Previously:

Missouri Women United – march in Jefferson City on April 27th (April 15, 2013)

Activists for women’s rights gathered in Jefferson City today for a march and rally at the Capitol. Over seventy-five individuals braved the cold rain and wind to show support for the Equal Rights Amendment, women’s rights and to hear speakers. Former state Representative Deleta Williams, a sponsor of the ERA in the General Assembly in the 90s, was the keynote speaker.

Former state Representative Deleta Williams (D) speaking at the Missouri Women United march in Jefferson City on April 27, 2013.

The remarks of Representative Deleta Williams (D), as prepared:

Deleta Williams: On a warm but a very sad day, Oct. 20, 2000, I walked with my fellow legislators, state officials, and other dignitaries, including President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Hillary and Tipper, from the governor’s mansion to the spot where we stand today, to attend the funeral of an outstanding and beloved Governor Mel Carnahan.  At that service, his daughter, Robin, gave a very moving eulogy and told us that on cold mornings, as her dad left their Rolla farm home, he always said, “Don’t let the fire go out.”

As I thought about my remarks for today, it occurred to me that you are a very challenging group to speak to. I thought, “What can I possibly say to this group that would be beneficial? They know well the issues or they would not be attending the rally. They understand the importance and the urgency of the issues — or they would not be attending the rally.”

So I decided to reflect on some, certainly not all, who have refused to let the fire go out on women’s rights as I believe inspiration can be gotten from others experiences.

Certainly first and foremost, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul and Lucretta Mott and the women of their day, who worked tirelessly, from 1867 to 1920 to gain the right for women to vote. And in so doing they endured hunger strikes, time in jail and even death in that struggle. Today, 93 years later, the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, remains the only right guaranteed to women in the U.S. Constitution. These women of yesteryear did not let the fire go out….

….When I became a member of the Missouri House, Representative Sue Shear was the sponsor of the ERA, during what was referred to as the second wave of the ratification process after having been in the trenches during the first wave.  She was an outstanding legislator who championed many other pieces of progressive legislation. I remember vividly a morning session of the House when Speaker Gaw had arranged a tribute to Suzy, as she was fondly called, by placing the Equal Rights Amendment on the calendar for that day, making arrangements for a speaker and preparing a House Resolution honoring her 36 years as a member of the House.  Rep. Shear had cancer and was hospitalized in St. Louis. The call was made and a frail voice came over the phone  “Mr. Speaker”.  Speaker Gaw replied — ”For what reason does the lady from the 83rd District wish to be recognized?” And Suzy replied, “Mr Speaker, I move that the ERA be adopted.” Then she proceeded to speak, briefly but passionately, about the merits of the ERA. Unfortunately, this time of honoring Representative Shear became the lowest point of my legislative experience, and of many others who witnessed what happened, when Representative Vicky Hartzler, now Congresswoman Hartzler, who by the way recently voted no on the Violence Against Women Act, stood on the House floor and engaged Representative Shear in a contentious and what seemed to be a never ending debate on the evils of the ERA. Not long afterward Representative Shear passed away. But she had literally kept the fire burning on ERA to the last days of her life.

Soon after the death of Rep. Shear, I attended a BPW [Business and Professional Women] legislative workshop held across the way at the Capitol Plaza.  I had been in Jefferson City all week and the last thing I wanted to do was to go back on Saturday. However, I could not say no to my good friend and supporter, Marie Hyatt, another first waver  and so she and I went as representatives of the of the Warrensburg BPW.

We broke out in small groups to talk about ERA.  From where I was sitting I could hear the conversation from a nearby table and heard someone say, “Maybe Representative Williams would sponsor the ERA”.  It had never entered my mind that I would take up what Rep. Shear had done for so many years.  I had not been in the trenches during the first wave and was totally unprepared for this task. But finally, I walked over to the table and said “I am Rep. Williams and I will sponsor the ERA.” My legislative assistant, Marie Gladbach, was elated when I told her on Monday morning what we were going to be doing.  She had been involved in the first wave also.

During the time when I sponsored the ERA, I discovered that many women, and especially the younger women, thought they already had equal rights and they could not see the need to have these rights included in the Constitution.  As we watch now, almost daily, we see these rights, that so many take for granted, being limited, unfunded or underfunded and even in some instances eliminated. Hopefully more and more people and especially the young women see the need for inclusion in Constitution as the only guarantee to these rights. Organizations like those involved in this rally, and BPW, AAUW and others play a key part in keeping the fire from going out.

Passing ERA in the Missouri legislature in the 90’s was challenging and our motto was, “If their minds can’t be changed, change their faces”.  As you well know, this has not happened and the number and the resolve of the opposition has grown stronger and stronger.  It is incumbent upon all of us here today to work diligently in the next election and however many elections it takes to changed these faces to women’s rights friendly faces.

