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Tag Archives: Billy Long

Fascist is as Fascist does

01 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

4th Congressional District, 6th Congressional District, 7th Congressional District, 8th Congressional District, Billy Long, Donald Trump, electoral college, fascists, Jason Smith, missouri, right wingnuts, Sam Graves, sycophants, Vicky Hartzler

Vicky Hartzler (r) [2016 file photo].

We Will Object
Co-authored By: Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Rep. Sam Graves (MO-06), and Rep. Billy Long (MO-07)
Washington, December 31, 2020

Next week, your 117th United States Congress will convene for the first time. After the election of Speaker and the adoption of the Rules of Congress, the action will quickly move to reading aloud the electoral votes submitted by each state from this past November’s election – counting them, and declaring the vote tally for President and Vice President. During that process, the question will be put before your elected officials – does anyone object to the certification of electoral votes of a state. We will object. Our hope is that others will join us.

We don’t take this decision lightly, but we must protect the integrity of each vote cast by every law-abiding Missourian. For every instance of Georgia failing to follow its own state law in verifying signatures, of Pennsylvania accepting mail ballots after the legal deadline set by its state legislature, or folks from outside Nevada casting a ballot in that state – the value of every Missourians’ vote is diminished. That’s not right. And we cannot simply look the other way.

The right to freely cast your vote in elections is a sacred privilege afforded to us as Americans because of the sacrifices of the patriots who fought for that right. When that process is spoiled and abused by officials not following their own state law, it violates that right and jeopardizes the entire integrity and foundation of ‘free and fair’ elections. In such instances, where voting process changes are made without the consent of the voter, we know it is our duty and our obligation to serve as a backstop to protect the power of one person, one vote – to protect your vote as a Missourian. We must be able to have confidence in not only the agreement and expectation that this election would follow the law, but future ones will as well. We take the responsibility of upholding the Constitution seriously, and that is why we feel compelled to object to the electoral count taking place on January 6th.

The reported results of this past November’s Presidential election don’t even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projected to lose control of the United States Senate – we didn’t, and we won’t. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It’s hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn’t add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama – 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama – 873 counties, Joe Biden – 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves.

We have joined lawsuits, called for a Special Counsel and demanded accountability and integrity, now we finally get to cast our vote. We have no illusions about the outcome, at the end of the day, this is still Nancy Pelosi’s House. Our only hope is that more will join us – that more will value protecting the vote of every American living in their state as much as we do fighting for yours.

Spare us.

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

Number of court cases? What where the outcomes? Federal cases? How many Trump appointees among the judges and justices?

Counties don’t vote. People do. Morons.

The population of Los Angeles County, California? The population of McPherson County, Nebraska? Should we list more small population counties, or do you get the point?

“…The reported results of this past November’s Presidential election don’t even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projected to lose control of the United States Senate – we didn’t, and we won’t. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It’s hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn’t add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama – 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama – 873 counties, Joe Biden – 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves…”

In 2016: Hillary Clinton, 65,853,514 votes. Donald Trump, 62,984,828 votes.

Eye test?

What this speaks of: Stupid people came up with this. Stupid people wrote this. Stupid people signed on to this. Stupid people believe it.

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

Previously:

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

Amicus this (December 11, 2020)

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)

Tone deaf

01 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

7th Congressional District, Billy Long, Corona virus, COVID-19, missouri, pandemic, social media, sociopath, Twitter

Representative Billy Long (r) [2013 file photo].

This morning, from Billy Long (r):

Billy Long @auctnr1
Buddy of mine went to the Hospital in Springfield with #COVID Stayed 48 hours and just got home. Sent me a picture of himself on oxygen at home with this tag line… “Sent me home. Not dead enough to vote democrat.”
8:58 AM · Dec 1, 2020

That was so hilarious.

Some of the responses:

You’re an absolute embarrassment.

Mr. Long you represent me and my family in the United States House of Representatives, this is an office of high honor, your joke is not funny.

Our friend just lost her dad to Covid last week in a Springfield hospital. How can you represent our area that is seeing such an increase in deaths and make jokes about it? Absolutely disgusting!

One of my neighbors got sick in March with COVId and still cannot work full time.

I bet you think that’s hilarious.

Evidently he does.

It is more distasteful to tweet about death or conspiracy theories? Asking for a friend who cares about moral character and ethical behavior.

3,981 Missourians have died from COVID, but you’ve got jokes.

The voice of the GOP.

