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Tag Archives: Kansas City Star

Schmitt’s Twitter Cry

09 Sunday Oct 2022

Posted by penroseonpolitics in US Senate

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Eric Schmitt, Eric Schmitt Lawsuits, Eric Schmitt Twitter, Eric Schmitt. U.S. Senate, Kansas City Star, Missouri Republican Party, Missouri Senate Election, Missouri Senate Race, St. Louis Post Dispatch

For once, a perfect headline for the occasion

28 Thursday Jul 2022

Posted by Michael Bersin in Josh Hawley, US Senate

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

book, Fascist pig, headline, insurrectionist, Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, right wingnut, seditionist, Virginia

Today, in the Kansas City Star (online):

We can’t wait.

Previously:

Josh Hawley (r) is famous! (July 21, 2022)

“Fistpump McRunpants” (July 22, 2022)

Not in Missouri (July 22, 2022)

Running Man (July 24, 2022)

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Free advertising

17 Sunday Apr 2022

Posted by Michael Bersin in media criticism, US Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Kansas City Star, lunatic fringe, media criticism, missouri, right wingnut, U.S. Senate, Vicky Hartzler

Vicky Hartzler (r) [2021 file photo].

Sigh.

In the Kansas City Star:

The Kansas City Star @KCStar
Over more than 11 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and six before that in the Missouri House, Vicky Hartzler has always attempted to run God’s way.

Will it win her a seat in the U.S. Senate?
[….]
8:50 AM · Apr 17, 2022

With plenty of free advertising like this it could.

Some of the responses:

Not sure God’s way is for everyone to own 12 guns.

Profit!

Ha. God’s way. I’m sure god wants her to seek personal power by publicly attacking the struggles (her word) of others. So sad.

How could she possibly k ow what “God’s way” is? Does he talk to her? Because you should probably ask if she hears voices.

This coverage is as disgusting as the candidate. #HartzlerIsDangerous #HartzlerIsWrong4MO

Oh sure. Trump is the epitome of “God’s way”

What a ridiculous headline. Since when is it “God’s way” to have the population armed with semi-automatic weapons and have the government work only for the wealthy while refusing healthcare to the millions? #hypocrisy

Can’t believe you gave this bigot a front page feature. Say good bye to my subscription. #Hartzlerisabigot.

Great Easter message Star [….] Maybe give your hate a day off

Ironic, on so many levels.

Vicky Hartzler (r) [2016 file photo].

You were expecting anything else?

28 Saturday Aug 2021

Posted by Michael Bersin in Josh Hawley, social media

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Afghanistan, Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, missouri, social media, Twitter

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Yesterday, from the Kansas City Star:

The Kansas City Star @KCStar
Hawley’s office did not immediately respond to a question asking what, specifically, other options for withdrawal would have looked like.
[….]
12:02 PM · Aug 27, 2021

He knows that isn’t a matter of concern with his base.

Previously:

Doha? Never heard of it…. (August 15, 2021)

This you, Josh? (August 16, 2021)

That was then (August 26, 2021)

‘Trotskyite’ went out with high button shoes

20 Friday Nov 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in Josh Hawley, social media, US Senate

≈ Leave a comment

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Bretbart, Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, missourri, social media, there's no place like home, Twitter, U.S. Senate, Virginia

More on Josh Hawley’s (r) place of residence.

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Today, from Josh Hawley (r):

Josh Hawley @HawleyMO
And then the Star, which used to be a Missouri newspaper, wonders why nobody takes their political “reporting” seriously
[….]
1:12 PM · Nov 20, 2020

He considers Breitbart an actual source.

There is much hilarity in the responses:

When all you can do is discredit the messenger because you can’t refute the message, you’re in a bad spot.

1) You don’t spend much time in Missouri.
2) Somehow after becoming a Senator you can now afford two very big homes.
3) You still haven’t passed rent and small biz relief.

@HawleyMO is a grifter

LOL at citing Breitbart as a “serious” source

He says while sharing “journalism” from Brierbart…

Breitbart? Really?

Really.

Breitbart huh? lol

An ad hominem attack on the media doesn’t invalidate the reporting…

Oh to dispute the @KCStar you cite, (checks notes) Breitbart. I thought you were smart.

Senator who used to be a Missouri resident has opinions on Missouri newspapers.

Breitbart…LOL.

Why so defensive?

You read and believe Brietbart? I feel sorry for you.