Senator Justus, with SR 6 and Representative Morgan, HR 36, and their co-sponsors are to be commended for their resolve, in a very difficult environment, to keeping the fire from going out.

Women and I want to thank the men in attendance here today and other men who have been supporters over the years. Every man has or had a mother, most have a wife and many have daughters. And so, why would men not want to support the efforts against the assault of reproductive rights, the threat to women in the areas of education, equal pay for equal work, voter suppression and crimes against women?

The first thing on the agenda each day in the House is the approval of the journal from the previous session.  One year the Republican members of the house became upset about something and decided that they would vote against approving the journal until their issue was addressed. There were, at that time, enough Democrats in the House to approve the journal without the votes of the Republicans, so it became rather routine until one day when Representative Mike Shilling, a male and supporter of women’s rights, convinced enough Democratic supporters of ERA, who were upset with ERA not being placed on the calendar, to not show up for the vote to approve the journal. Well, with Republicans voting no and twelve Democrats absent, the votes were not there to approve the journal and business in the House came to a standstill. House leadership met with the group of twelve and agreed to place ERA on the calendar, assuring floor debate and a vote, which failed as expected, but was viewed as positive from the standpoint of keeping the issue of ERA on the front burner.

Thanks to the men and to Representative Mike Schilling for their help in keeping the fire from going out.

Recently, I attended a lecture by Lilly Ledbetter on the campus of UCM. You will recall that she took her wage discrimination case all the way to the Supreme Court where she lost because of the statute of limitations. In a dramatic moment, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg read her dissent from the bench urging Lilly to fight back– and fight she did, becoming the namesake of President Obama’s first official piece of legislation.  Today she is a tireless advocate for change, traveling the country to urge women and minorities to claim their civil rights.  Her compelling story is told in the book Grace and Grit.  Lilly is certainly doing her part in keeping the fire from going out and we can all take inspiration from her efforts.

Last but now least, I want to recognize Mary Mosley and congratulate her on receiving the Alice Paul award. She is extremely deserving of this award. I wish I knew how many miles she has walked in the halls of the capitol in support of progressive issues. She and Shirley Breeze, working together diligently, were my mentors, my teachers and my inspiration. I say thank you for your efforts in keeping the fire from going out.

In closing I would like to share this: Life is like bike riding; it would be good to enjoy the occasional chance to sit back and coast along for a short while, but remember, that in general, if you don’t keep pedaling, it won’t be long until you fall down.

At the start of the march.

On the street, joining the march.

On the Capitol grounds.

Michelle Trupiano, Missouri Lobbyist and Public Policy Manager for Planned Parenthood of Kansas & Mid-Missouri, addressed the rally.

Supporting the Equal Rights Amendment.

A novel concept – equal pay for equal work.

A young activist.

Previously:

Unite Women Missouri March 4/28/12 – video (May 7, 2012)

Stephen Webber 4/28/2012 Unite Against the War on Women Jefferson City (May 3, 2012)

Rebecca McClanahan 4/28/2012 Unite Against the War on Women Jefferson City (May 1, 2012)

Peggy Cochran 4/28/2012 – Unite Against the War on Women – Jefferson City (May 1, 2012)

Senator Ken Jacob speaks at Unite Against the War on Women in Jefferson City (May 1, 2012)

Missouri – Unite Against the War on Women – Jefferson City march and rally – photos, part 3 (April 29, 2012)

Missouri – Unite Against the War on Women – Jefferson City march and rally – photos, part 2 (April 28, 2012)

Missouri – Unite Against the War on Women – Jefferson City march and rally – photos (April 28, 2012)

Unite Against the War on Women – march and rally in Jefferson City – April 28, 2012 (April 21, 2012)

We Are Women March 4.28.12 – Susan Montee (D) and Courtney Cole (D) (April 19, 2012)

Previously:

Missouri – Unite Against the War on Women – Jefferson City march and rally – photos (April 28, 2012)

Unite Against the War on Women – march and rally in Jefferson City – April 28, 2012 (April 21, 2012)

We Are Women March 4.28.12 – Susan Montee (D) and Courtney Cole (D) (April 19, 2012)

Approximately three hundred individuals from across the state gathered Saturday morning near the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Building in Jefferson City for a march to a rally at the Capitol in support of women’s rights.

The march to the Capitol.

In the two hours as people gathered in the staging area for the march near the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Building they took the opportunity to introduce themselves to each other, visit, talk politics and policy, exchange ideas for signs, and take photographs.

Nancy Maxwell, the Democratic Party candidate in the 54th Legislative District,

in the staging area before the start of the march to the Capitol.

