busplunge

Remembering a Friend, Mark Cunningham, 1947 - 2009

2012-01-27T12:43:00.003-06:00

Mark and I first met in the summer of 1964 at the Trappist monastary in Ava, MO. I can't remember the circumstances that led us to that place, but I do remember eating our meals, served by the ancient Brother Barnabus, in the guest dining room. Listening to George Kessler, a theology professor at Rockhurst College, voicing his opinion about dang near everything. (George used an ivory cigarette holder to smoke his non filter Camels.)

Every morning after breakfast, Mark and I would walk down the gravel road to Bryant Creek and walk across the swinging bridge to the concrete plant where we would stack blocks. We worked monk's hours. This was the beginning of a life-long friendship.

Time passed, Mark joined the Air Force and was deployed to Thailand. He liked Thailand. When he got discharged, he moved to Detroit and worked for Ryder Truck Rental. He got married, divorced, retired and moved back to Springfield, in roughly that order.

Mark wrote everything down. The last time we had lunch together, at a small Mexican restaurant on South Campbell across from O'Reilly's, he wrote down the details of our conversation in a small spiral notebook. I made fun of him for doing so. He told me he wanted to chronicle the events so he could re-live them. He shoulda been a blogger.

Mark was a kind and gentle person who died of a heart attack on Tuesday. He was 61.

His funeral mass is tomorrow at 1 PM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on North Campbell in Springfield.

He will be missed.

As published in the SN-L, Mark's obituary:

Mark Stephen Cunningham, 61, of Springfield, was born February 6, 1947, in Independence, Mo., and passed away January 27, 2009, in Springfield. Mark graduated from St. Agnes High School in 1965, and attended SMSU and the University of Washington at Puget Sound. He was an Air Force veteran who served with distinction in the Philippines and Thailand. He retired from Ryder Truck Leasing, where he was a district manager for Detroit and Dearborn, Mich., after 25 years of service. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and was a CASA volunteer. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and one sister. He is survived by two brothers, Philip and wife, Gail Cunningham, and John Cunningham; and eight nephews and one niece. Mark was a kind, generous man who always found the good in everyone. He will be deeply missed. Funeral mass will be held in St. Joseph's Catholic Church at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 31, 2009. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Joseph's Church building fund.

from the bus garage, January 30, 2009

Italian boat

2012-01-22T13:07:00.001-06:00

Billy Long tweets again!

2012-01-18T20:47:00.003-06:00

From Billy Long, aka auctnr1 tweet this this morning:

"Leaks out of Republican Conference aren't coming from Members or Staff it's the Reporters we tell things to that can't keep a secret"

12 hours ago

2012-01-17T23:55:00.001-06:00

An open letter to Longrooffan

2012-01-14T19:27:00.014-06:00

Dear Longrooffan,

Regarding your recent comment on The Hemmings' blog post "A Walk In the Woods":

longrooffan says:
January 10, 2012 at 7:11 pm
It was a balmy spring evening in upstate New York back in ’52 or ’53. All of my cousins and I were enjoying a rare visit with our spinster Aunt Pearl. When we were kids, Aunt Pearl would have all of us cousins over to stay overnight just once a year and what a treat it was.

Well that year, we all brought along our bicycles and they were safely ensconced in the one car garage with a dirt floor she had out back. As a result, her prized possession, her immaculate 1950 Dodge Wayfarer was to spend the night camped out in her driveway.

As we young whippersnappers were exhausted from all the excitement of staying at Aunt Pearl’s, we all slept soundly only to be awakened in the middle of the night to the sound of Aunt Pearl screaming at the top of her lungs from her upstairs bedroom window. “You hoodlums get away from my car right this minute,” we heard our always sweet Aunt Pearl yell. We rose from the floor and scampered over to the living room window only to see four teenage boys climbing into Aunt Pearl’s Wayfarer and tear out of the driveway and up Oak Street out of sight.

Aunt Pearl was aghast and the local constable immediately summoned. “Don’t worry, Miss, we’ll catch them right away,” he said in a firm and comforting voice. “They are probably those hoodlum boys from over by the river.”

Alas, my sweet Aunt Pearl’s Dodge Wayfarer was never to be seen again and she replaced her favorite car with a 1952 Studebaker Land Cruiser. Until the day she passed, she always spoke fondly of her old Dodge, often commenting it was the best car she had ever owned. And we cousins were never allowed to bring our bicycles to Aunt Pearl’s home again.

I left the following comment beneath yours.

I am not particularly fond of the fact that you have chosen to brazenly broadcast family secrets regarding our dear departed Aunt Pearl in a venue such as this, but I can not let your half-accurate recollections stand uncontested.

Unbeknownst to you and the Jeepjunkie, but well known to BBB, the Horsefarmer, and myself, Aunt Pearl and her dear friend Dixie were known to imbibe of liquid elixirs and were often observed, with painted faces, in roundhouses and other venues of notorious repute, most recently, The Cat and Fiddle.

Pearl and Dixie, some say, however scandalously, liked the golden elixirs so much that each of them had a brand named after them, vast quantities of each which each of them kept in the back-porch refrigerator.

On the particular night in question, after we all had finished our bike rides and you and the jeep junkie were sound asleep in your bed, and Aunt Pearl and Dixie were on the back porch dancing to ‘poppa top again’, BBB, myself and the horsefarmer attempted to 'hotwire' the Wayfarer and go on a midnight ride.

BBB bypassed the key, Horsefarmer and I pushed the Dodge out the driveway and BBB popped the clutch and the Dodge sprang to life with a Mopar clang which Aunt Pearl and Dixie and apparently, judging from your transcription of memories above, you heard too.

The Horsefarmer and I jumped into the car at BBB's urgings. The fourth "hoodlum boy" you mention was Aunt Pearl's beagle dog, Boomerang (so-named because Aunt Pearl kept giving him away and he kept coming back. Gentlemanfarmer had a dog like that, he called him "Prodigal") jumping out of the back window because he thought Aunt Pearl had hired us to give him away again.

I was so afraid of the wrath of Aunt Pearl for even thinking we could take her prized Wayfarer on an unauthorized drive, that I convinced BBB and the Horsefarmer to ditch the car in the weeds down by the river.

Our plan was to dismantle the car and bring it back piece by piece and re-assemble it in Aunt Pearl's garage, a task that talked better than it worked and took longer than we anticipated.

By the time we got the fenders off, BBB said the heck with this, I'm going back to Aunt Pearl’s and face her wrath. The Horsefarmer concurred and quickly followed . Well, let me tell you there wasn't no way I was going to stay down by the river by myself either, so I left too.

When we got back to Aunt Pearl’s place, she and Dixie were six sheets to the wind on the back porch. BBB, the Horsefarmer and I all went to bed.

Before we could next get back to the car, Aunt Pearl had bought the Studebaker Land Cruiser-- (is this the car she had with sliding rear roof that she and Dixie would sit in the back while parked down by the river and watch the submarine races?)

And when we were able to slip away and head down to the river we never could find where we stashed the Dodge. Everything looked different in the daylight. All we got for our trouble was chigger bites, sunburns and wet shoes.

Do you remember how you had the Gentlefarmer convinced that you weren't speeding when you took the farm truck lickity split down the gravel road, four wheel drifting, to the mail box and sideswipped the bridge railing?
Well it was the same with BBB, the Horsefarmer and me. It was easy to convince Aunt Pearl that 'those hoodlum boys from over by the river" had taken her car then to let her know that BBB was the instigator.

Several years later, BBB swore he saw the Dodge, minus the front fenders, being driven downtown by a blind man. The Horsefarmer thinks he saw it parked in back of Swenson's Bakery full of cream pies and sporting a bumpersticker that said, "Hit me easy, I'm full of pie".

I think both those guys were smoking wacky tobacky or drinking too much Pearl and Dixie because I know what happened to the Dodge and, until I am certain that the statue of limitations is over, I ain't saying nothing.

This all happened back in 1952, 1953, I'm an old man now and I hadn't thought about this in over 60 years. I just wanted to set the record straight.

Sincerely, Your older brother,

Busplunge

Strapped to Roof of the Station Wagon Revisited

2012-01-12T20:06:00.002-06:00

June, 2007 --

This story is from the Boston Globe:

The white Chevy station wagon with the wood paneling was overstuffed with suitcases, supplies, and sons when Mitt Romney climbed behind the wheel to begin the annual 12-hour family trek from Boston to Ontario.

As with most ventures in his life, he had left little to chance, mapping out the route and planning each stop. The destination for this journey in the summer of 1983 was his parents' cottage on the Canadian shores of Lake Huron. Romney would be returning to the place of his most cherished childhood memories.
Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family's hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon's roof rack. He'd built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.

Then Romney put his boys on notice: He would be making predetermined stops for gas, and that was it

The ride was largely what you'd expect with five brothers, ages 13 and under, packed into a wagon they called the ''white whale.''

As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ''Dad!'' he yelled. ''Gross!'' A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours.

As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management.

Now, I am not a dog lover or hater. My wife has two dogs. I feed and water them daily, take them to the vet, buy their food and flea medicine and take them to the groomers.

When I do transport them, it is in the front seat of my pickup. I would NEVER strap a dog to the roof of a station wagon.

This is a tiny preview of a trait Romney is famous for, emotion-free crisis management?

I think it is a tiny preview of a trait of a man who is more concerned about his comfort and well-being than that of others. A preview of a trait of a man who is cold and calculating to the expense of others.

Strapping a dog to the top of a car? Telling his sons that no stopping except at pre-determined stops? I bet those trips were fun!

The author of this piece updates it with this concern... Why this reflects poorly on Romney as a guy, ..... you or I might have taken the dog after it shate all over the roof of the car, we would have washed it off and let it ride the rest of the trip inside the station wagon......

Mitt didn't do that.

Billy Long endorses Mitt Romney

2012-01-12T12:59:00.003-06:00

Deidre Shegreen, writing for the Springfield News-Leader is reporting Long to Endorse Romney.

