Ironic, to say the least.

From Representative Denny Hoskins’ (r-noun, verb, CPA) March 4, 2011 Capitol Report:

….This week, Speaker Steve Tilley appointed me to the Missouri Film Commission.  Missouri needs to continue to work hard to attract production companies to come to Missouri to film movies.  This has brought millions of dollars of out-of-state money into Missouri in the last two years, including the films Up in the Air and Winter’s Bone.  Recently, Governor Nixon withheld an important economic development tool that caused Paramount Pictures to withdraw their plans to produce another major film in St. Louis and go to another state.  All states but one have film commissions or offices which work to keep their state in the forefront of consideration so you can see the competition is stiff.  Governor Nixon’s budget recommendation is to eliminate the Missouri Film Commission.  With no film commission, there is no one to advocate for Missouri, which means we aren’t seriously considered.  I have already made my position clear on the importance of this investment in this economic development effort and will continue to do so in the Budget Committee and on the House floor if necessary….

Local film festivals are another matter, however:  

Suppose you held a film festival and right wingnuts didn’t want anyone to attend (September 10, 2010)

The show must go on (September 10, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (r): The review is in – two thumbs down (September 14, 2010)

Veto Session Reviews for Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): great potental for a Razzie (September 15, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and the Film Festival: because the arts never generate economic activity? (September 17, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and the Film Festival: demagoguery, not oversight (September 18, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and the Film Festival: that was then, this is now (September 20, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and the Film Festival: no one knew about it… (September 21, 2010)

A short film about a film festival… (September 22, 2010)

Ky Dickens, the film festival, the Chicago Reader, and teabaggers (September 23, 2010)

We get film festival hate mail (September 28, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and the Film Festival: that was then, this is now – part 2 (September 28, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and the Film Festival: what the teabaggers say (October 4, 2010)

So, using public money to promote film and contribute to the local economy in your own district is really bad, but using public money to promote film and contribute to the economy in other places in the state is really good?

What will the teabaggers think?

The typical republican expects everyone else to have a short memory:

Journal; The Mother Next Door

By FRANK RICH

Published: November 13, 1994

….But once Ms. Smith confessed, a new villain had to be found to keep our own internal demons at bay. Enter Newt Gingrich, who rushed into action on election eve with another reliable generic culprit: society. He said the double murder “vividly reminds every American how sick the society is getting and how much we need to change things,” expediently adding that “the only way you get change is to vote Republican.”

Hmmm, that sounds suspiciously like someone was exploiting a tragedy for political purposes, right before an election, even. And the real story got even worse when the facts came out long after that election:

Defending Smith, Stepfather Says He Also Bears Blame

By RICK BRAGG

Published: July 28, 1995

…Susan Smith’s stepfather, who admitted that he had molested her when she was a teen-ager and had consensual sex with her as an adult, told her and his town that he shared her guilt in the drowning deaths of her young sons….

….Mr. Russell, a former member of the executive committee of the South Carolina Republican Party and a member of the Christian Coalition, read aloud from a letter he had written to Mrs. Smith in jail in which he said that his “heart breaks for what I have done to you….”

[emphasis added]

Can you believe that the inside the beltway cocktail weenie circuit continues to have Newt Gingrich appear on our televisions?

Now, we have a political environment where one group consistently uses violent imagery and eliminationist rhetoric, all while continuing to say, “what, who me?”

Previously:

It does happen here : “…can you out run a nine millimeter…” (January 10, 2011)

It does happen here : “…can you out run a nine millimeter…”, part 2 (January 12, 2011)

So, as near as we can tell Courtney Cole’s op-ed about threats of violence directed at individuals running for office has appeared here, at Fired Up!, PoliticMo, in the Kansas City Star, and now, in the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal. Interestingly, the versions in the Star and the Star-Journal don’t mention the name of the individual in the police report.

But, of course, we do get the typical right wing republican knee jerk reaction when anyone points out the obvious. This, from a long comment in the Star-Journal from someone with the same name as an unsuccessful republican candidate [pdf] in the 2010 primary for Presiding Commissioner of Johnson County:

As always, someone has to make a tragedy into a political argument, when, as the evidence comes to light, this incident in Tucson was clearly non-political.

