Biobank? What Does the Public Think?

55 years ago today, Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA - the double helix that encodes and passes on genetic information. Since that time, scientists have been working to unlock some of the secrets and opportunities that spring from DNA.

Why does one sibling get cancer and another remain healthy? Why has autism touched so many more lives over the past couple decades? Many health problems are rooted in a complex mixture of genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors, and answering those questions requires a broad database with genetic, environmental and lifestyle information concerning thousands and thousands of subjects.

A Biobank is such a repository of tissue samples and data. The National Institutes of Health thinks maybe the United States ought to create a Biobank to help out such research.

Of course, any thinking person ought to be enthusiastic about such an important research tool, right? Well, maybe. But there are some other issues to think about, beyond the prospect of curing diseases. Do we really want a massive database of such information sitting out there ready to be hacked and misused? Think maybe your insurance company or the NSA could dream up a few nefarious uses for all that info? And who decides what gets researched?

The NIH has decided to seek public feedback, and Kansas City is one of only 5 sites to host a public forum on the topic. The event is free, and will provide a rare opportunity to learn more about biobanks and provide feedback that will weigh into the decisions to be made. It will be at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on March 8 from 10 until 1 - go here to register.

This is a fascinating issue - right at the crossroads of society, individualism, ethics and medicine. It's also an issue that is getting addressed without much public attention. This forum provides an opportunity to get informed and be heard.

First Annual Gone Mild Oscar Picks Contest Winner Announced - SEAN R.

It took me an extra day to calculate the winner of the First Annual Gone Mild Oscar Picks Contest because I had a surprisingly large number of submissions, and my technology let me down, so I had to score them all by hand. It was kind of interesting to see where the common mistakes were, though - Transformers and Cate Blanchett are a lot more popular in this corner of the blogosphere than they were at the Academy.

Regardless of all that, the winner, with 17 correct answers, was Sean R., whose last name I will happily publish if he emails me and lets me know whether he wants the full measure of internet adulation. Sean, I also need your Swiss bank account number so I can start sending you 50% of this site's profits for the coming year.

In what I think was an amusing sidenote, my quip about the supposed post-credit scene in No Country for Old Men took on a bit of a life of its own. I received more calls and emails wanting to know about that "scene" than I have ever received on any topic I've written about. While I flirted with either completing the joke by encouraging people to go see the movie again, or by writing my own version of the showdown between Ed Tom Bell and Anton Chigurh, instead I just felt guilty about the stress I caused my favorite librarian. Now, I'll never get any slack on my late fees.

Ignore Him

Rumor has it that a washed-up attention whore is going to be running for President, and wants to be the subject of passionate debates about the importance of himself.

We don't need to react.

If a political career falls in the forest and no pundit is there to notice, does it make a noise?

Koster Votes Republican Again

Chris Koster voted with his Republican friends to repeal limitations on campaign donations. Koster, who has spent his entire political career as a Republican working against Democrats until claiming to switch sides and running for the Attorney General position, has sought to have his cake and eat it, too. He claims to be a Democrat, but participated in Republican Rex Sinquefield's elaborate ruse to siphon money through dozens of sham PACs to Koster's campaign - a ruse which paid off when Koster refused to vote with Democrats on a recent school voucher committee decision.

Koster looked me in the eye and claimed to be sincere in his conversion to being a Democrat. This week, on two important issues, he refused to stand and deliver.

A leopard cannot change its spots.

No Country For Old Men

Just saw No Country for Old Men at Screenland. Watching a great movie in a recliner on a huge screen - what could be finer?

My only criticism of the movie is that it was odd how they didn't show the final showdown between the sheriff and the bad guy until after all the credits had run. That was bizarre - most of the audience had left, and missed the most shocking scene I have ever seen on film.

(UPDATE: The final showdown after the credits was my bad idea of a joke! No such scene - just kidding! Apparently, I caused some stress to a few movie-viewers - I'm sorry!)

Science Fair Time

Here, for your amusement, are 41 science fair entries.

Science Fair used to be a big deal in this household. Its absence from our lives is certainly one of the benefits of an empty nest . . .

Brock Olivo - Republican Candidate for Congress

The Definitive Oscar Picks & Contest

Quick, before you read the following picks, go here and enter the First Annual Gone Mild Oscar Picks Contest. It costs nothing to enter, and the winner will get a 50/50 split of my profits on this website for the coming year. The entry is a simple click-box format, and you can get a copy of your picks emailed to you, so it's a pretty simple way to make and memorialize your 2008 Oscar picks. I'll keep your selections confidential, if you prefer.

