MO Congressional Race Turns Ugly After Shoddy Hit Piece on Ann Wagner

The race for Missouri’s Second Congressional District turned ugly thanks to a shoddy hit this week by the Martin team on conservative Ann Wagner. Unfortunately, Steven Nelson at Daily Caller published the misinformation verbatim and forgot to fact check his work.

Nelson forgot about the Ronald Reagan dictum, “trust but verify.” Martin’s team claims that Enterprise Rent-A-Car from St. Louis made a play for TARP funds in the hit piece. Wrong. Enterprise is actually on-the-record saying, in effect, that they don’t want the TARP funds and they don’t need the TARP funds. A simple Google search could have prevented this sloppy error that has now been reported in a credible conservative blog.

The Martin camp claims, and Nelson writes, that Wagner’s husband Ray is a “registered lobbyist.” Oops. Wrong again. Ray Wagner actually de-registered as a lobbyist prior to Ann’s campaign kick-off last July. A simple search of publicly-available documents would have alerted Martin’s campaign and the Daily Caller to the actual facts. Ray Wagner’s highest ethical standards stand in sharp contrast to the Martin-machine’s attempt to go after a spouse and his employer in the Republican primary.

And what about those claims that Enterprise Rent-A-Car is attempting to “buy a US House seat?” Consider that Wagner has raised nearly $1 million from donors who are not Enterprise-related. Consider that Enterprise is one of the largest employers in Missouri and has over 70,000 employees world-wide. For the Wagner campaign to receive donations from dozens of Enterprise employees is hardly a surprise, given that those relationships have been developed for nearly two decades. The Martin Campaign is wrong to attack Ann Wagner for her record fundraising.

Speaking of donors – it’s also interesting to note that Wagner has also raised over $145,000 from donors who supported Ed Martin during his 2010 campaign. No wonder the Martin camp is so upset with Wagner’s cash haul. Wagner actually collected more from former Martin donors this year ($145,000) than Martin was able to raise from his remaining donors last quarter (115,000). This obviously has Ed Martin worried. Hence, the attack on Ann Wagner, her husband, their friends, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

It also must hurt to watch a series of notable conservatives endorse Ann Wagner – John Ashcroft, John Bolton, Mike Huckabee, and Chris Christie to name a few.

But resorting to attacks on local job-creators, is something you’d expect from a goon at #Occupy LA not a conservative candidate for Congress. It also raises the specter of class warfare. The Daily Caller ought to check out the facts before they run with an Ed Martin campaign attack next time.

One final point, both Ed Martin and Ann Wagner are friends of mine and capable conservatives. But this was a cheap hit on Ann Wagner. Ed Martin is a better person than this.

UPDATE: The contributors to the Daily Caller hit piece say they are not connected to the Ed Martin campaign. Rather, they are volunteers and supporters of Ed Martin. My apologies to the Martin team.

#1 November 30, 2011 at 9:18 pm
bobdog commented:

Sliming opponents is what Democrats do. Almost always. When you have a minute, go Google how Obama launched his political career. Lots at Wiki, better stuff at the Chicago Tribune. It’s a pretty sordid story, and the sumbitch got away with it. Think of Rollo Tomasi, if you know who he was.

First it was Sarah Palin, then Rick Perry, most recently Herman Cain, and the slime truck is backing up to the Newt Gingrich loading dock at this very moment.

Obama’s campaign depends on it.
#2 November 30, 2011 at 9:23 pm
no2liberals commented:

While I may not share the same outrage on this wrongful attack, I despise the tactic.

I must pick a bone, however. Chris Christie as a notable conservative? Not hardly and I recommend examining Conservative New Jersey blog for an eight part series on the myth of Christie as a conservative.
Christie refers to the anti-Sharia forces as “crazies.” The GOP may be a big tent, but I won’t share the same roof with a “conservative” like that.
#3 November 30, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Simsalabim commented:

Everyone knows who Ed Martin is. No one knows who Wagoner is. Ed Martin is a genuine true conservative Christian. I don’t know anything about Wagoner except that she is part of the Republican machine. She seems like an insider.

Ed Martin seems to be working for the nomination whereas Wagoner seems to think she is entitled to it since she worked for the Republican machine.

I’ve never seen a Wagoner bumper sticker whereas I’ve seen hundreds of Ed Martin stickers.

Looks like Jimmy Hoft has his mind made up about who he’s voting for. This seems like a smear piece on Ed Martin.
#4 November 30, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Gravelyvoice Jim commented:

Jim, from my Google search. If they didn’t ask for it directly it appears that they did so at least indirectly. Are we mincing words here?:

“That’s why Enterprise, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and others are asking Congress to help out the industry. They want Congress to let them tap into TARP money. The House of Representatives has already added a clause that would allow the government to back loans for rental-car companies and other fleet buyers, and now the issue goes before the Senate.”