Mitt Romney and Matt Blunt and an unidentified person of interest relate to Matt's Dad Roy their conversation with Billy Long how they secured Long's endorsement of Mitt (Hint, $2,000 and a promised hug from the dairy queen)

Rep. Billy Long will announce his support for Mitt Romney’s presidential bid today.

Long will join former Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., on a media conference call this afternoon “to discuss their support of Mitt Romney as well as President Obama’s failed record,” according to a media advisory.

Talent has long been a key supporter of and adviser to Romney. the ex-Massachusetts governor and White House hopeful. But Long has stayed out of the GOP presidential fray until now. As recently as last month, Long said he wanted to let the race “play out” rather than making an endorsement.

But now that the Iowa and New Hampshire contests are over, with Romney winning both, Long has apparently decided to weigh in.

:In other news, Billy Long and Vickie Hartzler each got a $2,000.00 campaign contribution from Mitt Romney's PAC. So much for being "Still Fed Up"!

Even AFTER Romney gave him $2,000, Ozark Billy was reluctant to commit. In November, 2011, Long told reporters “I’m A.B.O.,” Long, always ready with a one-liner said. “Anybody but Obama."

Slick Billy is a disaster as a congressman, he misses votes, his cowboy hat and cowboy boots don't play well with the Georgetown crowd. He is not the big fish in a small pond, but a tiny fish in a big pond. He is not happy but, hey, the money's good and it's got good benefits and good health insurance. He thinks he probably throw his hand in the ring for another two years. He thinks the folks back home just love his stories and jokes. It's an easy job the way he does it, it's an easy job.

Heck, here's Billy's own words: "This job is not hard, It's not hard work. But it's long hours, and they keep you hopping all day."

And, from the same News-Leader article are these gems:

"I'm fed up (because) nobody wants to do anything up here except get re-elected. That's all they care about."

"I'm 56 years old. I'm not a young guy coming in with aspirations to be speaker in 25 years."

Long has not strayed too often from the House Republican leadership on major bills, voting with the GOP 93 percent of the time, according to a Washington Post tally of votes.

Long says he wasn't a politician when he got here and he hopes he won't be one when he leaves.

You CAN catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but DON'T lie to us Billy Long! Don't threaten us either!

2012-01-05T22:04:00.010-06:00

Frequent bus riders will remember yesterday's post of Billy Long and the postal service meeting last night: Do you think Billy thought we wouldn't remember this or maybe HE didn't remember this?

It gets better.

Attendees at the meeting told the bus driver that Billy Long denied ever saying he wanted to privatize the postal service, saying that those who said that were lying.

Long said, "You catch a lot more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. So, when you tell stories about me through some of your representatives that I want to privatize the Postal Service, which is an out and out lie, that doesn't help you any with me or my office. So...."

Someone videotaped the meeting and here is a video of Long's statement:

On June 17, 2010, under the statement "I understand that my answers to this questionnaire will be considered public record and that CCAGWPAC* will be distributing them to its members and supporters, and the media", Billy Long signed the pledge.

"I will support legislation aimed at protecting taxpayers by privatizing government-sponsored corporations and enterprises such as the United States Postal Service, the housing government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Entities like the USPS, Fannie and Freddie are proven economic failures that operate at losses constantly. Service and profitability would be enhanced by privatization." (Italics mine, this italicized highlights are Billy's handwritten comments to question 8.

Don't lie to us, Billy Long, don't lie to us.

"You catch a lot more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. So, when you tell stories about me through some of your representatives that I want to privatize the Postal Service, which is an out and out lie, that doesn't help you any with me or my office. So...."

And that last bit, the part where you say "that doesn't help you any with me or my office. So...." --- what is that supposed to mean? Does that mean if you don't like what we say about you you won't help us?

Or maybe you'll just try to ignore us? Or don't answer questions? Or maybe even keeps an 'enemies list'?

Gee, I've been there before. "Is you is or is you ain't my constituency?"

Here is a complete screen capture of Long's complete responses to the CAGW survey: Your attention is directed to Long's answer to question 8.

Occupy 417 videotaped the meeting, including Long's comment:"You catch a lot more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. So, when you tell stories about me through some of your representatives that I want to privatize the Postal Service, which is an out and out lie, that doesn't help you any with me or my office. So....".

Long makes his 'threat' at about 1:14:00 Occupy417 USPS Center Closure Meeting

*The Council for Concerned Citizens Against Government Waste Political Action Committee
1320 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 1075
Washington, DC 20004

Do you think Billy thought we wouldn't remember this or maybe HE didn't remember this?

2012-01-05T00:34:00.006-06:00

Frequent bus riders remember well the bus chronicles of Billy Long in his quest to be a "Member of Congress" ---
note the date he signed that piece of paper.

Frequent bus riders may also remember Springfield News Leader reporter Cory DeVera (where is she?) giving us Billy's reponse to his written answers on the 'jillions of surveys' he receives:

"That's just another out-of-state survey," said Republican candidate for 7th District Billy Long. "We get a jillion of them. There are a bunch of others I don't fill out. I've got my positions listed on my website."

There was a meeting held Wednesday night on the closing of the mail processing center in Springfield.

The Joplin Globe's Wally Kennedy wrote about it: Workers challenge Postal Service.

Here's the money quote:

Long said it appeared to him that “this is pretty well a done deal. Is there anything we can do?”

Echoing what some others said, Long expressed the hope that the Postal Service would take into consideration the fact that Southwest Missouri is the fastest growing area of the state. He said the loss of the mail processing center to Kansas City, the loss of dozens of good-paying jobs, and the fact that mail would take several days to be delivered instead of arriving overnight would not help the region further its growth.

The Springfield News-Leader also has a story on the meeting: Proposal to close Springfield mail processing facility met with boos. The article, written by SN-L staff, limits its account of Long's presence to this sentence: "Even Rep. Billy Long suggested the meeting should have been held at a larger site."

The Joplin Globe story contains more salient information than the Springfield News Leader story but both missed the duplicity in Long's appearance at the meeting.

In 2010 when Long was campaigning for his seat, he filled out a survey for the Citizens Against Government Waste. Not only did he sign the survey, he also added handwritten comments.

On June 19, 2010, in his signed written responses to the Citizens Against Government Waste CAGW survey, Billy Long signed his name to the survey and agreed with this statement:

"I will support legislation aimed at protecting taxpayers by privatizing government-sponsored corporations and enterprises such as the United States Postal Service, the housing government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the Tennessee Valley Authority."

Long elaborated on the statement by adding the following handwritten comment:

Entities like the USPS, Fannie and Freddie are proven economic failures that operate at losses constantly. Service and profitability would be enhanced by privatization.

Here is a facebook account of Billy Long's appearance at the meeting:

Jim Lee: Did Long have a position on this issue? I seem to recall during his campaign he was in favor of privatizing the P.O.

Midge Potts: He actually talked points which made it sound like he was against closure, but then he said an adminstrative issue, and "it is out of Congress's hands." Lol, I called him on it, specifically saying, "YOU can do something about this Congressman... Why don't you go back to DC, and submit a bill to Congress to repeal the 2006 law requiring USPS for 75 years :-D He was literally squirming in his seat!

Jim Lee: He don't like it when constituents question him, especially with questions that require more than a sound bit answer! Hot Diggity Dog!

Kathy Egli: Jim, he claimed that was all lies. Claimed he never said that. After about 4 people before him spoke and explained how repealing future retirement funds bill congress passed 6 years ago would fix the problem, he came up to the podium and passionately asked of postal management what he could do to stop this. (after he explained he had no more control over the problem than Joe citizen)

Midge Potts: ‎75 years of fullyfunded pension that has sucked 5.5 billion $$$ out of USPS coffers during the past half decade.

Jim Lee: Somewhere I got him on tape saying he wants to privatize the post office. But I got so much on him on tape. He told me he ain't afraid of nobody,,,,,except for constituents and "bloggers who are worrisome" to him.

Midge Potts: Yeah, his main talking point tonight was that he "never said" he wanted to privatize the post office ;-) Which I immediately called him on. So yeah, if you have him recorded saying the US post office should be privatized, now would be the time to dig it up, that would prove he flip-flopped his position!

Kathy Egli: ‎@Jim, Pretty certain Midge will be the next one Billy asks the FBI to investigate as she told Billy in no uncertain terms this evening to go back to Washington, write legislation and take care of the PO problem and if he didn't follow through with that she was going to run against him and beat him in the next election. It was awesome!

Midge Potts Oh :-P I did say that, I guess... It was a heat of the moment thing, lol.

Jim Lee ‎"I will support legislation aimed at protecting taxpayers by privatizing government-sponsored corporations and enterprises such as the United States Postal Service, the housing government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Entities like the USPS, Fannie and Freddie are proven economic failures that operate at losses constantly. Service and profitability would be enhanced by privatization." Billy Long

Jim Lee Billy Long, 6/17/2010 -- it was one of those jillion surveys that Billy got and signed.

Jim Lee screen capture this before it disappears. I'm not technically savvy enough to do it.

I guess when Billy Long says he gets "jillions" of surveys it is easy to forget which ones he answered and how he answered them.

After all, Billy did tell us on his website that he "is not the type of Republican who will say one thing to constituents and another to liberal lobbyists and legislators..."

Car photos for Longrooffan

2012-01-04T23:17:00.001-06:00

Hooniverse Car of the Year--- two of my brother's posts are in the top ten

2012-01-01T11:25:00.005-06:00

Fast post this new year's morning....

Hooniverse, a car blog, to which my brother John, aka Longrooffan, is a contributor, has listed ten cars in contention for "Hooniversal Car of the Year".

Two of the submissions are by Longrooffan:

1. Our own Longrooffan knows exactly how to play to his base. Let’s face it, if you’re going to be talking to the crowd here at Hooniverse, you have to pick a car that speaks to them. It’s hard to pick a car that’s more Hooniverse than a V8-powered station wagon with wood-grain paneling. It doesn’t have a racing pedigree, it isn’t the prettiest, and it isn’t even his. But goddammit, it’s awesome, he wants it… and now… so do I, I’m not gonna lie.

