Posted on 01/08/2009 1:39:58 PM PST by Josh Painter
When the news that Missouri's Kit Bond will not seek re-election to the Senate reached RedState.com late this morning, several of my colleagues there and I all had the same thought at the same time: "Sarah." No, not Sarah Palin. She's not eligible to run in Missouri, but here in the Show Me State, we have a Sarah of our own in Sarah Steelman.
And there are more than just a few similarities. Kimberly Strassel wrote a feature article about her last July in the Wall Street Journal:
Ms. Steelman is clearly doing something right.Yes, like Sarah Palin, Professor Steelman (she teaches economics at Missouri State University in Springfield) is a reformer who battled an entrenched GOP good old boy network in her home state, fighting against corruption and earmarks. She is also willing to stand for conservative principle when and where it may not be politically advantageous to do so. As state treasurer, Sarah Steelman, stunned many of this state's political observers when she announced that her office would no longer provide below-market interest rates for ethanol plants in which state officials or their relatives had invested. Ethanol is big business here in the heartland. Like Sarah Palin, Missouri's Sarah campaigned for ethics reform and transparency in state government, and she is both pro-life and pro-gun. Also like Alaska's governor, Missouri's former state treasurer is a stunning beauty. A profile of her in the St. Louis Riverfront Times remarked on how she cut:Her sin is in fact to belong to that new mold of Republican – Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint – who know it's no longer enough to simply hawk lower taxes. In 10 years as a state legislator and treasurer, her target has been the slothful political favor factory that's led Republicans away from small-government principles and outraged conservative voters.
And, oh, the howls of misery. Ms. Steelman's Republican colleagues were livid with her attempt to strip them of comfy pensions, annoyed with her "sunshine law" requiring them to be more open in their dealings, furious at her attacks on their ethanol boondoggles, appalled that she criticized GOP state Speaker Rod Jetton for moonlighting as a paid political consultant. The final straw was her temerity to make her primary race about her opponent's Washington earmarking record.
"a striking figure, with her bright blue eyes and long blond hair, which cascaded in soft waves down her shoulders."
Not long after Erick Erickson put this post up at RedState, we had our answer. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch contacted Prof. Steelman and posted on its Political Fix blog that she is considering a run for Bond's Senate seat:
"I'm thinking about it," she said. "I'm watching what happens. I'll give it some serious thought. I do think Missourians are ready to go in a new direction in Washington."If she decides to contest the position, she is likely to face strong opposition within her own party. U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, who is part of that old boy network Sarah Steelman has fought against before, is likely to be looking at the possibility of campaigning for the same Senate seat.
- JP
Matt Blunt might go for the seat. Who knows.
Looks like the future for the Republican party is gonna be strong, no-nonsence, attractive, “get rid of the good old boy network” women!
This is the kind of person we need to run.
Screw the old-boy backscratching networks. Get candidates that don’t care about making friends with the powerful. Having said that, I don’t know much about her and am taking the articles word for it. lol.
I’d vote for her.
Viva la Sarah Revolution!
I think he is done. If he wants this email problem to stay hush hush, he will never be in the public eye again.
Wow. Let me be the first to say, Palin/Steelman ‘08! lol
“Palin/Steelman ‘08!”
Ah, if it could only be...
Palin/Steelman ‘12!
Not guilty.
Steelman would have to run for Governor in 2012 first. Unless she wants to leave out that part... which I don’t think would be good. In any case she is another fresh face for the future of Conservatism.
You know...?
That would be a solid ticket.
Works for me
It's close to impossible to run for the national ticket short of being Governor, Senator or at the very least Congressman.
The new Gov of Missouri is a Democrat, and Steelman lost the 2008 primaries and didn't run for State treasury again.
If Steelman doesn't run for Governor 2012 she would enter the presidential ticket after being State Senator, State treasurer and 4 years political break (she's teaching economics at Lincoln University).
I think she will eye a run for Governor in 2012 again and (hopefully) win.
Oh, yeah! We need more Repub women in politics!
I voted for Steelman in the GOP primary. I hope she goes for the seat! She wound make a great Senator!
Senator Sarah Steelman (R-MO); I like the sound of that!
This changes the deal of course...
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