Jackson County Democratic Committee

For Immediate Release: May 12 , 2010
Contact: Ryan Hobart (573) 636-5241 Ext. 125

HOME IS WHERE THE LOBBYISTS ARE: CONGRESSMAN BLUNT FORGETS (AGAIN) WHO HE WORKS FOR, ADMITS WASHINGTON, DC IS HOME ON VIDEO

Blunt Says He Lives “Pretty Close” to Upscale Grocery Store while attending “VIP Gala” with Washington Lobbyists and Social Elite

View the Video HERE

Jefferson City, MO – The MDP released new video footage of Congressman “Bailout” Blunt attending a VIP Gala for lobbyists and the Washington, DC social elite at the “Social Safeway” grocery store event last week. On the video, Congressman “Bailout” Blunt, amidst the clanking of champagne glasses, comfortably tells the camera that he lives “pretty close” to the new upscale grocery store in Georgetown. The nonchalant behavior at a Washington elite social function serves as yet another reminder of how Congressman Blunt has come a long way from Springfield to become the very worst of Washington during his last 13 years there.

Congressman Blunt joined with over 650 Members of Congress, lobbyists and social climbers as they enjoyed a Belvedere Vodka fountain and brie cheese flown in from Paris, France in the swanky Georgetown neighborhood [Washington Post, 5/6/10].

“This might be the one case where we can take Congressman ‘Bailout’ Blunt at his word: he stopped calling Missouri his home a long time ago,” said Ryan Hobart, Communications Director for the Missouri Democratic Party. “In fact, the ‘Social Safeway’ is right around the corner from the multi-million dollar mansion he and his lobbyist wife Abigail are building in Washington. If there is one thing that is clear, it is that Congressman ‘Bailout’ Blunt has forgotten where he came from and is never coming back to Missouri.”

This isn’t the first time Congressman Blunt has forgotten where his home is. Last year, he had listed his Washington, DC mansion in Georgetown as his primary residence and owed nearly $7,000 in back taxes.

Long time Washington incumbent Congressman Blunt has 8 opponents, including Tea Party favorite State Senator Chuck Purgason, in the Missouri primary for U.S. Senate.

For more information about the Missouri Democratic Party visit www.MissouriDems.org and follow us on Twitter www.Twitter.com/MoDemParty.

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There are only 190 days until the 2010 election.

Many of you have been at work long before now. You’ve held strategy sessions all across the country to discuss how to most effectively help candidates in your community who are fighting to bring about change.

At OFA headquarters, we’ve been poring over your ideas, your input, and the best data we can get our hands on to determine the most helpful role we can play.

Together, based on that feedback, we’ve crafted a comprehensive electoral plan that can make a big difference in the upcoming elections.

President Obama recorded a video message to share our goals for 2010 with you — and to remind us what’s at stake. Watch it now.

We’ve accomplished a lot together. But we’re in for a tough fight this fall.

Historical trends aren’t in our favor — the president’s party generally loses seats in the first midterm election. And even though President Obama has taken bold steps like the Recovery Act to put us back on the path to prosperity, escaping from a financial crisis like this one takes time.

The prognosticators and pundits are predicting steep losses for the Democrats. The Republicans are already measuring the drapes for their new offices, saying that anything short of an electoral landslide that gives them back control of Congress won’t be a victory.

But these are the same folks who said Barack Obama could never become president, the same ones who said we were trying to do too much, too fast — and that we’d never pass historic health reform. They were wrong then, and they’re wrong now.

I believe we can avoid the nightmare electoral scenario that Republicans in Washington have already convinced themselves will happen. But only if we work together.

Two years ago, we challenged a group of young and disaffected voters to participate in the 2008 election. They cast votes for the very first time and helped us elect a new president. You told us that your top priority for 2010 was to help these people head back to the polls — and we built our plan around that goal.

President Obama has America heading in the right direction. But our opponents want to repeal health reform. They’re standing with Wall Street banks to block any efforts to rein in reckless behavior and protect consumers. And they’re attacking a foreign policy that has renewed America’s standing in the world. They are eager to undo all we’ve done.

The stakes are high. And that’s the level of commitment we need from you. So watch the President introduce our 2010 plan — and find out how you can get involved in the fight:

http://2010.barackobama.com

It’s a pleasure to continue our work together,

David Plouffe

Last week, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell got all 41 GOP senators to promise to oppose Wall Street reform. He thought President Obama would back down in the face of a unified show of force.

He was wrong.

Instead, the President stood in front of Wall Street bankers Thursday, going to bat for consumers and confronting the toughest of crowds with a strong message: Reform is good for Americans, good for the market, and it’s time to get on board.

