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.
The enablers of Peter Kinder (r - "mr. personality"), the incumbent in the Lieutenant Governor race, are certainly relentless when it comes to producing robocalls attacking Sam Page (D).
We've previously covered the robocalls and other attacks:
Sam Page has a secret. He's accepted a large contribution from a Canadian company, breaking a Federal law in the process. In fact, Sam Page admitted it came from a Canadian address. Now, after having been caught Sam Page has all kinds of excuses. The bottom line? Sam Page doesn't want you to know that he broke the law. Sam Page's choices are risky for Missouri. On November 4th say "No" to Sam Page. Paid for by Citizens Taking Charge, Patrick Wilson, treasurer.
Typical old school style republican campaign tactics. I figure their "...was found to have voted with Vito Marcantonio" robocall will be out any day now.
Two postings at Kos focus on Missouri, specifically on the difference in the two presidential campaigns here.
The first explains the difference in robocall strategies. Yeah, I've gotten that McCain robocall--twice--informing me that Obama consorts with William Ayers ... blah de dee blah blah blah. But Devilstower tells us that the media says Obama has been playing dirty too:
Of course, NPR points out that the Obama campaign is also using robocalls. Except it's not the national campaign, it's the the Democratic Party. Except it's not the national party, it's the Missouri state party making calls only in Missouri.
"I'm calling to make sure you received something in the mail recently describing John McCain's plans to give tax cuts for companies that ship jobs overseas."
Ah ha! A message from a state party attacking McCain's tax policy. That's completely equivalent to the McCain campaign running a massive national program to say that Obama is a terrorist dupe. At least it is for the media, who uses examples like this to say that Obama is also running "negative ads."
Obama drew 100,000 and 75,000 while McCain drew "dozens of supporters"--3,000 in St. Charles and 15 whole people in Columbia. In the interest of fairness, did the McCain campaign require that people get tickets in advance? Surely that would lower the attendance--though ... not by 97,000.
Dr. Sam Page has the wrong prescription for Missouri's children. Sam Page says he's concerned about Missouri's children, but it doesn't show. Sam Page voted against background checks for foster parents, putting thousands of Missouri children at risk. Sam Page also voted to allow an investigation of child abuse to close if the child dies during the investigation. Sam Page's choices are risky for Missouri. On November 4th say "No" to Sam Page. Paid for by Citizens Taking Charge, Patrick Wilson, treasurer.
The beginning of the next phone call was cut of by the answering machine:
...[sup]ports public education, but it doesn't show. Sam Page voted against funding Missouri's education budget eleven times. Sam Page voted against three hundred and twenty five million dollars in new funding for Missouri's public schools. Sam Page's choices are risky for Missouri. On November 4th say "No" to Sam Page. Paid for by Citizens Taking Charge, Patrick Wilson, treasurer.
Why, that's enough to make you want you to take Sam Page out back and beat the crap out of him. At least that's what they want voters to think.
We'll have this kind of negative campaign tactics for as long as they work. We can do our part to make sure these tactics don't work this election cycle. Get out and vote a straight Democratic Party ballot on November 4th (remember, you've got to mark the Democrat for each race since the republican controlled General Assembly got rid of the straight party check off on the ballot).
Sam Page's campaign is answering Peter Kinder's direct (non-surrogate) attacks in an e-mail to supporters:
"No" to seat belts on school buses? The Lt. Governor's race between incumbent Peter Kinder (r) and Sam Page (D) has reached a point of absurdity.
On Thursday (at some point) I received a robocall. It left a message on my answering machine.
[male voice - recorded] Doctor Same Page has the wrong prescription for Missouri's children. Sam Page supports forcing our children to wear seat belts on school buses. Despite study after study that proves school buses are safer without seat belts, Sam Page thinks he has the better answer. Sam Page wants to take another decision out of the hands of parents and local school districts and put it into the hands of state government. Sam Page's choices are risky for Missouri. On November 4th say "No" to Sam Page. Paid for by Citizens Taking Charge, Patrick Wilson, treasurer.
In the hierarchy of wedge issues I'm wondering where this fits in. Are they telling us they've run out of gas on God, gays, and guns? Wow.
