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Tag Archives: 2010

Vicky Hartzler (r): that was then, this is now

06 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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2010, 2012, 4th Congressional District, Debates, Ike Skelton, missouri, Teresa Hensley, Vicky Hartzler

From Vicky Hartzler’s 2010 campaign [August 25, 2010], via Facebook:

And, from Vicky Hartzler (r) on September 16, 2010:

….I am sorry to have to tell you that you and the rest of the voters of the 4th Congressional District are being denied your right to hear from all the individuals who are vying to represent you in Washington. I have proposed forums each Friday from now till the election so that voters can ask both of us questions and make an informed decision on who to support….

….Perhaps he doesn’t want to have to answer for his 95% voting record….

[emphasis added]

And September 28, 2010. In 2010, according to Vicky Hartzler (r), debates were very important and 95% wasn’t a good percentage. Evidently, times they are a changin’.

In yesterday’s Kansas City Star:

In Missouri’s 4th District, Hartzler-Hensley race reflects change

Hartzler-Hensley race for the Missouri seat reflects changing times and a redrawn district.

By DAVE HELLING

The Kansas City Star

….Hartzler hasn’t exactly been a boat-rocker in the House.

She has voted with the GOP 95 percent of the time….

….So Hensley has pushed Hartzler to debate. But the two candidates have yet to share a stage or microphone.

“I think voters deserve it,” Hensley said in a statement provided by the campaign.

Hartzler hasn’t budged, although she blames the lack of debates on logistics. “We’ll just have to see what opportunities are available,” she said….

[emphasis added]

I smell fear.

SJR 7: term limits for thee, but maybe not so much for me

02 Sunday Jan 2011

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2010, General Assembly, missouri, Senate, SJR 7, term limits.HJR 39 2009

SJR 7, a bill extending term limits to the statewide offices of Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and State Auditor, was pre-filed on December 17th by Senator Jim Lembke (r).

The 2010 Senate bill as pre-filed:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7 [pdf]

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY SENATOR LEMBKE.

Pre-filed December 17, 2010, and ordered printed.

TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.

0539S.01I

JOINT RESOLUTION

Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri, an amendment repealing section 17 of article IV of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting one new section in lieu thereof relating to term limits for statewide elected officials.

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring therein:

That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2012, or at a special election to be called by the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or rejection, the following amendment to article IV of the Constitution of the state of Missouri:

Section A. Section 17, article IV, Constitution of Missouri, is repealed and one new section adopted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 17, to read as follows:

Section 17. The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer and attorney general shall be elected at the presidential elections for terms of four years each. The state auditor shall be elected for a term of two years at the general election in the year 1948, and his successors shall be elected for terms of four years. No person shall be elected governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, or treasurer more than twice, and no person who has held the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, or treasurer, or acted as governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, or treasurer, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected to the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, or treasurer shall be elected to the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, or treasurer more than once. The heads of all the executive departments shall be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate. All appointive officers may be removed by the governor and shall possess the qualifications required by this constitution or by law.

[emphasis in original]

Interesting. Placing term limits on all of the executive offices of the state. Yet, in 2009 a republican sponsored a bill increasing the number of years for legislators (twelve in each body, twenty-four years total):

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 39

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES FUNDERBURK (Sponsor), FRANZ, SCHAD, JONES (89), WELLS, POLLOCK, PARKINSON, SILVEY, DIECKHAUS, GRILL, ROORDA, COLONA, OXFORD, WALTON GRAY, SCHIEFFER, ALLEN, GATSCHENBERGER, ENGLUND, McGHEE, SANDER AND ATKINS (Co-sponsors).

2375L.01I                                                                                                                                                  D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

JOINT RESOLUTION

Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri an amendment repealing section 8 of article III of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting one new section in lieu thereof relating to term limitations.

