The republican cult of the victim.

Previously:

Sen. David Pearce (r): fundamentally, a useful idiot (August 30, 2014)

Call yourself what you want, obscure and manipulate language, it still doesn’t change the reality of what you are….

SB 519, HB 1307, HB 1313: wait, wait, wait (January 12, 2014)

On the right to privacy:

The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.

These rights include:

[….]

Your right to privacy – freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs….

[emphasis added]

ROE v. WADE, 410 U.S. 113 (1973)

….This right of privacy, whether it be founded in the Fourteenth Amendment’s concept of personal liberty and restrictions upon state action, as we feel it is, or, as the District Court determined, in the Ninth Amendment’s reservation of rights to the people, is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. The detriment that the State would impose upon the pregnant woman by denying this choice altogether is apparent. Specific and direct harm medically diagnosable even in early pregnancy may be involved. Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future. Psychological harm may be imminent. Mental and physical health may be taxed by child care. There is also the distress, for all concerned, associated with the unwanted child, and there is the problem of bringing a child into a family already unable, psychologically and otherwise, to care for it. In other cases, as in this one, the additional difficulties and continuing stigma of unwed motherhood may be involved. All these are factors the woman and her responsible physician necessarily will consider in consultation….

[emphasis added]

Last Thursday morning there was a meeting in Warrensburg with Senator David Pearce (r), requested by some constituents, on the subject of HB 1307 and the upcoming override vote concerning the Governor’s veto of the imposition of seventy-two hour waiting period for an abortion. An individual in attendance provided us with audio from that meeting.

Senator David Pearce (r) [file photo].

About thirty-two minutes into the meeting there was this remarkable set of statements:

Senator David Pearce (r): ….Some of you have probably seen, um, the Internet, uh, campaign against me. Uh, maybe you’ve gotten the robocalls.  And let me tell you who’s behind that. ACLU. And, uh, it’s not, there’s nothing that talks about pro life or abortion in that. It just says, uh, David Pearce should not, uh, be involved in your personal decisions. You want to talk to him? And then they, they automatically filter those phone calls to my office. Nothing [emphatic] about a seventy-two hour waiting period, nothing about babies being aborted. Nothing like that, so it’s a terribly misleading, um, uh [interrupted by a constituent question]….

Oh, the horror of having to explain yourself to constituents.

Apparently, just mentioning the ACLU is supposed to strike terror in the hearts of your constituents. Think about that for a moment – a politician in a room with a group of constituents that probably includes a significant number of ACLU members and sympathizers relates an anecdote that’s supposed to elicit, what, a negative opinion about the ACLU?

Really? As if anyone engaged in politics is required to use the language and memes of their opponents when they’re engaged in the rough and tumble struggle over issues?

The outrage could maybe be funny under other circumstances. In this case it’s just narcissism.

Uh, the ACLU is concerned about personal privacy. The issue of privacy and abortion was settled by the U.S. Supreme Court over forty years ago. Stare decisis.

Call yourself what you want, obscure and manipulate language, it still doesn’t change the reality of what you are.

Senator David Pearce (r) [file photo].

On the morning of Thursday, August 28th there was a meeting in Warrensburg with Senator David Pearce (r), requested by some constituents, on the subject of HB 1307 and the upcoming override vote concerning the Governor’s veto of the imposition of seventy-two hour waiting period for an abortion. An individual in attendance provided us with audio from that meeting:

Constituent: …Thank you Senator [David] Pearce [r] for joining us here today. We really appreciate it. We know you have a lot of things on your schedule. Uh, what we wanted to talk to you about is the House Bill 1307, increasing the wait time between counseling and an abortion from twenty-four to seventy-two hours…

[approximately twenty minutes later]

Male constituent: …I have three daughters….I know in the debate, uh, and I, I heard on the news, uh, one of the rep[resentative]s said, was asked, what the appropriate waiting period would be…and he said, nine months. How absurd. And, and, I, I cannot believe that…

[….]

