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Amicus this

11 Friday Dec 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri General Assembly

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Ann Wagner, Billy Long, Blaine Leutkemeyer, Donald Trump, election, Georgia, Jason Smith, Joe Biden, Josh Hawley, Michigan, missouri, Pennsylvania, Sam Graves, standing, Texas, U.S. Supreme Court, Vicky Hartzler, Wisconsin

Buh, bye. Loser.

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

This evening, an order at the United States Supreme Court in the election case Texas filed against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The court denied the complaint for a lack of standing and “All other pending motions are dismissed as moot”:

7-2. Alito and Thomas. Go figure.

So much for pandering right wingnut “constitutional scholars”.

Vicky Hartzler (r) [2016 file photo].

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer (r) [2014 file photo].

Representative Billy Long (r) [2016 file photo].

Shit didn’t stick. Ignorant Fascist hacks.

Previously:

Uh, the job description says Missouri (December 9, 2020)

A party in disarray (December 10, 2020)

Right wingnuts throw shit against the wall to see if it sticks (December 10, 2020)

Right wingnuts throw shit against the wall to see if it sticks – Washington, D.C. edition (December 10, 2020)

Right wingnuts throw shit against the wall to see if it sticks – Washington, D.C. edition

10 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

amicus brief, Billy Long, Blaine Leutkemeyer, Donald Trump, fascists, Georgia, Jason Smith, Joe Biden, Michigan, missouri, Pennsylvania, right wingnuts, Sam Graves, Texas, U.S. Supreme Court, Vicky Hartzler, Wisconsin

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) [2016 file photo].

Today, at the United States Supreme Court in the election case Texas has filed against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – right wingnut members of Congress (bless the State of Missouri) filed an Amicus brief:

[….]
Amicus U.S. Representative Sam Graves represents the Sixth
Congressional District of Missouri in the United States
House of Representatives.

Amicus U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler represents the
Fourth Congressional District of Missouri in the United
States House of Representatives.

Amicus U.S. Representative Blaine Leutkemeyer represents
the Third Congressional District of Missouri in the United
States House of Representatives.

Amicus U.S. Representative Jason Smith represents the
Eighth Congressional District of Missouri in the United
States House of Representatives.

Amicus U.S. Representative Ann Wagner represents the
Second Congressional District of Missouri in the United
States House of Representatives.
[….]

Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer (r) [2014 file photo].

Maybe Billy Long (r) was sleeping.

Representative Billy Long (r) [2016 file photo].

….Pursuant to subparagraph 2(b) of Rule 37, amici U.S. Representative Mike Johnson, et al., hereby move the Court for leave to file a brief amicus curiae in support of Plaintiff Texas’ Motion for Leave to File a Bill of Complaint and Motion for Preliminary Injunction….

….On the merits, this amicus brief defends the constitutional authority of state legislatures as the only bodies duly authorized to establish the manner by which presidential electors are appointed, one of the central issues in the pending litigation. As members of the federal legislature, these amici seek to protect the constitutional role of state legislatures in determining the manner by which states choose their electors….

Uh, no. Texas wants to impose the will of its Attorney General (r-pardon me) on other states and their legislatures.

….These amici appear as 106 Members of Congress and respectfully request that this Court uphold the plenary authority of the state legislatures to establish the manner by which electors are appointed, and determine the constitutional validity of any ballots cast under rules and procedures established by actors or public bodies other than state legislatures….

….National polls indicate a large percentage of Americans now have serious doubts about not just the outcome of the presidential contest, but also the future reliability of our election system itself….

That’s some serious Chutzpah. Who was it who “cast doubt”? We’ll wait.

Besides, opinion polls don’t decide elections, voters do.

….Fortunately, the Framers of our Constitution provided for this moment. It is now the duty of this Honorable Court to objectively review the facts presented by the Plaintiff in this historic case, render judgment upon the unconstitutional actions in the Defendant states, and restore the confidence of all Americans that the rule of law will be upheld today and our elections in the future will be secured….

They’re that stupid. And they believe everyone else is.

They want to disenfranchise millions of voters.

That’s some serious shit.

And a waste of time.

Previously:

Uh, the job description says Missouri (December 9, 2020)

A party in disarray (December 10, 2020)

Right wingnuts throw shit against the wall to see if it sticks (December 10, 2020)

Right wingnuts throw shit against the wall to see if it sticks

10 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Arizona, Donald Trump, Eric Schmitt, Georgia, HR 2, jiggery-pokery, Joe Biden, Justin Hill, Michigan, missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, right wingnuts, Texas, toadies, U.S. Supreme Court, Wisconsin

In Jefferson City, of course. What else is new?

