REPUBLICANS EMBRACE SURGE, CRITICIZE TIMETABLEMCCASKILL: "THOUGHTFUL STRATEGY"SKELTON HAS QUESTIONSMissouri's leading Republicans praised President Obama's call to infuse Afghanistan with 30,000 additional troops but contended a timetable for withdrawal could undermine the goal of the mission.
Following up on my post from Sunday, Janese Heavin has a story today for the Daily Tribune outlining UM System President Gary Forsee's various stock holdings and ties to corporations. Essentially, Forsee's response to questions about his financial interest in Great Plains Energy -- an energy holding company [...]
Friends and Supporters,
Today, Rep. Cynthia Davis (R-Other Universe) introduced HJR 49, a constitutional amendment very similar to the Missouri Roundtable for Life's latest ballot initiative (their 30th in 22 months) that would, in supporters' words, "stop taxpayer funding of abortion, human cloning, and embryonic stem cell' [...]
JEFFERSON CITY — Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields unveiled new ethics legislation today. But a key plank looks a lot like old ethics legislation that courts have twice thrown out.
Shields wants to bar lobbyists from contributing to legislators’ and…
[...]
House Democratic leaders are filing a package of bills that includes limits on campaign contributions, a one-year waiting period before elected officials and their staffers become lobbyists and expanded disclosure requirements for government employees who do political campaign work on the side.
Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Sheilds (R-St. Jospeh) [...]
Burris and his wife, Berlean, with the Salahis at a Black Caucus event
Looks like the senator who landed in Washington amid Rod Blagojevich’s spectacular political crash had a run-in with a pair of alleged [...]
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser has released the statement he sent former City Manager Wayne Cauthen last week, outlining the reasons for his removal. It's thin on details:
RE: Statement of Reasons for Removal
Dear Wayne, On November 24, 2009, you had hand-delivered to the City Clerk your letter demanding a written [...]
From the office of Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts:
Today, Sen. Roberts said the huge cuts to Medicare in the partisan health care reform bill would be devastating to seniors.
On the Senate floor today, Senator Roberts spoke in favor of an effort by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to eliminate the devastating Medicare [...]
TPMDC reports that Rep. Ike Skelton, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Kit Bond, Ranking Member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, are on the list of select Congressional leaders to meet with President Obama at the White House just before tonight's speech on Afghanistan.
After the meeting, [...]
Sure, there were a lot more interesting and important bills out filed today, but this bill from Rep. Jason Brown (R-Platte City) made me chuckle:
In this blogger's opinion, Newfoundland is suspiciously close to both Quebec and Europe, places where socialist ninnies speak in [...]
Most of the Republican candidates running for Congress in the 7th District won't be attending Sarah Palin's events in the Ozarks Wednesday.But auctioneer Billy Long will attend the speech and a special private V.I.P. meet and greet after her appearance at College of the Ozarks.Palin [...] 
Faculty members were taken by surprise when they read in the Tribune that [University of Missouri System President Gary] Forsee sent a letter opposing the bill, said Dan Hooley, a professor of classical studies and chairman of MU’s Environmental Affairs and Sustainability Committee.
“He seems to be speaking unilaterally but [...]
Quinn
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn a few minutes ago told reporters in Chicago that he thinks the state should “take a look” at a controversial proposal by the horse racing industry to have slot machines at the tracks…
[...]
Eric Bowers never fails to impress and even manages to make Kansas City's upcoming, elitist monstrosity look nice. [...] 
I don't know much about Mr. Scherer's Congressional Run in JoCo . . . But I'm convinced that if he's screwing around with JoCo bloggers he's probably undeserving of any attention or consideration. [...] 
Check out Committee for County Progress (CCP) and their incoming crew of dimwits leaders working on behalf of people who don't want to think for themselves.' [...] Republican state Rep. Will Kraus said today he will run for the Missouri State Senate in District 8.
The district, currently represented by Sen. Matt Bartle, encompasses much of Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs in eastern Jackson County.
Already in the race are two other GOP state lawmakers: Bryan Pratt and Gary Dusenberg.
One other Republican who had been [...]
Senate Leader Charlie Shields introduced legislation Tuesday that would bar lobbyists from contributing to any incumbent legislator or the Governor during the legislative session that runs between January and May.Tuesday is the first day lawmakers can file legislation for the 2010 session.Shields' three-pronged legislation would also' [...] WASHINGTON — For recently laid-off Missourians and Illinoisans, a federal subsidy for health insurance worth about $700 per month starts to expire today.
This year, an estimated 7 million people nationwide will benefit from a subsidy that eases the cost of maintaining…
[...]The Maryland Heights Planning and Zoning Commission sounds just a little bit defensive about the city’s ban on new carports:
“We’re not saying anything against anyone who lives in a house with a carport,” said Chuck Caverly, vice chairman of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, which recommended the change.
