, NC.

Melissa "I support the Tea Party Movement - Taxed Enough Already" Leach, who, like Rod Jetton, received government assistance (courtesy of the taxpayers) while in college, doesn't want to or can't answer the question of why a car dealer NC, has given $30,000.00 to a political rookie in NW Springfield.

Maybe the SN-L should have asked her?

And then there is this mailer I got from Bob Dixon, he's been on the bus before, too (Bob Dixon not only accepted campaign contributions from payday loan lobbyists, he's got campaign signs in front of them! too. Look at the shirt the guy in the crowd photo is wearing --"End the Fed" Is this a hidden code message to tea partiers? (Earlier this year a story was going around, as Billy likes to call it, SpringVegas that Dixon received tax credits not once but twice to rehab his midtown home. Do any bus riders have any information on how this can be fact checked?)