If you’re interested, Missouri GOP Chair John Hancock is now issuing the expected and inevitable statements denying Tom Schweich’s posthumous accusations that he spearheaded an anti-Semitic whisper campaign in order to derail Schweich’s gubernatorial candidacy in favor of the Rex Sinquefield-blessed Catherine Hanaway. Not a surprising move, although his terminology in an email sent to folks identified as “party-leaders” is interesting:

Many of you on this committee are aware of the issue, as it came up in several of our conversations during the past few months,” Hancock wrote, as quoted by the Post-Dispatch. “While those who know me understand I would never denigrate anyone’s faith, Tom had mistakenly believed that I had attacked his religion.”

This left me scratching my head. Nothing that I’ve read implied that Hancock had ever attacked Schweich’s religion. According to reports, Schweich was an Episcopalian and nobody to my knowledge is accusing Hancock of slandering Episcopalians. What folks are saying is that Hancock was falsely asserting that Schweich, who had a Jewish grandfather, was himself Jewish. And that Hancock was doing it in those Republican circles where that might make Schweich persona non grata – at least as far as raising money to finance his race against Hanaway.

There’s a difference. Maybe Hancock doesn’t understand that, or maybe he’s just a sloppy kind of guy when it comes to explaining himself. But what Schweich accused him of wasn’t attacking his religion, but of practicing the dirtiest type of very dirty politics. An accusation that derives a certain credibility from the fact that we all know Republicans are good at doing just that – as I pointed out earlier.

That impression is reinforced by Hancock’s efforts to discredit the motives of Post-Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger who had been made privy to what was on Schweich’s mind during his last weeks of life:

“Now, some political opponents-particularly liberal Post-Dispatch columnist Tony Messenger-are using this tragic incident as an opportunity to criticize me and to smear the Missouri Republican Party,” Hancock wrote, as quoted by the newspaper. “These attacks are not only disgusting; they are wrong.”

Hoowee! Hancock evidentaly belongs to that school of conservative thought that seeks to answer any accusation of wrongdoing by evoking that rightwing bugaboo – those damn “liberals.” Count on them to be “disgusting and wrong.”

Wrong in what sense, though? Does wrong here mean inaccurate or morally culpable? Does Hancock think Messenger made up Schweich’s claims? By his own admission, lots of folks knew that Schweich was getting hot under the collar about what he considered an underhanded and nasty effort to knock him out of the race for the governor’s mansion. So what’s disgusting and wrong, in either sense, about telling folks about the beliefs that had been driving Schweich prior to his death, especially since Messenger correctly ensured that his account of what Schweich said neither affirmed or denied the accusations. If, based on past experience, we’re inclined to take Schweich seriously, the onus should fall on those of Mr. Hancock’s partisans who paved the way for us.

By many accounts Schweich was a highly-strung individual; maybe he was magnifying a few garden-variety incidents of who knows what. But by all the same accounts, he was also a man of integrity who refused to countenance what he considered bad behavior; it is probably undeniable that if he had not taken an even more decisive action yesterday, he would have been making those accusations public himself. How is it wrong – or even “liberal” – for Tony Messenger to act as Schweich’s proxy? Wasn’t Messenger just practicing honest journalism?  Doesn’t Tom Schweich, whose last phone call seems to have been an effort to arrange an interview on the subject, deserve a little respectful and honest journalism on the day of his death?

 

State Auditor Tom Schweich [2013 file photo].

This evening:

Messenger: From voicemail to voicemail: The short political life and times of Tom Schweich

[….]

Had I not ignored his phone call to me at 9:41 Thursday morning – I was doing a thing at my kids’ school district – I might have been the last person to talk to the man who wanted to be governor. It made for a chilling day in which I decided to do something I’ve never done before as a reporter: reveal the contents of off-the-record conversations with a source. That source is now dead. I believe it’s what he would have wanted.

