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Monthly Archives: October 2018

Chutzpah

27 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Amendment 1, campaign finance, campaign finance reform, CLEAN Missouri, code, Ethics Reform, flyer, lobbying reform, parade, redistricting reform, Rex Sinquefield

“…the classic “legal” definition of chutzpah…a person who kills his parents and pleads for the court’s mercy on the ground of being an orphan…”

The Rex Sinquefield funded right wingnut Missourians First PAC opposed to the CLEAN Missouri ethics initiative on the November ballot must really think peepul frum Misooree our stoopit.

From a Missourians First flyer distributed at this morning’s parade in Warrensburg:

Who is behind Amendment 1

Clean Missouri is an organization that is funded by out of state billionaires; including hundreds of thousands of dollars from San Francisco billionaire George Soros, who bankrolls liberal politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton, and former Enron billionaire John Arnold.

They are funneling millions of dollars in secret dark money through the most extreme special interest groups in the country to change our Missouri Constitution for partisan gain.

Uh, what’s “San Francisco” code for? Just asking.

Maybe the George Soros text could have been done in a Yiddish font, just for the enhanced effect.

Who paid for the flyer?

Uh, last time anyone checked Rex Sinquefield was a billionaire.

And what does the CLEAN Missouri initiative intend?:

Require that legislative records be open to the public by ensuring that the legislature operate under the same open records law as other public entities in Missouri

Require politicians to wait two years before becoming lobbyists after the conclusion of their final legislative session

Eliminate almost all lobbyist gifts in the General Assembly by banning any single gift worth more than $5 — that means no more steak dinners, expensive booze, junkets or sports tickets. This rule would eliminate more than 99% of the lobbyist gift giving happening in Missouri.

Lower campaign contribution limits for state legislative candidates to limit the influence of big money and lobbyists in state government.

Establish new campaign contribution limits for General Assembly candidates— $2,500 for state senate, and $2,000 for state house.

Limit the ability of individuals and organizations to circumvent caps by counting money from single-source committees towards totals for original, actual donors.

Stop legislative fundraising on state property.

Ensure that neither political party is given an unfair advantage when new maps are drawn after the next census by asking a nonpartisan expert to draw fair legislative district maps, which would then be reviewed by a citizen commission.

Add fairness and competitiveness as required criteria for new district maps

Protect the political power of minority communities against vote dilution

Ask an independent state demographer to lead on technical work in creating district maps, instead of entrusting political appointees to do all of that work

Walking in a parade is no substitute for holding open public town halls in your district

27 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Town Hall

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

4th Congressional District, missouri, parade, Renee Hoagenson, Vicky Hartzler, Warrensburg

This morning in Warrensburg:

Vicky Hartzler (r) in Warrensburg – October 27, 2018.

Once a year. Too bad there haven’t been any open public town halls in a long while. You know, where actual constituents could ask questions and maybe expect a cogent response.

Xiuhtezcatl – Kansas City – October 26, 2018

27 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Standing Rock

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

activism, Crossroads KC, environmental activism, hip hop, Kansas City, missouri, music, Xiuhtezcatl

Indigenous Hip Hop artist and environmental activist Xiuhtezcatl opened a concert at Crossroads KC last night, the last concert of the season at the open air venue.

The weather was cool, not cold, and the audience was happy and in a festive mood. The venue and the staff were pleasant and very professional.

Xiuhtezcatl – Kansas City, Missouri – October 26, 2018.

Xiuhtezcatl’s music is inventive, infectious, executed with precision, and replete with musical and textual meaning. We’re glad we had the opportunity to cover and attend the performance.

Part of last night’s message from Xiuhtezcatl was participation. Ten days, people, ten days.

11 days

26 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Claire McCaskill, US Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Claire McCaskill, election, GOTV, missouri, U.S. Senate, vote

Vote.

There’s an election in eleven days. Do you have a voting plan? Where? When? And what you need?

Talk to your family, friends and neighbors. Get them to commit to voting. Drag them to the polls if you have to.

Vote.

One of those Fall moments of Zen

26 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Fall, missouri

Today in west central Missouri:

Fall.

Take a second. Only a second. There’s serious election volunteer work to be done.

12 days

25 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Claire McCaskill, US Senate

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Americans for Prosperity, attack mail, campaign mail, Claire McCaskill, election, GOTV, missouri, PAC, U.S. Senate, vote

Vote.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) [October 2018 file photo].

There’s an election in less than two weeks.

Talk to your family, friends and neighbors. Get them to commit to voting. Drag them to the polls if you have to.
Vote.

