BREAKING: Freedom Inc. Endorses Both Carnahan and Blunt?

BREAKING: Sources in the room tonight tell the KC Blue Blog that members of Freedom Inc. face meltdown as BOTH Robin Carnahan AND Roy Blunt are endorsed!!

A coalition led by Sen. Yvonne Wilson and President Craig Bland was sure to have a shoe in after agressively pushing for the endorsement of Democratic Sec. of State Robin Carnahan in the lead up to tonights meeting.

Enter the Freedom Cancer known only as "The Bishop" James Tindall.

The members of the Tindall coalition led by former Councilwoman Carol Coe, shut down the meeting and publicly endorsed Republican Roy Blunt.

Some will fault Tindall for selling out the community, afterall, he is a crook . They have every reason to place blame his way.

Blame should also be placed on Freedom for not seeing this coming early on. Tindall selling out the community was as obvious as a Kevin Smith Movie.

Blue Tipsters are ranting and raving about the visits by Roy Blunt into the African-American community during this campaign. While nobody in their right mind believes them to be remotely genuine, money talks. So does presence.

How Carnahan allowed Roy Blunt to turn her into the problems of Washington D.C. is a question many will be asking for years to come. If she loses any significant amount of votes in the inner-city, it will be a campaign failure that could top the likes of the Lt. Governor race by Sam Page.

Roy Blunt is from Springfield and represents all things not in the interest of Kansas City's urban core. Many say the problem is that Robin has taken this campaign head on as a typical St. Louis statewide official, ignoring every part of Kansas City.

In this election cycle and political climate, far too many local Democrats are popping the bubbly and snacking on party favorites. They haven't quite come to grips on how severe it could be this November.

If caught asleep at the wheel, major upsets could take place here locally and across the state.

Adding the Jackin' to Jackson County: Hookers Spotted After Hours?

Tipsters have been sending e-mails for weeks about this matter but honestly we didn't believe it. Then last week, a blog with an obsession for Sheriff Sharp, brought the issue front and center forcing us to talk about it.

Rumors are circling the county halls that an important Jackson County official was put on personal leave for several weeks as damage control after county staffers allegedly spotted the individual taking a hooker into his office.

Blue Note: we are talking about the county and one can easily mistaken dozens of individuals selling themselves out for a county contract as a hooker.

If true, the natural follow up would be to ask, who in the county is so important someone would provide them a hooker??

Here is what we are hearing. Tipsters and rumors all focus on one person and it rhymes with spoons.

While we may never know for sure who it was. What we do know is that the hooker is reported to be female, which immediately removes Calvin Williford and County Legislator James Tindall from the list.

Stay tuned....

Mississippi Republican Governor Busted Telling More Lies On Southern Racism

Mississippi Governor and presumed Republican Party Presidential candidate Haley Barbour attempted to tie southern racism to the Democratic Party this week.

In doing so he stated that his generation had moved beyond racism and that he attended a desegregated high school and never thought twice about race.

This would be welcoming news, but as Rachel Maddow points out, it's not true. The school he claimed was desegregated was Yazoo City High in 1964 and 65. History points out that Barbour is off 5 years. Yazoo City was segregated until 1970.

Apparently, Barbour is now trying to become the only man in America that honestly believes southern, racist Democrats never fled to the Republican Party after the civil rights legislation passed.

The Republican Tea Party is shining with bright ones.

Human Trafficker Is Major Donor to Republican Party

BREAKING: Associated Press is reporting that a Los Angeles based man arrested this week for human trafficking of 400 individuals from Thailand is a major Republican Party donor.

A frequent contributor, Mordechai Orian recently gave $11,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

This is the face of the new kkkRepublican Tea Party.

Governor Fail

We previously posted a clip showing the worst opening statement in debate history by a sitting Governor.

Well today for weekend entertainment we are posting a clip following the debate. If you go to 2:05 of the clip and watch, Governor Brewer is boxed in by reporters demanding she take back the false statement she made this summer claiming there were beheadings in Arizona.

Apparently, Gov. Brewer has made it appear so violent that many in Arizona are claiming she is the core reason for economic disaster due to her negative, false rhetoric.

Blue Note: This is what not to do when being asked the same question by every reporter in the room. Governor fail.

Dumb and Racist Are Two Qualities Of A Tea Party Leader

Running a state is not easy work in these economic climates. That is why electing leaders on substance and not rhetoric is key.

Enter Arizona Governor Brewer.

It is no secret the Republican Party has been hijacked by Tea Party wackjobs looking for their rising star. These individuals get in front of a crowd yell key talking points that include mentioning patriotism as many times as possible, cursing liberals and demanding change in Washington by electing the very same Republicans that led us into mass corruption and waste.

With the election just around the corner, the GOP is beginning to wonder if they created their own monster. Debate season is upon us and that means the underdog crazies that proved victorious in Republican primaries across the nation will now be placed on national tv for the first time.

When a Governor fails to display any knowledge of a few good things that have been accomplished in their state you have to ask: what type of people is the Tea Party trying to promote?

See for yourself:

Chick Fight: Peter Kinder Calls Women "Tramps" On Twitter

Our friends over at Fired Up Missouri broke a story that has the Lt. Governor on quite the pickle (Blue Note: we had to say "on the pickle", can you blame us?).

It appears the Lt. Governor on Twitter decided to promote the "Top Twenty Tramp Stamps". The post linked to pictures of young women showing their lower back tatoos, some of which were noticeably naked.

Now there are some major problems with this tweet, which is no surprise. When Lt. Governor Kinder logs into Twitter it is almost an expectation he will get into a political disaster.

Why is the Lt. Governor tweeting pictures of naked young women showing tattoos?

More importantly, the Lt. Governor must answer why he referred to women as "tramps" on his twitter account.

We at The KC Blue Blog believe the Lt. Governor is trying entirely too hard to prove he doesn't like men, which is fine. That still does not justify calling women "tramps" just because you are forced to pretend to like them.

Stay tuned to Fired Up Missouri as this story develops...

BREAKING: Questions Surround Taxpayers Unlimited and Henry Rizzo Campaign Following Finance Reports

Our Blue Chip Tipsters are all over this story today flooding us with many e-mails.

The KC Blue Blog is reporting that very serious questions surround Taxpayers Unlimited President Sherwood Smith, Local 42 President Louie Wright and County Legislator Henry Rizzo following campaign finance reports.


Every Democrat in Jackson County is well aware of the primary race beating delivered to Henry Rizzo by children advocate Crystal Williams.


Our tipsters point out that the 30 Day After Campaign finance reports show that Taxpayers Unlimited paid a total of $21,345.47 to media outlets in Kansas City (we assume for this commercial promoting Henry Rizzo) while failing to file an in-kind contribution to his campaign.

They also point out that Henry Rizzo's hand scanned report also fails to report any in-kind contribution made to his campaign.

There are now two major questions being asked by tipsters regarding these reports:

Did Taxpayers pay for these ads instead of providing a direct contribution to Rizzo to avoid showing a conflict of interest regarding legislation Henry Rizzo sponsored and was later forced to back away from?

More importantly, by failing to file an in-kind contribution, did Taxpayers and Rizzo attempt to hide from the KC Star a 48 hour report which should have been filed showing a contribution of over $5,000 to Rizzo days before a vote on the matter was originally scheduled to take place?

Specifically on 7/26/10 Taxpayers Unlimited Reports paying $14,987 for ads which clearly exceeds the 24 hour reporting guidelines and none of which is filed in-kind to Rizzo.

They also report in 7/30/10 purchasing $3215 in air spots, none of which is filed as in-kind to Rizzo.

Reports show that Rizzo only raised $29,500 which means Taxpayers should have provided an in-kind contribution the very same month legislation was to pass showing a jawdropping 73% of the total raised by Rizzo the entire cycle.