I can’t grant much credence to Courtney Cole’s claims of threats made during the last election. I’m not saying they’re untrue, just a bit over blown as were many of her statements in her campaign literature. I doubt that she was every in any real physical danger as the election results indicate that only a few thought she was a viable candidate. She seems to still taste the sour grapes of her recent defeat.

Since Ms. Cole threw herself wholeheartedly into the politics of personal destruction during the campaign (referencing the seemingly unending deluge of vitriolic literature that was sent to me daily by her campaign), for her to be chastising the rest of us for any lack of civility seems a little out of place….

….If we’re all to practice more civility, perhaps Courtney Cole should take her own advice and in her next campaign lead us all….

“…I’m not saying they’re untrue, just a bit over blown as were many of her statements in her campaign literature…”

Untrue? Uh, Courtney Cole quotes the offender from the police report in his conversation with the investigating officer as reported by that officer. And, of course, pointing out that the republican incumbent failed to pay his taxes (a fact) is definitely “over blown”. Ah, the “they all do it” defense. Yes, because a threat of violence is a “bit over blown” and equivalent to campaign literature which points out the actual record of the incumbent.

“…referencing the seemingly unending deluge of vitriolic literature that was sent to me daily by her campaign…”

Project much? Unending deluge? Who outspent who? You mean like this, this, or this? Yeah, stating that someone is “guilty by association”, a preeminent American value, in a mailing is so much better than an actual discussion of important issues or the public record.

The commenter evidently thinks everyone else is an idiot.

Are threats of violence like “can you outrun a nine millimeter” acceptable political discourse? Is pointing out the verifiable public record of a candidate the same? Just asking.

I wonder if the commenter spoke up when Newt Gingrich exploited those murders in South Carolina for political purposes. Nah. *IOKIYAR. Being self righteous goes with the territory.

* it’s okay if you’re a republican

Previously: It does happen here : “…can you out run a nine millimeter…” (January 10, 2011)

Courtney Cole (D) had her opinion piece on violent political rhetoric published in today’s Kansas City Star:

Political threats are real, and I’ve heard it firsthand

All over America, people spent last weekend in shock over the senseless murder of six people and the wounding of another 13 in Arizona. It was heartbreaking to read quotes from the family of victim 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green that said she was excited about the political process.

Unfortunately, the political process is ill.

In the last election cycle, when I ran for state representative, I received several threats of gun violence on the campaign trail. The most serious involved a municipal elected official in my area. On the day of the primary, I went to a polling location in my district where I stood and greeted individuals as they left the poll after voting. A municipal elected official heard me speaking with another individual about labor issues as he left the poll with his wife. He became very hostile with me and claimed that he would do whatever possible to see that I wasn’t elected after hearing my support for workers.

A police report on his side of the event states: “According to him they argued … until she asked if he was going to hit her. His reply was, ‘No, but can you outrun a nine millimeter?'”

To me, this was a threat and I was concerned enough to go to the police. But I didn’t draw attention to these incidents during the race. My point in sharing this story now is not to rehash the campaign. I want to offer a specific local example of violence in politics. We would like to think that the vitriol is only a part of the national political scene, however, it made its way to Johnson County, Mo.

I believe we have a responsibility to ourselves, Democrats to Republicans, conservatives to liberals, to respect our democracy and political process as well as each other. Our political environment has become more and more hostile. The unseen victims of the current chaos are all of us. Constructive debate is overshadowed by cheap slams and dishonest robo calls.

Not only does it cost us respect for our neighbors, it crowds out the reason needed to solve our collective problems and make coherent decisions about the future.

We can commit to civility. We can be an example of faith in the democracy that has guided us to being the greatest nation on earth. Just as the mother of the young girl who lost her life last weekend pleads, “I just want her memory to live on because she was a face of hope … a face of us coming together as a country to stop the violence and hatred and the evil words.”

Courtney Cole of Warrensburg, a Democrat, lost in November in her race for state representative in the 121st District, Johnson County, Mo. She is a high school teacher in Higginsville, Mo.

Posted on Tue, Jan. 11, 2011 10:15 PM

It’s really interesting to read the online comments from the usual suspects.

Uh, yep:

Sadly this is nothing new. Your district is small, no one knows you. You received one threat. This happens multiple times daily to federal congressional workers and the president. There will always be crazies on both sides of the political spectrum, but the blame is always put upon the republicans simply because of their constitution view of free gun rights which has proven to decrease crime. This debate will go on forever. Every time someone gets shot with a gun, gun control is always brought up…and even if they were tighten this kid could have got a gun anyways legally or illegally.