At the end of the special session, reportedly signed on to by sixty-six republicans:

HR 2
Confirms the Missouri House’s lack of faith in the 2020 election results
Sponsor: Hill, Justin (108)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2020
LR Number: 1241H.03I
Last Action: 12/10/2020 – Referred: Special Committee on Government Oversight(H)
Bill String: HR 2
[….]

The resolution text:

SECOND EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
House Resolution No. 2
100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BYREPRESENTATIVE HILL.

1241H.03I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk

WHEREAS, the President of the United States has immense enumerated powers and serves as both the head of the executive branch of government of the United States and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces; and

WHEREAS, the election of the President of the United States should be free and fair in order to preserve the legitimacy of the government, avoid constitutional crisis, and promote the general welfare of the people of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the legislatures of the states are delegated primary responsibility to ensure that free and fair elections for the office of the Presidency of the United States are held under Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States which allows each state to appoint presidential Electors in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct; and

WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States is authorized under Amendment XII of the Constitution of the United States and the Electoral Count Act of 1887 to independently evaluate whether or not free and fair elections have occurred and to uphold the fundamental principle that the laws governing elections that are enacted by the legislatures of the states prior to the election are fully complied with during the election process; and

WHEREAS, historically low absentee ballot rejection rates occurred in the 2020 election despite the overwhelming new and unprecedented use of absentee ballots and mail in votes by many different persons and organizations; and

WHEREAS, a razor thin margin favoring Biden was reported in the days after election day in many swing states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada and political analyst Robert Barnes observed that Trump would win the election if any historical absentee ballot analysis process and rejection rate was assumed;

WHEREAS, statistically abnormal vote counts were reported in numerous states late on election night and the Biden-to-Trump ratio in reporting was 90 percent or more for some batches of votes;

WHEREAS, the manifest lack of any absentee ballot and mail in ballot oversight by unelected election administrators shows that the laws passed prior to election day were likely ignored and violated in numerous ways and that this violation was of significant magnitude to change the results for the election of the President of the United States; and

WHEREAS, in Pennsylvania 23,000 absentee ballots have impossible return dates, 86,000 absentee ballots are questionable, 50,000 votes held on 47 USB cards are missing in Delaware County, and signature matching for mail in ballots has been rendered impossible by the destruction of ballot envelopes; and

WHEREAS, in Georgia, Matt Braynard’s Voter Integrity Project estimates that 20,312 nonresidents cast ballots, there is video evidence of the statistical anomalies that occurred when Biden overtook President Trump with 89 percent of the votes counted, and for 53 different individual batches of votes counted, Biden led by the same 50.05 to 49.95 percent margin in every single batch; and

WHEREAS, a full and fair investigation of the election results, including analysis of absentee and mail in ballot samples for compliance with state election law, is necessary to ensure a free and fair election and should be conducted by Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives of the one Hundredth General Assembly, Second Extraordinary Session, hereby have no faith in the validity of the results of the 2020 presidential election reported by the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if a full and fair investigation is not completed, that the United States Congress sitting in joint session refuse to accept electoral votes for the office of President of the United States from the states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare a properly inscribed copy of this resolution for each house of the United States Congress.

These people really are that stupid.

Uh, Robert Barnes (whatever non-entity he is) is not the arbiter of any election in this country.

Uh, Matt Braynard (whatever non-entity he is) is not the arbiter of any election in this country.

Previously:

Uh, the job description says Missouri (December 9, 2020)

A party in disarray (December 10, 2020)

Uh, the job description says Missouri

09 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Attorney General, Donald Trump, Eric Schmitt, Georgia, Michigan, missouri, Pennsylavnia, right wingnut, Texas, Trump Toady, U.S. Supreme Court, Wisconsin

Well, of course it does.

Late last night from Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (r-Trump Toady):

Eric Schmitt @Eric_Schmitt
Election integrity is central to our republic. And I will defend it at every turn.

As I have in other cases – I will help lead the effort in support of Texas’ #SCOTUS filing today.

Missouri is in the fight.
[….]
9:04 PM · Dec 8, 2020

Some of the responses:

Honest question, AG Schmitt:

What role is Missouri supposed to have in ensuring election integrity in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania?

And would California’s AG have an equal role in ensuring Missouri’s election integrity if he thought there was fraud here?