Gadsden ovaries.

Courtney Cole.

Peggy Cochran.

Teresa Hensley, the Democratic Party candidate in the 4th Congressional District,

spoke to the crowd about the impact of domestic violence and her experiences in

successfully dealing with those cases as Cass County Prosecutor.

Previously: We Are Women March 4.28.12 – Susan Montee (D) and Courtney Cole (D) (April 19, 2012)

We received the following media release:

[….]

Missouri Women mobilizing to protest against “war on women”

[JEFFERSON CITY]— On Saturday, April 28, 2012 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, women and men from around the state of Missouri will gather for a rally at the Missouri State Capitol Building to say “Enough is Enough.” Speakers slated to appear include Missouri Lieutenant Governor Candidate and past Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee, Missouri 4th Congressional House of Representatives Candidate Teresa Hensley, Planned Parenthood Mid-Missouri Public Policy Manager Michelle Trupiano, and Missouri National Organization for Women (NOW) Vice-President Claire Major. Additional speakers and entertainment will be included.

The event is hosted by Unite Against the War on Women, a new organization rapidly gaining steam nationwide. Concurrent rallies are scheduled for all 50 states that day in a show of strength against recent threats to women’s rights.

“It is essential that we stand up for our rights now and work together against this effort to destroy women’s rights. On April 28th, we will have the opportunity to join a national movement against the war on women. Join us to give your support,” Paula Willmarth, co-leader of Unite Women Missouri stated.

While the immediate impetus for Unite Women is the assault on reproductive rights, the threat to women is inclusive of other concerns, including education, equal pay for equal work, voter suppression and crimes against women and children.

DETAILS FOR THE MARCH:

10:00-10:30am Gather at James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Bldg.

10:30-11:00am Marching East on Main Street to South Lawn of Capitol

11:00am-12:00pm Rally for Unite Women on South Lawn of Capitol

Missouri Endorsers Of UNITE Women include

Capitol Women’s Political Caucus · Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) · Coffee Party USA

Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus · Mid-Missouri Progressive Women · Missouri AAUW

Missouri Federation of Women’s Democratic Clubs · Missouri NOW · Missouri Planned Parenthood · Missouri ProVote

Missouri Women’s Leadership Coalition · Missouri Women’s Political Caucus · Missouri Women’s Network

NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri · NOW – Kansas City Metro · PROMO · Women’s Political Caucus of Metro St. Louis

National Endorsers Of UNITE Women include

Advocates for Youth · A is For · Americans for Separation of Church and State

Breakthrough · Catholics for Choice · Center for Inquiry · Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)

Code Pink – Women for Peace · Coffee Party USA · Feminist Peace Network · iHollaback

Institute for Science and Human Values · Katrina vanden Heuvel (Editor & Publisher “The Nation” Magazine)

9 to 5 – National Association of Working Women · The National Equal Rights Amendment Alliance

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health · National League of Latin American Citizens · National Organizations for Women

National Women’s Political Caucus · Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice · This Slut Votes

Be there. We will.

Fighting back. A video promoting the march and rally in Jefferson City next weekend:

Susan Montee: On Saturday, April twenty-eighth women and men from all over Missouri will gather here in Jefferson City to march and rally for women’s rights. They’ll be joining a nationwide movement in all fifty states and we’d like you to join us.

Unite Against The War On Women. Some people have a problem with the words war on women. They say it’s too extreme. But just look where we are. There’s no denying the record number of laws passed in the last year restricting women’s reproductive rights. And what about the rash of proposed invasive laws, some requiring unnecessary medical procedures?

And we are fighting battles we thought we already won, like the nineteen ninety-four Violence Against Women Act that the Republican Congress just failed to renew.    

When I began my career in politics I fought for equal opportunities for women in the workforce. As a city council member in St. Joseph, Missouri I stood against those who said there were no women in many important government positions because women were not interested in those kind of jobs.

Today we’re still fighting the same fights and struggling for equal pay. Women earn seventy-seven cents out of every dollar a man makes. And over their lifetime that can be hundreds of thousands of dollars and impact Social Security and pensions.

With the upcoming election and so many issues at stake it’s time to make our voices heard. Join the march and attend the rally.

The priorities are women’s rights and civil rights, women’s reproductive rights, women’s economic equality and worker’s rights, and protecting women and children from violence and abuse.

We have to be vigilant. Many of the rights that we’ve already fought for are under assault or have already been turned back.

Here in Missouri the march will take place in Jefferson City beginning at ten a.m. Everyone will gather at the Secretary of State office building and march to the capitol where the rally will be held. There will be a number of speakers addressing important issues, both nationally and locally, and a call to action here in Missouri.      

