# Liberty Movement > Liberty Campaigns >  John Brunner (Candidate For US Senate From MO) Is a Quasi-Liberty Candidate

## trey4sports

I've been doing everything I can to try and figure out if there is a candidate worth supporting in MO and that candidate looks to be John Brunner, who happens to be the front-runner.

Now, Mr. Brunner has run a very very generic, republican campaign. I mean his rhetoric (like all politicians nowadays) is friendly to our ideals but he didn't really do do or say much out of the very tight GOP rhetoric box. However, his father did contribute to Ron Paul's campaign in the 90's so that was the first thing i found out in diggin for info.

I also ran across this over on DP.....




> I just wanted everyone to know that Missouri has a constitutional candidate who says one of his biggest inspirations for seeking office is Ron Paul. He is a veteran and founder of Germ-X. Take the time to like him on Facebook he took the time to stop by St. Louis for Ron Paul offices and talk to us. We need to support others besides Ron Paul.
> 
> His favorite book Liberty Defined!!!!



Even more important than that I've seen my local FB group get behind him so i think there has been a wink and nod that he is the guy to support. He was endorsed by Sen. Coburn and Johnson as well. 

Like i said, he's run a very generic campaign and i'm not expecting much but this is at least better than Steelman and Akin. I had Steelman as a teacher at MO State and she is very much a Reagan-esque conservative. She did talk a lot about cutting but also she was very hawkish. Akin is a congressman who supports making the patriot act permanent and was a bush era crony. 

In conclusion, i would ask that you simply share any info you have about why or why not this guy is any good and I'll do the same. Ill admit im excited that there's a _chance_ that he could be pretty good.

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## trey4sports

just saw a recent ppp poll that had it at...


steelman 28 - brunner 25 - akin 23

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## tsai3904

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2...enate-primary/




> Long interviews with the three candidates – all conservatives – convinced [FreedomWorks] that Mr. Brunner, a former Marine Corp infantry officer, had “the deepest intellectual background in free market economics” of the three, Mr. Pappa said.
> 
> He allied himself with the Senate’s most stalwart conservatives, Kentucky’s Rand Paul, Oklahoma’s Tom Coburn, and South Carolina’s Jim DeMint.
> 
> Mr. Brunner also seconded Mr. Mourdock’s call for less cooperation and more conservative leadership.


Also, for what it's worth, he does support State Rep Paul Curtman, who is probably well known as a Ron Paul supporter.

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## GeorgiaAvenger

This is good news.

Paul supports in MO need to at least be aware of who to vote for.

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## trey4sports

> http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2...enate-primary/
> 
> 
> 
> Also, for what it's worth, he does support State Rep Paul Curtman, who is probably well known as a Ron Paul supporter.



yup, i actually started looking to see who Paul had endorsed for senator and that is how i figured out Brunner was allying himself with us.

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## GeorgiaAvenger

By the way, the Republican is very likely to beat McCaskill as she is very unpopular now. Important race.

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## trey4sports

bump for importance.

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## Spoa

To trey4sports: I don't agree with you on everything, but on this subject of Brunner vs. Steelman vs. Akin, I agree with you quite well on your support for Mr. Brunner or Ms. Steelman. I also thank you for bringing this subject up! One of the people at RedState and the Madison Project is endorsing Todd Akin, who is pretty good if you compare him to the rest of the delegation, but I don't think he is deserves a promotion (especially when we have two other excellent candidates to choose from)! 

I'm a pretty huge fan of Senators Coburn and Johnson (they are on my top 10 favorite senators list (below Senators Paul, Lee, and Demint), so their endorsement of Mr. Brunner is pretty significant. John Brunner has also been endorsed by Freedomworks (who has also endorsed Thomas Massie, Rand Paul, Justin Amash, etc.). He seems pretty genuine in his support for cutting spending and the Constitution, and I think he would make a great senator. I wish he would go a little more in depth on the issues though. 

I also like Ms. Steelman because she would bring another pro-life woman's voice to the US Senate. I do have some concerns on her since she accepted funding during her race for Treasurer from big labor unions (like the Missouri AFL-CIO)...although they no longer donated to her after she fought against them during her time in leadership. I think she would make a fabulous senator, especially because the Democrats would be crying that another GOP lady is in Congress opposing their ideas. This would be another point against their claim that the GOP "hates women".  Also, Ms. Steelman has been good at responding to commenters on her Facebook page. 

I think that any of the three candidates (Brunner, Steelman, or Akin) would bring great relief after years of McCaskill's terrible reign. Let's stop sending Senator McCaskill to the senate and send her to retirement!

