Scott Rupp

Yes. 

These politicians hope that by being obstinate, they can derail the health care reform law they so despise. But they are denying their states the opportunity to design affordable, consumer-friendly insurance marketplaces.

Opponents of reform need to tell the public what they intend to do about the problem of uninsured Americans. “Let them die” isn’t an acceptable fallback position.

“At some point, I think the Senate will get serious about negotiating the map and try to resolve the difference between the two bodies...But tonight was not a serious negotiation. They never put anything serious on the table."

Rep. John Diehl on Republicans' inability to agree on the details for their 2012-2022 GOP Incumbent Protection plan

The Post-Dispatch's Rebecca Berg posted an image of the House "compromise map" last night, and Senate GOP Communications Director Farrah Fite posted this low-res image of the Senate "compromise map."

The Post-Dispatch has a good story today the General Assembly's attempt to overhaul Proposition B, which now sits on Gov. Jay Nixon's desk. I was particularly interested in this breakdown of St. Louis area-legislators who voted against the will of their constituents. 

Across the state, there were at least four Senators and thirteen Representatives who voted contrary to his or her district's position. 

• In the Senate, Victor Callahan, Bob Dixon and Rob Schaaf voted to overhaul Prop B -- and for the the emergency clause that would prevent a future referendum.  (The proposal to add an emergency  clause failed in the Senate, and is not part of the final bill approved by the House and Senate.)  Scott Rupp also voted for the overhaul, but opposed the emergency clause. 
• In the House, Jamilah Nasheed, Jerry Nolte, Noel Torpey, John McCaherty, Kurt Bahr, Paul Wieland, John Diehl, Doug Funderburk, T.J. Berry, Terry Swinger, Paul Curtman, Bill White and Melissa Leach voted against their constituents' wishes.

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In related celebrity endorsement news, Ellen DeGeneres is calling on Gov. Nixon to veto SB 113 -- on her website and on her syndicated talk show. 

Great news: The House and Senate committees that will oversee the congressional redistricting process have retained Republican lawyer Michael Carvin, one of the lead lawyers for George W. Bush in the 2000 Florida recount, for a cool $75,000.  

Before Carvin carried water for Dubya, he was a Reagan Justice Department official.  He now works for the DC law firm, Jones Day. 

Michael Carvin and fellow Bush Campaign attorney Barry Richards in the Florida State Supreme Court, November 2000

Earlier this week, families and advocates came together in Jefferson City to oppose legislation proposed by Sen. Scott Rupp (R-Wentzille) and Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) that would close habilitation centers in the state, even though such facilities are sometimes the best options for individuals and their families.  Their bills -- SB56 and HB421, respectively -- would leave clients and their loved ones without a choice in their care, reduce the quality of care and put vulnerable lives in jeopardy. 

Rejoice and be thankful that Sen. Scott Rupp (R-Wentzville) is so amazing. 

As previously reported here at Fired Up! in mid-September, all is not well among Senate Republicans.   The Associated Press' David Lieb breaks it down: 

One faction of Republicans is looking to unseat another from the chamber's leadership positions in a quest for a more conservative agenda. Some senators have routed thousands of dollars to the campaigns of their prospective allies. And tensions are rising.

"Quite honestly, I think there's a battle for the soul of the Senate going on," said Sen. Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville. "There's no disagreement the Senate is dysfunctional, and some would say on the verge of being broken."

The behind-the-scenes battle is expected to climax Nov. 4 - two days after the general election - when Senate Republicans caucus behind closed doors to choose leaders for the 2011 and 2012 legislative sessions.

Sources report that a complaint has been lodged against Rep. Cynthia Davis (R-O'Fallon) alleging that Davis has not properly reported her Warren County billboard and questioning whether $5,280 paid to the Broadcast Center in St. Louis for  education expenses was a personal (rather than campaign) expense.  The complaint also alleges that Davis spent more on the training than advertised rates. 

It's unclear how an expense for communications training would be deemed an inappropriate campaign expense, but you never know. Davis does have a record of paying personal taxes with campaign money. 

We'll post more details as they're available. 

The Suburban Journals published 1,200 words this weekend on the state Senate primary between incumbent Scott Rupp and Rep. Cynthia Davis without once mentioning that one of the candidates has a...colorful record in the Missouri General Assembly.

Cynthia Davis laid into Scott Rupp and his Republican colleagues in the Missouri Senate on Gina Loudon's radio program yesterday, stating that Rupp et al. are just a "big frat club," are "too wimpy to handle coercion [legislation]," are inept and "trashed" her Health Care Freedom Act by putting a statutory change on the August ballot instead of a constitutional amendment.

"My opponent is a perfect example of what's wrong with Republicans," Davis said.  Rupp "is bloating the budget and pushing bigger government," she continued, apparently forgetting that it's the Senate who was forced to reign in an unbalanced House budget this year.

Part one of the interview:

And part two:

Other words of wisdom from Cynthia about the Republicans in the Missouri Senate:

• "The Senate is supposedly run by Republicans, but they're behaving like Democrats. So what gives? "
• "We want a pitcher, not a belly itcher."
• "The problems going on in Washington are the same problems were' having right here in Jefferson City, just on a smaller scale."
• "I don't have to babysit Todd Akin, he always does the right thing."
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UPDATE: Richard's spokeperson tweets that the Speaker "was surprised" by Rupp's tweet, and that he's "already selected conferees" for negotiations, though these have not been made official yet. 

