Click the full screen button.

https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554

Photos by Jerry Schmidt

Video by Jerry Schmidt

Video by Jerry Schmidt

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C101046 09/14/2014 MISSOURI CLUB FOR GROWTH POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 9/12/2014 $1,200,000.00

It would be even more impressive if it was a significant percentage of his wealth.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: how astroturf (the fake grassroots) works (August 1, 2013)

Campaign Finance: Why give 11 cents when you can write a check for $1.5 million? (May 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: “Never give up. Never surrender.” (September 12, 2014)

How “a broad based coalition” is now defined in Missouri and America (September 12, 2014)

The sequence of photos from the beginning of Hilary Clinton’s speech at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa of September 14, 2014 when she declares, “I’m Back!”:

The crowd roared with their approval.

Previously:

Oh yeah, Hillary’s gonna run (August 18, 2014)

Go North (September 3, 2014)

Road Trip! – the 2014 Harkin Steak Fry (September 5, 2014)

Bet the farm (September 14, 2014)

The Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014 (September 15, 2014)

We drove the two hundred fifty miles to the balloon field in Indianola, Iowa for the 37th (and final) Harkin Steak Fry, one of the signature Midwest political events for Democrats, leaving at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning so that we could arrive for the media preset and claim main riser space. We did and we did.

The Ready for Hillary PAC (not affiliated with any candidate) had a formidable presence at the steak fry.

Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton were the featured speakers, so there was a significant amount of national and international media present. The steak fry folks ran out of printed press credentials.

While we waited for the press entry with about two hundred other media types we ran into the great Charles P. Pierce (Esquire – Politics Blog). He’s an approachable and friendly person. And he tells very funny stories. We introduced ourselves and explained our connections – especially the Vicky Hartzler “the Chinese are spying on us through our toasters” meme.

Charles P. Pierce of Esquire’s The Politics Blog.

The media scrum, waiting for entry into the steak grilling photo op – for about an hour and a half.

A crowd of steak fry civilians gathered from across the balloon field as the media waited for the press only steak grilling photo op. At the point that the gates were opened and almost everyone ran for position you could hear those observers laughing at the media.

Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Tom Harkin at the steak grilling photo op – Harkin Steak Fry, Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014.

AFSCME members at the steak fry.

Listening to Tom Harkin.

The crowd.

We’re not certain, but our Show Me Progress road trip group came up with a consensus estimate of seven thousand people in attendance.

Not everyone who attended was from Iowa. If you asked those in our party who were in and around the crowd about its reaction to Hillary Clinton’s speech they would tell you it was way more than enthusiastic. They’re ready and armed for bear. To quote a commenter at Charles P. Pierce’s place:

Do you talk to women who are not very political? They ones I have are really, really excited about Clinton running. There are a lot of people who don’t see her as a retread.

“I’m back.”

The Texts from Hillary photo as a public service announcement on the back of the Ready for Hillary PAC bus.

Oh, if you’re curious about what six or so inches of rain a few days before the event and seven thousand pairs of feet will do to a balloon field in Iowa on a sunny Sunday afternoon – there was mud.

Previously:

Oh yeah, Hillary’s gonna run (August 18, 2014)

Go North (September 3, 2014)

Road Trip! – the 2014 Harkin Steak Fry (September 5, 2014)

Bet the farm (September 14, 2014)

Today, at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa:

Tom Harkin, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Ruth Harkin – at the 37th Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014.

Hillary Clinton at the 37th (and final) Harkin Steal Fry in Indianola, Iowa – September 14, 2014

You don’t think Hillary’s gonna run in 2016? Really?

Previously:

Oh yeah, Hillary’s gonna run (August 18, 2014)

Go North (September 3, 2014)

Road Trip! – the 2014 Harkin Steak Fry (September 5, 2014)

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C031159 09/13/2014 MISSOURIANS FOR KOSTER Holman Schiavone, LLC 4600 Madison Suite 810 Kansas City MO 64112 9/11/2014 $15,000.00

[emphasis added]

Previously:

Campaign Finance: round number (September 10, 2014)

From an AP news article:

A Utah elementary school teacher who was carrying a concealed firearm at school was struck by fragments from a bullet and a porcelain toilet when her gun accidentally fired in a faculty bathroom on Thursday, officials said.