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/30/rental-car-companies-latest-to-seek-tarp-funds/

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/01/26/daily74.html

http://dfwelitecarclub.com/blog/car-rental-companies-ask-congress-to-use-tarp-money-to-get-commercial-credit-flowing/2323
#5 November 30, 2011 at 9:47 pm
The Underground Conservative commented:

Huckabee and Gov. Fatass might be Republicans but they are far from conservatives.
#6 November 30, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Gravelyvoice Joe commented:

Gravelyvoice Jim -

I think this clears up your confusion:

“Enterprise Rent-A-Car said Thursday that it would not participate in a government bailout of the troubled car rental industry that had been reported by The Wall Street Journal.
“We’re not in need of any money. We’re not even participating in any program if it should go through,” Enterprise Rent-A-Car spokesman Pat Farrell said.”

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/business/bailout-funds-unnecessary-enterprise-rent-a-car/article_f0b9b423-36c7-59e3-8643-62269f0f3a4a.html#ixzz1fFcv2UNN

REGARDLESS, even if they hypothetically did take TARP money (which they didn’t and never said they wanted) why would it matter? Its a cheap shot and poorly researched and executed one at that.

Hypocritical also since Ed was so outraged that his wife’s ‘tens of thousands of dollars of stock in Exxon Mobil Corp.’ was brought up in his last election (wait second to last election – or how are we counting the switches between Senate and congress…)

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_f48faec0-8096-11df-a3ab-0017a4a78c22.html#ixzz1fFeXHaLg
#7 November 30, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Tea Party Patriot from MO commented:

Hahaha! Only in Martinbots minds would a candidate who has NEVER RUN for a race in her life be an “insider!” How many races has Martin run in? How many races has he lost or switched out of because he realized he couldn’t win?? He was chief of staff for Matt Blunt before that email scandal!! HAHAH! What a good one!
#8 November 30, 2011 at 9:52 pm
John Daniels commented:

Glad to see someone finally coming to the aid of Ann. Jim you’re an upstanding guy. Martin’s behind the scenes smears are just as bad as what the Democrats do. Glad Ann as kept her half of the campaign classy, mature and above the fray so far.
#9 November 30, 2011 at 9:59 pm
Gravelyvoice Jim commented:

Gravelyvoice Joe – from the last link posted in #3 above:

“Congressional watchdog Barney Frank added an amendment to the TARP Reform Bill to allow TARP money to be used to restore the commercial credit lines needed by our nation’s largest rental car companies to buy cars for their rental fleets.”

I see little difference between lobbying someone directly for money or asking them to give YOU money so you can loan more to me. Either way it’s a dance with the same devil.

Nice name by the way.
#10 November 30, 2011 at 10:12 pm
Mike Dawes commented:

Great piece Jim. Thanks for all the REAL investigating. The Daily Caller could learn some things.
#11 November 30, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Gravelyvoice Joe commented:

Gravelyvoice Jim -

Not only are you citing a non news site, its generic. There are dozens of rental car companies. That implies literally nothing about Enterprise.

I think people don’t realize that there isn’t a story here. Enterprise didn’t take TARP funds and even if they did, Ann Wagner as the principled conservative as she has shown herself to be over the last few decades would have vehemently opposed it.
#12 November 30, 2011 at 10:34 pm
dunce commented:

Martin should fire who ever came up with this falsity because now that it is exposed for what it is ,he is the guy whose name is on the top of the organizational chart even if he delegated jobs to staffers and he is now branded as a liar, plus it is how a good leader runs things. Democrats do these smear campaigns all the time but Martin is appealing to republicans to vote for him because he is an honorable man and the only voters like dirty fighters are democrats.
#13 November 30, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Eubulides commented:

I met Ed Martin at a benefit(there was an open bar) and he was barely verbal. Make of that what you will.
#14 November 30, 2011 at 10:59 pm
Patty commented:

Well, sounds like a gentleman who comes to the defense of another friend. And don’t we need more of them. That is for darn sure. The reckless attitudes and the non journalism has become like a habitual habit of sorts.

If a website, magazine, newscast really, really get it wrong and slanders, defames or lies so prophetical they need a big time out. Fines or if so bad closed for good. It has become apparently to me that so called journalist with the best or shall I say the most salacious hit piece is become the fade.