And it’s time for the right wingnut, dark money funded, astroturf (fake grassroots) attack mail pieces to start arriving. Sure enough, in today’s mail:

Dudes, there are no vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Americans for Prosperity? Yeah, them, a super PAC, using a Jefferson City PO box as a return address:

Koch brothers’ network launches new super PAC
By David Wright, CNN
Updated 1:58 PM ET, Mon September 10, 2018

…Americans for Prosperity, the sprawling Koch political network, announced Monday the launch of a new super PAC arm as the organization gears up for the final stretch of the 2018 midterms.

The new super PAC was described as “a new tool to build broad policy coalitions in Congress to help advance AFP’s vision,” which “will advocate for candidates who share our commitment to breaking internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their full potential.”

The super PAC, called “AFP Action,” will operate independently of the network’s preexisting 501(c)(4) nonprofit and with some key advantages.

Per campaign finance laws, the new group will be able to spend unlimited sums on election activities while being subject to some loose disclosure requirements, The nonprofit arm, however, is subject to even looser disclosure requirements but must dedicate a portion of their spending to “social welfare” activities that cannot explicitly target elections.

[….]

“…the new group will be able to spend unlimited sums on election activities while being subject to some loose disclosure requirements…”

Right wingnut transparency is an oxymoron. You know, like “jumbo shrimp”, or “honest thief”…

This makes me want to drop by my local coordinated campaign office and make some GOTV calls right after I finish dinner. So, I will.

Previously:

Koch Money: because Josh Hawley (r) will never need to hold over fifty open public town halls across Missouri (October 7, 2018)

Campaign Finance: maybe they ran out of right wingnut candidates in Kansas

25 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in campaign finance, Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

34th Senate District, campaign finance, Kansas, missouri, Missouri Ethics Commission, PAC

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission, two right wingnut Missouri PACs get some of that Johnson County, Kansas silk stocking money:

C171211 10/25/2018 Citizens for a Prosperous 34th Senate District Ketchmark & McCreight, P.C. 11161 Overbrook Rd. Ste. 210 Leawood KS 66211 10/24/2018 $50,000.00

C180456 10/25/2018 Senate Conservatives Fund Ketchmark & McCreight, P.C. 11161 Overbrook Rd. Ste. 210 Leawood KS 66211 10/24/2018 $50,000.00

[emphasis added]

What’s the matter with Kansas?

Previously:

Campaign Finance: No contest is too small… (October 22, 2018)

Campaign Finance: infinite loop (October 23, 2018)

This machine defeats Fascists

25 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

But her emails!, Donald Trump, fascists, social media, Terrorism, Twitter, unsecured phone

Why Trump’s insistence on using unsecured phones is such a disaster
10/25/18 08:00 AM
By Steve Benen
…Let’s count the ways in which this is a disaster for the president. First, it offers proof of Trump putting sensitive information at risk, not accidentally, but as a result of neglect and laziness. On any given day, the president of the United States knowingly picks up unsecured mobile devices, has private conversations, and remains indifferent to the fact that foreign spies may be listening and recording everything that’s said…

Late last night, a question, in the aftermath of the news about pipe bombs that were sent or delivered to a number of Democrats and a news organization:

Michael McFaul @McFaul
Did Trump call Obama or Clinton today?
11:44 PM – 24 Oct 2018

Someone wins the internets:

Jamison Foser @jamisonfoser
dunno. ask China.
[….]
11:54 PM – 24 Oct 2018

Previously:

When Fascism comes to America it will be produced like a reality TV show, clutching its social media feed… (October 25, 2018)

When Fascism comes to America it will be produced like a reality TV show, clutching its social media feed…

25 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Donald Trump, Fascism, social media, Twitter

This morning:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!
6:18 AM – 25 Oct 2018

Suffice to say self awareness is not one of his strong character traits.

13 days

24 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

GOTV, missouri, sunrise, vote

Vote.

Sunrise in west central Missouri.

A conversation on the phone, at a phone bank:
[Agitated] “The Democrats have been so ugly this election.”
[Calmly] “That’s interesting, how so?”
[Increasing agitation] “The Democrats have been so ugly.”
[Calmly] “Well, could you explain to me how, give me some examples?”
[Even more agitated] “You don’t see it? You don’t see it?”

If breathing wasn’t involuntary this individual would forget to breathe. They’re going to vote, you definitely need to do so.

There’s an election in less than two weeks.

Talk to your family, friends and neighbors. Get them to commit to voting. Drag them to the polls if you have to.

Vote.

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