Howard Dean is not only a Physician (and married to a currently practicing Physician), but as Governor, he presided over and pushed thru a major expansion of health care in Vermont. He has what it takes to get us Universal health care as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Check out:
http://www.deanforhhs.com
Write your Congress people and the Obama team.
Gov Howard dean for HHS

I have been attempting in vain to determine the nature of Senator Kitt Bond’s position on Barack Obama’s restoration stimulus package. On Jan. 14th a group of six citizens met with Liz Behrouz, Senator Bond’s Constituent Services Director. We expressed our concerns for the economic state of the nation and the need for a swift, effective, comprehensive remedy. During the meeting we presented the Senator’s office with the following letter.

Senator Kitt Bond
274 Russell Senate Office Building.
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5721 January 14, 2009

Dear Senator Bond,

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Three celebrations in Mid Missouri celebrated the departure of Bush and the inauguration of President Obama. Democracy for Missouri folks participated or helped organized all three.
On the 18th, the "Bye Bye Bush Bash" at the BlueNote was really fun with speeches, Music, a potluck and 200 people oh so ready to say goodbye to Bush.
In Fulton we not only celebrated but raised almost $900 for SERVE Inc. of Callaway County's food pantry. Speakers, music, video feeds from DC and service to our neighbors...what a great night!
http://s615.photobucket.com/albums/tt235/BillinMidMO/Fulton%20MO%20Inaugural%20food%20bank%20fundraiser/?albumview=link
At the BlueNOte again, on the evening of the 20th it was the "Tatters to Tuxedos" Ball sponsored by Democracy for Missouri and the Boone County Democrats:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boonecountydemocrats/sets/72157612775331297/
Lots of great music and almost 500 people turned out to Celebrate.
Three events to celebrate...now the work of transforming the Country begins.
DFA is conducting campaign trainings around the Country. We hope to repeat our successful April 2007 training with new materials and topics covered this Fall. Stay tuned!

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http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/gptmyb
See the link above for details. This is a free event with excellent music by Ironweed and Bill Thompson and Friends. The Blue Note will be decorated, Fired up and ready to go for a glittering Party on Inaugural night. This is sponsored by Democracy for Missouri and the Boone County Democrats. See you there!

In Columbia...The Blue Note "Tatters to Tuxedos" Obama Inaugural Bash on Jan 20th:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/gptmyb
This is cosponsored by Democracy for Missouri and Boone County Dems and will include music by "Bill Thompson and Friends" and Ironweed!

Fulton's Obama Bash at Sir Winston's Restaurant on Jan 20th:
http://sites.google.com/site/fultoninaugural/

The Columbia Peace Coalition "Bye Bye Bush Bash" will take place on Jan 18th at the Blue Note from 5:00 til 8:00 PM. This is organized by DfMO's own Lilly Tinker Foretel.
There is no weblink but here are the details:
Peaceworks and our allies in the Columbia Peace Coalition invite you to participate in a festive evening celebrating the end of an era (or was that error?).
Somehow, we have survived the past eight years and, despite all the harm and suffering that the exiting administration has caused, this is reason to celebrate.
We will be holding the Bye Bye Bush Bash--A People's Inaugural.
This free event will include a potluck dinner (at 5:30), speakers, music, a costume contest (come dressed as an artifact of the Bush era), an open mic, games, and much more.

And...

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Tom Daschel and the Obama Transition team are encouraging folks to sign up and do house Parties in the next two weeks focused on Health Care. These house parties are interesting and fun. My wife and I just hosted a very successful Change is Coming party. (The DVD they sent is a great resource.)
So...meet your neighbors and give feedback on health care to the transiton!
Check it out:
http://change.gov/page/s/hcdiscussion
You say you want single payor universal Norwegian style health care...here is your opportunity.

Turn out to celebrate our victories, mourn our losses and start the process of winning back Missouri in 2010. This is sponsored by Boone County Democrats and Will be hosted by Boone Co Dems Chair J Scott Christianson. Hey...there will be snacks too!
See you there.

While the Missouri vote is still out (Obama down 4968 votes with 7000 provisional ballots left to count) we do have a winner and he has wasted no time in fulfilling his promise of openg overnment. See:
http://www.change.gov/
There you will find listed the transition team and have an opportunity for comments and feedback into the new administration.
Barack Obama, the American people have your back!

I was back in my old home town last night, in spirit, if not in the flesh, standing shoulder to shoulder with thousands of my countrymen in Grant Park in The City of The Big Shoulders.

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I went down to the Sarah Palin rally today at the Missouri state capitol in Jefferson City. I fully expected to make a negative report. To my relief, I was delighted with the mood of the crowd and the rhetoric. It seems Sarah has toned down her fiery language considerably from previous events. I was hoping for this. I mean, if you are going to go out, at least have the grace to go out with some shred of dignity. Before the arrival of Sarah, there was the usual line up of Repug hopefuls’ gassy speeches, lead by Master of Ceremonies, Governor wannabee, Kenny Hulshof.

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For more pumpkin ideas see:
http://yeswecarve.com/

This Saturday is a big day for politics and fun in Columbia. Start the morning in the Homecoming Parade...either walking with the Democrats or with the Columbia Peace Coalition of which Democracy for Missouri is a member...then...after the Parade, join Lily Tinker Fortel and Judy Baker at a Women's rally at Noon...or... take part in the Obama Canvass.

