The Current State of Missouri Politics: The "Show Me" Sh**show
Right off the top, I’d like to apologize for the rough language in the title of this piece. But try as I might, I really could not come up with a better description of what Missouri citizens are having to put up with right now. We don’t expect our lawmakers to get along all day every day, but what we should expect, is that they act like adults and follow rules. Well, in this new year, that seems to be a bit much to ask. And it’s not only going on at the state level but has spilled over to the national level as well.
Democrat Rep. Cori Bush is being investigated by the Department of Justice for the alleged misuse of government funds intended to pay for security. While the Justice Department declined to comment, Bush did not. While surprisingly, she did not blame racism, as is the norm for Rep. Bush, for her predicament, she did say in a statement that “right-wing organizations” were to blame for the investigation. She went on to say “I have not used any federal tax dollars for personal security services. Any reporting that I have used federal funds for personal security is simply false.”
This is not the first time that Bush’s use of funds for security have come under scrutiny. In 2023, a watchdog group, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), surrounding the details of several payments Bush made to her now husband. Courtney Merritts is Bush’s husband and a former security guard, to whom Bush paid more than $100,000. Bush added Merritts to the 2022 campaign payroll in January of 2022, Bush and Merritts married in February of 2023. Bush changed the wording on her FEC filings regarding Merritts from “security payments,” to “wage expenses” in April of 2022. In March of 2023, Bush received two FEC complaints, one of those claiming that Bush “flouted” federal campaign finance laws by paying Merritts $60,000 for security in 2022, although Merritts is unlicensed as a security guard in Missouri’s first congressional district. The $60,000 payment also triggered a complaint alleging that Bush “had used campaign funds for personal use.”
First a question, then an observation. The question is, what exactly must happen for “security payments” to magically become “wage expenses?” The observation, it is interesting how the queen of the “defund the police” movement, which Bush was still advocating for as late as October of 2022, finds it perfectly acceptable to spend roughly $500,000 on her own security, but as for her constituents, many of them living in high crime areas of the city of St. Louis, Bush apparently puts that standard Democrat policy into effect, ok for me but not for thee. It could be unlikely that anything comes from a Biden DOJ probe. But you can be sure if it does, Bush will blame the whole thing on…wait for it…racism!
As if the potentially shady campaign expenses of Cori Bush weren’t enough, let’s get a little closer to home and peek in at the kindergarten exploits of Republicans in the Missouri Senate. The drama began during the 2023 session but has spilled over into this year. A faction known as the “Freedom Caucus” is trying to get rapid consideration on a state constitutional amendment that would make it harder to pass citizen-led ballot initiatives. While amending the state constitution should not be easy, this effort is being driven by just one issue, abortion. As the slap-fight continued, Republican Senate leadership stripped Freedom Caucus members of their committee chairmanships, and just to make it a bit pettier, also their prime parking spots. The cherry on this cake came from Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin who, speaking at an event, suggested she would be open to expelling Freedom Caucus member Sen. Bill Eigel who, just happens to be running for Governor. Not to be outdone in the petty and childish department, State Sen. Nick Schroer, no doubt trying to be tongue-in-cheek, but really just coming off as equally childish as those he and his colleagues were complaining about, took to “X” and stated he had proposed a rule change to the Senate rules allowing lawmakers to challenge each other to a duel. Stay classy.
The proper response to all of this is a pox on all your houses. This is no longer about who is right and who is wrong. Because of your petty and childish infighting and bickering, you have made a complete mockery of the Missouri Republican Party, and anyone who identifies with it. Just so all of you can get in a good game of “mine is bigger than yours,” the people of Missouri must suffer through it. You are not advancing anyone’s agenda, not your own or the people of Missouri. What you are succeeding in doing, is proving true, everything that Democrats, the media, and anyone who does not know what true conservatism is, say about Republicans and conservatives. Congratulations. Another truth, if this were Democrats engaging in these antics, all of you would be howling from the rooftops about how this does nothing for the people you represent, and how wrong it all was. Hypocrites much? Missouri Republicans have a bad habit of eating their own. We love deciding who gets to sit at the big table, and who the “cool kids” are. Meanwhile, the Democrats are getting out of the way to allow all of you your 15 (hopefully), minutes of jackassery. Maybe the people of Missouri just need to elect some new cool kids. Some who can get the job of the people of Missouri done.
So that’s the state of politics in Missouri. Wow, who wouldn’t want to get in on all that fun?