Courtney Cole: Our goals for the march are to increase public awareness of issues that are important to women, to advance women in the political process and policy making process so that our concerns are addressed by women, and to get women involved in the legislative and political process. We need women to get involved, take action, and vote.    

Susan Montee: this is an opportunity for every woman who cares about our rights, our well being, and the future of our daughters to unite with women across Missouri and America in making a difference. And men, we need you, too. Men who support our cause, we want you there with us. Without you we can’t succeed.

We Are Women March, Missouri. Saturday, April twenty-eighth in Jefferson City starting at ten a.m. at the Secretary of State building with the rally on the capitol steps starting around eleven. For more information visit our Facebook page.

Courtney Cole: Enough is enough. Stop the war on women.

Susan Montee: Stand up for women’s rights. Join us April twenty-eighth and let your voice be heard.

Word.

We’ll be there.

Johnson County Democrats met at the Trails Regional Library in Warrensburg at 7:30 p.m. to elect delegates and alternates to the 4th Congressional District meeting (and Missouri Democratic Party Convention) in the next step of the national convention delegate selection process. Unlike the republican beauty contest primary in February and their subsequent public relations disaster (and in some cases amusing) caucuses, the Democratic Party primary on the same date was binding as to the distribution of delegates.

People interested in participating started showing up and signing in around 7:00 p.m. The doors were closed at 7:30 p.m. If an individual showed up after 7:30 p.m. they could observe, but not participate.

The Johnson County chair appointed a temporary caucus chair who the ran the election for the permanent caucus chair. Once that process was finished the caucus proceeded to make nominations for and elect delegates and alternates to the congressional district meeting in April. Each congressional district is allocated a certain number of national convention delegates and alternates to be elected at those meetings. Those same county delegates and alternates will also attend and vote at the Missouri Democratic Party Convention in June for at-large national delegates and alternates.

Brennan Wallace (center), age 17, was elected a delegate to the 4th Congressional District meeting (and the state Democratic Convention). Under party rules he can run as a delegate if he will be old enough to vote in the November General Election. He will be. Brennan is running to be a delegate to the national convention.

Gary Grigsby (left), a candidate in the 51st legislative District encompassing part of Johnson County,

was elected the caucus chair and ran the delegate and alternate elections.

Nancy Maxwell from Holden, Missouri, the Democratic Party candidate in the 54th Legislative District,

will be facing Denny Hoskins (r) in the November general election.

Courtney Cole, the Democratic Party candidate in the 121st Legislative District in 2010, on being elected a delegate to the 4th Congressional

District meeting, stated, “Hey, I finally won an election!” The entire caucus broke out in laughter.

The typical republican expects everyone else to have a short memory:

Journal; The Mother Next Door

By FRANK RICH

Published: November 13, 1994

….But once Ms. Smith confessed, a new villain had to be found to keep our own internal demons at bay. Enter Newt Gingrich, who rushed into action on election eve with another reliable generic culprit: society. He said the double murder “vividly reminds every American how sick the society is getting and how much we need to change things,” expediently adding that “the only way you get change is to vote Republican.”

Hmmm, that sounds suspiciously like someone was exploiting a tragedy for political purposes, right before an election, even. And the real story got even worse when the facts came out long after that election:

Defending Smith, Stepfather Says He Also Bears Blame

By RICK BRAGG

Published: July 28, 1995

…Susan Smith’s stepfather, who admitted that he had molested her when she was a teen-ager and had consensual sex with her as an adult, told her and his town that he shared her guilt in the drowning deaths of her young sons….

….Mr. Russell, a former member of the executive committee of the South Carolina Republican Party and a member of the Christian Coalition, read aloud from a letter he had written to Mrs. Smith in jail in which he said that his “heart breaks for what I have done to you….”

[emphasis added]

Can you believe that the inside the beltway cocktail weenie circuit continues to have Newt Gingrich appear on our televisions?

Now, we have a political environment where one group consistently uses violent imagery and eliminationist rhetoric, all while continuing to say, “what, who me?”

Previously:

It does happen here : “…can you out run a nine millimeter…” (January 10, 2011)

It does happen here : “…can you out run a nine millimeter…”, part 2 (January 12, 2011)

So, as near as we can tell Courtney Cole’s op-ed about threats of violence directed at individuals running for office has appeared here, at Fired Up!, PoliticMo, in the Kansas City Star, and now, in the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal. Interestingly, the versions in the Star and the Star-Journal don’t mention the name of the individual in the police report.

But, of course, we do get the typical right wing republican knee jerk reaction when anyone points out the obvious. This, from a long comment in the Star-Journal from someone with the same name as an unsuccessful republican candidate [pdf] in the 2010 primary for Presiding Commissioner of Johnson County:

As always, someone has to make a tragedy into a political argument, when, as the evidence comes to light, this incident in Tucson was clearly non-political.

