Rebuttal to Randy Turner’s Huffington Post Piece

Randy Turner is a Joplin blogger who writes for the Huffington Post. He’s questioning Rush Limbaugh’s decision to come to Joplin and the rhetoric that comes along with it. In doing so, he brings up Barack Obama’s recent visit to Joplin.

However, on the same Friday show in which he announced he would be in Joplin, Limbaugh said the following:

I’m gonna tell you something else is gonna happen at Landreth Park in Joplin on Monday night: We’re gonna grow the Republican Party. It’s a Fourth of July celebration. We have the Harvard survey from yesterday: Fourth of July parades breed Republicans. Young kids at Fourth of July parties tend to end up being Republican. Fourth of July celebrations do not have any patriotic impact on Democrats. This is from a Harvard survey. We had it yesterday. Now, you Democrats, you can try to throw cold water all you want on what we’re doing Monday night in Joplin, but I just want to remind you what’s actually happening Monday night in Joplin, Missouri. Not only the continuing rebirth of a great community, and not only the joining of people coming together for a singular purpose (well, actually multipurpose) but we’re also growing the conservative movement. Try that!

During another segment of the program, Limbaugh repeated his earlier criticism that the president waited a week to come to Joplin while he was in Europe.

Limbaugh has a First Amendment right to criticize those whose opinions differ from his. No one questions that. But hopefully, he can see that a Fourth of July celebration at Landreth Park is not the time nor the place to do it.

The people who came to Joplin immediately after the tornado and in the days and weeks afterward were not just rock-ribbed Republicans, though undeniably they were here. Liberals by the thousands were also cleaning up debris, helping salvage treasured belongings, and offering moral support to people when they needed it the most.

These were people who care about their nation just as deeply as Limbaugh and his followers do.

When President Obama arrived seven days after the tornado, he offered support to people who were suffering and it did not matter that this community voted solidly against him three years ago. There was no hint of the divisiveness that has darkened so much of the day-to-day discourse in our nation.

Hopefully, when Rush Limbaugh makes his presence felt in our city July 4, it will be in the same spirit. A park in the middle of an area that has seen 158 people killed and thousands of homes and businesses wiped off the map does not need to be a site for growing the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or any other political organization.
The only thing we need to be growing is together.

When you come to Joplin, Rush, please bring the tea and leave the tea party behind.

(Looks like a federal version of Reservoir Dogs.)

Mr Turner, with all due respect, wasn’t Obama’s visit to Joplin politically motivated too, stemming from Democrats who attacked George W. Bush shortly after Katrina for the federal government’s response to the emergency? Seriously, what did Obama really hope to accomplish by bringing Air Force One to Joplin, standing around for a photo op in the tornado wreckage, and then delivering a speech. It was the American people who united to help Joplin, and it is the stories of the survivors and those lossed that brought the community and the country together. Obama or any other president doesn’t have that power. This is the power of the American people. It’s this American spirit that puts this divisiveness aside, and it’s politicians like Obama who use it to push their agenda the second they return to Washington. By the way, it happens on both sides of the argument.

It is Katrina that now sets the standard for the politicking that goes on after an emergency and both sides are guilty of using Joplin for the photo op whether it be “boots on the ground, hands in his pocket” Billy Long or Barack Obama. What good is it really that these representatives of the federal government come to see where these people once lived before mighty Mother Nature had the last say? Not one politician drove the pathos and ethos of Joplin and the American people. The hundreds of thousands of dollars spent for them to come and make their photo ops are hundreds of thousands that could be used to rebuild Joplin.

Politicians use natural disasters because there is a human interest there that people can relate too far more than quantitative easing, TARP bailouts, and forced mandates. It’s pure political pathos that’s good for the poll numbers, which is exactly why our own Congressman spends as much time getting in front of a Joplin camera or microphone when one is offered, but it’s easy to see through.

You seem to forget that all week before Obama got to Joplin, he was drinking beers, playing ping pong, and enjoying a European break. Joplin seemed far from his mind. Other than delivering words and promises, what was really all that worthy about Obama’s visit to Joplin or any other political official’s visit?

(As Joplin picks itself up off the ground…)

Obama was there for political capital, and even though he wasn’t as blatant obvious about it, we all know the politics of Katrina are behind Obama’s response. So you can tell Rush to bring the Tea but leave the Tea Party at home, but you need to hold the other politicians to the same standard who chose to make Joplin a photo op guided by the politics of Katrina.

Honestly, Mr. Turner, considering the amount of money the federal government has spent flying official after official to Joplin to take the tour along side Congressman Long, I think Rush’s caravan is well-welcomed when you consider the government is not subsidizing Rush’s tea to keep the people of Joplin refreshed in humid Southwest Missouri in July. If it wasn’t for the idiots at Harvard who try to divide this Republic will silly studies that attempt to discourage the Fourth of July celebration claiming it’s one big rally to indoctrinate children to become Republicans, Rush wouldn’t even have said what he said on Friday as he announced he was coming to Joplin.

So if you are looking for divide, look to Harvard and the liberals who tried to claim the Fourth of July is a Republican recruiting holiday. You left out that part as your Fourth of July celebration in Joplin along with celebrations across the fruited plain were suddenly centers of right-wing indoctrination. Talk about divisive!

Mr. Turner and Joplin residents, I do hope you enjoy your Fourth of July in Joplin without politicians making it about them. You and I both know politicians like Billy Long will scramble to get their photo op with El Rushbo, and worst of all, they won’t wait in line like average people to meet Mr. Limbaugh.

Originally posted at Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom © Clay Bowler

 

WesternFront America

Congressman Todd Akin is under fire today. The St. Louis Congressman running for US Senate against the dingy blonde in the Republican primary said something today that I don’t find too hard to back up. Yet, he comes under fire today. Here’s the details:

On Tony Perkins conservative radio program Akin said, “I think NBC has a long record of being very liberal and at the heart of liberalism, really, is a hatred for God and a belief that government should replace God. So, they’ve had a long history of not being at all favorable toward many of things that have been such a blessing to our country.”

Is this a valid point that liberals want to replace God with Government? I take you back to the 2008 election where one Barack Obama promising big government was compared to the messiah Jesus Christ himself, and this comparison was especially strong in the mainstream media where Obama even sent tingles up the legs of Chris Matthews, who bowed down to Obama.

