In Plea For Cash, Stouffer Compares Himself To Revolutionaries Armed With "Bibles And Guns"
Earlier this month, Stouffer mailed a pretty amusing -- and very patriotic -- letter to prospective supporters. In it, he compares his campaign and the current political debate to that of the American revolutionaries of the 1700s. Here's how Stouffer opens his request for cash -- the emphasis is in the original.
We call them Patriots. They were folks like you and me -- farmers, small business owners and doctors -- who said, "enough is enough!" Clinging to their Bibles and guns, they sacrificed their homes, families and their own lives for independence.
The revolutionary war that established our republic was not between liberals or conservatives. Like today, the real battle was balanced between big and small government.
Politics is a battle of ideas, not personalities. While I respect Ike Skelton as a statesman, I can no long [sic] support his voice as ours in Washington D.C. For this reason, I have decided to put my name on the ballot in Congress.
I always knew the American revolutionaries didn't really care about all that liberty stuff-- they just wanted a smaller tyrannical government.
Stouffer then goes on to discuss Skelton's alleged lack of independence in Congress, falsely claims that Skelton wants to "bring Detroit-style workplaces to Missouri [hello, right-wing code language!] by ending secret ballot workplace elections" and wrongly states that the health care reform proposals in Congress will put the government "in charge of health care choices for you and your family!"
Stouffer then gets around to selling himself:
I have served Western Missouri in the state's senate since 2005. I am considered a leader in agriculture and transportation issues and serve as the chair of the Republican Caucus. I have also led our caucus in veterans' issues.
I am not a slick politician; I have been a farmer all my life. As Ike's state senator representing the only Democratic-leaning portion of his district, I feel I am in a unique position to win this race. Polling data shows that there is a path to victory, given the right climate and fundraising to meet goals in targeted television ads.
And then Stouffer closes with a call to arms:
I believe outrage in the battle of small v. big government is festering in the heartlands of this nation. It is time for good men and women to stand up and say, "enough is enough." Will you join me in this battle?
I guess time will tell whether Stouffer and his supporters are willing to sacrifice "their homes, families and their own lives" in their campaign against Skelton.
Image credit: MFA