2. There aren’t a whole lot of cars that can take on the Zombee and the ‘Vair, but we have a sneaking hunch that the Zyncro might just be the one to do it. The Longrooffan stumbled across this awesome little van while grabbing a quasi-synthetic-chicken sandwich at McDonald’s, and its story was the essence of Hooniverse. Retirees Rainier and Bridgette started out in “the middle of Germany”, and decided to drive their car around the world. Without a real plan. They quite literally drove until they hit an ocean, and then caught the next transport ship to wherever it happened to be going. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Bus Riders: Please link on over to Hooniverse Nation and vote for which car most deserves the 2011 Hooniversal Car of the Year crown? You can vote at the bottom of this post: Hooniversal Car of the Year, it's time to choose the winner

Remember, little brother John is "Longrooffan" and his two entries (which were selected by the staff of Hooniverse and reader nominations) needs your votes!

A "Hare-y" Tale --- because some things bear repeating....

2011-12-21T11:21:00.004-06:00

From Bungalow Bill comes this 'hare-raising tale': "We Can't Have You Talking Bad About Billy": The Untold Story of Congressman Billy Long, the USDA, and Some Rabbits

Billy Long

The timing of the Springfield News-Leader's story of Billy Long's first year in office couldn't have been better. In the article Long states, "colleagues in Congress just care about getting re-elected." In the same week, the USDA dropped their fines against the John and Judy Dollarhite. There is an untold story here about a Congressman who only cared when some rabbits started to become a political liability for his own reelection chances.

I broke the Dollarhite story in May with the goal of it going viral in a short period of time. My blog challenged Congressman Long to stand up for his constituents on multiple occasions, the Dollarhites wrote letters to Long, and We Are Change Branson organized a USDA protest in front of Congressman Long's office. Congressman Long's office moved us off the property and then made claims against the protest they could not support claiming the protesters shouted obscenities to Long's staff.

And so the summer went by and the Dollarhites continued to carry this weight pretty much without the help of their Congressman. Long's office did reach out to the Dollarhites and let them know they wrote a letter to the USDA, but other than that, little was heard from Congressman Long and follow up was non-existent.

The Dollarhites spent their year attending political functions telling their story and gaining more and more support. This quiet Nixa family soon became a powerful voice against the federal leviathan. Fortunately, there are members in Congress that are truly fed up with big government. Senator Rand Paul reached out to the Dollarhite's in the fall and invited them to testify in front of a Senate committee. John and Judy were soon on the road to Washington.

Before they ever got to Washington, both Rand Paul's office and the Dollarhites made multiple attempts to contact Billy Long's office in hopes he would get involved and help the Dollarhite family out while in they were in DC. Long's office never once returned any of the calls. Long's office made no attempt to meet the Dollarhites while they were in Washington even with Senator Rand Paul getting involved.

The Dollarhites returned to Southwest Missouri with no attention from their Congressman. They attended the November Christian County Republican Committee meeting and shared with those in attendance the progress that had been made. It was noted at the meeting that Senator Roy Blunt and Congressman Long weren't giving the Dollarhites much help.

It turned out Mavis Busiek. long time Friends of Roy Blunt PAC head, was at the meeting. She wasn't happy the Dollarhites weren't being helped. Busiek promised the Dollarhites she would make calls to Washington to both Blunt and Long's offices to find out why this wasn't being addressed.

John Dollarhite says the very next day Glen Chambers, Roy Blunt's Chief of Staff, called him letting them know Senator Blunt's office was ready to help. Dollarhites had all but given up on Blunt. They had sent Blunt a letter in the spring noting the fine, and Blunt's office sent them back a form letter regarding horse slaughtering. While they were in DC, Blunt didn't seem very interested in helping the Dollarhites out as he walked down the halls of the Capitol with John and Judy rushing to get to a meeting, but for the first time since the fines were issued, they were encouraged by Blunt's office.

Long's office was still MIA even with Busiek demanding his office do something about it. On November 30, the realization of how big of a voice the Dollarhites had become must have begun to set in. The Dollarhites were invited to speak in Mount Vernon, Missouri, where a meeting was addressing the latest attempt to push Proposition B in Missouri took place. The Dollarhite's story soon became the center of focus at the meeting, and one attendee asked the one question that exposed just how much influence the Dollarhites now have in Congressional politics in Southwest Missouri.

The question was where is Billy Long in this matter. John Dollarhite said, well he wrote a letter, but other than that they had not heard much from Long's office. These farmers and agriculture minded people who were realizing what the USDA was becoming grew concerned quickly that their Congressman wasn't even in the middle of this battle. Well, someone from Long's office must have been at the meeting, because it didn't take long for them to respond.

Both John and Judy shared with me earlier this month they were contacted the very next day by Billy Long's office. "We can't have you talking bad about Congressman Long. What is it going to take to make you happy?" The representative from Long's office assured Dollarhite the office was "working in secret" on this matter. In secret? What is this a national security matter?

John was brief. He wanted Congressman Long to call him. At this point, Claire McCaskill had called them to help multiple times. Roy Blunt at least offered a meeting even though he seemed disinterested. These are US Senators and senators are in Congress to do the business of the states according to the Constitution. This was Billy Long's issue since Long is supposed to do the work of the people in his district in Congress.

Congressman Long did call John Dollarhite. Long was clearly out of touch on the issue noting he thought the fines were dropped months ago. Long said his office had been working on it, but when John drilled him on what they had done, Long couldn't cite any examples other than the letter. Judy asked Long why his office never reached out to them with a phone call to give them updates on what Long's office was doing. Long, a lifetime salesman, tried to wiggle his way out asking the Dollarhites to forget the past and just move forward, but it was apparent Long was out of touch on the matter and finally got involved knowing his reelection was coming with a challenge.

So from when the story broke in May, it took Long seven months to get fed up with big government coming down on one of his constituents. This story went viral quickly hitting Breitbart, Rush Limbaugh's show twice, and media all over the country. It was only when Mavis Busiek and other Missouri 7 Republicans pointed out to Long he was going to face a primary challenger and must take action as this story was hurting Long did Long finally get involved. By this time he did, the USDA had already been beat up by the support of freedom loving Americans who called the USDA in support for the Dollarhites, Missouri farmers, bloggers, conservative talk radio, Senator Rand Paul, Senator Claire McCaskill, and others. Long showed up to the fight late and piled on.

It's apparent Long is not much different than his colleagues. Reelection is the name of the game for Billy Long. Like Judy Dollarhite posted on Facebook, "we aren't naive about the timing."

Billy: "Do what you can, have fun with what you are doing for as long as you can, and don't let the place screw you up too bad."

2011-12-19T10:24:00.008-06:00

Another perspective on the Billy Long story in yesterday's paper:

These comments all read like people looking for a forum to bash the new congressman over a bunch of ignorant crap because they (the commentators) are probably out of step with the rest of the electorate in the district who sent Billy to DC because they felt he represented their views on the direction of government and what a congressman is supposed to be.

Admittedly, Congressman Long does not come off as a flaming intellect or a policy WONK, but if the voters wanted that, they would have voted for Gary Nodler; if they had wanted an establishment guy, they would have voted for Goodman; if they wanted a tea-partyin' fair taxin' true believer, they would have voted for Mike Moon or whatever; if they wanted a 21st century JFK/TR/Abe Lincoln type, they would have voted for Jeff Wisdom. If they wanted to vote against the establishment, they would have voted for Ekersly. If they wanted the Obama agenda, they would have voted for Monroe three years ago. They didn't.

I am not entirely thrilled with Billy Long as a congressman, frankly I think he is a little bit goofy and homey and makes the area look like Dogpatch, but I know enough about politics to realize that he is doing EXACTLY what the voters here in the Ozarks wanted him to do and be EXACTLY what they want him to be. This area likes a slightly dumb sounding, 'countrified', hick, rube, self-made millionaire as their congressman. Billy Long, Mel Hancock, Gene Taylor, Charlie Brown, Doc Hall--all were much brighter than any of their detractors ever gave them credit for, but they all fit that persona. (The only area congressman that didn't fit that profile was Roy Blunt, but what can I say, money, party backing, and connections can still trump conventional wisdom in politics.)

Before you dismiss my comment as an unabashed defense of Billy Long (it's not intended as such) let me state that I think there is another lesson or story in this article that deserves amplification.

I've read a couple of stories like these in other cities, one about a new congressman who is trying to be the next Abe Lincoln/JFK, but is making no headway and is just spinning his wheels. This seems to be a sort of 'formula story' about a town's freshman congressman's first year in DC. Billy isn't trying to set the capitol on fire with his political skills and erudite oratory, but the same story comes through: a picture of a freshman congressman who is basically irrelevant except as a seat warmer and safe vote for party upper classmen, regardless of what they hope to accomplish, but they are generally well liked by their party collegues and their state caucus. All of these articles paint the same picture: Freshmen congressmen are all but entirely irrelevant. The real policy is made by people that have been there a decade or two or three, and nothing of the message that the voters were trying to send in 2010 will probably have any real influence for ten years. In the mean time, the press reports puff pieces like this on your local congressman so you can have a warm spot in your heart for the Federal Government.

What I get out of this article is that Billy if 56. He won't have any significant influence until he's probably 70 or 75, say 2025, about the same timeframe that Social Security and Medicare are projected to go totally and irreversably T-U. The country voted in 86 new congressman, all individually irrelevant, and the Washington establishment has just yawned and gone on as business as usual. In a way, I feel like we voted, and Washington just gave us the finger.

Gene Taylor was sent to DC to be a good old boy and peddle Republican political influence in a democratic state, and he did that very well. By 1988, the voters around here were fed up with DC and sent Mel Hancock to say we were simply not going to participate anymore by voting no on everything and setting a self imposed term limit. He didn't actually accomplish anything, but he sent a message to DC that this area was dissatisfied with the direction government had taken at the time. He did that very well, and the direction of government, I think, has changed in some part because of Mel Hancock (despite the fact that you can't really cite any significant direct legislative accomplishment). By the time Roy Blunt rolled around, the voters were interested in having somebody in leadership, and Roy Blunt did that (possibly with questionable methods and unintended consequences). The voters that sent Billy Long to DC want him to continue the change in direction of government started by Mel Hancock, but they want some general business sense to begin to be applied to government.

