The 31st Senate District republican primary will have serious money in the mix.

From Ed Emery’s (r) first quarter 2012 campaign finance report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 10, 2012:

REPORT SUMMARY

CITIZENS FOR ED EMERY [pdf] 4/10/2012

8. Total All Receipts This Election $50,645.00

[emphasis added]

Where did all that money come from?:

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

CITIZENS FOR ED EMERY 4/10/2012

Ethelmae Humphreys 2505 East 11th Street Joplin MO 64801 Tamko Bldg. Products — Chairman of the Board 3/31/2012 $50,000.00

Russell Freed 2662 County Rd. 1310 Moberly MO 65270 Orschelns — Marketing 3/29/2012 $100.00

Anne Calzone 33867 Highway E Dixon MO 65459 Homemaker 3/31/2012 $50.00

CZ Engineering, Inc. 33863 Highway E Dixon MO 65459 3/31/2012 $495.00 [in kind]

Some free speech is more equal than others.

Four campaign contributions in Ed Emery’s (r) first quarter 2012 campaign finance report. “My, that’s a mighty big piece of pie you got there Ethelmae.”

When you add yesterday’s $50,000.00 campaign contribution, that campaign treasury almost doubled. You can just feel the grassroots momentum.

Previously: Campaign Finance: throwing down the crazy gauntlet (April 23, 2012)

How are the other republicans in the primary doing when it comes to raising that campaign cash?:

Scott Largent (r), another one of the three individuals running in the primary, filed his first quarter 2012 report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 15, 2012:

REPORT SUMMARY

CITIZENS FOR LARGENT [pdf] 4/15/2012

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $4,400.00

10. Expenditures made by cash or check this period $2,730.05

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $31,260.13

[emphasis added]

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

CITIZENS FOR LARGENT 4/15/2012

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

MISSOURI INDEPENDENT ACCTS PAC 4243 NE LAKEWOOD WAY STE 101 LEES SUMMIT MO 64064 2/1/2012 $500.00

ISLE OF CAPRI CASINOS INC 600 EMERSON RD SUITE 300 ST LOUIS MO 63141 2/1/2011 $300.00

MISSOURI DENTAL PAC 3340 AMERICAN AVE JEFFERSON CITY MO 65109 2/1/2011 $250.00

BRENT HEMPHILL & ASSOC PO BOX 156 JEFFERSON CITY MO 65102 2/1/2012 $250.00

CPA PAC 540 MARYVILLE CENTRE DRIVE SUITE 200 ST LOUIS MO 63141 2/1/2012 $100.00

CITIZENS TO ELECT MIKE KEHOE PO BOX 105527 JEFFERSON CITY MO 65110 3/29/2012 $1,000.00

FRIENDS FOR MENZLINGER PO BXO 65 MONTICELLO MO 63457 3/29/2011 $1,000.00

PARSONS FOR STATE SENATE 3892 HWY 123 FAIRPLAY MO 65649 3/29/2012 $1,000.00

[emphasis added]

Nope, no grassroots momentum there, either.

EXPENDITURES AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE

CITIZENS FOR LARGENT 4/15/2012

B. Itemized Expenditures All Over $100

AXIOM 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF KANSAS CITY MO 64116 3/23/2012 CONSULTING $1,250.00

EXEMPLER PO BOX 11 RAYMORE MO 64083 3/30/2012 CONSULTANT $1,000.00

[emphasis added]

Ah, the republican campaign consultant industrial complex. Does anyone get the feeling that they’re not very popular with folks in Joplin?

And the next candidate in the primary, David Morris (r):

C121182: Friends Of Morris

308 East High St Ste 103 Committee Type: Candidate

Jefferson City Mo 65101 Party Affiliation: Republican

(573) 635-3100 Established Date: 04/05/2012

[emphasis added]

Contribution in Excess of $500 Received Within 48 Hours

C121182 FRIENDS OF MORRIS [pdf] 4/19/2012

David Morris PO Box 563 Peculiar, MO 64078 Morris Auto Sales Owner 4/17/2012 $10,000.00

Pass the popcorn.

A tip of the hat to Randy Turner.

