Too many Republican reps lack the embarrassment gene. Some of them not only lack it themselves, they tend to hire people with a similar disability. Mark Parkinson, R-St. Charles, probably sees nothing wrong with it when his legislative aide mails out unsubstantiated accusations like this one to everybody in the capitol.

To all:

Last night, it seems that a member or staff member of the Democratic caucus took it upon themselves to come in through our office’s open door and take some re-decoration upon themselves, in particular defacing a sign posted in the office, and stealing a plush GOP-logo elephant on my desk.  That elephant, in particular, held significant personal value to me.  It’s a gift my late sister-in-law bought me while visiting me in Japan during my time in the Navy.

The sign isn’t a big deal-we have more, and we have a brand new one displayed right now.  But the fact that someone would steal this item off of my desk because of their childish uber-partisanship, not to mention their utter disrespect for other people’s property, is absolutely shameful.  That elephant is one of only a few mementos I have left of my sister-in-law (who passed away this most recent Christmas), and was the reason I kept it on my desk-not simply because I’m a Republican, but mostly to remind me of her.

I’m a fairly partisan person, but I would NEVER think about defacing a sign, much less stealing someone’s property.  To the person who did this: since you probably lack enough courage to actually say something in person, let me respond to you.  You bring shame upon this body.  I have served as an LA for two sessions of the House, and one of my greatest prides and joys has been to drive in every morning from the North, seeing that beautiful dome in the morning air.  I have never once been ashamed of any person or any facet of this building or the House body itself…until now.  On my last day of session, when I’m about to leave this job for good, you have managed to take a fairly happy day and ruin it.  You are an utter disgrace and a worthless person, and I only can hope you are mature enough to meet me in person so I can tell you this to your face.

Nick Haynes

Whoever did it might be a Democrat. Or not. But it’s a bit over the top to claim that the thief has brought shame on the entire capitol. The entire capitol? You mean, like, the whole place? I had no idea it was that easy.

Here’s a more proportionate evaluation: I’m sorry you lost the memento from your sister-in-law, Nick. Really.

But it’s a “shame” you’re so grandiose about it. It hardly matters, though, because your boss won’t have enough sense to be embarrassed.

Representative Mary Still, D-Columbia (Judy Baker’s district before she ran for Congress), was ill enough to check into a hospital. She sent the e-mail below to some of her colleagues who needed to know that.

Representative Mary Still was admitted to the University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics on Sunday March 8, 2009 for testing and treatment related to high blood pressure and possible pneumonia.

Rep. Still appreciates the excellent care she is receiving and remains committed to a state policy that will provide high quality medical services to all Missourians, especially our state’s children.

Cards may be mailed to 2000 S. Country Club, Columbia , MO 65210; no flowers please.

Still is not at death’s door, but the condition is serious enough that she is, even yet, in the hospital. Representative Mark Parkinson, R-St. Charles, saw the e-mail and forwarded it to all House members and staff, followed by this e-mail:

Representative Mark Parkinson had an annual medical appointment in St. Charles on Friday, March 6, 2009 for testing and examination.  All signs appear to point to Rep. Parkinson being in excellent health, although he is still awaiting the results of his cholesterol test.

Rep. Parkinson appreciates the excellent care provided by the doctors and nursing staff and remains committed to a state policy that will affirm the superiority of a market-based health care system, especially for the children of our state.

In the spirit of his (lack of) empathy, let me supply my own e-mail:

Blogger hotflash visited her doctor today. He commented that, considering the amount of time she spends learning and writing about Republican Scrooges in the legislature, her blood pressure of 105/65 is astonishing.

Hotflash is grateful for the excellent medical care she receives and only wishes that Missourians making less than half of the poverty level a year were going to receive the treatment that the Missouri Hospital Association and the federal government are offering to provide at no cost to the state of Missouri–but that Parkinson and his party are blocking.

Mark Parkinson, the Republican representative in HD 16, is a four-week incumbent. At least that’s what Cheryl Hibbeler calls him when she’s going door to door on behalf of his Democratic opponent, Kristy Manning. If a constituent confesses to not knowing who his state rep is, she points out that it’s perfectly understandable he wouldn’t know. After last February’s special election, by the time Parkinson was actually sworn in and ready to participate in the legislative session, there were only four weeks left in the session. He has no other experience in state government, having only one job on his resume, that of being an aide to Kit Bond. Manning, on the other hand, (Cheryl tells the person at the door) has worked six years in state government as an aide to Senator Joan Bray.

