Tag Archives: Senate

An elitist spork tries to attend a knife fight

20 Thursday Jul 2023

Posted by in Josh Hawley, social media, US Senate

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Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Today, from Josh Hawley (r):

Senator Josh Hawley
[July 20, 2023]
Hawley says DOJ continues to interfere with GOP ‘efforts to find out: Is the president of the US a crook?’
[….]

If it’s not political, why would the GOP be making ‘efforts’. Why not the U.S. Senate? Just asking.

Some of the responses:

It’s mind boggling the comments supporting searching for something, anything to try to find a way to make Biden look bad.
But trump, with all the crimes he committed, still has people cool with all he did. Defend him like he did nothing wrong. Make excuses for him. I just don’t get it.

Can you tell me what Hawley has done in the past 4 years to improve the lives of Missouri’s residents? He must have a list of accomplishments, I just can’t find any…thanks for your enlightenment.

and you notice, it’s like crickets whenever you ask that question. Never a response.

Thank you; I’m trying to understand how Missouri elects someone who doesn’t care about improving the lives of its residents. Missouri is one of the states listed as receiving the highest Federal Aid for underserved residents. Wages are low, the school systems are rated at the bottom, the wealthy are not fairly taxed, health care is abysmal, especially for women and children. I hope the voters educate themselves before marking their ballots in 2024.

they love him because he hates the same people.
They care about what they are told to care about then they blindly follow.
The gov recently declined federal aid to the needy.
These are self destructive hate filled …. people.
It’s bad here. Real bad. Most can no longer afford rent even in two income homes.
Food cost have forced many to stop eating meat alltogether. ( interesting that artificial meat suddenly appears )
Health care is abysmal and cost for care make most choose to die. They’re great at collecting Healthcare debt. Really good at that
Dental care is … awful coupled with crooked providers.
The list goes on.
But hay they saved unwanted babies and increased the likelihood that you’d have one too.

He (Hawley) should be investigated for fomenting insurrection and then running like a little girl.

Good grief. Then we should look into the criminality of Hawley and his support/association with Jan 6 insurrectionists. Hawley continues to support the former president who has 71 pending felonies, and it appears there more to come. Until only recently, Hawley’s cover photo “proudly” displayed a picture of himself and the former president, who led an insurrection based on lies. Hawley promoted this man’s lies while giving the insurrection crowd a raised fist of support. And glory be, a Twitter post from Dec. 2020 shows that Hawley even has the support of currently indicted Meshawn Maddock, one of the Michigan fake electors, then Hawley went on to contest the Electoral Count even after the horrendous attack on the US Capitol.
But Hawley has never raised an eyebrow or criticized their lies or lawlessness. Biden has never had a hint of criminality in his past while the former president has a long history of questionable acts and immorality, many based on court testimony and court judgments, as well as testimony of close GOP close and attorneys. Recently, Hawley spoke at a Florida conference that featured the former president and many who reportedly participated in the Jan 6 insurrection plans, who still peddle 2020 election lies, and who continue to support the twice (soon to be three maybe four) times indicted former president who has already been found civilly liable for sexual abuse, whose charity was dissolved for misusing funds (stealing from charity), who closed his own university (settled out of court) due to “shocking pattern of illegality,” whose attorney and CFO were sent to prison for actions either ordered or approved by him.
Maybe the Congress should question Hawley’s criminality based upon his support, without reservation or remorse, of those who have and those who have allegedly committed crimes against our government. How much money does he receive for his on-going attempts to deceive his constituents?

And you tried to interfere in a fair election! Now you are scared you might be held accountable for your actions! Run, Josh, run!

I wish Missouri had a Senator that worked for the people of Missouri.

No such luck.

This man has done absolutely nothing for Missouri since he was elected all he done is self-promote and make political talking points

Your problem is not that a President may be corrupt. Your problem is that YOUR ex-President is being accused of serious crimes and you don’t want to have to admit, if necessary, that he was anything but perfect. That would reflect on your past support of his actions. What you are looking for is revenge in a two-tiered system of justice white-washed with complaints about what is an even-handed rule of law.

Bad combover. Check. Too long red tie. Check. Orange spray tan. Check. Tiny hands. Check. Cluelessness. Check…

If Democrats were “rigging elections,” we’d have single-payer healthcare, clean water, no Fox News and solar cars by now

There’s that.

Some crook named Trump is under indictment for stealing classified materials

There’s that, also.