Another male constituent: …I’ve been a Republican since voting for Nixon, Richard not Jay, so I, you know I’ve supported you. I’ve been proud to do it. I’ve thought you’ve always shared my values in amongst political things and, uh, I, I’ve painted a little broader stroke of this, boxed all my speech, kind of took some lines I was gonna use. But, the Republican Party has, over the years, I went back and the Reagan, Reagan  years and all of those great years. I thought they really represented what I stood for. Leave people alone, let ’em live their lives, lets them do what they want to do. Okay, that’s always been the Republican way. And it seems like they’re drifting away from that, both federal and state level. Right now at the state level is a great concern and this issue of, of womens’ rights, it concerns me. I don’t like abortion.  I think it’s personally disgusting. The next time I get pregnant I probably won’t have one. However, however, I really, really believe it’s that woman’s right to choose, nobody else’s. I don’t want you, or the Republicans, Democrats, Jews, I don’t want anyone to tell me what to do with my body. It isn’t right. It isn’t, it isn’t the way in America. I don’t think it is. And I support the veto in this matter, I really do…

Another constituent: …Can we count on you to vote to sustain the veto of House Bill 1307?

Senator David Pearce (r):  Let me, uh, give some comments first. Um, this is a tough issue. I mean, uh, it is very emotional. It’s, uh, in many cases not a black and white issue and, and all of us have, uh, uh, strong feelings. It’s one of those core values, you know, that, that fundamentally you feel a certain way. And, um, those are things that, that, that don’t change. Uh, I’ve been a pro life candidate since the first time I ran in eighty-six and got defeated and, uh, when I ran in two thousand two, two thousand four, two thousand six, two thousand eight, and two thousand twelve. Um, very strong pro life candidate. Um, I’d just kind of like to talk about a few things I’ve heard and, and, and I appreciate and respect every one of you here, uh, for, for your thoughts. And I think it’s good we can get together and talk. Uh, although in the Senate it was a partisan issue. It was straight down party lines. Twenty-two to nine. In the House it wasn’t. So I don’t think that it’s something you can say it’s a Republican versus Democrat issue. Uh, there were probably at least twenty, uh, pro life Democrats that came to vote for the bill in the House. And so I think that, that would be, uh, somewhat, uh, misleading.  Um, I sat right behind the bill sponsor, David Sater [r]. Uh, he handled the House bill and he was the Senate bill sponsor. And it was a protracted discussion we had on this bill. And, uh, David said that, and, and the reason I bring this up is that you had mentioned to my secretary that, that maybe next year there might be a compromise or maybe there would be a way to, to alter the bill. Um, at two particular times David went to the Democratic leadership in the Senate and offered to go down to thirty-six hours. That was rejected. Uh, went back and said, can we go forty-eight hours, that was rejected. And the reason why the Democrat [sic] leadership said they rejected those bills was, no, we want it seventy-two hours because that will be easier to prove the unconstitutionality of the bill. And so when this was happening there was a chance, there was a dialog, a chance for debate, a chance for compromise and it was flatly rejected. So I think you need to be aware of that. Um, also, uh, just on the political side, just so you’ll get a little bit of background information on this, two very, very controversial bills, this and right to work.  And, and basically the Democratic Party, uh, said, we’ll sit down on the seventy-two hours if you won’t bring up right to work. So, um, this was used as somewhat political leverage on this issue. And so to say it’s a Republican versus Democrat there, there’s a whole lot more to the issue than that. Um, the one thing that, that I feel is lost in this whole discussion is the baby. You know, we talk about inconvenience, we talk about over population, we talk about poor versus wealthy. What about the baby? I don’t believe it’s a tissue, I don’t believe it’s a fetus, I believe it’s a baby. And when you take a life, you take a life. Uh, and so that’s my fundamental belief on that. I am not god, and when we’re talking about how many people should populate this Earth, that’s not our decision. Uh, and so I fundamentally think that somebody needs to stand up for that baby. Because he or she can’t make that decision. Somebody else is making it for them, somebody else is saying, you’re not gonna live. And so that’s why it’s such a huge fundamental core value decision for me and, and for others. And so, to me, I think, I think it’s a good thing when we’re having less abortions in our state. And we have. We’re down to, I believe, less than seven thousand in our state, I think it’s down to sixty-five hundred now. Um, we just have one abortion clinic in the state. I think that’s a good thing. Uh, if we were down to zero abortions I think that would be a positive thing. Uh, and so for those reasons, uh, I will vote to, to, uh, override the veto….