Is [...]
Dave Helling today chronicled the struggles of two area political clubs, Freedom Inc. and the Citizens Association.
One other club still very much in the mix -- the Committee for County Progress, or CCP.
At its recent annual meeting, the club elected the following officers for the 2010-2011 term:
Dick Rhyne [...]
From left, aldermen French, Triplett, Young and Cohn at Planned Parenthood
ST. LOUIS — The three youngest members of the city’s Board of Aldermen and their most tenured colleague were at Planned Parenthood today to mark World [...]
Honestly, have you ever said to yourself: "There are just too many Tea Party-themed novelty songs in this world?" Of course not.
h/t Dave Weigel
[...]The City Market’s popular Succotash has completed its move to the Longfellow neighborhood just east of Crown Center and south of Hospital Hill. They had a soft opening last week at 26th and Holmes. A dinner menu and a bar are on the way. And for those wondering about [...]
Charlie Dooley
St. Louis County officials today discussed with the county council a tight budget for next year that would barely keep reserves at the 10 percent level the county needs to preserve its highly-desirable AAA credit rating.
“We may get a…
[...]This is what things looked like this morning on the St. Louis County Republican Central Committee Twitter feed. Apparently, the "only explanation" for time elapsed before charges were filed regarding the Mehlville town hall disturbance is that St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley said "Yes massuh" to the "white [...]
UPDATE: With more on the vote.
TOPEKA | Plans for a casino overlooking the Kansas Speedway took a major step forward Tuesday when a state panel unanimously approved the project.
Construction on the Hollywood Casino could begin late next year, with opening day in early 2012.
The casino will be built on Turn [...]
WASHINGTON — They brought in Democratic Party muscle and a Minnesota Vikings linebacker to help make the case.
Even so, the ethanol industry and the St. Louis-based National Corn Growers Association took a jarring hit hit this morning when the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would delay…
[...]This Thursday the regional Academy for Sustainable Communities will host another seminar in the Building a Healthy Heartland series. Thursday’s event focuses on the role of transportation policies in public health.
Event information and registration
December 3rd, 8:30 am – Noon.
Sylvester Powell Community Center.
6200 Martway, Mission, Kan.
[...]
State Sen. David WysongKansas state Sen. David Wysong of Mission Hills has mailed letters to GOP precinct committeemen and women announcing that he is resigning his seat.
Wysong, a key moderate, wrote that his resignation is "due to family considerations."
His last day in office will [...]
State Sen. Chuck Purgason was on the Dana Loesch radio program on 97.1 FM in St. Louis last week to deliver his now-familiar critique of the "the Republican Party pretty much paving the way for Congressman [Roy] Blunt." In the interview, Loesch praised Purgason for [...]
Missourinet's Steve Walsh reported late yesterday afternoon that complaints have been filed against state Sen. Bill Stouffer (R-Napton) with the Federal Election Commission and the Missouri Ethics Commission. The complaints, filed by CMU student Chris Brockway, essentially state that:
Stouffer allegedly used campaign funds for an unspecified' [...]KC should not act rashly on Platte County development
Missouri should look into tolls, privatization of road maintenance
Today is World Aids Day, state Rep. Brian Yates is planning to resign today and begin working for payday lender QC Holdings in Kansas City, and how Thanksgiving [...]
Drury
As President Obama prepares to make his big announcement on Afghanistan tonight, the work of one Mizzou political science teacher offers some insight into winning over the public: Use words that are easy to understand.
And be careful not to confuse any of…
[...]
Retired billionaire Rex Sinquefield, who has already contributed more than a half million dollars to favored candidates and party committees this year, added another one to his recent spree today.Fifty-four years ago today a 42 year old (my current age) woman refused to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Of course the woman was Rosa Parks:
Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered [...]
Kurt Greenbaum didn’t like the repeated anonymous comment from a reader on the website of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He saw where the comment came from (a school) so he contacted them - a violation of a portion of their privacy policy:
We will not share individual user information with [...]
The Star profiles local jazz people coming together for the legendary 82 year-old bass player. [...] 
Bottom Line Communications sums up things for America's favorite golfer quite well and even offers a bit of advice: "Tiger Woods Not Handling Crisis Well" [...] 
Everybody knows that I find most of the Letters to The Editor in the Springfield News Leader to be the same old garbage day after day. The fact that the News Leader considers right-wing propaganda written by local hillbillies worthy of print bothers me. Not [...] 
KCTV5: Casino developers 
Another 
Nick Sloan for The Kansas City Kansan: 
Mary Anne's About.com blog: 