As a side note, Henry Rizzo paid President Harry S. Truman $400 on 7/31/10. Dead Presidents are allowed to vote in Jackson County, right?

Blue Tip: The KC Blue Blog tipsters report this may be the center of serious problems facing Louie Wright and Sherwood Smith...developing.

Felons for Life. Missouri Right to Life Endorses Felon in St. Joseph

The Christian based Missouri Right to Life is seeking to broaden their coalition of ethical Republicans this week by announcing their endorsement of Jason Gregory, the Republican running for State Representative in the 27th House District (St. Joseph, MO).

Gregory will be the first member of the Felons for Life caucus and joins an elite group of individuals the MRL believe represent the finest Christian values in the state. See for yourself:

Gregory admitted back in January to the St. Joseph News-Press that he pled guilty to a felony offense in 1994 for "unlawful practices" in connection to his role in scamming senior citizens out of an estimated $48,000. His business partner received 4 years in prison. Gregory served 4 years probation.

We at the KC Blue Blog are calling on the Missouri Right to Life to remove their endorsement of Jason Gregory. Supporting a candidate that admits to scamming senior citizens is not a good position to take. Many of those senior citizens were likely pro-life and a mix of Republicans and Democrats.

It gets better. According to the Missouri Right to Life website, Gregory failed to even fill out a survey!

Endorsing Gregory, who has previously pled guilty to a felony charge, will make a great addition to their Republican endorsed candidates with morals such as Brian Nieves (under investigation for allegedly assaulting a campaign staffer), Denny Hoskins (who notoriously failed to pay $21,000 in taxes) and Steve Cookson (has faced MSHAA investigations into recruiting practices).

These endorsements are insults to Missouri Christians statewide. We call on the MRL to remove their endorsement of Gregory immediately. They should also strongly consider removing the endorsements of the other individuals named above.

Bad Week for Hermann Gets Worse

Yesterday the City Council voted down Mayor Funkhouser's veto of a proposed change to the charter that would allow a fair and legal process to redistricting.

In an 8-4 vote, leaders from south of the River stood up against a move by Republican hacks to redistrict the city council in favor of the Northland.

The vote should be seen as a complete loss for Deb Hermann, and as we previously stated, she is starting to face mass exodus from her campaign by Democrat supporters.

She originally supported the measure because it is the smart thing to do. Following e-mails from and campaign threats from Republican donors in the Northland Hermann flipped her stance and cast THE vote to kill the measure. After gaining a new life, the measure passed and was vetoed by the Mayor at the advice of his Republican campaign staff.

Today's vote slapped that move down and has tangled this process badly for Hermann. Forward Kansas City, a Northland group that agressively pushes for a strong Northland voice, will now file suit via Chris Byrd (a top Republican hack).

Now Hermann has walked Governor Nixon into a political fight with The Greater KC Chamber and labor leaders Louie Wright and Duke Dujakovic over the Earnings Tax.

The KC Blue Bloggers continue our call on Hermann to do the same for the Republican elected officials in her own City Council district that have each received thousands from Billionaire Rex.

"Double Talk" Deb has had a very bad week.

Republican Flunky Leads Charge for Redistricting

Republican hack and political flunky Chris Byrd is making a comeback from the total beating he faced by Attorney General Jay Nixon 60 to 37.

Byrd will be leading the fight for Northland Republicans in their attempt to gerrymander the city council districts to increase power for their southern Republican values Northland.

We at the KC Blue Blog couldn't be more excited about the Northland showing their true colors in this fight. Hiring Chris Byrd signals their real intentions and should rally Democrats in the north and voters in the south around any map but theirs.

In the end, this is one more bit of bad news for Northland Republican darling Deb Hermann.

Kander Ethics Reform Becomes Law

This week starts the beginning of a new era in Missouri politics thanks to Kansas City All-Star State Rep. Jason Kander (D-Kansas City Brookside-Waldo).

Kander also known as "Mr. Ethics" fought aggressively for a bi-partisan ethics reform bill to pass the Missouri legislature. The bill which started as an underdog with a 1 in 1 million chance of passing, began to grow new life due to the hard work of Democrat Jason Kander and Republican State Representative Tim Flook.

To put it mildly, they refused to let it die. Every week Kander was on radio, television, in the newspaper and blasting out e-mails to blogs like ours with the goal of making the GOP leadership act.

This is bill placed the name Jason Kander statewide and we are excited about that. Kander is the kind of individual and leader the Democratic Party and our state needs!!

His resume is filled with genuine public service to his country and his hard work has reignited a sense of energy inside the Brookside-Waldo neighborhoods. Something that is key to Democrat success statewide.

We at The KC Blue Blog salute Rep. Jason Kander. Keep up the good work.

Hermann Attempts Trojan Horse On Gov. Nixon

In a letter leaked to the press, northlandmayoral candidate Deb Hermann has formally asked Governor Nixon to host a summit on the E-Tax in both Kansas City and St. Louis.

There is no reason to have such a forum and Hermann knows this. Nixon has yet to take a public stance on Prop A which would phase out the E-Tax over 10 years and we agree with his position of neutrality to date. We will explain below.

Blue Chip Tip: We have received a lot of information from tipsters in the lead up to this letter. It appears Deb Hermann received a lot of pressure from her Republican support in the Northland over redistricting and the potential impact it could have on their power on the city council. Specifically, the fear is PIAC and TIF money would move south. Also the phase out of the E-Tax would force Kansas City to develop the urban core to compensate any loss of tax revenue.

To sum it up, she wrote this letter to catch the Governor in a hotbox on the E-Tax issue to appease those Republican supporters upset with her!!!

Playing politics with the Earnings Tax does not solve the very serious concerns facing Kansas City. The truth is, Deb knows this is not Governor Nixon's fight and for her to pull him into this street brawl is the best way for pressure to come off her as chair of the Finance Committee.

If Hermann is so concerned about Prop A passing and its impact on Kansas City then she needs to answer the following questions:

- Why has she not focused on fundraising to combat Prop A instead of fundraising for her own campaign?

- Most importantly, why has she not personally sent public letters demanding action to the Republican elected officials in the KC Metro area which have received tens of thousands from Rex?

Specifically Rep. Ryan Silvey (Northland), Rep. Jerry Nolte (Northland), Rep. Bob Nance (Northland) and Sen. Luann Ridgeway (Nothland).

(Blue Note: When looking at their MEC reports look for any committee with Jefferson City PO Box 1901 and the St. Louis PO Box 23200)

Deb Hermann's attempt at a trojan horse on Gov. Nixon, while failing to publicly challenge Republican leaders IN HER OWN COUNCIL DISTRICT, should be a red flag to every Democrat supporter in the Northland!! Look for her to have serious campaign problems. Her D.C. consultants just drove her campaign into road spikes!

Because of this we at The KC Blue Blog are calling on Deb Hermann to publicly answer these questions or this move will be seen for what it is.

Surprise. Surprise. Another "Anti-Gay" GOP Leader Comes Out of The Closet.

According to the Huffington Post, Ken Mehlman, who headed the Republican National Committee between 2005 and 2007, has come out in an interview with the Atlantic's Marc Ambinder:

Once again we have another GOP leader, who worked against the equal rights of the LGBT Community, come out of the closet.

Congratulations Mehlman. Now explain why you spent the better part of your career limiting the civil rights of your community.

Glenn Beck Mocks The Civil Rights Movement

No surprise here. We have all watched as GOP has spent every minute of the last week crying on camera about how insensitive a group of people are for building a mosque near the 9/11 site.

So how is it that Glenn Beck and the GOP can cry about insensitivity in New York but hold an anti-civil rights rally at the site of MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech on the speech's very anniversary?