I truly sincerely from the bottom of my heart hope that you have a bad day

This is fucking disgusting.

No one is surprised by the company you keep.

This is disgusting. You have no honor.

You think this is somehow funny?

Amazing joke. Now do one about someone suffering from cancer.

hey there Billy, I’m a nurse in your congressional district who is EXHAUSTED, thanks so much for your support and all your hard work on my behalf, I’m gonna go make a donation to planned parenthood in your name as a token of my appreciation

Hahaha yes it’s funny because people are dying and you aren’t doing anything about it. Go kick rocks.

people are dying. you are a horrible person

good god man, wtf is wrong with you

I’m sure all the Missourians who died from COVID-19, Republican or Democrat, will think this is hilarious. You’re the reason we can’t get a damn thing done here because you take nothing seriously.[….]

Why are you all so proud of your stupidity and cruelty?

Why aren’t you visiting him at home? You’re not afraid are you?

Unbelievable slap in the face to the 100s of people that have died in your district from C19 while simultaneously belittling the efforts of health workers exhausting themselves to care for the perpetually increasing # of patients about to overwhelm our medical centers. Disgusting

I am deeply embarrassed you are my congressional representative. You are an embarrassment to us all. 159 people are at Cox South today. Why don’t you come home and see for yourself?

Jackass. 4000 dead in MO, Springfield hospitals full and this is the best you can do? How many of your constituents are mourning the loss of loved ones? Do you care at all?

You are hilarious!!! You are also a piece of shit!!!

You sick bad?ard, you actually think that’s funny? While people die everyday? I hope you rot in hell.

Aren’t you tired of always being the stupidest person in the room?

You are such a profoundly, deeply stupid human being, but what makes you notable is your lack of empathy.

Imagine posting something like this in the midst of a pandemic that has killed 267,000 Americans. You must be a pathetic shell of a man.

Wow, that you can make this joke and laugh shows your total lack of concern for your constituents who have died or are still suffering from this disease. You are a disgrace

Sad.

H.J.Res.46: it’s not an emergency

26 Tuesday Feb 2019

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Billy Long, Blaine Luetkemeyer, Congress, Donald Trump, Emergency, Jason Smith, Sam Graves, Vicky Hartlzer

Everybody knows it.

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

Today in the United State House of Representatives:

H.J.Res.46 – Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019.

House – 02/25/2019 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 144 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.J. Res. 46 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 93
H RES 144 YEA-AND-NAY 26-Feb-2019 3:30 PM
QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution
BILL TITLE: Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 46) relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019

—- YEAS 229 —

Clay
Cleaver

—- NAYS 193 —

Hartzler
Graves (MO)
Long
Luetkemeyer
Smith (MO)

—- NOT VOTING 9 —

Wagner

The text of the resolution:

116th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. J. RES. 46

Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JOINT RESOLUTION

Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, pursuant to section 202 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622), the national emergency declared by the finding of the President on February 15, 2019, in Proclamation 9844 (84 Fed. Reg. 4949) is hereby terminated.

The final vote in the House:

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 94
H J RES 46 YEA-AND-NAY 26-Feb-2019 6:32 PM
QUESTION: On Passage
BILL TITLE: Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019

—- YEAS 245 —

Clay
Cleaver

—- NAYS 182 —

Hartzler
Graves (MO)
Long
Luetkemeyer
Smith (MO)

—- NOT VOTING 5 —

Wagner

Thirteen republicans don’t agree with Donald Trump (r).

So much for the past concerns of Missouri republicans about executive overreach and the separation of powers.

Oh, silly me, *IOKIYAR

“Trump is wrong about everything”

* it’s okay if you’re a republican

Republican Billy Long, charter member of the Party of Corruption

09 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by willykay in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Billy Long, Chris Collins, Innate, Insider trading, political corruption

When GOP Rep. Billy Long (R-7) first ran for Congress there were whispers that, in today’s parlance, he was more than familiar with the swamp that his idol, Donald Trump – evidently facetiously – promised to drain. With the arrest of New York GOP Rep. Chris Collins for insider trading, the swamp gas miasma around Long has thickened. Collins has been stripped of his position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The question is why isn’t Rep. Long under similar investigation – or maybe he is and we just don’t know about it?

