President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico stated that he told Donald Trump (r) in their meeting today that Mexico would not pay for Trump’s border wall. Donald Trump stated they didn’t discuss the wall.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D), trolling Donald Trump (r) via Twitter this evening about his conversation with the President of Mexico:
Stephen Webber’s (D) campaign has a new television ad out:
Stephen Webber (D): This is the last place I came before I deployed to Iraq. And the first when I came home.
Al Shattuck: Webber served two tours of duty in Iraq.
Al Barnes: He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever had.
Voice: Webber was our squad leader and he definitely looked out for us.
Nic Gibbons: Webber always led from the front. He was the first vehicle, he’d lead on the patrol every single time. And he did it humbly, too.
Aaron Schulz: The reason he was in front is because if something happened he wanted to be the one up there that was in harm’s way.
Voice: When we first arrived in Fallujah it was a totally different world.
Voice: There was improvised explosive devices. We had snipers, firefights. It takes a real leader, someone like Webber that keeps his team and his squad on point all the time.
Bryan Miller: I was in the Humvee with Webber when we hit an IED. Forty pounds, C4.
Aaron Schulz: He got everybody home safe.
Voice: I believe in him as a person, as a leader, and as a friend.
Stephen Webber (D): No matter what I faced in Iraq or here at home, these names and the memory of their sacrifice humbles me and gives me the strength to serve.
[Stephen Webber for Missouri Senate]
[Paid for by Citizens for Stephen Webber, Barbara Schneider, Treasurer.]
C091291 08/30/2016 DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASSOCIATION – MISSOURI Henry Van Ameringen 590 Madison Ave Manhatten NY 10022 Retired Retired 8/26/2016 $15,000.00
C091291 08/30/2016 DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASSOCIATION – MISSOURI Trinity Industries, Inc. PO Box 568887 Dallas TX 75356 8/26/2016 $50,000.00
C091291 08/30/2016 DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASSOCIATION – MISSOURI Apollo Education Group 4025 S. Riverpoint Parkway Phoenix AZ 85040 8/26/2016 $25,000.00
C091291 08/30/2016 DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASSOCIATION – MISSOURI Recording Industry Association of America 1025 F Street NW 10th Floor Washington DC 20004 8/26/2016 $25,000.00
[emphasis added]
And then today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Teresa Hensley’s (D) 2016 campaign for Attorney General:
C151147 08/31/2016 TERESA HENSLEY FOR MISSOURI Democratic Attorneys General Association 1580 N Lincoln St Denver CO 80203 8/30/2016 $100,000.00
[emphasis added]
We do know where the money came from. There is a significant difference.
Update:
Oops. Similar committee name, different address:
C091291: Democratic Attorneys General Association – Missouri
Committee Type: Political Action
4801 Main Street Suite 1000 Kansas City Mo 64112
Established Date: 11/25/2009
[….]
C031159 08/30/2016 KOSTER FOR MISSOURI UAW V CAP 8000 East Jefferson Ave Detroit MI 48214 8/29/2016 $200,000.00
[emphasis added]
Okay, that’s from working people. A candidate’s opposition to “right to get paid less” will do that.
But wait, there’s more:
C031159 08/30/2016 KOSTER FOR MISSOURI John McDonnell 1 Serendipity Ln Saint Louis MO 63131 None Retired 8/30/2016 $100,000.00
C031159 08/30/2016 KOSTER FOR MISSOURI Sam Fox 7701 Forsyth Blvd Ste 600 Saint Louis MO 63105 Harbour Group Chairman / CEO 8/30/2016 $100,000.00
C031159 08/30/2016 KOSTER FOR MISSOURI William Danforth 10 Glenview Rd Saint Louis MO 63124 None Retired 8/30/2016 $100,000.00
[emphasis added]
People who usually contribute to republican candidates? How can that be?