I can’t grant much credence to Courtney Cole’s claims of threats made during the last election. I’m not saying they’re untrue, just a bit over blown as were many of her statements in her campaign literature. I doubt that she was every in any real physical danger as the election results indicate that only a few thought she was a viable candidate. She seems to still taste the sour grapes of her recent defeat.

Since Ms. Cole threw herself wholeheartedly into the politics of personal destruction during the campaign (referencing the seemingly unending deluge of vitriolic literature that was sent to me daily by her campaign), for her to be chastising the rest of us for any lack of civility seems a little out of place….

….If we’re all to practice more civility, perhaps Courtney Cole should take her own advice and in her next campaign lead us all….

“…I’m not saying they’re untrue, just a bit over blown as were many of her statements in her campaign literature…”

Untrue? Uh, Courtney Cole quotes the offender from the police report in his conversation with the investigating officer as reported by that officer. And, of course, pointing out that the republican incumbent failed to pay his taxes (a fact) is definitely “over blown”. Ah, the “they all do it” defense. Yes, because a threat of violence is a “bit over blown” and equivalent to campaign literature which points out the actual record of the incumbent.

“…referencing the seemingly unending deluge of vitriolic literature that was sent to me daily by her campaign…”

Project much? Unending deluge? Who outspent who? You mean like this, this, or this? Yeah, stating that someone is “guilty by association”, a preeminent American value, in a mailing is so much better than an actual discussion of important issues or the public record.

The commenter evidently thinks everyone else is an idiot.

Are threats of violence like “can you outrun a nine millimeter” acceptable political discourse? Is pointing out the verifiable public record of a candidate the same? Just asking.

I wonder if the commenter spoke up when Newt Gingrich exploited those murders in South Carolina for political purposes. Nah. *IOKIYAR. Being self righteous goes with the territory.

* it’s okay if you’re a republican

Previously: It does happen here : “…can you out run a nine millimeter…” (January 10, 2011)

Courtney Cole (D) had her opinion piece on violent political rhetoric published in today’s Kansas City Star:

Political threats are real, and I’ve heard it firsthand

All over America, people spent last weekend in shock over the senseless murder of six people and the wounding of another 13 in Arizona. It was heartbreaking to read quotes from the family of victim 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green that said she was excited about the political process.

Unfortunately, the political process is ill.

In the last election cycle, when I ran for state representative, I received several threats of gun violence on the campaign trail. The most serious involved a municipal elected official in my area. On the day of the primary, I went to a polling location in my district where I stood and greeted individuals as they left the poll after voting. A municipal elected official heard me speaking with another individual about labor issues as he left the poll with his wife. He became very hostile with me and claimed that he would do whatever possible to see that I wasn’t elected after hearing my support for workers.

A police report on his side of the event states: “According to him they argued … until she asked if he was going to hit her. His reply was, ‘No, but can you outrun a nine millimeter?'”

To me, this was a threat and I was concerned enough to go to the police. But I didn’t draw attention to these incidents during the race. My point in sharing this story now is not to rehash the campaign. I want to offer a specific local example of violence in politics. We would like to think that the vitriol is only a part of the national political scene, however, it made its way to Johnson County, Mo.

I believe we have a responsibility to ourselves, Democrats to Republicans, conservatives to liberals, to respect our democracy and political process as well as each other. Our political environment has become more and more hostile. The unseen victims of the current chaos are all of us. Constructive debate is overshadowed by cheap slams and dishonest robo calls.

Not only does it cost us respect for our neighbors, it crowds out the reason needed to solve our collective problems and make coherent decisions about the future.

We can commit to civility. We can be an example of faith in the democracy that has guided us to being the greatest nation on earth. Just as the mother of the young girl who lost her life last weekend pleads, “I just want her memory to live on because she was a face of hope … a face of us coming together as a country to stop the violence and hatred and the evil words.”

Courtney Cole of Warrensburg, a Democrat, lost in November in her race for state representative in the 121st District, Johnson County, Mo. She is a high school teacher in Higginsville, Mo.

Posted on Tue, Jan. 11, 2011 10:15 PM

It’s really interesting to read the online comments from the usual suspects.

Uh, yep:

Sadly this is nothing new. Your district is small, no one knows you. You received one threat. This happens multiple times daily to federal congressional workers and the president. There will always be crazies on both sides of the political spectrum, but the blame is always put upon the republicans simply because of their constitution view of free gun rights which has proven to decrease crime. This debate will go on forever. Every time someone gets shot with a gun, gun control is always brought up…and even if they were tighten this kid could have got a gun anyways legally or illegally.

