Representative Vicky Hartzler (r), via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

[….] I had fun collecting wild flowers today & making a pretty display of yarrow, spiderwort, & milkweed. [….]12:58 PM – 8 Jun 2014

Rep. Vicky Hartzler @RepHartzler

I spoke yesterday on my amendment that would require using highway funds for highways, not flowers. [….] 9:33 AM – 10 Jun 2014

Apparently there’s no need for yarrow, spiderwort and milkweed restoration along our federally funded highways.

The major paper in the largest population center in the 4th Congressional District endorsed Teresa Hensley (D) who is challenging one term incumbent Vicky Hartzler (r) in the November general election.

Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley (D) received the endorsement of the Columbia Daily Tribune today in the 4th Congressional District race.

The Tribune’s View

Fourth District

Teresa Hensley vs. Vicky Hartzler

By Henry J. Waters III

Friday, October 12, 2012

One of the season’s easiest endorsements from this corner is for Teresa Hensley in her congressional race against incumbent Vicky Hartzler in the Fourth District.

During her time in the Missouri House of Representatives, the Republican earned the sobriquet “Vicky Von Hartzler” for her far-right positions. Since her election to Congress, she has done nothing to soften that image, remaining a faithful supporter of fringe conservatism. She and Rep. Todd Akin have been birds of a feather….

….On almost any issue, you can find Hartzler is on the extreme right. Certainly her views do not reflect those of most Boone Countians – or even of Mitt Romney.

Hensley is appealing in her own right…she is a moderate law-and-order type with eminent good sense…

….In Teresa Hensley we have a chance to elect a smart moderate who will defend the broad center against the Hartzlers of the world.

Teresa Hensley for Fourth District, U.S. Congress.

HJW III

[emphasis added]

Vicky Hartzler (r) came up empty on the Columbia Daily Tribune endorsement.

Because “Do Nothing Congress” was already taken. Heh. But old media is using it anyway.

The White House transcript:

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

The White House

September 22, 2012

Hi, everybody. Last week, without much fanfare, Members of the House of Representatives banged a gavel, turned out the lights, and rushed home, declaring their work finished for now.

If that frustrates you, it should – because their work isn’t finished.

See, when they skipped town, Members of Congress left a whole bunch of proposals sitting on the table – actions that would create jobs, boost our economy, and strengthen middle-class security. These ideas have been around for months. The American people want to see them passed. But apparently, some Members of Congress are more worried about their jobs and their paychecks this campaign season than they are about yours.

Right now, if Congress had done the right thing, we could be on our way to having a veterans’ jobs corps that helps returning heroes find work as cops and firefighters in communities all across the country. These men and women have made incredible sacrifices for our country. They shouldn’t have to worry about finding a job when they get home. But last week, Republicans in Congress voted it down. And then they left.

Right now, if Congress had gotten its act together, we would have a farm bill to help farmers and ranchers respond to natural disasters like the drought we had this summer. And we’d have made necessary reforms to give our rural communities some long-term certainty. But so far, Republicans in Congress have dragged their feet. And now they’re gone.

Right now, if Congress had acted, thousands of responsible homeowners could be saving an extra $3,000 a year on their mortgages by refinancing at historically low rates. But instead, Republicans in Congress decided that working families could wait. And now they’ll have to wait a little longer.

And finally, if Congress had listened to you, they could have given 98% of Americans and 97% of small business owners a guarantee that your taxes won’t go up next year by a single dime. This is something we all agree on. It should have gotten done a long time ago. But Republicans in Congress have refused to budge. They’re holding tax cuts for 98% of Americans hostage until we pass tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. And now middle-class families and small business owners are left wondering what their tax bill will look like next year.

All of these ideas would strengthen our economy and help the middle class right now. All of them are supported by Democrats, Republicans and Independents. There’s no reason to wait.

That’s why, after going home and listening to their constituents for a few weeks, Members of Congress should come back in November and do this work. They should do the right thing for veterans and farmers; for responsible homeowners and small businesses; for Americans everywhere who are just trying to get ahead.

And if you agree with me, I need your help. Tell your Members of Congress you can’t afford to wait any longer. If you get an answering machine, leave a message. If you see them campaigning back home, tell them in person. Because there’s been enough talk. It’s time for action. That’s what you deserve, and that’s what it’s going to take to move this country forward.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

###

People already know:

Congress Adjourns, Pointing Fingers, But Not at Poor Approval Ratings

Sep 22, 2012 12:00 AM EDT

….House Republicans left the Farm Bill off the schedule, but called up votes on bills like the “Stop the War on Coal Act” and the “No More Solyndras Act,” legislation sure to go nowhere in the Senate but ripe for their GOP-friendly rallies on the campaign trail later this fall….