Sharing Breitbart articles, as if they have even a shred of credibility… well, I guess a lack of credibility is something you share with Breitbart.

What address did you use to vote Josh?

Well, that is a public record.

Lmao Breitbart.

Where is your home and where did you vote?

Oh you’d be surprised that some see through your naked greed and lies and deception. The Star is still as Missouri newspaper, you on the other hand, have an abandoned Missouri in a lust for power. We see you.

It’s funny as no one takes you seriously.

You used that photo? You look like an extra from Planet of the Apes that they didn’t spend much time on makeup because you’d be a background player, which is actually accurate of your political career.

Lol you trash a regional news paper in “your” state by pushing a blog post from a tabloid.

Breitbart reporting is your news source? Not sure you could even identify the state of MO on a map this days.

He also has difficulty identifying a flatbed truck.

You don’t live in Missouri anymore, so why do you care?

Shut up, grifter

He should be enjoying all the publicity.

“The most dangerous place to stand in Washington D.C. is any place between Senator Josh Hawley and a live microphone” – Charles P. Pierce

Previously:

Attorney General Josh Hawley (r): the pepul of Misoori our stoopit (January 23, 2017)

HB 797: no confidence in the legal opinion of Attorney General Josh Hawley (r) (January 31, 2017)

Josh Hawley (r): well, maybe (July 11, 2017)

Josh Hawley (r): looking to unload that apartment in Jefferson City (October 10, 2017)

Probably should have kept that apartment in Jefferson City (November 19, 2020)

Probably should have kept that apartment in Jefferson City

19 Thursday Nov 2020

Posted by Michael Bersin in Josh Hawley, social media, US Senate

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, ladder climbing, missouri, social media, Twitter

“Speaking of out of state, how’s Virginia?”

Heh.

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Yesterday afternoon, in the Kansas City Star:

Josh Hawley, who owns a house in Virginia, uses sister’s home as Missouri address
BY BRYAN LOWRY
NOVEMBER 18, 2020 03:55 PM
[….]
“She flies over us in her private plane, from family vacations with Chuck Schumer, to Hollywood fundraisers with Barack Obama, to her luxury condo in D.C. Claire McCaskill is just another Washington liberal,” Hawley said in a statement two months before the election.
[….]

Yesterday evening:

Josh Hawley @HawleyMO
It’s sad. The Google-KC Star has become a dumping ground for Democrat BS no other publication will run. Enjoy Iowa!
[….]
5:17 PM · Nov 18, 2020

That was sort of quick.

Some of the responses:

Your concern is noted. Is your concern that Iowa is now part of China?

Speaking of out of state, how’s Virginia?

After an exhausting day voting in an unqualified judge – but nary a bit of help for his constituents who are food insecure, housing insecure, dying – Josh still finds time to trash post. What a guy!

It’s sad. Senators used to represent all the people of the state-not just those who voted for them. KC and STL produce 60% of Missouri’s GDP and are the state’s population centers. It would be good to have a Senator who worked for/respected city residents too.

Josh Hawley committed voter fraud. When will these champions of vote integrity examine his vote?

Hawley rails against DC elites all the while he’s become one.

You’re clapping for Missourians losing their jobs. Can’t wait to clap when you lose yours.

All this time I was told that if you cut taxes, that would bring jobs to the state. could #MOLeg be wrong?

Also, YOU ARE BRAGGING ABOUT LOSING JOBS!!!! Did you sniff some of that construction glue while building your new home?

Way to make fun of people losing their jobs. You seem like you’re really in touch with life

Act like a United States Senator.

250,000

That sounds a lot like coastal elitism to me! How’s living at your sisters house, Josh?

How are you enjoying Virginia?

“Enjoy Iowa?” What does that mean?

Please stop acting like a child.

Fraud voter alert!

Josh flies over us in his private plane, from family vacations with Mitch McConnell, to Las Vegas fundraisers with Donald Trump, to his luxury house in D.C. Josh Hawley is just another Washington conservative.

We see what you did there.

How about maybe doing something about the refrigerated trucks stuffed with dead Missourians instead of shit posting like teenager? This is not what you’re paid for with my tax dollars.

What I really mean is: No, I don’t live in Missouri, but I need the people of Missouri to keep giving me a job.

Stop asking questions I don’t want to answer!

Dude. Read the room.

