From Vicky Hartzler’s campaign:

Hartzler statement on Congressman Akin

Harrisonville – Vicky Hartzler stated today, “Like many Missourians, I found Congressman Akin’s comments baffling, disturbing and misinformed. Over the last few days I have attempted to communicate with him personally; however, my repeated attempts have been unsuccessful. Due to the serious nature of this issue, I hope and pray he will make the right decision for himself, his family and our country and follow the advice of Senators Blunt, Bond, Ashcroft, Talent and Danforth.”

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) (left) and Rep. Todd Akin (r) (right) – splitsville.

Lex Luthor: Guy’s a clod. Promises were made, gifts exchanged….

Well, something changed – from three days ago:

Akin blasted for ‘legitimate rape’ comment

By Rudi Keller

Published August 19, 2012 at 4:18 p.m., Updated August 20, 2012 at 2 p.m.

….Through spokesman Steve Walsh, Hartzler declined to comment on Akin’s statement. “Congressman Akin made a comment, and he has said he misspoke,” Walsh said. “There is no reason for Congresswoman Hartzler to weigh in.”

[emphasis added]

What was it?

Previously:

Teresa Hensley (D): Vicky Hartzler (r) and Todd Akin (r) (August 20, 2012)

Teresa Hensley (D): Vicky Hartzler (r) and Todd Akin (r) – part 2 (August 22, 2012)

Previously: Teresa Hensley (D): Vicky Hartzler (r) and Todd Akin (r) (August 20, 2012)

Silence.

Akin blasted for ‘legitimate rape’ comment

By Rudi Keller

Published August 19, 2012 at 4:18 p.m., Updated August 20, 2012 at 2 p.m.

….The issue is sensitive for many Republicans because Akin was a co-sponsor of a bill that would have denied federal funding for abortions in many instances of rape. The bill, since modified, originally limited the funding to pregnancies caused by “forcible rape.” Every Missouri Republican House member, including Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, was a co-sponsor, as was Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the GOP vice presidential candidate.

Through spokesman Steve Walsh, Hartzler declined to comment on Akin’s statement. “Congressman Akin made a comment, and he has said he misspoke,” Walsh said. “There is no reason for Congresswoman Hartzler to weigh in.”

From Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley’s (D) 4th Congressional District campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 22, 2012

[….]

HENSLEY RENEWS INVITATION TO HARTZLER TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST AKIN COMMENTS

** Hartzler says there’s ‘no reason’ to condemn Akin’s comments on ‘legitimate rape’ **

Raymore, MO – Today, Cass County Prosecutor and congressional candidate in Missouri’s 4th Congressional district Teresa Hensley renewed her invitation to Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler to join her in denouncing Congressman Todd Akin’s offensive and outrageous comments that victims of “legitimate rape” were less likely to get pregnant.

“Two days ago I offered a sincere invitation to Congresswoman Hartzler to join me in setting aside our numerous differences in order to make it clear that Congressman Akin’s comments were outrageous and offensive to any reasonable person, regardless of politics,” said Hensley.  “Today we have yet to hear from her.  If ever there was a time for Congresswoman Hartzler to set aside her partisanship, this is it, so I’m asking again for her to make her views clear on this important issue.”

Currently, Congresswoman Hartzler has indicated through a spokesperson that “there is no reason for Congresswoman Hartzler to weigh in” on Congressman Akin’s assertion that certain types of rape are more legitimate than others and that, in the case of “legitimate rape,” the female body has “ways to try to shut that whole thing down” to prevent pregnancy.  [Columbia Daily Tribune, 8/19/12]

“I hope Congresswoman Hartzler changes her mind and speaks out on this because I believe she and I have an obligation as elected officials to assure women everywhere – and especially young women – that this kind of thinking won’t be tolerated,” added Hensley.  “If Congresswoman Hartzler refuses to comment then I have to seriously question her ability to put the people of the 4th District ahead of her political priorities.”

So far numerous Republicans have expressed their objections to Congressman Akin’s comments including Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, current and former Missouri Senators Roy Blunt, Jim Talent, Kit Bond and John Danforth, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman and Texas Senator John Cornyn, senators Kelly Ayotte (NH), Scott Brown (MA), Richard Burr (NC), Dean Heller (NV), Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Ron Johnson (WI), Olympia Snowe (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Orin Hatch (UT), and noted Republican strategist Karl Rove.