Now, these are the ones that will actually win:

Best Picture: Michael Clayton
Best Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood
Best Actress: Ellen Page in Juno
Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson's War
Best Supporting Actress: Ruby Dee in American Gangster
Best Original Screenplay: Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men
Cinematography: There Will Be Blood
Film Editing: There Will Be Blood
Art Direction: Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Costume Design: Across the Universe
Original Score: The Kite Runner
Original Song: "Falling Slowly" -- Once
Best Makeup: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Sound Editing: Ratatouille
Sound Mixing: No Country for Old Men
Best Visual Effects: The Golden Compass
Best Animated Feature Film: Ratatouille
Best Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters -- Austria
Best Documentary Feature: Sicko
Best Documentary Short: Sari's Mother
Best Live Action Short: Tanghi Argentini
Best Animated Short: Peter & the Wolf

They are also going to have a special award for "Most Hilariously Awful Stereotypical French Movie Scene and Best Reason to Hate Foreign Films", which will be given to "La Vie En Rose" for the scene in which the little girl and the prostitute lock themselves in a room and cry while they have lipstick smiles painted on their faces.

Missouri Senate Republicans Are Junkies Needing the Fix

Honestly, I grudgingly admire the straightforward corruption of Senator Charlie Shields of St. Joseph. In pushing to repeal limitations on campaign donations, he doesn't spout some pseudo-"good government" crap, or act as though he is behaving in the public interest. Instead, he embraces the corruption at the soul of the Missouri Republican party, the one thing that unites the Bond "country club" Republicans and the Bartle "Bible belt" Republicans. It's all about the love of lucre, and the lengths those Republicans will go to get it.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Charlie Shields of St. Joseph, said contribution limits had done little to reduce the flow of money into political campaigns.

Rather, he said, they had encouraged politicians and their fundraisers to devise ever more creative ways to circumvent the limits and obscure the identities of those seeking to gain influence.

“We’ve become so good at this that Missouri politicians could give seminars to Colombian drug lords on how to launder money,” Shields said.

. . .

Shields argued that any rule that attempt to stem the flow of money into political campaigns would be fruitless. People attempting to funnel money to politicians will find a way around any rule.

It's not at all surprising that Shields had drugs on his mind as he was pushing this corrupt subversion of campaign limits the voters of Missouri approved by a 3:1 margin years ago. Go ahead and substitute the "heroin" in for "campaign contributions" in the arguments made by the Republicans and you'll see that our Republicans, Country Club and Bible Belt, are strung out junkies who will stop at nothing to get their next fix, defying the Missouri Supreme Court and the voters of Missouri for just one more fix.

Recall in the Real World

Sincerely, thank you Ms. Ross for bringing it on. Back at the time, I wrote:

Please bring it on. In some ways (and I am only speaking for myself, as always), I'm glad to see this happening. It amounts to calling the bluff of the chattering handful that have crowded out intelligent discussion at the Prime Buzz, and the joke blogger who will be working on the effort. After this is over, the city will get to see just how widespread and deep the opposition to Funk really is.

To her everlasting credit, Ms. Ross was forthright and honest in reporting the results - "the general consensus of the Kansas City populace was to give Mayor Funkhouser more time to fulfill his agenda for the city."

The joke blogger and his "internet mobs" never showed up. (Remember the awesome power of the internet and the electronic versions of the petition that were going to gathered at "collection points"?) The handful of hateful commenters on Prime Buzz turned out to be merely a handful of hateful commenters on Prime Buzz.

The bigger lesson here is that the local blogosphere is an echo chamber that does not reflect reality. According to the loudest and most numerous voices on the internet, this recall effort was a grassroots effort building to a tidal wave of public outrage, with only a couple absurd, ill-informed, out-of-touch kool-aid drinkers like me raising doubts. When the joke blogger wrote of being seen by the Mayor while carrying out boxes of recall petitions, he wrote that it "was a surreal moment but one that tells me that this recall effort is a lot more substantial than what has been depicted by the media." Somebody was in an altered state of surrealism at that encounter, and it wasn't the Mayor.

As Ms. Ross learned and reported, Kansas City wants Funkhouser to fulfill his agenda for the city. That's the real world. Let's look forward to more people working to support Funkhouser in fulfulling his agenda for the city.

Weekend Forecast - Beer?

Right now, the long-range forecast is looking pretty darned attractive for a brew day this weekend. If it holds, I think I'll fire up the kettle on Sunday and brew ten gallons of something wonderful.

Any suggestions on what to brew?

Anybody want a hands-on lesson in homebrewing? Email me.

Kinder Video

Fortunately, Dr. Sam Page is running strong for Lieutenant Governor. He's smart, responsible, compassionate and freakishly well-qualified for the position.

Look who the Republicans are running:

My Most Frivolous Reason Ever to Oppose a Candidate?