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein:

That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2010, or at a special election to be called by the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or rejection, the following amendment to article III of the Constitution of the state of Missouri:

Section A. Section 8, article III, Constitution of Missouri, is repealed and one new section adopted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 8, to read as follows:

Section 8. No one shall be elected to serve more than [eight] twelve years total in any one house of the General Assembly nor more than [sixteen] twenty-four years total in both houses of the General Assembly. In applying this section, service in the General Assembly resulting from an election prior to December 3, 1992, or service of less than one year, in the case of a member of the house of representatives, or two years, in the case of a member of the senate, by a person elected after the effective date of this section to complete the term of another person, shall not be counted.

[emphasis in original]

Hmmm. You’d think republicans would be more consistent with their legislative priorities, unless there was some sort of tension between the executive and the legislative branches. You think?

Symptom of the Universe

02 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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2010, 2011, new year, old decade

I don’t want to go through a decade like that again.

BGinKC  Blue Girl

@Shoq @c_axis Actually, while the number rolled over to 10 last year, the decade ends at midnight tonight.Since no year 0, decades end in 0. 31 Dec

Bumper stickers in the People’s Republic of Madison – a reflection of the times.

Bumper stickers not in the People’s Republic of Madison – another reflection of the times.

A little bit of good, a lot of bad, frustration, disappointment, and a lot of crazy.

Why is it that so many right wingnut bumper sticker texts end with an exclamation mark? ALL CAPS ISN’T AVAILABLE? Just asking.

mathematicsprof  math prof

FINALLY, a prime number year 2011 …. first one since 2003. 31 Dec

mathematicsprof  math prof

2011 is also the sum of 11 CONSECUTIVE prime numbers: 2011=157+163+167+173+179+181+191+193+197+199+211

31 Dec

mathematicsprof  math prof

2011 is also the sum of THREE consecutive primes 2011 = 661+673+677 . Can you write 2011 as the sum of 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, … primes? 17 hours ago

Is this a good sign? Probably not.

From New Year’s Eve:

BGinKC  Blue Girl

Just four timezones left to go and then the US is DONE with this miserable fucking decade. 31 Dec

Exactly.

Our top 16 traffic generating stories of 2010

29 Wednesday Dec 2010

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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2010, meta, missouri, retrospective

Why not a top ten? We got the idea from our good friends at Fired Up! and we didn’t want to be blatant copycats. But then, it’s a good idea, so what the hell. Why not a top twenty? Like most Internet denizens we have short attention spans.

There are some patterns to our readers’ interests. A funeral and an obituary. Racism, racism, racism, and racism. Throw in some homophobia and xenophobia for good measure. Money. There you have it, our current political climate in a nutshell.

Our sixteen top stories from the top:

=====================================

#1 A hate group, the First Amendment, and a funeral in a small town (November 23, 2010)

Army Corporal Jacob Carver died in action in Afghanistan on November 13, 2010. He was from Freeman, Missouri. His funeral was held in Harrisonville, Missouri….

Traffic on this post was generated almost exclusively from referrals by social media sites.

=====================================

#2 Michelle Obama in Kansas City – remarks (July 11, 2008)

We kid you not. That’s no typo. The post that generated the second highest traffic during 2010 was a campaign event we covered two years ago. That traffic was generated by referrals from a who’s who of right wingnut sites, obsessed with that Kenyan socialist in the White House. They took a quote from our transcript and fervently believe(d) that Michelle Obama provided irrefutable proof that Barack Hussein Obama wasn’t born in the United States. We’ve looked and looked, but we can’t find it.

=====================================  

#3 NAACP in Kansas City: Representative Sheila Jackson Lee on the tea party and human rights (July 12, 2010)

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee:….All those who wore sheets a long time ago have now lifted them off and started wearing [applause], uh, clothing, uh, with a name, say, I am part of the tea party. Don’t you be fooled.  [voices: “That’s right.”, applause] Those who used to wear sheets are now being able to walk down the aisle and speak as a patriot because you will not speak loudly about the lack of integrity of this movement. Don’t let anybody tell you that those who spit on us as we were walking to vote on a health care bill for all of America or those who said Congresswoman Jackson-Lee’s braids were too tight in her hair had anything to do with justice and equality and empowerment of the American people. Don’t let them fool you on that [applause]….

