From the United States Department of Labor, May 3, 2011:

Women’s Employment During the Recovery [pdf]

….Women are nearly 50 percent more likely to work in the public sector than are men with 18.2 percent of employed women working in public sector jobs….

….The unemployment rate averaged 8.6 percent among women in 2010. Data for March 2011 shows that the economic situation is improving for women, who have seen their unemployment rate decline to 8.3 percent. However, while the private sector has added 1.7 million jobs over the past 12 months, the public sector has lost nearly 400,000. Since women are disproportionately likely to work in the public sector, their unemployment decline has been smaller than that experienced by men. The unemployment rate for men averaged 10.5 percent in 2010 and has declined to 9.3 percent in March 2011. However women continue to have a lower unemployment rate than men, are less likely to be long-term unemployed, and have a median duration of unemployment that was 1.9 weeks shorter than men’s in 2010….

[emphasis added]

And then there’s this, today, from Representative Vicky Hartzler (r), via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics-450,000 MORE Unemployed Women Since President Obama took over.[….] 7:25 AM – 25 Oct 12

(The link in the original Tweet takes you to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey – Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey.)

There is the small matter of the Bush recession continuing until economic recovery programs, you know, like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 started to kick in.

Vicky Hartzler (r) in Blue Springs, Missouri, at a town hall on April 28, 2011:  

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): town hall in Blue Springs, part 5 – Q and A (May 3, 2011)

Question: ….But, I don’t hear any of the, of our elected officials talking about eliminating federal jobs. Because it’s coming. And many things are coming. For example, I do not see how the Pell Grant is going to continue to exist. You just [inaudible], so. [scattered applause]

Representative Hartzler: Yeah, good point. Uh, the, as far as federal employees, uh, yeah, it has grown exponentially, the number of federal employees. I think if you’re gonna see some real change there, uh, we’re gonna have to take a, see some changes in the Senate next year and the White House in order to get that through. But, uh, it, I agree, there’s some, there’s a lot of areas in federal government that we don’t need. They should be, even according to the Constitution there’s only a few things that government should be doing. And the rest could be done at the state level , or the local level, or by private industry, or private citizens and, uh, we’ve got to get back to the original intent of what our founders wanted. And I think that’ll help take care of some of our debt crisis.

Voice: For, for, could you give some examples?

Representative Hartzler: So, let’s go, yeah [crosstalk]….

Women work in disproportionately higher numbers in the public sector. The federal government is a public sector employer. Vicky Hartzler, like almost all republican politicians in this day and age, advocates cutting public sector employment. Voila! Blame President Obama (D) for the number of unemployed women. Even though private sector employment has increased.

To continue, facts are an inconvenience:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): town hall in Blue Springs, part 5 – Q and A (May 3, 2011)

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) in Blue Springs, Missouri, listening to a question from a constituent at a town hall on April 28, 2011.

“….Yeah, good point. Uh, the, as far as federal employees, uh, yeah, it has grown exponentially, the number of federal employees. I think if you’re gonna see some real change there, uh, we’re gonna have to take a, see some changes in the Senate next year and the White House in order to get that through. But, uh, it, I agree, there’s some, there’s a lot of areas in federal government that we don’t need. They should be, even according to the Constitution there’s only a few things that government should be doing. And the rest could be done at the state level , or the local level, or by private industry, or private citizens and, uh, we’ve got to get back to the original intent of what our founders wanted….”

Too Many Federal Workers?

By Allan Holmes   09/07/10 07:08 pm ET

….There were fewer federal workers in 2009 than in 1990, 1980 and 1970. Now take a closer look at the OPM table. Much of the growth, understandably, occurred in Homeland Security agencies, increasing from 70,000 to 180,000 – a jump of 110,000. Justice Department jobs went from 98,000 to 113,000 — more than 15,000 new jobs added. (Again, crime and more Homeland Security related.) Jobs at the Veterans Department increased from 220,000 to 297,000 — that’s 77,000 more federal workers. Again, a result of Homeland Security, or rather staffing up to take care of thousands of veterans coming home from two wars. And there’s a lot of information technology jobs in there.

So, taking those three areas, the number of new jobs created in the last 10 years, which can be traced back to 9/11, was 202,000. That by itself accounts for nearly two-thirds of the total federal workforce growth from 2000 to 2009, which was 316,000 jobs. Hold those steady since 2002 (or even allow for some growth), and you would have less than 1.9 million workers in 2009, or slightly more. That’s about the same number of federal workers in 1962, the year Shlaes chooses as her benchmark to compare the number of government jobs to the number in the private sector (with public sector jobs accounting for an eighth of all jobs). Remember, that was before the Great Society programs geared up, popular programs that needed a slew of federal managers and clerks to oversee.