A little less than two years ago, I wrote the following:

Meet Your Legislators - Brad Lager

I was driving back from a visit to St. Louis yesterday, when a gas-guzzling SUV blew my doors off. Blasting down the road at 85 or more, zooming up to within a couple feet of the rear bumper of a car with Iowa plates, the driver could not be bothered with the safety of himself or others.

Brad Lager, if you're going to drive like an arrogant prick, you shouldn't drive with your "R-04" plates.

Nothing I've read or heard about him since has altered my opinion that he's not the kind of person I want to have commuting to Jefferson City.

Koster Wants to Name Bridge For Ronald Reagan

I was over in St. Louis this weekend - my mother celebrated her 80th birthday with a great collection of friends, relatives and nieghbors. Happy 80th, Mom!

Did you know that there is a bridge proposed from St. Louis, Missouri to St. Clair County, Illinois? Did you know that Chris Koster, one of the Democratic candidates for Missouri Attorney General, co-sponsored a bill to name that bridge for Ronald Reagan?

What kind of democrat is Chris Koster?

My mother would never vote for a Republican, and she won't vote for Koster, either.

Should Super-Delegates Vote with the Majority?

Interesting question. Here is Steve Bough arguing that they should, over at Blog CCP, and here's me taking the opposite side.

I sincerely hope it doesn't come down to a controversy - ideally, the party's choice will be clear by the Convention.

But, if it doesn't happen that way, what do you say?

State Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford's Inside View of the Battle Over Religious Freedom In Jefferson City

The following piece was written by Missouri State Representative Jeanette Mott Oxford from the 59th Distict. She gave me permission to publish it here. I've never met her, but I look forward to the privilege!

It was an interesting day on the Floor of the MO House. We debated Rep. Mike McGhee's House Joint Resolution (HJR) 55 which calls for a vote to amend the Missouri Constitution in the November 2008 election in order to reaffirm "religious freedom in public places." This is fairly similar to a bill that former St. Charles rep Carl Bearden carried the past couple of years.

It is clear that the real purpose of the constitutional amendment is to throw a bone to the radical right (especially theocrats who would like to impose one model of christianity on all of us) in order to attempt to bring out the Republican base in the November election. (This is also the purpose of Rep. Nieves "English for official proceedings" constitutional amendment - only the appeal there is to anti-immigrant or anti-multicultural bigots. In an inquiry that I did with Rep. Nieves, he admitted that there is no problem currently in Missouri - all official proceedings, that is, meetings covered by the Sunshine Law, are conducted in English.)

My Democratic colleagues had some interesting amendments and debate points to offer. First Rep. Trent Skaggs of Clay County attempted to move the ballot date from November to August. Rep. McGhee said children had been banned from bringing their Bibles on school buses in his framing of the resolution. Skaggs said he was concerned about that, and since school starts in August,shouldn't we move the date up?

Several GOP members replied that a constitutional amendment is very important, so we should want the biggest possible number of people to go to the polls, and historically that's in November, so they asked the body to vote no. I spoke in favor of the amendment, arguing that if people really believe in personal responsibility, then we would expect every registered voter to do his or her duty and go out and vote in August. I suggested that we are encouraging laziness and irresponsibility if we excuse our neighbors from voting in August by setting the date for November.

Rep. Levota and Rep. Skaggs then talked about why the GOP ought to want the vote to be in August. They said the voters don't seem very excited about coming out for McCain in November, but since there's a hotly contested Republican primary in August, that ought to draw voters out.

The August vote amendment failed on a party line vote.

Next Rep. Leonard "Jonas" Hughes of Kansas City offered and amendment to add "the saints and Virgin Mary" after the word "God" so that Catholic children would know they were able to pray any way they wanted to as well. Rep. Ryan Silvey did an inquiry with Hughes and argued that the word God encompasses the saints and the Virgin Mary and Vishnu for that matter. (We won't be nominating Mr. Silvey to represent us at an interreligious dialogue group any time soon obviously. People of different faiths tend to want to state their own definitions and theologies about the divine instead of having others lump everything under the one heading "God.") Hughes amendment also failed (by a bigger margin - guess some of my Democratic colleagues come from predominantly Protestant districts where the "saints and the Virgin Mary" amendment could get them in trouble; the 59th where I live is so predominantly Catholic that I "voted my district" by pushing Aye.)

Rep. Jamilah Nasheed os St. Louis (one of three Muslim members in the House) also had an amendment ready to add "Allah" to the resolution. Before the Speaker could call on Nasheed, Majority Floor Leader Tilley laid the bill over. The bill could come back up at any time. Maybe some on this listserve will want to write a letter to the editor about it. Find the language of the HJR at: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills081/biltxt/commit/HJR0055C.HTM

Personally I don't see why anyone would believe that Missourians who aren't informed and responsible enough to exercise their First Amendment Freedoms now will suddenly be able to do so after a constitutional amendment to reaffirm freedoms that we already have. I wonder how many of my colleagues who belong to the NRA would argue that we have to amend Missouri's constitution to protect gun rights. I think instead they would argue that this is already protected by our constitution (well, unless they were trying to draw certain voters out in November....). Why should we be any less passionate and clear about asserting our religious freedoms then the right to bear arms?