[emphasis added]

One is one too many.

Reading comprehension isn’t this person’s strong suit.

“…In the last election cycle, when I ran for state representative, I received several threats of gun violence on the campaign trail….” [empasis added]

Compare Courtney Cole’s published Kansas City Star piece above with what ran here on Monday (and at PoliticMo):

All over America, people have spent the weekend in shock over the senseless murder of six people and the wounding of another 13 in Arizona. It was heart breaking to read quotes from the father of nine-year-old, Christina Taylor Green, who was killed in the attack, “She was excited about the political process.”

Unfortunately, the political process is ill.

In the last election cycle, when I ran for State Representative, I received several threats of gun violence on the campaign trail. The most serious involved Holden City Councilman Jim Nipko. On the day of the primary, I went to the polling location in Holden where I stood and greeted individuals as they left the poll after voting. Nipko heard me speaking with another individual about labor issues as he left the poll with his wife. He became very hostile with me and claimed that he would do whatever possible to see that I wasn’t elected after hearing my support for workers.

Quoting directly from the police report on Nipko’s side of the story: “According to him they argued and increased until she asked if he was going to hit her. His reply was, ‘No but can you outrun a nine millimeter?'”

To me, this was a threat and I was concerned enough to go to the police. The county prosecutor, Lynn Stoppy, refused to pursue the case, dismissing it as only an implied threat.

I didn’t draw attention to these incidents during the race. My point in sharing this story now is not to rehash the past campaign. I want to offer a very specific local example of violence in politics. We would like to think that the vitriol is only a part of the national political scene, however, it made its way to Johnson County.

I believe we have a responsibility to ourselves, Democrats to Republicans, conservatives to liberals, to respect our democracy and political process as well as each other. Our political environment has become more and more hostile. The unseen victims of the current chaos are all of us. Constructive debate is overshadowed by cheap slams and dishonest robo calls. Not only does it cost us respect for our neighbors, it crowds out the reason needed to solve our collective problems and make coherent decisions about the future.

We can commit to civility. We can be an example of faith in the democracy that has guided us to being the greatest nation on earth. Just as the mother of the young girl who lost her life this past weekend pleads, “I want her memory to live on that she’s a face of hope…a face of us coming together as a country to stop the violence and hatred and evil words.”

Courtney Cole, Warrensburg

You think the Star checked out the police report?

And there’s still another incident as described in a September 29, 2010 Warrensburg, Missouri Police Incident Report.

According to the police report a Courtney Cole campaign volunteer who was going door to door had to jump out of the way when a van swerved toward her while the occupants yelled at her.

Yep, this is obviously an environment conducive to a reflective and serious democratic process.

Nah, it’s their world, we only get to live in it.  

The “30 Day After General Election” reports were due in at the Missouri Ethics Commission today. At this point we usually start wading through final campaign reports by race (and we are) and post as many stories as we can on the interesting minutiae and connections we find in our research. In starting that research today we ran into another blatant connection to the robocalls in the 121st Legislative District race. Yes, we were very interested in this race – it had a hardworking and hard charging newcomer in Courtney Cole (D) challenging a republican incumbent who managed to keep shooting himself in the foot. Alas, Denny Hoskins (r) was reelected.

Right at the end of the campaign the Missouri House republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) loosed homophobic robocalls against a number of Democratic candidates across the state, including Courtney Cole, on October 27th. You might want to remember that date.

Of course, the republican candidates disavowed any knowledge of those calls. Wink, wink.

We followed the story and tracked the source of those robocalls:

HRCC? What HRCC? I’ve never heard of them… (November 1, 2010)

….The Missouri House republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) filed a “no name” report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on October 29th. There are some enlightening expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC

ReportDate: 10/29/2010

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Hoskins $1,288.54

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Brattin $1,141.13…

That’s for Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA) in the 121st Legislative District and Rick Brattin (r) in the 124th Legislative District….

On October 29, 2010 Denny Hoskins (r) publicly disavowed any knowledge of the robocalls in the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal:

10/29/2010 2:08:00 PM

GOP robocall attacks Cole’s ‘family values’

Warrensburg – Rep. Denny Hoskins sought to distance himself Thursday from a robocall barrage targeting his Nov. 2 Democratic opponent….