Humble brag

12 Saturday Nov 2022

Posted by in US Senate

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Eric Schmitt (r) [2022 file photo].

Yesterday on Facebook:

Eric Schmitt
This election wasn’t about me, it was about the future of this great country.
[….]

Some of the responses:

You won’t fight for me. You won’t fight for the 10 year old rape victim; you’ll fight for her rapist. You won’t fight for those who are impoverished. You’ll fight for the corporations. You won’t fight for eduction; you’ll fight to destroy it. You won’t fight for minorities or LGBTQ; you’ll fight to take away any hard won rights they have. So when you say Missouri, you’re saying white conservative males. [….]

Interestingly, he didn’t mention Missouri.

You’ll be a senator for yourself, just like you were an AG

I’ve heard him spread disinformation and prejudice for 2 years while pledging to be an obstacle to anything bipartisan in DC. He doesn’t deserve a chance, and should have been impeached from AG for abuse of office

Yea – that “hoodie-in-the-pizza-parlor” image sure went away fast! Now it’s power-suits and sucking up to Ted Cruz for “the boy-from-Bridgeton”…

Eric you will be a senator for the Lobbyists not Missouri……You have already got your eye on that NRA money that Roy Blunt got and China will be knocking on your door soon!!! LOL…….

So your social media team decided to stick with inanities? Got it.

Hey, Schitty…are ya gonna sue the schools that are closing as result of the RSV breakout???? Oh, wait…you’ve already “won,” so I guess you’re done using frivolous lawsuits to campaign now, aren’t ya?
You’re gonna do NOTHIN’ for Missouri; you’re gonna step on every one of us to work your way to the Oval Office. You’re nothin’ but an opportunist.

Just red in the paper how you intend to have Ted Cruz as your “Senatorial mentor”… Was there ever ANY DOUBT you would pick the most-hated person in America as your hero? [….]

Future vacations in Cancun with is new pal.

Bullshit.

Not for women.

I don’t believe you.

For future reference

08 Monday Aug 2022

Posted by in social media, US Senate

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Eric Schmitt (r) [2021 file photo].

Last night:

Eric Schmitt @Eric_Schmitt
Democrats think raising taxes will fix the inflation they created. The misnamed “Inflation Reduction Act” will supercharge the price hikes wrecking our economy and force families to pay more in taxes. When I get to the Senate, I’ll be ready to stop to these socialist boondoggles.
7:45 PM · Aug 7, 2022

From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on August 5th:

Payroll employment rises by 528,000 in July; unemployment rate edges down to 3.5%
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 528,000 in July, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.5 percent. Both total nonfarm employment and the unemployment rate have returned to their February 2020 pre-pandemic levels.

As usual, there was much hilarity in the responses to Eric Schmitt (r):

Would have voted to prevent capping insulin at $35 a month?

DEMOCRATIC PRIORITIES: Reduce inflation, make prescription drugs more affordable, protect the climate, more jobs, protect human rights

REPUBLICAN PRIORITIES: Defend Alex Jones, insurrection, higher insulin costs, break up marriages, force 10 year olds to have their rapists’ baby

Maybe you should sue somebody about it. That’s the only thing you do anyway you useless grifter.

Keep in mind that you weren’t the best Eric. You just weren’t (quite) the worst Eric. Raising the tax rate for those making over $400,000 per year will have negligible impact on Missouri families. Wasting our tax dollars on frivolous lawsuits against our school districts hurt.

Don’t you have to go waste our tax money trying to sue china or something? Get out of here

Boring and predictable. Let us know if you ever plan on fighting for anything worthwhile.

Don’t know how to break it to you Sparky but most Americans don’t make more than $400,000 a year, but then again they don’t have access to all that nice corporate cash or all that dark money you’ve got.

If you were to get to the Senate, you would be every bit the failure you are as AG.

Oh my gawd. What a load of crap.

Dude, you sue the school systems. Lol

Democrats created global inflation? If you think most families make 400k+ you are quite out of touch. Personally, I’m happy that billion dollar companies will have a minimum tax.

If you get to the Senate you’ll be to busy grandstanding to know what the hell is going on.

Cringeworthy that you are anywhere near a political office.

Inflation is a global thing. No one party did anything to start it,and the donors of the GQP are in profiteering off of it.

“Socialist” is an interesting way of describing getting rich people to pay SLIGHTLY more ! [….]