The sixth-grade teacher had a concealed-firearm permit and was within her legal rights to carry a gun while in a school in Utah, which, as the same article points out, is one of the few states to permit concealed carry in schools.

Wanna know what kind of fools think it’s a good thing to arm teachers? You don’t need to worry  about Utah. Just look no further than our own home state where legislators think that the only way to forestall a potential St. Valentine’s day massacre in our schools is to enable a repeat of the gunfight at the OK Corral instead. Missouri has been among the states permitting teachers the “privilege” of concealed carry for some time, but, as of this week, the state went further to institutionalize guns in public schools when the legislature overrode Governor Nixon’s veto of SB656 which encourages public schools to train and arm designated personnel. Just let me point out in passing that the teacher in Utah had undergone firearm training which is mandatory for concealed carry in Utah, and which has been given free of cost to many teachers there.

I’m sure many will dismiss the Utah occurrence with the bromide that accidents happen, adding that it’s worth the risk in order to enable an armed “good” guy to counter those “bad” guys when they show up. Even if one accepts this highly questionable formula (which, incidentally, seems to be the entire rationale for casually carrying guns), the idea of guns in schools raises several questions that go beyond the issues involved in adequately training teachers – itself a veritable minefield: Will teachers also go through mandatory mental health screening? Can the authorities guarantee that no teachers with anger management issues will be armed in schools? Do schools mandate that guns are locked up while teachers are in class – rendering the good guy response moot – or are they left accessible to children in purses, lockers, desk drawers, or, better yet, on the desk tops where they are to-hand when that bad guy appears? Doesn’t it stand to reason that when you fill schools with guns, there will be gun related accidents? After all, accidents happen. And it’s an obvious fact that accidents with guns have a high probability of inflicting harm.

But let’s get back to that good guys with guns with guns vs. bad guys with guns argument. There are certainly true stores about armed good guys thwarting bad guys with guns – just as there are also anecdotes about situations where armed good guys are either ineffective or make the problem  worse. So lets look at what happens when folks try to analyse the issue  systematically:

One of the largest and most recent studies on gun violence in America concludes that widespread gun ownership is the driving force behind violence. The study compiles data from all fifty states between 1981 and 2010 to examine the relationship between gun ownership and homicide. After accounting for national trends in violent crime as well as eighteen control variables, the study concludes, “For each percentage point increase in gun ownership the firearm homicide rate increased by 0.9%.” This research is consistent with evidence showing that even in “gun utopias” such as Israel and Switzerland, more guns means more violence.  

Another large study compared 91 case workplaces with 205 control workplaces and found that workers whose job sites allow guns are about five times more likely to be killed on the job than are those whose workplaces prohibit all firearms.

Given the weight of evidence demonstrating the danger of carrying guns in public settings, it is extremely unlikely that more guns would make schools safer.

And in case statistics don’t convince you that arming random citizens to fight madmen and criminals is a bad idea:

A 20/20 segment, “If I Only Had a Gun,” showed just how hopeless the average person is in reacting effectively to high-stress situations. In the segment, students with varying levels of firearm experience were given hands-on police training exceeding the level required by half the states in order to obtain a concealed carry permit. Each of these students was subsequently exposed to a manufactured but realistic scenario in which, unbeknownst to them, a man entered their classroom and begin [sic] firing fake bullets at the lecturer and students.

In each one of the cases, the reaction by the good guy with a gun was abysmal. The first participant, who had significant firing experience, couldn’t even get the gun out of his holster. The second participant exposed her body to the assailant and was shot in the head. The third, paralyzed with fear, couldn’t draw his weapon and was shot by the assailant almost immediately. The final participant, who had hundreds of hours of experience with firearms, was unable to draw his weapon and was shot at point blank range.

Of course SB656 goes a lot further than just encouraging schools to arm personnel:

It also allows anyone with a concealed weapons permit to carry guns openly, even in cities or towns with bans against the open carrying of firearms. The age to obtain a concealed weapons permit also will drop from 21 to 19.

Looks like we’ve got two choices: welcome to the wild, wild West, or sayonara Missouri. Personally, I’m considering the latter. There’s something less than compelling about remaining in a state about which a commentator can write that “if there were a competition to see which Republican-led state legislature can govern in the least responsible way possible, Missouri would have to be considered a credible contender.”