That quote from our transcript set off right wingnuts on the Internets. Never mind that their teabagger leaders kept confirming the point. Some of the racist comments at one of those right wingnut sites were priceless.

Is this going to be a continuing pattern? It’s kind of ironic, don’t you think, that right wingnuts on the Internets seem to consistently rely on our coverage?

=====================================

#4 No on Proposition A in November: campaign finance reports (August 25, 2010)

Who’d have thunk that a story on the campaign finances for the group opposing a billionaire’s solitary quest to destroy the financial stability of Missouri’s two largest cities would generate so much traffic? And we thought no one would read that boring follow the political money stuff. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

=====================================

#5 Wecome to post-racial America (August 6, 2010)

A party or parties unknown sent racist bumper stickers to the Johnson County Democratic Committee post office box. And they continued.

=====================================

#6 Tom Schweich and Saying Sorry (February 28, 2010)

IOKIYAR *. Which just goes to show, in the world of Missouri politics, there are no unforgivable sins ** for republican candidates.

* it’s okay if you’re a republican.

** Okay, abortion is an exception to that rule.

=====================================

#7 The Missouri Hospital Association joins the Proposition C fray – anyone else up for a fight? (July 26, 2010)

….So the question is: Should Missourians who already pay for health insurance also have to pay for those who choose not to pay?

If you think it’s acceptable that some who can afford insurance get a free ride, vote yes on Proposition C. If you think that’s unfair, you should vote no….

Too little, too late. The thought was nice, though.

=====================================

#8 Welcome to post racial America, part 3 (November 5, 2010)

Yep, they did it again:

=====================================

#9 Mary Nichols’ smear campaign against Byron DeLear (July 24, 2010)

Ah, sometimes a Democratic Party primary gets nasty.

=====================================

#10 Missouri Teachers Are Denied Social Security Benefits (October 22, 2007)

Yep, another oldie, but goodie. This post from our early days continues to generate significant traffic. Teh Google is so useful.

=====================================

#11 Vote “Yes” on Prop A (April 5, 2010)

No, not that one.

A story on public transit in St. Louis got a link from one of the mega sites on the professional left.

Please sir, may we have some more?

=====================================

#12 Missouri’s Adam Smith Foundation gives $498,000 to repeal California’s greenhouse gas law (April 19, 2010)

Campaign finance in California with a significant Missouri funnel.

=====================================

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

We managed to catch one of the most outrageous republican attacks of the 2010 election cycle in Missouri, a homophobic robocall attacking Democratic Party legislative candidates across the state, and quickly get it up on YouTube along with our story:

This didn’t generate as much traffic as other stories, in part because the national known political dilettante’s site (you know, the one that doesn’t pay their writers squat) used our video but didn’t give us a link. We busted the chops of one of the old media sites for the same offense. They eventually gave us a mention, but no link.

=====================================

#14 Representative Karen McCarthy, 63 (October 6, 2010)

An obituary for a public servant.

=====================================

#15 The ad Roy Blunt didn’t want you to see (August 19, 2010)

….And the first thing I thought when I saw the ad that Roy Blunt and his team put up then quickly took down was “what the hell business is it of ours?”….

And the republican tactics in this particular campaign went down hill from there. Money, money, money, mo-ney.

=====================================

#16 Campaign Tracker: the worst job in politics and you still have to wear a suit (March 17, 2010)

Sputter, sputter, bluster.

=====================================

What a year. It’s gonna get better/worse, depending on your point of view and the reading in the tea leaves.

Fired Up! Top Ten Quotes for 2010

26 Sunday Dec 2010

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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2010, Fired Up!, missouri, top ten

Our good friends at Fired Up! posted their top ten list of quotes for the year. Check it out:

Ten for 2010: The Quotiest Quotes of the Year

To which we would add:

“I did not pay for, approve or have any knowledge of the robocall, nor do I condone its message….”

– statement by Representative Denny Hoskins (r-121) which appeared in the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal on the same day that his campaign made a payment for “push cards” to the same company that made the robocalls.