By the way, the number of jobs at the Interior, Transportation and Treasury departments fell from 2000 to 2009. And those at Health and Human Services, Education and the Social Security Administration grew from 1.26 million to 1.39 million — 130,000 jobs over 10 years, or about 13,000 new positions a year as the health industry expanded at a torrid pace….

Or:

Federal Government Employment Levels Through the Years (including the U.S. Postal Service)

Administration, number of federal employees, population, Executive Branch employees per 1,000 population

1970 (Nixon) 2.94 million 205 million 14.4

1975 (Ford) 2.84 million 215.9 million 13.2

1978 (Carter) 2.87 million 222.5 million 12.9

1982 (Reagan) 2.77 million 232.1 million 11.9

1990 (Bush) 3.06 million 249.6 million 12.3

1994 (Clinton) 2.9 million 263.1 million 11.1

2002 (Bush) 2.63 million 287.8 million 9.1

2010 (Obama) 2.65 million 310.3 million 8.4

Yeah, check out that “exponential” growth….

“…Uh, the, as far as federal employees, uh, yeah, it has grown exponentially, the number of federal employees…”

That’s real chutzpah.  

Yesterday, Thelma had a busy day in Butler, Missouri.

Via Twitter:

Why, that’s Thelma in the foreground.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Enjoyed eating lunch with the wonderful senior citizens at Butler Senior Center! pic.twitter.com/tsuPuEaP 10:36 AM – 23 Oct 12

I don’t think Vicky Hartzler (r) knew who she was talking to.

Via facebook:

Why, that’s Thelma wearing a Teresa Hensley sticker.

Yep, that’s the same person. We received the following via e-mail:

Thelma…was the first president of the Bates County Democratic Women’s Club back in 1972. She told me that one of their first accomplishments was working for Ike Skelton. She’s currently 97 and just as avid a Democrat as ever.

There’s no doubt who is getting that vote.

You could probably bet money that Thelma knows who voted to end Medicare as we know it. Hint: her initials begin with Vicky Hartzler (r).

What’s been going on with the price of gas in west central Missouri? It’s gone down:

The price of gas in west central Missouri in the afternoon on October 23, 2012.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration provides historical national retail gasoline price data from January 2000 to August 2012. The national price in August 2012?:

[$]3.722

Why, the retail price of gas has dropped significantly.

The cost of gas has been a republican complaint meme:

The past, the gas, and isms (September 24, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): let’s pass the gas – part 2 (June 6, 2012)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): let’s pass the gas (May 27, 2012)

You didn’t think we’d hear something from the republican gas price handwringers when it drops, did you?

The Campaign for Community Change started running radio ads today against Vicky Hartzler (r) and Todd Akin (r) for their assault on Social Security. The Vicky Hartzler (r) ad:

Announcer: Around here keeping a promise matters. And when America makes a promise to its seniors it’s one we should keep. But Vicky Hartzler wants to break that promise by privatizing Social Security and turning Medicare into vouchers. So let’s tell her with our vote, we won’t let her break America’s promises on Social Security and Medicare.

Campaign for Community Change, wwwcampaignfor communities dot org paid for and is responsible for the content of this advertising. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Smack! On the table.

Jackson County Democrats held a chile dinner at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Hall in Kansas City on Friday evening. It was an opportunity for a meet and greet and for the crowd to hear statewide candidates speak.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D).

Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D).

Cass County Prosecutor and 4th Congressional District candidate Teresa Hensley (D).

Attorney General Chris Koster (D).

Secretary of State candidate Jason Kander (D).

56th Legislative District candidate Patty Johnson.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) speaking to the crowd.

Attorney General Chris Koster (D).

Secretary of State candidate Jason Kander (D).

Lieutenant Governor candidate Susan Montee (D).

Twitter snark, at maximum warp:

Heh.

Fake Vicky Hartzler ‏@VickiHartzler

I think the KC Star just called me chicken. http://voices.kansascity.com/e… … 5:05 PM – 19 Oct 12

Cole Young ‏@ColeYoung

@VickiHartzler but, but NRA 5:19 PM – 19 Oct 12

Fake Vicky Hartzler ‏@VickiHartzler

@ColeYoung What’s that? I couldn’t hear you over the sound of @votehensley being stone cold awesome. pic.twitter.com/ARJtAt81 5:33 PM – 19 Oct 12

This afternoon the Kansas City Star endorsed Teresa Hensley (D) in her 4th Congressional District race against first term teabagger Vicky Hartzler (r).

Cass County Prosecutor and Democratic Party Candidate in the 4th Congressional District Teresa Hensley

received the endorsement of the Kansas City Star this afternoon.

The Star’s recommendations for U.S. House in Kansas, Missouri

Kansas City Star Editorial

Congress is deadlocked, stymied by partisanship and a big target for voter discontent, expressed in record-low approval ratings. Yet area incumbents likely have the upper hand. It shouldn’t be so in all cases.