In 2010 about 20% of eligible Missouri voters went to the polls. Not surprisingly, a majority of that 20% were the foaming at the mouth Tea Partiers and other like-minded souls who were all riled up by anti-Obamacare agit-prop of organizations like Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity (not to mention the simple fact of the first black president). One of the results of that election was that a crop of impenetrably hard-right pols were introduced into the Missouri legislature.

As a result, the real work of government has been left to patronage groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which supply anti-union, anti-education, anti-environmental “model” legislation that best serves their anti-worker, anti-tax, corporate purposes. Since such corporate groups are so willing to do the hard work for them, the junior Representatives have been free to ride their favorite hobby horses into the legislative arena. Most recently we’ve seen bills to combat the non-existent threat of Sharia law and bills that the promote hard-currency schemes of paranoid gold-bugs – oh, and don’t forget the bill that would allow bullies to torment gay classmates with impunity.  

Now State Rep. Kurt Bahr (R-19) has married the desire to carry water for the corporatocracy with the 10th amendment fetishism of many of those on the right-wing fringe. Well in advance of the Supreme Court’s decision about the constitutionality of Obamacare, this former intern of U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-2) (says it all, doesn’t it?) has introduced HB1534 which asserts that if anybody in Missouri tries to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare), they will be subject to criminal charges. Bob Priddy at the MissouriNet Blog sums up Bahr’s position:

So let’s see if we understand Rep. Bahr. He has sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution of the United States says there are three separate and co-equal branches of government, legislative, executive, and judicial. Rep. Bahr argues that a legislature in one of the 50 states can make a judicial ruling as it affects only the people of that state. (The PP&ACA is so unconstitutional that anyone implementing any part of it is a criminal.) It appears he should start getting ready to issue warrants because some parts of the Affordable Healthcare Act already are being implemented in Missouri.

Wouldn’t you know that, first-time around, the rampaging GOP nullifiers in the House passed this piece of idiocy 109-41. Details of the debate, including some very amusing audio, can be heard here. It’s worth reading (and listening to); Rep. Chris Kelly aptly sums up the Democrats’ frustration with Bahr’s thick-headed embrace of nullification, declaring that “this is breathtaking in its contempt for the Constitution of the United States.”

Bahr’s last (first? middling?) stand also works well with the goals of the mostly anonymous corporate types who finance organizations like ALEC. Ed Quillen of the Denver Post has argued that the rabid anti-Obamacare frothing of politicians like Bahr is just another facet of the attack on workers that the corporate elite is waging through their GOP proxies. Writing about why the GOP is doing little to actually promote job creation, but lots to benefit “job-creators,” he states that Republicans aren’t just stepping on the brakes because they want our Democratic president to fail:

When it comes to jobs, there’s more to the story than the normal political desire to defeat someone of the other party. Republicans like employers, those noble “job-creators” vexed by bureaucracy and regulation. They don’t like workers.

If jobs are hard to come by, then employers have more power, just as it’s a lot easier to say “take this job and shove it” if you know they’re hiring down the street. That’s another reason Republicans want to keep unemployment high.

This also helps explain the Republican resistance to universal health care. If you must rely on your employer for health insurance, that helps keep you in your place, and your employer literally has power of life and death over you.

Bahr’s spite-fueled legislative tantrum directed at the ACA may be feel-good medicine for those who are inclined to constitutional posturing, but it is also intended to insure that it is the unfettered market – that is to say, employers, and ultimately, the corporatocracy – that will have the ultimate power over our lives. Quillen correctly observes that the model that the right embraces is that of the Deep South where the Republican “oligarchs”:

… want “a compliant, poorly educated, low-wage workforce with as few labor, workplace safety, health care, and environmental regulations as possible.

Dare I mention that, when it comes to the legislative crop of 2010 we get a do-over this November?

Mongol General: ….Conan! What is best in life?

Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women….

Do it with dollars. Unlimited money in politics has that effect on people.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C121090 04/23/2012 CITIZENS FOR ED EMERY David Humphreys P O Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803 Tamko Building Products 4/23/2012 $50,000.00

[emphasis added]

The republican primary candidates in the 31st Senate District:

State Senator – District 31

Republican

Scott Largent 1904 RUSTIC WAY

CLINTON MO 64735 295 2/28/2012

Ed Emery PO BOX 123

LAMAR MO 64759 568 2/28/2012

Dave Morris PO BOX 563

PECULIAR MO 64078 3/27/2012

Pass the popcorn.  