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## trey4sports

bump

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## Adrock

We need upgrades wherever we can get them. Thanks for sharing!

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## trey4sports

bump

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## Hyperion

Seems like the superior candidate. If he likes Ron Paul's books then that is certainly a plus.

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## trey4sports

bump. he spoke at the MO GOP and it wasn't great.

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## GeorgiaAvenger

> bump. he spoke at the MO GOP and it wasn't great.


What do you mean? Is he a bad orator?

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## Krzysztof Lesiak

He's worth supporting. Quasi liberty candidates are better than establishment ones after all.

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## trey4sports

> What do you mean? *Is he a bad orator?*


yes, but i keep waiting for him to give some red meat and his speeches are about as VAGUE as possible. It's not that he said anything bad, it's just that he hasnt said anything good. His speeches are 100% focus panel approved and dont deviate one bit.

hes been endorsed by freedomworks, sen. coburn, ron johnson, and he even stopped in a Ron Paul office and mentioned how his favorite book was liberty defined. That is essentially why i'm supporting the guy. In my mind it's better to support him and take a CHANCE he's good on civil liberties and the police state as opposed to voting for either akin or steelman who are both bad on civil liberties and defense.

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## GeorgiaAvenger

> yes, but i keep waiting for him to give some red meat and his speeches are about as VAGUE as possible. It's not that he said anything bad, it's just that he hasnt said anything good. His speeches are 100% focus panel approved and dont deviate one bit.
> 
> hes been endorsed by freedomworks, sen. coburn, ron johnson, and he even stopped in a Ron Paul office and mentioned how his favorite book was liberty defined. That is essentially why i'm supporting the guy. In my mind it's better to support him and take a CHANCE he's good on civil liberties and the police state as opposed to voting for either akin or steelman who are both bad on civil liberties and defense.


Yeah, I agree with that strategy.

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## pauljmccain

I live about 3 minutes away from his campaign office at Olive and 270 in STL. I'll try to find him there one day and ask him directly so we can get some clarification.

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## trey4sports

> I live about 3 minutes away from his campaign office at Olive and 270 in STL. I'll try to find him there one day and ask him directly so we can get some clarification.



+rep 

that would be great.

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## tsai3904

Debate on right now (started at 8:30 PM ET):

http://www.971talk.com/debate/

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## MJU1983

I've had my eye on Brunner and have been meaning to call his office.  Akin is a statist, I'm not voting for him.

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## trey4sports

> I've had my eye on Brunner and have been meaning to call his office.  Akin is a statist, I'm not voting for him.



word, but what a great orator though!?

Anyway, i had steelman at MO State and I wasn't impressed. I remember her murming about the FED needing to LOWER rates in '09. Jeesh. Anyway, Brunner seems to be running a super generic campaign and doesn't say $#@! except that he is going to be a "citizen senator."

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## MJU1983

> word, *but what a great orator though!?*
> 
> Anyway, i had steelman at MO State and I wasn't impressed. I remember her murming about the FED needing to LOWER rates in '09. Jeesh. Anyway, Brunner seems to be running a super generic campaign and doesn't say $#@! except that he is going to be a "citizen senator."


Who?  Todd Akin?

I haven't seen anything good about Steelman.

Brunner originally talked a lot about the Constitution, which is nice and sometimes rare in today's politics.

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## Brian4Liberty

We have both Brunner and Steelman on our list. (Brunner rated higher).

Should we change this at all?




> Missouri
> Primary: Aug 07, 2012
> 
> John Brunner (R) - (purity: ★★★★☆)
> Sarah Steelman (R) - (purity: ★★☆☆☆)

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## trey4sports

> We have both Brunner and Steelman on our list. (Brunner rated higher).
> 
> Should we change this at all?


I've went back and forth on John Brunner. He told a Ron Paul group that Ron's book Liberty Defined is his favorite book and that he really likes Ron. Of course his campaign speeches have been exceptionally generic and I haven't heard a murmur out of him about the important liberty issues of the day. 

For now, i'd leave it at Brunner 4 and Steelman 3 and I'll bump this if and when things change.

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## trey4sports

> Who?  Todd Akin?
> 
> I haven't seen anything good about Steelman.
> 
> Brunner originally talked a lot about the Constitution, which is nice and sometimes rare in today's politics.




Steelman is at least willing to take unpopular positions. At last nights debate she told a local police officer that she WOULDN'T secure federal grants in order to stave off potential PD cuts in MO as it is unconstitiutional. Which is quite impressive. She has also been endorsed by Mike Lee.