Sick at Home - Day 5

It's worse than I've been letting on. I fear I have the dreaded man cold . . .

Go Republicans! Fight it Out!

BlogCCP has a great post today about a new Missouri gubernatorial poll. In a nutshell, Jay "Not My Favorite, But I'll Settle" Nixon stomps both Kenny "Matt Blunt's Equally Evil Twin" Hulshof and Sarah "No Nickname" Steelman, but Steelman comes 7 points closer than Hulshof.

Gotta like our chances in this race, especially if Hulshof gets the nomination.

Sick at Home - Day 3

This sucks. And that light that keeps calling me to walk down a tunnel toward it is SO annoying . . .

Correcting Koster's Cuts

Fortunately, a majority of the Republicans in Jefferson City care more about the health and well-being of Missourians than Chris Koster. Last week, the Missouri House undid the damage that Chris Koster inflicted on Missourians in general and Kansas City in particular.

Senate Republicans stripped them out of the bill to punish Democratic Sens. Jolie Justus of Kansas City and Chuck Graham of Columbia for trying to block the sale of the loan authority.

Justus and Graham argued that the partial sale of the loan authority would make it harder for Missouri college students to obtain low-cost student loans.

When they threatened to kill the entire plan through endless debate, Republicans abruptly cut off debate and stripped the projects from the budget.

The spending authorization now goes to the Senate, where most opposition appears to have subsided.

Please read that first paragraph again - the Republicans stripped funding for an essential project at the UMKC Pharmacy and Nursing schools. Specifically, Chris Koster participated in the "nuclear option" against Senator Justus, though Koster now claims to be a democrat and is seeking support of Kansas Citians in his run for Attorney General. Just a few short months ago, he was engaging in parliamentary hardball tactics designed to punish our State Senator for her courage in standing up for poor students.

Does anybody really believe that someone who did his damnedest to punish Kansas City ought to receive support now that he claims he's reformed??

Sick at Home

I do my best not to be too much of a whiner. Except when I'm sick - I crumble like a house of cards when my temperature "soars" above 98.8. My real symptoms are dwarfed by the imagined aches and pains and headaches. I'm pretty certain that my fever is being reported in Celsius, and that I'm really in danger of igniting. I don't get sick often, but, oh, when I do, it's a medical spectacle.

Today, I'm on my death bed at home. Unbelievably, my wife went to work, leaving me to perish alone. She hasn't even called for a home nurse, and I was forced to struggle through the complicated task of microwaving my own lunch. (Chicken soup, of course.)

This may be my final blog post. I just took my temperature (as I have approximately ever 20 minutes since waking up) and it is now in triple digits. Yes, 100.0. It's unlikely that I will survive - I wish you all well. Would 6 very strong people please volunteer to be my pallbearers? It's not going to be an easy job . . .

Meeting John Bullard, Candidate for Jackson County Sheriff

A while back, I posted "Can I Get a Little Help?", seeking input on what the Jackson County Sheriff does and which candidate would be best. 3 weeks later, having read up on the candidates and meeting one of them, I'm on board with John Bullard.

I met John for lunch on Friday, along with my friend Kanga. John reminds me of Andy Sipowicz cleaned up and with more hair. John is the model "good cop" - polite, modest, smart, informed and pleasant. Even with assurances that I wouldn't write about his response, he had nothing bad to say about his opponents, preferring, instead, to talk about what he would do in office. (Darn him!)

John Bullard is well-prepared to move the Jackson County Sheriff's Department forward. He alone has the credentials among real law enforcement professionals to build cooperation among the many law enforcement agencies in Jackson County. (Some of the other candidates puff up their resumes by listing "weekend warrior" reserve service, but John is the genuine article.) He has ambitious plans to seek Homeland Security money for upgrades to equipment and communications. He plans to open satellite offices to increase accessibility (Do you know where the Sheriff's office is? Could you get yourself out to Lake Jacomo by bus?) and visibility.

It's been fun but kind of frightening to learn about the Sheriff's Department and the candidates who seek to run it. We are blessed with a few good candidates, but one of them stands out because of his professionalism, experience, and vision. That candidate is John Bullard, and I'm looking forward to voting for him in the primary and again in the general election.

Movement Toward a New Missouri Plan?