Of course, there were all sores of references in art and in magazines of Obama being God-like. Remember these?

Or here is a Newsweek cover calling Obama the God of All Things.

Seriously, what is more offensive? Akin pointing out the far left’s belief in big government as a God or the fact the mainstream media worked hard to turn Obama into a God?
Or how about how photos were manipulated to make Obama appear to be a light in a religious sort of way?

And here is this hand made Obama poster that was at the Obama/Democrat campaign headquarters in Lake City, Florida.

Seriously, what did Akin say that can’t be at least considered in political debate? I don’t think what he said was that far off. The problem is liberals hate being called out. Of course journalists like Barb Shelly of the Kansas City Star have their head too deep in their asses to consider the context of the statement if it means questioning Barack Obama. In religion, it’s not recommended you question the head of the religion.

Originally posted at Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom © Clay Bowler

 

WesternFront America

The 60 Minutes interview with Tyler Hamilton, Lance Armstrong’s former team mate is damning. Hamilton, one of Armstrong’s most trusted friends on US Postal under oath in a federal investigation of Armstrong said Lance cheated. He used EPO and engaged in blood doping to win the Tour De France. I don’t think anyone is surprised at this point. However, I once said whatever Lance did to win the Tour De France when it came to performance enhancement drugs was so advance there weren’t tests even developed.

The truth according to Hamilton is Armstrong’s methods were conservative enough to beat the tests and when he did test positive, well, the cycling world protected Lance and he reached deep in his pockets to donate to the right organizations to get them to look away. I am not surprised. Greg LeMond, America’s first Tour De France champion tried telling us, and he was demonized. The same excuse was made that LeMond warned of. Without the performance enhancing drugs, good riders were getting dropped by riders without the same talents. Therefore, everyone not just Lance engaged in doping. Of course, it has cost many cyclists their careers and even led Marco Pantani to suicide.

Lance Armstrong’s attorneys now want an apology from 60 Minutes for smearing Lance Armstrong’s name. That’s funny. So many of Lance’s friends including Hamilton and George Hincapie have come forward now, and their stories are the same. Lance Armstrong won not totally from once we were told.

I want to know why 60 Minutes is the bad guy. Listen to the interview with Hamilton. The incidents the United States Federal Government are supposedly using to build a case against Lance Armstrong happened where? Not in the United States where federal laws the US government regulates and enforces apply. The testimony that Hamilton said the feds are interested are stories from France, Switzerland, and Spain, sovereign countries outside of any control of the federal government, which means Armstrong’s only crime is that he is an American. None of this testimony should be used against Lance because none of it happened within federal jurisdiction.

It seems to me if Armstrong’s attorneys want an apology, perhaps they should push their efforts at a federal government gone out of control.

Originally posted at Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom © Clay Bowler

 

WesternFront America

Why is Washington spending your tax dollars on an investigation of Lance Armstrong? What jurisdiction to do they have? Why do they want to make an example out of Armstrong and so many other Americans? It comes down to basically a couple reasons.

The United States government is broke.

Desperate bureaucrats hope to keep their jobs as they know government cuts are coming.

From small bunny rabbit farms set up to teach a child responsibility to the pinnacle of the European cycling through the International Cycling Union (UCI), the feds have launched an all out war on Americans without any Constitution jurisdiction. As I introduced the world to John Dollarhite, a Nixa man who sin was setting giving his son something to do to teach him responsibility, I overlooked the fact Mr. Dollarhite has a lot in common with seven-time Tour De France Champion Lance Armstrong. They are both victims of an overreaching government that has no Constitutional authority to justify the witch hunt against them.

Let’s take a look at Mr. Dollarhite. He faces $4 million dollars in USDA fines after grossing $200 in profit from selling a few bunny rabbits. His crime, he didn’t bow down to the federal overlord ruling Mordor on the Potomac and purchase permission from the federal government to sell bunny rabbits. Because of this, his Constitutional rights, namely his 8th Amendment, is being violated.

Dollarhite never engaged in interstate commerce, and so what authority the government has to even demand he purchase a bunny rabbit license is based on Americans ignorance of the Constitution with the threat of these bureaucracies, who almost always have their own police force. Even the Department of Education purchases shotguns to expand the American police state.

As well, magicians across the country report they are being harassed by the USDA and pushed to pay outrageous fines despite no real evidence their rabbits are being abused, unless you are a PETA type who believes pulling a rabbit out of a hat is abuse. That’s just silly, especially when you consider that rabbit never needs to worry about the predator prey relationship of living in the wild. Magicians, Hollywood animal trainers, and children’s bunny farms are all getting the attention of evil bureaucrats in DC.

So what does Dollarhite have in common with Armstrong? In my days of racing bicycles, I can’t recall seeing him in any peloton I entered. He doesn’t wear a Livestrong yellow bracelet. What Dollarhite has in common with Armstrong is they are both victims of an overreaching federal government.

So for the past year, the United States government has spent millions of your tax dollars to prove Lance Armstrong is a cheat. Though he has never failed on drug test and was put through the most intense program of drug testing, even having officials showing up at his house at strange hours forcing him to undergo testing, for some reason the United States government thinks its best for the general welfare of our Republic to investigate Lance Armstrong.

When it’s all over, it appears they are going to ensure one of the greatest comeback stories ever is scarred. On what Constitutional grounds do they have this authority to even investigate Lance Armstrong. Consider the facts.

It appears when everything is said and done, multiple bureaucracies from the FDA to the IRS is going to be pointing their police state guns in the face of Lance Armstrong demanding hefty fines which violate Armstrong’s Eighth Amendment rights, not to mention it appears this is really a matter that is for the French.

Armstrong lived and trained in Europe–not Austin, TX for most of the year. Armstrong and his teammates had homes in Europe and spent very little time in the United States.
Armstrong made rare appearances in American bicycle races, but most of his time was spent in Europe racing.

If Armstrong was doping, it’s very likely Italian doctor–not an American doctor–Michele Ferrari was supplying the resources needed. Ferrari is the controversial doctor connected to Armstrong who has been involved in other doping scandals. Once again, one has to ask were any Constitutional interstate commerce regulations violated or did the exchange and services just take place in Europe?