###

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) (left) and Rep. Todd Akin (r) (right).

A release from Teresa Hensley’s (D) 4th Congressional District campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 20, 2012

[….]

TERESA HENSLEY COMMENTS ON CONGRESSMAN TODD AKIN’S REMARKS REGARDING ‘LEGITIMATE RAPE’

Raymore, MO – Today, Cass County Prosecutor and congressional candidate in Missouri’s 4th Congressional district Teresa Hensley issued the following statement in response to Missouri Congressman Todd Akin’s remarks regarding what he called “legitimate rape.”

“As a prosecutor, I’ve helped protect victims of rape and I’ve made sure rapists go to jail and I know this: there is no grey area when it comes to sexual assault.  It is an act of violence, plain and simple.  And make no mistake; women can most assuredly become pregnant from it.

“Congressman Akin’s comments are embarrassing for him and for Missouri.  He represents our state on the House Science Committee, and yet, he believes that women can’t get pregnant from rape?  I find that appalling.

“Congresswoman Hartzler and I may not agree on much when it comes to policy, but surely on this issue we can set aside our differences and condemn Congressman Akin’s comments and urge him to apologize to women everywhere for his outrageous and offensive remarks.  If ever there was a time to transcend politics, this is it.”

###

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) (left) and Rep. Todd Akin (r) (right).

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the newest name for the federal food stamp program.

From 4th Congressional District Representative Vicky Hartzler’s (r) August 18, 2012 e-mail newsletter:

….Our [House republicans] Farm Bill….

….With the SNAP changes we target waste, fraud, and abuse but we do NOT take one single calorie out of the mouths of children or other needy Americans dependant on this aid….

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) in Kingsville, Missouri in the 4th Congressional District on August 16, 2012:

….Senator McCaskill: ‘Cause you have so many urban, um, members of Congress that don’t understand or realize how important the farm bill is and vice versa. Uh, you’ve got some folks from very rural areas, um, that, that don’t probably appreciate, um, why the food stamp bill is important. I think the better thing to do is us to continue to do what we did in this farm bill, and that was we cut food stamps, we reduced the deficit by twenty-three billion, and still provided that certainty and predictability and crop insurance and shallow loss program that farmers need to keep our food prices stable. Uh, so, you know it’s just a fascinating thing to me that we would have the kind of bipartisan support from Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, and yet the Republicans are blocking this bill in the House and keeping it from coming for a vote….

….I mean, if Speaker [John] Boehner would put the Senate bill on the floor it would pass. Um, and, and, but, he is, um, I think they did that because Speakers want to hold on to their job as Speaker and the Republican caucus elects him. And I think he’s trying to keep the tea party happy, he’s trying to keep Congressman Akin and, and Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler happy by, uh, by not voting on the Senate farm bill….

[emphasis added]

Interesting. Representative Hartzler (r) says the Senate isn’t acting (well, it’s difficult to tell because her newsletter conflates so many things) and Senator McCaskill (D) says the House is obstructing.

Let’s go to March 3, 2009 and Representative Mike Pence (r), Chairman of the House Republican Caucus (on CNN via Think Progress):

[….]

SANCHEZ: Did you hear what Rush Limbaugh said, “the dirty little secret is all Republicans want Barack Obama to fail?” Very direct question to you, Sir. Do you want Barack Obama to fail?

PENCE: Come on, Rick. Nice try. I know what Rush Limbaugh meant. …Everyone like me, Rush Limbaugh and others who believe in limited government, who believes in conservative values, wants the policies that this administration is bringing forward, higher taxes, massive increase in government spending, a huge increase in the role of government, in our daily lives, departure from traditional values. You bet, we want those policies to fail. Because, Rick, we know big government, increases in debt, the micromanagement of the economy out of Washington, DC is a policy that will fail.

[….]

Hmm. No Farm Bill before an election. Do you think we’ll soon see anonymously funded Super PAC ads on our television sets blaming Obama?