Get used to it. The really big money keeps pouring in for the payday loan folks.

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C111153 04/22/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY Missourians for Responsible Government P O Box 45571 Kansas City MO 64171 4/20/2012 $75,000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s $361,000.00 in April for MISSOURIANS FOR EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY Shadow Group Making It Next To Impossible To Tell Who Is Really Funding This Initiative from “Missourians for Responsible Government”.

C111153 MISSOURIANS FOR EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY 48 Hour Report of Contribution Received Over $5000 Missourians for Responsible Government P O Box 45571 Kansas City MO 64171 04/11/2012 $46,000.00

C111153 MISSOURIANS FOR EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY 48 Hour Report of Contribution Received Over $5000 Missourians for Responsible Government P O Box 45571 Kansas City MO 64171 04/11/2012 $140,000.00

C111153 MISSOURIANS FOR EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY 48 Hour Report of Contribution Received Over $5000 Missourians for Responsible Government P O Box 45571 Kansas City MO 64171 04/12/2012 $100,000.00

C111153 MISSOURIANS FOR EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY 48 Hour Report of Contribution Received Over $5000 Missourians for Responsible Government P O Box 45571 Kansas City MO 64171 04/20/2012 $75,000.00

[emphasis added]

Doubleplus irony.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Orwell would be so proud (April 12, 2012)

Campaign Finance: pouring even more money into defending payday loans (March 22, 2012)

Campaign Finance: if your name was Payday Loans you’d be in the money (March 2, 2012)

Campaign Finance: the payday loan campaign contribution broken record continues… (January 6, 2012)

Campaign Finance: Payday loans get the big bucks, again – part 2 (November 10, 2011)

Campaign Finance: Payday loans get the big bucks, again (September 27, 2011)

Campaign Finance: Isn’t that interest(ing)? (August 24, 2011)

Campaign Finance: big bucks for a payday loan PAC (August 20, 2011)

A Kansas City area independent book store sponsored a book event featuring Rachel Maddow at the Uptown Theater this afternoon. A crowd of approximately fifteen hundred attended. For the price of admission they received a signed copy of Rachel Maddow’s book, Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power, and got to listen to a ninety minute conversation with the author.

The early contingent of a very jovial “sold out” crowd we estimate at

fifteen hundred for the event was already lined up before noon for the 2:00 p.m. scheduled start.

Mary O’Halloran (left) and Judy Baker (D) (right), a Democratic Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor,

in the audience before the start of the show.

Rachel Maddow.

A transcript of portions of the conversation:

….Rachel Maddow: …I don’t think the reaction would be as bad, um, as it was in two thousand four. I don’t, I, I actually think that there are some ways in which we have learned from this sort of national shock we had after nine eleven. For example, I don’t think that we are going to make the mistake again of conflating views on the wars with the, with respect for the troops. I think that we are now past the idea that if you are against the war that means you are somehow against members of the United States military. [applause] And you know, demagoguery on that issue is not that old, but I do think we, we quickly grew, were horrified by it and grew out of it. I mean, the, there was a Pew survey late last year of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans asking them about their views of the wars in which they had fought. And only about a third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans said they believed that the wars were worth it. And you can’t say that they do not respect the troops. They are, they are the troops. That’s the troops speaking for themselves. And so, I, I think that we are, I think that we grew through that. And I think that we are morally, um, I think that we can be temporarily moral, morally susceptible to demagoguery like that, but I actually think that our hearts are in the right place. I think that when somebody puts a magnetic yellow ribbon on the bumper of their SUV and somebody else is, you know, next to them in traffic in the bike lane cursing their magnetic yellow ribbon on their SUV, the impotence of that gesture, I actually think that both of those things come from the same place. I think that both of tho, I feel for, I feel for both  of the characters in that anecdote because both of them want to have a real and respectful connection with the military that has been fighting wars in our name while we have done nothing to represent, to, or even, or, or even mimic their sacrifice.  [applause] ….

