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Monthly Archives: April 2017

So, what? It’s Spring. We haven’t made it through the first 100 days yet.

08 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

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#resist, missouri

In west Central Missouri:

Midday.

It feels like it’s been forever.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): that was then, this is now, and *IOKIYAR

07 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

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4th Congressional District, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Hypocrisy, missouri, social media, Syria, Twitter, Vicky Hartzler

“…I have previously stated that I have concerns about the President’s plan to strike Syria, and have yet to be convinced that military action against the Assad regime is in the interests of the United States…”

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) [2015 file photo].

On September 9, 2013:

Congresswoman Hartzler issues statement following conference call on Syria
September 9, 2013 Press Release
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) has issued the following statement regarding her conference call with citizens of the Fourth District who expressed their views on the situation in Syria:

“I pledged that I would listen to the thoughts and concerns of the citizens of Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District regarding this important issue. I have previously stated that I have concerns about the President’s plan to strike Syria, and have yet to be convinced that military action against the Assad regime is in the interests of the United States. Our conference call has further solidified my deep reservations as 97% of participants expressed opposition to our involvement. I thank all the citizens of our district who called in or who have expressed their feelings through telephone calls, emails, letters, and faxes to our offices in Washington and throughout the district. I value the input and will consider all the comments my office has received as I have the opportunity to cast MO-4’s vote in this critical time.”
[….]

Gee, what’s different?

Now:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler‏ @RepHartzler
My statement on The U.S. military strikes in Syria:
“Tuesday’s heartless and brutal attack demanded an answer. We cannot continue to let this tyrant commit such atrocities, and I am hopeful the President’s decision this evening will prevent further bloodshed.
7:28 PM – 6 Apr 2017

“Who’s that yonder, dressed in black?”

* it’s okay if you’re a republican

Previously:

President Obama: calling on Congress to debate and vote on use of military force in Syria (August 31, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): What about that Syria thing? (September 1, 2013)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): caught between Syria and a hard place (September 10, 2013)

Where’s Roy Blunt (r)?

06 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media, US Senate

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

inside the beltway, Lobbyists, missouri, Roy Blunt, social media, town halls, Twitter

You think Roy Blunt (r) will be holding open public town halls in Missouri anytime soon?

Roy Blunt (r) [2016 file photo].

Think again.

Jennifer Hayden‏ @Scout_Finch
Why won’t @RoyBlunt ever meet with constituents?

Indivisible KC @Indivisible_KC
Called D.C. & K.C. Offices. No one knows where @RoyBlunt will be over recess. Only event we know about is this one in Tennessee! #whereisroy

7:40 AM – 6 Apr 2017

A response:

Michael Bersin‏ @MBersin
He does all the time, only it’s just the ones on K Street.
7:42 AM – 6 Apr 2017

K Street, baby!

Jason Kander (D): plain speaking

06 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

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Donald Trump, Jason Kander, missouri, social media, Twitter

Jason Kander (D) [2016 file photo].

A continuation from early March. Jason Kander (D) last night, via Twitter, about Donald Trump’s (r) deflection of responsibility game when ordering military intervention.

Jason Kander‏ @JasonKander
First, I remain doubtful about the need for drastic change to this process.
9:26 PM – 5 Apr 2017

Jason Kander @JasonKander
Second, even if POTUS chooses to streamline the mission approval process, it is morally wrong to be so dismissive of civilian casualties.
9:28 PM – 5 Apr 2017

Jason Kander‏ @JasonKander
And civilian casualties will cost us working relationships with friends. That makes it nearly impossible to fight bad guys.
9:29 PM – 5 Apr 2017

Jason Kander‏ @JasonKander
Regardless, NONE of this requires removing POTUS from decision. Good people will die and POTUS’s top priority is how it looks for him.
9:31 PM – 5 Apr 2017

Jason Kander‏ @JasonKander
He is ducking responsibility. It is a disgusting level of selfishness. He’s putting lives at risk, but he’s not willing to risk looking bad.
9:32 PM – 5 Apr 2017

Jason Kander‏ @JasonKander
Finally, POTUS loves to act/talk tough. I taught combat leadership in Army Officer Candidate School. You, Sir, wouldn’t last a day in OCS.
9:34 PM – 5 Apr 2017

Remind us again, who is acting presidential?