It is for these reasons, that it appears just like in the other cases, the federal government is pushing past their limits established in the Constitution. So what motivates the federal government to spend your tax dollars on proving Lance Armstrong cheated in Europe?

Probably the same thing that motivates the federal government to pursue magicians, raw milk producers, and children’s rabbit farms. The federal government is broke and they are issuing outrageous fines while taking away due process laws that rob their subjects of trial by jury. As in the case of Dollarhites, they were told the court they would face would be within the USDA itself–no jury of their peers. They call this tyranny in case you don’t know because it violates the Constitution.

Thousands of bureaucrats in DC are worried about coming budget cuts. They are working like salesmen on used car lots to push lemons to establish their worth to the government. Without any regard to Constitutional rights, they are willing to stomp on American lives to keep their hefty government paychecks coming with the promise of government benefits and pensions. All the while the very foundation of the Republic crumbles from their tyranny.

The federal government according to the United States has two main functions–provide a common defense to the states and play moderator in interstate commerce disputes (which includes treaties and agreements with other nations). How the United States got to the point where it believes going after a magician, a parent of a 12 year old teaching their child responsibility, or a legendary bicycle racer living in Europe is a sad story. It’s one that reminds once again of the lack of freedom and liberty that is now the United States. Ask yourself, are these bureaucrats any different than King George pushing the Stamp Act?

If the Dollarhite’s have committed a crime for selling a few bunny rabbits within the state of Missouri, then it is the business of the state of Missouri and not the federal government based on the Constitution.

If Lance Armstrong lived in Europe, raced in Europe, and allegedly doped in Europe, it is the business of the UCI and the counties in which he violated the laws while residing in Europe. The federal government has no rights to enforce their laws in a sovereign country like France.

I leave you with Thomas Jefferson’s words found in the Declaration of Independence:

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

Hits close to home these days, doesn’t it?

Originally posted at Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom © Clay Bowler

 

WesternFront America

By Clay Bowler

As the sun rises on Joplin, Missouri this morning, we are reminded once again why we take emergency preparedness seriously. Within just minutes, what was one of the busiest districts in the Route 66 town was quickly leveled by a mile-wide F4 tornado.

It is important to note, in recent months Congressman Billy Long discounted and attempted to weaken the systems in place set up to protect people from the devastating tornado that hit his district yesterday afternoon. Obviously, there are systems in place to increase your chances of survival and tools for first responders to quickly warn and help those in needs. Congressman Long has attacked both.

During statewide tornado drills in March 2010, Long quickly passed the drills off as over the top on Twitter.

KTTS just had detailed Tornado Warning TEST – take cover in the following counties, get in a ditch, yada yada – War of The Worlds PartDuex? about 4 hours ago via mobile web

What was a joke for Long is not a joke for Joplin, Missouri. War of the Worlds Part Duex, a F4 tornado, which some claim was a multi-vortex tornado, has taken out a large section of homes and businesses in Long’s own home district. How many lives were saved all because the state of Missouri has a day to remind people of procedures that may save their lives. This was no time for inspiration from Bozo.

Last night’s storm also reminds of the importance of first responders on HAM radios, mobilizing injury prevention and first response before and after the storm. Long’s co-sponsorship of HR607, the federal emergency broadband bill, weakens this first responder network by removing valuable HAM frequencies that were used yesterday to spot tornadoes, get people to take shelter, and mobilize emergency efforts, but Long’s bill he co-sponsored would make it harder for these HAM radio operators to perform this valuable service.

Joplin resident Duane Graham writes:

The Springfield News-Leader wrote:

The amateur radio enthusiasts have [sic] for the most part spend their own money, use their own equipment, and spend hours of their time training and volunteering during emergencies. They say that losing this frequency would require costly changes to their infrastructure and equipment, and could jeopardize their ability to assist during emergencies…

The section emergency coordinator for Missouri’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Kenneth Baremore, reportedly said,

every time there is a tornado watch, local ham radio operators assist the National Weather Service and emergency management offices until it passes.

The paper also reported:

Part of the system is a repeater network, set up with antennas throughout southwest Missouri, that radio operators use to communicate from Springfield to Rolla, Joplin and Nevada.

Most interesting is Long’s explanation, as reported by the News-Leader:

…when asked about the provision in the bill that would sell off the frequency used by amateur radio operators, Long said that was news to him. He said he co-sponsored the bill because [Peter] King, the homeland security chairman, asked him to and because the bill is supported by many organizations that are committed to public safety, something he values.

Committed to public safety? Billy Long? The same guy who made fun of the tornado drills set up for public safety?

Long’s own ignorance of bills he co-sponsors and need for attention through a not even clever one-liner on Twitter or at a microphone could be costly the next time a tornado hits his Missouri 7 district. Billy Long hasn’t taken storm safety, not has he studied the systems in place designed for the public safety–that aren’t federally mandated. Let’s hope one good thing to come out of the Joplin tornado is Billy Long wakes up to how local efforts in both the state and the community work to keep people alive. Maybe then, Long will actually consider reading a bill before he co-sponsors it and discovers the impact it may have on emergency preparedness in the Ozarks.

Originally posted at Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom © Clay Bowler

 

WesternFront America

… Long Wins

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Billy Long survived Long is Wrong. He survived all the other bloggers that decided to fill in the gaps the local media failed to present in their news. After his decisive victory, which was no surprise to anybody, I took the Long is Wrong site down.

Of course by this time, there was rumors of an FBI investigation surrounding the Long campaign. The Friday before the election, a fraudulent e-mail found its way into news rooms in Southwest Missouri. It claimed Eckersley was quitting the race.

By the time they announced Long the winner, I had already made a connection to the Long campaign with the fraudulent e-mail. While this by no means declares Long guilty, the connections were too hard to ignore.

The ISP of the e-mail originated from Chicagoland. A fraudulent Eckersley Twitter account was established a few days before, and many bloggers were watching it closely. I noted that one of the followers of the fraudulent Twitter account owned a political consulting company in Chicagoland in the vicinity of where the ISP address came from. As candidate Eckersley announced to the local media he was working with the FEC and the Justice Department, I was following the social media trail and discovered the owner of the Chicago political consulting group had graduated from the same exclusive high school Long attended, and that he graduated about the same time as one of Long’s daughters. My final posts on Long is Wrong connected the dots back to Billy Long.