….Hoskins said in a prepared statement. “I did not pay for, approve or have any knowledge of the robocall, nor do I condone its message….”

You might want to remember that date.

Denny Hoskins (r) filed his “30 Day After General Election” report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on December 1st. There was an interesting entry in the expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: CITIZENS FOR HOSKINS

ReportDate: 12/2/2010

B. ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES ALL OVER $100 AND ALL PAYMENTS TO CAMPAIGN WORKERS

SURVEY ST. LOUIS PO BOX 432 ST. CHARLES, MO 63302 10/29/2010 PUSH CARDS $1,712.15

[emphasis added]

That’s right, on the same day that he disavowed the robocalls, and two days after those calls were made, Denny Hoskins (r) paid the perpetrator of those calls, Survey St. Louis, for campaign paraphernalia. How nice.

The right hand doesn’t know what the far right hand is doing? Yeah, right.

So, we thought we do a little searching on Survey St. Louis via the Missouri Secretary of State:

Survey Saint Louis, LLC is a fictitious business name registered to Display Stuff, LLC. The owner is a Thomas Smith.

Business Name History

Name Name Type

Survey Saint Louis, LLC Legal

Fictitious Registration – Domestic – Information

Charter Number: X00589093

Status: Fictitious Active

Entity Creation Date: 5/24/2004

State of Business.: MO

Expiration Date: 8/28/2014

Owners

Name: DISPLAY STUFF, L.L.C.

Address: 320 MONROE STREET

ST. CHARLES MO 63301

The registered agent for Display Stuff, LLC is a Thomas Smith:

Business Name History

Name Name Type

DISPLAY STUFF, L.L.C. Legal

Limited Liability Company – Domestic – Information

Charter Number: LC0044000

Status: Active

Entity Creation Date: 10/26/2000

State of Business.: MO

Expiration Date: Perpetual

Registered Agent

Agent Name: THOMAS W. SMITH, JR.

Office Address: 320 MONROE STREET

ST. CHARLES MO 63301

Mailing Address:

Organizers

Name: JAMES W. MATHIS

Address: 911 WASHINGTON AVEUE

ST. LOUIS MO 63101

Where have we seen that name before?:

…Tom Smith, the owner of the company hired by the HRCC to blast the calls (and who also happens to be a staffer for outgoing Speaker Ron Richard)…

[emphasis added]

Apparently, the right hand washes the far right hand, too.

Previously:

HRCC robocall in the 121st Legislative District: desperation and homophobia (October 27, 2010)

The Missouri HRCC steps in it with homophobic robocalls (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: Uh, that didn’t go very well, did it? (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: “But, but, the Democrats are mean to us…” (October 29, 2010)

Tilley (r), the HRCC robocalls, and the media: “…testing, testing, testing, is this thing on?” (October 29, 2010)

Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal Headline: “GOP robocall attacks Cole’s ‘family values'” (October 29, 2010)

Campaign Finance: old media needs to learn to do some freakin’ research (October 29, 2010)

I guess I’m going to have to go with “No Comment” (October 29, 2010)

Another Democrat fights sleazy robocalls (October 30, 2010)

HRCC? What HRCC? I just like their swag… (October 30, 2010)

Missouri’s HRCC and the robocalls: follow the money (October 31, 2010)

HRCC? What HRCC? I’ve never heard of them… (November 1, 2010)

I see nothing! I know nothing! (November 24, 2010)

We’d have ham and eggs, if we had some ham, and if we had some eggs.

Friday, in the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal:

11/5/2010 11:04:00 AM

House chooses leader

Warrensburg – Rep. Denny Hoskins said he is positioning himself to one day, perhaps, chair the House Budget Committee, but not this year….

….Hoskins said part of his plan included taking no action to seek a House leadership position this week, such as caucus leader.

“I decided not to run for any leadership position because I would like to be a chair of a committee,” he said. “If you hold any leadership position you cannot be a chair of a committee. In the Senate, because there are fewer of them than of us, they can hold a leadership position and be a chair of a committee….”

[emphasis added]

Spoils, what spoils?

Heh. They had a plan. As in, see how you can spin it when you got nothing.

