By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Former northwest Missouri Republican Congressman Tom Coleman has come out in favor of Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine for United States Senate.
Though Coleman throws his support to Valentine’s candidacy, it is his opposition to the Republican nominee that is most prominent. Coleman calls Attorney General Eric Schmitt too extreme, pointing out Schmitt has done everything he could to win the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
“Eric Schmitt is associated with Donald Trump as much as he could,” Coleman tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “He begged for his endorsement and got a half-endorsement, or a half-baked endorsement I guess, since his name was Eric.”
In the Missouri Senate race, Trump famously endorsed Eric, without providing a last name, largely seen as purposely ambiguous in support of both Eric Schmitt and former Gov. Eric Greitens.
Coleman criticizes Schmitt for filing a lawsuit in Pennsylvania in an attempt to overturn that state’s vote in favor of Biden over Trump. Coleman asks how Missourians would feel if Pennsylvania attempted to interfere with its elections.
Coleman claims Busch Valentine is right on the issues, in the mainstream with American voters, and more in line with most Missourians in her support of abortion rights.
“And Eric Schmitt is just the opposite,” Coleman charges. “He has even introduced legislation, couldn’t wait until the Roe v. Wade decision was made before he decided and decreed, I’m not sure how he did this legally, that Missouri now has a total prohibition on abortion.”
The Missouri General Assembly approved legislation that would prohibit abortion if the United States Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade. Once the court did so in the Dobbs case, Schmitt declared that state law banned abortion.
Coleman also faults Schmitt, as Attorney General, for filing lawsuits against 47 Missouri school districts in an attempt to overturn mask mandates imposed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Coleman praises Busch Valentine for her service as a nurse and her open-mindedness on the campaign trail.
“She’s out there with the people. She’s out there keeping her mind open on things that’s she’s not familiar with,” says Coleman. “But Eric Schmitt trying to endanger and put at risk our children in class and schools as he did, I think that’s just wrong. I think she has the capability of being an outstanding senator and that’s why I endorsed her.”
Coleman served eight terms as the representative of the Sixth Congressional District of Missouri.