Saturday, June 30, 2012

Video: Scott Rupp on Healthcare Exchanges and his Campaign for Missouri Secretary of State


On Friday, Republican Missouri Secretary of State candidate Scott Rupp spoke to the St. Charles Pachyderm Club. Rupp talked about the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold Obamacare and, in particular, his work as a Missouri state senator to stop the implementation of health exchanges in Missouri. Rupp played a role last September in thwarting Gov. Jay Nixon's attempt to implement the Healthcare Exchange envisioned in Obamacare here in Missouri. Rupp also discussed the importance of the Secretary of State's office for Missouri businesses and the office's role in fighting voter fraud.

Friday, June 29, 2012

In the Fight: Episode 64


The Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System produced Episode 64 of In The Fight. Here's their description of this half-hour show:
On this episode, we see what it takes to execute a combat operation in Afghanistan, Soldiers are put through their paces to become members of the Afghan Special Forces, nineteen countries prepare for a multi-national exercise known as Eager Lion, progressive steps are being taken to change discrimination in Afghanistan, and an Afghan athlete prepares for the summer Olympics.

Video: St. Louis Tea Party Protest Obamacare Ruling


The St. Louis Tea Party held a rally to protest the Supreme Court's decision to uphold Obamacare on the evening the ruling was handed down. Speakers included Michelle Moore, Bill Hennessy, Stephanie Rubach, and the Gateway Pundit. Included in the video playlist above:

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Photos: St. Louis Tea Party Protests Obamacare Ruling


The St. Louis Tea Party gathered at the top of Art Hill in Forest Park to protest the Supreme Court decision upholding Obamacare. In a controversial ruling Thursday morning, the Court held that Obama's signature healthcare legislation would remain in place because the so-called individual mandate was, in fact, a tax.

Supreme Court Vindicates Joe Wilson, Rules that Obama's a Liar

By now you've seen that the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare in a 5-4 ruling. The ruling found that there was no basis in the Commerce Clause for Obamacare as the government's lawyers had argued; however, the high court cited the government's taxing authority:
The justices rejected two of the administration's three arguments in support of the insurance requirement. But the court said the mandate can be construed as a tax. "Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness," Roberts said.
Because Obama promised not to raise taxes on the middle class and the Supreme Court has now ruled that Obamacare is a series of taxes, the Court has handed the president what could be a Pyrrhic victory on his signature legislative accomplishment. In short, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court found that Republican Rep. Joe Wilson was right when he said of President Obama: "you lie". It's good to see the Court take such an active role in the 2012 Presidential campaign. Perhaps the next American president will be a bit more respectful of the Supreme Court lest a Justice accurately observe that the president's comments at a State of the Union address are "not true".

Update: Great quote from Chief Justice Roberts in his majority opinion:
Members of this Court are vested with the authority tointerpret the law; we possess neither the expertise northe prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our Nation’s elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences oftheir political choices.
Supreme Court Decision on Affordable Care Act

Video: Cole McNary at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for Treasurer of Missouri, Cole McNary, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Video: Bill Randles at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for Governor of Missouri, Bill Randles, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Video: Fred Sauer at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for Governor of Missouri, Fred Sauer, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Video: Dave Spence at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for Governor of Missouri, Dave Spence, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Video: Let's Imagine that there's a Greek Economy


Another humorous take on the European crisis from the Australian satirists Clarke and Dawe. Enjoy!

Video: Jim Lembke at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for state Senate in Missouri, Jim Lembke, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Video: Robyn Hamlin at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for US Congress in Missouri's First Congressional District, Robyn Hamlin, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Video: Martin Baker at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for US Congress in Missouri's First Congressional District, Martin Baker, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Video: The Daily Caller Interviews Indiana Tea Party Leader Greg Fettig


The Daily Caller: Leaders with Ginni Thomas: Greg Fettig:
Fettig helped lead the tea party charge that propelled Richard Mourdock over six-term incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar in Indiana’s May 8 Republican primary. That effort led FreedomWorks’ Matt Kibbe to call the tea party activism in the state the “gold standard” in electioneering. 
Fettig recently spoke with The Daily Caller’s Ginni Thomas about why Lugar lost, the lessons he learned from the effort that could help other tea party activists, whether Mourdock will be able to win in November and much more.
Greg Fettig and the Tea Parties of Indiana learned in 2010 the importance of uniting behind one Tea Party candidate when the four US Senate candidates that various Indiana Tea Partiers had supported lost to the establishment candidate. Fettig discusses several other lessons. Watch the whole thing.