Here are The Star’s recommendations for local contested congressional races:

Missouri

4th District

Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley, the Democratic challenger, far outclasses Republican incumbent Vicky Hartzler. Voters should evict Hartzler, who in her first term showed no interest in compromise or moderate views.

Hensley has a shot at accomplishing what voters often say they want: Beating an incumbent and offering a thoughtful approach to the nation’s ills. New boundaries stretch the district from Harrisonville to Columbia, and add the more progressive Boone County.

Hensley, of Raymore, emphasizes help for small businesses, including breaks on costly regulations, as the best way to boost job prospects in the largely rural district. Her record as prosecutor speaks well of her ability to pull people together. She’s created child abuse response teams as well as arson and DWI task forces. As she says, prosecutions aren’t partisan, and she pledges to keep that attitude in Congress.

She backs alternative energy efforts, public education improvements and reforms to the tax system, including higher taxes for those who earn more than $1 million.

Hartzler’s family is a long-time recipient of federal farm aid, yet she likes to bash U.S. spending – for others. She’s a tea party voter with no hint of compromising in her future. She’s ducked debate offers and avoids joint appearances. There’s a reason. Hensley’s thoughtful ideas would expose Hartzler’s weaknesses.

Hensley would effectively serve the district formerly represented for decades by Ike Skelton….

[emphasis in original]

“…Teresa Hensley, the Democratic challenger, far outclasses Republican incumbent Vicky Hartzler. Voters should evict Hartzler, who in her first term showed no interest in compromise or moderate views…”

Uh, we knew that a long time ago.

Previously:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): “No answer given.” (October 19, 2012)

Teresa Hensley (D) in the 4th Congressional District: endorsement by the Columbia Daily Tribune (October 12, 2012)

Before elections the Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal asks candidates to answer questions from the paper and then publishes those responses in the paper, invariably in a side by side comparison of the candidates for a particular public office. They published the responses from the candidates in the 4th Congressional District Race:

10/18/2012 5:42:00 PM

Experienced prosecutor seeks to unseat incumbent [subscription required]

ELECTIONS 2012

Jack Miles

Editor

Warrensburg – Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley, 53, D-Raymore, seeks to unseat first-term U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler in the 4th Congressional District race.

Hensley holds a law degree.

“I’m tired of seeing the same thing out of Washington, D.C. – politicians fighting amongst themselves rather than working together for the middle class,” Hensley said.

Hensley gave her reason for seeking the office.

“I’ve said all along that my goal is to go to Washington and do the things that politicians like Congresswoman Hartzler should have been doing all along. That means putting aside the partisan bickering and getting down to the business of creating jobs and getting our economy moving faster…”

….Hartzler’s campaign declined to participate in answering the survey….

[emphasis added]

There are a number of questions on various topics, from the economy, to the federal budget, to social issues, to health care, to eduction. In their story, after every question, the newspaper reported Representative Vicky Hartzler’s (r) response:

No answer given.

Yep, that’s the republican agenda for the country.

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.

Via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Benghazigate exposed. Today State Dept. contradicts administration account of Libya attack. Who’s in charge of our foreign policy? 6:02 AM – 10 Oct 12

Fancy that, Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) mindlessly parroting republican talking points for political purposes. And there was a really big oopsie at the “hearing” that anyone without a partisan political agenda could have easily foreseen.

On the same day, from the Washington Post:

Letting us in on a secret

By Dana Milbank, Published: October 10

When House Republicans called a hearing in the middle of their long recess, you knew it would be something big, and indeed it was: They accidentally blew the CIA’s cover.

The purpose of Wednesday’s hearing of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee was to examine security lapses that led to the killing in Benghazi last month of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others. But in doing so, the lawmakers reminded us why “congressional intelligence” is an oxymoron….

….The Republican lawmakers, in their outbursts, alternated between scolding the State Department officials for hiding behind classified material and blaming them for disclosing information that should have been classified. But the lawmakers created the situation by ordering a public hearing on a matter that belonged behind closed doors.

Republicans were aiming to embarrass the Obama administration over State Department security lapses. But they inadvertently caused a different picture to emerge than the one that has been publicly known: that the victims may have been let down not by the State Department but by the CIA. If the CIA was playing such a major role in these events, which was the unmistakable impression left by Wednesday’s hearing, having a televised probe of the matter was absurd.

The chairman, attempting to close his can of worms, finally suggested that “the entire committee have a classified briefing as to any and all other assets that were not drawn upon but could have been drawn upon” in Benghazi.

Good idea. Too bad he didn’t think of that before putting the CIA on C-SPAN.

[emphasis added]

Accidentally? That’s charitable. A republican clown show, indeed.