So much for plans:

[paraphrased]…Woody [the interviewer] asked Hoskins why he would be singled out for missing a vote. Hoskins replied that the Democratic leadership was under investigation by the FBI (mentioning Representative Paul LeVota by name). Hoskins went on to say that he was being picked on because he’s in the leadership of the freshman class, and that he’s considered future leadership [in the House]…

[emphasis added]

The best laid plans…

The results are in for the 121st Legislative District race:

State Representative – District 121

Precincts Reporting 7 of 7

Cole, Courtney DEM 3,479 38.0%

Hoskins, Denny L. REP 5,291 57.9%

Wayne, Bill LIB 375 4.1%

Total Votes 9,145

Regular readers here at Show Me Progress may have noted our coverage of the 121st District race. Part of this was due to our proximity to the action, but a larger part was the remarkable person who was the Democratic Party candidate, Courtney Cole – a smart and savvy candidate, a quick study and an individual with a thorough understanding of the nuts and bolts of campaigning. Someone who thrives on door to door voter contact.

In many ways this race was a microcosm of our universe with the added benefit of an incumbent who always somehow managed to find some way to stumble, but in the end somehow still managed to find a way to land on his feet – with the assistance of plenty of cash from the HRCC.

You can safely bet that the representative in the 121st Legislative District will continue to give us plenty to write about. And we’ll continue to give him the coverage he and his constituents deserve.

Update:

An e-mail sent by Courtney Cole (D) to her supporters:

…Congratulations on all that we’ve been able to accomplish with this campaign. This has truly been a positive experience and has provided me with so many opportunities along the way. We never would have had the success that we have without your support and that truly means the world to me.

I will not give up in my fight for what I think is right here in Johnson County. There are people hurting and that motivates me even more to get involved and help however I can to relieve their pain.

In the meantime, please stay informed on what is going on in our local and state governments. Reach out to your officials and respectfully work with them to bring solutions to the problems that we are facing.

Again, thank you for making this possible.

In your service,

Courtney

The republican robocalls:

HRCC robocall in the 121st Legislative District: desperation and homophobia (October 27, 2010)

The Missouri HRCC steps in it with homophobic robocalls (October 28, 2010)

And we followed the money.

The Missouri House republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) filed a “no name” report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on October 29th. There are some enlightening expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC

ReportDate: 10/29/2010

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Hoskins $1,288.54

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Brattin $1,141.13…

That’s for Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA) in the 121st Legislative District and Rick Brattin (r) in the 124th Legislative District.

A photo taken on Thursday in Harrisonville, Missouri in the 124th Legislative District:

10/29/2010 2:08:00 PM

GOP robocall attacks Cole’s ‘family values’

Warrensburg – Rep. Denny Hoskins sought to distance himself Thursday from a robocall barrage targeting his Nov. 2 Democratic opponent….

….Hoskins said in a prepared statement. “I did not pay for, approve or have any knowledge of the robocall, nor do I condone its message….”

A photo taken today in Warrensburg, Missouri in the 121st Legislative District:

Why, that’s just across the street from Denny Hoskins’ place of business, complete with a campaign sign!

So, who is the representative from the 146th Legislative District?:

Representative Darrell Pollock, a Republican, represents part of Laclede and Camden County (District 146) in the Missouri House of Representatives. Rep. Pollock is a small business owner in Lebanon….

…He has two children, Stephen….

Where have we seen that name before? Oh, wait…someone is in the employ of the HRCC:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

EXPENDITURES AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE

HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE [pdf] INC 10/12/2010

Stephen Pollock

Bolivar, MO

9/15/2010

Payroll

$10,330.80 [aggregate]

$750.00

Stephen Pollock

Bolivar, MO

9/2/2010

Travel Expense

10,330.80 [aggregate]

$1,098.42

HRCC? What HRCC?

Is someone working for the HRCC driving dad’s car around the 121st and 124th Legislative Districts? Around the same time as those robocalls? Just asking.

