Republican Todd Akin is out with a new ad featuring a supporter who says she had an abortion after being raped (h/t: Politico). Akin faces Democrat Claire McCaskill in Tuesday's election for US Senator from Missouri.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
#MOSen: New Todd Akin Ad Features Rape Victim
Republican Todd Akin is out with a new ad featuring a supporter who says she had an abortion after being raped (h/t: Politico). Akin faces Democrat Claire McCaskill in Tuesday's election for US Senator from Missouri.
#MOSen: Now or Never PAC Advertises for Akin
The Hill reports that a GOP super-PAC, Now or Never PAC, is supporting Todd Akin:
A Republican super-PAC that had backed one of Rep. Todd Akin's (R-Mo.) primary opponents will jump in to help the embattled Senate candidate in the final week of his campaign.
Now Or Never PAC will spend $800,000 on television advertising for the cash-strapped Akin between now and Election Day, spokesman Tyler Harber told The Hill.
Stephanie Patton in Her Own Words
Stephanie Patton in her own words
Tuesday evening, there was a "debate" between Republican candidate for governor Dave Spence and incumbent Democrat, Gov. Jay Nixon, at Greater Bethlehem Baptist Church in north St. Louis. Nixon didn't show up. Spence was there with his campaign message and to take questions from the predominantly black audience. I will post video of his remarks later.
A couple of Spence's supporters spoke Tuesday evening including Stephanie Patton who is featured in the video at the top of this post. Stephanie recently appeared in a Dave Spence TV ad. I've covered her story on this blog:
- J'Accuse... Chris Koster!
- When the State Makes Working Illegal
- Revisiting Racism in Missouri's DHSS (appeals court decision)
- Institutional Racism in Missouri Government (original court decision)
In the ad, an African-American woman who used to own an adult day care business tells how a state worker berated her and hurled a racial epithet at her during an inspection. One problem: Mr. Spence’s opponent, Gov. Jay Nixon, wasn’t even governor when the alleged incident, outlined in a lawsuit, even occurred.One of the most salacious aspects of Stephanie's story was the October 2008 inspection in which DHSS inspector, Cassie Blum, hit Patton and called her the n-word; however, those actions alone did not lead to the closure of Patton's business. They do beg the question: why does Cassie Blum still have a job?
The Court of Appeals for the Western District noted in their September 25th, 2012, opinion that DSS dragged their feet communicating with Stephanie [emphasis added]:
As a result of Peace of Mind's failure to maintain a medical model license, DSS terminated Peace of Mind's participation in the MO HealthNet program effective on the close of business of December 20, 2008, and stopped making payments to Peace of Mind. DSS informed Patton of its decision in a letter dated February 2, 2009.
The state of Missouri cut off Stephanie's funding and waited a month and a half to tell her. She had expenses for client care, rent, payroll, utilities, but was not compensated. The trial, circuit, and appeals courts all found that she was due $45,340, yet she has still not been reimbursed.
Stephanie tried to re-open her adult day care business in April of 2009. She incurred some expenses, but then the state refused to let her bill for clients. The simple fact is that Missouri's bureaucracy prevented her from working.
On multiple occasions Stephanie has tried to meet with the Gov Nixon. He's refused to meet with her. So a small Medicaid provider like Stephanie gets run out of business, while Centene Corporation with its $66,500 in donations to Jay Nixon's gubernatorial campaign gets a $1.1 billion contract.
Since the 2008 inspection with Blum, Stephanie has lost her business, her car, her home, and suffered immeasurable emotional anguish, but the Governor refuses to meet with her. The courts have ruled, so why won't the state make Stephanie whole?
Update: Stephanie's story still hurts when she re-tells it as can be seen in the video above. When I spoke with her Wednesday, she commented that she didn't think she could get through the second part of her story, so she didn't even bring it up Tuesday night.
That part begins in January of 2011 just a couple months after the Administrative Hearing Court (AHC) had ruled in her favor in October of 2010. Stephanie knew her AHC case would have to wind its way through the appeals process, but she did not anticipate criminal charges from Attorney General Chris Koster.
