Politically Speaking

After a Thanksgiving hiatus, the Politically Speaking podcast team is back in the saddle. And this week, we welcome state Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, who will be the new Senate minority leader when the General Assembly goes back into session in January. Originally published on Dec. 4, 2014.

The Politically Speaking podcast crew this week welcomes a woman who’s literally one of a kind: state Rep-elect Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood.
 
 A physical therapist, Lavender appears to have set a modern-day record in the state by running four consecutive times for the same legislative post before winning. She lost bids in 2008, 2010 and 2012 to then-incumbent Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood. Originally published on Nov. 19, 2014.

The Politically Speaking podcast team this week welcomed back state Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale. He was the podcast’s first political guest back in June 2013. Originally published on Nov. 12, 2014.

A day after his narrow victory, St. Louis County Executive-elect Steve Stenger says he’s “certainly willing to extend an olive branch’’ to those fellow Democrats who had opposed his election. Originally published on Nov. 5, 2014.

We're getting close to Election Day, and that means St. Louis Public Radio's Chris McDaniel, Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum are returning to the show's "classic" format to preview the main races in St. Louis and throughout the Show Me State. Originally published on Oct. 31, 2014.

This week, the Politically Speaking crew welcomes Gregg Keller, a locally based Republican consultant who now runs his own firm, Atlas Strategy Group.
 
 Keller represents a number of corporate and political clients, including state Auditor Tom Schweich, who’s expected to run for governor in 2016. Originally published on Oct. 22, 2014.

The Politically Speaking crew welcomes Megan Ellyia Green just days after her decisive victory in a special election for the 15th Ward aldermanic seat. On Tuesday, Green took 46 percent of the vote in a four-person race, in spite of running as an independent. Originally published on Oct. 10, 2014.

The Politically Speaking crew continues its look at the so-called “Battle for JeffCo,” the expensive campaign for the 22nd District state Senate seat that's among the region's most competitive contests this fall.
 
 After hosting Republican state Rep. Paul Wieland last week, St. Louis Public Radio’s Chris McDaniel, Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum now welcome his opponent – state Rep. Jeff Roorda, D-Barnhart – to the podcast. Originally published on Sept. 28, 2014.

Missouri’s mid-term election season is in full swing. And that means it’s time to interview the candidates in some of the state’s most competitive electoral contests. 
 
 State Rep. Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Chris McDaniel, Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies to discuss his bid for the 22nd District state Senate seat. Wieland is running against state Rep. Jeff Roorda, D-Barnhart, for the open Jefferson County-based seat. Originally published on Sept. 22, 2014.

On this week’s edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Chris McDaniel, Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome state Rep. Joshua Peters to the show. Originally published on Sept. 16, 2014.

In what’s becoming something of a post-veto session tradition, Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Chris McDaniel, Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum to discuss the impact of the General Assembly's annual event. Originally published Sept. 12, 2014.

This week's edition of Politically Speaking is fully focused on Wednesday's veto session. St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcomed state Rep. Caleb Jones, R-Boone County, to our St. Louis studio to tell us what to expect. Originally published on Sept. 7, 2014.

On this week's episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio's Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum welcome St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Jennifer Florida to the show.
 
 Florida represented St. Louis' 15th Ward for several terms on the Board of Aldermen, most recently winning re-election last year. Originally published on September 2, 2014.

On this week's episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio's Chris McDaniel, Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum welcome St. Louis County Councilwoman Hazel Erby to the show. Originally published on August 27, 2014.

St. Louis Public Radio reporters Chris McDaniel, Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcomed future state Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, to the Politically Speaking podcast. Originally published on August 21, 2014.

St. Louis Public Radio reporters Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcomed former St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Sharon Carpenter to the Politically Speaking podcast. Originally published on August 14, 2014.

Every week, St. Louis Public Radio's Chris McDaniel, Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum talk about the week’s politics. This week the trio discusses the last-minute money surge to the state’s primary candidates, as well as key races in St. Louis. 
 
 The Politically Speaking crew also talked about U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s big donation to the state Democratic Party and what it means for state legislative contests in the fall. Originally published on July 30, 2014.

St. Louis Public Radio reporters Chris McDaniel, Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcomed Dan Mehan, president of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to the Politically Speaking podcast. Originally published on July 24, 2014.

St. Louis Public Radio reporters Chris McDaniel, Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcomed St. Louis Building and Construction Trades secretary-treasurer Jeff Aboussie to the Politically Speaking podcast. Originally published on July 16, 2014.

St. Louis Public Radio reporters Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies continue their mini-series on Missouri’s top behind-the-scenes players. For this week’s show, Rosenbaum and Mannies welcomed Republican political consultant James Harris to the show. Originally published on June 30, 2014.

Politically Speaking continues its interviews with Missouri’s most prominent behind-the-scenes players. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies speak this week with “the pride of St. James,” aka political consultant Jack Cardetti. Originally published on June 23, 2014.