It doesn't get any more pathetic than that.

Jon Stewart takes on Glenn Beck here.

Kettle Meet Burke

In November of 2009 we stated that Mike Burke vs. Sly James could be a great Mayoral campaign "unless 7 others enter the race at which point it will turn into one of the best reality tv shows in history". Fortunately, we were correct that the candidate field will expand to 7 or more which we hoped would lead to an election cycle filled with great posts. Unfortunately, we didn't enter a formula that could have included some of the lamest candidates Kansas City has to offer.

Enter Mike Burke.

We know him to be a really nice guy, always smiling. What we didn't expect was for him to run one of the most coma induced campaigns to date. In fact, the only thing keeping Mike Burke from entering the Janice Ellis 2007 wealthy campaign abyss is Jim Rowland.

Jim Rowland for Mayor is the biggest Kansas City let down since Steve Deberg and Ventures. Those were horrible days.

Today the Burke Campaign issued a press release calling on Funkhouser to drop out of the Mayoral race because 2010 citizen surveys have declined since 2007. They then closed their release stating "join me in telling Mayor Funkhouser not to run again. We want to build our city together and not be witness to it torn apart through infighting, poor leadership and inexperience."

Normally we would allow for anybody in this city to trip Mayor Funkhouser because of his complete incompetence. So you can imagine how angry the KC Blue Bloggers were when we had to collectively decide to defend him for the very first time.

Burke has time to issue a press release attacking Funkhouser and send an e-mail in support of the Northland PIAC money but he only has time to make facebook statements on key issues facing Kansas City such as the close call regarding our KC based Ford Claycomo Plant, out of control crime in Kansas City and Hispanics disenfranchised during the redistricting process?

If Mike Burke is concerned about "infighting" and wants to display leadership, where was he criticizing Northland supporters that threatened to secede from Kansas City?

Bottom line when it comes to holding Northland campaign supporters and residents accountable for their actions, Mike Burke remains silent.

Other questions he could answer would be the alleged $800,000 received by his law firm King Hershey for their role in a development deal involving millions of tax dollars. In fact, the KC Blue Blog has received several tips and documents that we will be combing through regarding Burke's role in numerous TIF contracts with the city.

If the Mayor were wise (Blue Note: He is not) he would respond stating taxpayers are tired of their dollars being wasted by the many TIF projects and unchecked spending that this individual and his law firm have defended over the years, running our city into record deficits and leading to the decline in morale by residents.

Kansas City deserves more leadership and less cheap shots at a Mayor that is already down the toilet. Unless that individual is worried about Mayor Funkhouser spoiling his/her party? Which is the more likely scenario.

In an anti-incumbent environment Mayor Funkhouser still stands a strong chance at making it to March simply due to the field having so many geographically clumped candidates. Anyone that is willing to write off Funkhouser now for Burke, James or Rowland is either from the Northland or has the last name Glorioso.

We have purposely left Hughes and Hermann off this list as he is the only candidate not from the Plaza or Northland (though he has yet to raise serious money) and she is the only female placing both in their own catagory.

Blue Note: The best news for Funkenstein in over two years is having a development attorney tied to failed TIF projects attacking him. Mayor Funkhouser should consider sending a chocolate TIF bar to Burke for jumping his poll numbers five percent following this press release today.

KC Blue Blog Warning: If the Mayor actually tries to do this his staff should consider hiring a stunt Mayor to purchase the chocolate and deliver it to the post office in order to avoid him screwing it up.

Like The 80s We Are Back By Popular Demand!!

After many e-mails from our beloved Blue Readers, a few trials now complete, a brief stint climbing the Andes Mountains, a few successful businesses launched, sixty pounds lost between us and amazing vacas to the Bahamas, Italy and Alaska , our KC Blue Bloggers have reunited together like The Eagles and are back by popular demand!

All things 80's have nothing on this blog. We have more dish than Tony Botello's ex-girlfriends and we are locked and loaded for another election season!

What we have accomplished to date speaks for itself. We initiated the nickname Ed "Bunch of Mexicans" Martin onto the national scene forever placing him into the racist hall of fame. We successfully forced Ed "Bunch of Mexicans" Martin, the Chief of Staff to Gov. Matt Blunt, to resign. We warned Kansas City in March of 2007 about the disaster that would be a Funkhouser Administration in our post titled "If you want the funk, drive past Front Street". We broke the story on Mayor Funkhouser's campaign mismanagement purchasing numerous I-Phones and using a city hall office for a campaign line. We even led the fight to bring a national boycott to Kansas City until Semler was removed; and along with TKC (who was key to this story) in the end successfully removed France Semler.

But that's not all.

We placed on the national scene the names Bradley Schlozmen, Thor Hearne, voter caging and the fake St. Louis based GOP group "American Center for Voter Rights" that was deeply involved in the purging of voters under the Bush Administration. We broke the news regarding the Texas based Missouri Political News Service, which seeks to push GOP agendas in Missouri and highlighted the influx of Texas oil money financing the MOGOP under Matt Blunt. We coined the nickname "Hong Kong" Hulshof for his votes in support of flooding Chinese imports into Missouri while exporting Missouri jobs during the 2008 Governor's race--a post which led to a commercial showing a Chinese flag flying behind "Hong Kong" Hulshof. We even highlighted the amazing story of a military veteran and candidate named Jason Kander who defied the political elite to win his district when others said he didn't stand a chance.

That is just some of what we have done. Now we start a new chapter. Hopefully it is one that is just as fun as previous election cycles but we doubt it. In the end, we will just settle for Tony's Kansas City finally making us our sammich.

Prayer Vigil for Nieves After Demon Posessed Him to Beat Up Staffer

A prayer vigil at Riverfront Park was held this evening by supporters of right wing lunatic Republican Brian "Nutjob" Nieves.

The vigil was put together by a group of supporters in order to remove the demons from Republican Nieves after he allegedly choke slammed a former House Republican staffer against a wall and used him as a human mop across campaign headquarters into his office.

The victim then reported that Nieves pulled out a pistol and placed it on the desk and made the staffer call his wife to apologize.

No word on whether the staffer had to apologize for being forced to take his shirt off in the office or for the many alleged affairs Nieves had in Jefferson City.

This would have to be the only reason any group of individuals would come together in prayer for someone like Nieves. It has been reported Nieves did attend the vigil, not to pray for himself but possibly as a "vigil crasher" in order to pick up more women in the name of the Lord.

BREAKING: AP Reports Video Used By Jeff Roe and Republicans Was Shot 1 Hour After Racial Attacks

The Associated Press has reported that a video being circulated by Jeff Roe and fellow Republican activists as "proof" that racial slurs never took place, was actually shot 1 hour after the attacks actually happened.

That's right. It was the wrong video.

Now Republican Sam Graves and JoAnne Emerson must publicly address how they, as members of the Missouri Congressional delegation, have allowed their campaign manager and political hack Jeff Roe to publicly call one of the victims Congressman Emanuel Cleaver a "liar" who "invented a racial situation to further his political agenda".

Since the incident, Roe has posted numerous times showing the video as evidence that the attacks never took place. He even went so far as to post scenes from tv comedies where individuals were spit on, asking "is this racist?"

Enough is enough. It is time for Congressman Sam Graves to address the matter and publicly apologize on behalf of his campaign for allowing his top strategist to attack a Congressman who did nothing but try to walk to the capitol to cast a vote.

Using The High Road, Rep. Cleaver Hits Back. Silences Conspiracy Theorists. Gives Community Another Positive Lesson.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, in response to critics, takes the usual high road and writes his special to The Star where he teaches us all a lesson in politics, debate and civility.

Repost of Emanuel Cleaver's Special to The Kansas City Star.