I have no idea why Schweich killed himself. But for the past several days he had been confiding in me that he planned to accuse the chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, John Hancock, with leading a “whisper campaign” among donors that he, Schweich, was Jewish.

He wasn’t, which is to say that he attended an Episcopal church, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t proud of his Jewish heritage, passed down from his grandfather.

[….]

Go. Read the whole thing.

Previously:

State Auditor Tom Schweich (1960-2015) (February 26, 2015)

Wow. Just, wow.

Tony Messenger, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, via Twitter:

Tony Messenger ‏@tonymess

Since @keithenglishmo cast the deciding vote to give @rexsinquefield his tax-cut win in session, guess who his biggest donor is? King Rex. 2:41 PM – 5 Aug 2014

Representative Keith English responded:

Rep. Keith English ‏@keithenglishmo

@tonymess @rexsinquefield wrong!.. 2:43 PM – 5 Aug 2014

Yes, that Representative Keith English.

Tony Messenger ‏@tonymess

@keithenglishmo @rexsinquefield You do know that the Missouri Ethics Commission records are public, right, Keith? 2:46 PM – 5 Aug 2014

The conversation continued:

Rep. Keith English ‏@keithenglishmo

@tonymess @rexsinquefield Tony! We did our homework and sent check back! Thanks for acknowledging that happened! 2:52 PM – 5 Aug 2014

Tony Messenger ‏@tonymess

@keithenglishmo @rexsinquefield so a random committee randomly sent you money? When did you send it back? Before or after you typed ‘wrong!’ 2:53 PM – 5 Aug 2014

Okay, that left a mark.

Following the money:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS MADE – SUPPLEMENTAL FORM

MISSOURIANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT [pdf] 7/28/2014

Citizens for Keith English 755 Pelican Lane Florissant MO 63031 7/22/2014 $4,500.00

[emphasis added]

According to the Missouri Ethics Commission web site the closing date for the 8 day before the election report is July 24th. It’s possible that the check was still in the mail.

The contributions listed in Representative English’s July 28th campaign finance report:

MISSOURI ETHICS COMMISSION

CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED

CITIZENS FOR KEITH ENGLISH [pdf] 7/28/2014

12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSON GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00

13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00

Clifton Ehlen 19335 Primrose Ridge Warrenton MO 63383 Retired 7/11/2014 $35.00

FEAPAC of Missouri 11880 College Blvd Overland Park KS 66210 7/11/2014 $1,000.00

Liberty Mutual Insurance co 1101 14th St. NW Boston MA 02117 7/11/2014 $1,000.00

Right Choice Managed Care, INC PO Box 68086 Cincinnati OH 45206 7/11/2014 $500.00

Shelter Insurance 1817 W. Broadway Columbia MO 65218 7/11/2014 $500.00

MBA River Heritage Region 207 East Capitol Jefferson City MO 65101 7/11/2014 $1,000.00

Bank of America 1100 North King Street Wilmington DE 19884 7/11/2014 $300.00

The Traverlers Indemnity Co PO BOX 11 New Castle DE 19720 7/11/2014 $1,000.00

Comcast Financial Agency 1701 JFK Blvd Philadelphia PA 19103 7/11/2014 $500.00

MOSFA INC 121 Madison St Jefferson City MO 65101 7/11/2014 $1,000.00

American Family Insurance PO BOX 1925 Jefferson City MO 65102 7/11/2014 $300.00

The Doe Run Company 1801 Park 270 Drive St Louis MO 63146 7/11/2014 $500.00

[emphasis added]

Delaware?

The Twitter conversation continued:

Tony Messenger ‏@tonymess

Re: @keithenglishmo claim he returned @rexsinquefield check? ‘To date I have not received any correspondence’ from him says @DwyerRice 3:32 PM – 5 Aug 2014

Chris McDaniel ‏@csmcdaniel

@tonymess @keithenglishmo @rexsinquefield @DwyerRice Also, the PAC calculated its current cash on hand w/ assumption check had been cashed.3:34 PM – 5 Aug 2014

And, finally:

Rep. Keith English ‏@keithenglishmo

@csmcdaniel as stated by my campaign committee, returned to sender! 3:37 PM – 5 Aug 2014

We’ll find out when at the time the 30 day after the election report is filed (by September 4th).

