In small town west central Missouri, for the campaign of the republican Secretary of State candidate with reading comprehension issues:

An indication that the sign crew is inexperienced or that the campaign can’t afford a third fence post.

What, no party affiliation?

Ah, the wingnut seal of approval.

It’s in the fine print.

Previously:

Signs, signs, everywhere signs… (2012) (June 6, 2012)

Signs, signs, everywhere signs… (2012) – part 2 (June 12, 2012)

That would have to be the only believable excuse.

Today, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Sad state or country under Obamanomics–the average American has lost 40% of their net worth. It’s time to embrace the House’s jobs plan. 3:56 PM – 12 Jun 12

Why, that’s terrible. Let’s look at the details:

Americans saw wealth plummet 40 percent from 2007 to 2010, Federal Reserve says

By Ylan Q. Mui, Published: June 11

The recent recession wiped out nearly two decades of Americans’ wealth, according to government data released Monday, with ­middle-class families bearing the brunt of the decline.

The Federal Reserve said the median net worth of families plunged by 39 percent in just three years, from $126,400 in 2007 to $77,300 in 2010. That puts Americans roughly on par with where they were in 1992….

Yep, read that headline again. Remind me, who was president from January 2001 to January 2009?

It’s not a good thing when you think your constituents are too stupid to notice.

Continuing:

…The recession caused the greatest upheaval among the middle class. Only roughly half of middle­-class Americans remained on the same economic rung during the downturn, the Fed found. Their median net worth – the value of assets such as homes, automobiles and stocks minus any debt – suffered the biggest drops. By contrast, the wealthiest families’ median net worth rose slightly….

[rmphasis added]

Evidently there’s been a class war and now we know who’s been winning.

Ever wonder why there’re so many mediocre minds in the GOP – folks either convinced by bad research or pathetic arguments on issues like climate denialism and creationism, who espouse general anti-science positions and lame-brained economic theories that have no bearing on reality, or who are so lacking in integrity that they’ll go along with what they perceive to be the most opportune position no matter what they really believe (i.e. Mitt Romney)? It could have something to do with the fact that it’s easy to be a Republican. Nobody has to think too hard. Every statement is dictated from on-high (often originating with rich donors) and comes pre-digested with an already manufactured set of – often fact-free – talking points.

Latest example: Sam Graves (R-6) who “said Monday that he was, ‘to be quite honest, shocked,’ by President Obama’s comment last week that, despite the troubled economy, the ‘private sector is doing fine.'”

Of course, the President, later in the same day, put the statement Graves is referring to into the relative context of the public vs. private sector which changes its impact considerably. But Graves doesn’t have to worry about that – the tone has been set and all he has to do is follow the direction laid out by his betters and carefully avoid the real issue that the President was addressing, which is that Republican policies have been especially disastrous at the state level where financial shortfalls have forced the layoff of thousands of public workers – the teachers, firemen and policemen that Graves’ presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, doesn’t think we need.

Yep – GOPers like Graves have got it easy; no need to work that brain at all.

Today, at the Missouri Ethcs Commission:

C031159 06/12/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR KOSTER AT&T Missouri One At&T Center Room 4200 St Louis MO 63101 6/11/2012 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Hold the phone.

Previously: Campaign Finance: fancy that (June 9, 2012)

Along U.S. Highway 50 in west central Missouri, a 4 x 8 sign, printed on both sides:

Ah, image bleed through in bright sunlight – the bane of cheap campaigns.

What, no party affiliation? The brand must not be doing very well.

Previously: Signs, signs, everywhere signs… (2012) (June 6, 2012)

On Saturday, June 9th, we had the opportunity to speak with Democratic Party candidates and office holders at the Missouri Democratic Convention. Cass County Associate Commissioner (and former state representative) Luke Scavuzzo took some time to speak with us at the convention.

Over the years as we’ve been in Jefferson City to cover the General Assembly we became acquainted with Luke Scavuzzo, one of the smart, thoughtful public servants in Jefferson City who, at the time, represented the 124th Legislative District for the people of Cass County. Luke Scavuzzo lost his seat in the General Assembly in the 2010 “teabagger wave” general election. He now serves as a Cass County Associate Commissioner.

To sum up the political scene in Cass County since 2010:

A long time presiding commissioner (a Democrat) was defeated in the 2010 election by a perennial republican candidate, who subsequently was ousted from office for not being qualified to file for office. The office remained vacant for over a year as the case worked its way through the state court system.

Vicky Hartzler, a former state representative from Cass County was elected to Congress in the 2010 “teabagger wave” general election, benefiting substantially from her base in Cass County.

Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley (D) announced she was running for Congress in the 4th Congressional District, challenging Vicky Hartzler.

Herschel Walker, the republican presiding commissioner who was ousted from office filed to run as a Libertarian in the 4th Congressional District.

A republican associate commissioner resigned from office. Governor Jay Nixon (D) appointed former representative Luke Scavuzzo (D) to fill the position.  

In May Governor Jay Nixon appointed Pleasant Hill Mayor Terry Wison (D) to fill the position of Cass County Presiding Commissioner.