She is a hawk though and during my time at MO State we talked about the patriot act and she made it clear that she supported the Patriot act. She did at least pay lip service to _exhausting all non-military options when dealing with Syria and if we use force we should do it, and get out._ It is interesting to note that Todd Akin took a line from Ron Paul's book and said we need to just stay out of Syria. Period. We can't right every wrong in the world. Too bad he supported the Patriot Act, and NDAA!

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## deforrest

The only reason Akin supported the Patriot Act is because it had sunset provisions. He has stated openly that he would not have voted for it otherwise. I have heard others say Akin wants to make Patriot permanent...totally untrue.

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## tsai3904

> The only reason Akin supported the Patriot Act is because it had sunset provisions. He has stated openly that he would not have voted for it otherwise. I have heard others say Akin wants to make Patriot permanent...totally untrue.


What difference do sunset provisions make?  Are you saying Akin supports the Patriot Act for 5 years but not 6 years?  That makes no sense.

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## trey4sports

> The only reason Akin supported the Patriot Act is because it had sunset provisions. He has stated openly that he would not have voted for it otherwise. I have heard others say Akin wants to make Patriot permanent...totally untrue.



what are you talking about?? You need to check your facts before you post.

Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Nov 2007) 
Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman. (Jul 2006) 
*Voted YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent. (Dec 2005)* 
Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004) 
Voted YES on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance. (Sep 2004) 
Voted YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2003) 
Supports anti-flag desecration amendment. (Mar 2001) 
Rated 7% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002) 
Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006) 
Rated 22% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006) 
Amend Constitution to define traditional marriage. (Jun 2008) 



not only that but the turd supports the NDAA!

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## trey4sports

A couple folks in my local liberty group have said that Brunner opposes the NDAA and that he understands austrian economics.

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## tsai3904

> *Voted YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent. (Dec 2005)*


Yup.

HR 3199 says this:




> (Sec. 102) Repeals the sunset date for (*thus making permanent*) the surveillance provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, with the following exceptions. Provides for a four-year extension (through December 31, 2009) of provisions: (1) granting roving surveillance authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) where the Court finds that the actions of the target may thwart the identification of a specified person; and (2) authorizing the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to apply for a court order requiring production of tangible things (including books, records, papers, and documents) for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations.


There are two provisions that have sunset provisions while everything else was made permanent.

Here's the roll call vote:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll627.xml

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## Romulus

Paul Curtman (endorsed Ron Paul) supports Brunner. Good enough for me..

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## GeorgiaAvenger

The incumbent is polling terrible and down by as much as 10 points. The Republican nominee will likely win, so this is a pretty darn important race.

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## Aratus

is this dovetailing to a vote on party lines?

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## trey4sports

a couple RP people on Facebook are telling me that Brunner publicly spoke out against cispa, and ndaa, and sure enough here is a video. Go to 6: 04 (if you want to hear steelman and akin clown around watch the whole thing)

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## Spoa

> a couple RP people on Facebook are telling me that Brunner publicly spoke out against cispa, and ndaa, and sure enough here is a video. Go to 6: 04 (if you want to hear steelman and akin clown around watch the whole thing)


SPREAD THIS VIDEO EVERYWHERE!!! Two of the greatest senators, Senators Coburn and Johnson, already endorsed this great American. This video shows me who I should support. John Brunner is a true American Patriot, who deserves to be a senator.

Here is my critique of the three candidates:

Sarah Steelman: With all due respect to her, when you come to a debate...you come educated and ready to answer any questions. I am not impressed by a candidate who comes and hesitates after every sentence or word. She sounded like a typical Washington politician...I agree with you but I agree with the other side also. WHAT???? I expect better.

Todd Akin: At the very least, I give him credit for not hesitating and stuttering through his whole speech. I don't think he would be very firm on civil liberties, and I am still concerned about his support for wasteful spending. I will give him credit though...he eventually vote against CISPA: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll192.xml

John Brunner: Can I say that this is the man to take on Claire McCaskill? His educated, strong response was very good. He didn't stutter, and he made it clear that he is different from the two others. He would be a strong conservative voice in the Senate. 

Conclusion: I BELIEVE THAT JOHN BRUNNER IS THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONSERVATIVE!!! BRUNNER 2012!

