Follow the money.

And for the republican candidate in the 2012 Secretary of State race the sources weren’t particularly grassrootsie.

The distribution of contributions to Shane Schoeller’s (r) campaign as indicated to the Missouri Ethics Commission in his 30 Day After General Election-11/6/2012 report [pdf] filed on December 6, 2012. The report covers the period from October 26, 2012 through December 1, 2012.

That’s well over a half a million dollars in contributions in the week before the election, the vast majority from a single entity:

Missouri Ethics Commission

REPORT SUMMARY

SCHOELLER FOR MISSOURI [pdf] 12/6/2012

[….]

2. All Monetary Contributions Received This Period $678,490.00

[….]

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED – SUPPLEMENTAL

Ann Wagner for Congress 14551 Manchester Road Ballwin MO 63011-3960 11/2/2012 $2,500.00

Friends Of Roy Blunt PO Box 410182 Kansas City MO 64141-0182 11/1/2012 $2,500.00

FRIENDS OF TILLEY 100 S Jackson Street Perryville MO 63775-2517 11/1/2012 $500.00

FRIENDS OF TILLEY 100 S Jackson Street Perryville MO 63775-2517 11/2/2012 $2,000.00

FRIENDS OF TODD RICHARDSON PO Box 1226 Poplar Bluff MO 63902-1226 10/29/2012 $2,000.00

Missouri Chamber PAC PO Box 149 Jefferson City MO 65102-0149 11/6/2012 $2,500.00

RSLC MIssouri PAC 1800 Diagonal Road Alexandria VA 22314-2840 10/26/2012 $200,000.00

RSLC MIssouri PAC 1800 Diagonal Road Alexandria VA 22314-2840 10/30/2012 $250,000.00

RSLC MIssouri PAC 1800 Diagonal Road Alexandria VA 22314-2840 11/5/2012 $25,000.00

RSLC MIssouri PAC 1800 Diagonal Road Alexandria VA 22314-2840 11/1/2012 $50,000.00

DRURY DISPLAYS INC 721 Emerson Road Saint Louis MO 63141-6755 11/13/2012 $2,500.00

Hunter Engineering Company 11250 Hunter Drive Bridgeton MO 63044-2306 11/5/2012 $2,500.00

David Humphreys PO Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803-4050 Tamko — Owner 10/27/2012 $100,000.00

Twyla Cordry PO Box 4040 Waynesville MO 65583-4040 Citizens Mortgage Co — Mortgage Broker 10/30/2012 $2,500.00

William Kapp 543 Deer Creek Lane Cape Girardeau MO 63701-8580 Self — Surgeon 11/13/2012 $2,500.00

[emphasis added]

Follow the money.

After October 23, 2012 the RSLC-Missouri PAC received the following amounts from the Republican State Leadership Committee in Washington, D.C. (from the Missouri Ethics Commission):

[8 Day Before General Election-11/6/2012 10/29/2012]

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

RSLC-MISSOURI PAC [pdf] 10/29/2012

Republican State Leadership Committee 1201 F Street, NW Washington DC 20004 $200,000.00

[emphasis added]

[30 Day After General Election-11/6/2012 12/06/2012]

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

RSLC-MISSOURI PAC [pdf] 12/6/2012

Republican State Leadership Committee 1201 F Street NW Washington DC 20004 10/29/2012 $250,000.00

Republican State Leadership Committee 1201 F Street NW Washington DC 20004 10/31/2012 $50,000.00

Republican State Leadership Committee 1201 F Street NW Washington DC 20004 11/2/2012 $25,000.00

[emphasis added]

Follow the money.

On December 6, 2012 the Republican State Leadership Committee in Washington, D.C. (with the same address in the Missouri Ethics Commission reports) filed their Form 8872, Post General Election Report, with the IRS. There was an interesting contribution from Missouri:

Form 8872

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service

Political Organization

Report of Contributions and Expenditures

A For the period beginning 10/01/2012 and ending 11/26/2012

1 Name of organization Employer identification number

Republican State Leadership Committee – RSLC 05 – 0532524

2 Mailing address (P.O. box or number, street, and room or suite number)

1201 F Street NW SUITE 675

City or town, state, and ZIP code

Washington, DC 20004

[….]

Contributor’s name, mailing address and ZIP code Name of contributor’s employer

REX SINQUEFIELD RETIRED 244 BENT WALNUT LANE WESTPHALIA, MO 65085

Contributor’s occupation Amount of contribution

RETIRED $ 475000

Aggregate contributions year-to-date Date of contribution

$ 475000 10/23/2012

[….]