By Emanuel Cleaver, Special to The Kansas City Star

It is hard to imagine what future generations will make of the last few weeks in American history. Certainly they will evaluate the effectiveness of a health care overhaul bill now only days old. My colleagues and I have stood behind podiums to declare that it will be transformative legislation. History will judge whether we are right.

Of far greater concern is that without a change in course, my granddaughter will read in her history books that these were the days the basic fabric of our tenuous relationship with our own republic began to fray and tear.

What will she think as she reads of the ill-mannered ending to the House health care debate and its untidy aftermath? Certainly the incident that befell her grandfather should not warrant writing or recalling. But what will it say about us and our time, that on the heels of a monumental achievement so many were transfixed on the transgression of one yelling protester who unapologetically splattered my cheek with saliva?

For some, blinded by partisan fervor, nothing I can say here will thwart their conspiracy theories of the unfortunate episode. For those looking for a play-by-play account of the day, it won’t happen. There is no benefit to me or the nation.

The incident was trivial; the anger it represents is not. These are trying and serious times and call for thoughtful and serious people of all political persuasions to build our national community rather than tear it apart.

Some pundits and politicians suggest that a higher degree of bipartisanship is needed. While I agree that bipartisanship has its value, it is not our problem. Partisanship is a vital component of a democracy. There is a difference between healthy partisanship and disingenuous rancor. Neither party has the market on truth. Our nation and its laws are made better by active and aggressive minority opposition.

However, we in Congress have gone too far. We have abandoned any pretence of civility. Both sides are guilty. No responsible parent would instruct a child to watch Congress in action on C-SPAN to learn the American art of debate without debasement.

Some blame the 24-hour news cycle and talk radio for politics turned ugly. That’s the cheap way out. Our behavior is our choice. Accountability used to be a watchword. Now, elected officials claim righteousness while their campaigns simultaneously push smut and lies.

The president and members of Congress are supposed to lead the band, not just blame them for the shrill sound of the music. We must become the national example of decorum.
Democratic members of Congress must retreat from the notion that all tea party members are crazed hooligans. To accept and push that view is not only divisive, it is diabolical. As an African American, I have been caught in the net of the, “they all are” mentality.

Republican members ought to stop accusing Democrats and the president of laying the foundation for a socialist takeover. That is not true and they know it. Their constituents, however, may not.

This is not the first time in our history that our heated rhetoric has threatened to tear us apart. But in this age of instant gratification, gain without sacrifice and perpetual victimhood, our political parties and leaders are fanning flames of frustration and turning genuine fears into bonfires. Americans should be able to disagree with one another without painting the other side as un-American.

The rage is real. I have felt it first-hand. The risk to our republic is real as well. Members of Congress from both parties would be much more towering and statesmanlike if they would present more vision and fewer nightmares.

We are a better, more compassionate and caring nation than our current behavior portrays.

Our nation’s strength is completely dependent on our ability to conduct civil conversations about our shared future.
That starts with Congress, and I will do my part.

Emanuel Cleaver represents Missouri’s 5th U.S. House district. He served as mayor of Kansas City from 1991 to 1999.

Read more: http://voices.kansascity.com/node/8560#ixzz0ki69ZdMI

"Go For It.": President Obama And Blue Collar Midwest Americans Tell GOP That They Won't Turn Back

Give this President a lot of credit. When talk radio, 24-hour cable news and almost every pundit around the country wrote him, Democrats and healthcare reform off for 2010, instead of putting his head down he stands up for what he believes in and delivers. Make no mistake about it, while the country is still divided on the healthcare issue--thanks to the year long 24-hour campaign by Big Pharma Republicans courtesy of FOX News and talk radio-- history and reality tells us that many opponents of the bill are already beginning to come around.

Perhaps it's the fact that voters are actually looking at the bill instead of FOX News and Glenn Beck's description of it? Perhaps voters, as historically shown, regardless of their previous position just want to step up and support the President now that the legislation has been signed by him? Or Perhaps voters are beginning to see more of what the so called "Tea Party" movement is really about and have decided to support the millions of blue collar Americans supporting this bill; like the thousands we saw at the President's Iowa Rally today?

Maybe it's a combination of all of the above, but one thing is for sure, regardless of how long Republicans try to take away our reformed healthcare, it seems millions of Americans and The President of The United States have decided that they are not looking back.

Today, at a rally in Iowa President Obama moved thousands of Americans while speaking to them about the positive changes healthcare reform brings. Likewise, President Barack Obama stepped up to critics of the new health-care overhaul in a campaign-style stop here Thursday, challenging Republicans to try to repeal the two-day-old law.

“My attitude is, go for it,” the president told hundreds of people at the University of Iowa Field House.

You have to really admire his courage in the face of massive talk radio and cable news attacks. Perhaps it's because he realizes that Republicans talk a big game but are still completely out of touch from the average working class American. Regardless, President Obama stood in front of a crowd of over 3 thousand and sounded like a president who didn't just talk the talk, but on who has already walked the walk.

In fact, Thursday’s event was clearly reminiscent of the campaign rallies the president held all across the state on his way to winning the presidency in 2008.

The crowd roared when he was introduced, and the president greeted them with the first half of the familiar chant that marked his campaign before the caucuses.

“Are you fired up?” he asked.

We know we are.

Kinder Urges Folks to "Fire Money Bomb" Nancy Pelosi

As national news outlets are expressing concerns over a new RNC website that has House Speaker Nancy Pelosi surrounded by fire, Missouri's top Republican Peter Kinder is joining in on the madness.

Tweeting today from his official account, Lt. Governor Kinder urged everyone that there is "12 hours left for the Fire Pelosi Money Bomb" and links the URL to the website that has the House Speaker up in flames. In fact, he links at last 3 times to that website depicting the Speaker in flames.

We at the KC Blue Blog have to express serious concerns about any elected official, let alone the Lt. Governor, using "fire" and "bomb" in the same sentence when speaking about another elected official.

Let's all be grown ups for a second. This is not a coincidence that the GOP has placed Speaker Pelosi in flames. It is not a coincidence that JoAnn Emerson was energizing a crowd to keep up the chaos in the capitol after violence and racism occurred.

The GOP leadership has pulled the oldest, ugliest political card in the book. One from the days of the civil rights era of the 1950s and of the workers rights era of the late 1800s: when you have no plan, scare people to act. We all know the results that follow.

America Sees It's First Corporate Campaign Ad As Bitter Republican Uses Company To Attack Candidate

Remember when The Supreme Court made the decision to allow corporations to take part in our elections, and the GOP while celebrating behind closed doors came out and said that Democrats were just inventing rhetoric to scare you?

This week, the first corporate campaign ad has been published; and with the new healthcare reform bill signed into law it will surely be the beginning of massive corporate participation in the upcoming election.

Note that there's no attempt to hide the funding source as the ad takes the form of a letter signed, "Sincerely, KDR Development, inc." Apparently, the president of KDR Development, which bought the ad, had previously run against the incumbent state representative and lost.

Sam Graves Should Apologize and Fire Jeff Roe

Of all the people in Congress who would lie about being spit on and called racial slurs, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver isn't one. He is a Pastor, raised in poverty in the deep south. Yet that isn't stopping fellow Kansas City area Congressman Sam Graves chief adviser and campaign manager Jeff Roe from making the statement.

In his recent post, Roe alleges that Cleaver "invented a racial incident to promote his political agenda and hide his bad votes". To prove his case he shows a 48 second You Tube video of some of Cleaver's colleagues first started walking through a crowd. What he didn't show, was at the top of the steps shortly after that 48 second clip, was Emanuel Cleaver being spat on.

