...an astroturf "populist" lobbyist, and a few ankle biters.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D) busted the chops of the republican leadership of the Missouri General Assembly over their hypocrisy when it comes to using federal money. The Twitter flurry started on February 10th.
Sent letter yestrday askng budget chairs in Mo legis what programs they'd cut if they didn't have almost billion $ in stimulus this year. 8:58 AM Feb 10th from web
They dnt wnt the stimulus $$ but if MO residents r paying @clairecmc 's earmark big debt bill, how cld they not spend it? RT @ChadLivengood 2:15 PM Feb 10th from TweetDeck
@clairecmc now that gun has bn held 2 leg head, they r n box. Ur vote forced Missourians 2 pay 4 the big debt so how cld leg not spend $$? 2:19 PM Feb 10th from TweetDeck
@clairecmc Leg shld not have spent $$ 2 begin with, MO wld pay taxes 4 ur vote 2 indebt them. They shld start by not spending $$ on HB22. 2:22 PM Feb 10th from TweetDeck
@clairecmc my point is using orig $$ which they hd no real choice 2 do places them in a hole. I wld sprt tkng $$ bck & hvng thm mke decisns 2:33 PM Feb 10th from TweetDeck
@clairecmc U ddnt ask how they wld spnd b4 voting 2 put MOians n debt so asking now is pol. Vote 2 pull remaining $$ & lt thm do thr job. 2:44 PM Feb 10th from TweetDeck
@clairecmc decisions 2 cut always tuf but stimulus $$ jst delayed it & now made decisions harder. 2:45 PM Feb 10th from TweetDeck
Senator McCaskill finishes with:
Going forward,if we pull back unspent stimulus $, how will the budget in #MO be balanced? Who will take the billion $ cut?Impt to be honest 2:24 PM Feb 10th from web
The usual right wingnut suspects - teabaggers, tenthers, and numerous and sundry members of the political lunatic fringe join the fray:
I don't think the Missouri Department of Transportation had this in mind as an acceptable manifestation of their Adopt a Highway program. On Missouri Highway 13, approximately two and a half miles north of the intersection of U.S. Highway 50, the following text is painted in three foot high letters (readable as you drive south):
Senator Claire Mccaskill (D) responded today to a right wingnut via Twitter:
@24thstate I'm confused.Who are you referring to as my boss?I've got a record that's so independent that both the right and left chew on me. about 3 hours ago from web
an address by William J. vanden Heuvel to the Monthly Meeting of The Century Association
Thursday, April 4, 2002
...FDR was, of course, a consummate political leader. In one situation, a group came to him urging specific actions in support of a cause in which they deeply believed. He replied: I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it...
[emphasis added]
I would add that promoting the image of moderation for the sake of pleasing pundits is no virtue, it's a vice. [I'll take every chance I can get to mangle Barry Goldwater's words for evil purposes.]
The irony impaired opponent of the Missouri Court Plan, Better Courts for Missouri, doesn't disclose on their web site who has been funding their opposition to the current appellate judicial selection plan in Missouri. They have been paying for robocalls to get people to pressure the Missouri Senate to change the judicial selection process that has been in effect since 1940. This phone call arrived yesterday:
The transcript:
It's political manipulation of the Missouri court system. Hand picking judges behind closed doors in almost absolute secrecy. Big city trial lawyers who contribute millions of dollars to politicians are trying to buy power and hand pick our judges. It's time to stop the trial lawyers' back room deals. Call XXX-XXX-XXXX and tell your senators to support selecting our judges out in the open, not behind closed doors. Call XXX-XXX-XXXX today. Paid for by Better Courts for Missouri.
Irony of ironies. They criticize alleged non-transparency while being non-transparent.
They would rather pressure the judicial selection process by ginning up astroturf (fake grassroots) opposition to candidates under consideration by the commission. If you like the current way we select United States Supreme Court justices, you'll love their hopes for the process in Missouri.
This particular discussion is actually only about one bill. But it's a doozy:
HB 814 Establishes the Fair Tax Act of 2009, replacing the state income tax with a state sales tax
Sponsor: Emery, Edgar G. H. (126) Proposed Effective Date: 08/28/2009
CoSponsor: Nieves, Brian D. (98) ..........etal. LR Number: 0893L.01I
Last Action: 02/19/2009 - Read Second Time (H)
HB814
Next Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
House Calendar HOUSE BILLS FOR SECOND READING
Okay. Here's a short lesson in tax policy. One of the reasons we have progressive taxes (like, for instance, an income tax) in which the upper margins of income (not the lower) are taxed at a higher rate is because those upper margins of income are made possible by and the result of the investment of infrastructure by our civilized society. Regressive taxes are bad because if you tax everyone at the same rate (like a sales tax on food and other consumable commodities like gasoline) the poor pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes because those consumable commodities are a higher percentage of their expenditures in the process of even freakin' staying alive.
The first clue that this is about right wingnut insanity is the title. Any bill that has the words "Fair" and "Tax" in the title is really about cutting taxes for corporations and wealthy people and has nothing at all to do with fairness for anyone else. An extra added bonus would be the a mention of unearned income like inheritance somewhere in the bill. Let's see:
Sometimes you run across something in campaign finance reports that makes you sit up and take notice. Sometimes. Something like an individual with a history in Missouri politics with a committee that has a chunk of change. Except this individual isn't running for office. Or is she?
Detailed Summary of Committee Disclosure Report
Committe[e]: FRIENDS OF VICKY HARTZLER
25. MONEY ON HAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (INCLUDING FUNDS IN DEPOSITORY, CASH, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND ALL OTHER INVESTMENTS) $24,082.34
28. MONEY ON HAND AT THE CLOSE OF THIS REPORTING PERIOD (SUM 25 + 26 - 27) $22,649.34
The Raw Story
...Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama is again facing questions about his patriotism from some conservative blogs -- this time for apparently failing to put his hand over his heart during a rendition of the national anthem at an Iowa campaign event....
In 1943, at a time when we were at war, the United States Supreme Court had a thing or two to say about "required" displays of patriotism.
...Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama is again facing questions about his patriotism from some conservative blogs -- this time for apparently failing to put his hand over his heart during a rendition of the national anthem at an Iowa campaign event....
...A singer performed the national anthem with pre-recorded accompaniment. Her rendition was heartfelt and definitely unique. Most people would have had difficulty singing along with her. I noticed that all of the candidates except Obama held their hands over their hearts. Obama held his hands folded in front of him throughout [This is not criticism - the "hand over the heart" looked awkward on the stage - I was standing in the same fashion as Obama]...
Barack Obama stood respectfully for the "Star Spangled Banner" and paid respectful attention to the singer.
"Astroturf" - otherwise known as fake grassroots - has become a big part of American political life. One is left to wonder when our traditional media will finally figure it out.
Campaigns & Elections magazine defines astroturf as a "grassroots program that involves the instant manufacturing of public support for a point of view in which either uninformed activists are recruited or means of deception are used to recruit them." Journalist William Greider has coined his own term to describe corporate grassroots organizing. He calls it "democracy for hire."
...a new organization named Freedom's Watch announced it is launching a nationwide grassroots campaign aimed at ensuring Congress continues to fully fund the troops with the ultimate goal of victory in the War on Terror. Freedom's Watch is spending approximately $15 million on radio and television ads as well as grassroots activities from now thru mid-September and has partnered with a host of veterans organizations in an effort to ensure terrorism is confronted all over the world....