….Gallup’s latest polls show just 13 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, the lowest number that Gallup has measured this late in an election year since it began asking the question…..

Well, Vicky (r)?:

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 584

     H R 6213      RECORDED VOTE      14-Sep-2012      12:19 PM

     QUESTION:  On Passage

     BILL TITLE: No More Solyndras Act

—- AYES    245 —

Emerson

Hartzler

Long

Luetkemeyer

—- NOES    161 —

Carnahan

Clay

Cleaver

—- NOT VOTING    23 —

Akin

Graves (MO)

[emphasis added]

Because agriculture is such a big priority in the 4th Congressional District, right?

Via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Voting to hold Eric Holder in contempt for lying to congress and impeding the investigation of the death of Brian Terry over Fast & Furious. 1:34 PM – 28 Jun 12

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Democrats are staging a publicity stunt by walking out trying to portray this as about race and not justice. Sad they side with obstruction. 1:36 PM – 28 Jun 12

The best take on this, from a comment at Doghouse Riley’s place:

….because right-wing bile and unicorn farts are the proper business of the US Congress, natch….

The retail price of gasoline in small town west central Missouri at noon on May 27, 2012. Still, it’s less expensive than beer.

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) sent out a Memorial Day weekend e-mail to some constituents:

From: Representative Vicky Hartzler [….]

Date: Sun, May 27, 2012 at 7:00 AM

Subject: View From the Capitol – Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler’s Newsletter for the Week of May 21-25, 2012

To: [xxxxxxxxxx]

[….]

With the Memorial Day weekend comes the traditional start of the summer travel season. And the fact is gas prices are too high for many Missourians who cannot afford to take the family on vacation. It is time for the elected representatives of the people to take definitive actions to help seriously lower pump prices to allow Americans to spend more of their hard-earned money on paying the mortgage, putting food on the table, and – yes – enjoying that road trip with the family.

Gas prices are impacting the family budget. They have doubled since President Obama moved into the White House. Most economists agree that the price we pay at the pump is tied directly to supply and demand, meaning greater supply of gasoline would bring about much lower prices. Yet, President Obama has consistently stood in the way of efforts to increase supply. He has discouraged the use of American energy, put a moratorium on off-shore drilling, and delayed the issuing of drilling permits. His rejection of the Keystone pipeline project that would bring much-needed oil from Canada is the latest in a series of poor decisions to appease environmental extremists while increasing our dependency on Middle Eastern oil.

[….]

Americans are fed up with high gas prices. Common sense approaches from the House will develop more energy from all of our available resources and reduce energy prices. It is time America used the natural resources with which we have been blessed and stopped relying heavily on foreign dictatorships for our energy needs. Without this action, prices will most assuredly stay high. By embracing a proactive energy policy we could not only become energy independent as a nation, but also create jobs and preserve a cherished American tradition – the family vacation.

It is truly an honor to represent you in Congress.

Have a great week.

Vicky Hartzler

Member of Congress

Interesting. Let’s look at the current information on gas prices from the United States Energy Information Administration:

Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update

Gasoline Release Date: May 21, 2012

U.S. Regular Gasoline Prices*  (dollars per gallon)

Midwest (PADD2) 3.721 (05/07/12) 3.641 (05/14/12) 3.626 (05/21/12) values are down – 0.015 (week ago) values are down – 0.191 (year ago)

Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the gas prices in the photo over forty cents a gallon less than the Midwest price from almost a week ago? Could that mean that gas prices are going down? Does President Obama get credit for that, too? Just asking.

From March 2012:

Oil war: the ad battle between ‘Big Oil’ and DNC, Part 1

Posted by Josh Hicks at 01:39 PM ET, 03/30/2012

….The Post created a graphic a while back to show how perception about gas prices doesn’t quite match the reality. Despite the way prices look, they are roughly average after adjusting for inflation. A rate of $1.38 per gallon in 1981 sounds amazing until it’s converted to $3.35 in today’s dollars – better than the current price, but still much higher than when Obama took office.

Inflation-adjusted gas prices have indeed doubled during Obama’s time in the White House, but they were unusually low when he took office because of the massive economic downturn. Rates have gradually increased back to normal levels as the economy has improved. As we said in a previous column, it’s doubtful that anyone wants to return to those conditions for the sake of cheap gas….

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t $3.20 less than $3.35? Just asking.