Kander 2020.

If Pepsi needs some help figuring out what a real protest sign looks like we can help them out

05 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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ad, appropriation, commercialism, protest, soda

Soda!

“Not this time” – Trump Muslim ban protest at Kansas City International Airport – January 29, 2017

Pro tip: actual protests are usually not color coordinated with the product you’re trying to market.

And, if they’d like, we could probably help them out with cello stuff, too.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): well, that particular vote was obviously the correct one…

04 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

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Claire McCaskill, flatulence, missile launch, missouri, North Korea, Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State, social media, Twitter

Back in February:

Question: On the Nomination (Confirmation Rex W. Tillerson, of Texas, to be Secretary of State )
Vote Number: 36
Vote Date: February 1, 2017, 02:31 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2
Vote Result: Nomination Confirmed
Nomination Number: PN25
Nomination Description: Rex W. Tillerson, of Texas, to be Secretary of State
Vote Counts:
YEAs 56
NAYs 43
Not Voting 1
[….]
Blunt (R-MO), Yea
[….]
McCaskill (D-MO), Nay
[….]

So, North Korea is in the news. Again.

Phoning it in:

Press Statement
Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 4, 2017

North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.

What the hell does that mean?

North Korea, via social media:

DPRK News Service‏ @DPRK_News
Laughably stupid hayseed Rex Tillerson makes mockery of US “diplomats” with limply worded letter with all the impact of weak flatulence.
[….]
8:19 PM – 4 Apr 2017

Is that like a fart gun joke?

Municipal Elections: you know what to do

04 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

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#resist, missouri, municipal elections, vote

Vote.

The latest in non-partisan non-electioneering voter wear.

A European techno anarchist punk rock group or the status of the family business in America circa now.

It’s the latter.

#resist

He can’t be this stupid, can he?

03 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

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Donald Trump, social media, Twitter

Just asking.

Insecure.

Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump
Did Hillary Clinton ever apologize for receiving the answers to the debate? Just asking!
6:21 AM – 3 Apr 2017

The people that voted for him certainly are.

A response:

Mark Harris‏ @MarkHarrisNYC
Answers.
He thinks she got the ANSWERS.
Jesus.
[….]
12:02 PM – 3 Apr 2017

We’re doomed.

Mass Resistance Missouri: Bringing hate into St. Louis schools

03 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by willykay in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

B. Sophia Ford-Glanton, Gay Straight Alliances, Hate groups, Kristy Klein Davis, local elections, Mass Resistance Missouri, Matthew Eckerle, missouri, Parkway Schools, School Boards, Sex Education, Zach Goldford

Mass Resistance Missouri is actively working to influence curriculum in St. Louis Schools. This group is the Missouri chapter of a extensive national group that has been identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit group that monitors hate group activity in the U.S. Normally, I wouldn’t want to drive traffic to the Web page of such a site, but description or excerpts from its content don’t do justice to the hysteria and misinformation that this group is attempting to impose on our local school districts – so go and take a look for yourself.

These folks have convinced themselves that liberals are the tools of the devil, out to seduce their children into Gayitude, promiscuity culminating in abortion after abortion. They “know” beyond any possibility of doubt that they are doing God’s work by fighting the liberal blight. Mass Resistance has been especially concerned with LGBT issues – Gay Straight Alliances in schools are often the focus of their angry attentions, but the Missouri group is also active in promoting a preferred version of sex education, heavy on the abstinence-only, religiously-slanted, and “slut-shaming” rhetoric that is exemplified in its enthusiastic endorsement of and even identification with the Thrive Program, which is prevalent in St. Louis and which I wrote about in an earlier post.

