Today:

Nixon eyeing special session for big Boeing tax breaks, sources say

CHESTERFIELD • Gov. Jay Nixon is poised to call lawmakers back to Jefferson City next week to pass special incentives to help lure Boeing Co.’s 777X assembly plant to north St. Louis County.

Official word is expected Friday, but several sources in the administration and legislature have confirmed that Nixon intends to call a special session, perhaps to start as soon as Monday….

Interesting game.

The view from Seattle, Washington:

Courageous Boeing Workers Say No to Corporate Extortion

Posted: 11/18/2013 12:42 pm

In a remarkable act of courage and solidarity with the next generation, last week Boeing workers in Seattle soundly rejected corporate extortion, by voting down a contract which traded job guarantees for concessions that would severely erode the pay and benefits of younger workers. In doing so, the members of the Machinists are risking their jobs to save an America built on the middle class….

….Early this month, Boeing tried to blackmail both its union members and Washington state. Declaring that it would consider moving assembly of a new line of 777X planes out of state, the corporation asked for mammoth tax incentives and huge concessions on wages and benefits. The governor and State Legislature caved immediately, passing the largest development tax break for a company in American history, $8.7 billion over 16 years, in a special weekend session. The leadership of Machinists Local 751 also wavered, agreeing to put the contract up for a membership vote, over the objections of most of the union’s management council.

But then a remarkable thing happened, in an age in which Americans, scared that they will lose what they have left, seem resigned to shrinking pay and disappearing benefits.  A grassroots swell of membership opposition to the contract rose up, leading to 67% of the member rejecting the contract. The members did so with their eyes wide open, understanding that Boeing might not be bluffing….

Interesting game. Just add Thelma Ritter. Same plot. And if they do the same to Missouri?

So, when they do bluff who ends up paying the bill for the Missouri General Assembly special session? Just asking.

@TheTweetOfGod God

There was just a 6.0 earthquake in Washington. Obama wanted it to be 3.4, but the Republicans wanted 6.0, so he compromised. 23 Aug via web

Most Missourians probably haven’t heard of State Rep. Brian Nieves, but those of us unfortunate enough to live in his territory were not surprised to read a story in the local paper that someone has filed an assault charge against him.  

He won the state senate district 26 seat last Tuesday after a nasty local campaign.  A letter mailed to selected voters from someone named John Franke listed Nieves’ alleged affairs of the heart (or whatever part of the anatomy was involved.)

Brian quickly blamed the campaign of one of his opponents, Dick Stratman of Washington, Mo.  Stratman is mayor (or retired mayor) of Washington and well regarded as far as I know by the local citizenry.  Brian even went so far as to tell folks at a candidate forum that the FBI was investigating the letter and had narrowed the bar code on the letters down to the same zip code used by Stratman’s other campaign material.  (I seriously doubt the FBI was investigating, and they certainly wouldn’t have told anyone what they’d learned until the case was over.)

So just before the election, Nieves sent out an email to his tea party worshippers asking them to pray for him against this evil opponent.

In this message to his followers, Nieves played the martyr role to the hilt

!!Serious Call to Action!!

Calling ALL Supporters! Calling ALL Supporters!

OK Folks… This is NOT one of those “Little Boy who Cried Wolf” scenarios! We have a Real Situation and we need your help! I will list some ways you can help and then at the bottom I’ll catch you up on why we need your help so so very much Right Now!!

We are NOT NOT NOT raising money right now! We need Boots on the Ground, Real Help from Real People and we need it RIGHT NOW!! Please read the list of Tasks listed below and then participate in one or more ways. What ever you can do – We need your help Now! Here’s some things you can do…

Pray Pray Pray! We need you to pray in agreement with us and it goes something like this: I pray that my opponent will be Blessed as a Child of God BUT that his evil, ugly and lie filled attacks will backfire on his campaign and serve as a building block to OUR Victory as God Blesses Our Campaign Efforts which have been rooted in Truth!

Get out your Church Roster and call Everybody you go to church with INCLUDING your Pastor or Priest and tell them what is happening in this campaign! Tell them we MUST band together and Refuse to reward what has actually proven to be the most Ugly, Disgusting, Lie Filled Campaign ever seen in this area! We, as a people, can NOT allow a campaign that has been built upon Lies, Attacks and attempts to personally destroy the opponent to be rewarded with a win because what we reward, we get more of!