Canvass:

This is a most important weekend for the Campaign for Change...the second to the last weekend before the election. Shifts of canvassers will be going out all day on Saturday. The Campaign office is at 22 S 9th next to Lakota...report for duty there fresh from the Parade. For more activity info and to sign up for GOTV shifts see the MidMObama website:

http://www.showmechange.com/

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Joseph Rich, a 35-year employee of the Department of Justice, has nothing but harsh words for former U.S. Attorney Brad Schlozman. Schlozman was installed as U.S. Attorney by the Bush Administration without Senate confirmation.

It is now becoming increasingly clear that the Bush administration used the opportunity to push out the ethichally-challenged Todd Graves, only to replace him with a political tool that would do Karl Rove's bidding--with the full law enforcement authority of the United States government.

Here is Rich on Schlozman:

JOSEPH RICH: Well, another thing that happened in this administration right from the outset was a great priority on voter fraud. It continued to increase through 2004 and then, I think, particularly after I left in 2006. The priority on voter fraud -- voter fraud is done by the Criminal Division. The Civil Rights Division works on voter intimidation based on race during elections. And the increase in emphasis on voter fraud became more and more apparent, to the point that last year Bradley Schlozman, who had been one of the ones responsible for politicizing the Civil Rights Division -- he had been there from 2003 to 2006. He was one of the first -- I think the first -- interim US attorney appointed under the PATRIOT Act, that gave the Attorney General the authority to appoint people without confirmation indefinitely. He was appointed in Missouri, a battleground state in 2006.

Five days before the election last fall in Missouri, he brought five voter fraud cases against members of -- or I think employees of ACORN for alleged voter fraud. This was contrary to longstanding department policy not to bring or even investigate voter fraud cases shortly before an election because of the sensitivity to having any impact on elections. The longstanding policy was one in which, if there was evidence of voter fraud, the investigation would take place, unless there was a real emergency, after the election.

The fact that that happened in Missouri, the fact that the United States attorneys in New Mexico and Washington, who were following the priority of investigating vigorously voter fraud and yet were removed because they did not indict, is extremely disturbing, because they were doing their job, but in their professional judgment they did not have evidence to bring the cases, and that appears to have been a major factor in their removal.

Click here to watch the video.

Obviously, the Springfield News-Leader Doesn't.

Check out this editorial in the paper today. Bob Dixon believes that the Secretary of State's office should be sending voting registration information to hunters and fishermen that are not registered. While this is a sound theory, why wouldn't government send registration forms to ALL UNREGISTERED VOTERS?

The editorial does a good job of summing up the sane position:

That's a great idea if your goal is to add to bureaucracy and be able to stand before the occasional National Rifle Association meeting to rousing applause.

But if Dixon really wants to add to the voting rolls, there are much better ways. Dixon's proposal would create one special class of Missourian that is targeted for voting. That doesn't make sense to us.

Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo.) continued the recent stream of GOP praise for outgoing Mayor Kay Barnes as she considers a bid to challenge Rep. Sam Graves (R-Westar).

The Hill reports that at a press conference yesterday, Bond said of Barnes:

“Obviously the mayor and I are of different political parties, but the people of Kansas City expect elected leaders to work together to get things done,” Bond said in the release. “Because of [Barnes’s] commitment and dedication, Kansas City is a better place to live and work.”

This follows the unusual public display of admiration of Barnes from House Speaker Rod Jetton.

The fact that these GOP leaders are going so far out on a limb to praise Barnes speaks both to her unique gift at working with others to solve problems facing her constituents and to Graves' ineffectiveness and inability to work well with others.

Professor Richard Fulton put it this way in today's KC Star:

Richard Fulton, political science professor at Northwest Missouri State University, said Bond is sending a signal to his supporters that they can back Barnes with his tacit approval. Fulton said the news conference is a further sign of a split in the Republican Party in Missouri.

“The Bond people just do not like the way Graves does business with (campaign consultant Jeff) Roe and his crew of attack politics,” Fulton said.

Fulton said Bond won’t overtly endorse Barnes, but could offer behind-the-scenes campaign help to ensure she isn’t blindsided by any attack from Roe.

Stay tuned for further developments in the dramatic split within the MO GOP.

With yesterday's masterfully synthesized compendium of Missouri-related Department of Justice malfeasance on Brad Blog and Talking Points Memo's assertion that there's some big U.S. Attorney Purge news on the way regarding the short-time U.S. Attorney for Western District of Missouri, it is a perfect time to reflect on some woefully unremarked upon pieces of Bradley J. Schlozman's record.

Of course, Schlozman earned his way to top billing as a Purge-gate player via his work on a couple of politically motivated hits that were run through him while he served in various Justice-related offices.

It's looking more and more like Missouri will emerge as ground zero in the U.S. Attorney scandal. Josh Marshall, over at Talking Points Memo teases us with this:

As we move forward in the US Attorney scandal this week, remember this name: Bradley J. Schlozman.

Stay tuned.

It's worth noting that Talking Points Memo has driven much of the coverage of the U.S. Attorney scandal so far, so this is no minor development.

And Brad Friedman, at BradBlog, who monitors the GOP's attempts to commit election fraud by making false claims about election fraud weighed in with a heavy duty post on the Missouri situation. (It's worth clicking through just to see his graphic.)