Following is a statement from Jared Craighead, executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, on Sen. Chris Koster’s decision to abandon the Republican Party:

“Republicans are surprised that Senator Koster who has championed so many Republican causes, participated in leadership of the Senate Republican Caucus and served as a member of the Republican State Committee would decide suddenly that he is a Democrat. Chris is a personal friend of mine but I fear he has blinded himself with his desire for higher office and the hollow promises of Jay Nixon’s political machine rather than keeping his commitment to the constituents who elected him to represent them.

I expect that Chris will resign from the Senate immediately and stand for election as a Democrat in a special election so that the people of the 31st Senatorial District have an opportunity to decide whether they want him representing them now that he has totally reversed his positions on important issues like gay marriage, Second Amendment rights and Medicaid reform.

If I had to guess, Chris will likely quote Winston Churchill to describe his decision saying, `some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others change their principles for the sake of the party.’ But I would remind Chris that Churchill also remarked on the occasion of a party switch that it was the only instance he could recall of a rat swimming towards a sinking ship – that sentiment seems particularly applicable in this case.

Simply stated, Chris has done the political calculus and does not believe he can win a Republican primary and does not believe that Jeff Harris is a formidable opponent.”

Comments

comments