Weekly Wrap

Good: The state will track every dollar received under the federal recovery package.

• The legislature addressed concerns about transportation spending rules, and legislation to increase transparency and accountability was passed and signed.
• Check it out: http://transform.mo.gov/transparency/
• Missouri is expected to get at least $4 billion from the federal stimulus act signed by President Obama.
• H'ray, bipartisanship!
• Also good: a loan program for small businesses and entrepreneurs is moving forward.

Bad: The House passed its budget bills.

• They are ugly.
• We learned that providing health care to children is slavery.
• We learned that providing health care to children will cause hyperinflation not seen since 1923 Germany.
• We learned that it's okay to justify your draconian cuts with a rosy picture of what the world looked like before you make draconian cuts.
• We learned that the public wasn't shut out of the House budget process -- people were just too lazy to provide input.
• Oh, and nice work restoring the Meals on Wheels money that you cut two weeks before.  We're all very, very impressed.

Ugly: Critics of the controversial MIAC report consistently misrepresented its contents.

• Republicans pounced on the report's faults, but then, instead of talking about what the language in actually in the report, the MOGOP, Kinder and made manifestly false statements about the profiling of Christians and mainstream conservatives.
• It's Jay Nixon's fault.
• And DPS Director John Britt's fault. 
• But not in any way the responsibility of the director of the agency that actually issued the report. Obviously.
• While being far too broad, it was also far too specific -- it included no mentions of violent Islamic fundamentalists or violent environmentalists even though it wasn't about violent Islamic fundamentalists or violent environmentalists. 

Other notes:

• We have a much better picture now of what happened before and after the firing of Scott Eckersley became public. It doesn't look good for Ed Martin, Rich Chrismer, Richard Aubuchon and the rest of the gang.
• Roy Blunt and Sarah Steelman are continuing their efforts to convince voters that they're the least wounded option for beating Robin Carnahan.
• Can't wait until Joe the Plumber Samuel Wurzelbacher makes it to Missouri.
• Peter Kinder is not a man of the people.
• Chris Kelly had the picture of the week. 
• Denmon's buzzer beater is still fun to watch.
• Go Tigers!