Mike Ferguson: Never Mind All Those Things I Said About Peter Kinder's Failed Leadership

Peter Kinder, Mike Ferguson and Speaker Catherine Hanaway in 2004

The Missouri GOP is very excited today about the decision of former Libertarian Lt. Governor candidate Mike Ferguson to join the Republican Party and endorse Roy Blunt's candidacy for the US Senate.

Astute Fired Up! readers may remember Ferguson from the stories about Roy Blunt's recent comments about the horrors of government health care.  It was in a radio interview with Ferguson two weeks ago that Blunt's stated it would have been "best" if the government never created Medicare or Medicaid. Perhaps Blunt's libertarian views on health care helped seal the deal; Ferguson is now serving as an "informal advisor" to the Blunt campaign.

Peter Kinder even says he excited about Ferguson's switcheroo, but we're doutbtful. "Mike Ferguson has dedicated his life to the cause of freedom and liberty—ideals shared by Republicans across the state,” said Kinder in a MO GOP press release. "Today, the Missouri GOP welcomes Mike into the party. Mike’s leadership will be an asset to our movement as we continue the fight for fiscal responsibility, smaller government, and personal freedom."

Of course, Ferguson has only recently become a fan of the Missouri GOP.  Just a few months ago, Ferguson was railing against Peter Kinder leadership (or lack thereof) in demanding an investigation of MIAC's controversial "modern militia" report. From not so long ago:

For Immediate Release
April 5, 2009
Contact: Mike Ferguson, Missouri Libertarian Party Spokesperson

Does Refusal of House and Senate Republicans to Investigate the MIAC “Strategic Memo” Show Lt. Governor Peter Kinder is Too Weak to Lead?

The worst-kept secret in Missouri politics is Lt. Governor Peter Kinder’s plan to challenge Governor Jay Nixon in 2012.

The Missouri Libertarian Party asks how Mr. Kinder expects to lead our state when he cannot lead his own party to honor his call for an investigation into the now-defunct “strategic memo” that outraged Missourians...

"If Peter Kinder cannot lead his own party on something with overwhelming public support, how does he expect to lead Missouri as governor?"

Mr. Kinder will need the support of pro-life voters, gun owners and fiscal conservatives in his gubernatorial bid. Standing up for these voters, and the others who were profiled as potentially dangerous by the MIAC report, requires more than making headlines with a press conference almost two weeks after the story broke.

Ferguson continued: “Lt. Governor Kinder said the right things in his press conference and in his editorial. What I want to know is if he is going to show us that he takes this seriously enough to make sure the investigation takes place and the needed oversight of MIAC’s operations is put in place.

"So far, all we’ve seen is talk, not leadership. Mr. Kinder has the ability to make an investigation happen in a Republican-controlled legislature, I hope he shows us that he is willing and able to lead by action."

Those harsh words were followed up by the following statement a few weeks later, when Speaker Ron Richard announced the creation of his special committee to investigate the creation of the report.

“In contrast to Lt. Governor Peter Kinder’s grandiose statements and rhetoric in his press conference last month, he’s nowhere to be found on actually delivering the solution to this problem. Despite his skillfully taking a public bow for the hard work of others, it should be pointed out that Mr. Kinder contributed nothing to this effort other than empty words.

“It’s important for the public to know the difference between those who merely talked about leading, like Lt. Governor Kinder, and those who truly led, like Representatives Schoeller, Molendorp, Dixon, Kelly and Guest.”

Never mind all that, I guess. And never mind that other things Ferguson said about Peter Kinder when he ran against him in 2004:

I am not part of the Good Ole Boy System that Peter Kinder is a part of that allows Speaker Gary Beard to cost taxpayers in Missouri $30 Million more in taxes yet ignores the situation of communities hit hard like the one around Johnson Shut-Ins State Park. My slogan will be ‘Nobody's Lt. Governor But Ours!’ because I will be a Lieutenant Governor for ALL of Missouri."

And never mind what Ferguson thinks about  thinks about Peter Kinder's fiscal conservatism:

According to Ferguson "It's clear that both Senator Kinder and Bekki Cook have no interest in reducing the expense of Missouri's government or in getting the state off the backs of our small businesses and taxpayers. That is what sets me apart from my opponents."

Under Senator Kinder's watch as President Pro Tempore, state government spending has increased. Also, Kinder was a major backer of the plan that would have forced Missouri's taxpayers to provide tens of millions of dollars towards the construction of a new stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals.

"Senator Kinder calls that “economic development”; I call it “corporate welfare” and it is wrong. The Ohio billionaires who own the Cardinals should pay for their own ballpark for one simple reason: they can. Missouri's taxpayers should not be put on the hook for the project. This is one example of Senator Kinder's catering to wealthy special interests rather than protecting taxpayers."

More:

"Senator Kinder has shown no desire to lower taxes on Missouri's working families and small businesses, even though he is willing to burden taxpayers with the cost of a baseball stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals, and Bekki Cook has already publicly stated that she wants to raise taxes."

Under the direction of Governor Holden and Senator Kinder, state government spending increased again for fiscal year 2005, which began July 1. Of Missouri's 23 state departments, 17 saw spending increase over the previous fiscal year. **

Ferguson continued, "This demonstrates Sen. Kinder's record of putting government ahead of people. His liberal spending is one big reason Missouri has lost thousands of jobs in the last four years."

It's also interesting to read Ferguson's stated reasons for his switch. Specifically, he's excited that the MO GOP is "once again embracing the part of its base that has felt abandoned in recent years."  The MO GOP sure looks like the same bunch of dudes to me -- it would be great to figure out what sort of outreach Blunt, Kinder and other party leaders have been conducting with the more extreme elements of their party to make them feel less alienated. After all, it's not like the Missouri Republican Party has been following some centrist path for the past five years.

Image credit: MikeFergusonOnline.com