Bipartisan discussions have begun again — but Wall Street lobbyists are still swarming Capitol Hill, trying to trip up negotiations and maintain the gridlock that has defined Washington for far too long.

So now, it’s up to us. We need to show Republican senators that the American people are watching closely to see whose side they end up on.

Tell Republicans in the Senate to stand up to the special interests and work with the President to pass Wall Street reform.

The President laid out a bold plan to hold Wall Street accountable, to protect American taxpayers by ensuring they’ll never again be asked to bail out a big firm “too big to fail,” and to put in place the strongest consumer financial protections ever proposed.

But this fight isn’t just about fixing Wall Street. It’s also about fixing Washington.

For too long, it’s been a place where special interests have set the rules and petty partisanship has stood in the way of progress. As the President said Thursday, “We can and must put this kind of cynical politics aside.”

Thanks to strong leadership from the President and Democrats in Congress, the gridlock is starting to crack, and Republicans are slowly giving signs that they’ll come on board. The Senate has even scheduled a preliminary vote for Monday at 5:15 p.m.

But Wall Street lobbyists are flooding in to firm up opposition — trying to carve out loopholes and exemptions for big banks and lenders who have long exploited consumers.

The only sure-fire way to make sure that the special interests don’t get their way is to show Senate Republicans that Americans are standing firmly with the President. Tell them to join us to fight for American families who are counting on reform, not the big Wall Street banks. Send a letter today:

http://my.barackobama.com/WallStreetReformLetters

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

P.S. — Want to learn more about what reform means for you? Check out our online Wall Street reform resource center.

OBAMA UNDERESTIMATED
By Reggie Marselus

Back in January, 2010, the Republicans were absolutely elated at the result of the Senatorial election in Massachusetts. A seat that had been held by a Democrat Ted Kennedy for decades was now theirs. They had accomplished what was publicly phrased as a momentous defeat for the Democrats.

This election, according to Sean Hannity, proved that the age of the Democrats was over. The people of Massachusetts- and by extent the people of America- had rejected the evil liberals once and for all. The drive to Socialism, Communism and every other “ism” was now finished for good.

It was party time.

Now, the game was different. All was lost for the prospect of the Obama agenda. With the Republicans walking in lock step against everything the Whitehouse wanted, “Happy Days Were Here Again”. The Democrats no longer had the 60 seat super-majority in the United States Senate. They could not stop a filibuster, which the Republicans were using at a breakneck pace.

Most importantly, the result of this election was now cast as an absolute end to the Health Care Reform legislation. The numbers along with public perception were now in the favor of the opposition. The Democrats would be faced with collapse of their monumental and historical piece of lawmaking.

As an added piece of cake for the party, soon after that election, Nancy Pelosi held a news conference. The purpose was to lay out the strategy for getting the Health Care bill passed. The Republicans were laughing at her expression of resolution. They relished her obstinacy.

They launched onto the television channels, radio stations, and newspaper opinion pages. They used her appearance at the news conference to prove to the nation how out of touch she was with reality. Anyone who got the chance to grab a microphone or look into a camera took her to task for even thinking she could accomplish anything.

Not only Obama’s agenda, but now Nancy Pelosi’s leadership and Harry Reid’s dedication to the work were now in the trash heap. All three were the picture of failure and the pointed butt of jokes and guffaws.

There was no way that she, Obama or anyone else could get that bill through. The Republicans had the numbers, the determination, and their interpretation of public outrage. There was also no shortage of Democratic Congressional doubts and uneasiness. The tumult was having a devastating effect.

With the defeat of this bill, predictions abounded for the demise of Obama’s agenda and the legacy of his Presidency. They framed it in the same way that an unpopular war and the economic crisis were framed as President Bush’s downfall. This would end Obama’s chance to be the man of change and progress.

The Democrats were finished. Hallelujah!

The problem with that analogy is that someone forgot to tell President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

At the news conference, Nancy Pelosi made this statement about how they were going to pass the bill: “You go through the gate. If the gate is closed you go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in. But we are going to get health care reform passed for the American people”.

And so began the work. And what a work it was!

After more than a year of town meetings, demonstrations, debate and vitriolic opposition, negotiation, midnight Congressional meetings and endless analysis, the bill passed. It is now the law of the land. Now the process of integrating it into American life begins.

But what happened? How could it be?

How is it possible that the Republicans lost? They should have won with flying colors, flying flags and flying balloons. They should have been able to ride the tsunami of political support after Scott Brown’s election right through to the defeat of this bill and Obama himself.

However, as we now know, all the predictions were premature. The opposition’s carefully counted chickens never hatched. As elated as they were after Massachusetts, that’s how deflated they are now. What went up came back down again. And it came back down with a thud. The national right wing spin machine coughed, choked, sputtered and broke down like one of those cartoon cars that runs out of gas and melts into a heap.

