Gone Mild Prescience

From April of 2007, "Has Kit Bond Lost his Mojo?":

Bond may wind up not even trying. He'll be 71, and he's not going to be having much fun as a non-influential minority member of the Senate for the next 3 years. When the lobbyists dial down their level of attention, Kit Bond is likely to figure out that he can have more fun elsewhere, without the occasional scrutiny of the press. It might even be worth paying for his own Alaskan junkets.

Gonemild says that Kit Bond is finished in 2010.

In rereading the rest of the post, I was a heck of a lot funnier before I tried to stop being mean . . .

Call Congress Today - NO to Bail-Outs

I can remember a few years ago when the Bush Administration was begging for authority to act rashly, and the case to support the action was wrapped in secrecy and fear. Congress went along, and America has suffered because of our trust.

Now, the administration wants to launch the most expensive program EVER, without time for debate and without explaining its plans.

Does it make sense to pay higher than market prices for bad assets purchased by people who ought to know better? Is anyone else struck by the handwringing and lack of empathy from Republicans when we were talking about extending unemployment benefits, in contrast to the rush to compassion for the country club Republicans we're seeing now? Why do our schools need bake sales, when $700 billion was available for a compelling need like broke bankers? Why was this money unavailable for the uninsured?

It's bad policy. But it's going to happen if you don't pick up the phone and call Congress and tell them you don't want this to happen.

Here is a site that gives you the contact information for your elected representatives. I will be calling mine today - and, to make it even easier for you, here are the numbers for:

Kit Bond: (202) 224-5721
Claire McCaskill: (816) 421-1639
Emanuel Cleaver: (816) 842-4545

Do NOT assume that any of these individuals will vote the way you expect or hope they would on this matter. In fact, each of them has shown a tendency to favor banking interests over Missourians in the past. They need to hear from you today. Be polite, but be clear. We do not want to shower $700,000,000,000 of our tax dollars on an undisciplined financial services industry.

Claire McCaskill - Bad to Worst?

Finally, George W. Bush has done something sooo far beyond the pale, sooo ridiculously irresponsible, sooo wrecklessly wrong-headed that even Kit Bond voted to over-ride his veto. It's the first time since Bush has been in office that Bond has stood up to one of Bush's vetoes.

Bush's veto was on a bill to help restore the Everglades. To help rebuild the levees in New Orleans. To protect Missourians from deadly, costly floods. The Senate voted 79-14 to over-ride this unacceptable veto. The vast majority of Republicans voted to rebuke Bush.

McCaskill was one of only 14 Senators to vote in favor of Bush.

Seriously. What is her problem? Not even Jim Talent would gone so far.

Coincidentally, I received an invitation to donate to her PAC this week. Yeah, right. Not even if she gives me one of her WWJTD (What Would Jim Talent Do?) bracelets.