So the only way to keep inflation down is to let corporations not pay taxes, so they don’t increase their prices? How the fuck is that going so far?

As a Missourian Mr. Schmitt, let me say this…you are a freaking moron.

“If you’re not a tax cheat, hedge fund manager or a corporation making over $1 billion, you’re not affected.”

– Steven M. Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center

19,355 Missourians can’t respond

12 Saturday Mar 2022

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Eric Schmitt (r) [2021 file photo].

Today:

Eric Schmitt @Eric_Schmitt
It’s almost as if all the fear mongering around COVID was just one big power play.
1:36 PM · Mar 12, 2022

Sociopath.

Some of the responses:

Jason Kander @JasonKander
Replying to @Eric_Schmitt
Are you vaccinated? Did you get the booster?
3:24 PM · Mar 12, 2022

It’s as if the claim about fear mongering around COVID is just another example of Schmitt’s stupidity.

950,000 US deaths; 19,500 MO deaths. Many with long haul COVID and our healthcare system almost breaking. No one should worry about that.

What a ghoul!

20k dead constituents could not be reached for comment.

Help me understand this. I’m not supposed to care about something factual, but whatever you’re selling is legit. Just how much is your snake oil and where can I purchase some?

What is wrong with you? [….]

Day drinking and tweeting again Eric? What’s this even about? See this is why you lose so many lawsuits; all accusation, no context.

It’s almost as if all the COVID-denialism (almost 1 million US deaths!) was just one big power play… (as you, for example, run for senate)

It’s hard for me to understand an elected politician being so openly dismissive of nearly a million dead Americans as @Eric_Schmitt seems to be.

Kinda like “build a wall” bullshit right???

My father died of Covid. You are a horrible person.

So the people who died from COVID were just part of a huge fear mongering power play? You are an idiot.

It’s almost as if you’re a #PoliticalHack.

People have tried to explain the science behind the measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID pandemic to you but obviously you cannot comprehend. So now we just have you spewing forth your vomit of lies and misinformation.

Do you LIKE playing the miserable SOB who people loathe with a passion?

Right, f*ck those petty people that buried family and friends.

So, everyone who has died from Covid don’t really exist? Brick shy of a load Schmitt.

You’re an idiot. Millions have died. What a pathetic existence you live.

Tell that to everyone who lost people. Asshole.

Or you’re just an idiot

My god. What the actual fck is wrong with you? Are you seriously so desperate for attention you sit there and make lists of the most vile things you could say? A lot of people died. A lot are suffering long term effects. This is disgusting and your family should feel shame.

How many of your constituents died from it last week, you monstrous shit?

Sen. Josh Hawley (r): Famous!

22 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by in Josh Hawley, US Senate

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One of Missouri’s dim bulbs is making a mark.

Today, from the great Charles P. Pierce:

Josh Hawley Is the Thirstiest Man in Washington, D.C.
In a town full of thirsty people, Josh Hawley is crawling across the Kalahari. Meanwhile, he and every other senator knows the president* is guilty as sin.
By Charles P. Pierce
Jan 22, 2020

WASHINGTON—Let me tell you something I know for certain. Listen, for this thing is true. There is a rookie U.S. Senator named Josh Hawley. He comes from Missouri and he is a Republican. He replaced MSNBC’s Claire McCaskill, who was a nominal Democrat, because Missouri is one of those states that has steadily lost its mind over the last two decades, which we’re not supposed to notice because it is impolite to all those nice people who carried the prion disease into our politics. Anyway, in a town full of thirsty people, Josh Hawley is a man crawling across the Kalahari. And this is the thing that I know for certain. The most dangerous place to stand in Washington D.C. is any place between Senator Josh Hawley and a live microphone….

[….]

Around midday on Wednesday, there was a bank of microphones and an exaltation of television cameras in the basement of the Capitol, where the little trams disgorge senators on their way to the chamber from their various office buildings. This is prime quote-stalking territory, even with the ludicrous restrictions that have been put in place, especially for these impeachment days. The microphones and cameras had been lined up for a scheduled press conference with the House managers of the impeachment trial. They were running a little late. Meanwhile, Hawley got off the tram, spotted the microphones and cameras, and reacted like a wolverine in a meat locker. His closing speed was nothing short of stunning. He was already at full boil by the time he’d reached his mark.

[….]