And…

“…As you can see, I did not request funding be withheld or rescinded…”

– Representative Denny Hoskins (r-121) in his September 20, 2010 “Capitol Report” – after funds for a local film festival were withdrawn. Eight days later the Warrensburg Daily Star Journal reported: “….Rep. Denny Hoskins took partial credit for the withdrawal of funds in a Sept. 10 release labeled, ‘Rep. Denny Hoskins helps recover Social Services funding inappropriately used….'”

Add your own favorites in the comments, if you’ve got ’em.

The Political Year in Pictures – 2010, part 3

23 Thursday Dec 2010

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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2010, images, missouri, politics, retrospective

Previously:

The Political Year in Pictures – 2010, part 1 (December 22, 2010)

The Political Year in Pictures – 2010, part 2 (December 23, 2010)

Over the course of the last year we covered a number of government and political events in Missouri (and elsewhere), in the process taking thousands of photographs. Most of them didn’t make it into the blog. Some of the things we saw and heard made us smile, made us think, made us gasp, made us hope, and made us despair. We thought we’d provide a retrospective of some of the pictures and stories we consider to be memorable.

We covered a local film festival, not because we’re fans of the cinema (we are), but because demagoguery and republican politicians always seem to go hand in hand:

Dee Wallace (left) and Pam LaFrenz, Executive Director of the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency.

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)

New Rule: If you say you oppose all of the federal stimulus on principle… (October 7, 2010)

And in September we covered the annual Harkin Steak Fry (for the third time) in Indianola, Iowa:

(left to right, foreground) David Plouffe, David Axelrod, Senator Tom Harkin (D), Governor Chet Culver (D).

Iowa Road Trip! – the 2010 Harkin Steak Fry (September 11, 2010)

Iowa Road Trip! – Interstate highway rest stops (September 12, 2010)

Iowa Road Trip! – on the way back (September 12, 2010)

The bumper stickers of Madison County (September 13, 2010)

Iowa Road Trip! – photos and press availability (September 13, 2010)

The Missouri House republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) stepped in it none too lightly in the last week of the election by blasting homophobic robocalls against Democratic Party legislative district candidates. Of course, the republican candidates furiously backpedaled on the calls, disavowing any knowledge of them, when the HRCC was called to account for the outrageous calls. The thing is, the calls worked and the republicans got away with something, again:

October 23, 2010: Representative Denny Hoskins (r) (left, in white), Dave Hageman, Missouri Executive Director of Victory Enterprises (center, in blue) and Robert Knodell, Executive Director of the House Republican Campaign Committee (right, in blue) at the University of Central Missouri Homecoming Parade in Warrensburg.

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)

HRCC? What HRCC? I’ve never heard of them, part 2 (December 2, 2010)

People gathered in a small town to stand up to the Westboro Phelps clan with even more free speech of their own:

November 23, 2010: A community supports the family and friends of Army Corporal Jacob Carver, who died in Afghanistan,

at his funeral in Harrisonville, Missouri.

This photo appeared in the November 29, 2010 edition of the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal

(upon our offer and with our permission) along with an editorial by Jack Miles on free speech.

A hate group, the First Amendment, and a funeral in a small town (November 23, 2010)

Where to start? (November 23, 2010)

A hate group, the First Amendment, and a funeral in a small town – part 2 (November 29, 2010)

The Political Year in Pictures – 2010, part 2

23 Thursday Dec 2010

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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Tags

2010, images, missouri, politics, retrospective

Previously: The Political Year in Pictures – 2010, part 1 (December 22, 2010)

Over the course of the last year we covered a number of government and political events in Missouri (and elsewhere), in the process taking thousands of photographs. Most of them didn’t make it into the blog. Some of the things we saw and heard made us smile, made us think, made us gasp, made us hope, and made us despair. We thought we’d provide a retrospective of some of the pictures and stories we consider to be memorable.

President Obama in Kansas City on July 8, 2010:

President Obama at Smith Electric Vehicles in Kansas City.

Is the President looking at me?