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Sources on both sides of the aisle report this morning that Speaker Ron Richard may not appoint conferees to finish this year's autism insurance bill (HB1311) in a timely manner -- or at all. 

Sen. Scott Rupp (R-Wentzville) tweets that "Hse speaker Richards [sic] is blocking autism bill AGAIN!" and the Autism Votes campaign warns that Richard is "blocking your autism insurance reform bill to death."

Rep. Cynthia Davis (R-O'Fallon) has a new state senate campaign website (www.votecynthia.net), and it's a sight to behold.

Davis has a lot to say.  She laments the way "Sarah Palin was nit-picked and harassed" and complains about "cardboard candidates who only give lip service to our core conservative values."  Davis also has a list of grievances with her opponent, incumbent Sen. Scott Rupp (R-Wentzville), on everything from how he allegedly "shredded our Pro-Life bill two years in a row" to his vote to "put 35,000 more able-bodied Missourians on the welfare roles."

But for obvious reasons, my favorite part of the website is her "Qualifications" section.  Here she positions herself as a crusader against the "liberal media and far-left commentators" who "done their best to intimidate me."

Steve Walsh caught up with Rep. Cynthia Davis (R-O'Fallon) at Lincoln Days to talk about her campaign to unseat Sen. Scott Rupp (R-Wentzville). She did not disappoint:

“Why is it a negative to talk about our principles and our values?” asks Davis. “That’s a positive. I’ve got nothing to hide. My voting record is strong and clear. He [Rupp] has got a lot to be ashamed of.”

While she is critical of Rupp, Davis has come in for a lot of criticism of her own. She has come under fire, especially in the left wing blogs, for being involved in what is known as the birther movement - the questioning of whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States and is constitutionally allowed to serve as Commander in Chief.

“They’re trying to create shame for people who ask questions,” replies Davis. “That defines the problem right there. Why is there shame in asking questions? It’s a legitimate question and Barack Obama has spent over a million dollars to try and not answer it. If I wanted to answer a question I’d show you my birth certificate if you cared that I was born in Chicago. Obviously, he’s embarrassed of where he’s born because he’s trying to hide the records.”

Absolutely insane.

Sen. Kevin Engler (R-Farmington) does not like the proposal from Sen. Jason Crowell (R-Cape Girardeau) to create a two-year waiting period for legislators before they can cash in as lobbyists or accept appointments to state positions.

While Crowell may have his own self-serving reasons for proposing the ban and making his colleagues squirm, a revolving door ban of at least one year seems like a basic good government policy.  Among other things, such waiting periods would make it hard for legislators to negotiate the terms of their next job while still in public office. For example, fellow Sen. John Griesheimer (R-Washington) has made it public knowledge that he wants someone to hire him as a lobbyist when he's done with the Senate later this year; it would be shocking if a prospective employer hasn't broached that topic with the Senator at some point. 

Engler sees things differently.  In his mind, Crowell's proposal would restrict service in the Missouri General Assembly to the unemployed, retired and independently wealthy.  Moreover, he says "we want people in the halls" to have "experience," and says (half?) jokingly that a ban might open lobbyist gigs and state appointments to "retired, un-business-like people who don't have jobs."

Rep. Scott Rupp (R-Wentzville) is standing up for the rights of Missourians to not pay their taxes.

In his latest newsletter, Rupp expresses great concern with the proposal to allow the state to seize delinquent taxes from people's bank accounts.  Gov. Jay Nixon proposed the idea in January, and fellow Republican Sen. Carl Vogel (R-Jefferson City) has said he plans to sponsor legislation to make it happen. Rupp:

Now, instead of closing loopholes in the tax code, or determining a course of action in which the state government actually looks for even more ways to save money, our governor came up with a “big brother” idea. His thought: maybe the Department of Revenue should be able to get into our bank accounts and seize money when taxes go unpaid. Bank seizures are part of the proposed new laws the governor wants to balance his budget on, to the tune of $22 million this year and $49 million in 2012. Somehow I doubt that these new laws will get a warm reception in the Legislature.

Another fascinating tidbit from Jo Mannies' story about the Scott Rupp v. Cynthia Davis matchup in the second senate district:

But Davis adds that she's also concerned by what she views as too much camaraderie in the Senate between Republicans and Democrats. "The Senate has become a big fraternity club," she said, where members' "loyalty to each other" outweighs their partisan differences.

"You can't tell who's a Republican or Democrat," Davis complained. If she wins, she said, that will change.

More gridlock and petty partisanship, please.

"Just because you can get three jugs of milk for $8 doesn't mean you should get all three. Term limits is not the same as a suggested amount of time to hold your office."

~ Rep. Cynthia Davis on why challengers shouldn't be discouraged from taking on incumbents who aren't yet termed out, like state Sen. Scott Rupp

"The more that she talks and opens her mouth, the better I look."

-Scott Rupp, talking about his new primary challenger, Cynthia Davis

To be fair to Cynthia Davis and the Riverfront Times, Davis is actually a finalist for Daily RFT's "Ass Clown of the Year," awarded to "the person whose idiocy and hubris makes them jack-ass maximus of 2009."

“I guess the best way to describe this race is I’m more like Sarah Palin and he’s more like John McCain."

~Cynthia Davis, on how she's different from Scott Rupp, who she wants to replace in the State Senate.