Posted on 08/01/2007 1:26:30 PM PDT by SConservative
JEFFERSON CITY — Chris Koster, a Republican state senator and champion of stem cell research, is expected to announce today that he is switching to the Democratic Party.
Koster, a candidate for attorney general next year, will hold news conferences in Columbia, Harrisonville and St. Louis. In a news release, he promised "a speech that may transform the political landscape of Missouri."
Koster, of Harrisonville near Kansas City, resigned late Tuesday as chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus. His resignation letter, hand-delivered by Koster's secretary to the office of Senate President Pro Tem Mike Gibbons, gave no explanation.
Koster's campaign spokeswoman, Elisabeth Smith, would not confirm that he is leaving the GOP. But Smith's association with Koster was itself a signal: Smith worked for U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, in the 2006 campaign.
-- CLIP
Koster was calling major donors Tuesday to alert them to his plans. By late afternoon, word had spread to Democratic operatives. Mike Kelley, a Democratic consultant, said he had "heard it too many places for it not to be true."
Koster could have had trouble winning a Republican statewide primary because of his strong stance favoring embryonic stem cell research.
-- CLIP
If Koster becomes a Democrat, control of the Senate will not change. Republicans outnumber Democrats 20-13. There is one vacancy, a St. Charles County seat vacated this summer by Republican Chuck Gross.
Kelley, the Democratic consultant, said he hoped Koster would run for re-election to his Senate seat instead of seeking the attorney general's post.
"If he is truly switching parties because he's upset with (Gov.) Matt Blunt, the best way to show it is to help us take the Senate back from Republicans," Kelley said.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Note that GOP control of the state senate will remain in tact, proving the man's selfishness. Finally, there's an excellent chance the GOP will win back his seat, because this guy will be busy running for attorney general.
Liberals are funny folk, aren't they?
Hopefully the RNC.advises these Republicans that they are on borrowed time and they had better get themselves straight.
Darn. I was hoping a national RINO was leaving.
Jay Nixon is a Hearnes Democrat. This guy won’t win a Democratic primary either, because he’s a poofy little pissant with an inflated opinion of himself.
There’s another one supposedly leaving. Some woman; but I am not sure where or who she is or if it is state level.
Thenh I hope he also plans to resign from the MO Legislature...
It’s one thing to change your party ...he has that optoion in his private life...
But he ran as a Republican and he is breaking faith with the people who voted for him...he had a contract with his electrate...they spent time and money to get him elected to office and placed him there as a Republican...
He needs to stand down and run in 2008 as a Democrat
MO should hold a special election...
Koster was a Republican?
absolutely right. The Democrats who have changed to Republican have done it honestly, not like this. He should be forced to resign.
“So a pro-abortion ‘maverick’ decides to jump ship and switch parties? Sounds like rank opportunism to me. He just wants to run for state attorney general and he’s willing to sell out to get it. The GOP will be none the poorer without him.
Note that GOP control of the state senate will remain in tact, proving the man’s selfishness. Finally, there’s an excellent chance the GOP will win back his seat, because this guy will be busy running for attorney general.
Liberals are funny folk, aren’t they?”
I agree and add Liberals all seem to think this is a game.
Not always. Richard Shelby switched parties in 1994 and didn't run as a Republican until 1998. Ben Nighthorse Campbell switched in 1995 and didn't face the electorate again until 1998. Strom Thurmond switched mid-term and didn't resign. There's enough of that going around on both sides of the aisle.
“But he ran as a Republican and he is breaking faith with the people who voted for him...he had a contract with his electrate...they spent time and money to get him elected to office and placed him there as a Republican...
He needs to stand down....”
Absolutely.
In fact, there should be a LAW directing these self-important, politically-obsessed chancres to do just that.
All the RINOs should become Democrats.
Then we can run conservatives against them.
And worst case scenario after the election is that you end up with the best case scenario had they ran as Republican against an even more liberal Democrat.
If Specter had switched parties we’d have Toomey in his seat today instead.
Good.
An opening for a conservative just arose.
to the media, he is a hero and a man of conscience, much like McCain, Hagel and Jeffords.
Zell Miller and Richard Shelby (and now, Lieberman) are traitors, sore losers, and selfish.
Since he’s turning Democrat he better get on the environmental gravy train and start calling for the coal burning power plants to shut down putting hundreds out of work.
Nixon, sad to say, is going to win the AG's office on name recognition, pure and simple.
‘’can’t be’’ should read, ‘’can’t beat’’. Sorry for the typo.
“Thenh I hope he also plans to resign from the MO Legislature...
It’s one thing to change your party ...he has that optoion in his private life...
But he ran as a Republican and he is breaking faith with the people who voted for him...he had a contract with his electrate...they spent time and money to get him elected to office and placed him there as a Republican...”
Phil Gramm did that when he switched to GOP, but I haven’t seen the RINO->Dem switchers do that (like Jumpin Jim Jeffords).
Uh, if he had integrity, he wouldn’t have joined the Democrats.
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