Revolution may be afoot in the Missouri Bar regarding the matter I raised on this page back a couple months ago. The Board of Governors is back from their plush vacation at Atlantis, a luxurious resort in the Bahamas. They have been surprised that many of their colleagues are upset about the fact that the Board of Governors paid for their expensive travels out of the dues that they impose on other lawyers.

The Small Firm Internet Group (SFIG) listserve is a feisty collection of "regular guy and gal" type lawyers who share their opinions freely, and it became a hotbed of criticism of the Board's imperial behavior. The lavish sojourn has them particularly upset as it comes on the heels of a healthy dues increase passed by the same Board of Governors.

The outcry has caused Keith Birkes, the executive director of the Missouri Bar, to pen a post to the SFIG (an unprecedented step, to my knowledge) defending the dues increase. Regarding the travel expenses, Mr. Birkes explains:

There are five meetings of the Board of Governors each year - four of them inside Missouri and one traditionally outside Missouri at the site of The Missouri Bar�s Midyear Seminar. Reasonable and necessary travel expenses are reimbursed to Board members for the in-state meetings, and an adequate per diem is set for the one out-of-state meeting of the Board of Governors to cover travel, meals and two nights� lodging. At the most recent Midyear Seminar, $1,100 was authorized each Board member who attended the meeting. Members of the Board of Governors annually give up a minimum of ten working days in order to attend to their responsibilities as an elected member of the Board of Governors and many of them devote 20 or more working days to attend to those responsibilities.

The use of the passive voice in describing the reimbursement amount is kind of amusing. The $1,100 trip "was authorized each Board member" by none other than the Board of Governors itself. For several years, the Board has had a Conflict of Interest policy providing that "It is the obligation of members of The Missouri Bar, its Board of Governors, Committees and Staff to fully disclose any conflicts of interest that they may have while acting on behalf of, or participating in, the decision-making process of The Missouri Bar", but no such disclosures appear in any minutes of the Board concerning reimbursement policies or budget discussions.

Now, to be crystal clear, the Board of Governors is an outstanding collection of individuals, and Keith Birkes, is the single most competent, ethical and wise executive director I have ever worked with in more than two decades of nonprofit experience. My discussion is not meant to be a personal attack on anyone. But the Board of Governors is making a terrible mistake in blowing Missouri money and their own political capital on lavish trips to exotic locales. That money could be far better spent on meetings supporting Missouri workers, and the money blown on airfare to the Bahamas could be better spent on educating our public on how the Missouri Plan for selection and retention of judges is a crucial element of "the administration of justice and the law on behalf of the public." That would be money well-spent.

Are There Any Lines Left to Cross?

Back at the time of the Virginia Tech shootings, I asked for people to pause a moment and feel the absence before using the deaths for political gain.

Yesterday evening, a gunman in a St. Louis suburb shot the mayor and several others. He was a vocal gadfly in local politics, known for strong and strident criticism of the mayor and other officials.

This afternoon, Tony's Kansas City, a local strong and strident critic of the mayor and other officials, has a headline at the top of his page in bold letters: "Local Mayors SHOOT DOWN Funkhouser's regional light rail plan!!!". The capitalization was supplied by the original.

What is the line between a humor site and a hate site?

Koster Campaign Falling Apart?

MPN: Missouri Political News has a well-researched post about Koster's financial problems, and the news is pretty ugly. The two most shocking tidbits are that he actually lost money in the most recent quarter, since he failed to raise enough to pay back his over-the-limit contributions, and he brought in exactly 0 dollars from the rural areas on the East Side of the state. Go read the post for a great analysis of the crumbling fortunes of the Republican wunderkind who once seemed on a path of inevitability.

My Contribution to the Meme Pool

Memes have been all the rage in the local blogosphere lately. Seems I can't open Google Reader without learning 7 quirks about someone, or what the 123rd page of their nearest book says. Since Friday is a particularly meme-focused day for many bloggers, I thought I'd go ahead and make a contribution for tomorrow. So, limber up your typing fingers and get ready to participate!

(Some might remember that I have groused about memes being narcissistic and silly. What a grumpy grizzly bear I was! I've rethought things, and I hope you'll all welcome me back to the blog/meme community by answering this fun little set of questions!) Here goes:

1. Have you ever had a different favorite color than the one you have now? Why did you change?

2. What was the name of your first pet? What was it?

3. Do you keep a key outside your house for emergencies? Where do you keep it?

4. What's your best Christmas memory ever?

5. What's the most valuable item in your house? Where do you keep it?

6. Have you ever been to Hawaii? Do you have any out-of-town trips planned in the near future?

7. What's your most awful secret, the one you would pay thousands of dollars to prevent being told to your friends, relatives and neighbors?