The people in the first rows of the galleries leaned over a little further, and the people in the rows behind them stretched and craned their necks. Down and to Schiff’s left, Mitch McConnell was holding the arms of his chair so tightly that his knuckles went bloodless and his lips were clenched tighter than his fingers were. You could not have pulled a pin out of McConnell’s ass with a tractor.

It was only a moment, and it passed, and McConnell soon slipped back into the placid mien of The Man Who Has The Votes. But the president* is guilty as sin, and they all know it, and they all know they can’t do anything about it because more senators don’t want to do anything about than do want to do anything about it. But the president* is as guilty as Jesse James, and they all know it. Every one of them knows it. They have to decide if they can live with that knowledge, and the tragedy is that they get to decide whether we have to live with it, too.

Charles P. Pierce [2014 file photo].

Go. Read the whole thing.

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

What a putz.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): in

16 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in Claire McCaskill, US Senate

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Senator Claire McCaskill (D) [2017 file photo].

A few minutes ago at the Missouri Secretary of State:

U.S. Senator

Republican
Name Mailing Address Random Number Date Filed
Tony Monetti 610 SOUTHWEST DR WARRENSBURG MO 64093 264 2/27/2018 8:21 a.m.
Austin Petersen 19615 S STATE ROUTE J PECULIAR MO 64078 345 2/27/2018 8:20 a.m.
Josh Hawley 5215 E HWY 163 COLUMBIA MO 65201 484 2/27/2018 1:16 p.m.
Fred Ryman 2838 SCHOTT RD JEFFERSON CITY MO 65101 569 2/27/2018 8:57 a.m.
Christina Smith 1425 SUNSET LAKE RD APT. 4 JEFFERSON CITY MO 65109 673 2/27/2018 4:05 p.m.
Kristi Nichols 16657 E 23 ST S SUITE 224 INDEPENDENCE MO 64055 688 2/27/2018 2:49 p.m.
Bradley Krembs 32 FLOYD DR ST CHARLES MO 63303 695 2/27/2018 11:30 a.m.
Ken Patterson 94 ELK RUN DR EUREKA MO 63025 971 2/27/2018 9:09 a.m.
Brian G. Hagg PO BOX 165 AURORA MO 65605 3/5/2018 9:01 a.m.
Courtland Sykes 9738 E WINNER RD INDEPENDENCE MO 64052 3/12/2018 1:42 p.m.

Democratic
Name Mailing Address Random Number Date Filed
Carla (Coffee) Wright 519 N NEWSTEAD AVE ST LOUIS MO 63108 116 2/27/2018 4:59 p.m.
Angelica Earl 9210 BOBB AVE ST LOUIS MO 63114 603 2/27/2018 10:12 a.m.
Leonard Joseph Steinman II 2217 W EDGEWOOD DR JEFFERSON CITY MO 65109 865 2/27/2018 12:11 p.m.
John Hogan 1120 SADDLEBROOK CT N ST CHARLES MO 63304 882 2/27/2018 8:42 a.m.
Travis Gonzalez 2519 AURORA AVENUE APT 1 MARYVILLE MO 64468 3/1/2018 8:53 a.m.
David Faust 1113 CREEKSIDE CT RAYMORE MO 64083 3/5/2018 3:30 p.m.
Claire McCaskill 1941 SPRING HOUSE DR ST LOUIS MO 63122 3/16/2018 4:47 p.m.

Libertarian
Name Mailing Address Random Number Date Filed
Japheth Campbell 503 N FOREST AVE SPRINGFIELD MO 65802 3/5/2018 11:29 a.m.

[emphasis added]

Do you think any of these other candidates are going to schedule open public town halls across the state? Just asking.

A tale of two Roys, Blunt and Moore

13 Monday Nov 2017

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The fact that the Alabama GOP selected as its senatorial candidate a fanatical rightwing Christian who, while in his thirties, attempted to seduce teenagers as young as 14 years puts the onus on the erstwhile party of evangelicals to take a stand on his suitability to serve. Given that many were just fine with President P**** Grabber, that may be expecting a little too much. But if not now, when do folks stand up for basic decency and intelligent government?

Every GOP senator needs to let us know whether they’re willing to welcome a Bible-thumping pedophile into the Senate just so they can retain the necessary votes to pack the court with unqualified right-wing nutjobs, cut taxes for wealthy donors, pay for them by shafting the working and middle class, cripple Obamacare, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and, appropriately, given Moore’s dominionist leanings, eviscerate women’s reproductive health rights.

