Family values spur Blunt contributions

In this day and age when family members usually go their separate ways, you have to appreciate a local family that bucks that trend.
Take the Beshores.
They're a family that follows the old saying, "The family that pays together stays together," and the man they are paying is Missouri Governor Matt Blunt.
The media made a big deal out of Blunt's early campaign war chest of three quarters of a million, but they overlooked the little guy, the family guy, the one who spends his hard-earned money to improve government.
That's Lance Beshore, Joplin. By night, he's a family man, but 24 hours a day, he is a lobbyist in the employ of Carthage-based Fortune 500 company Leggett & Platt.
According to the campaign disclosure forms on the Missouri Ethics Commission website, Dr. Beshore, listed as a physician, gave the governor the maximum contribution, $1,200. His wife, Sharon Cornell Beshore, listed as a homemaker, also gave $1,200. His son, Brent Beshore, listed as student gave $1,200. (If I could have donated $1,200 to politicians when I was in college, I wouldn't had to have spent years paying off a student loan.) Dr. Beshore's father-in-law, Harry Cornell, of Leggett & Platt gave $1,200.
The Leggett & Platt extended family also stepped up to the plate. Karl Glassman gave, you guessed it, $1,200. and Leggett & Platt itself was also down for $1,200.
In addition to Leggett & Platt, the governor once again had a steady stream of contributions from registered lobbyists, in addition to Dr. Beshore, though none of them were listed as lobbyists.
Among those:
-Burch and Associates, the lobbying firm operated by former State Representative Jerry Burch gave $300. His firm represents Missouri Hospital Association, Southwest Missouri State University, Greene County Commission, Springfield City Utilities, and the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce.
-Gaines Brown Consulting, a lobbyist firm gave $1,200, which represents Monsanto, Premium Standard Farms, Kansas City Chiefs, and Southwestern Bell (SBC) among others.
-L. Kent Gaines lobbyist for Gaines Brown Consulting, $1,200. No occupation was listed for Gaines.
-University of Missouri lobbyist Tom Atkins donated $1,200. His occupation is listed as Tom Atkins Investments.
-Kenneth Teasdale with the lobbying firm Armstrong Teasdale, which represents Ameren UE, gave $1,200. His firm was listed for his occupation.
-Harvey Tettlebaum, lobbyist for the Missouri Health Care Association, donated $1,200.
Sizable donations from lobbyists are par for the course for a Blunt campaign. As The Turner Report noted on May 25, Matt Blunt received money from nearly 100 registered lobbyists during his 2004 gubernatorial campaign. You can find that information at:
http://rturner229.blogspot.com/2005/05/much-has-been-written-about-amount-of.html
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One of the most interesting donors on the disclosure form filed by Governor Blunt's campaign was "Columbia Fee Office," which gave $1,200 on June 30.
Joplin-area donors, in addition to those associated with Leggett & Platt included:
David Humphreys, TAMKO, $1,200, Dr. Blake Little, Joplin, $1,200; Ron Richard, listed as C&N Bowl Corp, $1,200, Patty Richard, Joplin, $1,200; and Dee Wampler, Springfield, attorney, $500.