Eckersley issued a public statement during Long’s first full week in office the FBI was investigating the e-mail. Eckersley told me the FBI was interested in the social media trail that I exposed, which was immediately removed from the Internet after Eckersley held his final press conference discussing the fraudulent e-mail. Even the main Web site of the political consulting company was removed within minutes, but not before I saved all of it and presented it to the Eckersley campaign.

Since November, Long is Wrong has been inaccessible to the general public for access on the Internet. After the election, I felt it was for the better of our community that it was taken down so Congressman Long can focus on the job at hand, but as any responsible Tea Party member would do, I issued a warning to Congressman Long. “We are watching you.”

Long’s new role as a Congressman got off to a rocky start. Running to the left-wing mainstream media any time a camera or microphone was offered from the moment freshman orientation commenced, some amazing sound bites were coming from Long’s mouth and winding up in major publications. “Tea Party before Tea Party was cool.” “My pocket Constitution is rode hard and put up wet.” Yet, it was Congressman Long who was notably absent from the greatest symbol of the Tea Party’s influence in America today. Long tweeted he was meeting with a lobbyist at the same time the Constitution was being read on the floor. I knew then, my months of working to expose Long as establishment and not Tea Party had just been proven in one single act. What I didn’t know is how true that was as Long’s true colors were about to be seen by the entire Republic.

I left for Arkansas for a backpacking trip on the Ozark Highlands Trail, the Ozarks version of the Appalachian trail that is getting ready to connect with trails in Missouri leading to St. Louis. I would have no clue of the great tragedy in Tuscon until after I put out my campfire, packed up my tent, and hiked back to my car. It was Billy Long’s tweet that alerted me to the tragic shooting.

Long blocks many of his constituents  from Twitter from following him. Jim Lee and I would joke that Long has an enemies list and you can see if you are on it based on whether you are allowed to follow the Congressman on Twitter. For me, I found a way around being blocked, and his tweets come directly as an instant message to my cell phone.

I quickly turned to Fox News on my Sirius Satellite Radio to learn the details. Little did I know what Saturday’s shooting would lead to. It never crossed my mind. I was just as angry as any conservative at the tragedy as we heard politician after politician on both the left and right ready to restrict Constitutional rights after the shooting. As I have written many times, the first and best way to protect those rights is through peaceful debate, not shooting up Congressmen and politicians.

So there I was, Tuesday afternoon, taking a break from a freelance assignment. I saw the black Dodge Charger pull into the driveway  expecting it to turn around. It didn’t.

Two men got out of the car, one dressed in a blue coat and the other wearing a law enforcement uniform. Many thoughts raced in my head about why they might be there, but the words Gabrielle Giffords and Billy Long never once entered my mind. In fact, there were other things going on that simply made sense that I won’t expand on.

I opened the door.

Hello, I’m with the FBI. I would like to ask you some questions.

I still didn’t have a clue, and knowing I had rights, I didn’t immediately cooperate. In instructed them the Fourth Amendment and Fifth Amendment protects me from whatever they were here for. At this time, I still had no clue what was going on, but the name Janet Napolitano kept rushing through my head. I thought maybe a blog I had written about her was taken out of my sarcastic context. Whatever they were here for, I knew that I had done nothing wrong but simply type some words. I have never threatened a politician other than the local mayor’s trees one night during a sleep over, and even then, we didn’t do a very good job of toilet papering his trees in fear of getting caught.

The FBI agent told me they received a complaint from Congressman Billy Long’s office. At that point I responded with a jokingly “come on in” almost like I was the announcer for the Price is Right asking the next contestant to rush down the aisle to play a variety of pricing games. As the men entered my house, I alerted them I was going to film the interview, and I started my cell phone camera.

The FBI agent was accompanied by the Greene County Sheriff, Jim Arnott. I didn’t get into specifics about why the Greene County Sheriff was in my county, Christian County where we have a good Constitutional conservative sheriff. I just wanted to get the FBI out of my house and clear myself of any claim Long’s office may have made, after all, this wasn’t the first time I have had to deal with lies and intimidation from those representing Long’s political office.

The FBI agent said Long’s office said they were concerned about “confrontations”  this past summer that occurred near Billy Long’s truck, a black F-150 with Bozo the Clown on the dash. I wouldn’t have even known about Bozo had it not been for another blogger who engaged in asking Long questions earlier in the conversation having noted it on his blog.

Luckily, I had videos of the “confrontations.” I asked the agent if he would like to see the videos. He was shocked. “You’ve got videos.”

I led both the FBI and the out of his jurisdiction Sheriff back to the computer and pulled up the first video on YouTube. The FBI agent watched me and other bloggers attempt to engage in political discussion with a candidate running for office. When it was over, I went to my list of videos on YouTube to pull up another.

“I have more,” I alerted the agent.

“I think I have seen enough,” he said. He then let me know I am doing what all Americans should be doing with politicians—hold them accountable and was practicing my First Amendment Right.

Yet the interview wasn’t over. With plenty of evidence posted online, Long’s office trumped up the instances from September into something they weren’t. They were politicizing the Gabrielle Giffords shooting for their own political gain in hopes of silencing Congressman Long’s most vocal conservative critic, even though I believe the FBI agent knew this was the case after seeing the video,  he still had to complete his job.

What I discovered was even more concerning to me. I had an FBI folder complete with military records and a collection of municipal violations, some which I was found innocent of, that were being used to build a case that I might be dangerous to Congressman Long. I knew the only danger I was to Congressman Long was delivered in the form of a computer keyboard. Still, I had to go through the interview.

“Do you plan to hurt Congressman Long?”

No, of course not.

“Do you plan on hurting anyone?”

No, of course not.

It was obvious to me that Congressman Long’s office abused their power and dug up some records they felt would justify this intimidation. When I explained further details regarding the contents of the file, it was clear to the FBI agent that I never posed a threat. He ensured me this matter was closed before he left. It still doesn’t take away the fact that a sitting Republican in Congress who continues to tell the press he drools on the pages of his Constitution with passion for its freedom and liberty while claiming to be true to the Tea Party just used federal officers to investigate a blogger whose only crime was challenging him on the campaign trail. For me, that’s a scary reality in our Republic where the right to challenge politicians in protected by the First Amendment. And why was the Greene County Sheriff coming into my party? Political cronyism perhaps?