Previously:

New Missouri Rule: if the governor governs right of center you can’t call him a “liberal” (July 1, 2013)

Bill signing Kabuki (July 12, 2013)

Rep. Chris Kelly (D): HB 253 – “I’d like to know what your opinion is.” (July 19, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): probably not gonna sustain the Governor’s veto of HB 253 (August 19, 2013)

Sec. of State Jason Kander (D) to Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r): You forgot about that Medicaid thing? (August 23, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) to UCM on HB 253: I don’t care, I’d rather be the new Speaker Pro Tem (August 24, 2013)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): your constituents know what you’re doing to them (August 26, 2013)

HB 253: Because those dissolute leeches at the public trough should shut up, that’s why! (August 28, 2013)

Missouri Democratic Party on HB 253: Yes, yes, let’s talk about Texas Gov. Rick Perry (r)…. (August 28, 2013)

AG Chris Koster (D) to Speaker Jones (r) on HB 253: you all certainly made a mess of things… (August 29, 2013)

Speaker Tim Jones (r) and HB 253: hone your legal analytical skills litigating birth certificates (August 30, 2013)

HB 253: any way you slice it (September 11, 2013)

HB 253: Watch out – It’ll be baaaaaaaaaack (September 11, 2013)

SB 509: once more, with feeling (April 17, 2014)

SB 509: “….We’d like to think that most of them are not simpletons….” (April 18, 2014)

SB 509: Governor Jay Nixon (D) strikes back (April 22, 2014)

SB 509: dueling on Twitter (April 22, 2014)

SB 509: Would you like some whine with your bill? (April 23, 2014)

SB 509: strange gyrations (April 23, 2014)

The Missouri GOP, Evel Knievel and political stuntsmanship (April 24, 2014)

SB 509: the folks back home ain’t buying what they’re selling (April 24, 2014)

SB 509: in a wingnutshell (April 28, 2014)

SB 509: the folks back home ain’t buying what they’re selling – part 2 (April 29, 2014)

SB 509: thank the FSM (or the deity of your choice) for Kansas (May 1, 2014)

SB 509: veto it is (May 1, 2014)

SB 509: Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) Veto (May 2, 2014)

SB 509: That’s a mighty interesting legal citation you got there… (May 2, 2014)

SB 509: “Brawndo! It’s got electrolytes!” (May 3, 2014)

SB 509: You were expecting anything else? (May 5, 2014)

SB 509: not so much these days (May 6, 2014)

The face of shame (May 6, 2014)

SB 509: the moment when all hope for the future of Missouri died (May 6, 2014)

Dude, you’ve got bigger problems than an out of the way blog with dozens of readers (May 6, 2014)

The day Missouri went down the toilet (May 7, 2014)

Dude, you’ve got bigger problems than an out of the way blog with dozens of readers – part 2 (May 8, 2014)

…and now you know the rest of the story (May 8, 2014)

This won’t be the last story on SB 509  (May 8, 2014)

Today, via Twitter:

Tony Messenger ‏@tonymess

Every day @EdMartin4MO and @ToddAkin are in the news is a bad day for the @missourigop. 2:35 PM – 10 Jul 2014

Today, via Twitter:

Tony Messenger ‏@tonymess

The #moleg scorecard: Cut taxes for rich. Check. Raise taxes on poor. Check. Take $$ from public schools. Check. Kill ethics reform. Check. 2:02 PM – 14 May 2014

My reply:

Michael Bersin ‏@MBersin

@tonymess Purveyors of seersucker clothing remain pleased. 4:17 PM – 14 May 2014