Stem cells you think?:
C051043 10/08/2015 SUPPORTERS OF HEALTH RESEARCH AND TREATMENTS John McDonnell 1034 S. Brentwood Blvd. Ste. 1840 St Louis MO 63117 Retired Retired Business Executive 10/8/2015 $31,350.00
[emphasis added]
C051043 09/25/2014 SUPPORTERS OF HEALTH RESEARCH AND TREATMENTS Sam Fox 7701Forsyth Blvd Suite 600 St Louis MO 63105 retired business executive 9/23/2014 $24,900.00
C051043 04/06/2016 SUPPORTERS OF HEALTH RESEARCH AND TREATMENTS Sam and Marilyn Fox 7701 Forsyth Blvd Suite 600 St Louis MO 63105 Retired Business Executive 4/6/2016 $35,750.00
[emphasis added]
C051043 02/12/2015 SUPPORTERS OF HEALTH RESEARCH AND TREATMENTS William Danforth 10 Glenview Rd St Louis MO 63124 retired physician and educator 2/11/2015 $58,500.00
[emphasis added]
That’s $500,000.00 for Chris Koster’s (D) campaign in one day from an interesting mix of supporters.
When you’re only left with one choice on a number of important issues that’s the one you make.
State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) [2016 file photo].
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway released an audit [pdf] titled: “General Assembly and Supporting Functions – Senate”.
In part:
….Despite recommendations in our two prior audits, the Senate continues to maintain the Senate Administrator’s Fund in a bank account outside the state treasury for the purpose of soliciting contributions from lobbyists to pay for meals provided to members and employees. Soliciting contributions from lobbyists gives the appearance of, and may result in, a conflict of interest. In addition, the Senate does not have authority to maintain the bank account and administrative duties related to the account are not properly segregated.
Senate officials solicited and received contributions totaling $6,500 from lobbyists during the 2 years ended June 30, 2015. The contributions were deposited in the Senate Administrator’s Fund and used to pay for meals provided to members and employees who worked late during legislative sessions. These meal costs totaled approximately $5,800 during the 2 year period. While the Senate discontinued using contributions for retirement dinners and gifts for outgoing members after the prior audit, Senate officials indicated they continue to believe meals should be provided when members and employees work late during session.
Actively soliciting contributions from lobbyists gives the appearance of, and may result in, a conflict of interest. The House does not provide meals to members and employees when they work late.
Senate personnel could not provide statutory or other authority to hold the bank account for the Senate Administrator’s Fund outside the state treasury. Article IV, Section 15, Missouri Constitution, and Section 30.240, RSMo, require state funds to be held and disbursed by the state treasurer.
The duties of preparing and making deposits and preparing bank reconciliations are not adequately segregated. These duties are performed by the Senate Administrator. To safeguard against possible loss or misuse of funds, proper internal controls require segregating the duties of preparing and making the deposits, and reconciling the bank account.
Recommendation
The Senate discontinue the practice of soliciting contributions from lobbyists, and direct the Senate Administrator to close the Senate Administrator’s Fund bank account and contact the State Treasurer’s Office regarding the proper disposition of remaining funds. Until such disposition occurs, duties should be adequately segregated….
The response:
….The Senate Administrator’s account was established to provide a convenient and efficient means of paying for state reimbursable meal expenses incurred during late evening Senate sessions. The account maintains a minimum cash balance and is used in lieu of General Revenue. All account activities are transparent, donations are reported by lobbyists to the Ethics Commission, and the detailed documenting of each dollar deposited and expended is now segregated from the review of the bank statement reconciliation. The segregation process was reviewed and revised in response to the SAO audit.
This is a challenging situation because the Senate understands why the SAO recommends closing the account; however, there is no apparent solution that works operationally for the Senate. When the Senate is in session, Senate staff are required to be present until session adjourns and the schedule is such that it’s difficult to predict when staff will work in excess of 12 hours. The Senate agrees to continue to review other ways to purchase meals as necessary….
Uh, don’t senators get a per diem on the days they are in session and present in Jefferson City? Yep, up to June 2015 it was $103.20 per day.
