GOP candidates have been running their mouths a lot about jobs, mostly in relation to lower taxes for their favored, well-off constituencies. Roy Blunt’s campaign for Senate, for instance, has produced a “Jobs Plan,” that is long on GOP boiler-plate (and equally long on “solutions” that seem designed to play well with the energy and telecom industries who support his political ambitions so generously). Rhetoric aside, what does the current GOP record actually look like when proposals that would really have an impact on employment are put on the table?

A rarely discussed structural problem that contributes to the current jobless recovery is that many of the good-paying, manufacturing jobs have been outsourced over the past decade – good for corporations that can exploit the poor in third world countries with impunity, bad for the U.S. employment picture. Roy Blunt doesn’t even mention this problem in his jobs plan. GOP Senate team-player, Kit Bond, voted just this week to keep a bill from coming up for a vote that would have imposed tax penalties on companies that outsource their production. Claire McCaskill, on the other hand, voted to end debate and permit a vote on the legislation.

Small business owners often cite tight credit that discourages expansion to explain their failure to hire new workers. However, Republicans, who talk endlessly about the importance of small businesses for recovery, have for months stonewalled legislation designed to address just that issue.

The long-stalled small business lending legislation was passed in the Senate only recently with the help of two Republican Senators who plan to retire at the end of their current terms, which means that they no longer need fear repercussions from the NO party’s leadership or its Tea Party-addled base. However, Missouri’s retiring Republican Senator, Kit Bond, good GOP soldier that he is, kept faith and continued to march in lockstep with the Party of NO (jobs).

On the House side, Roy Blunt was so busy out on the campaign trail running his mouth about jobs creation that he couldn’t manage to even vote on the Small Business Lending Fund Act of 2010. But Blaine Luetkemeyer, Jo Ann Emerson, Sam Graves, and Todd Akin made up for Roy’s indisposition, and handily voted against the interests of the small businesses they love to talk up as the real job creators. You want to know how Missouri Democratic Reps. Carnahan, Cleaver, Clay, and Skelton voted? If you even have to ask, just click on their names and learn who really stands with the middle class.

There are lots of clichés that reflect how strongly Americans feel abut personal integrity: walking the walk, talking out of both sides of your mouth, putting up or shutting up – you can probably supply many more. Today’s question is, when it comes to jobs for ordinary, middle class Americans, as opposed to more moolah for the GOP’s corporate sugar daddies, how many Republicans can you point to who walk the walk, talk straight, and put up when push comes to shove. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see too many in our Missouri GOP congressional delegation.

Last week I noted that no members of the Missouri Democratic House delegation had signed onto a letter to Speaker Pelosi from Blue-Dog Democrats in the House who are in favor of extending all of BuschCo’s upper bracket tax cuts. As far as I know, this is still the truth – a list maintained on Politico has not been updated to show any of their names. Nor, as of Sept. 18th, had Claire McCaskill’s name been added to the list of six Democratic Senators known to be in favor of extending the Bush goodies for the upper crust.

While this is good news, it could be even better. Today, via DailyKos, we learn that 36 House Democrats have signed onto a letter written by House Progressive Caucus members Mary Jo Kilroy, Alan Grayson, and Raul Grijalva, which calls calls for a vote, “before Congress adjourns in October on repealing the tax cuts for the top two percent, and making the middle class tax cuts permanent.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some of our Missouri reps signed on?

Can we convince our Missouri Democrats to stand up and act like leaders? Leaders don’t resort to protective camouflage – or at least smart ones don’t when there’s no reason for them to hide. Letting tax cuts for those with incomes in the top 2% expire is not only the right thing to do, it’s a politically smart strategy.

The text of the letter and the signatories over the fold:

Dear Madam Speaker:

Last decade, President Bush rammed through Congress a multi-billion dollar give-away for the wealthiest Americans on the backs of our nation’s middle-class. In the process, the aforementioned Bush tax cuts eviscerated an unprecedented budget surplus and weakened our nation’s fiscal health. As the Bush tax cuts are set to expire, we respectfully urge you to bring to the floor, before Congress adjourns in October, a vote on President Obama’s recently proposed tax plan: permanent tax cuts for the middle-class while allowing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans to expire, using any additional revenue to close our budget deficit.