This week, the Politically Speaking podcast brings prominent GOP consultant Jeff Roe to the show. He joins St. Louis Public Radio reporters Jo Mannies, Chris McDaniel and Jason Rosenbaum.
 
 Based in Kansas City, Roe is among the top Republican consultants in the Midwest – and is headed toward a national reputation. Only in his early 40s, he operates the fourth-largest GOP direct-mail firm in the country. He's expected to land at least one Republican presidential candidate in 2016.

Politically Speaking is shifting gears this summer. With the legislature out of session, and the August primary on the horizon, we've decided to interview some of the state’s most prominent political consultants who play key roles behind the scenes.
 
 This week, St. Louis Public Radio reporters Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcomed St. Louis lawyer Jane Dueker to the show. Originally published on June 9, 2014.

On this week's episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies welcome back state Sen. John Lamping, R-Ladue, to the show. 
 
 Lamping decided not to run for another term this fall as the state senator representing the 24th District. But he has plenty to say about his four years in the General Assembly's upper chamber. During that time, he gained a reputation, and some enemies, over his willingness to buck his own party -- especially on fiscal issues. Originally published on June 3, 2014.

This week, St. Louis Public Radio's education reporter Dale Singer joins Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies as we welcome back state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, to the show. 
 
 The Politically Speaking podcast is diverging from our usual alternating schedule of Republican and Democratic guests. Instead, we are focusing on opposing views on one of the region's hottest issues: the transfer of students from the Normandy and Riverview Gardens school districts -- both unaccredited -- to neighboring districts. Originally published on May 27, 2014.

This week, St. Louis Public Radio's state Capitol reporter Marshall Griffin joins Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies to talk with state Rep. Clem Smith.
 
 The Velda Village Hills Democrat represents a number of small municipalities in St. Louis County, including most of the cities within the embattled Normandy School District. Originally published on May 20, 2014.

The Politically Speaking crew this week returns to a “split show” format. On the first part of the show, St. Louis Public Radio reporters Chris McDaniel, Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies discuss the expectations for the General Assembly’s home stretch. Originally published on April 30, 2014.

This week, the Politically Speaking podcast team – Chris McDaniel, Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies – host state Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, currently the longest-serving member of the state House. Originally published on April 23, 2014.

The first part of the show breaks down the latest developments in the state budgetary process and the advancement of a sales tax increase to fund transportation projects. Capitol reporter Marshall Griffin fills in for the vacationing Jo Mannies.
 
 For the second part of the show, Chris McDaniel and Jason Rosenbaum talk with LeVota. The Democrat from Independence previously served as minority leader in the Missouri House and is leading efforts this year to increase his party’s numbers in the Missouri Senate. Originally published on April 9, 2014.

For the first part of the show, the Politically Speaking crew breaks down the latest campaign finance numbers for Missouri's top mid-term election contests. They also discuss the fallout -- and the lobbying -- from the Missouri House's initial "right to work" vote.
 
 State Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, joins Mannies and Rosenbaum for the second part of the show. The former House Budget Committee chairman (and Rock Band fan) has proposed an alternative of sorts to "straighten up" Medicaid expansion. It may serve as a template (along with a House bill from Rep. Noel Torpey, R-Independence) for breaking the legislative impasse on the issue. Originally published April 16, 2014.

We discuss whether or not the 2014 elections are a bust, get into Medicaid expansion in Missouri, and explain what's going on with this year's nullification bill. Originally published on April 3, 2014.

Every week, St. Louis Public Radio's Chris McDaniel, Jo Mannies and Jason Rosenbaum talk about the week’s politics. On this show, our guest is St. Louis County Councilman Steve Stenger, a Democrat from Affton who is challenging County Executive Charlie Dooley in this summer’s primary. Originally published on March 27, 2014.

This week the Politically Speaking crew (minus Chris McDaniel) welcomes U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer to the show. The St. Elizabeth Republican’s sprawling district extends into St. Charles, Franklin, Lincoln and Jefferson counties, as well as mid-Missouri outposts, such as Jefferson City and the Lake of the Ozarks. Luetkemeyer’s elections have been relatively low-key since he won the wild 2008 election for the now abolished 9th congressional district. The former bank examiner is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, which regulates the nation’s banking and financial industries. Originally published on March 24, 2014.

The Politically Speaking crew's latest interview features St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, a Democrat who has held the powerful local office since late 2003. Dooley is facing a stiff challenge in the August primary from fellow Democrat Steve Stenger, a county councilman from south St. Louis County. Dooley says he is prepared to mount a vigorous campaign, contending that there’s still plenty of work to be done to increase economic opportunity throughout St. Louis County. Originally published on March 19, 2014.

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus is the first political figure from Illinois to be a guest on the podcast. The Collinsville Republican has represented large areas of southern Illinois since 1997 and plays a major role on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Shimkus is also a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which provides legislators from Europe and the Americas input on the alliance’s direction. He’s also been outspoken against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine. Originally published on March 17, 2014.