 

The Red Lily, Anatole France

…For the poor it consists in sustaining and preserving the wealthy in their power and their laziness. The poor must work for this, in presence of the majestic quality of the law which prohibits the wealthy as well as the poor from sleeping under the bridges, from begging in the streets, and from stealing bread…

There’s this gem of a press release from the astroturf PAC, Grow Missouri:

Grow Missouri Will Report $2.5 Million Contribution

Funds Will Support Speaker-Elect John Diehl’s “100 Great Ideas” Tour

Sept. 12, 2014 (ST. LOUIS) Grow Missouri – a broad based coalition formed to advocate policies that will make Missouri a more competitive, more attractive place to live and work – is announcing it will be reporting a new contribution of $2.5 million.  The money will be used in large part to help support Missouri House Speaker-elect, John Diehl’s “100 Great Ideas Tour,” as well as other efforts that promote pro-growth, smaller government policy initiatives….

[emphasis in original]

Let’s take a look at exactly how “broad based” Grow Missouri actually is. Via the Missouri Ethics Commission

C131097: Grow Missouri

308 E High St Ste 301 Committee Type: Political Action

Jefferson City Mo 65101

[….] Established Date: 07/08/2013

[….]

[emphasis added]

The “broad based coalition” is a little over a year old. Let’s look at their “broad based coalition” history of contributions:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 10/15/2013

Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 7/9/2013 $1,300,000.0[0]

Pelopidas LLC 1034 South Brentwood Blvd. St Louis MO 63117 7/15/2013 $22,000.00 [in-kind]

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

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

[emphasis added]

Heh. The Missouri Ethics Commission reporting system has difficult handling contribution amounts in seven figures.

Gee, that in-kind contribution from Pelopidas LLC? What’s the connection there? (via the Missouri Ethics Commission):

Principal     Lobbyist

PELOPIDAS LLC     Dave Berry

PELOPIDAS, LLC     Katherine Casas

PELOPIDAS, LLC     David Michael Jackson

PELOPIDAS, LLC     Travis Brown

[….]

Principal Lobbyist

REX AND JEANNE SINQUEFIELD     David Michael Jackson

REX AND JEANNE SINQUEFIELD     Travis Brown

REX AND JEANNE SINQUEFIELD     Dave Berry

[….]

REX AND JEANNE SINQUEFIELD     Katherine Casas

The next PAC campaign finance report:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 1/15/2014

Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 12/19/2013 $245,000.00

Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 12/30/2013 $250,000.00

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

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

[emphasis added]

And the next:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 4/15/2014

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

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

[emphasis added]

And the next:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 5/9/2014

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

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

[emphasis added]

And the next:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 7/15/2014

Rex Sinquefield 344 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 5/13/2014 $1,500,000.0[0]

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

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

[emphasis added]

And the next:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 8/4/2014

Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 7/18/2014 $250,000.00

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

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

[emphasis added]

And the last:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

GROW MISSOURI [pdf] 9/4/2014

11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED INLINE 8 ON FORM CD1A $0.00

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

[emphasis added]

And, of course, just today:

C131097 09/12/2014 GROW MISSOURI Rex Sinquefield 244 Bent Walnut Westphalia MO 65085 Retired 9/11/2014 $2,500,000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s all of the contributions – $6,045,000.00 from one person and $22,000.00 in-kind from a group associated with lobbyists who also lobby for the person who wrote the big checks.

Let’s put that all in perspective:

The Grow Missouri PAC’s “broad based coalition” consists of $6,045,000.00 from Rex Sinquefield (in blue)

and $22,000.00 (in-kind) from Pelopidas LLC over the fourteen month existence of the PAC.

That’s your “broad based coalition”.

Whoever wrote that press release is showing their absolute contempt for the media and the public. They think we’re all too stupid to notice or too lazy to care. They may be right on both counts.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: how astroturf (the fake grassroots) works (August 1, 2013)

Campaign Finance: Why give 11 cents when you can write a check for $1.5 million? (May 15, 2014)

Campaign Finance: “Never give up. Never surrender.” (September 12, 2014)