Koster's office alleged that $1500 in Medicaid payments that Missouri had made to Stephanie constituted theft on Stephanie's part. The county prosecutor represents the AG in criminal cases like this here in Missouri. After gathering the facts of Koster's criminal complaint against Stephanie, the St. Louis county prosecutor asked the judge to dismiss it.
Nonetheless, the criminal complaint had numerous side-effects. First, a warrant was issued for Stephanie's arrest, so she had to make bail and spend a few hours in jail. She couldn't find work even at a dry cleaners or convenience store because there was a criminal charge of theft against her. She had a few months of stress, to say nothing of the emotional toll, as a result of the criminal charge.
And, even after the charges were dropped, Stephanie was still marked in DHSS/DSS's computer systems. When she interviewed for jobs in the healthcare industry and, despite her record of having run an adult day care facility for eighteen years, she would be turned down because the computer system said she was ineligible for work in the healthcare field. Missouri's AG and the DHSS/DSS bureaucracy had made it illegal for her to work.
Stephanie was the collateral damage of a frivolous and, I believe, vindictive prosecution initiated by AG Chris Koster.
Throughout all of that, Stephanie tried to arrange a meeting with Gov. Nixon. With an out-of-control Attorney General, who else could she appeal to? All she wanted to do was petition the government for a redress of grievances, but Nixon's office repeatedly stonewalled and re-buffed her.
Stephanie Patton is one reason why you should vote against both Nixon and Koster next Tuesday. Dave Spence and Ed Martin simply have to be better.
Update: Stephanie's story still hurts when she re-tells it as can be seen in the video above. When I spoke with her Wednesday, she commented that she didn't think she could get through the second part of her story, so she didn't even bring it up Tuesday night.
That part begins in January of 2011 just a couple months after the Administrative Hearing Court (AHC) had ruled in her favor in October of 2010. Stephanie knew her AHC case would have to wind its way through the appeals process, but she did not anticipate criminal charges from Attorney General Chris Koster.
Koster's office alleged that $1500 in Medicaid payments that Missouri had made to Stephanie constituted theft on Stephanie's part. The county prosecutor represents the AG in criminal cases like this here in Missouri. After gathering the facts of Koster's criminal complaint against Stephanie, the St. Louis county prosecutor asked the judge to dismiss it.
Nonetheless, the criminal complaint had numerous side-effects. First, a warrant was issued for Stephanie's arrest, so she had to make bail and spend a few hours in jail. She couldn't find work even at a dry cleaners or convenience store because there was a criminal charge of theft against her. She had a few months of stress, to say nothing of the emotional toll, as a result of the criminal charge.
And, even after the charges were dropped, Stephanie was still marked in DHSS/DSS's computer systems. When she interviewed for jobs in the healthcare industry and, despite her record of having run an adult day care facility for eighteen years, she would be turned down because the computer system said she was ineligible for work in the healthcare field. Missouri's AG and the DHSS/DSS bureaucracy had made it illegal for her to work.
Stephanie was the collateral damage of a frivolous and, I believe, vindictive prosecution initiated by AG Chris Koster.
Throughout all of that, Stephanie tried to arrange a meeting with Gov. Nixon. With an out-of-control Attorney General, who else could she appeal to? All she wanted to do was petition the government for a redress of grievances, but Nixon's office repeatedly stonewalled and re-buffed her.
Stephanie Patton is one reason why you should vote against both Nixon and Koster next Tuesday. Dave Spence and Ed Martin simply have to be better.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
#MOSen: Sen Jim Inhofe on US Oil Production
At a round table discussion on energy, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) debunked the myth that it would take ten years to develop America's untapped oil reserves. Citing Oklahoma oilman Harold Hamm, Inhofe argues that it would take 70 days to get the first barrel of oil to market if the US were to open more federal lands to drilling.