[emphasis added]

Previously:  

Too damn close, but we’ll take it (November 7, 2012)

Campaign Finance: one last big money dump (November 5, 2012)

Campaign Finance: We got your $50,000.00 right here to make it an even half a million… (November 2, 2012)

Celebrate the grassroots! Not exactly, if you’re a republican… (October 30, 2012)

Campaign Finance: why, two can play at that same game… (October 27, 2012)

Campaign Finance: Celebrate the grassroots! (October 28, 2012)

Todd Akin (r) had some friends return to the fold at the last minute. Is anyone really surprised? The National Republican Senatorial Committee [NRSC] dropped a lot of money to support him in the week before the election

Via the Federal Election Commission:

12/06/2012 18 : 45

Image# 12941220212 [pdf]

FEC FORM 3X

REPORT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS

For Other Than An Authorized Committee

Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal

[….]

Image# 12941220237

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3X)

ITEMIZED RECEIPTS

Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal

Republican National Committee 310 1st St. S.E. Washington DC 20003 10 19 2012 Transaction ID : 21205.C262355 [$]51[,]805.40 Transfers From Affil./Auth.

Republican National Committee 310 1st St. S.E. Washington DC 20003 10 22 2012 Transaction ID : 102920120C262228 [$]5500.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.

Republican National Committee 310 1st St. S.E. Washington DC 20003 10 25 2012 Transaction ID : 21205.C262356 [$]83[,]613.60 Transfers From Affil./Auth.

Republican National Committee 310 1st St. S.E. Washington DC 20003 11 01 2012 Transaction ID : 110220120C262303 [$]77[,]000.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.

National Rep. Senatorial Committee 425 2nd St Ne Washington DC 20002 11 01 2012 Transaction ID : 110220120C262302 [$]360[,]000.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.

National Rep. Senatorial Committee 425 2nd St Ne Washington DC 20002 11 02 2012 Transaction ID : 21205.C262323 [$]400[,]000.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.

Target State Victory Fund 1609 Shoal Creek Blvd., Ste. 203 B Austin TX 78701-1022 10 22 2012 Transaction ID : 21025.C262056 [$]1296.78 Transfers From Affil./Auth.

Ann Wagner for Congress P.O. Box 50 Ballwin MO 63022 10 19 2012 Transaction ID : 21019.C261996 [$]85[,]000.00 Transfers From Affil./Auth.

[….]

Image# 12941220313

SCHEDULE F (FEC Form 3X)

ITEMIZED COORDINATED PARTY EXPENDITURES MADE BY POLITICAL PARTY COMMITTEES OR DESIGNATED AGENT(S) ON BEHALF OF CANDIDATES FOR FEDERAL OFFICE (2 U.S.C. §441a(d))

Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal

Has your committee been designated to make coordinated expenditures by a political party committee?

If YES, name the designating committee: National Rep. Senatorial Committee

Strategic Media Placement 41 South High Street Columbus OH 43215 COORDINATED TV 10 30 2012 Name of Federal Candidate Supported W TODD AKIN [$]386[,]000.00 Transaction ID : 21206.E30970

Strategic Media Placement 41 South High Street Columbus OH 43215 COORDINATED TV 11 01 2012 Name of Federal Candidate Supported W TODD AKIN [$]370[,]000.00 Transaction ID : 21206.E30971

[emphasis added]

That’s $756,000.00 for someone they supposedly disavowed.

Well, they have all they money they need and/or they rationalized their own polling.

Previously:

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): have we got a poll for you… (November 7, 2012)

The stenographer: What? Did the conventional wisdom faerie whisper something in your ear? (November 7, 2012)

Within the past twenty-four hours in west central Missouri:

Friday morning, December 7, 2012.

Friday afternoon, December 7, 2012.

Saturday morning, December 8, 2012.

Interestingly, we haven’t heard any republicans whining about this via Twitter.

Previously:

Quick, blame Obama! – part 2 (December 5, 2012)

Quick, blame Obama! (December 1, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): make it stop… (November 18, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): the price keeps dropping and we’re running out of gas puns (November 15, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): on an express elevator… (November 12, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): wait, wait, don’t tell me (November 8, 2012)

Vicky Hartzler (r): it’s so quiet when the price keeps dropping (October 31, 2012)

Vicky Hartzler (r): What’s that? Did you say something? Apparently not. (October 29, 2012)

Vicky Hartzler (r): the sound of silence (October 23, 2012)

The past, the gas, and isms (September 24, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): let’s pass the gas – part 2 (June 6, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): let’s pass the gas (May 27, 2012)

Today, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Glad the unemployment rate is 7.7%. Sad that the reason it’s so low is because people have given up and quit looking for a job. Need jobs! 6:35 AM – 7 Dec 12

“…the reason it’s so low is because people have given up and quit looking for a job…”

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics November report which was released this morning:

….The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed….