It is this reality that I state without any hesitation, January 11, 2010, was a sad day in America. Fortunately, I, like many Tea Partiers, am not going to let a sitting member of Congress intimidate us to silence. While I was hesitant at first, I eventually spoke with the press. Three days later, Glenn Beck opened his show with my story, Sean Hannity called Long’s actions “overkill,” Alex Jones said I was doing “real journalism,” and Michael Savage was comparing Billy Long to the Nazi Gestapo. Not too shabby of a list to have defend you for simply engaging in the American political process guaranteed by the First Amendment right. Political payback backfired on Congressman Billy Long.

© Clay Bowler – Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom

 

WesternFront America

A Sad Day in America

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

I find great sadness that I had to discover there are many people who call themselves conservatives who don’t believe in political free speech. Many of us true conservatives realize the GOP has been hijacked by neocons and moderates, but I learned the hard way as I heard many justify efforts to silence a blogger claiming that bloggers aren’t journalists and shouldn’t be asking politicians questions under the guise of journalism. In fact, if many of these pseudo conservatives had their way, they would prevent people like me from showing up at public appearances of politicians.

Fortunately, I received overwhelming support across the country as many true conservatives wrote letters of support. I even had one older couple share with me a political cartoon inspired by story. I appreciate all these freedom-loving Americans. My hardly used Facebook account became the hub that delivered the well wishes and support.

That’s what I did. I went to public appearances prepared with research, something I didn’t see the local media do. For that, I was a threat. It wasn’t hard research—Google. It was more than the local media was doing. They took candidate Billy Long for his word, and so much evidence was found simply by doing a simple Google search that showed what candidate Long said and what candidate Long did was two different things.

In August, he beat the true conservative candidates by saying two words “fed up” and lying about state Senator Jack Goodman’s pro-life record. Long embraced the Missouri Right to Life, a pro-life organization that embraces Democrats with poor pro- life records while scoring politicians like Goodman with low scores despite having an outstanding pro-family, pro-life record. Nobody challenged Long except me when he claimed he was the only true pro-life candidate. No one called Long out for this attack either, even after a promise he made to Dr. Scott Magill the Missouri Republican Assembly that he would not go negative against fellow Republicans. Everyone was giving Billy Long a free pass, refusing to compare his words to his actions, as it was apparent Long was a walking contradiction.

So it makes me sad that I didn’t do enough research before the primary. Of course, during the primary, I had too many people holding my hand and throwing information my way. Had I stood on my own two feet it may have occurred to me to look at Billy Long’s own personal campaign donations to see if they match his anti-career politician, anti-earmark rhetoric. Of course, I was quite busy too.

I mean, although it has never been confirmed to me, I did the research that found that Long sought earmarks to build a bus terminal to nowhere while serving on the Springfield Branson Airport. I was contacted by an anonymous source to drop off my research and supporting documents and within a few days, the Billy Long “Bus Terminal to Nowhere” advertisement was released by an organization I had never heard of. While serving on the airport board, Long accepted $3 million from federal tax payers for a bus terminal for an airport terminal that was in its final days.

Voters didn’t care Long was a walking contradiction. They heard Billy Long is “fed up” and in August, less than four out of every ten voters cast a vote for “fed up.” I thought my days as the anti-Billy blogger was over, but I received multiple e-mails from both republicans and democrats who knew Billy Long was bad for Southwest Missouri and hoped I would continue. So I did.

Scott Eckersley won the Democrat nomination. He spent his time in government as a whistleblower trying to clean up corruption as an attorney to the Governor. Had he ran as a Republican or independent, he may have had a chance. He ran as a Democrat in a region that is considered safe for Republican. He had an aggressive plan—expose Billy Long as a political know-nothing by challenging him to a series of ten debates.

Long quickly accepted the debate challenge and then soon claimed he never accepted the challenge. For me, I now had a purpose. For the benefit of Southwest Missouri, I could influence this debate story that quickly heated up political discussions, which were all but dead at this point.

I quickly learned from my Republican insider friends that were concerned about  candidate Long that it was Long’s strategy to appear like he was willing to debate and then drag out a debate about the debate to avoid debates. Thanks to Long is Wrong and a number of blogs and conservative radio personality Nick Reed on KSGF, Billy Long was forced to debate.

In the mean time, I worked to diffuse Long’s entire campaign theme, “fed up,” which the Libertarian Party had been using for a number of years prior. I decided the best way to battle the “I’m fed up with career politicians and wasteful government spending” message was to simply look at Federal Election Commission records to see who Long donated to.

It only took a few minutes of searching the FEC Web site to discover that just a few months before Long stated he was “fed up” with career politicians and earmarks, Long made a $1,000 donation to Roy Blunt, a career politician with a history or bringing pet projects funded by earmarks back home to Southwest Missouri. I shared this information with my partner in crime, Jim Lee, who runs the Busplunge blog.

Lee and I decided the best way to expose this was to attend public events and ask the simple question. How can you be fed up and donate to the same people you are fed up with? Lee went to one of the first stops of Billy Long’s business tour. For a series of controlled events that kept Billy Long’s mouth closed as he listened to business leaders, Lee got amazing access to Long. Of course, Long didn’t expect anyone to actually show up, and claimed the Springfield News-Leader had wrongly printed the business tour was open to the public.

Lee got it on tape. Billy Long saying he wasn’t afraid of anyone, anywhere, any time. Within the week, when I tried asking similar questions, Long ran from me, as well as other voters who were also on the campaign trail at Lee’s knowledge all to test Long’s statement. These were the last times I engaged Billy Long on the campaign trail, fortunately, I had videos for I didn’t know what would soon come my way. Long, who claimed he wasn’t scared of anyone, would attack the First Amendment in ways I hoped I would never see from a politician that calls themselves a conservative Republican.

