How much longer can Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens last? Following an explosive report last week that Greitens had sought to silence a woman he'd had an extra-marital affair with by threatening her with a photo he'd taken of her while she was bound, blindfolded, and naked, four fellow Republicans in the state legislature have now called on him to resign. Notably, one of them, longtime state Rep. Nate Walker, was an early backer of Greitens when he ran for governor. According to the New York Times, Greitens had in fact spent the weekend "telephoning scores of legislators" to try to shore up his support, but obviously that effort was to no avail.
And there's really no way out. Greitens has cancelled all public events, and a lawyer for the ex-husband of the woman Greitens was involved with says he's handed over to law enforcement officials as much as five hours of previously undisclosed recordings of the ex-wife detailing her encounters with the governor. What's more, a new survey from Republican pollster Remington Research conducted for the newsletter Missouri Scout shows that his favorability rating has plunged to a negative 32-47, from 42-41 just a week earlier. The "good news," such as it is, is that 43 percent of voters think he should remain in office compared to 37 percent who say he should go.
But what really matters is what state lawmakers do next. Greitens has spent his entire first year in office feuding with Republican legislators, leaving him virtually friendless in the capitol. Even Walker, who was one of the few Republican elected officials who supported him in the 2016 gubernatorial primary, fell out with Greitens last year when the governor ousted the state’s education commissioner. Greitens has stubbornly refused to leave so far, but if he doesn't voluntarily walk the plank soon, don't be surprised if we start hearing talk of impeachment. If Greitens departs, GOP Lt. Gov. Mike Parson would serve as governor until Greitens’ term ends in early 2021.