Republicans trade barbs in Missouri lieutenant governor debate

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder accused his top Republican rival of obscuring his background, while state Sen. Brad Lager criticized the two-term officeholder for missing tie votes and initially charging the state for hotel stays.

Kinder and Lager lead a field of four GOP candidates in the Aug. 7 lieutenant governor primary.

The barbs came during a Monday debate on KCUR-FM in Kansas City. While there were several lively exchanges and barbs in line with the summer race's contentious tone, few of the accusations were new.

Kinder suggested in a campaign ad that Lager profited from the federal health care law through his work at health care technology company Cerner Corp. Asked Monday about the statement, Kinder said the company benefited from the law, while Lager seemed to operate essentially as a lobbyist. Kinder said his rival and other Cerner officials, including the company's registered lobbyist, met with a congressman on Capitol Hill.

"That's called lobbying, whether you're a registered lobbyist or not," Kinder said.

Lager dismissed the charge as a "complete and utter distortion and right-out lie." He reiterated his opposition to the health care overhaul and added, "I don't lobby. I have never been a lobbyist. I'm not a lobbyist at Cerner."

Lager said he develops business models for health networks for providers and he would step away from Cerner to be full-time lieutenant governor if elected.

Meanwhile, Lager questioned Kinder's travel and his absence from the Senate during tie votes. Kinder reimbursed the state more than $54,000 for lodging expenses last year following reports by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he spent hundreds of nights at St. Louis hotels.

Lager said it helps illustrate that "Peter Kinder has just lost touch with reality."

Kinder, of Cape Girardeau, said he travels frequently for his lieutenant governor job and that he used personal funds to repay expenses and eliminate any doubts. On tie votes, Kinder said one occurred while he was traveling on official business to the Lake of the Ozarks to speak to a home health care group. In the other instances, he said he opposed the amendment and voting "no" or allowing the vote to remain tied had the same effect of defeating the proposal.

A recent poll shows Kinder leading with 47 percent compared to 21 percent for Lager. A quarter reported that they were undecided. The poll surveyed 400 Republicans likely to vote in the primary and was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and KMOV. It was completed from July 23 to July 25, and the margin of error was plus or minus 5 percent.

In a similar poll of likely Democratic voters, former state auditor Susan Montee led the eight-way Democratic field with 28 percent. But 41 percent were undecided.

Missouri's Republican primary for lieutenant governor developed after Kinder last year decided to skip an expected gubernatorial campaign and instead seek re-election. Lager, who lives in Savannah, Mo., and represents much of northwestern Missouri, already had entered the contest.

The campaign has drawn attention to Lager's business experience. He identifies himself as an entrepreneur and points to ownership of a carwash, a small farming operation and a housing development, along with his work for a wireless company. Lager advocates for trust in the private sector when possible, instead government programs.

Kinder charges that Lager has omitted any reference to Cerner from his official and campaign biographies and has not disclosed other work in personal financial statements.

He said omissions obscure and mislead the public about Lager's professional and business background.

Lager said attacking employers and entrepreneurs is bound to make businesses uncomfortable.

"We've watched liberals attack the private sector for years. This is the first time when a Republican -- a quote leader of a Republican Party -- is attacking the private sector," Lager said.