JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — With visitor logs circulating on Twitter, the White House has become the latest battleground in the Republican primary for governor.
This week conservative operatives on social media began distributing White House logs showing that Eric Greitens’ visited the White House multiple times during the Obama Administration, including for a White House Christmas party.
Here’s WH Visitor Log showing u attending his Xmas party a couple years ago. #MOGov https://t.co/MLf6DNilhi https://t.co/5v5hkMBmJw
— Gregg Keller (@RGreggKeller) July 27, 2016
White House Visitor Logs show 5 @EricGreitens visits to “worst President ever” with last on starting in ’10 and continuing till ’14. #MOGov
— Gregg Keller (@RGreggKeller) July 27, 2016
Correct. Only liberal insiders get invited to Obama’s WH. #LiberalEric #mogov https://t.co/rSxK8CxWp4 — Michael Hafner (@MichaelFHafner) July 27, 2016
The Greitens’ campaign pushed back against the attacks. They said Greitens’ attended the White House as part of his work to help veterans. Before running for governor, Greitens’ founded The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization to help veterans adjust to life at home.
“Eric Greitens went to the White House to get help for veterans. And John Brunner attacks him for it? That’s just sick,” said Austin Chambers, a Greitens’ spokesman.Falsely spinning and attacking that commitment for political gain is shady, cowardly, and everything that’s wrong with politics. Conservatives in Missouri will see right through these last minute lies from desperate career politicians.
He also said Greitens would go back to the Obama White House again if it meant helping veterans.
“Barack Obama is one of the worst presidents in American history,” Chambers said. “But you know what? Eric Greitens would go to the White House tomorrow if it meant he could get help for even just one veteran. ”
Chambers also pointed out that conservatives including Todd Akin, Ted Cruz, John Ashcroft, Rand Paul, Mike Lee have visited the Obama White House as well.
The guest log is another attempt by Greitens’ rivals to remind Missouri’s Republican voters about his Democratic past. Brunner has released several ad attacking Greitens as “just another liberal.”
Those ads were followed up by Greitens to make one of his own where he calls Pres. Barack Obama, “the worst president of his lifetime.”
While the attacks had been contained to the fight between the Brunner and Greitens campaigns, this week, former House Speaker Catherine Hanaway joined the fray. Her campaign released an ad calling him “Liberal Eric Greitens” and recalling his endorsement of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and connecting Greitens to plans to bring Syrian refugees to Missouri.
The ad calls Greitens, “dangerously liberal.”
Even Democrats have joined in on the party, crashing a press conference that was held in front of the Missouri Democratic Party headquarters Friday morning to “welcome” Greitens home.
Greitens attendance at a White House holiday party does seem to be unique among the Missouri gubernatorial field. Not even Democrat Chris Koster has an appearance on record for a Christmas party in the White House visitor logs.