Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving Schitck
What the politicos have to be thankful for….
Governor Jay Nixon – that non-stick spray works so well.
Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder – that he has a much much better view now who his real friends (and real enemies) are.
Attorney General Chris Koster – that we can get serious about cell phone hacking and GPS surveillance and any other technology a future ex-Mrs. Koster would try to use against him.
Auditor Tom Schweich – that finally people are talking about him as a possible gubernatorial candidate. What took his employees so long?
Dave Spence – that there was a statewide office available to be bought.
Just Bits… I’ll Have Real News on Monday, Promise.
Handout Grumble Part 1 – EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards used to buy cigarettes. Yes, shocking! We allow sales of an addictive product and then are surprised when people buy it. See it Here.
Handout Gumble Part 2 – August Busch III gets $300K tax credit from Feds for his 10,000 sq ft new construction house in St. Peters. Read it Here.
Turkey Bet… House Budget Chairman and Vice Chairman place friendly wager on State Championship. The press release: “Today House Budget Chairman Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) and Vice Chairman Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) have agreed to a friendly wager for this weekend’s Class 5A High School Football Championship…. The Representative of the losing school’s district agrees to wear a football jersey from the winning school at the first Caucus meeting after the game.”
Merck Money…The press release: “Attorney General Chris Koster announced today that Missouri has joined with 42 other states and the federal government and reached agreement with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (Merck) to settle civil and criminal allegations that Merck marketed its drug Vioxx for uses not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), misrepresented the cardiovascular safety issues relating to the drug and otherwise made false and misleading representations about Vioxx. Merck will pay the states
and the federal government a total of $615 millionin civil damages and penalties to compensate Medicaid, Medicare and other federal healthcare programs for harm suffered as a result of this conduct. Missouri recovery is based upon its Medicaid Program's purchase of the drug… The total portion of the settlement amount recovered by Missouri Medicaid Program is $13,836,005.94.
Clayton Adopts New Nondiscrimination Policy… the press release from PROMO: The Clayton City Council introduced and passed, unanimously, legislation that would include nondiscrimination protections for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Through the leadership of Mayor Linda Goldstein and the Clayton City Council, Clayton will become the third city in St. Louis County to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance inclusive of both sexual orientation and gender identity…
Clayton will join Saint Louis City, Kansas City, University City, and Olivette who offer fully inclusive protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.
Dems Test Messaging… $8 Million Wasted. See it Here.
Earl to Schweich’s Office… Jeffrey Earl, formerly legislatively assistant to Rep. Ron Schieber, is Auditor Tom Schweich’s new legislative liaison.
E-Commerce Chugs Along… 3Q up 13.7% year-over-year. Read it Here.
And
One of the three Americans arrested in the Cairo uprising is Derrick Sweeney. See Politico’s article Here. He is the son of Joy Sweeney, Jefferson City school board member.
eMailbag: Schweich Snark
Rumors are swirling that Auditor Schweich has been approached by Karl Rove to run for president. Rove has polling to show Americans are clamoring for a short, skinny, hot-headed, know-it-all white-shoe law firm attorneys with United Nations experience. Schweich, however, is not sure if the country is ready for his leadership. Close confidantes believe the American people, like a class of ungrateful children, need more time under Obama so they can fully appreciate Schweich’s transformational wisdom.
Wedding Weekend
Rep. Caleb Jones gets married this weekend. From the twitterfeed: calebmjones Off to Mexico to change a lovely lady's last name....... @FtMrsJones #wedding
And RCGA’s Christine Snively marries Larry Page Saturday at SLU’s (St. Xavier)College Church. (Important to note in a publication like this that Larry Page is no relation to Sam Page, a Democrat…) The two met sophomore year at Mizzou. He’s at WashU working on his PhD in BioChemistry.
Birthday Roll
Today: Constitution Party LG candidate Cynthia Davis (52), Englerite turned Kinderite Brian Bunten, and Karl Skala.
Thanksgiving Birthdays: Former Rep. Dennis Wood (67).
Friday: Former Rep. Bill Deeken (72), Barklagite Willis Jones.
Saturday: Former Holdenite Jane Duecker.
Sunday: Rep. Ron Casey (59)