New Mo. Democratic chairman predicts wins in 2008

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Just 18 days into the job, new state Democratic Party chairman John Temporiti already is planning to celebrate on his 635th day.

In a pep talk to hundreds of party faithful Saturday, Temporiti predicted that Missouri Democrats could build upon their gains made in last year's election to become the dominant party in November 2008.

To Temporiti, that means a victory by Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon in his likely challenge to Republican Gov. Matt Blunt. It also means winning other statewide races and wresting control of both the state House and Senate away from Republicans.

"It's not only possible -- it's probable," Temporiti told reporters at the 36th annual Democrat Days in Hannibal.

Until last fall, Democrats had been in a downward slide in Missouri, losing control of a U.S. Senate seat, several statewide offices and their majorities in both chambers of the legislature.

But in 2006, Democrat Claire McCaskill unseated Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Talent and Democrats -- though still the minority -- picked up five state House and two state Senate seats.

While Democrats cite those victories as a sign of better times to come, Missouri Republicans contend they actually fared okay, considering a strong national trend against them last year.

State Republican Party spokesman Paul Sloca called Temporiti's prediction "clearly delusional" and "totally, totally, totally off base."

Temporiti pledged to be a impartial party leader while nonetheless pushing potential candidates toward consensus in hopes of avoiding a Democratic primary election fight for such offices as attorney general or lieutenant governor.

Democratic leaders seem far less unified in their presidential preferences than Republicans. They specifically avoided inviting a presidential candidate as their keynote speaker, instead picking freshman Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Conference organizers didn't want to put McCaskill -- or others -- in a position of appearing to endorse anyone in particular.

Nixon, for example, declined to express any preference in the presidential race, instead saying he wants Missouri to be hotly contested in the Democratic primary.

"I think Missouri is wide open," Nixon said.

By contrast, Blunt already has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential race and is trying to rally other prominent Republicans to Romney's side. Largely because of Blunt, Romney was the keynote speaker at the Republicans' annual statewide conference just a few weeks ago in St. Louis.

At the Democratic event, John Edwards' presidential campaign appeared to be the only one passing out lapel stickers and soliciting support at the meeting. But many at the event were taking a wait-and-see approach, also considering New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

"Right now, I am still looking," said Ed Thomas, a Morgan County member of the Democratic State Committee. "I don't want to waste this opportunity" for a Democratic victory by picking the wrong presidential candidate in 2008.

Missouri Democrats also believe they have a better-than-usual chance of ousting an incumbent Missouri governor next year. Public opinion polls have shown Blunt with less than a majority of support. Democrats believe he became more vulnerable last week as sexual harassment and gender discrimination accusations were leveled against Department of Agriculture director Fred Ferrell.

Ferrell resigned at Blunt's request Monday. But that occurred only after former employee Heather Elder sued Ferrell, revealing details of Ferrell's remarks and actions that had been kept secret since she first complained to the governor's office last May.

Blunt has said he waited nine months to force Ferrell's resignation because he believed a settlement could be worked out to Elder's satisfaction. But Elder rejected a $70,000 payment from the Agriculture Department while claiming in her lawsuit that Ferrell hugged her, kissed her and referred to her has his "beautiful princess," among other things.

Democrats have accused Blunt of trying to cover up the allegations and quietly pay off the victim. On Saturday, they repeatedly highlighted the accusations against Ferrell.

"I think the governor has shown an insensitivity to women, to work place etiquette and to just a general knowledge of respect for other people," said Senate Minority Leader Maida Coleman, D-St. Louis.

Nixon told reporters Blunt should have fired Ferrell when he first learned of the allegations.

"He didn't make the right decision, then he tried to cover it up," Nixon said.

Speaking at a brunch gathering, Rep. Terry Witte, D-Vandalia, joked that he had mentioned to a House colleague that "maybe some day I could be director of the Agriculture Department."

"He said, `I hate to disappoint you, but I don't think you have enough hands-on experience,"' Witte said to applause and laughter.

Sloca said the governor took the sexual harassment allegations very seriously. Those kind of jokes "are completely classless," he said.

Blunt has suggested Nixon was partly to blame for the delayed resolution to Ferrell's employment, because Nixon's office declined to represent the Agriculture Department until after Elder was approved by the Missouri Commission on Human Rights to sue on Nov. 27.

"Blaming me for that is a sad abrogation of his responsibilities," said Nixon, adding that his office routinely waits to get involved in such matters until the litigation stage.