What this article tells me is that that is not going to happen. He can go there and vote the party line, but he's probably not going t
o have any real influence, he's not going to make leadership, so it doesn't make sense for him to even try, and its probably only a matter of time before he gets sucked into the entire system.

All I want to say to Billy is "Do what you can, have fun with what you are doing for as long as you can, and don't let that place screw you up too bad."

Here is a link to the newspaper story on Long in yesterday's Springfield News-Leader: A year later Long still fed up

Here is a link to the Busplunge post Billy's still fed up.

Still Fed UP?

2011-12-18T12:31:00.006-06:00

"Long has taken a low-profile path in his first year. He has joined the Republican Study Committee, a group of House conservatives, as well as the Songwriters Caucus and the Sportsmen's Caucus. But he declined an invitation to join the more high-profile Tea Party Caucus." Luckily he did have the time to join the "Cowboy Hat Caucus"

Low profile? You bet! Long is hard to find No live town hall meetings, screened press briefings, screens visitors to meetings, doesn't return phone calls. And in contrast to what Long told you, (The first-term lawmaker doesn't attend many news conferences or blast out a blizzard of press releases) he or someone in his office IS firing out press releases: http://long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49§iontree=6,49

Long appears to be gearing up for a re-election campaign, using the theme of "I spent a year learning the ropes, you got to send be back up there because I know what to do now."

Last January, Billy Long gave to the F.B.I. the names of 6 bloggers who, in the words of the Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott, "were worrisome to Long". Arnott and an F.B.I. agent started visiting the bloggers, all of whom had written posts critical of Long. http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2011/01/fbi_visits_missouri_blogger_wh.php and http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/01/now-that-billys-got-those-pesky.html

Last March, Long co-sponsored a bill because Peter King asked him to, Long later said he didn't know what was in the bill. When bloggers broke the story, the SN-L interviewed Long: "But when asked about the provision in the bill that would sell off the frequency used by amateur radio operators, Long said that was news to him. He said he co-sponsored the bill because King, the homeland security chairman, asked him to and because the bill is supported by many organizations that are committed to public safety, something he values."

Last April, "The National Auctioneer's Association called the office and they said, "We want you to proclaim the third Saturday in April, which a lot of states already have an auctioneer's day, a lot of cities already have an auctioneer's day. They say, "We'd like for you to 'drop that bill'." The NAA was a major contributor to Long's campaign, giving $5,000 in June 2010 and another $5,000 after Billy dropped the bill. http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-much-does-it-cost-to-drop-bill.html

The day after chastising fellow representatives who are just there for "window dressing", Long, following a series of meetings with PGA officials (Professional Golf Association), Long spoke on the House floor about the benefits of playing golf. http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/04/pga-salutes-billy-long-for-his-speech.html and http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/04/billy-long.html

Long has the time to have a 'series of meetings with PGA golf lobbyists and then bars members of the press from meeting with him at a press briefing in Springfield http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2011/04/member-of-missouri-press-association.html

Long has a reputation for 'tweeting' --- two most glaring examples were his tweet on the death of Amy Winehouse. Comparing what he thought was her addiction to drugs to Congress' addiction to spending money http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018730/Amy-Winehouses-death-compared-US-debt-crisis-congressman-Billy-Long.html and his mocking of the NWS tornado warning tests that are broadcast on the radio. http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/05/joplin-congressman-bill-long-r-made-fun.html Long also made Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" list ..... twice. http://youtu.be/Ht3xYnAGgYU and http://youtu.be/I3Rugf19f10

Just yesterday he posted this tweet: auctnr1 Billy Long
"Congress won't be home for Christmas - a lot of our Troops won't be either - I think we can handle Christmas in DC - God Bless Our Troops" Long likes to wrap himself in a flag, up to the point of lacing up combat boots.

Then, there's that chicken business..... http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2011/12/update-on-usda-tyranny-of-dollarhite.html

But of course, Long is in his element when he explains to Sarah Steelman how you keep a free market free:

Last April, both Long and Senator McCaskill held meetings in MO7-- I attended both meetings and wrote about what I saw: http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/04/whats-difference-between-duck.html

As for Billy ---"Despite his lack of political experience and his outsider status, Long also seems comfortable in Washington. He's already made a half dozen or so good friends in the first year and seems to enjoy kibitzing with his colleagues (although he avoids Washington's night-time social circuit, preferring to go home for another sandwich and some rest.)" What Billy says he does and what Billy does are sometimes not the same: http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/04/long-spends-1333-in-campaign-funds-for.html and http://bus-plunge.blogspot.com/2011/06/million-dollar-billy.html

Our "smack talking auctioneer" who boasts of carrying around a dog-eared copy of the constitution in his pocket showed his true colors on the very first day the House was in session when he skipped the reading of the constitution to meet with a lobbyist.

It looks as if Long is getting himself in gear for a re-election campaign, It's an easy job, pays $14,500 a month, you only work two weeks a month and summer's off and great benefits. As Billy told you: "This job is not hard, It's not hard work. But it's long hours, and they keep you hopping all day."

Not too shabby of a quote from a guy who talks large and knows how to bluff.

If I were interviewing Billy, I would have asked him if he protested the fact that the congressional calendar has scheduled 145 days to not work in Washington. (Source: Congress At Your Fingertips, available in Long's office).

Then I would have asked what Long had done with all of this free time and what did his hand-picked group of 17 staffers do during that time.

Billy, being 'fed up' and all, I would have asked him to give specific details on how many times he met in his committee assignments and for copies of the speeches or his remarks or documents submitted outlining the specific cuts he recommended to downsize government and spending.

After all, he serves on the Homeland Security Committee and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, both big spenders. Why hasn't the fence been built between usn's and them's. Did he take a trip since he had 145 days off to investigate?

I would have asked Billy about his support of the Ryan budget plan which, despite Long's assurances that "we've got to honor our committment to our seniors, effectively kills Medicare and Social Security as we know it.

Billy Long's salary is $14,500 a month, plus benefits. The average Social Security recipient in MO7 doesnt' receive anywhere near $14,500 a year with no benefits from Social Security. But Billy, despite his assuring us "I ain't afraid of nobody" has phalanx of young men surrounding him, protecting him from those who are 'fed up' with Billy Long.

I would have suggested to Billy that if you are going to stand in front of a group of your constituents and tell them not to believe what they read in the paper,(as he did at Experience Works in April) you should at least tell them why. You should be well versed enough in the budget you voted for to explain what the misconceptions are and what the effects will or might be.

I would also ask Billy if this article in today's SN-L "A year later, Long is still 'fed up'" is an example of one of those things we read in the newspaper that we shouldn't believe.

For another perspective on Billy Long ascension to political office, read Do what you can, have fun with what you are doing for as long as you can, and don't let that place screw you up too bad."

I'm not dead

2011-12-17T21:59:00.004-06:00

I'm not dead

I'm getting better

I feel fine

I think I'll go for a walk

I feel happy

I feel happy

I just love getting checks in the mail.....

2011-12-06T12:57:00.002-06:00

Christianity and Social Progress by Pope John XXIII

2011-12-05T15:40:00.001-06:00

Encyclical (Latin title Mater et Magistra ) written by Pope John XXIII on May 15, 1961.

Main points: Enumerates the economic, scientific, social, and political developments that have taken place since Rerum novarum and Quadragesimo anno. Says there's not just a disparity between rich and poor classes anymore—there's a disparity between rich and poor nations. Decries arms race and the plight of the world's farmers. Arms spending contributes to poverty; peace would be possible if economic imbalances among nations were righted.

It's the duty of wealthy, industrialized nations to help poor, nonindustrialized nations; but in giving aid, it is every country's duty to respect the latter's culture and to refrain from domination. Since technological advances have made nations interdependent as never before, cooperation and mutual assistance are necessary. Says all Catholics should be reared on Catholic social teaching

Context: Advancements such as nuclear energy, automation, space exploration, and improved communication technologies pose complex, new problems for industrialized nations. Meanwhile, millions live in poverty in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Innovation: "Internationalizes" social teaching by addressing, for the first time, the plight of nonindustrialized nations.

Looking at the redistricting maps....Sellars and Leach in same district? Hough gets special district drawn just for him?

2011-12-02T09:53:00.011-06:00

It looks like Rep Leach (R) who lives on West Calhoun west of Grant and announced candidate John Sellars, who lives on Loren east of Kimbrough and south of Grand, are drawn in the same district 132

132 Southeast boundary:

And it looks like Lincoln Hough, who lives on East Commercial (some say in his grandparents' house) had a special district drawn just for him, see that blip on the 135th, west of Glenstone, east of National, with Commercial going right through it? To see the Office of Adminstration map of Greene County lookee
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftrict drawn just for him here.

Meanwhile, it is not known if Nelly will ever play Branson again.

Here are links to all the Greene County maps:

Map 1--- Overview

Map 2--- NE SGF

Map 3--- NW SGF

Map 4--- SW SGF

Map 5--- SE SGF

Bus Riders-- leave comments if you find anything else interesting. All addresses were taken from the 2011 names and numbers phone book.

A dog, a panther and a squirrel

2011-12-01T20:53:00.002-06:00

An old German Shepherd starts chasing rabbits and before long, discovers that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices a panther heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.

The old German Shepherd thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep shit now!"

Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the panther is about to leap, the old German Shepherd exclaims loudly,

"Boy, that was one delicious panther! I wonder, if there are any more around here?"

Hearing this, the young panther halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees.

"Whew!," says the panther, "That was close! That old German Shepherd nearly had me!"

Meanwhile, a squirrel who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the panther. So, off he goes.

The squirrel soon catches up with the panther, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the panther.

The young panther is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here, squirrel, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!"

Now, the old German Shepherd sees the panther coming with the squirrel on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?," but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old German Shepherd says...

"Where's that squirrel? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another panther!"

Moral of this story...

Don't mess with old dogs...

Who Blowed Up The Church House?