Well Congressman Graves, we have a clip of the Rep. Cleaver being spat on and now it is time for you too, to publicly apologize and fire your campaign manager. Below is the video, it will show a series of clips as Rachel Maddow speaks, including a clip of Congressman Cleaver stopping and pointing to the man that spit on him his lips reading "You just spit on me. You just spit on me!"

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Enough is enough. Instead of saying sorry to an old friend, Missouri now has two members of the Congressional delegation directly involved in this incident. One, Rep. JoAnn Emerson, was reported to have held up signs energizing the crowd to continue with their antics. The other is now Congressman Sam Graves Campaign Manager saying on his blog that Rep. Cleaver "invented a racial incident to promote a political agenda".

This is shameful and disgusting. In the political arena, there will always be dispute. However, the great joy of our democracy is that throughout those trying times, Democrats and Republicans, have mostly worked together in a professional, adult manner through civilized debate. That is no longer the case for some of the GOP members of Congress that urged protesters to break House rules by protesting in the gallery during debate.

Emanuel Cleaver has a history of being a man of God. Someone who treats you with deep respect whether Republican or Democrat. He may not agree with the politics you believe, but he will still treat you as a friend. And this is how he is treated by you Rep. Emerson and Rep. Graves?

It's time The Kansas City Star and all media outlets demand action by Rep. Sam Graves for this disgusting display of disrespect by a consultant that makes a living being as ugly as he can be.

BREAKING: Despite Racial Attacks On A Missouri Congressman, Peter Kinder Moves Closer to Tea Party

Despite national news reports now linking Congresswoman JoAnn Emerson to one of three congressional members confirmed to have been firing up a crowd of protesters that attacked minority members of Congress, Peter Kinder has moved himself closer to that crowd.

All weekend long, while the Missouri budget is all but paralyzed, Peter Kinder tweeted and tweeted about "obamacare", playing to the fears of the far right and linking every tweet to the Tea Party.

Meanwhile, Emerson, Kinder and the Missouri Republican Party have sat silent as we at the KC Blue Blog, Gone Mild, now other media outlets broke the news that Emerson (Blue Note: Peter Kinder's Congresswoman), was tied to the crowd, that spit on and yelled racial slurs at, a fellow member of the Missouri congressional delegation, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City).

This should have Missouri up in arms. If Peter Kinder can spend all weekend tweeting updates on health care reform, he certainly would be aware as the head of the Missouri GOP, that a Missouri Congressman was spit on and called the "N" word, by a crowd that Emerson was firing up. That's why we are calling on Peter Kinder and JoAnn Emerson to make a public statement on her involvement in this crowd of protestors and issue an apology.

BREAKING WaPo: Emerson Was Waving Signs, Tommy Sowers Calls Out Emerson

The Washington Post has posted a story online that will haunt Rep. Joann Emerson for weeks to come.

We at the KC Blue Blog first broke the story that Congresswoman Joann Emerson (D-MO) was part of a small group of Republican elected officials firing up the Tea Party crowd that was involved in racial chants at minority members of Congress, including spitting on a fellow Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City).

Cleaver, once reported he had a friendship with Emerson that often involved faith, saw the ugly face of hate. Which makes this part of the story even more disgusting considering he saw her as a friend.

The latest story states that Emerson not only spoke to the crowd but came out with a "trio" of legislators waving signs "Kill" "That" "Bill". She was directly involved in continuing to energize a crowd that had already went to far.

Emerson's opponent, an 11-year Army Veteran, Tommy Sowers issued a statement saying,

Sowers demands Jo Ann Emerson apologize for encouraging hateful protest

Yesterday, Congresswoman Emerson was involved in encouraging protesters at the Capitol. Instead of contributing to the debate, she offended her office and the people she claims to represent. This supposed moderate chose to incite the same voices that used racial slurs and spat on lawmakers (including Emanuel Cleaver, a fellow member of the Missouri delegation) on the steps of the Capitol.

Sowers said, "I call on Congresswoman Emerson to issue a formal apology for inciting these protests. As an 11-year veteran, I defended the Constitution and the right to protest, but lending support to a group that has spit on and called lawmakers racial slurs is beyond defense. This may make sense to a DC politician trying to grab headlines and score political points. But this is not the kind of representation that the Founders intended, nor what the people of Missouri and America expect."

Shortly after Emerson's protest, Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen told reporters: "I think it is bad taste for people to go and encourage them. I can see this crowd getting out of control and they are being encouraged."

The Sowers campaign couldn't agree more. Congresswoman Emerson must immediately apologize and disavow association with protestors that use hate and racial slurs.

We at The KC Blue Blog will continue to urge Congresswoman Joann Emerson, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder and the Missouri Republican Party to make a statement and apology to Missouri and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver.

CALL REP. JOANN EMERSON AND DEMAND SHE APOLOGIZE TO MISSOURI AND REP. EMANUEL CLEAVER TODAY!

Washington DC

District

2440 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515

(202) 225-4404

The Federal Building
339 Broadway
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

(573) 335-0101 (tel)
(573) 335-1931 (fax

BREAKING: Congresswoman Emerson and Republicans Seen Firing Up Crowd Yelling Racial and Homophobic Slurs At Democrats

In a major breaking story, Congresswoman Joann Emerson was one of a handful of Republican representatives, spotted energizing a Tea Party Protest crowd in the Capitol yelling racial and homophobic slurs at Democrats.

This is the same crowd that reportedly yelled racial and homophobic slurs leading to House Democrats walking through the halls of the capitol locked arm in arm in what was called a "chaotic scene".

The breaking news is coming very fast. However, this is a clear tie to the Republican Party having Congressional members directly firing up these protestors as they acted in this behavior.

Congresswoman Emerson is the US Congresswoman of Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, seen as the leader of the Missouri Republican Party.

We at the KC Blue Blog are now calling on Congresswoman Emerson, Lt. Governor Kinder and the Missouri Republican Party to publicly apologize for being involved in such insulting, shameful behavior.

BREAKING: Pro-Life Democrats Reach Agreement With President To Support Health Care

BREAKING: Congressman Bart Stupak and the Pro-Life Democrats have reached an agreement with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama to support comprehensive health care reform.

According to Politico and MSNBC, the agreement will include an Executive Order stating that the Hyde Amendement will be protected in this bill.

The Hyde Amendment states that federal tax dollars will not fund abortions.

Pro-Choice groups are also reportedly at the table and are in support of this agreement.

BREAKING: Congressman Cleaver: "N" Word "Was A Chant"

BREAKING: The Republican Party is stating that racist comments were "isolated" incidents". Congressman Cleaver states the "N" Word was clearly "a chant".

Having a Missouri Congressman spit on and called the "N" word by Republican Tea Party members is a shameful incident. As the Republican Party tries to now distance itself. After making public statements that clearly address this national issue, Lt. Governor Kinder must make a public statement, as head of the Republican Party in Missouri that is clearly endorsing this movement, and apologize to Congressman Emanuel Cleaver for what has taken place.

BREAKING: Cleaver Spit On and Called the "N" Word By Tea Party

The face of the Tea Party is shown for what it is.

Yesterday, as Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-KC) and Rep. John Lewis enterred the capitol to work on health care legislation, Cleaver was confronted by a group of Tea Party members screaming.

National reports are now stating that those members began yelling racial slurs, including the "N" Word to Cleaver, who was then spit on.

The scene is right out of the ugly days of the civil rights movement and forces us to ask, all of this over health care? Seriously?

Showing the face of the Democratic Party, Cleaver chose not to press charges. Those that know our Congressman know that even in the face of evil, he always forgives. That's a true leader in times like this.

Shame on the Tea Party for their racist agenda and shame on Republican leaders in Missouri for supporting such right wing activists.