So far as I know, our Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt has tacked for cover. He has, evidently bailed on a scheduled fundraiser for Moore, discretion being the better part of valor after all.  Nevertheless I can’t find a statement from ol’ Roy anywhere – if  you know of one, please let me know. Blunt needs to come clean about whether he’s going to welcome Brother Moore into the Senate or stand up for what we’ve been told are the outstanding GOP family values.

What will Sen. Blunt do when push comes to shove (besides trying to avoid getting to shove)?:

  1. Does Sen. Blunt think it’s OK to allow a man into the Senate who has been the  first to condemn and attempt to punish others for their sexual orientation – to the point of defying the law – while, as an adult, preying on inexperienced young girls?
  2.  Surely Sen. Blunt won’t resort to justifying such predatory behavior by pointing out that in the past social mores sanctioned the marriage of very young women – as others in the GOP have? Or that it’s sanctioned by the Bible? As Kathryn Brightbill points out in an Op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, justifying the sexual exploitation of very  young women is not unknown in extreme evangelical circles all too willling to put the onus on the morally inferior “seductive” female.
  3. Will he try Donald Trump’s dodge? When Trump isn’t saying that nothing’s been proven, he tells us hat he’s just been too busy governing to pay attention to a major scandal stalking his party? Sounds like alot like the way Blunt often attempts to avoid controversy.
  4. Will he stand up for Moore and take his denials at face value? Easy, but dangerous. In spite of Evangelical Rev. Jerry Falwell’s knee jerk support for Moore, it’s a hard case for an intelligent human being to make and Bunt’s not dumb. As Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) declared “the allegations against Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore are more credible than Moore’s denial.”
  5. Or there’s the noncommittal strategy employed by many Republicans – Moore should step aside “if the accusations are true,” even though statements by the young women have been shown to be highly credible and correspond to rumors that had been circulating in Alabama for years.

I’m taking odds that Roy will go for number five. More his “wiggle room” style. Neither here nor there, but right where he needs to be to do the work of his big money cronies. Maybe he’ll sprinkle in a little bit of the “attending to business” meme as well.

Of course, he could do the right thing and condemn the hypocrite and refuse to go along with seating him in the Senate should Moore win his election.

Nah … not Roy. Moral stands aren’t going to become his thing this late in the game.

UPDATE: Maybe Bunt will follow the latest shift in the response of the Senate leadership and disavow Moore after all – a new poll shows Moore’s Democratic challenger up 4 points. In Alabama. And Sen. Blunt’s a good little team player.

 

Claire tells it like it is

09 Friday Jun 2017

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Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill is all over the Internet today. This clip*  – in which McCaskill calls out GOP Senator Orrin Hatch about the shameful effort of Senate Republicans to slip their Obamacare Dump & Dupe bill through the Congress with no Democratic input or public examination – is literally on every progressive blog and on news websites everywhere. And it ought to be.

Our Democratic Senator is doing what she’s good at: plain speaking. And what she’s speaking about is the shameful way that GOP Senators are trying to take away our healthcare. They’re proposing to bring up for a vote a mystery bill, composed in backrooms by a “select” group of rightwingers, schedule no hearings, and offer no chance for our Democratic Senators to offer input. They clearly thought that we’d be so distracted by the Russian president’s road-to-impeachment circus that we’d never notice.

Stop and think about this for a minute. If a political plan or proposal can’t stand the light of day, it’s got to be really bad.

How bad? This article by WaPos Greg Sargent, summarizing what is known or inferred about the bill’s contents, makes it clear that while it may not be the execrable dog’s breakfast thrown up by the House, it still makes for a pretty rotten repast – especially for those of us with preexisting conditions.

Go watch the clip now. Then phone or email Senator McCaskill and thank her for standing up for everyday Missourians.

Then go phone or email Missouri’s GOP Senator Blunt and ask him where he stands – and make it clear that we can make the ground shake for him if he’s willing to go along with the Obamacare repeal-and-replace charade the GOP Senate seems to be trying to engineer

*A transcript of McCaskill’s comments has been entered as a comment – thanks to Michael Bersin.

**1st paragraph edited slightly for clarity

 

McCaskill did good today – let her know you appreciate her.

31 Tuesday Jan 2017

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I just called the office of my Missouri Democratic Senator, Claire McCaskill, to thank her – and you should too. Her Washington number has been busy (a good sign?), but I got through to her St. Louis office with no trouble (numbers for her Washington and regional offices can be found here).