2011-11-25T10:18:00.005-06:00

One time there was an old bachelor names Longstreet and he did not do no work, because he drawed a big pension every month.

After while he got so fat he wouldn't even chop his own kindling, and he hired some fellow to haul wood into town and rick it up right by the back door.

The old man kept a fishpole in the house, and it was just eight feet long, with a notch cut in the middle. He used to bring out the fishpole and measure the wood careful, and if the woodpile was eight foot long and four foot high, he would give the fellow seventy-five cents.

But if it measure even one inch short, old man Longstreet says it ain't a full rick, and he would nothing until the fellow put on some more wood.

The fellows that cut wood and sold it did not like old man Longstreet much. He did not get along very good with his neighbors, neither.

Every time a little cold spell come along, old man Longstreet would be grumbling hos somebody was stealing his wood in the night.

"There's folks in this town that ain't got no woodpile at all," says he, "but there's smoke coming out their chimney just the same, and you can smell meat a'frying."

Finally he put ups KEEP OUT signs in his back yard, and he says he is gong to shot anybody that come around there at night.

The sheriff told him he better get a big dog to watch the woodpile. But old man Longstreet says it would cost too much to feed the critter, and the goddam neighbors is mean enough to poison a dog anyhow.

The Baptist church set right across the lane from old man Longstreet's place, and one Sunday they had got a new preacher down from Springfield.

It was pretty cold, and the preacher wanted to build a little fire to take the chill off the pews.

Old man Longstreet was not home, as he had went fishing somewhere, so the new preacher went into the back yard and got an armful of wood. He says surely nobody will begrudge a few little sticks for the worship of God, but he didn't know old man Longstreet.

The preacher got the fire going good, and then he walked out the door of the church, a'thinking about his sermon.

All of a sudden the stove blowed up KER-WHAM!

It know the pulpit down, and broke most of the windows, and scattered live coals all over the church house. The whole place was full of smoke, and the preacher was hollering like a scalded bird dog. He wasn't hurt none, but he was scared witless.

Some folks come along and pumped water, and carried it round in their hats, or else the church house would have burnt plumb down.

And if that stove had blowed up after the meeting got started, it might have killed half the Baptists in the settlement.

The folks thought old man Longstreet had fixed a stick of wood with powder to last out the scoundrels he claimed was stealing his wood in the night.

But the old man swore he never done it, and he figured the neighbors must have loaded up a stick and put it in the woodpile to murder huim, as they are low-down thieving lot and he would not put anything past them.

The neighbors say they never done such a thing, and who would want to kill a crazy old fool like that, which he had got one foot in the grave already?

One fellow says old man Longstreet is always having trouble with the woodcutters because he claims they don't give him a full rick for his money, and maybe the woodcutters put powder in to get even with old man Longstreet.

The fellows that hauled wood says it is a outrageous lie, and people better be goddam careful who they say are accusing things like that.

And one woodcutter says everybody would like to get rid of old man Longstreet and the neighbors too, but he can't afford to buy powder so long as them tightwads will only pay seventy-feve cents ar ick.

"If they will give me a dollar and a quarts," says he, "I'll put free dynaminte in every woodpile, and them damn fools can blow each other up all over town for all I care."

We never did find out which one done it, or who they was trying to blow up. Some says one thing, and some says another.

There was a piece in the Durgeonville paper about how the folks down our way is against religion, but the home folks all knowed better.

There ain't nobody in this county would blow up a church house on purpose, and run the risk of killing a lot of good Christian people.

It was just one of these here unfortunate accidents, and you can't make nothing else out of it.

Who Blowed Up the Church House And Other Ozark Folk Tales, Vance Randolph, Columbia University Press, New York, 1952.

Dangerous Games for Boys

2011-11-24T21:53:00.002-06:00

This was in this morning's Springfield News-Leader.

Celebrating Thanksgiving with the Bus family!

2011-11-23T18:07:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving ALL! It's a day for the best of everything!

November 22, 1963

2011-11-22T10:10:00.001-06:00

Holding America hostage: Grover Norquist

2011-11-21T10:11:00.004-06:00

Last night on 60 Minutes Grover Norquist started off saying how he was conservative politically starting at about the age of 12 and worked for the Nixon campaign. And here's the kicker - he got this whole NO TAX idea about this time while heading home on the school bus one day.

1) He comes up with this NO TAX idea as he's riding a tax funded school bus.
2) The entire Republican party, and our economy as a whole, are being held hostage by an ideology schemed up by a 12 year old!

Our representative in Congress, Billy Long, signed Norquist's pledge. Long cares more about Norquist than he does about his constituents.

FAIL and a super fail to any other candidate who signs Norquist's pledge.

Who funds Norquist? He ain't telling.

He is a charter member of the vast right-wing conspiracy.

Where Herman got his "9, 9, 9" plan.....

2011-11-16T22:19:00.005-06:00

He got stoned and was listening to the White Album when he got really hungry and ordered some pizza... not sissy pizza but REAL MAN Pizza! And he had a revolution...I mean revelation!

Paris Hilton is more popular than Billy Long

2011-11-16T20:19:00.003-06:00

Billy Long and the politics of "NO". Mel Hancock Dies.

2011-11-07T09:00:00.005-06:00

From PoliticoMO comes this report: Long: "I'm still "fed up".

NEOSHO, MO. — After ten months in Congress, Freshman Rep. Billy Long says he is still “fed up” with Washington.

The former Springfield auctioneer, who made a campaign out of being upset with the ways of Washington, told Republicans in Neosho his time in Washington hasn’t been easy.

“We thought we could stop all of the things we were fed up with,” Long said, citing the Affordable Care Act, the Recovery Act, and other pieces of legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled congress of 2008.

But the Republican controlled House is trumped by a Senate controlled largely by Democrats, who won’t have anything to do with the Republican’s legislative agenda. Long said taking control of the U.S. Senate should be a top priority for local activists.

“When you have half of the government, you don’t have much,” he said. “We’ve got a key, important senate race.”

Long said though they haven’t been able to achieve huge legislative victories, Republicans have changed the conversation in Washington. Beyond that, “Our job has been to stop as much as we can stop,” he said.

A highlight of the last couple weeks, he said, was having the opportunity to meet with multiple Republican presidential candidates, including Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, and others.

His pick? “I’m A.B.O.,” Long, always ready with a one-liner said. “Anybody but Obama.”

In other news, former congressman Mel Hancock died in his sleep Sunday morning.

How to set your atomic clock for standard time

2011-11-06T14:10:00.001-06:00

1. Remove the battery from the battery compartment for 30 seconds and then re-install.

2. Press the SET button for a few seconds until the hour starts flashing in the display. (You may have to push the reset button with a paper clip first.)

3. Press the ADJUST button to set the hour.

4. Use the SET and ADJUST button to set the rest of the time and date. The setting sequence is hour-minute-second-month-date-year.

5. Press the MODE button to exit the setting mode.

TIME ZONE SETTING:

1. Press the MODE button to enter the Alarm Time Mode.

2. Press the SET button to change the time zone.

3. Press the MODE button to exit.

If I help just one person set their atomic clock then my life will truly be a purpose-driven life.

Billy Long -- Are you a public sector employee? Does that mean your job is wasteful?

2011-11-05T16:42:00.001-05:00

Chan Holcombe 1939 - 2011 R.I.P.

2011-10-28T11:09:00.001-05:00

The following obituary for Chan Holcombe (1939 - 2011) was submitted to the Fort Smith "The City Wire" by Fentress Mortuary:

Chan Holcombe, 72 of Fort Smith passed away Thursday, October 13, 2011. He was born July 14, 1939 in a Log Cabin in Bates, AR to the late Ralph and Inez Holcombe and was circumcised with his Dad’s pocketknife. He loved to fish and caught a lot of crappie. He was an Air Force Veteran, a member of the Disabled American Veterans, and an Entrepreneur.

Funeral services will be 10:00 AM Monday, October 17th at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Fentress Mortuary of Fort Smith.

He is survived by his daughter: Charity McCartney of Fayetteville, three sons: Jim Holcombe of Costa Rica, Doug Melkovitz of Little Rock, and John Greiffendorf of Lutz, FL. He is also survived by four grandchildren: China Holcombe, Kainoah Holcombe, Meg McCartney and Alyse Jeffrey as well as three great grandchildren.

Family will visit 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Sunday, October 16th at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be sent to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) 6000 Zero Street Ft. Smith, AR 72903.

To sign the on line guest book please visit Chan's memorial page

Billy Long's Business Plan

2011-10-20T14:59:00.004-05:00

Sell a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you ruin a wonderful business opportunity.
Read more about Congressman Billy Long and his lackadaisical third quarter fundraising here.

The Springfield News-Leader has a great headline on its story about Long's pathetic fundraising: Long Coming Up Short

We are the 99%

2011-10-17T10:21:00.004-05:00

Don?t you know, they?re talkin? 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Don?t you know, they?re talkin? 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper

While they?re standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time, in the unemployment lines
Sitting around, waiting for a promotion

Don?t you know, they?re talkin? 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Poor people gonna rise up and get their share
Poor people gonna rise up and take what?s theirs

Don?t you know, you better run, run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run
Oh, I said you better, run, run, run, run, run, run, run
{ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/t/tracy-chapman-lyrics/talkin_-bout-a-revolution-lyrics.html }
Run, run, run, run, run

'Cus finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin? 'bout a revolution
'Cus finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin? 'bout a revolution, oh no
Talkin? 'bout a revolution ,oh

While they're standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Sitting around waiting for a promotion

Don?t you know, they?re talkin? 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper

And finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin? 'bout a revolution
Yes, finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin? 'bout a revolution, oh no
Talkin? bout a revolution, oh no, talkin? bout a revolution, oh no

Bus Photos October 1, 2011

2011-10-01T16:29:00.003-05:00

Long tells NPR he's confident US will not skimp on aid to Joplin

2011-09-23T09:36:00.005-05:00

Long says he's confident that whatever tough choices may have to be made, Uncle Sam's not going to skimp on helping people laid low by a natural disaster.