Yeah, we’ll bet on the republican teabagger controlled House being the obstructionists.

The 2011 numbers on households (not individuals) in Missouri’s current 4th Congressional District, via the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service:

Characteristics of SNAP Households

Office of Research and Analysis September 2011

Missouri Congressional District 4 [pdf]

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the cornerstone of the Nation’s nutrition assistance safety net. SNAP touches the lives of over one in seven Americans. Benefits are available to most people who meet the financial requirements, and the program serves a broad spectrum of low income people. In Fiscal Year 2010, SNAP provided about $1.4 billion dollars in food benefits to a monthly average of over 901,349 people in Missouri. The program served 83 percent of those eligible for benefits in Missouri in 2008. SNAP also has an economic multiplier effect with every $5 in new SNAP benefits generating as much as $9 in total economic activity.

The American Community Survey provides a snapshot of SNAP participants in 2007-2009 for each Congressional District. More detailed information for the Nation and each State is presented in Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2010, available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora.

[….]

Households Receiving SNAP – 29,210 [11.55%]

Households Not Receiving SNAP – 223,687 [88.45%]

Total – 252,897

[emphasis added]

Individual SNAP recipients in the counties in the new 4th Congressional District, from the U.S. Census:

County SNAP benefits recipients [individuals]

U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Estimates Branch

10.13.2011

July 2009

Audrain County, MO [partly in district] 3,785

Barton County, MO 2,433

Bates County, MO 2,442

Benton County, MO 3,628

Boone County, MO 19,144

Camden County, MO [partly in district] 5,443

Cass County, MO 9,927

Cedar County, MO 2,898

Cooper County, MO 2,313

Dade County, MO 1,292

Dallas County, MO 3,334

Henry County, MO 3,997

Hickory County, MO 1,599

Howard County, MO 1,304

Johnson County, MO 5,438

Laclede County, MO 7,398

Moniteau County, MO 1,724

Morgan County, MO 3,750

Pettis County, MO 7,249

Pulaski County, MO 5,037

Randolph County, MO 4,706

St. Clair County, MO 2,057

Vernon County, MO 3,563

Webster County, MO [partly in district] 4,996

Yep, Missouri’s 4th Congressional District is mostly rural and it has a significant number of SNAP recipients.

“…Uh, you’ve got some folks from very rural areas, um, that, that don’t probably appreciate, um, why the food stamp bill is important…”

There are a lot who do appreciate why it is important.

“…we do NOT take one single calorie out of the mouths of children…”

Interesting. Would those be empty calories as opposed to balanced nutrition? Just asking. You’d think a former home economics teacher would endeavor to explain the difference.

From the November 28, 2009 New York Times:

Food Stamp Usage Across the Country

County, population, percent receiving food stamps, percent change from ’07 to ’09

Audrain Missouri 26,271 18% +37%

Barton Missouri 12,348 25% +29%

Bates Missouri 17,148 18% +26%

Benton Missouri 18,261 25% +21%

Boone Missouri 156,716 15% +33%

Camden Missouri 40,923 17% +40%

Cass Missouri 99,954 12% +50%

Cedar Missouri 13,597 27% +25%

Cooper Missouri 17,515 16% +39%

Dade Missouri 7,342 21% +25%

Dallas Missouri 16,873 25% +30%

Henry Missouri 22,012 23% +27%

Hickory Missouri 8,988 22% +27%

Howard Missouri 9,969 16% +26%

Johnson Missouri 52,134 14% +41%

Laclede Missouri 35,703 27% +37%

Moniteau Missouri 15,116 15% +35%

Morgan Missouri 20,928 23% +36%

Pettis Missouri 41,266 23% +28%

Pulaski Missouri 44,793 14% +31%

Randolph Missouri 25,811 23% +19%

St. Clair Missouri 9,146 29% +31%

Vernon Missouri 20,030 23% +26%

Webster Missouri 37,073 17% +37%

[emphasis added]

From the same source:

County, population, percent receiving food stamps, percent change from ’07 to ’09

Jackson Missouri 670,843 21% +28%

St. Louis Missouri 990,151 12% +31%

St. Louis City Missouri 353,064 36% +19%

[emphasis added]

There clearly are rural counties in the 4th Congressional District with higher or equivalent rates of SNAP use when compared to urban areas in the state.