Get out your list of Family, Friends, Neighbors and Co-Workers and simply call them to ask them to support Brian Nieves in Tuesday’s Republican Primary! This is a simple thing to do and without these calls – we could actually lose!

Think Outside the Box about ways you can creatively help! Two types of “Rooster Calls” can be done by YOU and just a couple of your friends. A Rooster Call is where you simply pick out a High Traffic spot, hold up our yard signs and wave friendly waves to passers by! A great place to do this on Sunday would be at parking lot exits of churches! Can you grab a few people and do a Rooster Call or two between now and Tuesday? Please do!

It’s NOT too late! All of these things remain Valuable & Viable till Tuesday Aug. 3rd at 7pm!

Pray Some More!! This campaign launched by my opponent has turned out to be so Horribly Ugly that it almost seems like a Spiritual Battle! Prayer will prevail and I believe God will move on our behalf!

Now let me tell you some of the things that have been done and been happening so you may understand the Gravity of Our Situation…

Dick Stratman hired a High Priced, Politically Powerful Consultant from out of town to run his campaign. We knew a long time ago that this would almost surely lead to an Ugly, Negative and Lie Filled Campaign and low & behold, that’s exactly what has happened! The Vile and Disgusting things being said in print, on TV and on the radio about me are slanderous to the point that we WILL seek legal action and Press Charges against them!

Yes, Julie & I have seen “The Letter” and all I can say is Oh My Goodness!! Thank God Julie & I have a Very Secure Marriage and love each other Deeply! These people literally make me sick – sick to my stomach! Don’t even discuss the Evil Lies found in the letter but instead, ask this…. Does the letter pass the “Sniff Test” at all? That anonymous letter along with about 15 Brutally Negative and Lie Filled mail pieces all hit thousands of mailboxes at the VERY LAST MINUTE! If – IF Any of what they are spewing was in any way true, Why did they wait till the Very Last Minute to bring it out?? See what I’m saying? If – IF Any of what they assert was true, why didn’t they bring it out six months ago and sink my ship before it ever set sail? Please help us to help people understand that this is nothing more than a “Chicago Style Thug Campaign” being run by a desperate and despicable man! Does “The Letter” or ANY of their vicious attacking lies even make sense at all? Again, if any of it were true they would have brought it out long ago and ended my chances before we ever even got off the ground! It simply does NOT pass the “Sniff Test” does it??

The Lies they’ve perpetrated against me are so over the top, so disgusting and so untrue that we are seeking legal action and intend to SUE!

Thank you for all you have done and what you mean to our campaign! We are indeed winning and as long as we band together and each one do these listed items … We Will WIN!!

We Love You!

-Brian

Brian Nieves for State Senate

“Citizens for Nieves”

We Have Fun, We Win Elections AND… We Make a Difference!!

His supporters showed up in droves in Franklin County and tipped the scales in his favor as well as passing Prop C by a huge margin.

Keep in mind that, at all tea party events and candidate forums, Brian used the time allowed him to rant and rave against President Obama.  So, when he talks about Chicago style thuggery, everyone knows what he really means. To follow the story, go to the Franklin County Dems blog.

Even some Republicans are afraid of this guy. One of them wrote on the Dem blog that he thinks this story will have a strange ending.  Hmmmmm….(to be continued)

Today, after yesterday’s disgusting incidents initiated by teabaggers, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D), holding the 1965 Medicare gavel, and John Lewis (D) marched arm in arm past chanting teabaggers:

Video by Sam Stein.

That’s how you do it. That’s my kind of Speaker.

We received the following statement from Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s (D-MO) office:

For many of the members of the CBC, like John Lewis and Emanuel Cleaver who worked in the civil rights movement, and for Mr. Frank who has struggled in the cause of equality, this is not the first time they have been spit on during turbulent times.

This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the others Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.

This is not the first time the Congressman has been called the “n” word and certainly not the worst assault he has endured in his years fighting for equal rights for all Americans. That being said, he is disappointed that in the 21st century our national discourse has devolved to the point of name calling and spitting. He looks forward to taking a historic vote on health care reform legislation tomorrow, for the residents of the Fifth District of Missouri and for all Americans. He believes deeply that tomorrow’s vote is, in fact, a vote for equality and to secure health care as a right for all. Our nation has a history of struggling each time we expand rights. Today’s protests are no different, but the Congressman believes this is worth fighting for.

Other media reports:

Tea Party Protests: ‘Ni**er,’ ‘Fa**ot’ Shouted At Members Of Congress

Dems: Protests get ugly, racist