We are calling on the Missouri Republican Party to make a public statement apologizing to Congressman Emanuel Cleaver for the situation he faced. If the Missouri Republican Party leadership can waste taxpayer dollars passing legislation rejecting health care reform, and the Lt. Governor can publicly speak out in rejecting health care reform, then they have to own the actions of their party's final attempt to block it.

That includes racial slurs and spitting on minority members of Congress.

A Moment In History: President Bound To Be True. Gives Historic Speech To Congress

President Obama just finished delivered what will be looked at as one of those moments that define a president's time in office. One of those moments that define history. The night before one of the most important votes in American social policy, President Obama calls on Congress to "Not be bound to win." Instead "be bound to be true."

Take a look:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

You want Roy Blunt to Be Your Voice? It Will Cost you $10,000

Great job at FiredUp Missouri for catching this story in the very last line of the article.

In a speech to hundreds of Wall Street Bankers, Republican Senator Richard Shelby urged everyone in the room to "send Roy Blunt $10,000", claiming that as US Senator he will block any efforts to curb financial fraud on Wall Street.

Each night on television we hear about another Wall Street company on the brink of collapse, asking for assistance from the US Government, while paying their executives hundreds of millions in bonuses.

Meanwhile, here on main street Missouri, businesses are folding, farms are struggling, jobs are leaving and credit is minimal.

This couldn't serve as a more clear message about this US Senate race. Roy Blunt is for Wall Street Bankers and DC Lobbyists. Robin Carnahan is for Missouri families, farmers and small businesses.

If you don't have $10,000 to give Roy Blunt, he's not going to be your voice. Sorry to break the news to you. Don't take our word for it. Take theirs.

BREAKING: Blunt's Lobbyist Campaign Manager Illegally Parks (The Sequel)

We reported yesterday about Roy Blunt's Big Insurance / Big Tobacco Lobbyist Campaign Manager illegally parking in a fire lane all day on Tuesday at the state capitol in Jefferson City.

Our story led to a lot of feedback via e-mail from tipsters at the captiol who say that Roy Blunt's lobbyist campaign manager always parks in a fire lane.

Well, apparently this is true because one of those tipsters e-mailed us a picture showing Roy Blunt's Lobbyist Campaign Manager parked illegally yesterday in the same spot AGAIN!!









Honestly, if you are lazy enough to park in a fire line, why not park right in front of the steps instead of 10 feet down?

We at The KC Blue Blog are calling on the press, and our great blog friends, to begin demanding Roy Blunt apologize and answer why his lobbyist campaign manager (and son) feels he is above the law?


We are also calling on legislative staffers, lobbyists and press to have some fun and take a photo each day of where Roy Blunt's Big Insurance / Big Tobacco lobbyist Campaign Manager Andy Blunt is parked.

BREAKING: Roy Blunt's Lobbyist Campaign Manager Thinks He Is Above the Law

Houston (Missouri), Roy Blunt has a problem.

The lobbyist campaign manager of Roy Blunt apparently thinks he deserves special treatment at the Missouri state capitol building in Jefferson City.

A tipster sent us these photos from the capitol of Andy Blunt, proudly displaying a Roy Blunt for Senate campaign sticker, illegally parked in a fire lane outside the steps of the capitol yesterday.











(A special thanks to one of our awesome Blue Blog Tipsters)


Despite receiving an orange ticket, his truck remained in the fire lane all day (where sources say he habitually parks when he comes to the capitol) while he lobbied Republican leaders for special favors in the budget.


We at the KC Blue Blog are calling on Roy Blunt to apologize to taxpayers and emergency responders in Missouri for his lobbyist campaign manager thinking he is above the law and deserving of special favors at the state capitol. Parking illegally in a fire lane is not only lazy, but an insult to our emergency responders and capitol police who work hard everyday, no matter who you are. The fact that Roy Blunt is running for US Senate and his lobbyist campaign manager is doing this sends a poor example throughout the state.


Below is a list of Roy Blunt's Lobbyist Campaign Managers Clients, including big health care companies. That's right, Roy Blunt's campaign manager is the lobbyist for health care companies while Roy Blunt votes on health care in Congress. A conflict? We think so.


Blunt Andrew B ALTRIA- PHILIP MORRIS USA INC., JOHN MIDDLETON CO., AND U.S. SMOKELESS TOBACCO CO.
Blunt Andrew B MILLERCOORS, LLC
Blunt Andrew B MEDSOLUTIONS
Blunt Andrew B MOTOROLA, INC.
Blunt Andrew B APS HEALTHCARE, INC.
Blunt Andrew B PYRAMID GROUP
Blunt Andrew B AGP
Blunt Andrew B MISSOURI COALITION OF COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS
Blunt Andrew B ACS HERITAGE, INC.
Blunt Andrew B BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY
Blunt Andrew B MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
Blunt Andrew B MISSOURI AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION
Blunt Andrew B FARMER COMPANIES
Blunt Andrew B TICKETMASTER
Blunt Andrew B SYSTEMS & METHODS, INC.
Blunt Andrew B SERAPH, INC.
Blunt Andrew B SCHREIMANN, RACKERS, FRANCKA AND BLUNT, L.L.C.
Blunt Andrew B AMERICAN AIRLINES
Blunt Andrew B BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Blunt Andrew B AT&T, INC., AND AFFILIATES
Blunt Andrew B COMPUTERIZED VEHICLE REGISTRATION

BREAKING: Funkhouser Charging Groups for Speaking Engagements As Mayor

He's at it again. This time the failed Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser is charging organizations and businesses throughout Kansas City and the world, according to his website, a minimum of $5000 to $7500 plus travel expenses in order to hear him speak.

The contract on his website also charges a flat fee of $500 for meals and lodging.

A lot of questions should now be asked of the Mayor. Is he also charging the city for these travel expenses? Are taxpayer paid for employees used to staff the Mayor on these paid speaking engagements? How many organizations in the Greater KC Metro Area have been charged to hear the Kansas City Mayor speak?

We are calling on the area bloggers and press to demand that the Mayor answer these questions immediately.

MRA: Blunt's Moral Compass Is The True Compass Of Missouri Republicans

The Springfield News-Leader has a great story that all Democrats should be using this election season.

The Missouri Republican Assembly, which bills itself as the "Republican wing of the Republican Party" has endorsed D.C. resident and lobbyist candidate Roy Blunt saying "his moral compass points true north".

We at the KC Blue Blog wonder if the other seven candidates running against Blunt would agree that he has a moral compass that is the true direction of the Republican Party?

Afterall, Congressman Blunt's moral purity even earned him the honor of being named "One of the 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress". In fact, he was #2 on the list for trying "to insert provisions in bills that benefited a client of his lobbyist son, Andrew Blunt and the employer of his lobbyist girlfriend turned wife."

Thanks to the Missouri Republican Assembly for drawing the moral sand in the line for the Republican Party. Now every Republican elected official and candidate should go on record as to whether their moral compass is as "true north" as Roy Blunt.

Airport Bathrooms, Green Balloons, Hot Tubs and More Hypocrisy

This week you probably caught the Associated Press and Brock Vergakis headline 'GOP leader's skinny-dip confession stuns Utah'.

Upon reading the title you probably just thought it was another story about a GOP member who plays Jesus by day and Hugh Hefner by night. It was. But the article tells a much more serious story:

"A late-night confession by Utah's House majority leader about sitting nude in a hot tub with a minor 25 years ago has shocked this conservative state's political establishment but has not prompted calls from party leaders for him to resign.

Rep. Kevin Garn, 55, acknowledged the indiscretion late Thursday immediately after the Legislature adjourned for the session. He said he paid the woman, Cheryl Maher, now 40, $150,000 to keep quiet about the episode when he unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2002."

If this isn't the poster child for Republican hypocrisy, then we don't know what is. Yes, this was 25 years ago. But we are talking about an elected official not a dishwasher at your local restaurant.