250,000+ dead of covid.
People unemployed/under employed.
People uninsured/under insured.
People losing housing during a pandemic.
Hospitals & schools need financial help.
Trump still refuses peaceful transition of power.

Get your priorities straight!

Your brand of privilege mixed with grievance is an insufferable bore.

You’re really just mad that the Star called you out for living in a $1.3 million home in Virginia, while pretending to be a Missourian by using your sister’s address. Kinda cuts against your whole Working Man cosplay.

Hmmmm. And you are located where? #hawleymustgo

Over 250,000 Americans are dead from Covid and Mr. Pro-life is worried about where a newspaper is printed. Glad you got your pro-life priorities in order.

Taking notes from the losing side, I see.

Take the path of a privileged, pathetic coward with a big mouth and go down swinging there, Joshie.

Oh you mean like how you moved to Virginia but still claim to represent Missouri? Keep talk out both sides of your mouth Senator.

Say, Josh, while you’re attacking all the coastal “elites”, where do you live? Apparently not in missouri? Virginia perhaps? Missouri deserves a senator who at least spent a significant amount of time in the state, not just a momentary senate launch site. #PoshJosh

What do you care? You live in Virginia. You seem like you just want to be a Twitter troll. Why don’t you just do that? Your self promotion is boring

You’re just mad that they think you’re an idiot. News flash: most of us do

This is what you are now? Just a shit-poster disguised as a politician?

Well…

Ladder climbing is such hard work.

Previously:

Attorney General Josh Hawley (r): the pepul of Misoori our stoopit (January 23, 2017)

HB 797: no confidence in the legal opinion of Attorney General Josh Hawley (r) (January 31, 2017)

Josh Hawley (r): well, maybe (July 11, 2017)

Josh Hawley (r): looking to unload that apartment in Jefferson City (October 10, 2017)

Sen Josh Hawley (r): “The Kansas City Star is so very mean to me.”

10 Sunday Mar 2019

Posted by Michael Bersin in Josh Hawley, social media, US Senate

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

corruption, Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, missouri, social media, Twitter, U.S. Senate

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Via Twitter:

Emojis? Seriously?

Josh Hawley @HawleyMO
.@KCStar you owe voters of this state & the readers you have left an apology. You claimed for months that I misused office resources for my Senate campaign. SOS report proves totally false. Now you’re frantically trying to save face by quoting Democrat donors as “experts”
10:50 AM – 6 Mar 2019

There is much hilarity in some of the responses:

What about your apology? Hold on the same SOS THAT??? Oh I get it

Huh… a guy being investigated attacking the press. Where have we seen this before?

So you saying it’s okay to use our state vehicles on your campaigns and have out of state campaign consultants tell our AG what to do? Always funny when one Republican investigates another and gives them them approval for breaking the law. Kind of like what you did for Greitens.

Joshy’s angry

You remind me so much of Donnie and that’s not a compliment.

What a statesman you are [….]

Tick, tock josh

I think Mr. Ladder Climber owes this state an apology for being such a partisan hack.

And for being a #carpetbagger. #MO is just a land of political opportunity for Hawley.

Start answering your damn phone.

Ditto.

The easiest way to stay out of the newspapers is to stop doing shady stuff. Kinda like grifting 101.

Josh Hawley gets bailed out by a buddy and he thinks that proves innocence. How’s that subpoena working out for you?

So here’s a Millenial in the privileged position of holding a Senate seat, which he received thanks to a massive corporate campaign to oust Claire McKaskill. What does this Senator do? Vote goose step with reactionaries.

I live in a state where my senator tweets at the local newspaper with emojis. Thanks @HawleyMO, I’m surprised you had time away from your next campaign to address this personally.

Baby Trump

…doo, doo, doo, doo…doo, doo.

Why doesn’t your office ever answer the phone?

May you be blessed by The Living God Mr.Josh

Donald Trump? Just asking.

Look at you pulling a full DT

Life sure isn’t fair, now isn’t it? For one so innocent, you are one who seems to protests a lot. This victim mentality just isn’t professional, now is it?

You said the AG was the job you wanted and that you were gonna stay in it. Here we are, though. Lying Josh.

Maybe instead of demanding apologies from the press you should apologize to the people of Missouri for the myriad of ways you’re screwing them over.

You owe voters an apology for being you. You are a climber and a user.

That issue where one of your campaign donors had a seat at the table during a Missouri SOS investigation into whether you used state resources during yor successful bid for U.S. Senate

How is your boy grietiens doing?