We must show the American people that our Democratic Majority stands for them — people who have worked hard, played by the rules and depend on these tax breaks to make ends meet. We also need to get serious about cutting our budget deficit by allowing the Bush tax cuts for the rich to expire.

Some have argued that the Bush tax cuts help to stimulate the economy, or that allowing these cuts to expire would hurt our nation’s small businesses. This is flat out wrong. According to a recent report by the Center for American Progress, the economy boasted 132 million jobs in June 2001, the month that the first of the Bush tax cuts was signed into law. By June 2004, there were just 131.4 million jobs — a decrease of 600,000 jobs. Furthermore, a recent report from the Tax Policy Center states that, “Roughly 97 percent of small businesses would not be affected at all by increases in the top two tax rates.”

Rather, extending the Bush tax cuts will result in an $830 billion give-away for the nation’s wealthiest Americans, significantly increasing government debt, the interest on which will be paid by our nation’s middle-class for years to come. This astronomical sum could instead be used to close our budget deficit.

It is critical that we pass the Obama middle-class tax cuts — not providing an even greater lift for the wealthiest Americans who don’t need it.

Tammy Baldwin

Robert Brady

Michael Capuano

Andre Carson

Steve Cohen

John Conyers

Donna Edwards

Elliot Engel

Keith Ellison

Bob Filner

Marcia Fudge

Raul Grijalva

AlanGrayson

Phil Hare

Alcee L. Hastings

Maurice Hinchey

Mazie Hirono

Mike Honda

Mary Jo Kilroy

Barbara Lee

Sheila Jackson Lee

Jim McDermott

Jim McGovern

Kendrick Meek

Gwen Moore

Tim Ryan

Jan Schakowsky

Carol Shea-Porter

Jackie Speier

Betty Sutton

Peter Welch

Lynn Woolsey

David Wu

Today I have bad and good news. TPM made public a list of 31 Democrats in the House of Representative who are breaking with the president’s plan to cut taxes for the middle class while allowing tax giveaways for the wealthy to expire. These so-called Democrats are signatories to a letter to Nancy Pelosi that repeats debunked Republican arguments about how allowing the tax bracket of the 2% of the richest Americans to rise less than 4% points will crash the economy. (Even Republicans don’t really believe that stuff!)  

That’s the bad news. The good news? To date, none of Missouri’s Democratic House delegation are on that list! Sing Hallelujah!

Given that Senator McCaskill has been dancing around the issue, telegraphing her willingness to give the goods away if anyone asks, and the fact that Robin Carnahan managed to do just that before anyone even knocked on her door to ask, this comes as a pleasant surprise. I had begun to think that Missouri’s Democrats were a pretty worthless bunch. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, Russ Carnahan, Lacy Clay and Ike Skelton are to be congratulated for standing up for the people that they represent on this issue.

There is no way that extending the Bush tax giveaways for the wealthy does anyone any good. The tax cuts do not, contrary to GOP claims, affect most small businesses; economists argue convincingly that they will play little or no stimulative role; and, to cap it all off, they will cost 1.1 trillion dollars over ten years – which is to say that they will really bolster up the big, bad, deficit boogeyman that the right wing has been using to herd weak Democrats rightwards. To top it all off, for once, Americans seem to recognize that extending the tax cuts is a stupid idea – with maybe the exception of the Tea Party where stupid seems to be king.

Just to encourage these gentlemen to keep on keeping on, I suggest that those of you who live in their districts, if  you are so inclined, drop them an email or give them a phone call and let them know that you are gratified by the respect they are showing their constituents and to good policy:

Russ Carnahan: (Email Contact page; phone nos.)

Lacy Clay (Email contact page*; phone nos.)

Emanuel Cleaver (Email contact page; phone nos.)

Ike Skelton (Email contact page; phone nos.)

