In these days when the rest of the media is finally getting around to noticing the massive corruption that lobbying has caused to American politics, it seems odd that Missouri Democrats have selected Sen. Maida Coleman, St. Louis, to deliver the response to Governor Matt Blunt's State of the State address.
Political columnist Jo Mannies, in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, says that Ms. Coleman, who is expected to run for state auditor, will deliver a pre-recorded response to the governor's annual message.
As I wrote in the Nov. 21 Turner Report, Ms. Coleman ranked second among all General Assembly members in the amount of gifts received from lobbyists with $3,395.55. Since that time the amount has gone up to $3,481.55.
That amount includes $912 for entertainment (for a total of four occasions) and $977.38 overall from John Bardgett, lobbyist for John Bardgett & Associates.
Other items on Ms. Coleman's list include $200 for entertainment from John Sondag of Southwestern Bell on Feb. 5, $124.27 for meals, food and beverage from Steven Carroll, lobbyist for the St. Louis City School Board, $161.11 for Kent Gaines, lobbyist for the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, Monsanto, and the Kansas City Chiefs, among others, on March 16, an additional $357.40, including $170 for entertainment and $187.40 for meals, food and beverage from Sondag on April 2, and $235.22 for travel from Richard Doherty, lobbyist for Harrah's Casino on Aug. 23.
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