There isn’t a practical urban/rural divide when it comes to food stamps, just political ideologues in Congress with other agendas. The reality is there are a lot of hungry people (the largest percentage is children) everywhere in Missouri in need of assistance.

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) needs to get better campaign staff. There’s an interesting reaction quote from her campaign manager in a Columbia Daily Tribune article about Teresa Hensley‘s (D) “Blueprint for Success” [pdf]:

….[Vicky Hartzler’s campaign manager Nathan] Adams said. “Vicky Hartzler believes we have enough government programs.”

I’ll bet:

“…You know, who I am and, uh, the reasons I align myself with the Republican Party is a reflection of my background and experiences that I’ve had over the years…”

Hartzler Farm Subsidies — $774,489

Hartzler Farms Inc received payments totaling $774,489 from 1995 through 2009

Year Total USDA Subsidies

1995-2009

1995 $16,606, 1996 $28,070, 1997 $18,449, 1998 $32,765, 1999 $89,330, 2000 $89,261, 2001 $135,482, 2002 $24,517, 2003 $41,910, 2004 $61,708, 2005 $105,698, 2006 $38,598, 2007 $29,579, 2008 $39,878, 2009 $22,639

Total $774,489

[….]

The same Nathan Adams.

A release from Teresa Hensley’s (D) campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 11, 2012

[….]

TERESA HENSLEY COMMENTS ON SELECTION OF PAUL RYAN AS VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE

Columbia, MO – Today, Cass County Prosecutor and congressional candidate in Missouri’s 4th Congressional district Teresa Hensley issued the following statement in response to the selection of Congressman Paul Ryan as vice presidential nominee.

“Now more than ever it is clear that the number one issue in this election is the ultimate survival of the Medicare program. Governor Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate has potentially put the architect of the plan to end Medicare as we know it a heartbeat away from the presidency.

“The Ryan selection, coupled with Congresswoman Hartzler’s votes in support of ending Medicare as we know it – which would cost seniors $6,400 more per year in order to protect tax breaks for millionaires and subsidies for oil companies – is the defining moment in this election cycle.

“This issue is not about partisan politics.  Medicare has helped Democrats and Republicans alike.  It’s about making commonsense decisions about protecting our seniors and balancing the budget the right way.  That means looking out for Missouri’s middle class and making sure millionaires and big oil companies pay their fair share. I’m running to stand up for middle class families and seniors and this November voters will have a clear choice between my commonsense agenda, and an agenda that recklessly ends Medicare as we know it.”

###

Previously:

Teresa Hensley (D) in Warrensburg – May 17, 2012 [May 17, 2012]

[….]

Teresa Hensley (D): ….When we look at what the House Republicans and Vicky Hartzler have done just this year, not to mention last year, but just this year, still passing again the [Republican House Budget Committee Chairman] Paul Ryan budget. And every time I say, the Paul Ryan budget you should feel free to boo. [voices: “Boo!”] Because it is just a terrible, terrible thing for them to think that they could be proud of it. And they are. Have you noticed that they’re not ashamed at all about the Paul Ryan budget? They don’t hang their head, they don’t walk around acknowledging that they would rather give more tax breaks, more federal subsidies to billionaires and big oil companies and still make cuts in things like Medicare, and Social Security, and food stamps, and Pell Grants, the very things that mean everything to us as a middle class…

[….]

And:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r) wants to kill Medicare… [April 6, 2011]

[….]

The reviews keep coming in. Paul Ryan laid an egg. And Vicky Hartzler is content to clap louder.

And:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): town hall in Blue Springs, part 3 [May 1, 2011]

[….]

….Uh, here’s another comparison. Current path, the [exaggerated] Path to Prosperity, erity, erity. I’m sorry [laugh]. Anyway….

[….]

The choice in November is clear.

Teresa Hensley’s (D) campaign has released a new ad:

Narrator: Compare the choices. Teresa Hensley, a tough prosecutor who gets the job done. In Washington Vicky Hartzler’s not working for us. She’s voted twice to end Medicare as we know it, forcing seniors to pay more. Instead, tax breaks for millionaires and oil companies making billions. That’s wrong.