As for the government, there are still a lot of things Long aims to change, but it's less likely you'll hear him complaining any more about being "fed up."

Obama appears to be telling Billy something. Billy looks awe-struck.

From National Public Radio, September 23, 2011, comes this report from by Frank Morris from KCUR: A Foe of Big Government Seeks Aid for Joplin:

Billy Long is a Tea Party stalwart who ran for Congress as a man fed up with Washington.

Long won in a landslide and now represents Joplin, Mo., where he fired up a Tea Party crowd in April pretending to auction off the national debt.

Five weeks later, Long was back in Joplin, this time in the dark and rain, surveying the aftermath of an apocalyptic tornado. And this time, the federal government was his friend.

"FEMA called as soon as I got there and said, 'Congressman Long, we're on the way. We'll have boots on the ground in an hour or two,' " he says. "And I said, 'No you won't; they're already here.' "

What followed, Long says, has been a superb relief effort.

"The president came in, he was great. [Homeland Security Secretary] Janet Napolitano came in, she's been great," he says. "[House Minority] Leader Pelosi came up to me on the floor, hugged me and said, 'Billy, anything the people of Joplin need they'll have.' "

And that's just what they've gotten: FEMA has spent close to $100 million on the cleanup, and an additional $19 million plus on rent and home repairs. Napolitano was back in Joplin on Thursday, praising Joplin's "can-do attitude" and Long.

"He's worked well with our office, with our shop," she said. "When he was asked about FEMA, to rank it shortly after the fact, on a scale of 1 to 10, he said he'd give it a 12."

Doing It Locally

This kind of talk doesn't square with some of Long's constituents. Bloggers say he's "shredding his Tea Party stripes," drinking the "Potomac Kool-Aid." He's portrayed as just another politician bellying up to the trough.

Perhaps surprisingly, some of this grief for helping tornado-ravaged Joplin has come from ... Joplin.

"Joplin would be, some people would use the phrase, 'the buckle of the Bible Belt,' " says John Putnam, who leads a Tea Party group here. "It's very conservative. I think the bottom line for most of us is that we can do it locally."

Putnam says volunteers, local folks hit by the tornado and tens of thousands of people streaming in from across the country — many evangelical Christians with ties to Joplin's numerous churches — have done most of the work. But Putnam, unlike some in the blogosphere, is willing to give Long a pass.

"I think this is the system we operate under, and as long as we're under this system, it's fine for him to try to maximize FEMA's contribution," he says.

A Sense Of Priority

At a gas station just outside the destruction zone in Joplin, Ed Cryts, a local contractor, says he's grateful for the help and mightily impressed with FEMA, but not with the rest of the government.

"As far as helping people, FEMA has done a good job, but as far as what the people at the top are doing, I'm not too happy," he says.

Long insists the tornado hasn't altered his views, either.

"Budgeting is about priorities," he says, "and you certainly have to prioritize for situations like this."

Long says he's confident that whatever tough choices may have to be made, Uncle Sam's not going to skimp on helping people laid low by a natural disaster.

As for the government, there are still a lot of things Long aims to change, but it's less likely you'll hear him complaining any more about being "fed up."

I've been busy.....

2011-09-22T13:57:00.004-05:00

Chicago, Florida and points south, and most recently, St. Louis.

Ain't life grand!

Who wants to be a millionaire? Billy Long?

2011-09-22T13:50:00.002-05:00

Iris Dement, "Our Town"

2011-09-16T22:46:00.001-05:00

Regina and I are taking the Airstream on a road trip tomorrow. See you when we get back.

British McDonald's Commercial featuring the bus

2011-09-08T20:03:00.002-05:00

Here is a video of the production shot:

News report on the Mcdonald's commercial trip to Chicago:

Here is a link to the finished British McDonald's commercial: Around the Corner

I ain't never again going to follow my sister Joan's shortcuts!

2011-09-07T23:08:00.001-05:00

The Finished British McDonald's Commercial

2011-09-07T19:35:00.004-05:00

Here is a video of the production shot:

Here is a link to the finished British McDonald's commercial: Around the Corner

McDonald's Commercial Clip from July

2011-09-06T17:49:00.004-05:00

I found this on youtube, a shot of my commercial debut!

And, here's a link to a story in a UK trade sheet about the commercial: McDonald's new adver to have 1950s style:

A new advert for McDonalds, which will air from 6 September to mid October, will have a 50s theme and show an American family being transported to a new time.

The advert will be for a new limited edition product, which has not been revealed yet.

Portsmouth based The News revealed that the advert was filmed in Hertfordshire, featuring a local boy who will play a paperboy.

A spokesperson for McDonalds said that people would just have to ‘wait and see’ what the new product was.

Really, really busy

2011-09-01T13:17:00.000-05:00

At the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers!

Real busy...

2011-09-01T09:54:00.001-05:00

Cross the bridge over the Ohio River at Ohio, Mississippi Rivers confluence.

I've been busy....

2011-08-31T23:36:00.003-05:00

News report on the Mcdonald's commercial trip to Chicago:

I've been busy.....

2011-08-16T16:39:00.007-05:00

On August 8, 2011, around 5 o'clock PM, as I was closing up the cabins and getting ready to head back to Springfield, a sudden squall tunneling down the holler behind the cabins.

I was inside the B's Nest and I could hear the wind howling, tree branches hitting the roof, and I could see the wind blowing the heavy rain almost horizontal.

I was debating where to take shelter, should I go under the cabin or hide in the bathroom. That's how spooky it was.

I heard a loud crack, felt the cabin shake and several heavy thuds. I knew something had went down. I looked out the front door and saw a huge limb in the street about where I usually park my Suburban. But, because Ganey had left earlier, I moved my car up to her parking spot.

I was congratulating myself on my wisdom in moving my car because the limb would have surely fallen on it and, of course, I only have liability insurance.

I walked into the kitchen to get a drink and looked out the kitchen window.

Son Jim and I cut tree and got it off the road. Neighbor Jack and I cut the stump out of the deck and I rebuild the deck.

The trunk of the tree is about 20-25 feet long, straight oak. Make a great beam if someone wants it. We dragged it out of the road with a chain.

The deck looks different without that tree there. The repair job turned out nice. It took me all day to do it.

Please Stand By....

2011-08-02T14:40:00.004-05:00

We all live downstream.

Working on a post about the Chicago trip and the filming of the McDonald's commercial. Here are some preview pix.

Billy Long's addiction is aversion to the truth

2011-07-30T13:15:00.004-05:00

StLtoday has this editorial: Billy Long's addiction is aversion to the truth

Someone on his staff should explain the Internet to U.S. Rep. Billy Long, the cowboy-hat-wearing Tea Party Republican from Springfield, Mo.

Mr. Long seems to not understand that his statements, often typed on Twitter, end up being consumed by the general public. For instance, he created quite the firestorm recently when, shortly after British singer Amy Winehouse was found dead, he compared her battles with drug addiction to congressional addiction to spending.

Mr. Long said he couldn't imagine that his ill-timed statement would be taken in a bad light, and then he issued an apology referring to Ms. Winehouse as a "true artist." We're guessing that the "conservative values" Republican hadn't actually paid much attention to the painfully gritty lyrics of Ms. Winehouse's songs before he suddenly became her biggest fan.

Contradictory statements are par for the course for Mr. Long. A couple of weeks ago, he said that "we are not going to raise the debt limit." Then he said that "cut, cap, balance" was the only way to raise the debt limit.

And on Thursday, he said he would back House Speaker John Boehner's plan that completely erased the lines Mr. Long previously drew in the sand.

Truth-telling, it seems, is not Mr. Long's addiction.

Ah, but we've been trying to tell you all that for over a year now.

Going to Chicago For a McDonald's Commercial

2011-07-24T20:51:00.006-05:00

Shortly after the 4th of July, while I was still down at the lake and on limited email access, I received the following email:

Hi Jim,
I saw a picture of your beautiful 1954 School Bus on the Stovebolt website and was wondering if you still have it.
I am working on a television commercial for McDonalds in the Chicago area this month and we are looking for a bus from that era. The commercial is a period piece and will be shot on July 27th at the original McDonalds in DesPlaines, IL.
If you still have the bus and think you might be interested in having in a commercial, please let me know.

I replied via my iPhone that it sounded interesting but I didn't feel like driving the bus all the way to Chicago and back.

I shared the email with my brothers and a couple of friends. They all encouraged me to do it. I was still ambivalent about the deal, I hadn't been feeling too good lately and I thought this was one of those deals that talked better than it was.

Then I got another email asking if I would be interested in driving the bus in the commercial and, if so, please send photographs of me. I did.

Then I got an email asking for clothing sizes and hat size.

I called the guy back up and during the course of the conversation he made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

So tomorrow, my grandsons Trey and Austin are heading to Chicago with me in the Suburban.

Yesterday (Saturday) my brother Tom came up with his flatbed, we re-wired, put a new fuel pump on the bus, bought a new battery for it, bled the brakes and loaded it on his trailer and hooked it up behind my Suburban.

Today, I detailed out the bus, it's cleaner than it ever has been since I owned it.

Here's what Bungalow Bill had to say about the trip--
The Bus is Headed to De Plaines

Just a mile or so from where I used to live in Chicagoland was the McDonald's museum. It was a classic style McDonald's missing Ronald because back in those days it was Speedy.

Well, it just so happens, Springfield's most famous bus is about to receive some fame in Europe. Busplunge blogger Jim Lee has negotiated a deal with Oak Park based McDonald's to drive the bus up to Des Plaines, Illinois, to the McDonald's museum to be featured in a new McDonald's commercial that will air in Europe.

Congratulations to Jim for this honor. The bus has been featured in numerous parades and political campaigns. Even Congressman Billy Long wanted to go for a bus ride at one time before he was elected.

The boys and I are planning on leaving at 4 am tomorrow morning. We will be tweeting and blogging and facebooking, so watch for us!

It's our great summer adventure, Part II. Ain't life grand!