They had titans of powerful assistance.

The list is long: FOX NEWS, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Washington Times, FOX Business Channel, Rush Limbaugh and all of conservative talk radio, columnists, pundits, professors, doctors, lawyers, CEO’s, investors, Corporate America and on and on.

They all underestimated President Barack Obama.

His administration along with the Democratic Congressional leadership were up to the job. Their ability to gather a coalition, keep it together and use it for what needed to be accomplished was never more misjudged.

This legislative victory has historical connotations. Not since the implementation of Social Security and Medicare has law been more applicable to the future of Americans. And it was all on Obama’s shoulders.

Had it fallen to defeat, history would have recorded that Obama failed. And he would have had to serve out his term in office without that victory. The opposition would really be partying at his expense.

But it was not to be.

History will now record that President Barack Obama has accomplished the largest of his goals for the American people so far. The drive to change the landscape of American Health Care has been successful. Now it’s on to greater things.

As for the Republicans, will they ever underestimate Obama again? Stay tuned. As the saying goes, “Never doubt the ability of someone to repeat their mistake”.

[Reggie Marselus is a retired electrician and President of the Retirees Club of IBEW Local 124. H lives in Lenexa]

David Frum, the man who coined term “Axis of Evil” while working in the Bush administration, wrote a scathing blog post about the Republican’s strategy (or lack thereof) on healthcare reform. He described the passage of healthcare reform as Republicans “most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.” It’s hard to argue with him.

The Republican strategy was to obfuscate and deny–repeatedly. Conservatives seem to think they are going to win big this fall on a repeal platform, but even Frum isn’t so convinced.

Yesterday, I attended President Obama’s healthcare reform speech in Iowa City.  It’s looking more like Democrats are going to spend the next six months extolling the virtues of the healthcare bill and challenging Republicans on their lack of strategy. As Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh get louder and more vitriolic, some conservatives are sick of the radical right in the media controlling their message.

Naturally, someone in the Republican party has to be listening to this man, right? NOPE. He was fired yesterday. Turns out the Republican strategy behind closed doors is the same as their legislative strategy. Lie and deny.

David Frum fired after lamenting Republican failure on healthcare.

Today is the one year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, legislation, that this morning President Obama remarked during comments about the bill:  “One year later, it is largely thanks to the recovery act that a second depression is no longer a possibility,” Obama said.

No one is saying that this was a perfect piece of legislation, there is no such thing.  However what if we had done nothing?  What if we let bank after bank fail in this country, what would our present circumstances be like?

Mr. Obama explained the backdrop when last year he signed the recovery act in Denver, the economy hemorrhaging jobs in the middle of a recession– which he said was not a politically easy decision to make, or for members of Congress to support.

“No larger expenditure is ever that popular, particularly at a time when we’re also facing a massive deficit.  But we acted because failure to do so would have led to catastrophe.  We acted because we had a larger responsibility than simply winning the next election.  We had a responsibility to do what was right for the U.S. economy and for the American people.” – President Obama

Would there have been a run on banks like during the great depression? Would there have been long lines at food pantries and soup kitchens? Oh wait, we have experienced all of that in the past year, but on a small scale. Economists agree with the President, “it may not feel like a recovery”, yet but we are well on our way.

And what has the GOP done?  They have railed time and again against this President, they have obfuscated bill after bill, issue after issue. All in the name of what?  Ideology? Because it is certainly not because of a desire to govern.

Our system of democracy works best when our members of government can sit down and negotiate, good government is about compromise, nuance and respect. Today’s GOP has lost all credibility.  Members of the Senate like Orin Hatch and Lindsay Graham, Republican Senators who have always understood the role of the Senate and the benefit of compromise and negotiation are few and far between. Today’s GOP has become about posturing and soundbites, their leadership as time and again refused all serious overtures of bipartisanship by this President and our country has suffered because of it. The Grand Obstructionist Party is interested in 2 major things: saying No in front of the cameras and rallys, and quietly inserting earmarks into bills that they vote against in the hallowed halls of Congress and take credit for back home.

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

What has the ARRA done here in Missouri?  And what have the Missouri GOP said or done? Well they are taking their marching orders from Washington, and the one Senator we have in D.C. who has consistently railed against earmarks finally called them on it…

As Democrats we must continue to show what a positive things this Act has done…becuase “what might have been”, is too scary to think about.

This is Claire – your U.S. Senator. New for this year, I’m conducting a survey of Missourians and I want your opinion.

Since coming to Washington, I’ve worked hard at making the government more accountable to you, my bosses in Missouri. That’s why I want to know your priorities for 2010.

Fill out the survey now and let me know your priorities for this year.

I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

All the best,

Claire

P.S. – If you’d rather not receive emails from me anymore, please feel free to unsubscribe here.

