Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C081145 10/06/2013 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL Sterling Bank 1100 Sterling Drive Poplar Bluff MO 63901 10/4/2013 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

We look forward to the republican primary ads discussing the finer points of delusional teabagger purity. We suggest investing in popcorn and butter futures.

Previously:

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): I get reasonable communications from those who disagree with me (October 4, 2013)

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) has been getting a few more than testy strongly worded Twitter responses.

This group, reacting to the sense of Congress resolution on military chaplains.

Hot Rod Redux ‏@Hotrodius

@RepHartzler Hey you dipshit, I WANT OBAMACARE. Stop with these idiotic maneuvers and do your goddamned job. 3:33 PM – 5 Oct 13

Noah L Heaton ‏@kariandnoah

@RepHartzler @Heritage some1 needs 2 file for an injunction against POTUS for closing WW2 Mem 4 no other reason than being sick & callous 8:54 AM – 5 Oct 13

Hot Rod Redux ‏@Hotrodius

@kariandnoah @RepHartzler @Heritage Stupid old bastard. I WORK ON A MILITARY BASE, and you poisonous old fascists are hurting our military. 3:34 PM – 5 Oct 13

That last one was probably in response to kariandnoah.

And this, in response to the vote to approve paying federal workers for the period of the furlough:

Roostaah ‏@Roostaah2

@RepHartzler thanks for the paid vacation dummy 6:48 PM – 5 Oct 13

Wouldn’t it have been more cost effective to vote for a clean continuing resolution and send federal workers back to work where they could actually work and get paid? Just asking.

And they know it.

You can access the sign up for an ACA/Obamacare health insurance exchange here.

Time and demographics will finish the job.

Oh, they’ll still whine while they reap the benefits of the program brought to them by that socialist usurper occupying the White House. It’s just that no one else will pay them much attention anymore.

Today, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Am voting now to ensure furloughed federal employees get paid for time lost due to the govn. slowdown. This will help 800,000 people. 7:55 AM – 5 Oct 13

Uh, do you think that maybe passing a clean continuing resolution in the first place would maybe help those 800,000 people? Evidently not.

And, a retort to the original Twitter:

Isaac Baumann ‏@Lunchboxc

.@RepHartzler Hahahaha, “slowdown?” Really? Are you kidding? 8:06 AM – 5 Oct 13

Representative Hartzler (r) doesn’t kid.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Just voted on a resolution expressing a sense of Congress regarding the need to continue chaplain services for our military during slowdown. 8:08 AM – 5 Oct 13

Still, there’s no sense of the Congress resolution about feeding hungry children. Interesting.

Previously:

Rep. Vicky Harztler (R): go tell it to the Speaker (r) (October 1, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): well, that didn’t go so well (October 2, 2013)

Because there weren’t television cameras at Head Start (October 3, 2013)

The greatest generation (October 3, 2013)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): I get reasonable communications from those who disagree with me (October 4, 2013)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) shared a constituent’s criticsm today, via Twitter:

Claire McCaskill ‏@clairecmc

Some of today’s hate:”shut the f* up you baby killing,veteran disrespecting,butt ugly sack of shit bitch”His profile says he’s a Christian. 3:48 PM – 4 Oct 13

I wonder who they voted for in 2006 and 2012. It’s kind of hard to tell.

Previously:

Because there weren’t television cameras at Head Start (October 3, 2013)

From a phone conversation (paraphrased) this evening with my eighty-eight year old dad, who served from 1943 to 1965:

Me: What do you think of the budget shutdown.

Dad: It’s stupid.

Me: What upsets you most, that veterans had to move barriers to see the World War Two Memorial or that children in Head Start aren’t getting meals?

Dad: [without hesitation] The children. They have to eat.

That’s one reason why they’re called the greatest generation. And by the way, dad doesn’t particularly like the label or being singled out for attention.

Yesterday, in Washington:

Photos of the Great World War II Memorial Rebellion of 2013

By David Weigel

Three buses of World War II veterans (and some volunteers) arrived at the World War II Memorial at 11 a.m. Almost all were from Missouri or Illinois, according to Honor Flight, which charters and runs these journeys for aging veterans. Before we descend into the mucky-muck of politics, let’s remember that it should be about these guys….

….Now, on to the great Optics wars. The Mall in Washington is currently sort-of-kind-of blocked off to tourists. At various points, flimsy barricades prevent them from entering memorials….

….At 11 a.m., when the Honor Flight-ers arrived, members of Congress gathered in front of the entrance closest to the tour buses and made a show of rolling back the barricade….

….This was half-welcome, half-irritating. Sen. Claire McCaskill talked openly about how annoying it was for members of Congress whose states weren’t even represented in the delegation to take up space at the entrance….