LA TIMES discovers our "Smack talking Auctioneer"

2011-07-22T12:24:00.004-05:00

Yep, Congressman Billy Long, our own 'smack talking auctioneer, made the LA TIMES with this article by Andrew Malcomb:Missouri Rep. Billy Long shows how D.C.'s deficit talks could be improved.

Here's a little Friday entertainment we've been saving for crunch time in Washington's deficit talks that have been going on longer even than the heat wave back there in Washington. Or, wait a minute. Heat wave. Swamp. Hot air. Congress.

Anyway, here's a little video from the good folks over at C-SPAN who capture virtually everything official in D.C. It's a brief speech by Rep. Billy Long of Missouri. He's a former auctioneer. And he wants a day to honor auctioneers.

We thought the new House management was doing away with this sort of celebratory hooey. But Long got the floor and goes on about the economic import of those fast-talkers who peddle for a fee just about anything anyone wants to sell.

Auctioneers, Long asserts, annually sell nearly twice as much stuff in value as the nation's $14.2 trillion in national debt. and who knew that auctioneering has been going on for 2,000 years? Or cares?

But hang in there. Billy gives a little sample of his trade on this deficit doodah. and it occurs to us maybe if Speaker Boehner and President Obama got to talking this way, we could get this unending hot air wave over with sooner.

Take a listen. Or give one:

Frequent bus riders will recall that the Auctioneers asked Billy to "drop a bill" and of course, he obliged.

Billy's words:

The National Auctioneer's Association called the office and they said, "We want you to proclaim the third Saturday in April, which a lot of states already have an auctioneer's day, a lot of cities already have an auctioneer's day. They say, "We'd like for you to 'drop that bill'.

Billy Long lied to us, he knows it and he knows we know it too and he is running scared.

2011-07-20T11:17:00.006-05:00

Remember this exchange? I do:
“Are senior programs on the chopping block?”]

“When I ran for congress, I said, ‘we have to honor our commitment to our seniors,’ and that’s exactly what I plan to do and that’s exactly what we’re going to work on in Washington D.C.”

Congressman Billy Long, April 19, 2011, Springfield, MO

An FOB says Billy didn't sell the auction company to Bob, he's just running it for him.

2011-07-14T12:00:00.004-05:00

Lot of talk on the streets lately about what did Billy Long dowith his auction company(ies).

His Financial Disclosure report is inconclusive.

From Bungalow Bill's Conservative Wisdom--

Anonymous Comment Provides More Insight to Billy Long's Business Interests

An anonymous comment was left yesterday on an old blog post discussing a rumor that former Congressional candidate Dean Moore shared with me shortly after the election last year. Moore said he had been hearing Congressman Long sold his Auction business. If you remember, KSPR reported this too.

First let's review Billy Long's big promise to voters on Josh Marsh's show.

Today, we have a little more insight to the status of Billy Long's big promise thanks to someone who left an anonymous comment claiming to be a friend and supporter of Billy's.
Dear Bugalow Bill,You sir are an idiot. Billy Long is a good family friend and a representative of my federal district. I have supported him before he was a politician, back when he was an auctioneer. Bob has taken over Billy's auction company but hasn't "bought" it. He is the new manager until Billy's return. As far as the gambling goes,it was just a tussle between he and his opponent. One claimed racism, the other claimed gambling. Neither of which has proven true. Billy Long has done a great job so far, standing against the Obama administration. I will definitely re-support him in 2012.
Sounds like Billy Long didn't tell his good friend of the family to keep his mouth shut concerning the status of his business.
Posted by Bungalow Bill

Lots of inconsistencies in Billy's stories.

Is this why Billy Long walked away from questions about Eric Cantor's comments on Joplin Disaster Relief:

2011-07-11T22:07:00.008-05:00

We all know that Billy Long voted for the Paul Ryan Bill which kills Medicare as we know it.

We all know that one of the first if not the first bill Billy Long sponsored was National Auctioneer's Day.

We all know that Long, the day AFTER he voted to make a $125 BILLION dollar settlement in a lawsuit most thought was frivolous, suddenly sponsored a bill to end frivolous lawsuit.

We all know that one of Billy's first acts as a congressman was voting against HCR, denying us healthcare reform while at the same time he chose to accept it for himself.

But what we didn't know was why Long was not vocal and sticking up for his constituents when Eric Cantor said no aid for Joplin.

Several bloggers questioned why Billy backed away and didn't stand up for his constituents.

While I was standing and watching Diane Sawyer live on ABC News’ evening broadcast from Joplin, I got a call from my brother, who informed me of Cantor’s comments. I confess I haven’t been following closely the national news, focusing rather on what has been happening in Joplin related to the tornado. So, I didn’t hear that Cantor had actually said what he said.

Across the street from St. John’s Medical Center, where ABC News was set up, was the site of a just-concluded press conference by the FEMA folks and local politicians—including our U.S. Congressman, Billy Long—updating progress on the post-tornado efforts. Naturally, I moved across the street and tried to find Mr. Long to ask him about Cantor’s ridiculous comments.

I found him.

Immediately—I could see it in his eyes—he recognized me as, I suppose, his local tormentor. I shook his hand and ask “Mr. Long” about Cantor’s comments, about what he thought about them, about whether we could expect federal money.

And instead of answering me, instead of telling me what he thought, he ignored me. He turned and walked away. My congressman, the man elected to represent me, simply walked away without a peep. Without a single bleeping word. Without answering whether the victims of this disaster in Joplin could expect federal help or whether they—meaning, really, President Obama and the Democrats—would have to fight the goddamn Republican leadership for it.

Now, we know why Billy walked away from the blogger's question: Eric Cantor's Every Republican is Crucial PAC (ERICPAC) gave $5,000.00 to Billy Long for his re-election.

Billy Long, you can take all the photos you want, you can ignore all those who question you and your votes but you can't run away from your record.

Congressman Billy Long paid a visit to the Volunteer Reception Center at Missouri Southern State University. He thanked AmeriCorps members for their hard work and posed for a picture with Shiela Smith, an AmeriCorps NCCC member. (Photo by Scott Julian, 2011)

Billy Long and his mendacity suck the spirit out of freedom loving Americans everywhere.

Bus Photos July 9, 2011

2011-07-09T20:14:00.003-05:00

The tapes don't lie: Why are these Billy Long videos being removed from Youtube?

2011-07-01T21:12:00.008-05:00

Billy Long is learning quickly that no matter how hard he tries to remove Youtube videos of him being him, it ain't gonna happen.

First they tried to squelch Billy's "How do you keep a free market free?" video, all 3 minutes and 39 seconds of it:

Then there was the video of Billy Long ignoring a young reporter in the western portion of the 7th district. That disappeared too.

A couple of posts ago the bus reported on Billy Long's financial disclosure report and how the information contained in it didn't jibe with what Billy Long told Joplin talk radio host Josh Marsh in an interview.

We linked to that interview (Auctioneer Billy Long is told, "I don't trust you") which has now been removed by the owner.

This is the video where Long told Marsh that not only would Long have to sell his auction business, but whoever buys it would have to remove his name from the business. Long also said that he would have to sell his third interest in the largest real estate firm in Springfield AND give up his broker's license:

“You have to sell your business. If you have a fiduciary business, you have to sell that, so I’ve gotta walk away from a business I built up for 30 years. Who’s gonna buy it without me there? Answer: Nobody. Whoever I sell it to has to take my name off of it. Now, what’s it worth? Absolutely nothing.

“I own a third interest in the largest real estate company in Springfield; I have to sell that. Do you want to buy a real estate company today? You know, they’re not worth anything, and I have to give up my real estate broker’s license.”

The financial disclosure forms Long filed with the FEC reflect a different accounting of Long's business dealings.

Marsh removed that video transcript since we posted it. I sent Marsh the following text message this afternoon:

What happened to your "Why should I trust Bill Long" video on Youtube? What he told you doesn't match what he put on his financial disclosure form. Tnx, Jim Lee

As of the posting of this piece, I have not received a reply.

Here's the video containing Billy's statements:

Another video of Billy Long is gone from Youtube. Matthew Block's video analysis of Duane Graham's encounter with Billy Long (Billy Long denies bribery charge)has been made private. If Matthew Block's name is familiar, it may be because he has announced he is running for State Representative-- not sure what district, but it looks like one in Christian County.

Here's Block's video analysis of Long talking to Duane Graham:

This video is still up:

Walking the line.... How do you like your eggs?

2011-06-29T11:56:00.007-05:00

If you are out and about on Friday morning and want to share a meal with Billy Long, he'll be at the University Plaza for a breakfast fundraiser benefiting Greene County Republican Women.

Appearing with Billy will be Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. She's from Washington state, District 7, and she enjoys playing the piano, swimming, and reading American history. Cathy says she lives by former President Ronald Reagan's motto (quoting Harry Truman's remark about his Marshall Plan): "There's no limit to what a person can do or where one can go if one doesn't mind who gets the credit."

Tickets are $20. If you have any questions or to RSVP call Nick Maddux at (417)883-3387 or Nick.Maddux@BillyLongforCongress.com

Nick is one of Congressman Long's paid congressional staff. Legistorm lists Maddux as one of Long's Field Representatives for the first quarter 2011. Knowing that the Hatch Act has guidelines for federal employees and their involvement in political activities, we will have to trust that Maddux is keeping time logs as to when he is on the government payroll acting as Long's Field Representative and when he is engaged in political activities such as this event. We think Maddux is pictured in this photo below, but we are not sure which one is he.

NOT PRINTED AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE

Aiken's breaking my heart

2011-06-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

November 1864. Aiken's Landing, Virginia. "Army of the James. Convalescent colored troops at Aiken's Landing. A.M. Aiken's house at right."

Transient Ishchemic Attack

2011-06-27T13:00:00.004-05:00

On March 21, 2008, my mother started having Transient Ishchemic Attacks. A TIA is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke.

Most strokes aren't preceded by TIAs. However, of the people who've had one or more TIAs, more than a third will later have a stroke. In fact, a person who's had one or more TIAs is more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn't.

TIAs are important in predicting if a stroke will occur rather than when one will happen. They can occur days, weeks or even months before a major stroke. In about half the cases, the stroke occurs within one year of the TIA.

