I have to admit I’m just a simple hillbilly. Admittedly, I ain’t never been to an Ivy League school like Yale. However, one time I did get poison ivy in a patch of woods round by Yukon, Missourah.
For our Ivy League readers, that’s in central Texas County.
Maybe that’s why I get so easily confused. The latest case in point was watching the Cards epic sweep of the universally hated Cubs — by the way anyone who accepts money from the owners of the Cubs should be disqualified from the ballot in West Butler County — but anyway, I was watching the Cards sweep when I saw an ad on tv from Josh Hawley, a Mizzou professor running for Attorney General.
It’s all well and good for the professor to denounce an opponent as a moderate, and personally I thought it was well done and the professor seemed like an affable guy.
The confusion struck me the next day.
I was reading a story in the Post-Dispatch by their newest reporter explaining that since Mr. Hawley put his name on a brief to the court in support of Hobby Lobby, that meant he was a sure ‘nough big shot arguing that case. But when the professor put his name on a brief to the court supporting a terrorist, it meant that he didn’t have anything really to do with it.
I know it’s confusing, but maybe all of the Ivy League readers of the SEMO Times will understand.
My real question was if the ol’ boy has all this time to be writing letters to the Supreme Court, they oughta be making him work harder for his $100,000 a year up at Mizzou. I know several folks in West Butler County that could get by devoting themselves full time to a college job for $100,000 a year, and be damned thrilled to do it.
But what really stumped me in the article was when Hawley put former Senator Danforth out to defend him.
For those who only know Senator Danforth as the guy journalists used called to get quotes criticizing Republicans before John Lamping was elected, he is much more.
Danforth is a Republican who got elected when the state didn’t elect Republicans. He is a former Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and Ambassador to the United Nations and is the grandson of the founder of Ralson Purina. Hawley couldn’t have picked a more accomplished Missourian to defend whatever his association with the radical Muslim is.
However, there is one really confusing problem with it.
John Danforth is a leading moderate Republican figure, not only in Missouri but the entire United States.
He is the first example any moderate almost instinctively points to shield themselves against attacks from the right wing.
I guess I’m just too simple to follow the nuanced fancy talk from someone as smart as a professor, but I guess the lesson is moderates are bad, unless they are defending you.
Further I wonder if Senator Danforth ever had his name accidentally placed on a brief to the Supreme Court?
Speaking of moderates, last week’s This Week in Missouri Politics was an eventful one with a pointed back and forth between Rep. Paul Curtman and David Barklage. Curtman, who was there supporting Bev Randles, was making the case that Senator Mike Parson was a liberal based on a few selected votes. That’s then Barklage, who is supporting Parson, reminded him of his support of some things that could be cherry picked to be seen as liberal.
Then Barklage probably went too far when he leveled the allegation at Curtman that he was backing the newly Republican and recently very liberal Eric Greitens for governor. Curtman, who wasn’t about to be tagged with backing the guy who was at Barack Obama’s convention coronation, aggressively shot back that he wasn’t and there was no evidence that he was backing Greitens.
I guess the lesson is that you have to be sure before assuming someone has made an endorsement in the ultra competitive governor’s race, and you could pick apart the record of anyone who has served in the General Assembly and call them an ultra-liberal or a right wing conservative without any truth in either extreme.
Many will argue with it, but St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger knows exactly what he is doing when opposing the north/south metro expansion. I’d be hard pressed to believe that its as much of a priority with St. Louis County voters as it is St. Louis City voters.
If you ever want to put a curse on an enemy, wish upon them that they own news outlets and have to deal with first time candidates. They are the worst at complaining…. non stop. If you have 20 candidates who have run before and 2 that haven’t, they will match the 20 with their objections.
This week on TWMP, we will be hosting Senator Will Kraus and Jay Ashcroft for a debate, and we have the TWMP debut of Pat Thomas. Should be fun, be sure to tune in Sunday morning on ABC 30 KDNL in St. Louis at 11:00 a.m. or at 6:00 a.m. in mid-Missouri on KRCG. The episode will be online at noon.
Scott Faughn is the publisher of The Missouri Times, owner of the Clayton Times in Clayton; SEMO Times in Poplar Bluff; and host of the only statewide political television show, This Week in Missouri Politics.