Previously:

HRCC robocall in the 121st Legislative District: desperation and homophobia (October 27, 2010)

The Missouri HRCC steps in it with homophobic robocalls (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: Uh, that didn’t go very well, did it? (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: “But, but, the Democrats are mean to us…” (October 29, 2010)

Tilley (r), the HRCC robocalls, and the media: “…testing, testing, testing, is this thing on?” (October 29, 2010)

Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal Headline: “GOP robocall attacks Cole’s ‘family values'” (October 29, 2010)

Campaign Finance: old media needs to learn to do some freakin’ research (October 29, 2010)

I guess I’m going to have to go with “No Comment” (October 29, 2010)

Another Democrat fights sleazy robocalls (October 30, 2010)

HRCC? What HRCC? I just like their swag… (October 30, 2010)

Missouri’s HRCC and the robocalls: follow the money (October 31, 2010)

The republican robocalls:

HRCC robocall in the 121st Legislative District: desperation and homophobia (October 27, 2010)

The Missouri HRCC steps in it with homophobic robocalls (October 28, 2010)

The saga continues, as we follow the money:

The Missouri House republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) filed a “no name” report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on October 29th. There are some enlightening expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC

ReportDate: 10/29/2010

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Hoskins $1,288.54

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Brattin $1,141.13

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Fitzwater $621.78

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Shumake $871.44

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Cauthorn $801.69

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Hampton $1,071.04

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Leach $983.15

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Schneider $896.12

[emphasis added]

Interesting, Denny Hoskins’ (r-noun, verb, CPA) campaign in the 121st Legislative District and Rick Brattin’s (r) campaign in the 124th Legislative District were the largest beneficiaries of the “GOTV calls” if that’s what the campaign finance report label for desperate homophobic robocalls is these days.

Let’s take a look at some of the folks who’ve been funding the HRCC of late:

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received

Committee: HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC

Report Date: 10/29/2010

A. ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM COMMITTEES REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT, OR FROM PERSONS GIVING MORE THAN $100 TO A COMMITTEE.

MO Eye PAC 1705 Christy Dr Ste 101 Jefferson City, MO 65101-5195 10/28/2010 $2,000.00

Verizon Verizon PO Box 2200 Folsom, CA 95763-2200 10/28/2010 $2,500.00

Dealers Interested in Gov PO Box 245 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0245 10/28/2010 $1,500.00

Husch Blackwell LLP Husch Blackwell LLP 190 Carondelet Plz Ste 600 Saint Louis, MO 63105-3433 10/29/2010 $5,500.00

Rightchoice Managed Care, Inc 1831 Chestnut St Saint Louis, MO 63103-2225 10/28/2010 $6,000.00

The Stolar Partnership LLP 911 Washington Ave Saint Louis, MO 63101-1243 10/28/2010 $250.00

Veritec Solutions, LLC Veritec Solutions, LLC 904 W main Street, Suite 100 Jefferson City, MO 65109- 10/29/2010 $500.00

Maybe we’ll pick up the phone on Monday to give these folks a call and ask them if the know what their contributions to the HRCC have been funding of late.

Previously:

HRCC robocall in the 121st Legislative District: desperation and homophobia (October 27, 2010)

The Missouri HRCC steps in it with homophobic robocalls (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: Uh, that didn’t go very well, did it? (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: “But, but, the Democrats are mean to us…” (October 29, 2010)

Tilley (r), the HRCC robocalls, and the media: “…testing, testing, testing, is this thing on?” (October 29, 2010)

Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal Headline: “GOP robocall attacks Cole’s ‘family values'” (October 29, 2010)

Campaign Finance: old media needs to learn to do some freakin’ research (October 29, 2010)

I guess I’m going to have to go with “No Comment” (October 29, 2010)

Another Democrat fights sleazy robocalls (October 30, 2010)

HRCC? What HRCC? I just like their swag… (October 30, 2010)

The nasty republican robocall that started it all.

We received yet another mailer from Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA) today and noticed a little detail that belies this assertion in yesterday’s Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal:

…Rep. Denny Hoskins sought to distance himself Thursday from a robocall barrage targeting his Nov. 2 Democratic opponent….

….Hoskins said in a prepared statement. “I did not pay for, approve or have any knowledge of the robocall, nor do I condone its message….”

It’s kind of hard to distance yourself from the House republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) when you’re wearing their swag in one of the few mail pieces paid for by your own campaign:

Nice shirt. Where’d you get it?

Uh, the HRCC?

Or when the Executive Director of the HRCC walks in the UCM homecoming parade with you, wearing your campaign t-shirt:

Dave Hageman, Missouri Executive Director of Victory Enterprises (left) and

Robert Knodell, Executive Director of the House Republican Campaign Committee (right)

Yesterday Courtney Cole‘s (D) campaign ran a robocall in response to the HRCC’s sleazy effort last Wednesday to promote homophobia.