Just remember, if progressives can’t win on this issue, we might as well just give up and get minimum wage jobs helping McCaskill parcel out the goods to the waiting Tea Party. We need to let our guys know that if they want us to stick with them, we need a win.

* Perhaps it’s just my browser, but but the email contact page on Lacy Clay’s website appears to be broken.

After the years of ethically challenged Republican ascendancy in Congress, the establishment of the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) seemed to indicate that maybe things really might change just a little. However, sad to say, the OCE’s activities seem to have struck too close to home for some Democrats.

Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) has introduced a resolution, cosponsored by Missouri’s Lacy Clay (D-1st) along with 18 other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, that seeks to curtail the powers of the OCE, leaving it unable to initiate investigations and to consider most complaints filed by outside groups. It is certainly an interesting fact that, as TPM notes:

… Many of the cosponsors of Fudge’s legislation have been OCE targets. And the panel once faulted one of Fudge’s top aides, Dawn Kelly Mobley, for facilitating an ethically questionable Carribean junket for CBC members several years ago, when she worked for Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones. …

Let me be clear: Lacy Clay has not been named in an ethics investigation, and is not one of the folks TPM is talking about. There may be legitimate concerns that have led Clay to cosponsor this resolution, but those concerns had better be really compelling. We have so few tools to help even the playing field in the big corporate bucks political environment we now inhabit, we can’t afford to gut the OCE because it makes some congress people nervous. Clay is not my representative, but I surely would like to know what he was thinking when he signed on to this resolution.

UPDATE:  I just noticed that TPM followed up with the nineteen co-sponsors, all of whom declined to comment on their decision to support Fudge’s resolution.

 

Today was the first day of March and day 4 (or 5) of filing (Nobody filed last Friday and I haven’t checked to see if the place was open or not). 12 candidates filed for office today and 10 of them are going to get covered (Sorry Circuit Judges).

Four incumbent Congressmen filed today (Lacy Clay, Todd Akin, Jo Ann Emerson, and Blaine Luetkemeyer) and coincidentally, all four have primary challenges. The only member of the Missouri Delegation who hasn’t filed is Ike Skelton, who has given every sign of running for re-election. Congressman Skelton will be facing a primary opponent, Leonard Steinman of Jefferson City. Steinman ran for the State House in 2008 and lost to Bill Deeken by a 74%-26% margin. This is the first time Skelton has been opposed in a primary since 1994, where he won 82% against 2 opponents.

Also, Martin D. Baker filed as a Republican in the 1st Congressional district. Baker’s mailing address is in Sikeston, a 2 hour drive south of the district. Baker ran for Congress in the Jackson County-based 5th Congressional district in 2008, finishing 3rd in a 4 candidate field. Baker’s Republican opponent is Robyn Hamlin of North St. Louis County. Congressman Lacy Clay has a primary opponent and 2 Libertarians are having a primary for their nomination.

Republican Nola Wood filed in the 45th State House district vs. incumbent Democrat Jason Holsman and Republican Rodney Williams filed in the open 46th State House district. Constitution Party candidate Charles Harter filed in the 95th State House district vs. incumbent Republican Mike Leara.

Lastly, Holmes Osborne of Odessa became the second Democrat to file in the 122nd State House district. Who is the son of actor Holmes Osborne who you may remember from such roles as Eddie Darko in Donnie Darko and 83 other film and television titles. I went into this post thinking the actor and the candidate were the same and I am suspecting that is not true after receiving more information.

The first Democrat to file was Gary Grigsby who is a small businessman and all around awesome guy who would do an immensely better job than Mike McGhee.

No matter who wins the primary there, here’s to hoping that Mike McGhee (who was shaken into running again) loses re-election and finds a new career in Hollywood (presumably as an actor playing the “in over his head” elected official and not as a prop builder).

Aw, primary season. Sometimes it’s like a B movie. Without zombies rampaging the countryside, presumably. Over/under for Tuesday is 6 new candidate filings.