White House Conference Call Preview of President Obama’s Visit to Kansas City (July 7, 2010)

President Obama in Kansas City – on the economy – Smith Electric Vehicles – July 8, 2010 (July 8, 2010)

Obama at The Folly: Fundraiser for Robin Carnahan (July 8, 2010)

President Obama in Kansas City – on the economy – Smith Electric Vehicles – photos (July 9, 2010)

…President Obama traveled to Kansas City Thursday to speak on the economy at an electric vehicle plant and later as the headliner at a fundraiser for Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s U.S. Senate campaign. Blue Girl covered the fundraiser (one of two) held at the Folly Theater in downtown Kansas City and I covered the speech on the economy at Smith Electric Vehicles next to Kansas City International Airport…

July 9, 2010: Congressman Ike Skelton (D) in Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District had a primary challenger. That was the least of his problems – he was upset in the November general election by Vicky Hartzler (r).

The NAACP National Convention was held in Kansas City in July. We received blogger credentials from the NAACP to cover the convention:

Representative Barbara Lee (D).

Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D).

Michelle Obama.

July 14, 2010: Waiting for the start of the press conference.

(left to right) Reverend Jesse Jackson, NAACP President and CE0 Benjamin Todd Jealous, Reverend Al Sharpton.

The 101st NAACP National Convention in Kansas City (July 10, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Benjamin Todd Jealous at the opening press conference (July 10, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at the opening press conference (July 10, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: report on the impact of the BP oil spill in the Gulf region (July 11, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Sunday – photos (July 11, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Michelle Obama – photos (July 12, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Representative Sheila Jackson Lee on the tea party and human rights (July 12, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Senator Claire McCaskill (D) – “Now is no time to quit.” (July 13, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Representative Emanuel Cleaver – “Don’t you forget it!” (July 13, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Wednesday afternoon press conference – photos (July 14, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Rev. Al Sharpton – “There clearly is some racial leaves in their tea bag…” (July 14, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Rev. Jesse Jackson – “We want jobs, justice, and education for all.” (July 14, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Benjamin Todd Jealous – “…we all need a testament of hope…” (July 15, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: press conference Q and A – “…we’ll keep our eyes on that prize…” (July 15, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Rep. Barbara Lee – “Power concedes nothing without a demand…” (July 17, 2010)

NAACP in Kansas City: Rev. William Barber – “…we have to have more than words…” (July 18, 2010)

August 5, 2010: Courtney Cole, the Democratic Party candidate in the 121st Legislative District, at work on her campaign after the August primary.

August 10, 2010: Senator Claire McCaskill (D) at a town hall in Concordia, Missouri.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): town hall in Concordia, Missouri (August 11, 2010)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): town hall in Concordia, Missouri – media availability (August 11, 2010)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): town hall in Concordia, Missouri – Q and A, part 1 (August 14, 2010)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): town hall in Concordia, Missouri – Q and A, part 2 (August 15, 2010)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): town hall in Concordia, Missouri – Q and A, part 3 (August 15, 2010)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): town hall in Concordia, Missouri – Q and A, part 4 (August 19, 2010)

The Political Year in Pictures – 2010, part 1

22 Wednesday Dec 2010

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2010, images, missouri, politics, retrospective

Over the course of the last year we covered a number of government and political events in Missouri (and elsewhere), in the process taking thousands of photographs. Most of them didn’t make it into the blog. Some of the things we saw and heard made us smile, made us think, made us gasp, made us hope, and made us despair. We thought we’d provide a retrospective of some of the pictures and stories we consider to be memorable.

The opening of the 2010 legislative session in Jefferson City:

The House chamber.

The Missouri General Assembly opens the 2010 legislative session (January 6, 2010)

The Missouri General Assembly opens the 2010 legislative session, part 2 (January 6, 2010)

January 6, 2010: The view from the train at the stop in Sedalia on the way back from Jefferson City.

….After the partisan applause lines the republican side of the House stood to offer their encouragement. The Democratic side tended not to.

This was a much more austere occasion then the previous openings of session I have attended.