….The civilian labor force participation rate declined by 0.2 percentage point to 63.6 percent in November, offsetting an increase of the same amount in October. Total employment was about unchanged in November, following a combined increase of 1.3 million over the prior 2 months. The employment-population ratio, at 58.7 percent, changed little in November….

….The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers), at 8.2 million in November, was little changed over the month….

….In November, 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force, essentially unchanged from a year earlier….

….Among the marginally attached, there were 979,000 discouraged workers in November, little changed from a year earlier….

[emphasis added]

And then there’s this one, from August 2012:

Vicky Hartzler ‏@VickyHartzler

Yesterday’s unemployment rate came out–8.3% making it now 41 months above 8%. Time to put a job creator in the White House! 9:34 AM – 4 Aug 12

Uh, that’s a significant improvement in four months despite republican obstructionism in Congress.

Today, via the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)

Seasonally adjusted

Nov. 2012 –  7.7%

Nov. 2011 – 8.7%

Not seasonally adjusted

Nov. 2012 –  7.4%

Nov. 2011 – 8.2%

Go figure.

You’d think the republicans would be happy that all those “takers” aren’t collecting unemployment…

Via the Missouri Ethics Commission, a change in Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) campaign committee [pdf]:

“A Better Missouri with Governor Jay Nixon” has a certain clunky appeal to it.

“It Could Be Worse” worked in the last election, but probably won’t be a particularly effective brand for the future.

The question is, which statewide office in 2016?

August 2016.

Ah yes, the post election keep your campaign finance committee put something, anything, up there dance.

From the 30 Day After General Election campaign finance report [pdf] filed yesterday:

REPORT SUMMARY

A BETTER MISSOURI WITH GOVERNOR JAY NIXON 12/6/2012

1. Total Receipts For This Election Previously Reported $15,355,907.21

8. Total All Receipts This Election $16,124,219.99

9. Total Expenditures for this election previously reported $13,641,667.03

14. Total Expenditures This Election $15,512,314.39

27. Money On Hand at the close of this reporting period $413,395.73

[emphasis added]

That’s quite a nest egg. What’s next?

Someone took offense at the sign in my yard:

Our yard sign was torn in half, its remains deposited next to our garage. The wire was still up in the yard.

Here’s the thing. I was ready to take down the sign. Now, it’s going to stay up a while longer. And I do have replacements.

Clear packing tape and useful information.

The useful information:

Missouri Revised Statutes

Section 569.150

Trespass in the second degree.

569.150. 1. A person commits the offense of trespass in the second degree if he enters unlawfully upon real property of another. This is an offense of absolute liability.

2. Trespass in the second degree is an infraction.

Missouri Revised Statutes

Section 569.120

Property damage in the second degree.

569.120. 1. A person commits the crime of property damage in the second degree if:

(1) He knowingly damages property of another; or

(2) He damages property for the purpose of defrauding an insurer.

2. Property damage in the second degree is a class B misdemeanor.

And there’s this, too:

Missouri Revised Statutes

Section 115.637

Class four election offenses.

[….]

(19) Stealing or willfully defacing, mutilating, or destroying any campaign yard sign on private property, except that this subdivision shall not be construed to interfere with the right of any private property owner to take any action with regard to campaign yard signs on the owner’s property and this subdivision shall not be construed to interfere with the right of any candidate, or the candidate’s designee, to remove the candidate’s campaign yard sign from the owner’s private property after the election day.  

Maybe I’ll take the sign down tomorrow. Maybe.

Previously:

“Liberal” schadenfreude is a dish best relinquished cold, very cold (November 11, 2012)

Morning in America (November 8, 2012)

And then there were two… (October 25, 2012)

What’s missing? (October 25, 2012)

A bill pre-filed by Representative Lyle Rowland (r):

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 42

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ROWLAND.

0036L.01I         D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 1, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to prohibition on certain policies that infringe on private property rights.



Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

           Section A. Chapter 1, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 1.370, to read as follows:

           1.370. 1. As used in this section, “political subdivisions” mean all state, county, incorporated city, unincorporated city, public local entity, public-private partnership, and any other public entity of the state, a county, or city.