And the audit also addresses meetings and minutes of senate committees:
….The Senate did not adequately prepare or retain meeting minutes for two Senate committees in accordance with the Sunshine Law.
Meeting minutes of the Senate Administration Committee did not always include some required information. This standing committee controls the financial obligations and business affairs of the Senate, and meets monthly.
Meeting minutes for open and closed sessions of the Administration Committee did not always include the time, place, and members present or absent. Also, the minutes did not always properly document votes taken. For example, when voting to go into closed session, some minutes did not document the roll call vote of each member during the open session. Also, closed meeting votes were not always documented by roll call vote of each committee member. In addition, open meeting minutes did not always document the specific section of law allowing a closed meeting….
….Chapter 610 RSMo, known as the Sunshine Law, sets forth requirements for meetings of public governmental bodies. Section 610.020, RSMo, requires a journal or minutes of all open and closed meetings. The minutes shall include the date, time, place, members present, members absent, and a record of any votes taken. In addition, Section 610.015, RSMo, requires all votes be recorded, and if a roll call is taken, requires that the minutes attribute each “yea” and “nay” vote, or abstinence if not voting, to the name of the individual member. All votes taken in closed session are required to be taken by roll call. Also, Section 610.022, RSMo, provides that before any meeting may be closed, the question of holding the closed meeting and the specific reason for the closed meeting shall be voted on during open meeting and a record of the vote of each member should be documented.
The Senate Majority Caucus General Counsel asserts the Sunshine Law does not apply to Senate standing committees because the Senate has Constitutional authority to set the rules of its proceedings. The Sunshine Law, however, applies to all governmental bodies, which is defined under Section 610.010, RSMo, to include any legislative entity created under the Missouri Constitution or statutes. Under Section 610.011.1, RSMo, of the Sunshine Law, “It is the public policy of this state that meetings, records, votes, actions, and deliberations of public governmental bodies be open to the public unless otherwise provided by law. Sections 610.010 to 610.200 shall be liberally construed and their exceptions strictly construed to promote this public policy.” Additionally, the Senate Sunshine Law policy, adopted February 2008, states the Senate shall comply with the Sunshine Law and the Senate provides Sunshine Law notices for its Administrative Committee and for joint committees. Compliance with the Sunshine Law is necessary to create transparency and provide proper records of actions and decisions….
The response:
….Based on Article III, Section 18 of the Missouri Constitution, the Missouri Senate views the operation of legislative committees as a matter of proceedings committed to the legislative branch of government. This view is supported by current case law. However, the Senate will continue to strive to promote transparency in its internal legislative committee recordkeeping procedures….
Yep, it’s the Missouri Senate’s world, the rest of us only get to live in it
That would be the republican agenda of “right to get paid less”, underfunding public education, and ignoring public infrastructure. Just to name a few.
C031159 08/27/2016 KOSTER FOR MISSOURI United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC 1775 K Street, NW Washington DC 20006 8/25/2016 $100,000.00
C031159 08/27/2016 KOSTER FOR MISSOURI NEA Fund for Children and Public Education Non Federal MO Account 1810 East Elm Street Jefferson CIty MO 65101 8/25/2016 $150,000.00
C031159 08/27/2016 KOSTER FOR MISSOURI Bob Fox 2105 S. Warson Road St Louis MO 63124 Newspace Closet Interiors Owner 8/27/2016 $7,500.00
[emphasis added]
That would be working people, educators, and an entrepreneur. They do know the stakes.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has willingly immersed himself into controversy by refusing to stand for the playing of the national anthem in protest of what he deems are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United States.
His latest refusal to stand for the anthem — he has done this in at least one other preseason game — came before the 49ers’ preseason loss to Green Bay at Levi’s Stadium on Friday night.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
[….]
Apparently a number of individuals have expressed their outrage at someone else expressing an opinion at a time and place other than what the outraged consider to be acceptable or polite.