Previously:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): we don’t need no stinkin’ objective reality (January 21, 2012)

Teresa Hensley (D): Vicky Hartzler <3 Big Oil (April 13, 2012)

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) complained via a retext of a republican talking point about legislative agenda productivity:

@gopconference GOP Conference by RepHartzler

Your budget was rejected by Senate 97-0 & Dems haven’t produced budget in 700+ days. Where is your economic plan? #AskObama 21 hours ago

Another in a slew of reasons why right wingnuts have zero credibility.

112th Congress is one of the least productive in years

Fervent partisanship and the standoff over the debt limit are partly to blame for lack of action in the Senate and House.

…the House isn’t exactly breaking records.

The 50 bills it has passed in the first five months of 2011 represent the lowest such number in more than 15 years. Republicans’ anti-Washington rhetoric translated into a schedule intended to keep lawmakers out of Washington. The result has been fewer days in session and fewer votes…

Remind us, which political party controls the House of Representatives? And obstructionism on the part of republicans in the Senate would have nothing to do with that, right?

That’s some serious chutzpah.

Update:

Oh, this gets even better. Representative Hartzler (r) retweeted right wing astroturf.

How Republicans and Tea Partiers Alike Used the Heritage Foundation’s #AskObama Script

By Abe Sauer | July 7, 2011

…A day before the event, The Heritage Foundation, a tax exempt, 501c(3) nonpartisan “educational institution” whose goal is “to formulate and promote conservative public policies,” published five Twitter questions to “put President Obama on the spot.”

These five questions, gift-wrapped by Ericka Anderson, Heritage Foundation’s senior digital communications associate and former communications director for Congressman Todd Rokita, were fascinating. And boy, did they get asked

Your budget was rejected by Senate 97-0 & Dems haven’t produced budget in 700+ days. Where is your economic plan? #AskObama….

[emphasis added]

Gee, that looks familiar.

Nonpartsan? Really?

U.S. Representative-elect Vicky Hartzler (r) weighs in on repealing health care reform in Friday’s Kansas City Star online:

The wrangling on health care is far from over

….Hartzler said “it is time to listen to the people and repeal this onerous law in favor of common sense reforms…”

Evidently “common sense” means providing a hot meal. From over a year ago:

A health care story

….Randy Huggins:…Last Thursday I went to a health care information forum, I guess you could call it, Vicki Hartzler [a declared Republican candidate for the 4th Congressional District seat] held here. And she had concerns about the legislation and she had things that she liked about the legislation. Then she said she had solutions. The solution that she offered for the pre-existing condition my grandson had was, she offered to bring the family a, a hot meal. [pause] We’re hungry, but that’s not gonna help his heart, so.

SMP: And so, do you, do you feel some frustration when, when dealing with this, you know, the subject of health care reform and when you feel like people give you solutions that really aren’t solutions?

Randy Huggins: Absolutely it’s frustrating. [pause] I, I just, I don’t understand where they’re coming from. Why they can’t see the need to fix, the system’s broken. And they don’t see any need to fix it or to change it in any way. Just….

“…it is time to listen to the people and repeal this onerous law in favor of common sense reforms…”

Yeah, right:

Posted on Monday, November 22, 2010

New poll undercuts GOP claims of a midterm mandate

By Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON – A majority of Americans want the Congress to keep the new health care law or actually expand it, despite Republican claims that they have a mandate from the people to kill it, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

The post-election survey showed that 51 percent of registered voters want to keep the law or change it to do more, while 44 percent want to change it to do less or repeal it altogether.

Driving support for the law: Voters by margins of 2-1 or greater want to keep some of its best-known benefits, such as barring insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. One thing they don’t like: the mandate that everyone must buy insurance….

Uh, if there is no individual mandate and you get sick, that’s a pre-existing condition, right? Evidently those people who “don’t like the mandate” believe that if you’re healthy and you don’t want to pay for insurance you shouldn’t have to, but when you get sick you can then buy health insurance to treat your now pre-existing condition at the expense of everyone else who bought insurance before they got sick.

That’s not personal responsibility nor is it even fair.

Well, it is “common sense” in the world of right wingnut republicans. Figures.

And it’s a nice design.

They’re starting to crop up all over.

The New York Times calls the race, even in the present toxic environment, as “Leaning Democratic”:

Campaign Finances

Ike Skelton [D] as of July 14

Raised $1,931,570

Spent $773,558

Cash On Hand $1,369,570

Vicky Hartzler [r]  as of July 14

Raised $389,025

Spent $255,938

Cash On Hand $241,764

Source: Federal Election Commission

And that’s probably one of the reasons why.