It really needs to stop and some of the best work that get to the heart and soul of journalism has been O’keefe. We need some new and improved blood that will get to the core of the matter, instead of the filth.
#15 November 30, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Bill Schleck commented:

I don’t get why Ed Martin hates businesses and job creators so much other than the fact they won’t give his campaign money. Not sure if he is a conservative running for Congress or the leader of Occupy Missouri 2. Oh wait forgot they’re leaderless, and that’s probably better for any movement where Ed Martin is aspiring to be their leader.
#16 November 30, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Matt Storey commented:

I had the pleasure of having lunch with Ann the afternoon of the day the Daily Caller story hit. She was of course very upset. She understood with running for Congress, she may have attacks on her, but not her family. Her husband has worked for 17 years for Enterprise. It is how they have put bread and butter on their table, taken care of their three children. Enterprise is part of her family. She was very hurt personally by the article also. She had “worked tirelessly” for Ed’s campaign against Carnahan, and he and his people turn around and do this.

I could tell Ann is running to serve. Ed seems like he is running just to hold office-is he running for Govenor this week?????

All this will make me do is put up more signs, knock on more doors, and make more phone calls to get Ann Wagner elected. I hope Enterprise people will just give her more money to make sure Ed Martin is not elected.

I applaud Jim Hoft for seeking and sharing the truth. What did someone say, the truth will set you free. Perhaps Ed and his people should start seeking.

Matthew
#17 November 30, 2011 at 11:44 pm
Simsalabim commented:

Ann Wagonner doesn’t have a chance. I see there are a lot of fans of this insider banding together to get her elected though. Thats because you all are insiders too. No one knows who she is except you Republican insiders. She has as much chance of winning as a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

Ed Martin has the votes of independent teaparty conservative/libertarians such as myself.

Get off the Republican band wagon of Gingrich, Scozzafava and Wagonner. Elect someone with substance not because he/she has an “R” behind their name. Just like the Democrats you Republicans just want the office not to serve the people but to serve yourselves and your cronies.
#18 December 1, 2011 at 12:03 am
Merri commented:

I used to like Ed Martin, even after the stories about the emails he deleted hit. I voted for him against Russ Carnahan in the last district. My family has since moved to Chesterfield, the district which Ed Martin is running for but doesn’t live in, and the same time I hear that he’s now also running or considering a run for the governorship? He’s not committed to the race that he’s in. I’ve also seen people behave very unconservative like online and making up stories about candidates that aren’t true but they call it vetting anyway. I attended the last, and only I think, debate with Both Ann Wagner and Ed Martin. I’m not impressed with Martin’s unprofessional way of jumping around, playing musical chairs to see which race will earn him that long awaited victory, and as a family member of an individual who, after seven months of unemployment, was just hired on at Enterprise, seeing a business that creates jobs and adds to the economy be defamed in the way that it has by this man’s campaign. It’s the height of hypocrisy to say you’re standing up for the little guy but go after the little guy employers if they don’t donate to your campaign. It’s truly a nasty thing to watch someone I once voted for lower themselves to such an unprofessional standard. I had been open to Ed Martin in my district, but seeing as he is not even committed enough to those of us that live here to move here himself, seeing also how he turns on and lies about businesses who supported him all this time, and now seeing how he may not even be running in this race, I have resolutely decided that I will be voting for Ann Wagner. Jim, thank you for the great blogs and sharing information we know we can’t count on to find in the daily press. ~ Merri
#19 December 1, 2011 at 4:38 am
Uncle Buck commented:

Ed Martin has a track record of being a GOP insider and the lapdog of RINOS like Matt and Roy Blunt. His sleazy antics cost the governorship of MO with email scandle and his own poor leadership and unwillingness to step up and take the blame like a man. Now Ed the perennial Republican candidate wants us to believe he is some sort of outsider? HA! How about all the big medicine money coming from his doctor friends that work at institutions that support Obamacare? I’m a TEA Party Conservative and when I see Ann and look at her track record I see a person who has worked tirelessly for conservative causes (she actually narrowly lost the national GOP Chair because she was “too conservative”!) and is a proven winner in races she helps organize and fund. So we see a small group of private citizens who have known her for a long time giving not even the legal limit of campaign contributions but somebody thinks that is bad? No, that is the mark of someone who is trusted and believed in and those voices shouldn’t be marginalized. Then they rip on her husband who lobbied for, yikes, LOWER TAXES! LOL, I guess he is “too conservative” as well. The more Ed talks the more I like Ann. Good work Jim Hoft, the real patriots need to prevail!
#20 December 1, 2011 at 7:51 am
Mary commented:

Maybe my head is in the sand, but I don’t believe the Ed Martin campaign (or Ed himself) has said he was interested in running for governor, there have been reports that ‘people’ would like for him to do so. Big difference. “People” can say anything….look at what’s happening with Herman Cain.
I have heard both Ed and Ann speak at events….I like Ed. That being said, if he should decide to run for governor and abandon the US Congessional race, I’ll probably stay home the day of the election. He would remind me of the joke about the dog being distracted by a squirrel.
#21 December 1, 2011 at 9:43 am
Ladue Pundit commented:

Wagner’s husband is a registered lobbyist, oh now a “DE-registered lobbyist,” what a difference that prefix makes! All the connections are still there.