Why? What benefit will Missourians see? Constitution give states power to run their own elections. Seems like this will waste Missourians tax dollars on ill fated political agenda. Why only states Biden won? If you truly care about integrity, wouldn’t you question red states too?

Why are other state issues a matter for Texas? You know the state that champions statehood rights. Really. It’s a serious question. Anybody have an answer?

I too love watching my hard-earned tax dollars being pissed away on frivolous nonsense that does nothing more than line the pockets of rich, sleazy lawyers.

Aren’t you too busy suing China? How’s that one going?

Just take the L, Eric.

It’s hard to do, but you’re embarrassing Missouri even more with your participation.

In terms that a right wingnut Missouri Attorney General might understand:

He’s not, sorry. There’s nothing unconstitutional about absentee voting. Several states vote exclusively by mail.

This new lawsuit is like calling the superintendent at a district you don’t live in and being mad about how they run their football program.

Pure crazy.

This is embarrassing.

I predict this is a folly you will definitely regret.

Really? This is silliness.

I hope California sues Texas for voter suppression!

Let’s have all the states sue each other for how they run their elections.

Always fun to watch someone embarrass themselves.

That assumes a lot.

When do we get to throw out the Missouri election results? Because the people who won are absolutely nuts and Missourians deserve better leadership than this.

Oh great. Another complete waste of tax dollars. Fantastic.

You’re wasting time and resources on this shit?

You sound so thirsty buddy. Just ask @HawleyMO to borrow one of his ladders

We see what you did there.

The TX ag is fishing for a much needed pardon. What are you after

There is that.

This is what it must it felt like to be alive in 1776 America.

We’re in the Fight, Patriots ALL THE WAY!

Actually, more like Gemany in the 1930s.

Lol Texas attorney general is being investigated he is desperate The press should do a deep dive on you dude.

There is that.

And how’s the China lawsuit going General Showboat?

So how’s that lawsuit against China going?

Please stop.

SCOTUS won’t hear it. The lawsuit is a joke.

Oh for pity’s sake.

[….]
…Ken Paxton, the TX AG that filed suit against GA, MI, PA, and WI has been indicted on felony securities fraud charges and is CURRENTLY under FBI investigation for abuse of political power.

This is not a lawsuit. This is a request for a pardon.

God Bless Texas, huh?

Pathetic.

Libs are now in the bargaining phase.

That is called an “own goal”.

We’re supposed to seek out Trump voters and listen to their concerns? Good luck with that.

31 Friday May 2019

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

#resist, cult, Donald Trump, Fascism, impeachment, Justin Amash, Michigan, Propaganda, Trumpistas

A colossal waste of time.

“Propaganda is not designed to fool the critical thinker, but only to give moral cowards an excuse not to think at all” – protest sign, circa 2003- 2004.

Republican Justin Amash stands by position to start impeachment proceedings despite criticism
The Michigan lawmaker is the only Republican member of Congress who has said he supports impeachment proceedings.
May 28, 2019, 10:25 PM ‎CDT / Updated May 28, 2019, 10:36 PM ‎CDT
By Leigh Ann Caldwell and Alex Moe

…a Republican who supported Amash and the president said she was upset about Amash’s position but wanted to hear his reasoning. She said that she will definitely support Trump in 2020 but that Tuesday night was the first time she had heard that the Mueller report didn’t completely exonerate the president.

“I was surprised to hear there was anything negative in the Mueller report at all about President Trump. I hadn’t heard that before,” she said. “I’ve mainly listened to conservative news and I hadn’t heard anything negative about that report and President Trump has been exonerated….”

Because she couldn’t be bothered to find the easily available report on-line and actually read it.

“Faux News channel, fascist groupies” – protest sign, circa 2003- 2004.

"There clearly is some racial leaves in their tea bag…" – part 2

09 Monday Aug 2010

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Georgia, Michigan, missouri, NAACP, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, racial attitudes, survey, Teabaggers, WISER

Benjamin Todd Jealous, NAACP President and CEO, July 10, 2010:

….And there are, there is once again an insurgent movement in this country to tear this country apart. And if we pull off the veneer what we see behind them are wealthy law firms and fancy lobbyists like Dick Armey, this faux populist rage represented by the Tea Party. There is nothing new, and what is new  is that this group of people is smaller than they have ever been in our society, smaller than the White Citizens Council, smaller than the Klan of the nineteen-twenties, but divisive and dangerous….

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, NAACP National Convention, July 11, 2010:

….And I thank you professor very much. I’m going to be engaging you with those very powerful numbers that you have offered on what the tea party recognizes, uh, or is recognized as. Might I add my own P.S.? 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]….