As The Daily Beast reported last year, Collins authored four bills that would likely have benefited the company. Two of them, separate versions of the same bill introduced in the 114th and 115th Congresses, had just one cosponsor: Rep. Billy Long (R-MO), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, which has oversight over the Food and Drug Administration. While no one has accused him of any legal wrongdoing, Long also held stock in Innate. Long signed on to both pieces of legislation the day they were introduced. The first was filed in December 2016, and didn’t make it out of subcommittee before the session ended.

Then in January, Long bought between $15,000 and $50,000 in Innate stock, apparently as part of a Fidelity retirement account. In July, Collins once again introduced his bill, which would have expedited FDA approvals for treatments such as Innate’s, and Long was once again an immediate co-sponsor.

Long’s staff is of course denying that Long had any insider info from his colleague Collins with whom he coordinated to pass legislation that would enhance both their financial bottom lines – instead, his spokesperson claims, he just happened to decide to buy the Innate stock ” ‘when it became a daily topic on the nightly news in January of 2017,’ a timeline that suggests that Long, not a financial brokerage, made the decision to purchase Innate stock.” However, the circumstantial evidence amassed by Talking Points Memo (TPM) that Long and other GOP colleagues may have received insider information from Collins is somewhat compelling. As TPM notes:

[…] they all say they were just following the market and doing their own research. It had nothing to do with Chris Collins. Well, lots of reporting says Collins was pitching colleagues on it hard. And it seems like quite a coincidence that 5 members of Congress, all Republicans bought in. This seems to bear a lot more scrutiny.

Certainly, we know that Rep. Long is inclined to go easy when it comes to forestalling corrupt behavior, as would befit a guy with a reputation for being on the make. Remember Long’s 2017 vote to gut the Cardin-Lugar anti-corruption rule, “a major bipartisan law that helps safeguard trillions of dollars of payments to the US and governments around the world.”

However, given that most GOPers in the House voted the same way, – the party of corrupton perhaps? – I’m not holding my breath and would recommend that you also refrain to do so if you expect to see Long perp-walked out of Congress. The law got Collins fair and square, looks like Long may weasel out – and his fellow GOPers will probably be just fine with that -particularly those who may be equally guilty of conspiring with Collins to line their personal pockets.

Rep. Billy Long (r): defender of Kim Jong Un – Supreme Leader, Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, and Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army

12 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

7th Congressional District, Billy Long, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Marco Rubio, missouri, North Korea, social media, Twitter

Really.

Representative Billy Long (r) [2013 file photo].

This morning, via Twitter:

Billy Long @auctnr1
If he one day runs for President of the Korean Peninsula perhaps you can give him some pointers on running a successful Presidential campaign? @realDonaldTrump #MAGA

Marco Rubio @marcorubio
One more thing about KJU. While I know @potus is trying to butter him up to get a good deal, #KJU is NOT a talented guy. He inherited the family business from his dad & grandfather. He is a total weirdo who would not be elected assistant dog catcher in any democracy.

10:36 AM – 12 Jun 2018

Well, isn’t that special?

Some of the responses:

Which part of North #Korea’s style of governance do you like best, Billy? Extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape or forced abortions? You disgrace the body in which you serve.

It’s kind of weird to mock the failures of someone in your profession who has had far more success than you have. Rubio had an unsuccessful Presidential run, but no one outside your district has ever even heard of you.

ex-US Ambassador to North Korea Chris Hill on summit outcome: “Forgettable. joint statement weaker than any previous one since 1992. There is no way forward, no roadmap, no diplomatic strategy.”

Billy is defending NK DICTATOR while trashing US allies. He’s 100% Team Treason.

Kim is a dictator, dude. Rubio is right to criticize him.

Billy Long with the worst twitter take of the day

There’s a #SpecialPlaceInHell for anyone who makes me consider defending @marcorubio.

“TRUMP got taken to the cleaners bc he’s ignorant & monumentally unprepared. What did Kim Jong Un give up w/ regard to training his million man army? 12K North Korean artillery pieces are locked loaded & trained on Seoul. He learned Trump is a stupendous fool” – @SteveSchmidtSES

Billy can you just put the flag of the DPK and Russia in your Twitter profile so we’re all more clear on your starting point?

Rubio is a weasel, yes, but he’s not lying.

Are you declaring your support for Kim Jong Un? That’s what it sounds like to the world…yikes.

Glad to know you’re looking out for your constituents and not a dictator from a hostile foreign power. Cant wait to vote.

I’m no @marcorubio fan but Congressman, that was uncalled for.

The unbelievable moment when their “Dear Leader” becomes our “Dear Leader.”

Please look up what successful means. Also, please look up what Dictator means.