           2. The state of Missouri and all political subdivisions shall not adopt or implement policy recommendations that deliberately or inadvertently infringe or restrict private property rights without due process, as may be required by policy recommendations originating in, or traceable to Agenda 21, adopted by the United Nations in 1992 at its Conference on Environment and Development or any other international law or ancillary plan of action that contravenes the Constitution of the United States or the Missouri Constitution.

           3. Since the United Nations has accredited and enlisted numerous nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations to assist in the implementation of its policies relative to Agenda 21 around the world, the state of Missouri and all political subdivisions are prohibited from entering into any agreement with, expending any sum of money for, receiving funds from, contracting services from, or giving financial aid to those nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations as defined in Agenda 21.

[emphasis in original]

Who knew that George H. W. Bush was a dupe of the international Communist conspiracy to to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids?

From the Southern Poverty Law Center (March 14, 2012):

….In the world of far-right extremists, Agenda 21 is demonized as a sort of Trojan horse, part of a larger scheme to shatter Americans’ liberties and institute a totalitarian, one-world government known typically as the “New World Order.”

Of course, this bears no relation to the facts. Actually, the U.N. agreement is a rather benign, non-binding plan calling for governments to develop plans to meet current needs for natural resources without threatening the survival of future generations. It was adopted by 178 governments, including the U.S. under President George H.W. Bush, 20 years ago at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

But to the John Birch Society (JBS), one of the main groups promoting the conspiracy theory about Agenda 21, it represents the end of America as we know it. This is the same group, of course, that claimed President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a secret communist.

In a big win for this big lie, the Republican National Committee (RNC) in January passed a resolution condemning Agenda 21 and calling for policymakers to be made aware of its “destructive strategies for ‘sustainable development.'” The RNC voted to give copies of its resolution to all Republican members of Congress as well as to the party’s presidential and congressional candidates. It also recommended that the anti-Agenda 21 policy be adopted in the party platform at the 2012 convention….

The 2013 session looks like it’s going to be a clown show, consistently supplying new material for John Stewart and Stephen Colbert through May.

A pre-filed bill, from Representative Casey Guernsey (r):

HB 46 Establishes the Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act which prohibits unwarranted intrusion through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles commonly known as drones, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Guernsey, Casey (002)

Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2013

LR Number: 371H.01I

Last Action: 12/05/2012 – Prefiled (H)

[….]

I can’t wait to read the full text of the bill when it becomes available.

It appears that the republican controlled General Assembly is seriously working on a number one ranking for next year:

America’s 50 Worst State Legislatures

By Tim Murphy | Wed Dec. 5, 2012 3:03 AM PST

….(7) Missouri: “What in the world is happening in Missouri?,” asked The Atlantic’s Andrew Cohen in April. “Don’t state lawmakers there have more important things to do with their time, and more practical causes to advance on behalf of their many constituents, than ginning up one unconstitutional piece of legislation after another?” A cursory glance at the state Legislature’s 2012 activity reveals that the answer is an emphatic no.

Cohen’s concern at the time was HB 1534, which made it a crime for any federal official to attempt to enforce the Affordable Care Act while in the confines of the Show Me State-something that is many kinds of not legal. He might also have noted GOP state Rep. Shane Schoeller’s voter suppression bill, which would have made it impossible for members of the armed services to vote by absentee ballot (also many kinds of not legal), or GOP Rep. Lyle Rowland’s birther bill, which passed the state house in March. Rowland told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the timing of the bill-which would have required presidential candidates to provide a birth certificate to the secretary of state-was merely a coincidence and had nothing to do with President Obama.

Not content to write a bad idea into law, state Republicans decided to literally set it in stone. In May, GOP speaker of the House Steven Tilley inducted Rush Limbaugh into the Hall of Famous Missourians at the state Capitol-a move he announced only 25 minutes prior to the unveiling of the oversized bronze bust of Limbaugh’s head.

[emphasis added]

The odds are definitely good, and, since the right wingnuts are in control, definitely odd.

Wait, the price is going down again:

The price of gas in west central Missouri on December 5, 2012.

Previously:

Quick, blame Obama! (December 1, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): make it stop… (November 18, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): the price keeps dropping and we’re running out of gas puns (November 15, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): on an express elevator… (November 12, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): wait, wait, don’t tell me (November 8, 2012)

Vicky Hartzler (r): it’s so quiet when the price keeps dropping (October 31, 2012)

Vicky Hartzler (r): What’s that? Did you say something? Apparently not. (October 29, 2012)

Vicky Hartzler (r): the sound of silence (October 23, 2012)

The past, the gas, and isms (September 24, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): let’s pass the gas – part 2 (June 6, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): let’s pass the gas (May 27, 2012)