Short-Week Weekly Wrap: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Good: The Caring for Missourians initiative launched this week. It will train more than 900 additional Missouri students to enter high-demand, critical-need health care fields.

• The program directs $40 million to the state universities, colleges and community colleges for more health-care classes, teachers and equipment.
• Each of Missouri's two- and four-year public colleges and universities will receive a specific grant as part of their appropriation for the next fiscal year.
• Gov. Nixon: "If we don't have the basic backbone of professional service and trained workers, we will never be able to move forward in health care. And making sure we have this base done now is vitally important."

Bad: Ron Richard finally got around to making a vague promise of action on autism insurance -- two weeks after the legislative session ended.

• Richard's commitment would have been a lot more impressive if he had made it before the end of session. You know, when he could have actually done something about it.
• The change of heart came after GOP Sen. Scott Rupp pointed the finger right at Richard for killing the autism coverage bill, which had overwhelming support in the House and Senate.
• Richard promised to kill the autism bill in April, and never let it come up for a vote.  Sadly, this was one promise the Speaker actually kept.

Ugly: Jaws dropped when Peter Kinder proudly announced the participation of disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis in the Tour de Missouri.

• Peter "My Bicycle Race" Kinder announced on Thursday he had landed disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis for the 2009 Tour of Missouri.
• Landis was famously stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone. He was the first Tour champion in the race’s 103-year history to be stripped of his title for doping.
• Landis' two-year ban from the sport was lifted in January.

Other Notes:

• Gary Nodler is running for Congress.  The "smartest guy in the room" routine will be hard to pull off if he continues to demonstrate his ignorance of basic issues.
• Ron Richard endorsed Gary Nodler. "Fairness is in his doctrine," Richard said.
• Roy Blunt spent $44,000 in PAC money at a South Carolina resort.  Not bad.
• The DC government sent Blunt a bill for $6,820 in back taxes.  For the past five years, Blunt and his new wife have been availing themselves to tax breaks meant for full-time Washington residents.
• Multiple sources have told us there's a vacancy on the US Supreme Court. 
• Royals pitcher Zack Greinke is, like, the bomb.