[emphasis added]

One is one too many.

Reading comprehension isn’t this person’s strong suit.

“…In the last election cycle, when I ran for state representative, I received several threats of gun violence on the campaign trail….” [empasis added]

Compare Courtney Cole’s published Kansas City Star piece above with what ran here on Monday (and at PoliticMo):

All over America, people have spent the weekend in shock over the senseless murder of six people and the wounding of another 13 in Arizona. It was heart breaking to read quotes from the father of nine-year-old, Christina Taylor Green, who was killed in the attack, “She was excited about the political process.”

Unfortunately, the political process is ill.

In the last election cycle, when I ran for State Representative, I received several threats of gun violence on the campaign trail. The most serious involved Holden City Councilman Jim Nipko. On the day of the primary, I went to the polling location in Holden where I stood and greeted individuals as they left the poll after voting. Nipko heard me speaking with another individual about labor issues as he left the poll with his wife. He became very hostile with me and claimed that he would do whatever possible to see that I wasn’t elected after hearing my support for workers.

Quoting directly from the police report on Nipko’s side of the story: “According to him they argued and increased until she asked if he was going to hit her. His reply was, ‘No but can you outrun a nine millimeter?'”

To me, this was a threat and I was concerned enough to go to the police. The county prosecutor, Lynn Stoppy, refused to pursue the case, dismissing it as only an implied threat.

I didn’t draw attention to these incidents during the race. My point in sharing this story now is not to rehash the past campaign. I want to offer a very specific local example of violence in politics. We would like to think that the vitriol is only a part of the national political scene, however, it made its way to Johnson County.

I believe we have a responsibility to ourselves, Democrats to Republicans, conservatives to liberals, to respect our democracy and political process as well as each other. Our political environment has become more and more hostile. The unseen victims of the current chaos are all of us. Constructive debate is overshadowed by cheap slams and dishonest robo calls. Not only does it cost us respect for our neighbors, it crowds out the reason needed to solve our collective problems and make coherent decisions about the future.

We can commit to civility. We can be an example of faith in the democracy that has guided us to being the greatest nation on earth. Just as the mother of the young girl who lost her life this past weekend pleads, “I want her memory to live on that she’s a face of hope…a face of us coming together as a country to stop the violence and hatred and evil words.”

Courtney Cole, Warrensburg

You think the Star checked out the police report?

And there’s still another incident as described in a September 29, 2010 Warrensburg, Missouri Police Incident Report.

According to the police report a Courtney Cole campaign volunteer who was going door to door had to jump out of the way when a van swerved toward her while the occupants yelled at her.

Yep, this is obviously an environment conducive to a reflective and serious democratic process.

Nah, it’s their world, we only get to live in it.  

Violent rhetoric in our political discourse has become commonplace.

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik: Arizona ‘Mecca For Prejudice & Bigotry’

First Posted: 01- 8-11 11:18 PM   |   Updated: 01- 9-11 08:28 AM

….While speaking, the sheriff said that himself it included, “it’s not unusual for all public officials to get threats.” However, he said the sentiment doesn’t come without consequences.

“And that’s the sad thing of what’s going on in America,” he explained. “Pretty soon, we’re not going to be able to find reasonable, decent people who are willing to subject themselves to serve in public office.”

A representative of the Faux News Channel took issue with Sheriff Dupnik’s words on the subject.

In Holden, Missouri, on August 3, 2010 – from a Holden Police Offense/Incident Report:

Holden Police Department

110 W. Third St. Holden, MO 64040

Offense/Incident Report

….On 08/03/10 at approximately 10:15 hours, reporting officer Cpl. Michael Scott Brandt, #308, was on duty in the City of Holden. I was contacted at the Holden Police Department by Courtney Cole in regards to an incident that occurred outside the Polling center in Holden.

According to Ms. Cole, she was standing outside the polling center speaking to a voter when an argument between herself and a male subject, she identifies as Jim Nipko, began. During their argument Mr. Nipko stated, “I’m not voting for you just based on that. I hate what they are doing. I am going to go get my nine millimeter.” According to Ms. Cole, during their argument Ms. Nipko was yelling at Mr. Nipko to get in the car.

I went to Mr. Nipko’s residence to speak with him about the incident. Mr. Nipko stated that he did have an argument with a candidate running for office. According to him they argued and increase until she asked if he was going to hit her. His reply was, “No but can you out run a nine millimeter.” I told Mr. Nipko that he could not say things like that especially around a polling center. I advised Mr. Nipko that I would need to speak with Major Martin and the Prosecuting Attorney, and that I would get back to him.

M.S. Brandt, Cpl.