Why did I want to thank Senator McCaskill so urgently? Today she stood up for Americans who are revolted by the cabinet nominations of the rabid circus MC that the Russians put into the American presidency. She along with all the Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee boycotted the Committee meeting where votes on the nominations of Goldman Sachs financier Steve Mnuchin to be Secretary of the Treasury, and of Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) to head Health and Human Services, were slated. This maneuver deprived the Republican majority of the quorum necessary to ram the two manifestly unfit nominees through the committee.

McCaskill is a cautious woman who represents a state that went for Trump by 19 points – a fact that seems to weigh heavily on her mind – and for good reason since she’s up for reelection in 2018. Standing up to the bullies who’ve tried to pressure her to go along to get along – making big local ad buys targeting her, for instance –  can’t be easy. She deserves a little love for putting principle before comfort.

But resisting the Trump-GOP combine as McCaskill  did today – and, we hope, continues to do – is essential. In this particular case the two men slated for leadership positions in government are not only ideological disasters, they, in the words of the ranking Committee member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), “misled the public and held back important information about their backgrounds.” He added that:

Until questions are answered, Democrats believe the committee should not move forward with either nomination. […] This is about getting answers to questions, plain and simple. Ethics laws are not optional, and nominees do not have a right to treat disclosure like a shell game.

We may not be able to stop the nominations when all is said and done, but Democrats have got to be clear that they won’t support corrupt and unfit nominees for any office.  Republicans may be scared spineless by Trump’s Twitter, but Democrats had better not be if they want to survive as a party.

Price is not only guilty of capitalizing on his privileged position as a congressman to violate insider trading laws, but is accused of explicitly lying about the nature of his questionable financial ventures during the Committee’s initial hearings. Mnuchin was part of the financial cartel that employed illegal robo-signing practices to made big bucks off the 2008 foreclosure crisis, but when called on the practice during the hearings, he gave false testimony about his bank’s use of the abusive practice. In essence, we have a president who comes from the dregs of the business world and who has dredged up some more bottom-feeders to run government agencies for him.

But worse is coming – tonight President Carnival Barker will announce his nominee for the Supreme Court. All three putative favorites are horrible. Not only are the stakes high, but the nomination of anyone other than Merrick Garland cannot be accepted by Democrats given the fact that inexcusable GOP stonewalling stole the office from this well-qualified candidate.  We can only pray that Democrats will be willing to take up the burden of possibly  prolonged opposition. We need to show them that we’re on their side when they do – and we can do that starting now by  letting our Missouri Democrat, Claire McCaskill, know that we appreciate what she did today. Make that call.

Dumping right wingnut mail on Sen. Claire McCaskill (D)

30 Friday Dec 2016

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Senator Claire McCaskill’s (D) Missouri constituents are getting mail from a right wingnut committee:

20161230-606a0030

"Paid for by Right Way Initiative, P.O. Box 27, Alexndria, VA 22313"

“Paid for by Right Way Initiative, P.O. Box 27, Alexndria, VA 22313”

It’s the usual right wingnut drivel in support of Donald Trump (r).

Right Way Initiative?

At the Federal Election Commission [pdf]:

CURRENT COMMITTEE INFORMATION
C90015801
Name: RIGHT WAY INITIATIVE INC.
Address: PO BOX 27, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22313
Treasurer Name:
Type: I – INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE – PERSON OR GROUP NOT A COMMITTEE
Designation: U – UNAUTHORIZED
Party:

It’s the same address as the mailing.

They sent a letter in response to a request for additional information from the Federal Election Commission on August of 2016:

August 2, 2016

Jessica Grainger
Campaign Finance Analyst
Reports Analysis Division
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20463

Identification Number: C90015801

Reference: APRIL QUARTERLY REPORT (01/01/2016 – 03/31/2016), FILED 4/15/2016

Dear Ms. Grainger:

This response pertains to the Reports Analysis Division’s (“RAD”) Request for Additional Information (“RFAI”) dated June 28, 2016, concerning Right Way Initiative, Inc.’s April quarterly report filed on April 15, 2016.

The RFAI asserts that itemization is required for “each contributor who made a donation in excess of $200 used to fund the independent expenditure(s).” The cited regulation, however, requires the reporting of “[t]he identification of each person who made a contribution in excess of $200 to the person filing such report, which contribution was made for the purpose of furthering the reported independent expenditure.” 11 CFR section 109.10(e)(1)(vi). No contributions or donations accepted by Right Way Initiative, Inc. were solicited or received for the purpose of furthering the reported independent expenditures. Accordingly, no contributions or donations were required to be reported under the regulations cited in the RFAI.

