patriot's blog

Kenny "Fred Thompson" Hulshof just can't get it going.

Over half-way through his primary campaign, Hulshof has yet to field a fully functioning web page.

His site includes the reassuring tag, "full website coming soon."

As is the election.

Tough day for GOP unity in Jefferson City

The Kansas City Star  is reporting that GOP House Speaker Rod Jetton is facing a coup attempt by fellow Republicans.

And the Associated Press is reporting that Sarah Steelman is calling GOP Senators cowards for limiting her authority as Treasurer.

Missing in action was Kenny "Fred Thompson" Hulshof.  According to GOP sources, Kenny was taking his daily nap during the GOP-on-GOP crime spree.  Story Continued »

Peter "Every Dollar Counts!" Kinder's French-style bike race keeps eating taxpayer dollars.

Kinder recently diverted job creation money to fight the Bush recession cover red-ink from his 2007 race.

Now he has line-up a no bid, sole source contract from the state for his 2008 race.

As he diverts job creation money to cover red ink from his 2007 French-style bike race, it's becoming clearer how Peter "Every Dollar Counts" Kinder wasted the money.

The latest example--- a bike race video.

No doubt Sam Page will find thousands of the videos stuffed under the furniture in the Lt. Governor's Office when he moves in next year. 

Matt Blunt spent Thursday with Texas Governor Rick Perry glad-handing with oil industry lobbyist.

But at the break, they no doubt had an opportunity to discuss the Texas polygamist  compound raid and child custody battle.

Some enterprising member of the Missouri press corps should ask Blunt his impressions of the situation in Texas.

Matt Blunt has been a day late and a dollar short in helping Missourians who are the victims of predatory mortgage lenders.

Yesterday he tried to play catch up, announcing a new state web page to help Missourians avoid foreclosure.

Unfortunately, that web site is about to be auctioned off at foreclosure.  It now reads as follows:

Notice: This domain name expired on 02/14/08 and is pending renewal or deletion

No word on how godaddy.com became the state's preferred web hosting company.  Story Continued »

Fred Thompson Kenny Hulshof was in the Capitol this week lobbying GOP lawmakers on campaign cash legislation holding a press conference.

Check out this deer-in-the-headlights performance.

No word on whether Kenny's collar is loose from nervous tugging or if he just can't fill his shirt.

This July, while Kenny Hulshof and Sarah Steelman are fighting over who should continue the policies of the Blunt Administration, the current Blunt Administration will be sipping tea and munching on strawberries and cream at the Farnbourough Airshow in England.

According to recently released Blunt Administration documents, it is purchasing tickets to the show.

Readers of Fired Up will recall that Blunt turned a 2007 junket to the Paris Airshow into an extended European vacation.  Story Continued »

GOP Senate Majority Leader Charlie Shields is moving legislation to overturn voter embraced campaign cash contribution limits.

The principle benefactor of his handi-work---- GOP gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof

And yet Kenny has been silent on the issue.

After drawing two raised eyebrows from political observers for launching his campaign for Missouri governor... with a rambling conference call from Washington, Missouri D.C., Kenny Hulshof today re-launched his gubernatorial campaign.

But his second try was no better than his first.

• Hulshof launched his campaign on one of the busiest political news days of the year--- on the eve of Super Tuesday.   Perhaps he was hoping the press corps would be too busy to cover his prior missteps.
  
• Hulshof got only marginally closer to any real voters, trading a speaker phone for an airport tarmac.
• He spent most of his time talking about the "personalities" of his political consultants, rather than issues that matter to Missourians.
  
• According to Ethics Commission records, Hulshof has yet to form a gubernatorial campaign committee, in violation of state ethics law. 
  
• Hulshof offered no campaign specifics other than that he wants to continue the priorities of the Blunt Administration.

Peter Kinder's first crisis as a gubernatorial candidate is entirely of his own making.

His novelty bike race, the Tour of Missouri, ran up a previously concealed $350,000 debt.  And Kinder is now trying to divert job creation funds to cover the secret red ink.

But it is Matt Blunt who is racing to Kinder's rescue.

For the second time in as many days, Blunt has issued a press release praising the French-style race and Kinder.

And using his favorite crisis communications tool, Blunt's most recent dispatch is a "what other people are saying" news release.  This one includes quotes from credible third party validators like Peter Kinder, numerous Blunt Administration officials, people paid to run the race into debt and fellow one-termer Mark Funkhouser.

This all has capital observers wondering if Blunt's spirited defense of Kinder will ripen into an outright endorsement--- notwithstanding his staff's infatuation with Kenny.  Stay tuned for more palace intrigue.  Story Continued »

The Missouri Development Finance Board is in the business of... financing development.

But under the Chairmanship of Peter Kinder, the Board has become a key sponsor of Kinder's novelty bike race, the Tour of Missouri.

Rather than investing in job creation, the Board initially donated $100,000 to the race.  And in December, Kinder ramrodded approval for another $350,000 to payoff the race's debt, much of that to GOP cronies.  According to Board minutes, Kinder will ask to divert additional job creation money to the 2008 race.

Meanwhile, real Missourians are losing their jobs and homes for want of job creation investments.  Story Continued »

As readers of Fired Up will recall, the high-water mark for GOP gubernatorial candidate Peter "Make Every Dollar Count" Kinder was personally overseeing biker drug testing during his Tour of Missouri race last fall.

Now comes word that Kinder's bike race ran a $330,000 deficit--- and taxpayers are getting stuck wiping up the mess.  Story Continued »

According to state purchasing documents, the Missouri State Highway Patrol is shopping for eight 2008 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Police Motorcycles.

The Patrol last used motorcycles in February of 1996.

Be safe out there.­