….I do believe in the case of rape or incest that, that abortion should be allowed. Uh, not all folks in the pro life community feel that way, but I do….

[….]

Still another constituent: Would you just address why seventy-two [hours] opposed to twenty-four [hours]?  What is the purpose of that?

Senator David Pearce (r):  Well, uh, both, uh, South Dakota and Utah have adopted that.  Uh, so we would not be the first state, we’d be the third. I think these are important life and death decisions and so the longer [crosstalk] that a, that a person has to reflect that.

Still another constituent: Do you think women make it frivolously?

Senator David Pearce (r):  What’s that?

Still another constituent: Do you think women make that decision frivolously? Because I don’t think they do.  I think they go through a lot of torment before that twenty-four hour counseling. I’m sorry, just my personal experience with people I know….

Still another male constituent: And now you’re making it for them….

[….]

Still another constituent: You didn’t answer why the seventy-two was better than the twenty-four.

Still another male constituent: Yeah, you didn’t answer that.

Still another constituent: And then it’ll be a week and then it’ll be a month. I mean, what is the point of this?

Senator David Pearce (r):  I, I fundamentally think these are life and death decisions. And the more that, that people can reflect and, and ponder on this I think it’s, it’s better. Uh, if it will decrease the number of abortions, uh, I think that’s probably a good thing. Uh, I just think it’s fundamentally something we’re gonna disagree on.

Still another male constituent: So, expand it to nine months.

[….]

“…So, expand it to nine months…”

That’s the goal.

Uh, if no republican voted against the bill and a small number of Democrats joined in to support it, it’s still a partisan issue. You know, there used to be pro choice republicans in the Missouri General Assembly. They were purged.

Uh, offering a “compromise” of thirty-six hours rather than seventy-two hours when you have a  twenty-two to nine advantage to begin with is no compromise. Further that says a lot about the “core value” of those remaining “compromise” hours. One hour, nine months, it makes no difference, does it?

“…went to the Democratic leadership in the Senate and offered to go down to thirty-six hours. That was rejected. Uh, went back and said, can we go forty-eight hours, that was rejected. …”

Think about that for a second. The republican majority offered a “compromise” which was rejected, and then subsequently they offered a worse “compromise”. Accepting the second “compromise” would be gross malfeasance on the part of the Democrats in the Senate. The republicans expected acceptance on the second offer? Idiots.

Interestingly, Senator Pearce’s (r) interpretation of republican dogma on the imposition of seventy-two hour waiting period appears to be that the opposition was too clever by half in allowing the overwhelming republican majority to impose the full seventy-two hour period. Idiot.

“…And when you take a life, you take a life…”

“…I am not god, and when we’re talking about how many people should populate this Earth, that’s not our decision. Uh, and so I fundamentally think that somebody needs to stand up for that baby…”

Evidently, with your vote, it is your decision.

Kirk: What does God need with a starship?

If you’re for the death penalty and against Medicaid expansion in the State of Missouri (that intransigence on the part of the right wingnut controlled General Assembly is costing lives) and you’re against abortion you aren’t “pro life”. You’re against women controlling their own bodies. Period. If you’re a republican office holder in Missouri and you’re against the death penalty, you know that Medicaid expansion is the right thing to do, and you haven’t done anything about it then you’re nothing but a coward. Period.