While today's reports show that Rep. Garn has resigned--a move anyone could have predicted--we want to know why party leaders were not immediately calling for his resignation?

Anyone else wondering how Garn was able to pay $150,000 to this girl in exchange for her silence?

Anyone else wondering what happened to the faith, morals, values and compassionate conservatism being preached everyday in GOP political circles?

Whether it's in airport bathrooms, harrassing the local page, paying an undercover police officer, raping your fellow young republican, getting a DUI after leaving a gay bar after voting numerous times against gay rights, playing with 'green ballons', or any of the dozens of other scandals it's pretty clear that the GOP can be defined using many words; none of which are compassionate, conservative, moral or ethical.

Finally, with these scandals as well as the bribery and pay-to-play scandals hitting states like Utah and Missouri, who is holding The GOP leadership accountable?

Afterall, at best they stayed quiet on this issue and at worst they helped finance this Utah Republican so that his hidden secret would stay in the dark.

Think about that.

Just more reasons to Vote Democrat this fall.

BREAKING NEWS: CHIEFS SIGN VETERAN PRO-BOWL RB THOMAS JONES

It seems The Chiefs' new front house is going to invest in success. As many began to question their lack of activity during this free agent offseason, Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Jones, who rushed for over 1,400 yards in 2009 and has rushed for over 1,000 yards in 5 straight seasons, has signed a 2-year $5 million contract with Kansas City.

The signing of Jones not only gives Kansas City the best backfield in The AFC West, it also means that Kansas City is looking to take the load off of Jamal Charles, who rushed for 1,100 yards in 2009, in order to keep him healthy and compete for years to come.

Additionally, The Chiefs also protected their passing game this week and by announcing that they have also re-signed veteran wide receiver Chris Chambers. The former Dolphin and Charger stud wide receiver caught for over 600 yards in just a few games and has more than 7,000 career receiving yards.

Are you excited about 2010 yet? As this seems like a sign of more agressive off season activity to come, we think you should be.

Republicans And Tom Delay "It's The Truth" That People Are Unemployed And On Unemployment Because They Want To Be

There you have it Blue Readers! Tom Delay, the former leader of The GOP and still one of the most popular people among Republicans, goes on the record saying that "It's the truth" that people are unemployed and on unemployment because they want to be.

Hear it for yourself:



For all of you who may be unemployed or know someone who is unemployed, how does that make you feel?

Things haven't changed in The GOP. And they won't change as long as the same people run the party.

Don't be fooled. Just another reason to Vote Democrat this election season.

It's Funk's Party And He'll Cry If He Wants To. Funkhouser Has Fit. Embarrasses Fierro. Has He Lost Park Board?

Here we go again Blue Readers. Matt Campbell of The Star is reporting that this week Mayor Funkhouser "lashed out" at his Park Board for "showing insufficient support for his agenda and accused one of them of corruption".

During the mayoral fit, Funkhouser made a number of comments that offended members of the board including President John Fierro.

In fact, Fierro was so offended by the comments that he even reminded the mayor of when he (Fierro) stood by Funkhouser during the controversy over the appointment of Minutemen member Frances Semler to the park board early in his term saying quote.

“I chose you over people I have known for 20 years,” Fierro quickly reminded Funkhouser.

But Fierro wasn't the only person offended. It seems Funkhouser may have also lost the support of Commissioner Meg Conger, Aggie Stackhaus and others by criticizing them and making comments like "Good God,” “It would have been nice for you guys to have sent somebody to testify. I was just stunned."

If that wasn't enough he even went as far as to call one of the commissioners he appointed corrupt in front of a reporter.

Can it really get any worse than this?

Park Commissioner Conger said she and her colleagues have worked hard to promote the park department’s interests by talking with city council members and other members of the community.

While The Star didn't report on The Mayor's reactions to these responses, it would've been nice to have seen them.

This should have come as no surprise given The Mayor's previous temper tantrums, his lack of common sense and his all too frequent pompous-elitist behavior .

Montee Shows Real Leadership

While Auditor may be the most boring statewide job (editor's note: we are bias because we hate math) when handled correctly it can show real leadership. State Auditor Susan Montee is doing just that.

Auditing the Kansas City Missouri School District takes real guts. Marilyn Simmons and company have driven the district off a cliff and into the water, only to hit a rock upon impact. Now the district is looking to cut $50 million this budget cycle.

Our new Superintendent Covington has made his proposal known to the public including closing up to 31 schools. That also takes guts. No matter what, in proposing a tough budget, it is in the best interest of the KCMO School District to have this audit.

If it comes back and shows minimal fraud, it will answer some critics. If it comes back showing massive fraud, it will confirm what many have expected.

Montee's initiative to take a look into the KCMO schools and St. Louis Schools shows she isn't afraid of the failed buddy system that has plagued these districts for decades. Instead of acting in the best interest of the students and families it serves, the KCMO School District has continued to act in the best interest of some of the people it pays. Usually that means you have to be loyal to the Simmons Regime.

So it is fitting that the audit starts as Simmons has compiled a "slate" ran by a former field organizer on the Obama campaign. That slate is the same failed business as usual. Hopefully for the best interest of our district and the families it is to serve, the elections will bring about change. After that change takes place, we hope the audit will uncover a clear path towards success.

Garza-Ruiz Takes On The Good Ole' Boys

Over the last week or two we have been hearing a lot about Theresa A. Garza-Ruiz.

Make no mistake about it, since taking office in 2007, the legislator representing Jackson County's 1st District-At-Large has become the quintessential pain in the backside for some of the good ole' boys who walk the county hallways--which has indubitably been a good thing.

But taking on some of the county's knavish sycophants sometimes comes with a cost. This year, Henry Rizzo smacked Jackson County residents in the face when he took Garza-Ruiz off of The Justice & Law Enforcement Committee, eventhough she chaired the committee for three years and holds two degrees in Criminal Justice, and to no surprise gave the post to convicted felon James D. Tindall --a move that leaves us all ill regardless of who you support.

This week, in her Independence Examiner Column, Garza-Ruiz not only finds herself having to defend a vote that most of the county supports during these tough times, but also calling out Legislator Henry Rizzo for cheating the system and allowing Garza's primary opponent to cut in line and land first on the ballot.

Take a look:


------------------------------------------------
Shenanigans continue in Jackson County

By Theresa Garza Ruiz
Special to The Examiner
Posted Feb 24, 2010 @ 12:39 AM

Blue Springs, MO — I was going to write about the MyArts program, but two items have occurred since my last article that I would like to address.

The first item deals with a recent vote regarding funding for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Due to our current budgetary constraints, I have indicated that I will continue voting against any non-county functions. We have laid employees off, cut department budgets, and made cuts to outside agencies that provide needed services and programs to our residents. It passed 5 to 3 with one absent. Yet, we continue funding events that do not even fall under county services.

Additionally, one of my colleagues indicated that the funding goes to Harvesters. There is nothing on the request for proposal that states the money does in fact go to Harvesters. Instead, the RFP states that the money goes to the Kansas City Police Department for security along the parade route. If that’s the case, then why doesn’t the county use our own law enforcement agency? I can’t imagine the Sheriff’s Department not wanting additional money due to the cuts they’ve already received.

The second item deals with candidates filing for office. On Tuesday, I officially filed for re-election. Over the past three years, folks have shared with me their frustration with the shenanigans of county government, especially with the candidate filing process.

In the past, candidates would camp out all night on the steps or in their cars; sneak into the building after hours and camp out in an office or their own office if they are the incumbent; or be escorted through security early in the morning before official filing hours started by county staff or politicos. On Monday at our legislative meeting an announcement was made that a new procedure would kick in at the close of business.