Our friends at Fired Up, via Twitter:

RT @tonymess: Some lawmakers said Capitol was more somber today. Definitely a different feeling than some recent past opening days.    about 8 hours ago   from DestroyTwitter  

Tomorrow there will be a “technical session” – a significant number of House members were heading home this evening due to the incoming inclement weather.

I don’t blame them….

The Missouri General Assembly opens the 2010 legislative session, part 3 (January 8, 2010)

The Missouri General Assembly opens the 2010 legislative session, part 4 (January 9, 2010)

State Auditor Susan Montee (D) speaking at Truman Days in Independence, Missouri.

State Auditor Susan Montee (D) at Truman Days 2010 (May 9, 2010)

Truman Days 2010 in Jackson County, Missouri (May 7, 2010)

We made a trip to Jefferson City in the middle of the session and promptly got booted from the press gallery, supposedly because the capitol press corps complained about our presence on their turf. We contacted various folks in Jefferson City about the situation and eventually were allowed to work from a side gallery in the House chamber during the last week of the session in May.

Representative Luke Scavuzzo (D-124) (center, seated) in conversation on the House floor while other representatives (standing in the background) wait to be recognized by the Speaker.

Representative Beth Low (D-39) speaking against ant-choice legislation for the “millionth time”.

A typical end of session scene on a representative’s desk on the floor of the House.

Representative Jason Holsman (D-45) in debate on the House floor.

State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (D) in the House chamber side gallery.

The House in Jefferson City – May 13, 2010 (May 13, 2010)

Representative Paul LeVota (D): on the end of the legislative session (May 15, 2010)

Many good Democratic Party legislators won’t be returning due to either term limits or defeat in the bad election year that was 2010.

Secretary of Defense Robert gates spoke at a high school commencement in Kansas City in May.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at Blue Valley Northwest High School Commencement – photos (May 24, 2010)

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at Blue Valley Northwest High School Commencement – speech (May 25, 2010)

We covered the speakers at Missouri Boys State in June:

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster (D) at Boys State.

Attorney General Chris Koster at Missouri Boys State (June 13, 2010)

Attorney General Chris Koster at Missouri Boys State: Q and A, part 1 (June 13, 2010)

Attorney General Chris Koster at Missouri Boys State: Q and A, part 2 (June 13, 2010)

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (D) at Boys State.

Governor Jay Nixon at Missouri Boys State: Q and A on Arizona’s SB 1070 (June 13, 2010)

Governor Jay Nixon at Missouri Boys State: opening remarks (June 14, 2010)

Former Ambassador John Bolton at Boys State.

Ambassador John Bolton at Missouri Boys State: photos (June 15, 2010)

Ambassador John Bolton at Missouri Boys State: remarks (June 16, 2010)

Ambassador John Bolton at Missouri Boys State: Q and A, part 1 (June 18, 2010)

Ambassador John Bolton at Missouri Boys State: Q and A, part 2 (June 19, 2010)

President Obama: Thanksgiving 2010

25 Thursday Nov 2010

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

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2010, Obama, Thanksgiving, White House

The White House press release and transcript:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 25, 2010

Weekly Address: President Obama Delivers Thanksgiving Greeting

WASHINGTON – During this holiday season, President Obama used his weekly address to give thanks for the blessings of America, in particular that distinctly American impulse to give something of ourselves and do what is required to make tomorrow better than today.  With that sense of determination and sacrifice, America has built a powerful economy, stood against tyranny, fought for equality, and connected the globe with our own science and imagination.  And by working together as one people – as Americans — we can overcome the challenges currently facing our nation.

Today, like millions of other families across America, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I will sit down to share a Thanksgiving filled with family and friends – and a few helpings of food and football, too.  And just as folks have done in every Thanksgiving since the first, we’ll spend some time taking stock of what we’re thankful for: the God-given bounty of America, and the blessings of one another.

This is also a holiday that captures that distinctly American impulse to give something of ourselves.  Even as we speak, there are countless Americans serving at soup kitchens and food pantries; contributing to their communities; and standing guard around the world.