Why are you using trumps playbook?

He’s playing to the same base. Hope the ladder doesn’t slip.

I love that they served him the subpoena as he was leaving the stage at CPAC.

How about an inquiry where one of your buddies isn’t on the panel? Nice try though.

1. You had your own guy present throughout to influence the inquiry. 2. Witnesses were allowed to submit written answers. 3. Allegations not shown “totally false”. 4. Any senator who supports DT’s emergency declaration is not a constitutional conservative.

I understand you went to Harvard so I would assume that you understand this business is located in Missouri correct? You are attacking a business in the state you are supposed to be representing you moron.

You’re a cheat and an NRA ass kisser regardless. You could care less what your constituents want, only what Trump wants, and he’s another cheat.

Josh Hawley (r): afraid of playing softball with Chuck Todd

04 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Claire McCaskill, media criticism, US Senate

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Attorney General's office, Chuck Todd, Claire McCaskill, Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, lawyer up, Meet the Press, missouri, political consultants, sodtball, U.S. Senate

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Josh Hawley (r) doesn’t want to answer media questions:

Bryan Lowry @BryanLowry3
.@chucktodd says @HawleyMO canceled on his @MeetThePress appearance #mosen #moleg
9:36 AM – 4 Nov 2018

Maybe the next time he calls his office he could ask his D.C. political consultants about that.

Previously:

Josh Hawley (r): Who did you say was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? (October 31, 2018)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? (November 1, 2018)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? – Press Q and A – November 1, 2018 (November 1, 2018)

Josh Hawley (r): Ask me no more questions, I’ll tell you no more lies… (November 4, 2018)

Josh Hawley (r): Ask me no more questions, I’ll tell you no more lies…

04 Sunday Nov 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Claire McCaskill, US Senate

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Attorney General's office, Claire McCaskill, Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, missouri, political consultants, U.S. Senate

“…Hawley turned over management of his office to consultants almost immediately after being elected and contrary to what he told the public. This is an easy story to stand by. The sourcing and reporting are unimpeachable…”

Apparently Josh Hawley (r) doesn’t like media questions about political consultants running his official office.

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Hawley won’t answer questions about private emails; calls Star report ‘absurd’
By Jason Hancock
November 03, 2018 11:38 AM
Updated November 03, 2018 05:03 PM

…At a later event in Jefferson County, Hawley was asked specifically whether he denies that The Star has emails showing communication between his official government staff and his political consultants.

Hawley did not directly answer that question and instead repeated his line that no one ran the attorney general’s office but him, according to audio recorded by St. Louis Public Radio.

Mike Fannin, editor and vice president of The Kansas City Star, said Saturday that Hawley “is not acknowledging the facts in this matter and his own staff knows it.”

“We have the story documented,” Fannin said. “Those documents spell out clearly what happened: That Hawley turned over management of his office to consultants almost immediately after being elected and contrary to what he told the public. This is an easy story to stand by. The sourcing and reporting are unimpeachable…”

Well, Josh?

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) [2018 file photo].

Previously:

Josh Hawley (r): Who did you say was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? (October 31, 2018)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? (November 1, 2018)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? – Press Q and A – November 1, 2018 (November 1, 2018)

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? – Press Q and A – November 1, 2018

01 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Claire McCaskill, US Senate

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Attorney General, Claire McCaskill, Josh Hawley, Kansas City Star, missouri, U.S. Senate, William Webster

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) [2018 file photo].

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) made a brief statement on a press phone call this morning in response to newspaper reports of political consultants operating in and dictating operations in Attorney General Josh Hawley’s official state office shortly after he took office in 2017. After her statement she took questions from the press.

The transcript of the press Q and A:

[….]
Question: …Hawley’s defenders are saying that what he did wasn’t out of the ordinary for an elected official. And that it’s no different than you having political advisors on your campaign payroll as a sitting U.S. Senator and people on your campaign staff who work in your official office and vice versa. What would you say to that? What makes what he, what you understand that he did different?

Senator Claire McCaskill (D): Well the fact that he is trying to say that shows such a lack judgment. My political consultants have never stepped foot in my official office. I wouldn’t allow it. Um, we know, everyone on the staff knows you do not ever cross that line. Um, I think they’re trying to confuse people. It is one thing, I’m not criticizing Josh Hawley hiring people in his official office that had worked with him on the campaign, although I might quarrel with somebody who graduated from law school in twenty-sixteen being qualified to take the very important job she did in what is a very large operating law firm. But, um, certainly he has the right to hire people that he thought were competent on his campaign to work in an official capacity.