Some of the St. Louis activists most dedicated on the health care reform issue gathered on a curbside near Lacy Clay’s office Friday to thank him for his support of the bill. Oh, and there was one person who wasn’t there to thank him. Right wing blogger Sharp Elbows (at right), was there, taking photos and video. At one point, all by his lonesome, he started chanting a refrain that branded us as commies: “Everything for everybody, nothing for ourselves. Everything for everybody, nothing for ourselves.”

Our chanting, which until then had been anemic, took on new vibrancy, and Sharp Elbows kept his refrain going, along with occasionally yelling “commies” or “socialists”. One woman told him he had balls, and he replied, “Yes ma’am, two of ’em.” Melanie Shouse shouted her thanks to him and his for ruining the Republican Party.

What can I say? We should invite one tea partier to every progressive rally: gets the blood pumping and raises the needle on the ire tachometer.

But once the speakers started, our tea partier quieted down. Melanie, after explaining–with a smile–that she was wearing an eye patch because pirates can be useful in fending off interloping Republicans, reamed out obstructionist Republican Congressmen on the health care issue.

An enthusiastic group of fifteen or twenty people greeted Russ Carnahan as he exited the concourse on his return to St. Louis after the historic vote in the House on HB 3200. A minute later, Lacy Clay strolled out of the same concourse and was delighted to be greeted so warmly.

The House vote on health care legislation, scheduled for Saturday, precedes the Thanksgiving break. HCAN (Health Care for America Now) is urging St. Louisans to turn out and thank the two St. Louis Congressmen who will vote in favor of it: Lacy Clay and Russ Carnahan.

Next Monday, Nov. 9, at 11:00 a.m.

That’s short notice, I know, but do your best to get there. Progressive activists should be aware that party politics isn’t unlike personal relationships. If you only complain when your friends do something you disapprove of, but you never compliment them for their thoughtfulness, don’t expect tight bonds.

If you’re in Clay’s or Carnahan’s district, did you phone either of them to thank him for his ACES vote? I thought not. Have you ever complained to either of them about their stands on  issues? Right, just as I figured. When you think about the heat they’ve been taking–and I twice last summer watched Carnahan deal with rude tea partiers over the health care issue–they need to hear some appreciation. They’re not voting automatons; they’re people.

And besides, attending such an event is a chance to celebrate what we as progressives have accomplished on health care since the Alice in Wonderland contingent almost killed the public option last August.

Lacy Clay’s office is at Delmar and Euclid. The address is 624 North Euclid, Suite 326. Russ Carnahan’s office is at Brentwood Blvd. and Manchester. The address is 8764 Manchester Rd., Suite 203.

A similar sort of event is probably being planned for thanking Emanuel Cleaver. Feel free to post that info here if you know of one, and I’ll add  it as an update on the front page. And if there’s an event to give Ike Skelton the raspberry, I’ll be happy to post that info as well.

My jaw dropped and I said “What the hell?” when I read this at Political Animal:

Rep. Jack Kingston’s (R-Ga.) has rapidly signed up 99 co-sponsors for his Czar Accountability and Reform Act of 2009…. All but one of them are Republicans: the member of the majority party backing Kingston’s crusade to prevent presidential advisers who haven’t been approved by the Senate from collecting salaries is Rep. William Clay (D-Mo.),

At 2:15 p.m., at least three House Republicans will join Kingston (R-Ga.) for a press conference on “their efforts to bring about increased transparency and accountability for President Obama’s czars.”

Considering Lacy Clay’s usually exemplary voting record on progressive issues, I had to have an explanation, so I called his D.C. office and ran the maze of “Let me transfer you to” and “I’m out of the office. Please leave a message.”

While I waited for a response, I wrote a posting wondering if Clay was actually concerned perhaps about an over-muscular presidency. That was the only reason I could imagine, and I lectured him about it.

If Clay’s reason for co-sponsoring King’s bill is a heartfelt concern that the presidency not accumulate unwarranted power without transparency, then I can only say that he’s the only one of the 99 co-sponsors with a sincere focus on improving government. The other 98 of them–99, counting King–could give a rat’s ass about over-muscular presidential powers. The entire wingoverse loved warrantless wiretapping.