And in a larger sense, that’s emblematic of what Americans have always done.  We come together and do what’s required to make tomorrow better than today.  That’s who we are.

Consider our journey since that first Thanksgiving.  We are among the world’s youngest of peoples, but time and again, we have boldly and resiliently led the way forward.  Against tough odds, we are a people who endure – who explored and settled a vast and untamed continent; who built a powerful economy and stood against tyranny in all its forms; who marched and fought for equality, and connected a globe with our own science and imagination.

None of that progress was predestined.  None of it came easily.  Instead, the blessings for which we give thanks today are the product of choices made by our parents, and grandparents, and generations before – whose determination and sacrifice ensured a better future for us.

This holiday season, we must resolve once more to do the same.

This is not the hardest Thanksgiving America has ever faced.  But as long as many members of our American family are hurting, we’ve got to look out for one another.  As long as many of our sons and daughters and husbands and wives are at war, we’ve got to support their mission and honor their service.  And as long as many of our friends and neighbors are looking for work, we’ve got to do everything we can to accelerate this recovery and keep our economy moving forward.

And we will.  But we won’t do it as any one political party.  We’ve got to do it as one people.  And in the coming weeks and months, I hope that we can work together, Democrats and Republicans and Independents alike, to make progress on these and other issues.

That’s why, next week, I’ve invited the leadership of both parties to the White House for a real and honest discussion – because I believe that if we stop talking at one another, and start talking with one another, we can get a lot done.

For what we are called to do again today isn’t about Democrats or Republicans.  It’s not about left or right.  It’s about us.  It’s about what we know this country is capable of.  It’s about what we want America to be in this new century.

A vibrant nation that makes sure its children are the best-educated in the world.  A healthy, growing economy that runs on clean energy and creates the jobs of tomorrow.  A responsible government that reduces its deficits.  An America where every citizen is able to go as far as he or she desires.

We can do all this, because we’ve done it before.  We’re made of the same sturdy stuff as the travelers who sat down to the first Thanksgiving, and all who came after – who worked, and sacrificed, and invested, because they believed that their efforts would make the difference for us.

That’s who we are.  We shape our own destiny with conviction, compassion, and clear and common purpose.  We honor our past and press forward with the knowledge that tomorrow will be better than today.  We are Americans.  That’s the vision we won’t lose sight of.  That’s the legacy that falls to our generation.  That’s the challenge that together, we are going to meet.

To every American, I am thankful for the privilege of being your President.  To all our service members stationed around the world, I am honored to be your Commander-in-Chief.  And from the Obama family to yours, have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you.

Good questions

18 Thursday Nov 2010

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2010, House, minority leader, Nancy Pelosi

RBH via Twitter:

Dem Minority Leader votes thru history: Pelosi 150/Shuler 43 (10), Pelosi 177/Ford 29 (02), Gephardt 150/Rose 50 (94) #cantwaitfor2018     about 6 hours ago  via web  

At Balloon Juice:

Can We Give Them The Attention They Now Deserve

…There was a closer and more contentious vote for best Halloween costume in the 5 year old division in my hometown a few weeks ago. Can we now please ignore these political incompetents? And could they now start acting like Democrats?

At the Great Orange Satan:

Nancy Pelosi elected House Democratic Leader, 150-43

…Nancy Pelosi was elected House Democratic Leader by the overwhelming margin of 150-43. This is a crushing, more than 3-1 defeat for her Blue Dog challengers. It’s even a bigger margin than Dick Gephardt’s post-1994 victory of 150-58. No matter how much press attention Blue Dogs got with their whining, it didn’t get them many votes…

Because obstructing the Democratic Party agenda and then losing a big chunk of your own “blue dog” caucus entitles you to repeat your disastrous strategery on a larger scale?

As if the opposition has a say:

I endorse Nancy Pelosi for Minority Leader.     12:22 PM Nov 5th  via Mobile Web  

House GOP gives Pelosi’s reelection a standing ovation!     about 6 hours ago  via ÜberTwitter  

Why should Democrats care what the republicans in the House think of Nancy Pelosi?

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