8. Do you have any pets now? What command word do you use to make them lay down?

9. What's your home address?

10. Isn't this fun?

11. Have you ever made love with a "little person"?

12. How geeky are you? Have you ever tried online banking? At what bank? What password and account number did you use?

13. Who is your favorite Disney character?

14. What was the theme to your high school prom? Who did you take?

15. Now tag 5 of your closest and wealthiest friends!! And no fair just tagging "whoever wants to do it"! Make sure they do this one, even if you have to call them up and nag them. Email their responses to me at dan@gonemild.com!

Thanks for playing, everyone! This is going to be great!

My Baby Teeth Fought Nuclear Fallout

An item in yesterday's paper caught my eye - Dr. Walter Bauer, head of the St. Louis Baby Teeth Study, died at age 82. When I was a child, the tooth fairy would leave money, but not take the teeth. Instead, we would fill out cards and bring them to school, where they would become part of the Committee for Nuclear Information's study on nuclear fallout.

Growing up in 1960s St. Louis, we were downwind from nuclear tests in Nevada. So were the cows that provided the milk we drank (brought by milk men who would, on occasion, give us big chunks of clear ice we would hurl onto our concrete porch and break into lickable pieces, but that's another reminiscence). The traces of nuclear fallout (strontium-90) in the grass they ate was concentrated into the milk we drank, and showed up in our teeth.

Ultimately, the information gathered by the study motivated President Kennedy to negotiate a ban on above-ground nuclear testing by the US and the Soviet Union. It also led to me getting really cool pins that I could wear on my shirt saying "I gave my tooth to science!", which somehow increased my importance in the world.

It wasn't until I was in college that I found out this was peculiar . . .

Happy Ronald Reagan Day, Chris Koster

Today, February 6, is Ronald Reagan day in Missouri. Guess who co-sponsored the bill to designate a day to honor the man responsible for Iran/Contra scandal, in which we provided arms to Iran?

Chris Koster, who is now claiming to be a Democrat, who claims that he can represent Democratic principles, stood on the floor of the Missouri Senate and helped make Ronald Reagan Day a reality for Missourians.

There are two possibilities here. One is that Ronald Reagan truly represents ideals that Chris Koster holds dear, and his conversion to the Democratic Party is insincere. The other is that he was insincere in his eager embrace of a Republican icon, and merely trying to fool people into thinking about his party affiliation.

(A third possibility would be that he was sincere then and now, and has entirely changed his view of Ronald Reagan. That would entail a staggering amount of sincerity for someone who is not particularly recognized for that characteristic. If that's it, though, and Chris Koster wants to issue an explanation about why he was gung-ho for Ronald Reagan Day a couple short years ago, but he now rejects Ronald Reagan as a personal hero, I stand ready to publish his apology.)

The Game of Lowering Expectations, Tony Style

It seems that signature-gathering is harder work that some people thought. A little rain on the weekend, coupled with forecasts of rain and snow on Super Tuesday, has dampened the prospects of the recall petition. Rumors are circulating of a complete shut-out for a signature-gatherer at the Brookside Market. A hare-brained scheme to gather signatures through the internet fell apart within hours as people realized that notaries cannot verify unseen signatures. "Activists" are quickly finding out that the average citizen wants no part of their awkward and hateful effort.

What's a complainer to do?

Move the goalposts, of course. This morning, after only a few days of pushing this misguided petition, Tony has reached the conclusion that overturning an election by the people isn't easy - "I'm completely willing to acknowledge the fact that a grassroots petition drive is a hard thing to pull off (nullus)". He then goes on to act as though the failure is just part of the process - "Whether it's this recall or the next one that finally puts the issue on the ballot, the fact is that many people (and political groups) have expressed their support of the recall petitioners . . .".

Notice the not-so-subtle changing of the target? It's not about getting 16,950 valid signatures of registered KC voters, anymore. Oh, no. Now it's about "many people" not actually signing, but "expressing their support of the recall petitioners".

Heck, if that's all they're after, I'll express support of the recall petitioners. I'm sure they're nice people, and I admire the fact that they tried to do something more than just post pseudonymous comments on the Prime Buzz or daily attacks on Tony's Kansas City.

Perhaps we should amend the City Charter to allow for a new process for situations like this. When you only want "many people" to "express their support", you should not be required to meet the filing requirements of an actual Petition for Recall. Perhaps you should be able to file a "Petition for Attention", and file it with signatures from unregistered voters and rely on internet "signatures" to inflate your count. Why should we have such high expectations of legality when that's not what people really want, anyhow? Petitions for Recall are for people who want change, not merely attention.

Come On, People, Get Out and Vote!

Yeah, it's already raining and it looks like the lousy weather will last all day. Yes, it's true that most of us will have to park and walk ten or twenty yards in cold rain to cast our votes. No doubt about it - it's nasty out there.

But IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO CAST A VOTE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY!

Sadly, some people will look outside and decide it's just not worth it to get their heads wet and slosh through a puddle.