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## trey4sports

> SPREAD THIS VIDEO EVERYWHERE!!! Two of the greatest senators, Senators Coburn and Johnson, already endorsed this great American. This video shows me who I should support. John Brunner is a true American Patriot, who deserves to be a senator.
> 
> Here is my critique of the three candidates:
> 
> Sarah Steelman: With all due respect to her, when you come to a debate...you come educated and ready to answer any questions. I am not impressed by a candidate who comes and hesitates after every sentence or word. She sounded like a typical Washington politician...I agree with you but I agree with the other side also. WHAT???? I expect better.
> 
> Todd Akin: At the very least, I give him credit for not hesitating and stuttering through his whole speech. I don't think he would be very firm on civil liberties, and I am still concerned about his support for wasteful spending. I will give him credit though...he eventually vote against CISPA: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll192.xml
> 
> John Brunner: Can I say that this is the man to take on Claire McCaskill? His educated, strong response was very good. He didn't stutter, and he made it clear that he is different from the two others. He would be a strong conservative voice in the Senate. 
> ...



yeah, brunner is the one to support i think. He has pandered quite a bit during the debates but overall he's got some potential to do right. I think he's the type who would be voting with Rand a lot.

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## MJU1983

I'm leaning to Brunner as well.  I'd say "anyone but McCaskill" but that's how we ended up with Obama.

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## MJU1983

I just "liked" his facebook page. 

http://www.facebook.com/BrunnerForMO

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## Roxi

I'm voting for Brunner. I went back and forth as well. Many of the big names in the liberty movement in KC are voting for him. He is friendly to the message and has read many of RP's books. 

Akin sounds really great, but voted for NDAA which is a deal breaker for me. Steelman is a total dumbass.

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## Justinfrom1776

I completely agree with the generic GOP rhetoric coming out of this guy.  The other day he posted something on his Facebook about how we need to keep the sanctity of marriage.. blah blah blah.

I'm of the impression that Brunner's handlers have a tight grip on him and won't let him deviate from the script much.  I heard Jamie Allman talking about how they cut short an interview with him..  I hope this is just run of the mill politicking and he votes like a Paul when he's elected.  Still definitely the guy to vote for in the primary over the other two knuckleheads Akin and Steelman.. I've written and called Akin a couple dozen times during his tenure as my Rep and never once got a genuine, authentic reply.. $#@! him.

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## MJU1983

> I'm voting for Brunner. I went back and forth as well. Many of the big names in the liberty movement in KC are voting for him. He is friendly to the message and has read many of RP's books. 
> 
> Akin sounds really great, but voted for NDAA which is a deal breaker for me. Steelman is a total dumbass.


Read this reply I got from Akin last year.  I asked him to support what Ron and Barney Frank were doing:




> Dear ___________:
> 
> Thank you for contacting me regarding efforts to achieve legalization of marijuana.
> 
> I oppose the legalization of marijuana for three reasons. First, legalization sends a harmful moral message that tends to legitimize drug abuse. The government should not undermine parents' efforts to raise morally discerning children by sending a strong message to teenagers about the acceptability of mind-altering substances.
> 
> Second, many people who argue for the legalization of marijuana greatly understate the physiological effects of this drug. The intoxicant in marijuana, THC, appears to have mild effects because it is fat-soluble and slow-acting. However, THC stored in fatty tissue continues to affect the brain for a long time after the "high" wears off. This is why regular pot smokers feel and appear continuously distracted and unfocused. THC can remain in the fat of a regular smoker for months after he quits. This intoxicant can cause serious and lasting harm to the brain, the hormones, the lungs, and the reproductive organs of a smoker.
> 
> Third, and most importantly, I oppose the legalization of marijuana because it is a gateway drug. While not all pot smokers go on to use harder drugs, virtually everyone who abuses cocaine or heroine begins by smoking marijuana. In the Netherlands, the liberalization of drug laws has resulted in the proliferation of harder drugs, prostitution, and violent crime as users seek greater highs and new ways to feed their habit. 
> ...

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## Roxi

> Read this reply I got from Akin last year.  I asked him to support what Ron and Barney Frank were doing:


Good to know. In the debates he sounds just like RP so he had me confused for a bit but when I looked up his voting record it was obvious he was pandering to us. At the state caucus he even said "I agree with Ron Paul when he says we should audit the Fed" so hes just a liar!

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## trey4sports

> Good to know. In the debates he sounds just like RP so he had me confused for a bit but when I looked up his voting record it was obvious he was pandering to us. At the state caucus he even said "I agree with Ron Paul when he says we should audit the Fed" so hes just a liar!



hah, yeah that was the biggest applause line of the night! He is a very good orator. Reminds me of Mittens, and Brunner is the exact opposite. I'd rather watch paint dry than hear one of his "citzen senator" BS speeches, but from what i can tell he is the best of the bunch. I had a Ron Pauler message me on FB and tell me that Brunner is a big Paul supporter. She was very emphatic about that. I haven't exactly seen anything to see that he is a paul supporter myself but the fact that he came out against the NDAA publicly is great. I also hear that he is against the Patriot act and nation building, but again, nothing public.

