AP Reporter David Lieb took a look at all those pesky campaign promises Nixon made to get elected, and found, not unsurprisingly - that he hasn't kept to his word. The full article is available here.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Jay Nixon made lots of promises while running for Missouri governor. Many remain unfulfilled at the midpoint of his term - supplanted by economic realities that have led Nixon to define success as abiding by the spirit of his campaign theme.
Nixon's own assessment is tempered.
"I've been a solid steward for the economy we've had," the governor told The Associated Press.
On Jan. 12, Nixon will have been governor for two years, and will have two more years remaining in his term. But the Democrat already is planning his re-election bid for November 2012. He is likely to be challenged by Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who though not yet officially a candidate has been ramping up his rhetoric against Nixon.
Kinder contends Nixon promised virtually anything to anyone during his 2008 campaign - ignoring the costs of actually fulfilling his platform even though it was apparent before the election that the economy was worsening.
"It's never good to cynically hoodwink the people into voting for you by extravagant promises that he knew then he could not keep," Kinder told the AP.
Nixon wrapped most of campaign proposals in economic terms. Expanding government-funded health care, college scholarships, public school funding and life sciences research were all billed as ways to boost the economy. His 34-page platform listed scores of specifics, including about two dozen ideas for "Turning Missouri's Economy Around" and about 30 education proposals.
Nixon's campaign pledges touched on several high-profile topics, including:
- Health Care. Nixon pledged to reverse Medicaid cuts made by his Republican predecessor that eliminated government funded health care for about 100,000 Missourians and reduced benefits for hundreds of thousands of others.
He hasn't fulfilled that key pledge. Nixon did propose a partial restoration of the Medicaid cuts and an expansion of children's health coverage in 2009, but the Republican-led Legislature shot it down, citing long-term budgetary concerns. He didn't try again in 2010.
Comments