“….I do believe in the case of rape or incest that, that abortion should be allowed. Uh, not all folks in the pro life community feel that way, but I do….”

That’s okay. Since they don’t appear too interested in promoting accessible health care for all and ending the death penalty it’ll fit nicely under their label.

Why seventy-two hours? Interestingly, we didn’t hear a rational explanation on that.

Senator David Pearce (r) is supposedly what passes for a “moderate” in the modern republican party. We haven’t seen any daylight between him and his party. He’s no “moderate”. In reality all he is for the republican majority and republican dogma in the Missouri General Assembly is a useful idiot.

Previously: SB 519, HB 1307, HB 1313: wait, wait, wait (January 12, 2014)

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission, more serious money for the folks opposed to Amendment 3 – [which is designed to] punishing education professionals – on the November ballot:

C141258 08/29/2014 COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION Missouri State Teachers Assn Legislative Impact Committee PO Box 458 Columbia MO 65205 8/28/2014 $50,000.00

[emphasis added]

Over the years one learns well that standing on the sidelines is no longer an option.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: pawn to queen’s bishop $125,000.00 (August 27, 2014)

Understatement (July 20, 2014)

Campaign Finance: even more in (July 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: all in (July 9, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Nope, the boat’s still not big enough. (June 4, 2014)

Campaign Finance: still need a much bigger boat (May 28, 2014)

Campaign Finance: schooling (May 19, 2014)

For the Democratic Party candidate for St. Louis County Executive, via the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C071362 08/28/2014 CITIZENS FOR STEVE STENGER Mallard LLC P.O. Box 9173 St Louis MO 63117 8/27/2014 $10,000.00

C071362 08/28/2014 CITIZENS FOR STEVE STENGER McBride & Son Management Co. 16091 Swingley Ridge Rd., Ste. 300 Chesterfield MO 63017 8/27/2014 $12,500.00

C071362 08/28/2014 CITIZENS FOR STEVE STENGER Home Building Industry Political Action Committee 10104 Old Olive St. Rd. St Louis MO 63141 8/28/2014 $10,000.00

C071362 08/28/2014 CITIZENS FOR STEVE STENGER Leehar Distributors, Inc. 701 Emerson Rd., Ste. 301 Creve Coeur MO 63141 8/28/2014 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

It ain’t for the tiddlywinks championship.

Update:

But wait, there’s more:

C071362 08/29/2014 CITIZENS FOR STEVE STENGER Clayco 2199 Innerbelt Business Center Dr. St Louis MO 63114 8/28/2014 $10,000.00

C071362 08/29/2014 CITIZENS FOR STEVE STENGER Martin Green 6 Upper Barnes Rd. St Louis MO 63124 Green Jacobson P.C. 8/29/2014 $10,000.00

C071362 08/29/2014 CITIZENS FOR STEVE STENGER UA Political Education Committee 3 Park Place Annapolis MD 21401 8/29/2014 $10,000.00

Previously:

Campaign Finance: the recharging continues (August 20, 2014)

Campaign Finance: they’re fixin’ to spend a lot of money (August 21, 2014)

Today in the west central Missouri afternoon heat:

Gary Grigsby (D) (left) going door to door today in the 51st Legislative District.

This is how you win.

A candidate can raise more money, they can get more volunteers, the can buy more signs, they can send more mail – what they can’t buy or get is more time. The candidate one on one with the voter and campaign direct contact has to be in operation now.

Ah, Amendment 3, the ballot initiative on the November ballot promoted by someone with a lot of money who wants voters to screw public education across the State of Missouri. There are a lot of people opposed, though.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C141258 08/27/2014 COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION American Federation of Teachers 555 New Jersey Ave NW Washington DC 20001 8/26/2014 $125,000.00

[emphasis added]

Not quite chess playing territory. But then again, they have a lot of pissed off teachers on their side.