Reverand Al Sharpton, NAACP National Convention, July 14, 2010:

….You cannot have people who are now trying to have tea party for state’s rights coming and celebrating the day that asked the federal government to overrule where states were segregating and allowing segregation to go forward. There clearly is some racial leaves in their tea bag, but this is not just about race. This is about how you see government….

Well, this is interesting (via Think Progress):

2010 Multi-state Survey on Race & Politics

….the 2010 Multi-state Survey of Race & Politics examines what Americans think about the issues of race, public policy, national politics, and President Obama, one year after the inauguration of the first African American president.

The survey is drawn from a probability sample of 1006 cases, stratified by state. The Multi-State Survey of Race and Politics included seven states, six of which were battleground states in 2008. It includes Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, and Ohio as the battleground states. For its diversity and its status as an uncontested state, California was also included for comparative purposes. The study, conducted by the Center for Survey Research at the University of Washington, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent and was in the field February 8 – March 15, 2010….

….Since the public has become aware of the data, several people have come forward to challenge our initial findings, specifically, that supporters of the Tea Party appear racially intolerant. A principal charge, one not without intellectual merit, is that the observed relationship between support for the Tea Party and racial resentment is more about the relatively conservative politics of Tea Partiers than racism. Indeed, conservatives tend to believe in a small government, one that doesn’t do much to help people who, they believe, should make an effort to do for themselves. This is certainly a legitimate view; it’s one to which many Americans have adhered from the beginning of the Republic. In short, some of our critics charge that, instead of the racism we observe associated with support for the Tea Party, we’re merely observing Tea Partiers’ conservatism at work. In other words, support for the Tea Party, they suggest, is simply a proxy for conservatism.

To address this issue, we turn to regression, a statistical technique that allows analysts to tease out how one variable affects another. This is important because it permits us to account for the presence of other variables that may also affect the outcome while isolating the impact of the effect of the variable of interest on the result. So, in this case, if support for the Tea Party is truly a proxy for conservatism, the relationship between racial resentment and support for the Tea Party should evaporate once we control for conservatism. Otherwise, there’s something else going on with support for the Tea Party; it’s not just conservatism. To make things a little easier, we combined all of the items (questions) that comprise racial resentment, making them into a scale.

As the figure shows, even as we account for conservatism and partisanship, support for the Tea Party remains a valid predictor of racial resentment. We’re not saying that ideology isn’t important, because it is: as people become more conservative, it increases by 23 percent the chance that they’re racially resentful. Also, Democrats are 15 percent less likely than Republicans to be racially resentful. Even so, support for the Tea Party makes one 25 percent more likely to be racially resentful than those who don’t support the Tea Party….

Obviously not everyone, but a few. Wasn’t that the point of the NAACP resolution?

Welcome to post-racial America.

Truman Days in Kansas City: Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, part 1

06 Wednesday May 2009

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Jennifer Granholm, Kansas City, Michigan, missouri, Truman Days

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was the keynote speaker for Truman Days at the Saturday night dinner held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

Our previous coverage of Truman Days:

Truman Days in Kansas City: Friday Night Hospitality Suites

Truman Days in Kansas City: Friday Night Hospitality Suites, part 2

Truman Days 2009, Day 2, Brunch

Truman Days in Kansas City: Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel

Truman Days in Kansas City: Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster

Truman Days in Kansas City: photos from May 1st and 2nd

Truman Days in Kansas City: Congressman Emanuel Cleaver

[applause] Thank you all. Thank you senator [McCaskill]. Thank you for the invitation. Thank you for allowing me to come. It’s five minutes to nine. [laughter] All right, so, I’m not, I promise I’m not gonna go very long. But there’s just a few things that I want to tell you. Are you okay? Just wait, just a little bit. [cheers] [applause] I promise to not go long. [applause]

But, it’s so great to hear you. Thank you for that honor. I’ve never heard you speak before, and so you’ve said some really great stories that I want to poach. If that’s okay, mister congressman [Emanuel Cleaver]? And Jay, excuse me Governor Nixon [laughter], great to be in your state. Great to see all the things you have done. And great to see all the love that there is for you and for all of you, for all of your statewides [office holders]. The love that [garbled] [applause]