Inhofe was in St. Louis campaigning for Republican Todd Akin on Monday, 10/29/2012. The two discussed the impact that Sen Claire McCaskill's and President Barack Obama's energy policies would have on Missouri residents. McCaskill has supported the President's effort to grant the EPA more authority over greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide. In effect, McCaskill has helped position the EPA so that it can implement cap and trade without a vote in Congress.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
#MOSen: Military Service is a Family Tradition for Todd Akin
While campaigning in south St. Louis county, Todd Akin took a minute to respond to Claire McCaskill's claim that he would be weak on veterans issues. In point of fact, Akin's family has numerous service members including himself, his father, and three of his sons, so he is particularly attuned to veterans issues.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Photos: Todd Akin Energy Round-table with Senator Jim Inhofe #MOSen
US Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma was in south St. Louis county Monday for an energy round-table at McArthur's Bakery with Republican candidate for US Senate in Missouri, Todd Akin. Inhofe and Akin's message was that the policies of Claire McCaskill will necessarily make energy more expensive, so a vote for Claire McCaskill is a vote for higher energy bills.
J'Accuse... Chris Koster!
Stephanie Patton, an African-American woman, opened Peace of Mind Adult Day Care in 1993. It was the first adult day care in the Show Me State to specifically cater to African-Americans. Most of Stephanie's clients are poor, so much of her funding came from Medicaid. She was driven out of business in 2009 by the combined forces of DSS, HealthNet, and DHSS. This entrepreneur employed ten people and the DHSS shut her down in the middle of a recession.While's there's much more, the main point is that the state of Missouri sued Stephanie for nearly a half million dollars of Medicaid fraud and lost. In addition, DHSS was found to have shown racially discriminatory animus toward her. The Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District has a slightly different take on that aspect of the decision (full appeals court ruling).
...
Here's what [Judge Chapel] wrote [emphasis added]:
Patton testified that Blum called her a "nigger" and said she was illiterate during the October 16, 2008 inspection. We consider this as a claim that DHSS's actions were the result of a racially discriminatory animus and that DHSS's actions deprived Patton of due process and equal protection of the laws, in violation of U.S. Const. amend. 5, 14 and 15, and Mo. Const. art. I, §§ 2 and 10.
Having lost the half million dollar Medicaid fraud case, Attorney General Chris Koster decided to harass Stephanie with a trumped up charge of stealing.
On January 4th, 2011, Koster's office filed criminal charges against Stephanie. The AG's office charged her with stealing less than $1,500. In essence, Koster's claim was that $1,500 of Medicaid payments that she had received were stolen. The AG's office held that because they didn't think she should be paid by Medicaid and yet she had been paid by Medicaid, that those payments constituted theft on her part. Basically, Attorney General Chris Koster alleged that the act of depositing checks was a criminal offense.
A warrant was issued for Stephanie's arrest.
She had lost her business and therefore her income as a result of her legal battle with DHSS. Her car had been repossessed. Stephanie's house was in foreclosure. She struggled to put together enough money for bail. Once she did, she turned herself in and spent a couple of hours in jail while being processed.
Stephanie could not afford an attorney, so she was represented by a public defender at a hearing in late February of 2011. At that hearing, the AG's office asked for a grand jury investigation. It seems odd to me that a grand jury would be impaneled for a case alleging the theft of less than $1,500. Understandably, Stephanie was both upset and depressed to be the subject of a grand jury investigation.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares she has already come sustained by her faith, family, and friends. Her faith found re-assurance on March 21st, 2011, as this chapter of her life, where she was unjustly branded a criminal by an over-reaching Attorney General, came to an end. At her hearing that Monday morning, the county prosecutor, representing the AG's office, asked the judge to dismiss the charges against Stephanie. The judge did exactly that.