That I not what he did here. He took political operatives and brought them inside the official office. That is illegal. Um, and, you know, the, if I started having meetings with my pollster or meetings with my political consultants in my official office I would expect there to be a criminal investigation.

Question: …Also, part of this is, um, you know, we have documents that show that public business was discussed on private e-mail, um, by some of, uh, the AG staffers and campaign, uh, consultants. Do you have any thoughts about that and the Sunshine Law [crosstalk] aspect of this?

Senator McCaskill: So, I, I do, um, think that this, all of this sets a new standard for hypocrisy. Um, you know, you can go down the list of some of the hypocrisy, um, that Josh Hawley has shown, but, you know, whether it’s him on election night proudly proclaiming to Missourians that th political consultants are gonna be banned, that this is a new era of, of clean, ethical transparent government, um, and then his political consultants were in his official office within ten days of him putting his hand on the Bible and taking the oath of office. Um, and, you know, him taking, uh, lobbyist plane rides and him not doing anything on ethics reform. And, obviously, him having two standards in terms of the Sunshine Law, one for, um, his, his political enemies or others and then he has another standard, um, whether it’s the Confide investigation or whether, uh, his selective responses to Sunshine requests to his office. Um, and all of that is troubling. He lacks transparency, the hypocrisy, he’s supposed to be enforcing the Sunshine Law, and he does sham Sunshine investigations and tries to avoid, uh, having any of his business of his office ever available to the public. But, that’s not as concerning as the incredible lack of judgment of bringing political operatives inside the official office to run the day to day operation, uh, which, to promote him. Um, and that, that is a huge red line that he has crossed. And that is, uh, why I am on this call this morning because the facts are so clear that he crossed that line.

[….]

Question: Yeah, um, maybe I’m missing something, but the way I’m reading the statute is that you can’t use taxpayer resources for political purposes. But it sounds like he’s using campaign resources for taxpayer purposes. Just looking at it[crosstalk] plainly, so…

Senator McCaskill: He is, well here’s, let me make sure that you understand. He is, every member of his staff is a taxpayer resource. Every e-mail they read from his political operatives is using taxpayer resources. When political operatives are in official meetings giving direction, talking about punch lists that is a political operation that he is bringing his state staff to deal with. He is having the political operatives run the taxpayer operated operation. So he is bending taxpayer resources to his political will. That is using taxpayer resources for political purposes. It may not be a copy machine where he’s copying flyers, but it is just as significant and, frankly, in some ways more insidious because he has turned official resources into a political operation. That’s what violates, uh, not only good judgment, not only does it disappoint Missourians about what the Attorney General’s office is supposed to be, but I believe it crosses the line in terms of the law.

Question: …I was around during the [William] Webster years, you don’t have to tell me that stuff. Okay, so here’s my question, what happens now? What do you want to happen now? Do you expect to run ads highlighting this? Is, I mean, how do you explain this to the average voter?

Senator McCaskill: Well, hopefully, um, the press coverage of this will do some of that. Obviously it’s very late in the campaign, it’s very difficult for us to, uh, change, uh, any of our paid communications in the campaign, uh, on the Thursday before the election. Um, I’m assuming that the people who have jurisdiction over this, uh, that would investigate this read the papers like everyone else. I would be very surprised if they’re not having meetings about it this morning.

Question: You’re referring to the FBI?

Senator McCaskill: I’m referring to anybody who has criminal jurisdiction. Um, you know, I , I am, uh, I would expect if, if I were ever to bring, when I was State Auditor, if I were to bring my political consultants in to the State Auditor’s office and have them start sending e-mails to my employees, giving them directions, talking about budget and staffing issues, how the office should be organized, I would expect to get a call from somebody investigating that, uh, within ten minutes. Because I would assume people who worked for me would have the ethical backbone to stand up and go, wait a minute, we can’t be taking direction from Washington, D.C. political consultants. This is a taxpayer office that is supposed to be off limits to politics. So, I’m, I don’t know what will happen. Um, but I felt strongly enough about what bad judgment this shows that I wanted to make sure I laid out the facts as I would look at them if I were investigating this.