So, I have, I have never, I’ve never been to Kansas City before. [voice: “Welcome!”] So thank you. I’m so pleased to be here and as we were flying in I was noticing how green it was and the hills. This is a beautiful place. And [applause], and then, here all of you all. Isn’t this a beautiful place? And, you know, the feel of Democrats in the evening. And this [laughter], this is really a beautiful place. So here’s what we’re doin’, you know, as we, as we drove in I was noticing, ’cause I think Kansas City was probably, you know, built up at around the same time Detroit was. And so there’s a lot of brick buildings. And there’s a lot of, there’s a lot of emphasis, I think, reinvigorating some of the old buildings. You see lofts and sort of the brick blending with the steel and glass. There’s a great blend of old and new. There’s a real sense of, of invigoration. And I, I just, I, I felt like there is this sense of renewal just in watching what was happening…

…And so as we were driving in, Joanne Halls [sp] who’s with me was telling me that really what Kansas City is known for is barbecue. [whistle] [applause] Is that right? [applause] So, we didn’t finish all the meal here, but tonight afterward we’re gonna go and and have some barbecue. [voice: Yeah!”] So we got a tip about where to go. [laughter] So, I’m not gonna keep you too long ’cause I’m gonna have some barbecue, too.

So, I, I love the fact that you’re all talking about change. This was really a week of change, just this past week that we came through. In fact, one week ago tonight I was at our Jefferson Jackson Day dinner, which is our statewide dinner for Democrats, and I had invited, to come and speak, Deval Patrick, who is the governor of Massachusetts. [applause] And if you know, he’s just this phenomenal presence, and he, you know, we’re so proud that he is the, well, we’re not [garbled] more. But he’s an African American Democratic governor who is doing phenomenal things in Massachusetts. And when he came and he talked to us he was talking about the power of change. And so you all talked about the power of change tonight and what a difference elections make.

And but what he said is that there’s this real moment for change in his life. And it’s such a great personal story, just very quickly. What he said, you know, he was actually born in Chicago. And he was born to a very poor family. And he was saying that his family was on welfare and he lived in a multi-generational home. And, he actually shared a room with his mom and his grandmother. And they had one bunk bed in the room. So every third night, they would rotate, one of them had to be on the floor. And so he comes from this place of really knowing what people are feeling. Well, when he was growing up, before he got to high school, they moved to Boston. And his family somehow arranged it to get him to be placed in a boarding school where they have really high expectations of kids. Now he had come from, you know, schools where they weren’t performing very well and he felt like he was lacking in skills. But he went to this school and he, when he graduated from that school he did so well that he went to Harvard. And then he went on to Harvard Law School. And then he did a whole bunch of great things, and of course ended up being the governor of Massachusetts. And he says that he lives now on this leafy street and he has this great family and when his, one of his daughters was young, she had this privilege of being raised in a, you know, family of privilege. And so when she was asked, his daughter, to do a, she was five years old, she was asked to do a little speech about the four seasons. And she, when she went in front of the class she said the Four Seasons has a concierge and when you drive up [laughter] they let you out of your car. [laughter] And his whole point in saying that was one generation. One generation. And so the question for us all is, you know, change can be short term or change can be long term. But the power of transformation, especially with education…so the power of transformational leadership is sometimes planting trees under who’s shade you will never sit, right? And that’s what education is all about. So [applause]  because you’re never going to be governor for a generation, no matter how good you were and long it was as attorney general, there will be people who come behind us. So it’s important to move as quickly as possible.

And so you are rushing, what do you call it? Racing to invest and to make diverse sectors, emerging sectors come to Missouri. Well, this issue of change, just in this past week, was remarkable. So on Monday General Motors annou…and I, of course I have a perspective on this, General Motors announced that it was going to be furloughing umpteen number of plants while they decide whether they’re going to file for bankruptcy. On Tuesday of this week, I think it was Tuesday, Arlen Specter gave President Obama a filibuster proof majority in the senate. [applause] On Wednesday the president celebrated, if you will, his hundred days in office. And I think that was the same day that the swine flu reared it’s ugly…You’re not supposed to call it the swine flue. What’s it called? [voices] It’s H1N1. [voice: “H1N1 virus.”] H1N1 virus. Sounds like, you know, sounds like something that C3PO gave to R2D2 or something like that. [laughter] But, so that was Wednesday. Thursday Chrysler files for bankruptcy. And Friday David Souter announces that he is going to step down from the Supreme Court.