Previously:
#MOSen: Claire McCaskill has Sold Out Missouri
The transcript of the Todd Akin ad above is hard hitting. I've added links so you can review the facts:
It's been revealed, Claire McCaskill's husband was caught cutting business deals in the Senate dining room, selling tax credits tied to Obama's stimulus money, money Claire McCaskill voted for. McCaskill uses her position and power to cash in. It's no surprise that McCaskill thinks she's above the law, she didn't pay her taxes but voted to raise ours. The arrogance and corruption of Claire McCaskill. Dealing herself in. Selling us out.Just last week, the National Legal and Policy Center identified $20 million dollars in stimulus funding that McCaskill voted to send to her husband's businesses. That's in addition to the $40 million of stimulus identified earlier this month.
Claire McCaskill and her husband, Joseph Shepard, profiteer off public programs that are suppose to help the poor. The website for Shepard's company, Sugar Creek Realty, LLC, claims that they've facilitated $315 million in tax credits for a "representative" set of affordable housing projects--not the full project list. Shepard's businesses syndicate those tax credits for their clients. Assuming that they make a gain of 10% to 25% in tax credit arbitrage, Shepard's companies have realized $31 million to $79 million in revenue from just those representative projects.
Having bought Shepard a private portfolio of "affordable" housing with your tax dollars, you now get to subsidize the unearned income McCaskill and Shepard realize on that portfolio. At a minimum, they receive $2.2 million each year in rent and interest on security deposits from those privatized, publicly financed assets.
While their portfolio expands, while their bank accounts swell, you get stuck, not just with the bill, but with the debt. Before Claire McCaskill was elected to the US Senate, we did not have trillion dollar deficits. The fiscal recklessness of McCaskill in conjunction with her aparent self-dealing of stimulus funds, is a damning indictment of her tenure in the US Senate and reason enough to bring her home.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Democrats Are Facing a Backlash from #Ladysmarts
Julie Borowski produced the above satirical take on Lena Dunham's pro-Obama ad. Watch it--it's quite funny. Julie's YouTube description includes links to her criticisms of the president:
- Obama Did Not End War in Iraq
- Patriot Act Extension Signed by Obama
- On December 31, 2011, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), codifying indefinite military detention without charge or trial into law for the first time in American history
- Obama's Kill List
- Obama's Drone Wars
Borowski has hit on a point made by John O'Sullivan of National Review Online. In How Obama’s Tactics Repel Women Voters O'Sullivan notes:
One of the most striking oddities of the Obama campaign’s appeal to women, indeed, is how it not only objectifies them but even reduces them to their “lady parts.” The campaign might even be called “The Vagina Dialogues” since it talks to women as if they were walking, talking, and voting vaginas with no other value or interests.And that objectification of liberal women voters has created the #ladysmarts backlash--a new twitter hashtag which succinctly captures the revulsion many women feel at being reduced to sex objects. Because the Democrat message to single women is little more than "vote your vagina", thoughtful women looking for a more complete candidate will have to look past the jackass party.
#MOSoS: Shane Schoeller's "Show-Me Voter ID Tour" Visits St. Louis
Speaker of the House Tim Jones opens the video above and introduces (at 8:10) Republican candidate for Attorney General, Ed Martin. After some remarks, Martin introduces (at 14:05) Mississippi's Secretary of State, Delbert Hoseman, who was in Missouri supporting Shane Schoeller in our Secretary of State race. Schoeller's remarks begin at the 20 minute mark. Schoeller talks about the need to curb voter fraud with photo voter ID.
Schoeller's campaign website includes a press release about this stop on his ‘Show-Me Voter ID Tour’:
“Across the country, Americans overwhelmingly support common sense voter ID laws that will make our elections fair and keep them free of fraud,” Hosemann said. “In Mississippi, voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional voter ID law similar to Shane Schoeller’s proposal for Missouri. Mississippi and Missouri citizens know best how to ensure the integrity of the vote. But unfortunately, the Justice Department continues to attack voter ID laws in many states, including my state. Our country needs more Secretaries of States like Shane Schoeller that will stand up for what’s right, even in the face of attacks from the Justice Department. Shane Schoeller is a strong, courageous leader with proven leadership capabilities that will fight for a common sense voter ID law, clean up the state’s voter rolls, and stop election fraud.”
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