(Jefferson City) (AP) – Several Missouri candidates have tried to turn the U.S. Supreme Court’s health care ruling into campaign cash, asking potential donors to support efforts to “throw out Obamacare” or stand with a congressman whose “vital voice and courageous vote” helped make the law possible.
Appeals for donations started within hours of the high court’s decision upholding the individual insurance mandate in President Barack Obama’s signature health care overhaul and came from Missouri candidates for the U.S. Senate, Congress, governor and attorney general.
Last week’s pivotal court ruling on the health care law provided momentum for campaigns making last-minute requests for cash before the Saturday cutoff on reporting fundraising activities during the past quarter. Health care themes were particularly common in requests from Republican critics of the federal law given the passage two years ago of a Missouri proposition that bars the government from requiring people to have health insurance.
Republicans competing to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, including US Rep. Todd Akin, St. Louis businessman John Brunner, and former Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman, called for repealing the health care law and suggested that donating money would signal support for replacing both her and the federal health care overhaul.
McCaskill campaign spokeswoman Caitlin Legacki said the health care overhaul offers significant tax cuts for people and businesses who buy insurance and Republicans are trying to scare voters.
Republican candidates seeking state government posts also talked about health care in their fundraising pitches. Gubernatorial candidate Dave Spence and attorney general hopeful Ed Martin promised to fight federal mandates such as the health care measure and criticized Democratic incumbents.
Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan’s campaign trumpeted his support for the law and asked for help in the Democratic primary against U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay.
Appeals to help grow campaign bank accounts also came from outside Missouri. The Republican Governors Association said giving money to elect more Republican governors would “help ensure we have a firewall against the Obama agenda in the states.”
Obama’s campaign also asked for money and sent a message stating that “Mitt Romney and the Republicans in Congress just can’t take yes for an answer.” Romney’s campaign, meanwhile, suggested supporters hold Obama accountable and donate $10 to make him a one-term president.