Video: Shane Schoeller at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for Missouri Secretary of State, Shane Schoeller, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Video: Scott Rupp at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic



Republican candidate for Missouri Secretary of State, Scott Rupp, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Video: Ed Martin at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


Republican candidate for Missouri Attorney General, Ed Martin, speaks in south St. Louis Sunday afternoon. The St. Louis GOP held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park drawing Republican politicians from across the state to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Photos: Missouri GOP Candidates at the St. Louis City GOP Picnic


The Republican Party of St. Louis held its annual picnic Sunday at Carondelet Park in south city. Republican politicians from across the state were there to meet the voters and deliver their stump speeches.

Over the next few days, I'll be posting video of Missouri Secretary of State candidates Scott Rupp and Shane Schoeller; Treasury candidate Cole McNary; Gubernatorial candidates Bill Randles, Fred Sauer, and Dave Spence; candidates for Congress in Missouri's First Congressional District Robyn Hamlin and Martin Baker; Attorney General candidate Ed Martin; and St. Louis city Sheriff candidate Vroman Sternberg.

Video: Ron Calzone on Eminent Domain Abuse


Ron Calzone of Missouri Citizens for Property Rights spoke to the St. Louis Tea Party's June After Party about the fight against eminent domain abuse in Missouri. Calzone began with a brief discussion of economic freedom before covering the legal fight in the Show Me State that's been going on since the landmark Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London. Calzone expects to have a ballot initiative in 2013 to protect Missourians from eminent domain abuse.

Other videos from Thursday night:
Previously:


Friday, June 22, 2012

Photos: After Party on Eminent Domain Abuse


The St. Louis Tea Party's June 2012 After Party focused on eminent domain abuse. Ron Calzone of MOFirst.org spoke about the mercantilist roots of eminent domain abuse and the efforts that he is leading to end the practice in Missouri.

I'll have complete video posted this weekend.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

John Brunner Chickens Out

John Brunner
John Brunner
My post yesterday about John Brunner's past support of the radical Humane Farming Association elicited the following response from the Brunner campaign (via Gateway Pundit):
U.S. Senate candidate John Brunner released the following statement in response to attacks from Sarah Steelman’s campaign regarding a donation to the Humane Farming Association: 
“As a young child, my father taught me the value of charitable giving and I passed those same, important, values on to my children. 
In that spirit, I set up the Brunner Foundation to encourage my children to become active in charity. I made it clear that each of them could give to the charity of their choice and that it would remain, solely, each child’s individual decision. 
In 2007, one of my children chose as a beneficiary the Humane Farming Association. I am extremely proud of my children, but, as with most families, I do not always agree with their choices or decisions. Regrettably, there are organizations that far too often use deceptive rhetoric and tactics to deceive well-meaning people into supporting their far more dangerous agendas. But, let me be perfectly clear, I, personally, have never supported the Humane Farming Association. 
As Missouri’s next citizen-Senator, I pledge to fight for Missouri’s agribusiness by halting absurd EPA mandates, work tirelessly to repeal crippling regulations, and eliminate barriers to trade that are preventing Missouri farmers from exporting their crops. I firmly stand with Missouri farmers who are in a constant struggle against extreme groups like the Humane Farming Association and the Humane Society of the United States that seek to end the agriculture industry in Missouri. 
Furthermore, I fully expect that families remain free from political attacks. I will keep this campaign focused on the issues and I fully expect my fellow opponents to do the same.
Rather than a bold statement, he seems to have chickened out. His closing caveat about families remaining "free from political attacks" is interesting. It's as if he realized only afterward that he himself just inserted his family into the story. Um, John, don't do that again until after the November election.

As MoSenateRace clarified, Brunner's children are not trustees of the Brunner Foundation. Only John and his wife are, so Brunner (and his wife) are ultimately responsible for the donation decisions of the Foundation.

In a way it's laudable that Brunner would share the stewardship of his Foundation with his children. As a stay-at-home dad, I sometimes let my children help prepare dinner and assist with other work around the house. That's one aspect of raising a family.

Of course, in another way it's rather horrifying. If Brunner is elected to the US Senate, will he share the responsibilities of that office with his children? Would his son, say, be in charge of making decisions for his US Senate office on all Department of Defense issues? Does his daughter have more of an aptitude for military affairs? Will they squabble over whether or not the MRE's include free-range chicken?