Teresa Hensley (D): Congresswoman Hartzler has had two years to deliver results for Missouri families and she has failed.

Send me to Washington and I will work for Missouri families as I have as prosecutor.

I’m Teresa Hensley and I approve this message.

Today, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Concerning to hear the Iranian leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, call for Israel’s annihilation this week. We must stand with our friend, Israel. 9:01 AM – 4 Aug 12

Uh, he’s been saying that for years.

Iranian leader: Wipe out Israel

October 27, 2005

Iran’s new president has repeated a remark from a former ayatollah that Israel should be “wiped out from the map,” insisting that a new series of attacks will destroy the Jewish state, and lashing out at Muslim countries and leaders that acknowledge Israel….

Because the President of Iran has so much power?:

Iran’s Ahmadinejad to leave politics, newspaper reports

June 17, 2012|By the CNN Wire Staff

….Ahmadinejad has been in a power struggle with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and he’s losing, according to experts.

“I think Ahmadinejad underestimated the power of Khamenei, and he overestimated his own power,” Haleh Esfandiari, director of Middle Eastern studies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, said last month.

“You can step on anybody’s toes, but not on his toe,” said Esfandiari….

….She said Ahmadinejad may be left a “lame duck” after butting heads with Khamenei….

It’s noise, it’s in a potentially volatile region, you pay attention to it, you analyze it, but you don’t pee your pants and breathlessly clutch your pearls.

Via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler ‏@RepHartzler

Congress can still save us from #Taxmageddon. I’ll vote to #StopTheTaxHike, $494 billion, on Americans #4jobs and #4families. 1:29 PM – 1 Aug 12

Fake Vicky Hartzler ‏@VickiHartzler

If poor people have to pay more taxes, it’s Mitt Romney’s plan. If rich people have to pay more taxes, it’s #Taxmageddon. @RepHartzler 8:06 PM – 1 Aug 12

The result of Mitt Romney’s (r) self serving tax plan (via Think Progress):

Vicky Hartzler (r) could do well under Mitt’s plan. If you earn under $200,000.00 a year, not so much.

And:

Cathy Sherwin ‏@cathysherwin

Bush-era doublespeak by @RepHartzler – tweets #stoptaxhike,votes to RAISE TAXES for 25 mil middle class Americans. #MO4 http://bit.ly/HartzlerFail 11:25 PM – 1 Aug 12

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a new video. Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) is expected to look after her own interests this week, at the expense of the middle class and the federal budget deficit:

Narrator: Good news, Republicans want to cut your taxes. Not you. You. And you deserve a break. After all, these things are expensive. So Republicans want to give you, the millionaire, another tax break. All while charging seniors six thousand dollars more for Medicare. This guy, her? They don’t need it. They’ll just buy groceries and pay the mortgage. But you? You’re going places. And Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler will knock down anyone in your way.

[Tell Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler

Stop putting millionaires over the middle class]

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.

The DCCC statement which was attached to the video:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) continues on offense, releasing new online ads – titled “The Millionaires” – to expose twenty-three Republican Members of Congress who are about to vote for another tax cut for millionaires at the expense of the middle class and seniors. The new advertising begins today in the districts of twenty-three vulnerable House Republicans as part of the DCCC’s “Drive for 25” campaign to win the Majority.

With 100 days until Election Day, House Republicans will vote this week to give people making more than $1 million a year another $130,000 tax break, according to the Tax Policy Center, and once again double down on their failed priorities instead of protecting the middle class and seniors. This past weekend, the DCCC held “Middle Class First” grassroots events in 19 congressional districts to expose Republicans’ plans to put millionaires over the middle class.

“Democrats are on offense again as House Republicans vote this week to protect tax breaks for millionaires instead of strengthening the middle class,” said DCCC Chairman Steve Israel. “Under House Republicans’ top-down economics, millionaires, corporations that outsource jobs, Big Oil and special interests get a $130,000 tax break which we can’t afford. Democrats are holding Republicans accountable for their misplaced priorities and the heat is on House Republicans for putting millionaires and special interests first, and the middle class and seniors last.”

Uh, yep.