MSNBC interviews Cape Girardeau mayor for 'Hardball'

Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson got a chance to play political hardball Wednesday morning with Chris Jansing, an anchor and correspondent for MSNBC. The segment he and Jansing filmed will air next week on Hardball with Chris Matthews and on other MSNBC broadcasts.

Knudtson, who was interviewed on the Grampa Woo with downtown and the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge as a backdrop, said he was surprised to learn conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh's connection to the city was not a consideration in MSNBC's decision. He said he and Jansing talked about how the typical Cape Girardeau resident is very conservative and patriotic; that Cape Girardeau is believed to be a political influence on Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas; and that much of the leadership at the state level comes from Southeast Missouri.

"Rush Limbaugh was an 'oh-by-the-way' part of it," Knudtson said. "I'm very proud to be mayor of this city and have the national press pick it as one of three in the state it wants to come to."

"We were talking to various analysts, pollsters and political scientists in various places around Missouri for a sense of where would be a good place to go, and Cape Girardeau kept coming up," Jansing said. "It seems like a nice town and an interesting place."

Jansing said Missouri is getting much political attention, and frequent visits from both candidates, because Missourians typically pick the candidate who goes on to become president.

Jansing, a six-year veteran with MSNBC, and her crew have been to Kansas City and the neighboring communities of Independence and Liberty where it is believed that 5 to 10 percent of the state's undecided voters live.

They have been to St. Louis, traditionally a Democrat city, and filmed Gov. Bob Holden, and were on their way back there to film a segment with Ann Wagner, co-chairman of the Republican National Committee and head of the state GOP organization.

The segment about the Cape Girardeau visit is expected to air Wednesday on Hardball and on MSNBC throughout the day and on Thursday.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

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