Friday, September 28, 2012

Missouri the Show Me State

John Ashcroft, the former attorney general, was from Missouri. Was he not? Indeed, he was. A two term Governor.


I've been through Missouri. The Gateway to the West. I know everyone is tired of my stories, but, that is too bad.

I had children with me. We stopped to look at the big McDonald's arch. Their observation, not mine.


There must be something about Missouri men that drives them to modesty of every measure. Left is the picture of the former Attorney General. It was this picture that caused him to put statues in a burka.


So, it would seem as though modesty plays well among Missourians. He had this 'thing' about his hair, too. Let me see if I can find the video. Hopefully it is still out there somewhere.


At any rate, I think Ashcroft did regret called our current President Osama. There was no comparison and John Ashcroft wrote the Patriot Act. At least I think he did.


The impression I've always gotten about Missourians is there seriousness. They are definitely serious about life. The mean it, when they declared their state "The Show Me State." They are a very sober bunch.


They don't like deception and they don't like games. They like life served up straight and don't have time for anything else.


Currently, Real Clear Politics has McCaskell leading by 5.3%. But, being the dedicated Missourian she is and knowing how she loves the people she serves she is not taking polls as a real measure of the outcomes. I think she is correct to be as sober and serious about the issues facing Missouri.


The state of Missouri (click here) can be divided into five basic political divisions. The Democratic base is in central Kansas City and St. Louis.  Republicans run strong in the rural southwest, which has long been Republican, as well as in the band of counties stretching up the Missouri River from St. Louis to Kansas City, which were settled by Germans in the 1800s. The fourth division is found in the Republican-tilting suburbs, while the fifth division is basically the rest of the state, which is essentially a salient of the South jutting into the heart of the state. Democrats' successes are normally dictated by how well they run in these latter two areas....

A strange thing though. For as serious and religious as one would expect such extremism as Akin professes, I would expect that to be everywhere. Not so. And this is an odd one.


Religion in Whiteman Air Force Base (zip 65305), Missouri (click here)

I am not sure when this survey was taken, but, only 19.20% are religious at Whiteman. I am curious if Senator McCaskell has visited the military in her state lately. She should address the serious problems they face and what she has done and WHAT SHE PLANS TO DO to help them and their families.

This is a recent editorial by Phill Brooks in "The Joplin Globe." 


Even issues that dominated the legislative session just a few months earlier usually appear forgotten when the campaign season begins.

Let me highlight the top issues in Missouri’s state government that likely will be at the forefront of attention for the next few years.

Education: The state’s formula for allocating state funds among Missouri’s public schools is broken....

Missourians are tired of the rhetoric. They want something from their leaders. They want to hear how their problems are being addressed. And according to Phill here, Education (Arne Duncan) is at the top of the list.

See, rhetoric is SAFE for any politician. It is standard jargon of which says to people "I am you." Remember that video from a Delaware race?  People need to know they have representation that is REAL, not rhetorical. They need to know their representative is solidly appreciative of their concerns, problems and strife. There is real strife in the USA. There is profound poverty.

If I were Senator McCaskell I would be touring the military bases to shake hands and LISTEN. I would be visiting Joplin and listening closely for healing hearts and success in moving forward. I would be listening and speaking the words of my constituents and talking seriously about the future.

Missourians do not want to hear promises. They don't want to hear how the government is going to control child birth. They don't want to hear about science and whether or not Akin is correct. Missourians want to hear from their Senator how she HAS solved their problems, how much she takes them seriously and how much she believes in herself to move Missouri forward. 

Is Senator McCaskell married, because, if I were her spouse I would not appreciate what Mr. Akin has said about my wife, either. If she is unmarried, like other women in DC who dedicate their lives to serving people, then she needs a male champion. Whoever that might be to come forward in her defense. It isn't right a wonderful woman like Senator McCaskell be talked down to by a man with little kindness in his heart toward all women. But, someone needs to speak up and defend her dignity. It is correct to do that.

Poverty is not a minor issue in Missouri. There has been a lot of hardship, too. Wasn't there some significant floods? I am getting that right? How is the recovery going?

September 16, 2010 9:00 pm

Since 2000, the percentage of Missourians living in poverty has nearly doubled, new figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show. That number grew at more than 3.5 times the national average.
Also up sharply: The number of uninsured. Nationally, about 51 million people had no health insurance in 2009. That’s the largest number since the Census Bureau began collecting data on the uninsured in 1987....
Senator McCaskell can have a photographer take pictures, but, don't do photo ops. The visits to any place in the state has to be real. People suffering at this level have little patience for insincerity.

McCaskill Votes to Advance Bill to Help put Veterans Back to Work (click here)

Senator: Today’s vote a step in the right direction towards helping our veterans and their families

September 11, 2012
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the daughter of a World War II veteran and a founding member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, today voted to advance a bill that would help put more military veterans back work.
"After standing up and serving our country with honor, our veterans are returning home to find their unemployment rate is higher than the national average-and that's unacceptable," McCaskill said. "Today's vote is a step in the right direction towards passing legislation that will give our veterans and their families the help they need to find work. I'm determined to keep up my fight for expanded job opportunities for our returning veterans and I'm hopeful my colleagues will work together and pass this legislation into law."
The Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012 would establish a veterans jobs corps to expand local job opportunities for veterans as firefighters and police officers, and employ veterans to maintain, protect, and preserve our public lands...

Senator McCaskell has every reason to be proud of her voting record to help Missourians. She might even talk about how the Senate was unable to pass the American Jobs Act which was paid for and would not add a burden to the national debt. She might point out that many returning veterans might be finding jobs now if that bill had been passed.

Missouri Farmer Today (click here) I read this as often as I can get my hands it, don't you? No one is going to believe this either, but, I was once a farmer (produce primarily) that grew 40 acres of soybeans every year. No lie. Just fact.
...Biodiesel (click here) is made through a simple refining process called transesterification. The process involves mixing methanol with sodium hydroxide, then mixing that with an oil such as soybean oil. The final products are methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerine. Glycerine is a valuable material used in the manufacture of soaps and other products.
Methyl or ethyl esters can be produced from vegetable and tree oils, animal fats, and/or used oils and fats....
Now, of course, everyone wants to know what transesterification is. Please don't talk down to them and say it is a strange name for a woman. Bring an expert that can explain the darn thing. But, more than understanding the process of biodiesel (which I believe is a great invention actually) lets talk about the price of soybeans. Okay? Let's talk about drought, the cost of fuel and the increased cost of food because of the high cost of fuel, but, most of all talk about alternatives and how it makes a difference and how much more it can make a difference.

Talk about forming cooperatives for farmers to GROW THEIR OWN fuel. Talk about how the federal government stands by our farmers and how much they DESERVE all the attention they need. 


There is a lot for Senator McCaskell to talk about. There is more for her to listen to. I think the Missourians are going to be fine. She needs to stay away from the rhetoric and insults and let Mr. Akin prove how he can insult a wonderful Senator without the consideration of her honor.


Good luck, Senator. They need you in the Senate. It is up to you to let them know how much. OH, and if I can quote the Late Senator Edward Kennedy, "You have to ask them for their vote." Remember that. People like to be asked.