Not noticed, so much:

The nine most painful impacts of a government shutdown

By Brad Plumer, Published: October 3 at 6:12 am

….There are some 1,600 Head Start programs around the country providing education, health, nutrition and other services to roughly 1 million low-income children and their families. Those will slowly begin closing during a shutdown.

Initially, only about 20 programs would be affected – the programs whose federal grants expire on Oct. 1 and don’t get renewed. Over time, more programs would likely be affected. The effects really vary from community to community….

Our national and local media, working to educate the masses in all of the complexities and nuances of our times.

Interesting. Very interesting. Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) engaged in a very rare (if not, previously nonexistent) bit of 140 character debate via Twitter with at least one constituent today:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Working hard to ensure our men & women in uniform are not harmed w/ the Pres.’s shutdown. They ALL are essential. 12:15 PM – 2 Oct 13

John Wells ‏@JDubMo

@RepHartzler House republicans have created this mess. Shame on you. 12:19 PM – 2 Oct 13

Scotty C. ‏@0piate47

@RepHartzler ha ha the president’s shutdown? How about some truth. GOP shutdown. How’s your “welfare check” for your farm.Was it big enough 12:50 PM – 2 Oct 13

Ron Evans ‏@Crewylou

@RepHartzler Wow, way to own it — not. #GOPFail 1:12 PM – 2 Oct 13

Rita Wheeler ‏@rwmw7172

@RepHartzler Not the Pres shutdown. How about we bring that clean bill up for a vote? Your constituents in MO have had #enoughalready. 1:47 PM – 2 Oct 13

Bob Yates ‏@OldDrum

@RepHartzler Shame on you. Your votes created this mess. Allow your leadership to allow a clean CR and see what happens. 2:24 PM – 2 Oct 13

Bob Yates ‏@OldDrum

@RepHartzler How about the 10’s of 1000’s of families of government workers who are not getting their salaries? Why aren’t the essential?  2:27 PM – 2 Oct 13

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

.@OldDrum POTUS deemed them non-essential. House passed 5 bills to keep gov’t open. Senate won’t even come to the table. 2:28 PM – 2 Oct 13

Franklin Castillo ‏@sm_news

@RepHartzler @OldDrum shutting down the gvmt and keeping 800,000 from working just because you don’t like #ACA isn’t leadership, Ma’am. 2:33 PM – 2 Oct 13

Bob Yates ‏@OldDrum

@RepHartzler GOP controlled House passed 5 bills to repeal laws passed byCongress and signed by the President to keep government open. 2:37 PM – 2 Oct 13

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

@OldDrum So Congress should never repeal laws? Just because something is law doesn’t make it good policy. 2:48 PM – 2 Oct 13

Albie Y. Pabon ‏@PabonMatriarch

@RepHartzler @OldDrum Rewriting History Already: 18 times Senate asked for negotiators for debt deal. Denied 18 times by House. Facts. 3:07 PM – 2 Oct 13

I don’t think we’ll be seeing any open to the general public town halls in the district anytime soon.

And the incomparable Charles P. Pierce has a thing or two to say about Representative Hartzler (r) [first on the list!]:

Oct 2, 2013

Meet the Morons Who Caused the Shutdown

By Charles P. Pierce at 12:24PM

There have been Congresses more irresponsible, though not many of them. There have been lazier Congresses, more vicious Congresses, and Congresses less capable of seeing forests for trees. But there has never been in a single Congress — or, more precisely, in a single House of the Congress — a more lethal combination of political ambition, political stupidity, and political vainglory than exists in this one….

It’s not turning out to be such a good day for the right wingnut teabagger caucus, is it? Just asking.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission, for the folks promoting the Health Research Tax on the ballot in Jackson County in November:

C131107 10/02/2013 COMMITTEE FOR RESEARCH TREATMENTS AND CURES The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City 1200 Main Suite 230 Kansas City MO 64105 10/1/2013 $400,000.00

[emphasis added]

That approaches a chess playing level of commitment.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: not quite plural (August 22, 2013)

Campaign Finance: make it an even $50,000.00 (August 28, 2013)

Campaign Finance: counter volley (August 30, 2012)

Campaign Finance: a citizen keeps contributing (September 3, 2013)

We’re big enough to take care of ourselves (September 4, 2013)

Campaign Finance: Wham! (September 4, 2013)

Campaign Finance: Wham! again (September 6, 2013)

Campaign Finance: Wham! and again (September 7, 2013)

Campaign Finance: it looks like a contribution, only smaller (September 11, 2013)

Campaign Finance: trying to do something (September 17, 2013)

Campaign Finance: and still (September 19, 2013)

Campaign Finance: now that’s what you call research money (September 27, 2013)