No, they just hate Democrats and Obama in particular.

Eventually, one of Clay’s staffers got back to me and informed me that the information about his co-sponsorship was wrong. It occurred because of a clerical error in the House. Clay is NOT a co-sponsor of the Glenn Beck-despise-Obama-pretend-we-have-a-reason bill.

Oh. Never mind. And by the way, thank goodness.

I’m grateful to be living in Lacy Clay’s district. I didn’t have to wonder: I knew he’d vote against that FISA travesty. He’s an HR 676 co-sponsor. He opposed the war before it ever began. And so forth. His politics are progressive.

So I learned with dismay a couple of days ago that he is endorsing Chris Koster. Jo Mannies at the Post-Dispatch tells us Clay’s rationale:

Clay praised Koster’s “great courage to cross over into the light” when he switched political parties last year. Clay also chastised Koster’s opponents for repeatedly questioning whether he’s a true Democrat.

Representative Clay: I’m glad Koster had the “courage to cross over into the light”, but that religious metaphor reminds me that it’s never enough to be born again if you’re going to continue deliberately sinning in the callous belief that the Creator’s got you covered for any misbehavior.

It makes no sense for you, sir, to reward the man who wants to be the state’s top law enforcement officer when he breaks the law in his handling of campaign finance contributions. Indeed, most of the money that got “recontributed” to him through the Economic Growth Council, Koster’s front group for money laundering, came from Republicans and will be used in an effort to defeat two fine Democrats with impeccable legislative progressive histories.

By all means, Koster is welcome in our party, but I wish he had stayed in the Senate. He doesn’t deserve the AG nomination, nor your help in obtaining it.

The AP article earlier this week that described Koster’s campaign finance shady dealings pointed out:

But in a 2000 opinion that remains in effect today, the Missouri Ethics Commission said candidates cannot request that contributions be made to other political committees “with the express purpose of passing those contributions through the committee to the candidate.”

But that’s precisely what Koster did. One of his own staff members provided the Associated Press with the e-mails that proved he had set up the Economic Growth Council for that purpose. He told donors who’d had to take back their over-the-limit contributions but who wanted to “recontribute” the money that they should give it to the EGC so it could be passed to him. Then the EGC took the money it collected to various legislative committees, handed them checks, and in return received similar sized checks made out to Koster.

Furthermore, Jorgen Schlemeier, the point man for two of Koster’s donors said he was told why the EGC had been created:

“The treasurer at the Economic Growth Council made a very clear statement that we’re founded to help Chris Koster out.”

Koster orchestrated it, and now he’s saying:

“I strongly believe – because we have acted in consultation with the law, the rulings and on the advise [sic] of the ethics commission – that we are in line with campaign finance laws.”

Horsehockey!

And like a kid caught stealing candy, Koster “contends other campaigns also routinely use staffers to shuttle and flip checks through political committees, though he cited no one specifically by name.” All the other kids do it.

We need a grownup–with ethics, by the bye–in charge of the AG’s office.

And as long as I’m busy chastising people, let me quote the extent of Jo Mannies’ coverage of the Koster scandal, at least as far as the hard copy edition of the Post-Dispatch goes:

Clay’s support comes as Koster has been under fire for his campaign fundraising practices. Most of Koster’s campaign money originated from a few wealthy individuals, including multimillionaire Rex Sinquefield, who gave to numerous campaign committees that donated to Koster.

There you have the sum and substance of what she or anyone else has had to say about this scandal in the daily paper.

I’m not counting on the Ethics Commission, either, to do the right thing. The Missouri Political News Blog is reporting that the chair of the Commission is Tim Kilgore, who worked with Koster in the law firm of Tim Dollar a few years back. When Koster says he acted “on the advise [sic] of the ethics commission”, he may mean on the advice of that particular member, a very powerful member.

Hey, am I just whistling Dixie here? Or is somebody  with the ability to get this issue before the public paying attention?