Involvement with the Blunt RINO Family for Martin is almost as damning as the China Hub is for Wagner.

May the best conservative win.
#22 December 1, 2011 at 10:52 am
chuck in st paul commented:

I gave up on The Daily Caller months and months ago.
#23 December 1, 2011 at 10:56 am
Uncle Buck commented:

Who cares if he was a lobbyist for a very conservative company who lobbied for lower taxes and a better business environment for Missouri jobs? Until we get rid of a need for lobbyists then you have to have them to protect the rights of non-union workers and companies. When you try to damn good people and companies like Enterprise all you are doing is giving power to unions and special interest groups. You people need to look up corporate citizenship and why it is important as well as the Citizens United case and understand that you are trying to derail a group of people’s right to free speech! This is just like the OWS group who are mad because someone else works harder and is doing better. This shows me who is going to work harder when they get the job and play above the board. It is Ann. The days of Ed’s sleazy politics and left-wing OWS ideology are over, he should try to not be a politician for a while but that would be hard for a young career politician who has been a GOP insider his entire career.
#24 December 1, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Jan Sobieski commented:

Well, Ann likes her libations as well. Both are imperfect candidates – surprise!! But Ed has impressed me as the more impassioned conservative with unwavering conservative convictions.

Now, what about the email scandal? What was Ed’s involvement? I’m not exactly sure. Does anyone know with certainty?

Jim claims he’s friends with both Ed and Ann, but any fair reading of this article would indicate a bias towards the establishment Ann. Do we even know how the Daily Caller got this information?

Ed does need to watch his intake of alcohol (as does Ann). But, at this juncture, it would seem he better represents the conservative position.
#25 December 1, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Uncle Buck commented:

Ed Martin is THE establishment candidate and THE RINO king, why any tea party person would be remotely interested in his non Conservstive positions (evidently he is against freedom of speech, and Citizen’s United). Ask Ed Marxist why he is against the privatization of Social Security… Ann is the clear choice for conservatism and proven leadership (plus her friends actually like her enough to support her first time candidacy – Ed has been running literally for years and is so far behind).
#26 December 2, 2011 at 9:26 am
Pickadilly commented:

Jim, thank you for confronting a BAD article full of insinuation and flat out truths. As I look at the Daily Caller article, I see nothing but the fact that everything first of all, was and is clearly legal. The suggestion that there should be an investigation was nothing more than a tactic used to scare away any other potential donors to the Wagner campaign, because, let’s face it, WHO wants to go through that headache.
What it comes down to is sour grapes. Poor, poor, Ed. Ann is getting all the dough. . .shocking, after 20 years of her raising money for everyone else. . .including Martin.
Martin was foolish for jumping in Wagner’s race (as he was in the Senate, knowing full well Akin was going to run). Really, he couldn’t raise enough to beat Carnahan in the 3rd. . .there’s no way in hades he has a shot at raising enough to beat BOTH Wagner and Carnahan.
Sad. I don’t think Martin was behind the DC hack piece, but I do think he knows who is. . .some poor, pathetic dude who probably lives in his mom’s basement. Maybe it was an Occupier. . .sure sounds like the same gimme, gimme, gimme mentality. If Martin were smart, we would speak out against the DC piece. . .and whoever is responsible for it. . .because it makes him look like a smacked ass.
ROCK ON Gateway Pundit!
#27 December 2, 2011 at 9:31 am
Pickadilly commented:

@Simsalabim I think you are either confused or tainted. . .Did you actually READ the DC article? “Jimmy Hoft” is going after the article, not Ed Martin. Be fair.
#28 December 2, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Uriah Brandt commented:

I agree that Ed should have immediately refuted the article and denounced whoever wrote it and the really bad “research” that was supposedly done by “concerned mothers” according to another website. The plot thickens… I wonder about the St. Louis tea party and this John Burns guy who sounds like a liberal. Is he a tea party leader? Why was he contacted for a quote? Why didn’t they get a quote from a tea Wagner supporter or Wagner? Why do we even have to deal with these smears and lies from people we are supposed to be abe to trust?