Something's happening here, what it is aint' exactly clear.

There's a man with a gun over there, telling me I've got to beware.

Bus riders: have you ever heard of Gregg Hartley?

He describes himself on his twitter page as a Republican policy advisor.

Opensecrets.org, however, sees it another way and The Washington Post reports that "He (Hartley) has reorganized the firm and turned it into a predominantly Republican operation."

The firm with which he is, for now at least, Chief Operating Officer of, Cassidy & Associates, is one of the largest lobbying firms in D.C. One of their clients is City Utilities of Springfield, MO.

According to their website, Cassidy & Associates has "helped businesses, non-profits, and political figures navigate their way through once-in-a-lifetime crises that resulted from federal action."

Hartley also understands social media. Tweeting under the name GreggLHartley and listing his location as "The Shady Side", Hartley clocks in this morning with over 4,000 tweets.

Earlier this month, The National Journal's Jeremy Jacobs reported:

Former Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman picked up a big endorsement for her Senate bid on Thursday: Gregg Hartley.

Hartley is one of the top lobbyists on Capitol Hill, currently working for Cassidy and Associates. He has deep ties to Missouri, having served as Sen. Roy Blunt's (R) chief of staff as he was ascending the leadership in the House.

In an email to his personal email list -- obtained by Hotline On Call -- Hartley threw his weight behind Steelman. The email had the subject, "Steel Magnolia from Missourah," and in it Hartley wrote that he is ready to back Steelman even though it is unclear whether there will be a contested Republican primary.

"Too early to know for sure if there will be a serious primary or to predict winners," Hartley wrote. "But supporting a solid candidate isn't always that big of a choice. I've made mine."

Hartley also encourages the recipients of the email to visit Steelman's site and to consider making a contribution.

Talent this week announced that he would not seek the senate seat he lost to a Mccaskill in 2006.

Hartley, who supported Gary Nodler in the August primary, quickly shifted his allegiance to Billy Long and frequently tweets about it.

This morning, after I finished reading the print edition of the Springfield News-Leader (I love the smell of newspaper ink in the morning, it smells like...home), I switched to electronic media.

There I tumbled upon a series of twitter exchanges that started several days ago between Bungalow Bill (remember him? he's Christian County blogger who got a visit from Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott and the F.B.I. for being critical of Billy Long.) and Hartley -- back in the day, we'd call it a 'pissing contest'.

Does anyone else wonder why Gregg Hartley, the COO of one of the most, if not the most powerful lobbying firms in Washington D.C., Cassidy & Associates, is allowing himself to get ruffled by a constituent of Billy Long's who asks tought questions and who was labeled by the Springfield News-Leader as a "thorn"?

The F.B.I. agent who, with Sheriff Arnott sitting on the couch next to him, conducted the interview, said to Bungalow Bill, the blogger in question, "You are absolutely in your right to do just that (question Long)and more power to you. That's what you're supposed to be doing: holding people accountable. Because that's the people we elect and they are supposed to be accountable to us. And somebody's got to do it and more power to you."

Yesterday, Hartley retweeted this from JamesMNHarris (as Bus riders may or may not know, Harriswas part of the Billy Long campaign team with Jeff Roe. Harris also achieved some sort of notoriety, I guess, caused by some stuff that went on in Washington MO during the election-- another pissing contest?): Amazing how individuals w/ no journalism training, but email or blog now think they are now reporters. Self proclaimed importance.

Sure looks like somebody is ruffling some feathers!

Getting back to what started this post, also on Hartley's twitter feed this morning is this:

Hill COS agreed this week to help with efforts for Veterans in Defense of Liberty..... about 6 hours ago via web from Shady Side, MD

I don't know who the "Hill COS" refers to, but I sure do know who the "Veterans in Defense of Liberty" are: That's the group formed earlier late last year by Scott Magill

They have a website and a member of the board of directors is Sam Paredes.

VIDOL also endorses candidates. Their website boasts "75% combat efficiency with 2010 endorsements".

"Combat efficiency"? WTF does that mean?

Angry people with guns who are mad at the government.

And Gregg Hartley's working with them.