Politics & Government

Brunner Heads Into Final Primary Campaign Weekend, Defends Spending Cut Position

Candidates are pushing their 'Get Out The Vote' message hard in the last days of the Primary campaign.

has spent a considerable amount of time and his own personal fortune, criss-crossing the state of Missouri and advertising his candidacy in the U.S. Senate primary.

Now, with Tuesday's election fast-approaching, it's down to motivating volunteers to scratch for every vote, trying to make sure "Get Out The Vote" efforts are cranked up to get people to the polls.

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That was the order of the night Friday at the campaign's headquarters in Creve Coeur as the candidate rallied his team.

The event was a far-cry from the much-hyped appearance Friday in Kansas City by former GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who came to Missouri to support former State Treasurer campaign.

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"It's not about celebrities coming in," he said, taking a subtle jab at the Palin event without mentioning it by name. "What is really critical is we're not electing these people who do the endorsements, we're electing the next United States Senator," Brunner said. 

He's sticking to his stump speech in the remaining days, echoing earlier themes of easing government red tape, criticism of President Obama's Health Care policy and cutting government spending. He's added the fact that campaign has poured money into the GOP race, with ads many suggest are a sign that Democrats hope U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Wildwood) emerges as the winner. 

On the issue of spending cuts, the Brunner campaign has been facing criticism from Steelman's campaign for an appearance he made in Columbia, MO earlier this month. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported Brunner couldn't name "a popular program in Missouri that deserves to be cut," when asked by a voter at the Columbia Pachyderm Club.

In an interview with Patch Friday, Brunner said the question was specifically about Missouri programs, and that it would be up to Missouri state lawmakers to make those cuts.

On the federal level, Brunner, like his opponents, supports repealing 'ObamaCare', but also pointed to Amtrak, federal spending on limousines and duplication in defense spending, without labeling specific cuts. Brunner does support banning earmarks, and getting a balanced budget by 2019 along with a Constitutional amendment to balance the budget.

By contrast, Rep. Akin has said he would push to eliminate the U.S. Departments of Education and Energy, along with the EPA, while Steelman has advocated cutting foreign aid along with reducing support for the National Endowment of the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The Brunner campaign will hit the road this weekend for stops in Washington County, Kansas City, Springfield and Cape Girardeau. The primary campaign will end with supporters Tuesday night in Clayton. 


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