….Symbols of State often convey political ideas just as religious symbols come to convey theological ones. Associated with many of these symbols are appropriate gestures of acceptance or respect: a salute, a bowed or bared head, a bended knee. A person gets from a symbol the meaning he puts into it, and what is one man’s comfort and inspiration is another’s jest and scorn….
….The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One’s right to life, liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections….
….Struggles to coerce uniformity of sentiment in support of some end thought essential to their time and country have been waged by many good as well as by evil men. Nationalism is a relatively recent phenomenon but at other times and places the ends have been racial or territorial security, support of a dynasty or regime, and particular plans for saving souls. As first and moderate methods to attain unity have failed, those bent on its accomplishment must resort to an ever-increasing severity. As governmental pressure toward unity becomes greater, so strife becomes more bitter as to whose unity it shall be. Probably no deeper division of our people could proceed from any provocation than from finding it necessary to choose what doctrine and whose program public educational officials shall compel youth to unite in embracing. Ultimate futility of such attempts to compel coherence is the lesson of every such effort from the Roman drive to stamp out Christianity as a disturber of its pagan unity, the Inquisition, as a means to religious and dynastic unity, the Siberian exiles as a means to Russian unity, down to the fast failing efforts of our present totalitarian enemies. Those who begin coercive elimination of dissent soon find themselves exterminating dissenters. Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard….
….But freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom. The test of its substance is the right to differ as to things that touch the heart of the existing order.
If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us….
Yes, that is all about the role of government, but understanding what the Constitution is and accepting it is toddler level basic to being an American.
Clutch your pearls, whine all you want, judge others to your heart’s content, criticize others until you’re blue in the face, but take your self righteousness and shove it. You get no sympathy from me about your personal outrage when someone else expresses an opinion counter to your interpretation of the conventional.
To do otherwise would be un-American.
Oh, and expressing your opinion, which is not binding on others in this country, does not insulate you from an expression of contrary opinions by others.
This is what happens when credible and hard working Democratic Party candidates run for office.
Ashley Beard-Fosnow, the Democratic Party candidate in the 55th Legislative District [2015 file photo].
That could be an interesting conversation – “He fears me more than he likes you.”
Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for incumbent Rick Brattin’s (r) campaign in the 55th Legislative District:
C101084 08/27/2016 FRIENDS OF RICK BRATTIN David Humphreys PO Box 4050 Joplin MO 64803 Tamko Building Products Executive 8/27/2016 $50,000.00
[emphasis added]
Doesn’t live in the district, can’t vote for the candidate.
Again, why would a very wealthy republican from Joplin care enough to drop $50,000.00 on the race in a “safe” legislative district in west central Missouri. Unless, of course, someone was worried about having enough votes for “right to get paid less” in the future.
That’s a hell of a lot of money from one person for a legislative district race. Does the incumbent republican really need the help?:
C101084: Friends Of Rick Brattin
Committee Type: Candidate
Party Affiliation: Republican
Raymore Mo 64083
Established Date: 03/04/2010
[….]
Information Reported On: 2016 – 8 Day Before Primary Election-8/2/2016
Beginning Money on Hand $6,299.48
Monetary Receipts + $750.00
Monetary Expenditures – $358.79
Contributions Made – $0.00
Other Disbursements – $0.00
Subtotal $391.21
Ending Money On Hand $6,690.69
[emphasis added]
That inspires confidence. Not. Yep, someone needed some serious propping up.
The same report for Ashley Beard-Fosnow (D):
C151120: Beard-Fosnow For House Of Representatives
Committee Type: Candidate
Party Affiliation: Democrat
905 Eve Orchid Drive Greenwood Mo 64034
Established Date: 06/22/2015
[….]
Information Reported On: 2016 – 8 Day Before Primary Election-8/2/2016
Beginning Money on Hand $32,178.08
Monetary Receipts + $1,734.00
Monetary Expenditures – $2,485.32
Contributions Made – $0.00
Other Disbursements – $0.00
Subtotal ($751.32)
Ending Money On Hand $31,426.76
[emphasis added]
Representative Rick Brattin (R) on the House floor [2013 file photo].