….Rachel Maddow: …We certainly have the option with, um, the new technological means by which we have access to media. We have the option to be really irresponsible about it. You definitely can tailor all of your news so that you see nothing that is not about a member of the Kardashian family and yourself. [laughter] Right? You can, you can do that. You can just be, you know, like weather and the Royals and the Kardashians and Paula Deen. [laughter] Just have that for your news. And that can be, and that can be a very satisfying way to live. [laughter] Um, depending on how passionate you feel about Paula Deen. [laughter] But, or any of those other things. But, uh, you also have the opportunity to be way more responsible in your news reading, in your news gathering than you ever could have been before when we sort of all only, when we all only had access to these voice of God three network newscasts, um, in their purported objectivity, right? Um, and national newspapers and whatever we could get reported [inaudible]. When that was all we had you could be the most responsible newsgatherer on Earth and still have, let’s say, no idea what was going on with, you know, some, some technological issue that was being debated in Congress that you actually had relevant expertise about but you have, you didn’t know was happening ’cause it didn’t come to you through your work trade journals. Right? But now, if there is some thing going on in Congress, if there’s some regulation being debated, if there’s some controversy over something that you know about, that you have access to good information about and that you ought to be contributing in that debate, you can get as deep in to that, the daily information reporting about that, as anybody anywhere on Earth. You can get daily detailed news reports from Mombassa, Kenya from here in Kansas City. You can get very opinion, you, you can get very detailed information about small towns anywhere in our country, about technical issues anywhere in our country, and about deep, you can get deep access political opinion you never could get before. I mean, we do have the option to hive off into ideological bubbles that make us happy. But we also have access to everybody else’s bubbles, too….

Photo by Jerry Schmidt, Show Me Progress

Photo by Jerry Schmidt, Show Me Progress

After the event we walked a few blocks south on Broadway to find a place to eat. We stumbled upon a newly open establishment, Open Fire – Wood Burning Pizza, and had a good meal.

Previously: We Are Women March 4.28.12 – Susan Montee (D) and Courtney Cole (D) (April 19, 2012)

We received the following media release:

[….]

Missouri Women mobilizing to protest against “war on women”

[JEFFERSON CITY]— On Saturday, April 28, 2012 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, women and men from around the state of Missouri will gather for a rally at the Missouri State Capitol Building to say “Enough is Enough.” Speakers slated to appear include Missouri Lieutenant Governor Candidate and past Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee, Missouri 4th Congressional House of Representatives Candidate Teresa Hensley, Planned Parenthood Mid-Missouri Public Policy Manager Michelle Trupiano, and Missouri National Organization for Women (NOW) Vice-President Claire Major. Additional speakers and entertainment will be included.

The event is hosted by Unite Against the War on Women, a new organization rapidly gaining steam nationwide. Concurrent rallies are scheduled for all 50 states that day in a show of strength against recent threats to women’s rights.

“It is essential that we stand up for our rights now and work together against this effort to destroy women’s rights. On April 28th, we will have the opportunity to join a national movement against the war on women. Join us to give your support,” Paula Willmarth, co-leader of Unite Women Missouri stated.

While the immediate impetus for Unite Women is the assault on reproductive rights, the threat to women is inclusive of other concerns, including education, equal pay for equal work, voter suppression and crimes against women and children.

DETAILS FOR THE MARCH:

10:00-10:30am Gather at James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Bldg.

10:30-11:00am Marching East on Main Street to South Lawn of Capitol

11:00am-12:00pm Rally for Unite Women on South Lawn of Capitol

Missouri Endorsers Of UNITE Women include

Capitol Women’s Political Caucus · Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) · Coffee Party USA

Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus · Mid-Missouri Progressive Women · Missouri AAUW

Missouri Federation of Women’s Democratic Clubs · Missouri NOW · Missouri Planned Parenthood · Missouri ProVote

Missouri Women’s Leadership Coalition · Missouri Women’s Political Caucus · Missouri Women’s Network

NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri · NOW – Kansas City Metro · PROMO · Women’s Political Caucus of Metro St. Louis

National Endorsers Of UNITE Women include

Advocates for Youth · A is For · Americans for Separation of Church and State

Breakthrough · Catholics for Choice · Center for Inquiry · Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)

Code Pink – Women for Peace · Coffee Party USA · Feminist Peace Network · iHollaback

Institute for Science and Human Values · Katrina vanden Heuvel (Editor & Publisher “The Nation” Magazine)

9 to 5 – National Association of Working Women · The National Equal Rights Amendment Alliance

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health · National League of Latin American Citizens · National Organizations for Women

National Women’s Political Caucus · Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice · This Slut Votes

Be there. We will.