Your vote will count more because of their weakness. Regardless of who you're supporting, go out and cast your vote.

Jacking with the Pollsters

I've received a bunch of calls lately from political pollsters, mostly from the Republican side. While it would be easy to explain to them that I will not be voting in the Republican primary on Tuesday, or to simply hang up, I would be missing out on a real opportunity to confuse the issues for the "experts" on the Republican side.

Somewhere, the Republican strategists are pondering why a strong Huckabee supporter is also strongly pro-gay marriage. Why is a portion of the "leaning Romney" electorate mostly concerned with Second Amendment rights? And McCain is apparently the choice of those who want immediate deportation of all undocumented immigrants.

Republican pollsters are welcome to call me anytime they want, and I promise to answer their questions.

Think Before You Ink! Decline to Sign!

From County Legislator Scott Burnett:

In Missouri next Tuesday February 5th, 2008, it is likely that when you are voting you will be asked to sign a "pro-civil rights" petition. This petition is actually a privately funded anti-affirmative action document. If they are successful in gathering the required signatures this anti-affirmative action language will appear on the November 2008 ballot. Please let everyone know the truth about this situation.

Think Before You Ink


Get the FACTS about the Anti- Civil Rights Initiative:

* The MoCRI will ban affirmative action programs designed toeliminate discrimination against women and minorities in public contracting, employment and education.
* Eliminating affirmative action programs will lead to resegregation of higher education.



The Low-down on paid petitioners:

* Petitioners are often paid per signature and are motivated by financial gain, not civic duty.
* Supporting a constitutional amendment is a serious decision. Petitions and petitioners may be misleading, you can ask to take the petition home with you while you decide and mail it in later.

Who’s behind this petition?

* Ward Connerly, a California businessman is trying to ban affirmative action in five states during the 2008 presidential elections. He’s trying to amend Missouri’s constitution to do so.

For more information call 1-877-644-0466 or visit: wecanmo.org.

Background
Ward Connerly is a rich California businessman who is working in five states to get ballot initiatives passed that will end affirmative action.

Many community leaders think Connerly’s initiatives—carefully timed to coincide with the 2008 election—are designed to trick voters. Although deceptively called a “civil rights initiative,” Connerly’s constitutional amendment would end programs that level the playing field so that women and minorities have better access to public employment, public education, and public contracts.

His petitioners will be on the street claiming to end inequalities when their real aim is to end affirmative action and blunt gains made by workers throughout the state in education and public employment.

Why we are opposing this initiative:
It’s about protecting our elections and our constitution!
When outsiders come in and try to impose their agenda on Missourians, something is very wrong. Connerly is in Missouri trying to amend our constitution, for his own political purposes.

It’s about turning back paid political operatives!
The so-called “civil rights initiative” will have to rely upon dozens of crews of paid petitioners locally and outside of Missouri. They aggressively push to get signatures so that they can get paid more money. That’s not how Missouri voters should amend our constitution!

It’s about justice!
Affirmative action programs have lifted barriers faced by women, African Americans, Latinos and other ethnic minorities, giving them equal access to higher education, jobs and public contracts. This initiative seeks to turn back-time and give up the gains we have made for our daughters and for minority communities. Affirmative action policies are about continuing to move us towards equality.

It’s about making us stronger and more diverse!
Affirmative action policies make sure that women and racial and ethnic minorities get real opportunities make our communities and workplaces stronger and more diverse.
What you can do!

Volunteer for “decline to sign.” Join hundreds of activists in working to prevent Connerly from gathering the signatures needed to put his initiative on the 2008 ballot. Trainings are twice a week. Sign up for one today!

TO VOLUNTEER CALL 913-231-8587

I Love Obama, but I'm Voting for Hillary

I appreciate all the thoughtful comments on my post about shifting my support from Edwards to Clinton. I also received a few emails from friends disagreeing with my position, but it's been a pleasant disagreement. With virtually no exceptions, Democrats are happy with both candidates, and the dispute is centered on which candidate would be best. Our friends in the Republican party aren't in such a fortunate position - they are facing a choice between those they hate least.

Most of the criticism of Clinton's candidacy concerns her "electability". Les provided a quotation that sums up the fears quite well - "But I heard a pitch from an Obama supporter a while back that stuck with me: He unites the left and divides the right, while Clinton divides the left and unites the right."

I don't see it that way. While it's true that Hillary has a core of frothing crazies who absolutely hate her and her husband, the true Rush Limbaugh fans are a relatively small group, and won't be voting for Obama, either. In fact, as they increase their stridency and vitriol, I think they will discredit themselves even more, and make the crucial swing voters hesitant to align with the crazies. Check out the comments in my post asking why people hate Hillary Clinton so much - it's not an attractive or persuasive crowd. (As an aside, I posted that over three years ago, and I still get commenters visiting. I'm the second site that comes up if you google "I hate Hillary", and I got a spike of traffic after her victory in New Hampshire from people googling similar phrases.)

