The Beacon's Jo Mannies has a must-read story this morning about the Brian Nieves prayer vigil in Washington last night.
Nieves contended that [alleged victim Shawn Bell] was "a pawn" being used by top state politicians who want to destroy Nieves and keep him out of the state Senate. Nieves asserted that [Dick Stratman's] allies already have been publicly calling for him to step down as the GOP nominee for the Senate post, but he added, "I won't back down."
The state's powerbrokers, said Nieves, are "using [Bell] like day-old bread that they're going to throw away when they are done."
"They are trying to destroy the lives of me and my family," Nieves continued, because "if they can reverse the will of the people through their disgusting, insidious ways," other Republican legislators -- who he referred to as "sheep" -- will fall in line.
Nieves declined to identify who the state "kingmakers" were, but asserted, "I know who they are, and they probably know I'm about to 'out' them."
The emcee of the event, Cindy McGee -- chairwoman of Show-Me Patriots, a conservative group aligned with the Tea Party movement -- was not so reticent.
"James Harris and Jeff Roe are going down!" shouted McGee, referring to two top Republican consultants who had worked for Stratman. She also announced that a defense fund is being set up to help Nieves pay his legal bills.
Just, wow.