I don't think that Brunner's candor about his parenting techniques is in the best interests of his campaign. Talking about his children may endear him to his supporters, but it makes his family a potential target in the media. It also feels like he's shifting the blame to a family member much as his Democrat opponent Senator Claire McCaskill once did over her back taxes (from the 8/14/2004 KC Star):
As for the condo at the Lake of the Ozarks, McCaskill acknowledged there were unpaid taxes on it in 1994, when her brother, Will, was living in it. The Kansas City Star reported the story in 1994 after Camden County published a notice that it was going to put the house up for auction. 
"The agreement was he (Will) was supposed to cover all taxes, overhead, everything - utilities, taxes, condo fees - so he didn't have to pay rent," McCaskill said. "My brother didn't pay them." 
McCaskill's brother later paid the $2,337 in taxes dating to 1991, and the property was sold soon afterward.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

John Brunner: A Free Range Chicken in Every Pot!

John Brunner
John Brunner
Agricultural issues are important to every Midwestern state, so the three candidates running in the GOP primary for US Senate from Missouri--Todd Akin, Sarah Steelman, and John Brunner--need to prioritize agricultural issues if they hope to secure the votes of rural Missourians in the August primary.


That's especially true this year. Conservative Missouri farmers remember with disappointment the narrow margin of victory in 2010 of Proposition B which regulates certain animal breeding techniques. That ballot initiative was so controversial that after the voters approved it, the state legislature struck a compromise with Democrat Governor Jay Nixon to amend it to mitigate the initiative's regulatory impact.


With that in mind it came as a surprise to me that Republican US Senate candidate John Brunner appears to have once supported a radical animal rights group. According to the Brunner Foundation's 2008 form 990-PF (embedded below), the Foundation donated $10,000 to the Humane Farming Association (HFA). John Brunner and his wife serve as the two trustees of that foundation, so, does Brunner support the leftist agenda of HFA?

HFA is a radical animal rights group based in California. They work to limit or even outlaw the use of antibiotics and pesticides by ranchers and farmers. From their website:
HFA's goals are to protect farm animals from cruelty and abuse, to protect the public from the misuse of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals used on factory farms, and to protect the environment from the impacts of industrialized animal factories.
The responsible use of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals serves two purposes. First, it promotes the health and welfare of the animals which insures a successful agri-business and, second, it keeps consumers safe. Does Brunner want to outlaw or over-regulate the use of antibiotics and pesticides? If not, why did he donate to HFA?

The Brunner funded HFA also supports outlawing cage-raised poultry. Such a policy would drive up the cost of the eggs and chickens you buy at the grocery store because the new regulations HFA espouses would force farmers to change their farming practices increasing the cost of production. HFA seems to be advocating policies that would ensure that every chicken sold in the country is a free range chicken.

The fact that Brunner gave thousands of dollars to this radical group is extremely disconcerting. It suggests that either he does not understand the importance of Missouri agriculture or that he uncritically accepted HFA's anti-agriculture propaganda. This raises serious questions. Why did he donate $10,000 to a radical, leftist animal rights group? How does he in good conscience fly around the state of Missouri touting his support of farming while financing a radical group like HFA? And, most importantly, does he support their radical agenda?

--

Thanks to MoSenateRace for linking and providing excellent follow-up! Also, thanks to Bob McCarty and Gateway Pundit for picking up the story!

I've placed copies of the Brunner Foundation's form 990-PFs from 2008 thru 2010 on Scribd. The 2008 990 is embedded below.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Photos: Jefferson County Grassroots Campaign Kickoff


Thanks to Wes for sending in these shots from the grassroots kickoff in Jefferson County this past Saturday!


Monday, June 11, 2012

All Three GOP Senate Candidates Lead Claire McCaskill in Rassmussen Poll

Rassmussen Reports: Election 2012: Missouri Senate:
Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill’s three leading Republican challengers all now earn 50% or more of the vote in matchups with her. 
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Missouri Voters shows former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman with the widest lead. She’s ahead of McCaskill by 12 points, 51% to 39%. Three percent (3%) like another candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
First it was the damn plane, then the damn condo... is it any wonder that Claire McCaskill is trailing in the polls?

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Video: Ann Wagner in St. Charles



Ann Wagner joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Wagner is running for Congress as a Republican in Missouri's Second Congressional District.

Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Video: Brad Lager in St. Charles


Brad Lager joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Lager is running as a Republican for Missouri Lieutenant Governor.

Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!

Video: Peter Kinder in St. Charles


Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder joined other conservatives at a candidate forum in St. Charles. Kinder is running for re-election as Missouri's Lieutenant Governor.

Thanks to Bob for shooting and posting the video!

In the Fight: Episode 63


The Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System produced Episode 63 of In The Fight. Here's their description of this half-hour show:
On this episode, Soldiers get water flowing again in Afghanistan's critical green zones, an Afghan crisis response unit leads a night mission against the Taliban, Marines train the Uganda People's Defense Force to combat the al-Qaida linked group al-Shabaab, a special Coast Guard team hunts for threats in the Atlantic, and a Marine welcomes a new beginning. Available in high definition.