Even if they don't frighten away all the swing voters, we have seen their playbook. They've been slinging mud at Hillary Clinton since 1992, and there aren't any more Vince Fosters that she's murdered, any more communist parties she's belonged to, or any more alien lesbian love triangles she's joined. Whatever they try to make up now will lack credibility.

Obama does not have that factor - in fact, I fear he may have the opposite dynamic. Right now, it's easy to project our hopes and dreams on the bright young man. So, when you see his smiling face or his campaign logo that looks like an organic cereal box, it's easy to feel like everything is going to be sunshine and happiness through November.

In the last election, the right wing noise machine took a war hero and rebranded him as a traitor and a coward. They took a straight-shooting Senator and made him into a flip-flopper. They are experts at it, and they are ruthless. And, if you're informed and you're honest about it, you know there is material for them to work with.

Already, the negatives on Obama are creeping upward. In fact, by some polls, his are higher than hers.

Standing where we stand, and as a liberal democrat, I see a lot to love about Obama. He's actually closer to my personal views that Clinton is. If he gets the nomination, I'll be thrilled to have him as a candidate and I will work hard to get him elected. I agree with those who see him as a fresh, clean candidate who can bring in more young voters and rejuvenate the Democratic party.

But fresh and clean isn't going to last. I fear that after facing the Republican lie machine, fresh and clean will be questionable and muddy.

With Hillary Clinton, we know who will be on the ballot in November. And we know she can win. It won't be easy, but she can win.

A Few Thoughts on the Recall

Finally, on the third attempt, petitioners succeeded in filing paperwork to get started gathering signatures for a recall campaign. While I clearly think it's a foolish effort in several different ways, there is a possibility that this will be a learning opportunity for some Kansas Citians.

1. They need around 30,000 signatures, not 16,950. There's a huge difference between a petition signature and a valid petition signature. The recall campaign has already demonstrated that fact when it took NINE people signing the originating documents to get 5 valid signatures. Applying their success ratio to the petition itself, that makes their goal 30,510 signatures to get the bare minimum of 16,950. That's an awful lot of signatures in 30 days - about a thousand a day. How many do you think they got yesterday? How many do you think they'll get today - in the rain and sleet? The extended forecast shows only two days over 50 degrees. Tuesday might be a good day for them, with the primary, but I expect a lot of the primary voters to be pretty well-informed, and thus unlikely to join in this foolish effort. Personally, I look forward to engaging any poll worker I see in a thorough conversation about the issues and my perspectives on them - I betcha I can shut down his or her signature-gathering for at least 15 prime-time minutes . . .

2. The Petition won't hold up in Court. The standard for recall in Kansas City is set forth in the Kansas City Municipal Code:

Grounds for recall must relate to and affect the administration of the officials office, and be of a substantial nature directly affecting the rights and interests of the public. Grounds for recall are limited to objective reasons which reasonable people, regardless of their political persuasion, could agree would render any officials performance ineffective, which must be an act of misfeasance, the improper performance of some act which may lawfully be done, or malfeasance, the commission of some act wholly beyond the officials authority, or nonfeasance, the failure to perform a required duty.

Now, I realize that there are a lot of emotional and strident anti-Mayor agitators, but, in a court of law, a judge is going to wind up looking at the language of the Affadavit and see if it meets that standard. Here's the affidavit - feel free to go read it, and ponder whether you would want to present that case to a judge. I'm not going to make fun of the people who wrote it - I'm sure they're sincere and well-meaning - but there are logical lapses and faulty analyses throughout it. It is not a serious political or legal document, and a court of law is not the comment section of a joke blog.

3. Please bring it on. In some ways (and I am only speaking for myself, as always), I'm glad to see this happening. It amounts to calling the bluff of the chattering handful that have crowded out intelligent discussion at the Prime Buzz, and the joke blogger who will be working on the effort. After this is over, the city will get to see just how widespread and deep the opposition to Funk really is. If the recall is successful, I pledge to move forward and not look back. If the recall is unsuccessful, perhaps, just maybe, the chattering handful of political WATBs and blustering malcontents will finally realize that the people of Kansas City elected Mayor Funkhouser, and he stands ready to focus on issues of substance and improving the lives of regular Kansas Citians. Perhaps, just maybe, the people who have spent so much time and effort in attacking and deriding the Mayor will refocus their effort on helping achieve his priorities.

"That's like putting your whole mouth right in the dip! From now on, when you take a chip - just take one dip and end it!"

It turns out that Timmy was right - double-dipping spreads germs, according to real scientists.