C141258: Committee In Support Of Public Education

Po Box 458 Committee Type: Campaign

Columbia Mo 65205

[….] Established Date: 04/17/2014

Ballot Measures Election Date Subject Support/Oppose

Constitutional Amendment 3 11/04/2014 Shall The Missouri Constitution Be Amended To Require Teachers To Be Evaluated By A Standards Based Performance Evaluation System/Statewide Oppose

[….]

[emphasis added]

Next move.

Previously:

Understatement (July 20, 2014)

Campaign Finance: even more in (July 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: all in (July 9, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Nope, the boat’s still not big enough. (June 4, 2014)

Campaign Finance: still need a much bigger boat (May 28, 2014)

Campaign Finance: schooling (May 19, 2014)

Hoover: Kent is a legacy, Otter. His brother was a ’59, Fred Dorfman.

Flounder: He said legacies usually get asked to pledge automatically.

Otter: Oh, well, usually. Unless the pledge in question turns out to be a real closet-case.

Otter, Boon: Like Fred.

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission, for the legacy republican candidate in the 24th Senate District:

C141179 08/27/2014 ASHCROFT FOR MISSOURI August Busch III 1 Mid Rivers Mall Drive St Peters MO 63376 None Retired 8/27/2014 $10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Heh. Sticking together.

Previously:

“He said legacies usually get asked to pledge automatically.” (August 7, 2014)

Campaign Finance: all that money in the 24th Senate District republican primary (August 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: 24th Senate District – July quarterly campaign finance reports (July 18, 2014)

Campaign Finance: end of quarter confidence in the 24th Senate District (July 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: 24th Senate District – April quarterly campaign finance reports (April 19, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Friends of the family?  (April 11, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Make room for daddy? (April 7, 2014)

Campaign Finance: trying to catch up in the 24th Senate District (March 31, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Schupp (D) and Lamping (r) in the 24th Senate District – 4th quarter 2013 (January 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Schupp (D) and Lamping (r) in the 24th Senate District – 3rd quarter 2013 (October 21, 2013)

Today, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C111150 08/27/2014 FRIENDS OF TOM SCHWEICH Barnett Helzberg Jr 4520 Main St Ste 1050 Kansas City MO 64111 Retired 8/26/2014 $5,500.00

[emphasis added]

Didn’t say it with diamonds, though.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: it’s not like 2014 is gonna be a rough campaign (June 16, 2014)

From the Missouri Secretary of State:

[….]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

[….]

Kander Announces Recount on Statewide Ballot Measure

Jefferson City, Mo. – Secretary of State Jason Kander today announced a statewide recount of Constitutional Amendment 1, which appeared on Missouri’s August 5th primary election ballot, has been requested.

Kander’s office has created a webpage (www.sos.mo.gov/elections/Amendment1) to make the recount process more transparent and accessible to Missourians. The page will be updated daily at 3 p.m. to show the recount schedule established by the local election authorities, each local election authority’s report of findings, and a summary of recount results. The office will also train a team of staff members that can be dispatched throughout the state if assistance is requested. Per state statute, the recount will be supervised and certified by the secretary of state’s office no later than September 15.

“My goal is to set the standard for an open, transparent and fair recount process,” Kander said. “Recounts are in place to both ensure the integrity of elections and give Missourians confidence in the results, which is why I put an emphasis on new transparency measures.”

According to state law (RSMo 115.601), recounts are not automatically triggered, but must be requested by a registered voter whose position on the ballot question was defeated. Statewide races are only eligible for a recount when results are separated by less than one half of one percent of total votes cast. Of 996,672 votes cast on Constitutional Amendment 1, there were 499,581 “yes” votes and 497,091 “no” votes, with a difference of 0.24 percent.

The recount was requested by Wes Shoemyer on behalf of Missouri’s Food for America. Constitutional Amendment 1 will be represented by Dan Kleinsorge on behalf of Missouri Farmers Care.