This week's guest is Republican Catherine Hanaway, the former speaker of the Missouri House and former U.S. attorney for Missouri's eastern district. She's now running for governor in 2016. Originally published on March 13, 2014.

The Politically Speaking crew welcomes its fourth statewide official to the show – state Treasurer Clint Zweifel. The north St. Louis County native is responsible for a host of financially related matters, including managing the state’s college saving program, overseeing the state's financial investments and returning unclaimed property to Missouri residents. He also sits on the Missouri Housing Development Commission, which doles out low-income housing tax credits to developers. Originally published on March 4, 2014.

U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, joined the Politically Speaking crew on this week’s show. Before she was elected to represent the 2nd congressional district in 2012, Wagner had served as the head of the Missouri Republican Party, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and then as ambassador to Luxembourg under President George W. Bush. Originally published on Feb. 25, 2014.

This week, Chris McDaniel and Jo Mannies hosted state House Minority Leader Jake Hummel, a Democrat from St. Louis. Hummel, a union electrician, acknowledges that the 52 House Democrats have a tough task because they are outnumbered by more than 100 Republicans. Originally published on Feb. 19, 2014.

Jo Mannies hosts state House Budget chairman Rick Stream, a Republican from Kirkwood. She was joined by Marshall Griffin of St. Louis Public Radio’s Jefferson City bureau. Originally published on February 10, 2014

Green is the city's chief fiscal officer and one of the longest-serving comptrollers in modern history. Green discussed her unlikely transition into electoral politics (which Mannies detailed in a 2011 profile), her relationship with Mayor Francis Slay and Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed as well as some initiatives she’s launched recently. She also talked at length about her role as vice chair of the Missouri Democratic Party – and efforts to recruit African-American candidates to run for statewide office. Originally published on Feb. 4, 2014.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder becomes the third statewide official to appear on the podcast, following state Auditor Tom Schweich and Secretary of State Jason Kander. The Republican has been Missouri’s lieutenant governor since 2005; he also was the first GOP lawmaker in decades to become president pro tem of the Missouri Senate. Originally published on January 29, 2014.

Marshall Griffin joins the Politically Speaking crew to talk about Gov. Jay Nixon's State of the State speech and the latest developments involving Missouri's death penalty. Senate Minority Leader Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, joins Chris, Jo and Jason for the second part of the show. Originally published on January 22, 2014.

Jason and Jo discuss the roadblocks to getting “right to work” on the ballot and why upcoming campaign finance reports matter. For the rest of the show, the Politically Speaking crew talks with Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City. Originally published on January 15, 2014.

This week the Politically Speaking crew welcomes Secretary of State Jason Kander to the podcast. Kander, a Democrat from Kansas City, narrowly captured the statewide office in 2012 after a hard-fought contest with Republican Shane Schoeller. During the show, Kander discussed his push to alter Missouri’s campaign finance and lobbyist laws. He announced on the show that he’s throwing his support behind an ethics bill, to be introduced shortly by state Rep. Kevin McManus, D-Kansas City, that would bar lobbyist gifts, cap campaign contributions and force former lawmakers to wait before becoming lobbyists. Originally published on Jan. 7, 2014.

Ogilvie burst onto the local political scene in 2011 when he easily defeated former Alderman Tom Bauer to represent the southwest St. Louis ward. On the show, Ogilvie discussed Complete Streets legislation in St. Louis County, his bid to cap campaign donations for city elections and his opposition to a statewide transportation sales tax. Originally published on Dec. 23, 2013.

State Rep. Paul Curtman, R-Pacific, is this week’s guest on the Politically Speaking podcast, which this week features regulars Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies as hosts. Chris McDaniel is on assignment. Curtman, 32, is a second-term member of the Missouri House, with his district representing part of Franklin County. He’s also a former Marine, serving from 1999 to 2003 on active duty. Two of his close friends in the Marines died in Iraq, which Curtman says has affected his approach toward life and politics. Originally published on Dec. 19, 2013.

On today's episode: It's a blast from the past as we start off the show by talking about Congressman Todd Akin's race (specifically hisNRSCfunding), then we move on to Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones' so-called Speaker Tour (or the Lt. Gov.'s Tour?), and we close it out with a discussion on the Arch Tax.

The first-term lawmaker made the transition this year from being a legislative staffer to representing portions of north, central and south St. Louis. In addition to discussing life in the legislature, Butler talked about Gov. Jay Nixon’s latest push for ethics reform, the recent special session to woo Boeing, controversy around state Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro and his desire to bring state funds for crime prevention. Originally published Dec. 12, 2013.

On today's episode: We discuss Representative Jo Ann Emerson's early departure, and who's on the short-list to replace her, where we stand on Medicaid expansion, and Senator Claire McCaskill's recent PR tour.