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## MJU1983

> Good to know. In the debates he sounds just like RP so he had me confused for a bit but when I looked up his voting record it was obvious he was pandering to us. At the state caucus he even said "I agree with Ron Paul when he says we should audit the Fed" so hes just a liar!


I agree with a lot of what Akin does.  BUT the areas where we disagree is enough for me to never vote for him again, esp for US Senator (I _think_ I voted for him for Congress in 2008).  He likes his flavor of statism, that's for sure.

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## Spoa

> I completely agree with the generic GOP rhetoric coming out of this guy.  The other day he posted something on his Facebook about how we need to keep the sanctity of marriage.. blah blah blah.
> 
> I'm of the impression that Brunner's handlers have a tight grip on him and won't let him deviate from the script much.  I heard Jamie Allman talking about how they cut short an interview with him..  I hope this is just run of the mill politicking and he votes like a Paul when he's elected.  Still definitely the guy to vote for in the primary over the other two knuckleheads Akin and Steelman.. I've written and called Akin a couple dozen times during his tenure as my Rep and never once got a genuine, authentic reply.. $#@! him.


I'm somewhat a paleoconservative so I somewhat agree with Mr. Brunner's views on marriage. But even if you don't agree with his views on marriage, he is still better than Mr. Akin and Ms. Steelman. He's against the NDAA indefinite detention and CISPA (although it would be nice if he were a little more vocal about it).

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## MJU1983

Does anyone know how the nominee is determined?  I sent him this Tweet but I doubt I'll get a response.

https://twitter.com/mju1983/status/218723861653491714




> .@BrunnerForMO @clairecmc I know Claire Bear will lose, I just hope it's to you John. How is the GOP nominee decided? ‪#goodluck‬

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## trey4sports

bump. MO senate race is heating up. Akin just released a new ad with Huckabee endorsing him. Should play exceptionally well here in MO. Brunner is touting an internal poll that has him at 40% and Stellman and Akin at 20% each.

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## trey4sports

> Does anyone know how the nominee is determined?  I sent him this Tweet but I doubt I'll get a response.
> 
> https://twitter.com/mju1983/status/218723861653491714



i believe it is a statewide primary.

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## trey4sports

bump - Jack Hunter just mentioned Brunner as a liberty candidate!~ 


at about 1 minute

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## Brett85

> I completely agree with the generic GOP rhetoric coming out of this guy.  The other day he posted something on his Facebook about how we need to keep the sanctity of marriage.. blah blah blah.


So he's a paleo-conservative.  Sounds good to me.

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## MJU1983

> i believe it is a statewide primary.


It's August 7th.

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## trey4sports

> It's August 7th.


yup, i hope brunner holds on. he hasn't said much of anything that is out of the ordinary so i doubt hell put his foot in his mouth between now and aug. 7th

I see a ton of steelman signs in rural areas and lots of Akin signs towards STL.

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## 4RP08inKCMO

http://www.yaliberty.org/pac/candidates/brunner

I didn't see this posted here yet. It is YAL's profile of Brunner.

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## Hyperion

Nice, he's basically a non interventionist according to that page. He's world's better than Steelman and a notch above Akin.

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## trey4sports

> Nice, he's basically a non interventionist according to that page. He's world's better than Steelman and a notch above Akin.


Meh, I think steelman is probably better than akin, but overall, this crop of candidates is much much better than yrs past

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## jmdrake

Sounds like Brunner's good, Akin sucks, and Brunner has a good shot at winning.  Time for a subforum for Brunner?

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## GeorgiaAvenger

> Sounds like Brunner's good, Akin sucks, and Brunner has a good shot at winning.  Time for a subforum for Brunner?


Yes.

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## 4RP08inKCMO

I vote for a subforum for him.

Here is some more reassuring information from his campaign website.



> His life-long passion in the study of economics began in the early 1970′s under the instruction of Leonard E. Read at the Foundation of Economic Education in New York.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Read

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## MJU1983

> yup, i hope brunner holds on. he hasn't said much of anything that is out of the ordinary so i doubt hell put his foot in his mouth between now and aug. 7th
> 
> I see a ton of steelman signs in rural areas and lots of Akin signs towards STL.


Lots of Steelman signs down by me at the Capital.  I should contact the Brunner campaign and see if they'll send me some of his signs.  I'll go put them right next to Steelman's. :P

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