The Mass Resistance Website also urges parents to examine the teaching of English and History in their children’s schools and to ask whether the school library has copies of books that Mass Resistance considers especially insidious, such as, for example, It’s Perfectly Normal , a sex education text book that the American Library Association has identified as a regular contender on its list of frequently banned books. Hint as to why: the book has anatomically correct, naked pictures. And it talks about contraception. And it recognizes that LGBT people exist. All of which gives Mass Resistance types the vapors.

Mass Resistance Missouri, in particular, has a solution to the problem of all this pernicious gay-loving, abortion-promoting evil influence in the schools: Parents who find evidence of any of the foregoing are urged to write or call Attorney General Constitutional Nutjob Josh Hawlely and complain. Tells you a lot about the man we’ve elected to act as the lawyer for the state.

Questioning the influence of this kind of group is particularly important right now – school boards will be replenishing their membership on April 4th when many localities are holding local elections. And school boards hold the keys to what happens in your school district with your children. Even those of us who don’t have children have a stake in this game – poorly educated children become sad, ignorant – and bigoted – adults. Bad information about human sexuality is responsible for much misery and suffering among children and the adults that they eventually become.

As I’m sure you realize, it’s often difficult to learn anything about school board candidates over and above the canned phrases and sentiments they usually include in their profiles – when such profiles are even available. In the St Louis County Parkway district where I live, and which seems to be a special focus of the Missouri chapter of Mass Resistance, I’ve been able to collect four “safe” recommendations for the three empty seats to choose from: vote, I’m told for Kristy Klein Davis, B. Sophia Ford-Glanton, Zach Goldford and Matt Eckerle. Word is that these four candidates respect proven facts and the right to full,unbiased information – which is not, as Mass Resistance Missouri would have it, a strategy for liberal brainwashing. And when I look at their profiles, the goals they describe for their potential tenure is reassuring.

However, I don’t know anything about other districts. I hope concerned parents who don’t want their children subjected to atrocities like the Thrive Program have ways to get information, and I am heartened by discussions I have noticed on Social Media and elsewhere about just these issues. People are waking up to what is at stake and may no longer be willing to hand our children over to hysterical fanatics.

But I’m also worried. We horned, cloven-hoofed liberal devils just don’t seem to be as organized as the Mass Resistance folks. Nor do we have an acolyte in Attorney General’s office. Where’s the Website that warns St. Louisians, for example, about the excesses that organizations like Mass Resistance want to perpetrate in our schools? Where can we get organized information about the issues and the candidates for our school boards, information that goes beyond the usual canned cliches.

Don’t get me wrong. Conservatives have a right to be heard when it comes to the curriculum in the schools our children share just as progressives do. But while school boards have to respect their concerns, they must also be able to keep an open mind and insure that the curriculum is objectively factual and comprehensive and that it is not colored by the religious or political views of any faction. They also have to ensure that our schools are inclusive and that minorities, including LGBT children, are treated with the same respect and concern as other children.

It is a sad fact that such a fair and open curriculum is anathema to groups like Mass Resistance Missouri. It is even sadder that they are actively engaged asserting control in our public schools.

Parents, be vigilant.

Johnson County Democratic Committee Kirkpatrick Dinner in Warrensburg – April 1, 2017

01 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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Cydney Mayfield, Joe Maxwell, Johnson County, missouri, Stephen Webber, Warrensburg, Wes Shoemyer

The Johnson County Democratic Central Committee hosted their annual James Kirkpatrick Dinner in Warrensburg this evening. The honoree for the evening was former Lieutenant Governor Joe Maxwell.

Former Lieutenant Governor Joe Maxwell.

Other speakers included Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber, former State Senator Wes Shoemyer, and Cydney Mayfield.

Missouri State Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber.

Gary Grigsby.

Fomer State Representative Deleta Williams.

The table decorations were topical.

“Resist”

“Nasty Women Vote!”

Sarah Starnes.

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