Starting at 5 p.m., a sheriff’s deputy would be located at the west entrance to take the names of candidates filing for office. The list would determine the order of filing for Tuesday morning. No 24-hour notice was given to the public. Plenty of time was not given for everyone to know how the process would work so questions could be asked or concerns raised.

A few years back, I filed a bill that would have changed this entire debacle. It would have moved us to a lottery system similar to what they use at the state level. A large percentage of states, counties, and municipalities utilize the lottery system for first-day filers in order to present a fair process and level playing field. It was defeated in a 7-2 vote. The shenanigans known as county government continue.

Colbert Again Takes On Sarah Palin And The Hypocrisy Called "Tea Party" Movement

Take a look at The Colbert Report takes on the circus that is Sarah Palin.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Sarah Palin Uses a Hand-O-Prompter
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Skate Expectations

Seriously. It's amazing that an organization would pay $100,000 to hear anyone speak, let alone Sarah Palin. Where are those made for TV anti-wasteful spending Tea Party supporters now? But that's the whole point right?

Crazy Cynthia Davis Insults African-American Witness, Trashes Low-Income Families and Embarrasses State, GOP and MO House During Health Hearing

We're one month into the year and in prime time for Crazy Cynthia Davis to get back to her all too typical circus as Missouri's Craziest Republican ---believe us when it takes a special craziness to take that prize as there are lots of them in Jefferson City.

Fired Up! Missouri is reporting that Davis' comments during a hearing "left fellow representatives and the crowd aghast as she shared her thoughts with a witness -- who happened to be an African American -- about the nutrition habits of 'your people' and 'your community.'

Davis reportedly questioned the witness about her faith background, and then expressed concern about what she perceived to be poor choices made by food stamp recipients, making multiple references to white milk being preferable to chocolate milk."

One witness wrote to the blog saying "I was there for the hearing and can confirm that those statements were said and that there were jaws on the ground as she (Davis) was saying them. The Chair, Rep. Cooper was wholeheartedly embarrassed and was seen visibly laughing at the absurdity of one of his members. He was so nervous about what else she might say, when the next witness came to testify, he cut off questions at the time it was Davis' turn to open her mouth again.

The committee members with nearly no exception were embarrassed and uncomfortable as she backhandedly insulted a witness of the committee.

In all the years I've been doing this, it was one of the most appalling moments in a committee ever. Truly amazing."

Remember Cynthia Davis is the Republican elected official that spent most of 2009 touring the country trying to convince people that our President is not a U.S. Citizen---now that's crazy!

And for most Republicans and Democrats in Jefferson City, Cynthia Davis is seen as a complete joke. But for The KC Blue Blog we take her incompetence and all too frequent race, religious and social class prejudice seriously.

Each month, over 867,000 Missourians that receive food stamps and thousands of children in Missouri receive subsidized child care. While it may be a surprise to Rep. Davis, it's no suprise to the rest of the state that these men, women and children in need are not part of one or two demographics. In today's economic climate, these Missourians belong to every single demographic imaginable. So why was Rep. Davis in the meeting singling out members of the African-American community?

In a state with over 768,000 African-Americans this type of racism and prejudice has no place in our capital.

In a city where over 2,000 African Americans currently call home--and hundreds of thousands live in surrounding area--, where 39% of the population is under 24 years of age, where the fastest growing demographic are the Hispanic/Latino and Indo-European communities (source), and where over 1,200 families have a household income of less than $20,000 (source) we don't think that Davis' comments or representation of Missouri or O'Fallen are in any way American, professional or acceptable.

Because of this as well as the extensive list of previous racist and prejudice filled remarks, we are calling on Rep. Cynthia Davis to step down from office. Similarly, We are calling on both Cynthia Davis, David Cole and Lloyd Smith to not only give a formal apology to the witness she insulted before The Missouri House of Representatives, but to also give a public formal apology to the African-American communities around the state. Additionally, we are calling on Rep. Davis, David Cole and Lloyd Smith to formally send a letter to the 2,000 African-Americans living in O'Fallen as well as the 1,200 plus families currently earning less than $20,000 per year formally apologizing for her unprofessional--and disgusting at best--comments, behavior and overall lack of understanding and representation.

To Contact The Missouri GOP and demand the same, please call and e-mail the following:

204 E. Dunklin Avenue
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Phone: 573-636-3146
Fax: 573-636-3273
Email: info@mogop.org

To Contact Crazy, Racist and Prejudice Cynthia Davis, please call and e-mail:

Rep. Cynthia Davis
201 W. Capitol Ave., Room 112
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Cynthia.Davis@house.mo.gov
Phone: 573-751-9768
636- 240-6369

AIG Just Doesn't Get It

Everyone give a standing applause to AIG for continuously taking the award for one of America's most unethical corporations. As Americans, it seems like every year their actions just make us want to vomit and in 2010 our nausea won't be going away.

This year, in the middle of a financial crisis, AIG will be giving out over $100 million dollars in bonuses to members of its financial division. To understand why Americans are really upset over this, please allow us to walk you through part of AIG's recent financial history.

On September 16, 2008, AIG suffered a liquidity crisis following the downgrade of its credit rating. After a 52-week high of $70.13, AIG's share prices had fallen over 95% to just $1.25. The company reported over $13.2 billion in losses in the first six months of the year.

In what was the largest government bailout of a private company, that evening the Federal Reserve Bank's Board of Governors announced that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York had been authorized to create a 24-month credit-liquidity facility from which AIG could draw up to $85 billion. AIG drew down US$ 28 billion of the credit-liquidity facility on September 17, 2008. On September 22, 2008, AIG was removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average. An additional $37.8 billion credit facility was established in October. As of October 24, AIG had drawn a total of $90.3 billion from the emergency loan, of a total $122.8 billion.

The following week, AIG employees and distributors participated in a California retreat which cost $444,000 and featured spa treatments, banquets, and golf outings.

It was reported that the trip was a reward for top-performing life-insurance agents planned before the bailout. Less than 24 hours after the news of the party was first reported by the media, it was reported that the Federal Reserve had agreed to give AIG an additional loan of up to $37.8 billion.

AP reported on October 17 that AIG executives spent $86,000 on a previously scheduled English hunting trip. News of the lavish spending came just days after AIG received an additional $37.8 billion loan from the Federal Reserve, on top of a previous $85 billion emergency loan granted the month before. Regarding the hunting trip, the company responded, "We regret that this event was not canceled."

An October 30, 2008 article from CNBC reported that AIG had already drawn upon $90 billion of the $123 billion allocated for loans. On November 10, 2008, just a few days before renegotiating another bailout with the US Government for $40 billion, ABC News reported that AIG spent $343,000 on a trip to a lavish resort in Phoenix, Arizona.

By March of 2009 AIG had already received over 150 billion dollars in bailout money but yet the spending spree was just getting started.

In the exact same month, AIG announced that they were going to pay out $165 million in executive bonuses and that total bonuses for just the financial unit could reach $450 million while bonuses for the entire company could reach $1.2 billion. Let's not also forget that before getting fired Joe Casson, former President of AIG, was earning $280 million in cash with about another $40 million in bonuses.


Other points to watch out for is the end of AIG's sponsorship contract with the global soccer powerhouse Manchester United. While AON Corporation seems to be the principal sponsor of the team, AIG's could make a move to sponsor this club again costing the company another 100 million dollars.

And yet, today the company has again announced over $100 million dollars in bonuses--again allow us to remind you that this is just for the financial division of the company.

What was that George W. Bush quote "Fool me once. Fool me twice..rrrruh rurrughblah"?--err something like that.

While paraphrased instead of a direct quote, that one still doesn't apply to this situation. Why not you ask?

Simple. Because it's time someone from AIG goes to jail.