….Printed 08/16/2010 05:51:35 PM

We received a copy of a letter to the editor (Update: at PoliticMo) written by Courtney Cole, the unsuccessful Democratic Party candidate in the 121st Legislative District race in November, in response to the incident in Arizona:

All over America, people have spent the weekend in shock over the senseless murder of six people and the wounding of another 13 in Arizona. It was heart breaking to read quotes from the father of nine-year-old, Christina Taylor Green, who was killed in the attack, “She was excited about the political process.”

Unfortunately, the political process is ill.

In the last election cycle, when I ran for State Representative, I received several threats of gun violence on the campaign trail. The most serious involved Holden City Councilman Jim Nipko. On the day of the primary, I went to the polling location in Holden where I stood and greeted individuals as they left the poll after voting. Nipko heard me speaking with another individual about labor issues as he left the poll with his wife. He became very hostile with me and claimed that he would do whatever possible to see that I wasn’t elected after hearing my support for workers.

Quoting directly from the police report on Nipko’s side of the story: “According to him they argued and increased until she asked if he was going to hit her. His reply was, ‘No but can you outrun a nine millimeter?'”

To me, this was a threat and I was concerned enough to go to the police. The county prosecutor, Lynn Stoppy, refused to pursue the case, dismissing it as only an implied threat.

I didn’t draw attention to these incidents during the race. My point in sharing this story now is not to rehash the past campaign. I want to offer a very specific local example of violence in politics. We would like to think that the vitriol is only a part of the national political scene, however, it made its way to Johnson County.

I believe we have a responsibility to ourselves, Democrats to Republicans, conservatives to liberals, to respect our democracy and political process as well as each other. Our political environment has become more and more hostile. The unseen victims of the current chaos are all of us. Constructive debate is overshadowed by cheap slams and dishonest robo calls. Not only does it cost us respect for our neighbors, it crowds out the reason needed to solve our collective problems and make coherent decisions about the future.

We can commit to civility. We can be an example of faith in the democracy that has guided us to being the greatest nation on earth. Just as the mother of the young girl who lost her life this past weekend pleads, “I want her memory to live on that she’s a face of hope…a face of us coming together as a country to stop the violence and hatred and evil words.”

Courtney Cole, Warrensburg

Evidently, in our current political environment “can you out run a nine millimeter[?]” now passes for acceptable discourse.

“…Pretty soon, we’re not going to be able to find reasonable, decent people who are willing to subject themselves to serve in public office…”

Jill Schupp told me how she spent her summer vacation: campaigning for other Democrats running for state rep. Amid all the tedium of door knocking and phone calling, she did have some excitement–one harrowing moment. She and some other campaigners were leaving a parish picnic where at least a thousand people had gathered and where they had been campaigning for Cyrus Dashtaki. The car (Schupp wasn’t driving) suddenly speeded up on its own while the driver had it in reverse. It went downhill backwards through a parking lot, through an area where lots of people were walking, through another parking lot and finally down a hill where it ran into a fence. No one was hurt, all of the pedestrians managed to get out of the way, no other cars were damaged. But Schupp realized “sort of the risk that I was putting people in by just taking them around the state to do this.” The people with Schupp were rooting extra hard for Dashtaki to win because they had–and she laughed as she said–“sure been through a lot of trouble to help him.”

Unfortunately, Dashtaki was another of the fine candidates who did not prevail. As was Carl Thompson, who was running to replace term limited Rachel Bringer. Bringer, a rep who studied issues carefully, had taken it upon herself to get the freshman Democrats together each session so that she could bring them up to speed on what was happening and answer their questions. Schupp will miss Rachel Bringer, and now that seat won’t even be filled by the man that Bringer had high hopes for.

Among those Schupp helped who did get elected is Susan Carlson, who will be taking Rachel Storch’s place. Schupp characterized Carlson as “a wonderful, a brilliant attorney” who will do a superb job. Another success was Clem Smith. Schupp and some of her friends–as well as her parents–made phone calls for Smith in the primary. He was running in a safe Democratic district to replace Don Calloway, who gave up that seat to run for the senate.

This brief video will give you the flavor of some of the other races Schupp talked about: Jeanne Kirkton’s, Rebecca McClanahan’s, Courtney Cole’s, and Kelly Schultz’s.

Schupp ended her summer of campaigning for other candidates by holding a fundraiser at her house in Creve Coeur. It was well attended. Democrats, who came to listen to and shake hands with Nixon, Montee, Zweifel, and Koster, donated almost $110,000. Which, along with all the other donations Democratic candidates garnered, still meant that the Ds were way outspent.