Long eventually agreed to a series of three debates with Eckersley and the Libertarian Kevin Craig. For all practical purposes, there was nothing more I could do with Long is Wrong.  I along with other bloggers and KSGF radio host Nick Reed, pushed Long into a corner and made it an issue that people were talking about. Long is Wrong was going to end on a high note as Southwest Missouri voters would be able to see the candidates discuss the issues. It was a win, and I soon began to phase the site out, that is until another controversy surrounding Long surfaced.

I had heard the rumors since March. Many people hoped that I would be a tool that exposed the rumors, but the truth is I didn’t even go looking for evidence. I had heard about the private parties with strippers and illegal gambling, but these are things I wanted nothing to do with. In fact, I woke up on a Monday stunned as the local blogs were discussing Jennifer Case, a local waitress who claims she served Mr. Long on a number of occasions at these private parties and described him as racist. The Fuse Joplin was the first to release the Case letter with accusations against Long.

Deep down inside, I knew the fingers were going to be pointed at me, and I struggled to determine would I appear more guilty if I ignored the story and not brought it to the attention of my readers, or would printing it make me the target for more FEC investigations once Long received his new federal powers. I felt like I was going to lose no matter what I did in the matter, even though I had known about these parties within weeks of the blog going live. I went with it knowing it was a no-win scenario for me.

A Sad Day in America will conclude tomorrow with the final installment.

 

WesternFront America

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5

When you write an anti-candidate blog, you soon become a tool to deliver what spineless campaigns aren’t willing to release to the public. Republican politicians give the illusion they are playing nice within the party ranks during a primary, but there is a lot of things going on behind closed doors that led me to believe, for all practical purposes, Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment was dead.

There were things I was told that didn’t amount to much. There were things that I was told that were clear contradictions to promises made to prominent supporters. Finally, there were things that scared me that I was told, which I decided never to print unless some other news source released the information. We like to think in America we send honorable men and women to Washington, but the truth is, I don’t believe most honorable men and women can survive certain influences anymore to get elected.

Early on in the Long is Wrong process, I learned candidate Billy Long was telling key anti-gambling advocates in the community he had never stepped foot in a casino to win their support and of course their donations. A funny thing happened, a casino just a hop, skip, and jump outside of the Seventh District in Oklahoma was the spot of many Billy Long sightings before and during the campaign. Little messages were dropped on my blog about Billy Long headed “downstream.” Not being a gambler myself, it took me a few days to realize “downstream” was a reference to the Downstream Casino near Joplin, Missouri.

I began to see if there was evidence to embarrass Mr. Long regarding his gambling and what he was telling a prominent Branson businessman who specializes in health family entertainment. This key donor was throwing large fundraisers for Long months before, and my sources told me Long promised him he doesn’t gamble.  It really wasn’t hard to find out. Through connections, a few calls were made to prominent people in Las Vegas, who didn’t give away the farm, but steered my team into the general direction. “Southern Poker Championship,  Beau Rivage Casino.”

Being of a libertarian mind, gambling doesn’t bother me; although I would rather not see casinos turn up in the family-friendly town of Branson. This wasn’t about gambling. This was about character.

A Google search of “Billy Long, Southern Poker Championship, Beau Rivage Casino” turned up what the big boys playing this game failed to find—evidence that Billy Long of Springfield, Missouri, plays in high-stakes poker games.  There it was. He wasn’t just an average poker player, he was a licensed professional in the World Poker Tour. Now knowing his game, I was able to pull up other poker tournaments around the country. Clearly those donating to Mr. Long who have fought to keep the forces of gambling out of Southwest Missouri would be interested in this information, wouldn’t they?

With much praying and spiritual guidance with a rabbi I had befriended in the Republican party, I released the information in a series of blogs around April 15. It must have angered Mr. Long and his campaign because something big happened that same time. I believe the Billy Long campaign fired their first warning shot.

I was attending a Tea Party event when I got a text message from a party insider telling me I needed to go to the Defeat Nodler Web site. Defeat Nodler was a like-minded site similar to Long is Wrong that attacked State Senator Gary Nodler. It never gained much traction, but the focus of the Web site began shifting. The site established to expose Senator Nodler was suddenly attacking me.

I found this odd because multiple news sources including KSPR and the Springfield News-Leader tried to discover who was behind the Defeat Nodler site. The URL had an anonymous domain registration, and no one could figure out its source. I believe today this was an illegal campaign Web site funded by Billy Long’s campaign considering the direction of Defeat Nodler quickly forgot Senator Nodler and by Summer was spending most of its time attacking me, the anti-Billy Long messenger. Not only that, but on occasion, the Web site began attacking other candidates from Jack Goodman to Jeff Wisdom to Michael Wardell—all Republicans running against Billy Long. The site was quickly removed after Billy Long was announced the GOP primary winner in August.

It didn’t stop me at all. By this time, a blogger named Jim Lee who writes a liberal blog named Busplunge decided my effort to stop the Billy Long express to Congress was a worthy effort. We began working together to expose Long, so the movement was growing. You know what they say, politics makes for strange bedfellows.

By early summer, Long is Wrong was reaching respectable numbers for a regional blog. It’s coverage of the Seventh District primary along with its sharp satire had caught nearly everyone’s attention who followed local politics in Southwest Missouri. Of course, the key to this was making the site appear bigger than life.

I was contacted by a bumper sticker company in May. They wanted to know if I would exchange advertising space on my blog for free bumper stickers, so I had Long is Wrong bumper stickers made up and offered them free to readers. I created other products that you could order like t-shirts and yard signs. I even considered creating a political action committee, and I began asking for donations, which I hoped to use to help other candidates struggling to compete against Long’s big dollar donors.  To this day, I never received a dime of donations, but it was all part of the illusion in hopes of frustrating Mr. Long and taking him off his game.

It obviously got their attention. In early June, a 17-year-old blogger who was contributing to my other blog, “Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom” called me just after he left the post office to pick up his mail. At first I thought he was kidding.

He told me he received a letter from the Federal Election Commission. An Andrew Bruner was claiming this 17-year-old was running an illegal political action committee designed around beating Billy Long that was taking thousands of dollars from donors and pocketing the money for personal benefit.

When I checked my mail, there was no letter from the FEC. I thought they singled out the teenager by accident and must have thought he was writing the blog; however, my notice of FEC investigation showed up a few days later (MUR #6303)—some 15 plus pages of accusations against me and the teenager that could not be proven all signed under oath as truth by one Andrew Bruner.