So this is Saturday, we’re in Missouri. I’m glad to be here with you at the end of the week of change. [applause] Just to show you how quick it all co
uld be. [applause] And so we also know, because we are in the show me state, that [applause], and, yeah, go for it show me state, but I, I, I think that because this is the first time in Kansas City, I’ve been to St. Louis before, but never Kansas City, but I just have this feeling. I want to tell you what people like me feel about Missouri. ‘Cause I feel like, despite the fact that our economy is more challenged than yours, there are a lot of parallels between Missouri and Michigan. And, and so I feel like the parallels include the fact that we are states, you know, in the middle of the country. States of common sense. States that really honor work and workers and a work ethic. States that have a history with farming to manufacturing. States that, do you have? I feel like, do you guys have Friday fish frys? [voice: “Oh yeah.”] I mean, I’m all about the Friday fish frys and the front porches and the, you know, yellow ribbons on the street as the buses that bring the great soldiers back, go to the [applause][cheers]… Right, you know what I’m saying? Go to the high school and the kids are holding up a sign. So they’re saluting the buses. I feel, is that? That, that’s what you do in Missouri. That’s what you do in Michigan. It’s probably what you do across the country.

But I feel like, I feel like there is connection between us. And there’s a connection, too, because I think that both of our states want to put the “P” back in GDP. That we ought to be manufacturing products [applause] in this country. And I say that because, not just because we’re seeing this global shift in manufacturing jobs to low wage countries, ’cause we are. But because I think it is a critical national need. To be able to manufacture, for example, the means of our national defense. In World War II when the president turned to develop the means for our defense through the bombers, etcetera, they came to our factories. To be able to convert, to make those instruments of defense. If you don’t have the ability to craft that then hoe weak do you become?

And it’s true, as well, with respect to the change that the president seeks to bring on energy. I mean you can’t be independent of foreign oil or fossil fuels if you don’t have the means to manufacture that, right? [voice: “Right.”] If you don’t have the ability to make a car that’s an electric vehicle, like Ford is doing here, right? [voice: “Right.”] If you don’t have the ability to do that then we aren’t gonna be safe as a nation. Or, at least we won’t be reliant on foreign oil or foreign batteries. so, bottom line, I think that we have, our two states, a lot in common.

I do think that we’ve got an ability, our states, to demonstrate how change can happen. And I’m very, very grateful for this sixty vote margin, sixty-one vote margin next year, right, because [applause], because sixty votes, sixty votes means, and I, I don’t, have you, have you ever gone into a, I, let me just say what, I’ve been into like, I’ve been to the bakery and right next to the cash register is a mason jar with a picture on it of, you know, Aunt Mary, and the mason jar has a hand written note saying, “Donations wanted for Aunt Mary’s mammogram.” Asking for quarters. Sixty votes has an impact on that. Or, did you hear about the family who’s child has leukemia and they were auctioning off items on e-bay to be able to pay for that child’s leukemia treatment? We are not a nation that begs. We ought not to be a nation that begs for quarters to pay for health care. [applause][cheers] Sixty votes means that. [applause] Maybe sixty-one votes that mean that. Sixty votes means that the auto worker who is, who used to bend steel to make the minivan at a Chrysler plant in St. Louis might now have the chance to bend steel to make a wind turbine. And that wind turbine might be produced in a factory that’s been retrofitted because the carpenters and the plumbers and the pipe fitters have been able to retrofit it. [applause] And that wind turbine might be installed on a Missouri farm by an operating engineer and might be connected to a smart grid by the I.B.E.W. [cheers][applause]. So, you know that sixty votes is gonna mean jobs for us in this country when the president, who is committed to adding this new sector of employment. It’s, sixty votes meant a stimulus bill.

And you are so right about this. And I can just speak from the perspective of a governor. And I know you feel this way. That if it had gone the other way in November we would not be seeing additional weeks added to those who are unemployed, who are on unemployment insurance. You would not see [applause] an additional amount to help those families. And you would not see the commitment to adding these new sectors. Now, as governor of Michigan I can just tell you that since the year 2000, because of this shift in manufacturing jobs, and Michigan’s got seven times more automotive jobs than all of the other states, so we have got far too much concentration in one sector. We love our autos, but we want to add new sectors. We have lost, between 2000 and the end of this year, we will have lost over seven hundred thousand jobs. Over seven hundred thousand jobs. And just to put that in perspective, in Hurricane Katrina Louisiana lost about two hundred and thirty thousand jobs. Obviously a hurricane is different than an economic hurricane. And one time versus a longer period, but nonetheless, it certainly has impact on families, as you know, right…?

Part 2 will follow as soon as the Show Me Progress corporate headquarters transcription gnomes return from their mandatory 20,000 word break.

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