Question: [….] I know you had tried to get him to investigate the Veritas secret undercover, you know, video. Well apparently the Democratic candidate for, in, for Governor of Florida just ran into the same issue. Veritas just released some videos late yesterday and are doing so today on undercover stuff they did with his [inaudible]. Um, any thoughts? I mean, just, is this something that you’re gonna [crosstalk]…

Senator McCaskill: Well, once again, I think this is really, and this may be because of my training as a prosecutor – unlike Josh Hawley I’ve actually been in a criminal courtroom and handled, uh, so many criminal jury trials and understand inherently how this stuff works. Um, my problem with Veritas was violation of the Merchandise Practices Act in that they are a 501(c)(3) that is raising money in Missouri. And you cannot use fraud as part of your effort to raise money. And the fraud that was committed by Veritas was them fraudulently representing who they were, embedding themselves in our campaign over weeks and months, and most importantly, accessing proprietary information in our computers. Almost twenty hours. This, um, this fraudster was in our computers. W obviously know he wasn’t in our computers to help us. And our appeal to Josh Hawley’s office for some kind of independent look at this under the Merchandise Practices Act, is imagine if this happened in, in somebody’s private office if one of their competitors posed as someone else and came in and began working as a low level employee and then got into their computers and with access to proprietary information. Josh Hawley would have five press conferences in one day if that happened. Meanwhile, this happened and, um, he has the Attorney General’s office refer it to his campaign. And he uses this fraud to promote his campaign and raise money with it.

So, that’s the concern. It cannot be a new normal. And I would feel just as strongly about this if some kind of idiot did this thinking they were helping me. You can’t do this. This can’t be accepted as, as normal. Um, and, it’s just, it’s not right. And it’s a violation of the law. Um, I’m sure they will stall on the complaint that’s been filed until after the election. But, um, I’m, I certainly intend, um, to ask the lawyers we’ve hired to handle this, to pursue this because I’d like to clean this up for the next governor’s race or the next U.S. Senate race, regardless which side you’re on. Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, I don’t think anybody think this is the right way for us to engage in political discourse in this country.

Question: …Josh Hawley has obviously worked very hard to make this election a referendum, uh, on your position as the Democrat in a, opposed to the president and, uh, a referendum on your time in office. Do you think there’s enough time left in the election given this new information and, and the importance that, that you suggest, um, to, uh, change the trajectory of this race in terms of making it a referendum on Josh Hawley and do you believe there are enough undecided voters out there that could sway some, some folks in your favor?

Senator McCaskill: I will just tell you this. This race is flat tied. Uh, and if anybody tries to work you guys over the next few days, convincing you that it is decided one way or another, uh, you should tell ‘em to pound sand. Uh, there is nobody who knows how this race is gonna turn out.

So, I think every vote matters. That’s the way I’ve campaigned. My campaign schedule has been, um, something that, uh, I don’t think Josh Hawley has ever even envisioned working that hard. Um, and I’m going to continue to work that hard, uh, all the way to the very last moment. And I think my record shows I’m a bipartisan senator, that I have common sense, that I just don’t stand on one side of the room and say the other side stinks. Uh, I try to work cooperatively and find common ground. And I think right now our country needs people who want to knit it back together rather than tear it apart. Uh, that’s my closing argument to Missourians. I know that, um, I’ve got some warts but, um, they’re in plain view.

What I really think this incident with Josh Hawley shows I that Missourians don’t know him well enough. There’s obviously things that we don’t know and I think, um, I hope voters think about that before they cast their ballot on Tuesday.

Question: …I want to be clear of what you’re actually, what you’re actually talking, what you actually want us to do here today. Are you calling for a, him to actually, um, uh, appoint a special prosecutor or special counsel to look into that as you did in the previous episode? And secondly, it seemed to me the way you described it early on, with the eye of the prosecutor, there could be Federal Election Commission, uh, issues involved here. Are you, thought about it, are you going to file an FEC complaint?

Senator McCaskill: Uh, I haven’t thought about that part of it ‘cause the, the facts struck me so clearly as, um, something so similar to what Bill Webster was convicted of. That was using his official office to promote him politically. Um, he pled guilty to two felonies in that regard. And I, that’s what I, I focused on the facts as it relates to, uh, what occurred. Um, and, and this is different, Josh Hawley doesn’t have jurisdiction over this. So there would be no role of Josh Hawley’s office in this investigation. He does have jurisdiction over the Merchandise Practices Act. That’s the difference in the two situations.

