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Section A. Section 17, article IV, Constitution of Missouri, is repealed and one new section adopted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 17, to read as follows: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