The transcript:

Hello, this is Courtney Cole and I want to apologize to you for a phone call that my opponent sent out this week which contained false allegations attacking our Christian values.  My husband Jason and I raise our little girl, McKenzie here in the 121st district and we should expect integrity and decency from the campaigns of our local candidates.  Unfortunately, some people are willing to attack our community and my Christian values for their own political gain.  I ask for your support to allow me to represent the values that make our community a wonderful place to live and work by voting for me on Tuesday.  If you have any questions, please call me at home… or visit my website at http://www.votecourtneycole.com.  Paid for by Cole for House, Laurie Squiric, Treasurer.

Previously:

HRCC robocall in the 121st Legislative District: desperation and homophobia (October 27, 2010)

The Missouri HRCC steps in it with homophobic robocalls (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: Uh, that didn’t go very well, did it? (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: “But, but, the Democrats are mean to us…” (October 29, 2010)

Tilley (r), the HRCC robocalls, and the media: “…testing, testing, testing, is this thing on?” (October 29, 2010)

Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal Headline: “GOP robocall attacks Cole’s ‘family values'” (October 29, 2010)

Campaign Finance: old media needs to learn to do some freakin’ research (October 29, 2010)

I guess I’m going to have to go with “No Comment” (October 29, 2010)

Another Democrat fights sleazy robocalls (October 30, 2010)

I hope you got out and got some sunshine. I spent my day trying to get in touch with a couple of republican fellows who are up to their armpits in robocall bilge. –BG

I managed, through a source that was promised anonymity, to locate the cell phone numbers of the Executive Director of the HRCC and the Executive Director of Victory Strategies, a political strategy firm that is closely associated with the HRCC.

They are also pretty closely associated with Denny (Noun, Verb, CPA) Hoskins in Warrensburg, as you can see in this photo:

Dave Hageman, Missouri Executive Director of Victory Enterprises (left) and

Robert Knodell, Executive Director of the House Republican Campaign Committee (right)

Marching together in the CMSU UCM homecoming parade kinda makes the whole ‘recoil in horror and deny everything’ approach Denny has chosen not merely unbelievable, but, frankly, laughable mockworthy.

I first left a message for Mr. Knodell, but I didn’t expect a callback. He doesn’t even say his name on his voicemail greeting, just his number, but I gave it the old Mizzou try…Keep in mind I hate talking to machines…

“Hi, ah, my name is Tammy Booth and I am a reporter with “They Gave Us a Republic” that’s a national web, ah, national news website…they gave us a republic dot com, if you want to look at it…Ah, I was wondering…I’m looking for a man named Robert Knodell, and I’m wondering if I can get a comment on the HRCC decision to pull the robocalls that went out attacking schoolteachers and, and other Democrats, um…at the end of the, ah, that have now been pulled…and if you had a comment on the decision to launch them, and the decision to pull them. Thank you.”

I wasn’t too pushy…I waited a bit before sending him the following text message:

Hello, I am looking for Robert Knodell and a comment on the robocalls that went out and were quickly pulled.  Thank You. Tammy Booth theygaveusarepublic.com

I didn’t call Mr. Hageman. He wasn’t going to answer for me, and we both knew it, so I just cut to the chase and sent the following message:

Hello Mr. Hageman. My name is Tammy Booth and I am a reporter with the national news site theygaveusarepublic.com   I am looking for comments on the decision to first launch, then pull the robocall campaign that accused Democratic candidates of taking money from the gay porn industry?  Thank you.

It is now 7:30 p.m. on Friday, and neither of these fellows has seen fit to “man up” as Sharron Angle would say.

I can only assume then that they know they have no excuses, realize that they have done more harm than good (or as my father used to say “stepped on their dicks”) and they are bravely laying low ’til Tuesday.

They don’t just have “no comment,” they have the double-secret “no comment” that no one has to say.

Previous coverage below the fold.

HRCC robocall in the 121st Legislative District: desperation and homophobia (October 27, 2010)

The Missouri HRCC steps in it with homophobic robocalls (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: Uh, that didn’t go very well, did it? (October 28, 2010)

Tilley (r) on HRCC robocalls: “But, but, the Democrats are mean to us…” (October 29, 2010)

Tilley (r), the HRCC robocalls, and the media: “…testing, testing, testing, is this thing on?” (October 29, 2010)