Think about that for a minute. The “teabagger wave” election of 2010 created a giant mess in Cass County and now public service minded Democrats have started in to the process of making local government function again.

Do you suppose that example of competence over ideology, set by individuals like Cass County Prosecuting Attorney Teresa Hensley (D), will have an impact on the voters of Cass County?

And to think, Vicky Hartzler (r) only got 50.4% of the vote district wide in 2010, when Boone County and Columbia weren’t in the district. Her teabagger base is much smaller now. And there are probably a few more voters in Cass County who are tired of teabagger ideology and crave thoughtful and practical governance from their elected officials.

Previously:

Finally, resolution in Cass County (May 3, 2012)

Gov. Jay Nixon (D) appoints Luke Scavuzzo (D) to the Cass County Commission (January 11, 2012)

“…Respondent is ousted from the office of Presiding Commissioner, Cass County, Missouri.” (February 18, 2011)

Under the title “Legalized Bribery,” Think Progress reports today on the activities of the YG Network, “a secret-money outside political group run by former aides to House Republican Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA).”  Essentially, this nominally independent group rewards GOP pols who play ball with the house leadership. According to the Think Progress reporter, compliant legislators may be rewarded by “independent” expenditures on their behalf.

And guess which member of the House of Representatives was chosen to illustrate the efforts of the YG Network?  Take a look at the ad below and find out:

Indeed – that anemic sounding, good little girl voice belongs to none other than Vicky Hartzler. Of course, it is unlikely that Hartzler would ever defy the GOP leadership, even without such an incentive to continue to be as tractable as she has been – but the whole system whereby she rated this help is more than troubling. Think Progress quotes Paul Ryan of the Campaign Legal Center to the effect that:

When you allow unlimited special interest money in politics, this type of behavior should be expected. Criticism is fair, but never the less, its predictable. This is the world that this Supreme Court majority has given us with the Citizens United decision. It’s troubling, but entirely predictable.

Even more troubling is the likelihood of conversations behind closed doors – threats of huge corporate-funded independent spending campaigns made [for those who don’t act in the corporation’s interest on a given piece of legislation]. And much of it, we will never hear about.

Nice bunch of folks Vicky pals around with. Is this the type of government Tea Partiers (i.e., “We the people”) who suppported Hartzler thought she’d represent – essentially a return to the bad old days of Tom DeLay and Roy Blunt handing out favors and strong-arming anyone in the ranks with enough gumption to stand up to them?  

By the way – if you’re interested in the substance of the ad, which refers to a 2.3% excise tax to be imposed on the sale of medical devices, which will be used to fund Obamacare, take a look at this analysis of the tax’s impacts prepared by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Of course, when we’re all saturated with “taxmegeddon” ads, who cares about facts.  

I know that this blog should focus on what is happening in Missouri and when we deal with national policies, we need to show how it will affect Missourians. Well, the presidential election will affect Missourians. If Mitt Romney wins it will affect thousands and thousands of Missourians and in a very bad way. If he wins because he lies more blatantly than any previous lying candidate, it’ll be a painful, cryin’ shame. Ipso facto, we all have an obligation to call him out whenever we learn about his lies – doesn’t matter how many other places have the scoop – we’ve got to amplify the message which is, simply put, Mitt Romney cannot be trusted.

Case in point:  Just so it’s clear where President Obama stands, here is a new campaign video decrying what the GOP has done to our economy by cutting public sector jobs. He makes his attitude about the disastrous GOP tack against public employees, that is, teachers, firemen and policemen, crystal clear:

Romney, who is on record with his belief that we don’t need so many of those dirty, stinking, commie public employees, specifically teachers, firemen and policemen, seems to have realized that openly declaring his druthers in this case wasn’t so smart. So he evidently decided to try to tar the president with the same brush – which his campaign did by taking film of the President and editing it so that the President appears to be saying the exact opposite of what he actually did say (h/t DailyKos):

If you want to know what the President really said, check out the actual transcript of his remarks printed by Talking Points Memo. Just in case you miss the point, in the words of DailyKos’ Jed Lewison:

This really isn’t a question of interpretation. It’s a simple case of dishonesty. And it’s not the kind of thing campaigns usually do. Sure, you always have spin. You always position things to help win votes. And sometimes you make mistakes and get things wrong. But for the most part, campaigns don’t lie as eagerly as Mitt Romney’s did today and has done throughout the campaign.

And in my own words – Romney’s an overtly lying piece of opportunistic slime who isn’t fit to clean our sewers, much less take on the responsibilities of president.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C111153 06/11/2012 MISSOURIANS FOR EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY Missourians for Responsible Government P O Box 45571 Kansas City MO 64171 6/11/2012 $181,500.00

[emphasis added]

Who are these people?

A hundred thousand here and a hundred thousand there – pretty soon you’re talkin’ about some serious money.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: payday loans – all in (April 25, 2012)

Campaign Finance: Orwell would be so proud – part 2 (April 23, 2012)

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)