Nodler: Sinquefield committees show what a law abiding man he is

I have taken no survey, but I would say most Missourians resent those who try to push their beliefs and values on the rest of us and have the money to be able to have much more influence than the rest of us.
One example of that would be retired billionaire Rex Sinquefield, who has given hundreds of thousands to those who are willing to side with him in his efforts to bring educational vouchers to Missouri.
During those brief months when campaign contribution limits were removed, Sinquefield was writing checks for tens of thousands of dollars to favored candidates. Before that, he went along with the process of laundering money through party committees. After the Missouri Supreme Court reinstated the limits, Sinquefield formed 100 of his own committees, again to enable him to contribute more than the maximum amount.

In my book, that is an effort to skirt the law.

That, however, is not the way Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, sees it, according to an article in this morning's Kansas City Star:

The Senate debate over whether to repeal Missouri’s limits on campaign contributions generated reactions ranging from shame to pride.

But perhaps the most interesting came from Republican Sen. Gary Nodler of Joplin, who said it was appropriate for lawmakers to be in tune with their political contributors.

Public financing of campaigns severs that connection between lawmakers and like-minded contributors, he said.

“Why is the mindless support that (stems from public financing) somehow more ethically pure than purposeful political support?” Nodler asked.

Later, several senators were criticizing conservative political financier Rex Sinquefield, who last year set up and funded 100 fundraising committees so he could get around the current law, which limits contributions to $1,350 to each statewide candidate. Under the law, each committee is considered a different person and can give the maximum amount.

Nodler disputed the notion that it showed that Sinquefield was deliberately evading the campaign finance law. On the contrary, Nodler said: Sinquefield was demonstrating how to follow the law to the letter.

Perhaps it makes Gary Nodler beam with pride when billionaires and special interests evade the law by finding loopholes. That kind of thinking, however,is what makes many Missourians distrustful of politicians like Gary Nodler.