Carnahan cancels Cape Girardeau campaign stop

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's scheduled visit to Cape Girardeau to discuss her proposals for new restrictions on lobbying as part of her campaign for the U.S. Senate has been canceled.

Carnahan, a Democrat, was originally scheduled to talk at 3:15 p.m. at Broadway Books & Roasting Co., 605 Broadway, as part of a statewide tour on lobbying and campaign finance. The Carnahan campaign contacted the Southeast Missourian just after 2:30 p.m. to say the event had been canceled due to severe weather causing travel problems for Carnahan and her campaign staff.

In previous appearances on the tour, she has called for a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists and a six-year ban on former staff members lobbying their ex-employers.

Other proposals include posting online the date and time of meetings between lobbyists and members of Congress and the elimination of leadership political action committees, which are fundraising committees used by members to accumulate funds to support other causes or candidates.

Carnahan and U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Springfield, are the leading candidates for the Democratic and Republican nominations to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kit Bond. Both must win their party primaries Tuesday.