With respect to 11 CFR section 114.10(f), that regulation applies only to “qualified nonprofit corporations.” Right Way Initiative, Inc. is not a “qualified nonprofit corporation.” Thus, the regulation is, by its own terms, inapplicable to Right Way Initiative, Inc.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions concerning this matter.

Sincerely,

Daniel Flynn
President

“….No contributions or donations accepted by Right Way Initiative, Inc. were solicited or received for the purpose of furthering the reported independent expenditures. Accordingly, no contributions or donations were required to be reported under the regulations cited….”

Alrighty then. We’re not going to find out who contributed money.

Right Way Initiative spent a chunk of change in support of or against some republican politicians in Ohio, including opposing the one who eventually won the special election for John Boehner’s vacated seat in Congress.

From the Federal Election Commission – reported on April 15, 2016:

SCHEDULE 5-E
ITEMIZED INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
FILING FEC-1063185

Committee: RIGHT WAY INITIATIVE INC.
To Address Expenditure Description Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination Support/Opposed Amount Extended Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought
ADVANTAGE INC 2300 CLARENDON BLVD SUITE 303 ARLINGTON, Virginia 22201 PHONE CALLS 03/11/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 6926.00 640363.50
ADVANTAGE INC 2300 CLARENDON BLVD SUITE 303 ARLINGTON, Virginia 22201 PHONE CALLS 03/12/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 9561.36 649924.86
ADVANTAGE INC 2300 CLARENDON BLVD SUITE 303 ARLINGTON, Virginia 22201 PHONE CALLS 03/12/2016 In OPPOSITION to WARREN DAVIDSON 6374.24 656299.10
ADVANTAGE INC 2300 CLARENDON BLVD SUITE 303 ARLINGTON, Virginia 22201 PHONE CALLS 03/13/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 9658.56 665957.66
ADVANTAGE INC 2300 CLARENDON BLVD SUITE 303 ARLINGTON, Virginia 22201 PHONE CALLS 03/13/2016 In OPPOSITION to WARREN DAVIDSON 6439.04 672396.70
ADVANTAGE INC 2300 CLARENDON BLVD SUITE 303 ARLINGTON, Virginia 22201 PHONE CALLS 03/15/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 21594.40 703491.10
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 PRINTING / POSTAGE 02/26/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 17544.00 245910.00
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 PRINTING / POSTAGE
02/29/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 17544.00 263454.00
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 MECIA PRODUCTION / MEDIA PLACEMENT 02/29/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 14375.00 277829.00
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 PRINTING / POSTAGE 03/02/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 17544.00 295373.00
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 PRINTING / POSTAGE 03/04/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 17544.00 312917.00
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 MEDIA PLACEMENT 03/06/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 10937.50 323854.50
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 PRINTING / POSTAGE 03/08/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 38689.00 362543.50
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 PRINTING / POSTAGE 03/09/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 50010.00 412553.50
AXIOM STRATEGIES 1251 NW BRIARCLIFF PARKWAY SUITE 85 KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64116 MEDIA PLACEMENT 03/13/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 9500.00 681896.70
DEL CIELO MEDIA LLC 1427 LESLIE AVENUE SUITE 102 ALEXANDRIA, Virginia 22301 MEDIA PLACEMENT 02/24/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 215866.00 215866.00
DEL CIELO MEDIA LLC 1427 LESLIE AVENUE SUITE 102 ALEXANDRIA, Virginia 22301 MEDIA PLACEMENT 03/11/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 220339.00 632892.50
FOUR CARD LLC 3788 RICHMOND AVENUE #1274 HOUSTON, Texas 77046 MEDIA PRODUCTION 02/24/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 12500.00 228366.00
FOUR CARD LLC 3788 RICHMOND AVENUE #1274 HOUSTON, Texas 77046 MEDIA PRODUCTION 03/11/2016 In SUPPORT of TIMOTHY DERICKSON 545.00 633437.50
Total of Itemized Independent Expenditures = 703491.12

[emphasis added]

Axiom Strategies. Heh.

$703,491.12. That’s a lot of money in support of the guy who lost the republican primary. And we have no idea where the money came from.

We’ll need to wait until January 15th to see what they spent in mail against Claire.