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

Just one question between this Documentary and the movie coming, how on earth will Roy Blunt distance himself from his Washington Mentors?

Video here.

Robin Carnahan Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Regarding Campaign Finance Limits

Saint Louis, MO – Today Robin Carnahan released the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on campaign finance limits:

“The last thing we need in politics is more money and more attacks from corporate special interests and this ruling will allow that.  I’m frankly disgusted that, at a time when more and more working families just want their voices heard, the Supreme Court in Washington basically just put them on mute and gave big corporations and power brokers a megaphone.  Washington corporate special interests and lobbyists will get to continue to game the system, buy off members of both parties and amass more power at the expense of everyone else and that’s just plain wrong.”

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This video makes me sad.  God is not a Democrat or a Republican.  If you think God is always on your side of a political fight, then maybe you have made God into your image, not the other way around.  God does not strike down Republican or Democratic Senators for their votes on health care reform.  The efforts by Republicans to stir up people of faith may indeed “backfire,” as the caller referenced, but it won’t be from God.  As we near the celebration of Christmas, my faith tradition tells me to love my neighbor (Republican and Democrat).  It is my prayer that on this Christmas that we all can pause from trying to fit God into our politics and that the entire world (Jewish, Muslim or Christian) can experience a little more peace.

Stephen R. Bough

News from

Senator Claire McCaskill

For Immediate Release November 4, 2009                                          

Strengthening Medicare Through Health Care Reform

A column by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill

Thousands of Missouri seniors, like my mother Betty Anne, rely on Medicare for their health care. However, if Medicare remains on the same course as it is today, it will run out of money by 2017 and seniors may be without coverage.

Additionally, without adequate reforms, Medicare is on track to cut payments to physicians by as much as 21 percent starting next year, which may cause some doctors to drop Medicare patients.

By rooting out more than $400 billion in identified waste, fraud, and inefficiencies, we can make sure Medicare remains solvent for years to come, ensure doctors are paid fairly so that seniors can keep their doctors, and not cut benefits for seniors.

Let me say that again – no Medicare benefits would be cut through these reforms.

Now I know that’s not what we’ve been hearing from recent advertisements and in these new “reports”.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Those advertisements and “reports” are all coming from the same group – the health insurance industry.

However, despite the billions of dollars being spent to stop health insurance reform, the truth is starting to catch up. Just last month, a tax firm that prepared a recent “report” admitted that they were asked to provide skewed, cherry-picked information.

Ultimately, the assertion that reforms to Medicare would result in cuts is simply not true. The AARP has emphasized that there are no cuts to Medicare in the reform bills and that reform is critical to improving and maintaining Medicare benefits for seniors.

In fact, the most recent version of health insurance reform legislation in the U.S. Senate includes a package of new benefits.

Reforms would protect spouses from being forced to meet poverty requirements in order to access Medicaid home and community-based programs.

Medicare beneficiaries would be newly eligible for free preventative care services, like mammograms and colonoscopy screenings without deductibles, copayments and other cost-sharing fees.

Reform would reduce by as much as 50 percent the gap in prescription drug coverage.  Seniors are currently paying an average of $4,080 per year because of the Medicare Part D “donut hole” coverage gap.

Further, by making current programs like the privately-managed Medicare Advantage program more efficient, Medicare could save more that $100 billion over the next ten years.

Medicare Advantage costs on average 14 percent more than traditional Medicare, despite no evidence that care under the program is superior. And although only some beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, all Medicare beneficiaries subsidize that extra cost. It is important to level the playing field and ensure efficiency, as well as excellence, in both the government and private programs.

And we’ve all seen the television advertisements for medical devices subsidized by Medicare, like motorized scooters, which highlight the commercial profit to be made from Medicare payments. While scooters cost suppliers $1,048, Medicare is charged as much as $4,018.

With many opportunities to improve efficiency and root out waste in Medicare as a part of health insurance reform, seniors can enjoy improved benefits and continue seeing the doctors of their choice.

And the best part is that through common-sense reforms, this effective health care coverage will be available to future generations of seniors.

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Imagine this it’s November 3rd 2010, we wake up and Missouri has a new Senator.  A Senator who has spent their career in bed with lobbyists and big oil. A Senator whose number one interest is that of himself and his family.

Imagine this it’s November 3rd 2010, we wake up and Missouri has a new Auditor, an Auditor who campaigned on transparency but instead we  have ended up with yet another politician more interested in themselves than the people of Missouri, or worse yet an Auditor who has made Missouri a laughing stock:

So yes friends fundraising matters.  These early quarters help to build momentum, and get a team in place.

Believe me no one wants to wake up to Senator Blunt and Auditor Davis, just thinking about it makes me shiver.