Nixon appoints new Economic Development Director

Intro:	In response to Governor Nixon's Economic Development Director appointment, the Republican party says Nixon's economic strategy is not working.
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Wrap: Missouri GOP Executive Director Lloyd Smith says Governor Nixon's administration has not done a good job to help the state's economy.

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Description: Because the unemployment rate has went from 8 percent to 9.5 percent since he was sworn in as Governor, losing nearly 59,000 jobs. That's a 20 percent increase in the unemployment rate during that period.

Smith said he hopes Nixon will communicate more with the new director than he did with Linda Martinez, who resigned as director in September.

Nixon announced David Kerr as the new director early Thursday afternoon.

Kerr is a former president of AT&T Kansas, and Secretary of Commerce - also in Kansas.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Michael Gossum.

Intro:	Governor Nixon appointed a new Economic Development director, and the Missouri GOP says Nixon must communicate with the new director to make the state's economy more successful.
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Wrap: Missouri GOP Executive Director Lloyd Smith says one of the biggest problems the new Economic Development director will face is re-establishing a working relationship with the Governor.

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Description: I think Mr. Kerr is going to have a tall hill to climb, because of the situation he's coming into. One can only hope that Jay Nixon will give access to his new economic development director more than he gave access to the last one.

Smith said the newly appointed director, David Kerr seems qualified, but the GOP has not yet had a chance to look into his history.

Nixon appointed Kerr as the new director on Thursday.

Kerr is the former Secretary of Commerce for the state of Kansas.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Michael Gossum.

Intro:	The Missouri Republican party says it is not sure if the newly appointed Economic Development Director David Kerr is qualified.
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Wrap: Missouri GOP Executive Director Lloyd Smith says newly appointed Economic Development Director David Kerr seems qualified for the job.

But Smith also has some doubts.

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Description: We hadn't had a chance to look in to see how he actually did the job. You know sometimes you read a resume and it says one thing, and then you get into the nuts and bolts of the performance and you find out that the resume may have overstated the success that a person had.

Smith said a big challenge Kerr will have is re-establishing a working relationship with the Governor.

Kerr is replacing an interim director that filled in after Linda Martinez resigned in September.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Michael Gossum.

Intro:	In Governor's Nixon second attempt at nominating an Economic Development Director, he still doesn't see eye to eye with Missouri's GOP.
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Wrap: Governor Nixon's Communications Director Jack Cardetti says newly appointed Kansan David Kerr has the credentials for the job.

Cardetti said Nixon looked beyond state lines for a replacement because Kerr is "the right man for the job."

The Missouri GOP said in a press release that poor leadership within Nixon's administration leaves the director with a lot of work to do.

But, Cardetti said "that is not the story. The story is the new appointment."

Cardetti also said Republicans and Democrats alike have praised the appointment.

Senate Republican leader Charlie Shields is among those who approves the appointment.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Michael Gossum.