Do you thing he will ever “run” a campaign and you are okay with the human rights violations he is committing? It is a shame the way we have giving all our cards without having any kind of guarantee from him. I trust his word about as much as I trust our President’s.

So you’re sticking up for a dictator and criminal? Glad to see you’re representing Missouri well.

WTF

Are you seriously defending Kim Jong Un?

Do elaborate, Billy. What model of governing will be adopted? Putting political enemies in prison? Starving the citizenry? Oh, killing family? Or kidnapping folks from other countries? Fencing people in & shooting them if they try to leave? Torture?

Defending a dictator?

I guess it’s only a short leap to go from defending one dictator to another.

You’re DEFENDING Kim Jong Un, now?! #traitor #fucktrump

What the hell is wrong with Republicans? Congressman, you’re defending a dictator.

You’re suggesting Kim Jong Un could be a politician in a unified, democratic Korea, rather than spending life in prison for crimes against humanity? Nice.

You know dictators don’t run for election right ? Maybe you shouldn’t diss your fellow congress person over a brutal dictator me thinks.

You really defended Kim Jong Un? This is seriously happening? This is why we’ll see the end of the GOP in my lifetime. This is why no one trusts the government anymore. #endtheGOP #votehimout

So you think a guy who fed his uncle to dogs, starve his people, and commits numerous other atrocities is talented good guy who needs defending? Folks this is your gop and what they stand for

Wow defending KJU? This is what you call being a “conservative” now? Pass.

Are you defending…. (checks notes) …. brutal dictator Kim Jong Un?!??? So now GOP is cool with Putin, Duterte and KJU but not Trudeau or Merkel? Got it. We see you.

WTF. Kim Jong Un executed his uncle. What is wrong with you?

Cast your lot with a murderous autocrat over a GOP Senator. “America first”, right? Or is it actually “Trump first”?

So now you’re defending KJU? This is really how low the GOP has sunk? You’re a sad, sad man.

So you’re supporting Kim Jong Un? REALLY?

WTF is wrong with you? You defend Kim Jong Un? Unfriggin believable. This Republican Party have lost their minds.

Yeah, get him Billy!

Don’t let him get away with criticizing a dictator!!

Republicans butthurt about a communist dictator being insulted. Never thought I’d see the day.

You guys really try to out stupid each other, right? It’s a competition.

Billy Long is pro-Kim Jong Un. Got it.

And on and on…

Missouri GOP House members go into hiding when Trump shows his true colors – about skin color – while GOP Senator Roy Blunt soft peddles the story

20 Saturday Jan 2018

Posted by willykay in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ann Wagner, Billy Long, Blaine Luetkemeyer, Claire McCaskill, Donald Trump, Emanuel Cleaver, GOP dogwhistles, immigration, Jason Smith, Lacy Clay, racism, Roy Blunt, Sam Graves, Vicky Hartzler

It’s been a couple of weeks since President Racist Moron sent us spiraling down toward a government shutdown by expressing his goal of importing prosperous, wealthy white Norwegians – who have little reason to come to the U.S. – instead of brown folks from S**thole countries – who actually need the haven that the United States has traditionally offered the oppressed, poverty stricken folks who flocked to these shores and helped build a strong, wealthy country where the middle class grew and prospered as never before. During this time, I’ve been monitoring the newspapers and congressional press releases to find out how our representatives in Congress have responded to Trump’s racist babblings – and I’ve found out just about nothing to let me know how our GOP profiles in political cowardice stand on the issue. However, today, Salon has posted an article that tells us what each member of Congress has had to say about this destructive and ugly piece of “telling it like it is,” as some of the more racist “deplorable” Trump supporters would have it:

  • Blunt, Roy (R–Sen.): Condemn
  • *McCaskill, Claire (D–Sen.): Condemn
  • Clay Jr., William “Lacy” (D–HR): Condemn
  • Cleaver, Emanuel (D–HR): Condemn
  • Graves, Sam (R–HR): No response
  • Hartzler, Vicky (R–HR): No response
  • Long, Billy (R–HR): No response
  • Luetkemeyer, Blaine (R–HR): No response
  • Smith, Jason (R–HR): No response
  • Wagner, Ann (R–HR): No response

Although GOP Senator Roy Blunt, as befits a junior member of the Senate Leadership, did make a statement, you might be struck, as I was, that it focused on the pragmatic aspects of Trumps words – addressing his competence in securing GOP goals, rather than his bankrupt moral world view:

Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, suggested the president’s inability to refrain from incendiary statements was detracting from his agenda.