Local election authorities will determine the date and time for recounts to take place in their respective counties, and a bipartisan team of election judges will conduct the process. Media may be present to observe the proceedings.                                    

– 30 –

Previously:

Campaign Finance: $110,000.00 for something they really care about (January 3, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Food fight! (May 28, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Because, across Missouri, family farms are being supplanted by… (June 24, 2014)

Campaign Finance: as if yard signs were actually a cash crop for actual farmers… (June 28, 2014)

Utilizing the First Amendment to challenge our oppressive corporate overlords… (July 2, 2014)

Joe Maxwell – “No” on Amendment No. 1 (July 8, 2014)

Campaign Finance: egg money (July 9, 2014)

Campaign Finance: opposing useless law (July 25, 2014)

Right to farm: read the small print and between the lines (July 25, 2014)

Pinch me, I must be dreaming – Cynthia Davis gets it right on Amendment 1 (July 30, 2014)

Campaign Finance: Big agriculture money keeps pouring in for Amendment 1 (July 31, 2014)

Baker Creek Seed Company – Vote “No” on Amendment 1 (August 3, 2014)

Senator Paul LeVota (D) on Amendment 1 (August 4, 2014)

After all that corporate money this is the best that they can do on Amendment 1? (August 6, 2014)

Gee, radically cut state revenue and the state budget and state services collapse. No sparkles, no cotton candy, and no rainbow unicorns…

Because right wingnut billionaires in Kansas and Missouri have a plan.

SurveyUSA conducted poll in Kansas August 20-23, 2014  of 560 likely general election voters. The margin off error is 4.2%:

If the election for Kansas Governor were today, which ticket would you vote for? (tickets rotated) The Republican ticket of Sam Brownback and Jeff Colyer? The Democratic ticket of Paul Davis and Jill Docking? Or the Libertarian ticket of Keen Umbehr and Josh Umbehr?

All:

Brownback/Colyer (R) – 40%

Davis/Docking (D) – 48%

Umbehr/Umbehr (L) – 5%

Undecided – 6%

Male:

Brownback/Colyer (R) – 43%

Davis/Docking (D) – 44%

Umbehr/Umbehr (L) – 7%

Undecided – 6%

Female:

Brownback/Colyer (R) – 38%

Davis/Docking (D) – 53%

Umbehr/Umbehr (L) – 3%

Undecided – 6%

[emphasis added]

Female/Male in the sample: 51%/49%. Party affiliation: 46% republican, 32% Democrat, 18% Independent.

And there’s this in the U.S. Senate race:

If the election for United States Senator from Kansas were today, who would you vote for? (candidate names rotated) Republican Pat Roberts? Democrat Chad Taylor? Libertarian Randall Batson? Or Independent Greg Orman?

Pat Roberts (R) – 37%

Chad Taylor (D) – 32%

Randall Batson (L) – 4%

Greg Orman (I) – 20%

Undecided – 6%

Which one of these issues will be most important in your vote for United States Senator? Obamacare? Immigration? Jobs and the economy? Or something else?

Obamacare – 22%

Immigration – 22%

Jobs And The Economy – 41%

Something Else – 12%

Not Sure – 4%

[emphasis added]

Interestingly, there’s not any appreciable gender gap in the Senate race. We’ve been seeing a lot of ads for the Independent candidate (we’re in the Kansas City media market – Johnson County, Kansas, a population center, is, too). Jobs, jobs, jobs, and jobs.

Even the Prince of right wingnut Voter ID is in a fight:

f the election for Kansas Secretary of State were today, who would you vote for? (candidate names rotated) Republican Kris Kobach? Or Democrat Jean Schodorf?

Kris Kobach (R) – 46%

Jean Schodorf (D) – 46%

Undecided – 8%

[emphasis added]

Unfortunately for Missouri, the problems in Knasas will hold no sway with Missouri’s right wingnut republicans. They’ll do the same thing here. Because right wingnut dogma can’t fail, it can only be failed.