Like any journalist would do, you begin asking who is Andrew Bruner. I e-mailed my old friend, former Governor Matt Blunt to find out if he knew who Bruner was. Was he an insider or operative? (I had been told by one of the campaigns that Blunt visited the site from time to time and was led to believe he wasn’t supporting Long in the primary.) Then I decided why not just drive by the address listed in by Bruner in his complaint. There, without any surprise was a car dressed in Billy Long bumper stickers.

I then did what any other journalist would do. I called Billy Long’s campaign headquarters and asked for Andrew Bruner.  A woman, I believe her name was Emily, answered the phone. She told me Bruner wasn’t in the office, but would be in later this afternoon. Then of course, there was Bruner’s car parked daily in front of Billy Long’s Springfield campaign office. It wasn’t too hard to see where the real source of the Federal Election Commission ethics complaint came from. No wonder it sounded like an attorney drafted the complaint.

If there is one thing I don’t understand about Billy Long, it’s that he never stops trying to intimidate no matter how much he gets burned. He offered the job to take down, which caused a public embarrassment. Now it appeared they were using their anti-Nodler site to attack me followed by an FEC complaint. So what did I do? I fought back.

Tim Davis was running for Congress for the same seat as a Democrat—a conservative Democrat who was well-schooled with many of the most respected conservative economists. Davis also happens to be an attorney. My relationship with Davis began at the Ozark Chamber of Commerce Candidate forum in the spring, where many people in the audience observed Billy Long receiving text messages on his iPhone every time a debate question was asked. The one time candidate Long didn’t have an answer was the time he was to go first in the round. The question was about Obama’s Race to the Top education initiatives, and Long was clueless to what that was.

I suggested in my blog that it appeared Long was using an iPhone teleprompter to receive answers to the questions. Early that morning, Davis confirmed and went on the record stating just that.

In hopes of providing interesting political theater that may come back to haunt Long, me and the teenage blogger hired the Democrat to represent us in the FEC complaint. While it never got local coverage, it was the perfect plan in response to the frivolous ethics complaint.

The election came and went without the FEC ruling in their judgment. Just a few days before Christmas, both the teenager and I received our ruling letters. In their ruling clearing both of us from any wrong doing, the FEC stating that blogging doesn’t equate to a political “contribution” and “expenditure” including blogging performed in connection with a federal election.  Their conclusion is blogging is no different than a soap box in a public square; however, it was clear now Billy Long had every plan to silence his most vocal critic.

Next – Part4

© Clay Bowler – Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom

 

WesternFront America

…On the Campaign Trail

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

It was awkward, uncomfortable. Those big beady eyes met mine for the first time after going live with Long is Wrong at the Newton County Lincoln Day event in Joplin—the real kick off of the campaign season—a who’s who of political donors and fake political affection by local and federal politicians. I was talking to Susan Redden with the Joplin Globe, and she was giving me insight about the event when he walked in. He appeared to know who I was with a look of disapproval.

It was just an uncomfortable look—nothing more. I went on with my business introducing myself to the other GOP Congressional candidates, while a number of political insiders sought me out. Many were already familiar with my work despite Long is Wrong being up a short time. I soon learned I would be their tool for their dirty work. Our goals were the same though—keep Billy Long’s political career limited to a failed primary run.

I began attending party functions and campaign events at a regular interval, often giving up date night for a night to engage in political discussions with the eight Republicans who wanted to replace Roy Blunt as the next Congressman in Missouri 7. They offered me, just a mediocre blogger with good traffic, interviews, insider information, and most importantly material. It would be the personal actions of Billy Long himself that would create the controversy that would drive the site.

There is this truth in life. Ignore it and it will go away. Feed it energy, and it will grow into something that could haunt you. Billy Long, with all his barn-yard wisdom used to produce clever sound bites that never say much but sound good. I never subscribed to this truth. Those beady eyes soon became an invitation to coffee just a month later when we both returned to Joplin.

The Federated Republican Women of Joplin held their month meeting at Pizza by Stout. I made arrangements with Bob Schanz, a Republican who surprisingly entered the race on the first day candidate registration in Jefferson City. I called up Schanz the night he registered, even before even the media did to discover who this mystery candidate was.  In his seventies, Schanz needed help to get to campaign events and asked me to come along with him to the meeting.

Schanz decided he would drive. He had a comfortable Lincoln Town Car that would serve us better than my small convertible. His age met his driving skills and we showed up late to the meeting. As we walked in the room, I felt the uncomfortable beady eyes stare me down and follow me across the room as one of the other candidates spoke. What was it about my criticism that had Billy Long so concerned?

Schanz introduced himself to the organizers, and they gave him a chance to speak even though he had not been invited. When he completed his tough on crime stance, the meeting was adjourned. I didn’t notice any appreciation for his guests, rather Mr. Long in his cowboy boot stroll quickly rushed to the back of the room and asked me for coffee. “I think we got off on the wrong foot, and I was wondering if you would like to do coffee.”

In some ways I was honored. I had gotten the attention of the money leader in the Southwest Missouri Congressional race. In some ways I was a little nervous. Other than observing his pandering at the Claire McCaskill Obamacare town hall meeting, I had not engaged in much of a conversation.

We were seated at a booth near the front of the restaurant. Curtis Trent his loyal aid and campaign manager accompanied us. Trent was an innocent kid, still pure and unstained from the reality of politics. He was small town and a recent law school graduate, but he had a purpose to Long.

Long began talking. As he talked he exposed himself as an insecure man unsure why anyone wouldn’t like him. I told me he never met a man who didn’t like him, and just couldn’t believe that someone would take the time to question his candidacy.

I explained to Long this wasn’t personal. I just didn’t believe he was qualified at this time in our Republic’s history to tackle the major problems our country faces. He didn’t want to address that. He just kept telling me how people have always liked him.