So, in the Merchandise Practices Act we had to ask for a special prosecutor because we weren’t confident that Josh Hawley was going to take a hard look at what happened.

Uh, in this instance there are both state and federal, um, prosecutors that have jurisdiction over the utilization of state resources for political purposes. And, um, that’s who I think would, would need to take a look at it.

Question: With what you described earlier would that not be potentially a, uh, an illegal in-kind contribution of use of state resources into a federal campaign? Therefore [crosstalk]…

Senator McCaskill: Well there’s no question, yeah, if, if you want to look at it from that perspective the state employees were contributing to his political effort. Um, now he tried to convince Missourians he was not interested in running for higher office which I thought, which is particularly, I mean it’s just, frankly, unbelievable how easy it is for this guy to look in the camera and say stuff. I mean, look at the video of what he said on election night. He would not allow political consultants in the door anymore. Well it turns out they had an office in his official office. I mean, that, I don’t know, literally if they had an office, but, to make the point I say clearly he didn’t mean any of that. And just like him saying he had no intentions of running until he was talked into it. They were promoting him nationally within a week, within thirty days, within ten days of him taking office. Now why in the world were you getting promoted nationally unless you already have your eye on the [inaudible]. So, you know, this just really exposes, this really pulls back the curtain as to, um, how willing he is to, with all sincerity, and, frankly, he’s good at it. This is a guy who’s very polished, um, and slick. And, and try and convince Missourians that he somehow is not political, uh, I’ve never heard of anybody in statewide office or in any important job in politics having DC political consultants in their office holding meetings within ten days of being, taking office. Um, so, it is, it is astounding to me. There may be FEC violations here, but, um, I would more focus on the, the line that was crossed in terms of using state resources illegally to promote someone politically.

Question: …Your staff is here, that’s on your senate staff is here now. They’re all on vacation. Several have told me last night. But isn’t there also an issue involved in here in sort of that as a tradition and also kind of as a practice for the power of incumbency, comingling people on senate staffs, uh, during campaign crunch season like now, probably paid by the campaign, but, you know, a lot of whom still then go back to the campaign staff? Even though you’re following the letter of the law, uh, in that circumstance, isn’t that sort of breaking the spirit of the law to in the sense…?

Senator McCaskill: No. No. [Name], there’s the law. And you would not believe the lengths we go through to make sure we follow every letter of the law. We do not allow, we won’t even allow state staff to pick me up at airports if I’m making one political stop. Um, if, if I fly from, you know, for one appearance from St. Louis down to Springfield, um, and it’s, there’s gonna be anything political there we won’t even let state staff give me a ride. Um, we are very, very careful because we know what the law is.

So, it is not the same. You can’t just do all this together. I mean, to try and equate someone taking a vacation, not getting paid, um, by the campaign but using their own time to be of assistance is not the same as having political consultants directing your state staff. That is apples and oranges. One is illegal and the other is not.

Question: …So, as you look ahead to the final few days of this campaign as this revelation about Attorney General Hawley’s office and the way he ran it, is this the main thing that you plan to talk about with voters across the state as you campaign in the final days, or, or, are you going to be focusing on other issues.

Senator McCaskill: No. I’m gonna, I’m gonna focus on, um, you know, to the extent that I’ve focused on his support of dark money, and, um, money behind the curtain and that he thinks that’s fine for our Democracy. Missourians have had a front row seat to how ugly and, and hard it is to separate fact from fiction when you have so many people funding ads that are anonymous. Uh, and I’m going to talk about that, but I’m mostly going to talk about health care and Medicare and Social Security and what matters to them. And my ability to get things done and not just yell at the other side. Um, Josh Hawley has decided in this campaign that he is gonna win or lose by being one hundred percent never wavering from President Trump. Ever wavering. Not on [inaudible], not on anything. In fact, he’s actually said that. He disagrees with nothing the president has done.

I’m running this campaign on, um, I’m not here to fight the president I’m here to fight for you. And if that means I agree with the president, great, if not, um, I’m not afraid. And, um, the same thing goes for big pharma, uh, the same thing goes for Chuck Schumer, um, I am not afraid of any of those folks. And that’s my closing argument. Is that I’m gonna look after Missouri and not a political party and not any individual.

Previously:

Josh Hawley (r): Who did you say was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? (October 31, 2018)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D): Who was in charge at the Attorney General’s office? (November 1, 2018)

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