But Schupp doesn’t blame our bad year on money woes alone. She stresses that Democrats did not work hard enough to get out a positive message. On both the state and national levels, we could have stressed the values we believe in and emphasized the disaster that stimulus funds averted. And we should have trumpeted the advantages of health care reform on the jobs front. Once national health care gets put into place in our state, not only will more people get much needed care, but more people will be employed. There will be new jobs available for health care providers as well as in the ancillary businesses that spring up to support the providers. Schupp is excited about that and thinks Democrats should have claimed their bragging rights.

But Democrats didn’t have that unified message. As a result, there will be the Heinz 57 in the House this session: 57 Democrats to 106 Republicans. Those Dems will need to be unified, she says. She has some ideas about how to achieve that. More on that later.

The “30 Day After General Election” reports were due in at the Missouri Ethics Commission today. At this point we usually start wading through final campaign reports by race (and we are) and post as many stories as we can on the interesting minutiae and connections we find in our research. In starting that research today we ran into another blatant connection to the robocalls in the 121st Legislative District race. Yes, we were very interested in this race – it had a hardworking and hard charging newcomer in Courtney Cole (D) challenging a republican incumbent who managed to keep shooting himself in the foot. Alas, Denny Hoskins (r) was reelected.

Right at the end of the campaign the Missouri House republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) loosed homophobic robocalls against a number of Democratic candidates across the state, including Courtney Cole, on October 27th. You might want to remember that date.

Of course, the republican candidates disavowed any knowledge of those calls. Wink, wink.

We followed the story and tracked the source of those robocalls:

HRCC? What HRCC? I’ve never heard of them… (November 1, 2010)

….The Missouri House republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) filed a “no name” report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on October 29th. There are some enlightening expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC

ReportDate: 10/29/2010

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Hoskins $1,288.54

Survey St. Louis, LLC PO Box 432 Saint Charles, MO 63302-0432 10/28/2010 IE GOTV Call-Brattin $1,141.13…

That’s for Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA) in the 121st Legislative District and Rick Brattin (r) in the 124th Legislative District….

On October 29, 2010 Denny Hoskins (r) publicly disavowed any knowledge of the robocalls in the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal:

10/29/2010 2:08:00 PM

GOP robocall attacks Cole’s ‘family values’

Warrensburg – Rep. Denny Hoskins sought to distance himself Thursday from a robocall barrage targeting his Nov. 2 Democratic opponent….

….Hoskins said in a prepared statement. “I did not pay for, approve or have any knowledge of the robocall, nor do I condone its message….”

You might want to remember that date.

Denny Hoskins (r) filed his “30 Day After General Election” report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on December 1st. There was an interesting entry in the expenditures:

Detailed Summary of Expenditures And Contributions Made

Committe: CITIZENS FOR HOSKINS

ReportDate: 12/2/2010

B. ITEMIZED EXPENDITURES ALL OVER $100 AND ALL PAYMENTS TO CAMPAIGN WORKERS

SURVEY ST. LOUIS PO BOX 432 ST. CHARLES, MO 63302 10/29/2010 PUSH CARDS $1,712.15

[emphasis added]

That’s right, on the same day that he disavowed the robocalls, and two days after those calls were made, Denny Hoskins (r) paid the perpetrator of those calls, Survey St. Louis, for campaign paraphernalia. How nice.

The right hand doesn’t know what the far right hand is doing? Yeah, right.

So, we thought we do a little searching on Survey St. Louis via the Missouri Secretary of State:

Survey Saint Louis, LLC is a fictitious business name registered to Display Stuff, LLC. The owner is a Thomas Smith.

Business Name History

Name Name Type

Survey Saint Louis, LLC Legal

Fictitious Registration – Domestic – Information

Charter Number: X00589093

Status: Fictitious Active

Entity Creation Date: 5/24/2004

State of Business.: MO

Expiration Date: 8/28/2014

Owners

Name: DISPLAY STUFF, L.L.C.

Address: 320 MONROE STREET

ST. CHARLES MO 63301

The registered agent for Display Stuff, LLC is a Thomas Smith:

Business Name History

Name Name Type

DISPLAY STUFF, L.L.C. Legal

Limited Liability Company – Domestic – Information

Charter Number: LC0044000

Status: Active

Entity Creation Date: 10/26/2000

State of Business.: MO

Expiration Date: Perpetual

Registered Agent

Agent Name: THOMAS W. SMITH, JR.

Office Address: 320 MONROE STREET

ST. CHARLES MO 63301

Mailing Address:

Organizers

Name: JAMES W. MATHIS

Address: 911 WASHINGTON AVEUE

ST. LOUIS MO 63101

Where have we seen that name before?:

…Tom Smith, the owner of the company hired by the HRCC to blast the calls (and who also happens to be a staffer for outgoing Speaker Ron Richard)…

[emphasis added]

Apparently, the right hand washes the far right hand, too.

Previously:

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)