President Obama called on Congress to act before student loan interest rates increase:

The transcript from the White House:

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

The White House

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Hi.  This week, I got the chance to sit down with some impressive students at Lorain County Community College in Ohio.  One of them was a woman named Andrea Ashley.  Two years ago, Andrea lost her job as an HR analyst.  Today, she’s getting certified in the fast-growing field of electronic medical records.  Before enrolling at Lorain, Andrea told me she was looking everywhere trying to find a new job.  But without a degree, she said that nobody would hire her.

Andrea’s story isn’t unique.  I’ve met so many Americans who are out there pounding the pavement looking for work only to discover that they need new skills.  And I’ve met a lot of employers who are looking for workers, but can’t find ones with the skills they’re looking for.

So we should be doing everything we can to put higher education within reach for every American – because at a time when the unemployment rate for Americans with at least a college degree is about half the national average, it’s never been more important.  But here’s the thing: it’s also never been more expensive.  Students who take out loans to pay for college graduate owing an average of $25,000.  For the first time, Americans owe more debt on their student loans than they do on their credit cards.  And for many working families, the idea of owing that much money means that higher education is simply out of reach for their children.

In America, higher education cannot be a luxury.  It’s an economic imperative that every family must be able to afford.  That’s why next week I’ll be visiting colleges across the country, talking to students about how we can make higher education more affordable – and what’s at stake right now if Congress doesn’t do something about it.  You see, if Congress doesn’t act, on July 1st interest rates on some student loans will double.  Nearly seven and half million students will end up owing more on their loan payments.  That would be a tremendous blow.  And it’s completely preventable.

This issue didn’t come out of nowhere.  For some time now, I’ve been calling on Congress to take steps to make higher education more affordable – to prevent these interest rates from doubling, to extend the tuition tax credit that has saved middle-class families millions of dollars, and to double the number of work-study jobs over the next five years.

Instead, over the past few years, Republicans in Congress have voted against new ways to make college more affordable for middle-class families, and voted for huge new tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires – tax cuts that would have to be paid for by cutting things like education and job-training programs that give students new opportunities to work and succeed.

We cannot just cut our way to prosperity.  Making it harder for our young people to afford higher education and earn their degrees is nothing more than cutting our own future off at the knees.  Congress needs to keep interest rates on student loans from doubling, and they need to do it now.

This is a question of values.  We cannot let America become a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of people struggle to get by.  We’ve got to build an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.  That’s how the middle class gets stronger.  That’s an economy that’s built to last.  And I’m not only going to take that case to college campuses next week – I’m going to take it to every part of the country this year.  Thanks, and have a great weekend.

“…We cannot let America become a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of people struggle to get by…”

Uh, for right wingnut republicans, that’s a feature, not a bug.

This is another symptom of their systematic assault on higher education.

From Igor Volsky at ThinkProgress:

Just two days after Tennessee advanced its infamous ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, the state of Missouri referred to committee a measure that would eliminate discussions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in public schools, prohibit teachers from addressing bullying based on sexual orientation, and likely ban gay-straight alliances.

The bill is HB 2051. It is sponsored by GOP Rep. Stanley Cookson and has 19 co-sponsors: Scharnhorst, Koenig, Jones, Bhar, Tilley, Shumake, Rowland, Denison, Wells, Schatz, Burlison, Funderbunk, Fitzwater, Lant, McGhee and Houghton.

What you can do:

–Write, email or phone your Representative to let them know how abhorrent you find this action. Progress Missouri has an action page that will make it easier if you are pressed for time.

— Sign this PROMO  petition.

Why you should do it (as per ProgressMissouri)

–Missouri LGBT students frequently hear homophobic, sexist, and offensive remarks regarding their gender expression.

–Most LGBT students have been victimized at school; reporting of incidents are limited and when reported, offending parties are not reprimanded.

–Most LGBT students in Missouri do not have access to support or resources.

Anti-bullying legislation passed the Missouri General Assembly in 2006, but failed to include a list of students most often singled out and targeted for bullying. Without such a list in the law, school districts, administrators, and teachers do not have a clear understanding or training in how to recognize and handle all bullying situations. The Safe Schools Act would clarify these issues and reduce the negative impact of bullying upon LGBT students.