His rant soon covered a number of issues from being liked, to him and his wife living a boring life, never partying and in bed long before 10:00 PM. It was odd to say the least. He couldn’t grasp that I didn’t have faith in his knowledge of the Constitution, which he responded to me, “that’s why I pay Curtis $2,000 a month for. “ Trent was Long’s hope that people would see him as a Constitutional Tea Party candidate—keep him in line with what the Tea Parties wanted to hear. It’s funny now when I hear Long running to the mainstream media claiming to be “Tea Party before Tea Party was cool.” At Pizza by Stout, Long admitted he knew little about the Constitution.

There were times when I thought Mr. Long was going to come across the table and strangle me when I explained to him I didn’t think he could change my mind. Watching him in action confirmed what I suspected. He was a fraud—a man who has been told he was great his entire life and couldn’t deal with criticism. I wondered that night if Mr. Long couldn’t deal with me, how will he react when the liberal media turns on him.

“You are a smart guy,” Mr. Long softly exclaimed at the table. “I could use a guy like you in my campaign. There could be a job in this if you were to take down the site.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This candidate was so nervous about my little site that he actually attempted to bribe me with a campaign job to remove it.

Forty-five minutes later, it was obvious to Mr. Long that we probably weren’t going to come to an agreement.  We both got up from the table, and Mr. Long tried one more time. “It’s never too late to join the dark side.” Little did I know, dark side tactics were coming my way to silence me.

I drove home with a heavy heart disappointed knowing Republicans play a dirty game just like the Democrats that I have long detested. We are supposed to be the good guys. We are the GOP, and yet here is the GOP money leader believing he could buy my silence. I went home and prayed.

The next day, after seeking spiritual guidance, I shared with the world what happened in the restaurant booth. It soon became the conversation in political circles. I was even asked to give a radio interview of the encounter. This was growing much bigger than I ever expected at a much faster pace. I knew from then on the nice approach was spent and it might get ugly, but still I didn’t understand what Mr. Long was hiding that worried him so much about my little site. After all, the site would not have gained much attention has Billy Long simply ignored it.

Next – Part 3

© Clay Bowler – Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom

 

WesternFront America

… The First Amendment is Under Attack (By Republicans)

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Cars in the driveway, cars backing out of the driveway…

It’s normal when you live at the end of the street—happens several times a day. I watched the black Dodge Charger pull into the driveway thinking it was turning around. It didn’t.

Out of the car came a Sheriff and a man in a blue coat. Hmm, I wonder what they are here for. I walked to the door to greet. Mr. Bowler, I’m with the FBI, I want to ask you some questions.

I cited the Fourth Amendment, letting him know he was not welcome into my house. When he said Congressman Billy Long’s office, I dropped my guard and jokingly said, “Come on In.”

The site had been down for two months. Long forgotten about and chalked up as how an average guy was able to get amazing access into the world of Congressional politics and see the good and the ugly only to realize how Americans are continually duped into buying into clever package candidates like they were a new car full of luxuries often forgetting the burden of the monthly payment.

The year I lost my political innocence was met with highs and lows.  How many people can say a Congressional candidate allowed an ordinary blogger to review his economic plan to save America and offer input while sitting at their kitchen table? Or how many Americans have the honor of being identified as one of the main sources for background material that served Roy Blunt’s campaign in his attacks on Robin Carnahan and the Carnahan Windmill Farms. Just two years before, I was simply writing a blog in hopes of convincing a few people not to vote for Barack Obama.  Now I had access to the inside.

It started in of all places, a town hall meeting. Senator Claire McCaskill was in town in hopes of selling one of the most Republican districts in the United States on Obamacare. I arrived early in hopes of getting a seat in the front row with a question challenging McCaskill on her use of the General Welfare clause. A few hours later, I would meet the man that would provide me insight to why American politics is in the mess we are in today.

He was pandering to voters. Telling them what they wanted to hear while keeping his roll of campaign stickers ready for anyone willing to put his name on their shirt. I was already upset enough at politicians, and the last thing I needed to see was another telling me if we just elect him everything is going to be alright—it didn’t matter even if he claimed to be a Republican.

By the time he got to me, a man who was whining about the federal government not providing him with loans for his small business—a double-decker tour bus company like you see driving tourists around along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. He asked the politician what are you going to do for me when you get to Washington DC. In a moment’s notice, the Republican turned into a federal safety net babysitter. When I challenged him about the enumerated powers of Congress, he quickly ran. It was at that moment I knew I wasn’t going to vote for Billy Long.

Politics often isn’t about ones true philosophies. Politics is about who can raise the most money and come up with the most clever packaging. This I knew from watching the 2008 election of Barack Obama—hope and change. I began to think from that last day in August how I could play a part in making sure Billy Long would not be the next Congressman from Southwest Missouri. I didn’t have the answers other than try to attract people to my blog, which was still relatively unknown at the time. I was getting 300 hits a day. On any given day now I get a 1,000 or more, and even Rush Limbaugh has read one of my pieces on the air.

The Offer

In January, I tested the significance of my blog. I really didn’t expect much to come out of it. I knew politicians read blogs, because one of Governor Matt Blunt’s insiders contacted me wanting to know why I didn’t write anything about Governor Blunt. I explained that we were childhood friends and I felt it would be best to shy away from any article written towards and old friend. Other than that, no other politician had attempted to supply my blog with inside material.

So I made an offer. I noted that candidate Long was well-funded and had the name recognition, but my conversation with Long last August alarmed me knowing this man wasn’t true to the Constitution. I offered any candidate other than Long an article on my blog to let voters in Missouri 7 know who they are. It took a week, but soon candidate Michael Wardell contacted me offering an interview. Within a month and a half, I had interviewed two state Senators, with accolades from both, I was discussing policy with another giving insight about ways he could implement his plan. It was addictive, and the men I met were admirable—a collection of talent from all backgrounds who I knew had better intentions in their desires to get to Washington. For some strange reason, my blog was doing the work the local media wasn’t doing—reporting the developments of the primary season and interviewing the players.

It was the first interview with Wardell that would forever change my life. He was interested in why I had no faith in Long the candidate. In our discussion he asked me why not write a blog called Long is Wrong. Within 24 hours, I had bought the domain name and it went live in February.

By the first week, it quickly received a mention on television and in the paper. What was unclear was could an average blogger make an impact in a Congressional race. I guess I would soon find out.

Part 2  will be available tomorrow 1-19-2011

© Clay Bowler – Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom

 

WesternFront America