“It’s an unacceptable view of the world, and it’s an unacceptable thing to say,” Mr. Blunt told KMBZ, a radio station in the Kansas City area. “You would expect the president to lead in determining how you filter your thoughts, rather than to continue to say things that take a lot away from what’s actually getting done.”

Compare the measured words of Blunt – who carefully avoided any overt reference to Trump’s racism, to the unequivocal tweet Democratic Claire McCaskill issued,:

It is unacceptable, repugnant, and morally bankrupt for a President of this great nation to call the countries of Africa “shitholes”. #sicktomystomach  9:32 AM – 12 Jan 2018

 I understand the need for political pragmatism, going along with a bad deal to avoid a worse deal – and I appreciate Blunt’s willingness to sorta, maybe imply that Trump isn’t really a great “dealmaker,” but for many of us racism, arguably the original sin that lies at the heart of American democracy, is the line that may not be crossed. Which means that I also understand the reticence of our Missouri House members to speak out – Republicans in general, not just in Missouri, have been calling out to more or less covert racism via code words and dogwhistles for years.What can these already compromised politicians do or say to credibly face down the beast they have enabled and continue to enable in order to benefit their wealthy patrons.
Of course that last sentence doesn’t even address the possibility that many of our elected Missouri representative may actually endorse Trump’s nasty racial sentiments.

 

 

Which Missouri pols helped knife net neutrality – and how much did they get paid to do it?

16 Saturday Dec 2017

Posted by willykay in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ajit Pai, Billy Long, Blaine Luetkemeyer, Claire McCaskill, corruption, missouri, Net Neutrality, republicans, Roy Blunt

Last Wednesday 107 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to revoke net neutrality regulations that have guaranteed that the big ISPs must treat all digital content equally, whatever it is and wherever it’s hosted. Without such rules broadband companies such as AT&T and Comcast can favor one website over another and charge users more to view certain material—such as streaming movies. They can potentially even censor political material they don’t like. In short, net neutrality is the backbone of the open internet we have all come to depend on. Without it, the digital community faces bleak times.

And Republicans want to destroy our thriving Internet culture – so much so that they wrote a letter to Trump’s FCC head lackey urging him to get down to business.

The letter was made public by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Vice Media’s Motherboard has – so far- deciphered 84 of the 107 names (the writing is not always legible and a typed list of signatories was not included in the release) and listed them along with the amount of money each has received from the telecom industry over the years.

Two Missouri members are clearly listed among the telecom toadies who signed the letter:

  • Blane Luetkemeyer (R-3), total telecom payola: $105,000
  • Billy Long (R-7), total telecom payola: $221,500

Although there are only two Missouri House members whose signatures grace the letter, over the years, there haven’t been too many Missouri GOPers who have been very friendly to the idea of the open internet – and almost all have been liberally rewarded for toeing the telecom line when it comes to net neutrality.

GOP Senator Roy Blunt alone has received $1,283,416 from the big three telecoms over his career (yes, you read that right – over a million dollars). Only John McCain took a bigger payout. And Blunt delivered for his bosses in the past – spouting the usual unsupported twaddle about how net neutrality is bad for jobs and innovation. Jobs. You gotta give it to ol’ Roy – he’s more than willing to mouth whatever predigested magic formula Republicans have decided to use against everything their patrons tell them to oppose whether it makes sense or not.

To be fair, Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill has taken over $500,000 dollars from the same folks since she went to Washington. As a report prepared by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) has noted, “the industry’s attempt to gain favor with lawmakers is not partisan. Entrenched telecommunications companies liberally spread money and attention to everyone who holds office.”

So, what did they get from McCaskill? While she supported the nomination of Pai as FCC Chairman and has tried to straddle the issue in the past, she has, as of today, indicated that she will support legislation to restore net neutrality – which, of course, can only pass if Democrats succeed in taking back the Congress in 2018. In the long run, though, McCaskill knows that destroying the Internet is a bad deal – both for her constituents and for her politically – and she’s not nearly as mercenary as her GOP opposite number.

Even though Democrats have benefited from telecom efforts to buy congressional votes, it is nevertheless still true that, as the CRP observes, “alignment with the ISPs is currently drawn along party lines.” Republicans take their obligations to their donors seriously, probably because they get lots more money from them. If you’re curious about how many pieces of dirty silver your Missouri GOP House member has received from the telecom industry as the price for selling out their constituents, you can check the CRP tally for every House and Senate member.