Ah, sad but true, though, the best qualified candidate doesn’t always win. And that’s especially true in St. Charles County where, as Kristy’s ad (just shift your eyes to the left hand column) points out, Democrats are typically outspent by Republicans 5 to 1. What’s more, the money gap is even worse than the ad lets on because that 5 to 1 gap is only the gap between the official spending of the campaigns themselves. It doesn’t take into account the spending of other organizations on behalf of the candidate. By the time the HRCC and the Missouri Right to Life have plowed some more money into the race, the gap might be closer to 8 or 9 to 1.

Like so many outspent Democrats, Kristy and her volunteers are working their tails off going door to door. So far, they’ve knocked on 7,000 doors. She herself has knocked on 4,000 and has actually spoken to a couple of thousand people. Conventional wisdom is that 2,000 personal contacts can be enough to swing a close district, and oh this one is close all right. Tom Fann lost to Parkinson last February 51.6 percent to 48.4 percent.

Kristy is by no means assuming that introducing herself to 2,000 people will hand her the election. She follows through on every personal contact with a “nice to meet you” note that includes personal details, if possible. She mentions the person’s dog or asks after the baby’s cough. And she enjoys sometimes running into those people at community functions and having them say, “Hey, you came to my door!” Thank goodness for a sharp memory because she often remembers the dog or the baby’s cough even then.

Kristy’s got 67 days to knock on more doors, and believe it: she will. Show her some love by clicking on her ad.

“Ding-dong! The witch is dead.” Okay, technically he’d be a warlock and he isn’t dead, but Carl Bearden isn’t running for re-election in district 16 in St. Charles. If any politician deserves for a tornado to drop a house on him, it’s Bearden. First of all, he’s just flat mean. If he doesn’t agree with your policies, he looks for ways to make your life miserable and to humiliate you in public.

Maybe that’s why, when Chuck Gross resigned his senate seat in St. Charles last May, the Senate leadership gave Tom Dempsey instead of Bearden the nod to run in September’s special election. And when that happened, Bearden looked at his options: He’d be termed out after next November, and he had a good lobbying job offer on the table now–from, in effect, Rex Sinquefield, who will be the number one customer at the new lobbying firm paying Bearden multiple times his former State Representative salary.  

Be glad Bearden’s gone.  He’s not as nutso on crotch issues as Cynthia Davis, but he’s in that direction, not to mention being very fond of handing out public money to developer friends, including Paul McKee.

What Jake Zimmerman recently said about Jim Lembke applies equally well to Bearden and the Republican who’ll run in his place:

And suddenly you don’t have the hard-working creature of Satan, who’s been there for, like, six years, you’ll have some new creature of Satan, who nobody really knows who they are yet.

Indeed, nobody really knows who the Republican candidate, Mark Parkinson, is yet. He has no community service on his resume and only one job in politics: he worked for Kit Bond.  He’s  thirty-five and recently married–not much of a family man and his only work experience is in politics.   Those kinds of credentials aren’t what voters are looking for in their local state rep. Voters prefer to elect family men with more at stake in their neighborhoods and community.

They’ll get those kinds of credentials in the Democratic candidate. Tom Fann, who has his own business as an Allstate insurance representative and is a family man with three small children, one in elementary school and two in preschool. His wife, Jennifer, works for AT&T and is a union member. Tom himself, when he worked at a Dodge dealership, was also a union member. He has lived in St. Charles County for twenty years.

Those are all pluses on his side. But, like Parkinson, Fann has not held elective office. He ran for an aldermanic seat in St. Peters in 2004 and lost to an incumbent. On the score of previous elective office, then, they’re even.

It was Fann’s failed run for aldermanic office that brought him to mind when the local Dems were casting about for a candidate to run in the special election for Bearden’s seat. He wasn’t the only person they considered, but he was eager to do it when they gave him a shot at it, and he’s been working hard. He’s raised more money so far than any Democratic candidate in that part of the state has raised in several years.

Fann’s campaign literature stresses restoring health care to poor children and seniors, fair funding for schools instead of excessive property taxes, economic policies that will create quality jobs, and penalizing employers who hire individuals illegally.

There’s nary a word about abortion in his literature, but he won’t come out as a pro-choice candidate. His unwillingness to step up on that issue will cost him the support of Pro-Vote, and that could hurt him.

Still, he’s got a real shot at winning. He’s been provided with a full time campaign manager and received lots of support and manpower from Democratic reps and from the state party. The campaign’s been up against the weather and the busyness of the holiday season, but the for the next 5 1/2 weeks, they will be hitting the streets in the 16th to excite the voters and to send a message that Democrats CAN win in St. Charles County.

Jake Zimmerman recently pointed out: “And if Fann wins, whammo, we have the power of incumbency in that district.” That would be good news. If you live anywhere near St. Charles and you’re willing to pound the pavement to get our guys elected, you could get warmed up for the year by helping out Tom Fann.