JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Eric Greitens has found ground to attack Chris Koster in the race for governor, using Koster’s connections to Hillary Clinton as fodder for attacks.
Greitens released an ad this week tieing Koster to some of Clinton’s policy initiatives and his campaign attacked the Democrat over get out the vote money Clinton sent to Missouri for the governor and Senate races.
“Crooked career politicians stick together. Hillary Clinton proved that today, by spending half a million dollars to prop up her political twin in Missouri,” said Greitens spokesman Austin Chambers. “Missouri will reject both in November because our families deserve more jobs and better schools—not more Obamacare and corruption.”
One attack that the Greitens campaign has used repeatedly has been Koster’s support for Medicaid expansion in Missouri, which he says will increase jobs and improve Missouri’s economy.
But the expansion would be part of the Affordable Care Act, unpopular among Missouri conservatives and point Greitens hopes to use to rally them to his side.
He’s also tied himself to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence in a radio ad release this week.
“Koster is a liberal career politician who’s made millions off government and given thousands to Hillary Clinton,” the ad’s narrator says. “When you hear career politician Chris Koster remember: he’s corrupt, he’s liberal, and the only job he’ll ever fight for is his own.”
The Greitens campaign has also sought to tie Koster personally to Clinton, who’s unpopular among the Missouri conservatives Greitens is courting. His campaign has pointed out that Koster is on Clinton’s National Leadership Council. This week, they also pointed to an interview with the St. Louis American where Koster said he’s supporting Hillary Clinton.
“Yes, I support Hillary Clinton,” Koster told the newspaper. “There are things that I agree with her on. There are some things I disagree with her on. But, at the end of the day, I know that she can do the job – and I have concerns as to whether or not Mr. Trump has the temperament for the position.”
Greitens campaign made sure to point out that Koster said he supported his party’s nominee for president.
“Chris Koster’s top priority is expanding Obamacare and he will do everything he can to implement Clinton’s agenda,” Chambers said in a release calling attention to the interview.
Missouri Times polling shows Clinton’s opponent, Donald Trump, losing support in the state. He dropped from a 10 point lead to a 5 point lead in last week’s poll. Internal GOP polling reported by the National Journal shows Trump’s lead could be as small as two points.