Depressing, no?

It’s all about the emails – or, if you’re Jared Kushner, not so much

25 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by willykay in Uncategorized

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Tags

Ann Wagner, Billy Long, Emails, Jared Kushner, Mike Pence, missouri, Reince Priebus, Roy Blunt, Steve Bannon

I’m willing to bet that you remember all about Hillary Clinton and her email. And most of you remember that despite several “investigations” by Congress and the FBI nobody could substantiate claims that she did anything untoward – although James Comey, then the Director of the FBI, did give her a schoolmarmish lecture about seemly behavior or something along that line, and later made a feint in the direction of “reopening” the investigation upon the “discovery” of some additional emails that were also very quickly found to be inoffensive, but which many believe created a false impression of wrong-doing that cost Clinton the election.

I’m also willing to bet that you also remember all the Republicans who couldn’t constrain their concern about what they pretended to think was an earth-shaking matter, or, at least, what they wanted us to believe was a big bad no-no that deserved a serious hand-slapping. And, of course, Missouri’s GOP delegation were more than happy to join the feeding frenzy. A few examples:

Rep. Billly Long (R-7) got mightily exercised when the FBI investigation failed to find evidence of criminal wrongdoing:

The American people deserve better than a justice system that looks the other way rather than demanding honesty at federal agencies,” said Rep. Long.“Director Comey said point-blank that former Secretary Clinton recklessly stored and transmitted classified information, and it’s unthinkable that such brazen carelessness with our secret national security data could avoid justice.

GOP Senator Roy Bunt made some gleefully stern comments about Comey’s email Hail Mary :

From day one, it has been clear that Secretary Clinton did not take her national security clearance seriously,” […]. “The law establishes a standard that national security material cannot be handled carelessly. I have serious questions about the way the FBI has handled this case up to now. The immunity given, the potential evidence that was allowed to be destroyed, and political support for the spouse of a senior FBI official are all very concerning. The FBI needs to set a better standard as they reopen this case.”

Blunt’s over-the-top  I-told-you-so was echoed by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-2), who was fairly salivating at the prospect of seeing a hard-working public servant punished for … something:

Secretary Clinton’s reckless mishandling of classified information proves that she cannot be trusted with the support of Missouri families. I am hopeful that this most recent probe by the FBI will be conducted fairly, swiftly and more thoroughly than the previous investigation.

Well guess what? We now have an opportunity to see just  how seriously these self-righteous hacks really take a similar case where private email accounts have been used by the President’s capos to avoid public scrutiny. We’ll find out just who, if anyone in Missouri’s GOP delegation, has enough integrity to hold the apple(s) of Trump’s eye to the same standard with which they beat Hillary Clinton over the  head.

It seems that son-in-law-in-chief and presidential advisor, Jared Kushner, set up a private email account during the transition upon which he has since conducted official business in preference to his official White House account. We are assured that while he used the account to exchange “emails with senior White House officials, outside advisers and others about media coverage, event planning and other subjects,” he did nothing wrong. Of course, we’ll just have to take the White House’s word about that since the folks there aren’t inclined to hand the emails over. And we’re also supposed to trust their assurances that these emails will be preserved as required by law.

Gee, if Clinton had only known that all she had to do was to say that she’d done nothing wrong she could have saved herself a world of hurt. Or maybe not. Clinton is a Democrat. And a woman. And smarter and kinder than the sleaze bag Republicans put into the White House. All hanging offenses to  the members of the old, white, male cadre the GOP mostly represents.

Actually, use of private emails seems to be ubiquitous in Trump’s White House. Next time he tries to revive the “lock her up” business, remember that in addition to Kushner, White House officials Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon also used private email accounts to conduct their business.

Of course, we’ve known for some time that VP Mike Pence not only used private email to conduct state business in Indiana, but was actually hacked. Pence, interestingly enough,  said nary a word about his transgressions during the campaign when he and Cheeto-in-Chief went off on Clinton’s emails.

But no matter. Because nowadays, given the way the cookie crumbles, the ball bounces, the mop flops, and the tail wags, we’ll wait a long time before we hear a peep from our otherwise truculent Republicans about private emails being used to evade the attention of a public that said GOPers and the Ritchie Rich-pants in the white House are determined to well and truly fleece.

We need to remind them that Karma’s a bitch, the wheel of fortune turns, and the handwriting is on the wall.

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