What causes a transient ischemic attack?

TIAs occur when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery, and part of the brain doesn't get the blood it needs. The symptoms occur rapidly and last a relatively short time. Most TIAs last less than five minutes. The average is about a minute. Unlike stroke, when a TIA is over, there's no injury to the brain.

What are the symptoms of a TIA?

It's very important to recognize the warning signs of a TIA or stroke. The usual TIA symptoms are the same as those of stroke, only temporary:

Muscle weakness of the face, arm, or leg (usually only on one side of the body)
Numbness or tingling on one side of the body
Trouble speaking or understanding others who are speaking
Problems with eyesight (double vision, loss of all or part of vision)
Changes in sensation, involving touch, pain, temperature, pressure, hearing, and taste
Change in alertness (sleepiness, less responsive, unconscious, or coma)
Personality, mood, or emotional changes
Confusion or loss of memory
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty writing or reading
Lack of coordination and balance, clumsiness, or trouble walking
Abnormal sensation of movement (vertigo) or dizziness
Lack of control over the bladder or bowels
Inability to recognize or identify sensory stimuli (agnosia)

On March 22, 2008, Mother suffered a major stroke and died on March 26, 2008.

I started experiencing the same symptoms last year, sparodic at first but graduallyu increasing in frequency and severity.

Since 2000, I have experienced three distinct episodes of severe chest pressure and severe pain radiating up my neck. The last episode occurred the latter part of April, right before I went for my annual physical.

I mentioned the episode to Stephen Reeder, my doctor. He sent me for test: carodid artrery ultrasound, abdominal aorta ultrasound, and a stress test. I had some blockage in my carodids but not severe enough for surgery. The stress test showed an artifact on the film in the same place as an artifact on the film from the stress test I took in 2005. Reeder sent me to cardiologist who ordered cardiac ultrasound-- which showed some leaking valves and an enlarged aorta.

Which lead to another test this morning whera tube is shoved down my throat and the doctor takes a look around.

He found something. A hole in the heart.

I'm getting it fixed.

Next stop, Dr. Otto, the neurologist on Friday

Good Humor

2011-06-26T12:50:00.001-05:00

I'm in a good humor frame of mind today!

When I cleaned out underneath the B's Nest last week, I hauled some old gutters and copper pipe to the scrap metal yard in the B's Nest truck. I made $88.45 for my efforts!

I missed the Studebakers.

I did see one long extended white Studebaker pick up on North Glenstone earlier this week as I was hauling a load of mulch to my sister's house up by Pleasant Hope. What a great name for a town, Pleasant Hope!

Austin and Trey were in an all day baseball tournament yesterday at Ewing park on South Scenic. I remember when that was the dump. This is Austin on deck. He plays third base and right field. The boys played three games yesterday.

This is Trey pitching. He also plays first and third. I enjoy watching my grandsons play baseball. I sit in my lawn chair with a big straw hat on and an umbrella to block the sun. Yesterday, after Trey hit the triple, my heart monitor went off. I don't know if the two events were connected.

When my son's father-in-law returned from St. Louis last night, he brought a case of White Castle hamburgers! He eight ate and I matched him!

Neat old garage photo for Longrooffan.

No photo, but last night as Sophie was heading home from playing in our backyard, she gave me her last kiss to me as a 3 year old because tomorrow she is going to be four. This morning, as I went over to visit, she met me at the door and gave me her first kiss as a 4 year old.

Like Ida May Fuller, the first Social Security recepient, I am eagerly awaiting my first check from the Social Security. It is supposed to arrive on July 15!

Ain't life grand

Billy Long: Auction business sold piecemeal

2011-06-26T12:15:00.004-05:00

Billy Long doesn't like it when people start nosing around into his affairs, financial or otherwise.

Roseann Moring, News-Leader political writer, has this story in this morning's News-Leader: Long: Auction business sold piecemeal:

Q: When Billy Long was campaigning for Congress last year, he told constituents that federal law would require him to dissolve or sell his auction business. Earlier this year, Long told the News-Leader he had done so.

But several readers have pointed out that the Missouri secretary of state's website lists Billy Long Auctions, LLC and BILLY LONG, INC. as "active" and "in good standing," respectively.

They wanted to know whether Long actually had dissolved his business.

A: Here is what Long had to say, through a spokesman: "We consulted with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, also known as the Ethics Committee, on what I had to do with my business before I was sworn in. The ... property was sold off piecemeal to various individuals and on July 31st it will be administratively dissolved for not filing the yearly paperwork."

A spokeswoman for the secretary of state said that is a common and legal way to end a business license.

It should be removed from the website at that point.

According to the Congressional Ethics Committee website, Congress members are banned from owning or participating in some kinds of businesses, including law practice. That is intended to prevent lobbyists from avoiding reporting requirements by funneling gifts through a politician's personal business.

Frequent bus riders will recall that earlier this month, when Long released his financial disclosure forms, the bus stopped here: million-dollar-billy-part-duex, Hot Diggity Dawg. Here's what Long reported to the FEC on his financial disclosure statement:

1. Sole Proprietor- Billy Long Auctioneer- this business was terminated on December 31, 2010- no business after that date.
2. Member- Billy Long Auctions, LLC - resigned this position on January 1, 2011, no longer a member after that date.
3. President- Billy Long Auctioneers, Inc -- resigned this position January 1, 2011, no long an officer or shareholder.
4. President- Billy Long, Inc -- resigned this position January 1, 2011, no longer an officer or shareholder"

Which Billy Long Auction business was sold piecemeal? #1? #2? #3? #4? Which one is Bob Kollmeier running. Why is Kollmeier on Billy's payroll as "Ag advisor" making $60,000 plus a year?

Remember when Billy said, “You have to sell your business. If you have a fiduciary business, you have to sell that, so I’ve gotta walk away from a business I built up for 30 years. Who’s gonna buy it without me there? Answer: Nobody. Whoever I sell it to has to take my name off of it. Now, what’s it worth? Absolutely nothing."

Despite his protesting "Who’s gonna buy it without me there?" Well, someone apparently did. As of 04/30/2011 Billy Long, Inc was still in business with a new president, treasurer and secretary: Barbara Long, Billy's wife.

"What's it worth?" We don't know because the transfer of ownership didn't show up on Billy's financial disclosure statement. We know who bought his hay and how much Billy got for selling his tractor and brush hog. What did Billy do with his shares of Billy Long, Inc? If he sold them or gave them away, shouldn't that have been reflected somewhere in his financial disclosure? If he put those shares in a blind trust, shouldn't that have been reflected somewhere in his financial disclosure? If he gave them to his wife, shouldn't that have been reflected somewhere in his financial disclosure?

I've been busy

2011-06-25T11:39:00.006-05:00

So here's a couple of blasts from the past:

03/31/2008 10:28 PM, 22222 People have ridden the bus this far

06/25/2011, 11:47 AM, 239664 bus riders have boarded the bus. Thanks for riding and no need to tip the driver!

Million Dollar Billy -- A blast from the past from the guy who voted to kill Medicare: Billy LONG! (Get out the crying towel!)

2011-06-23T21:40:00.004-05:00

Counting Billy Long jokes in a speech is like counting stars in a clear summer night sky: After awhile, you're doing to lose track. Long pretty much delivered the same stump speech he gave at his announcement. "I'm not from the government, but I'm here to help," will surely show up in Long's television ads next year. This time, the hulking Long opened with: "Can you all see me behind this mic stand?" And when KSFG staff instructed him to move the microphone to the right to avoid interference with the speaker, Long quickly delivered, "I knew you wouldn't want to move it to the left." It took just 20 seconds for Long to win the crowd over.

He bashed Obamacare, skewered earmarks and out-of-control spending and lambasted career politicians. He also was the only candidate to mention his pro-life and N.R.A. credentials. Oh, and he's for tax cuts too.

But throughout his humorous and off-the-cuff repertoire, Long has a tendency to make some statements that could come back to haunt him. He mocked the plight of the uninsured ("Get out the crying towel") and claimed that 26 million people under 35 probably don't want health insurance anyway. Claiming that President Obama's healthcare plan might have taken his mother's life back in March of 2008 is also quite a strong charge. It's all done in the loving-aw-shucks Long way...those statements may rub some the wrong way.

Ky3 Political Notebook, August 16, 2009.

On April 15, 2011, Congressman Billy Long for "AYE" in favor of the Paul Ryan Budget Bill which replaces Medicare with a 'voucher system', essentially "Killing Medicare as we know it."

57% of the American people think the Ryan plan is bad for America.
From Politico:

The issue has already tripped up numerous leading Republican Senate contenders who can’t help but notice national polling that shows a majority of voters oppose the Ryan budget plan.

In Missouri, former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman said she “would love to be able to” vote for the plan — an unconvincing answer with plenty of wiggle room.

A representative for Steelman, who faces Rep. Todd Akin in the Senate primary, explained, “Her answer is very explicit. She liked almost everything about the Ryan plan. The Medicare plan, in her view, is that it can’t work. She will stand up before the false vote and point out what’s wrong with it.”

Meanwhile, Billy Long thinks that for those 26,000,000 people under 35 with no health insurance --- we ought to just 'get out the crying towel'.

Million Dollar Billy, Part Duex; Hot Diggity Dawg!

2011-06-17T15:14:00.008-05:00

On Nov. 9, 2009, then-candidate Long sat down for a short interview (see video below) with Josh Marsh, Morning News Watch host on KZRG radio in Joplin, Mo.During the interview, he spoke about the hardships and sacrifices he was willing to make if voters in southwest Missouri elected him to Congress:

“You have to sell your business. If you have a fiduciary business, you have to sell that, so I’ve gotta walk away from a business I built up for 30 years. Who’s gonna buy it without me there? Answer: Nobody. Whoever I sell it to has to take my name off of it. Now, what’s it worth? Absolutely nothing.

“I own a third interest in the largest real estate company in Springfield; I have to sell that. Do you want to buy a real estate company today? You know, they’re not worth anything, and I have to give up my real estate broker’s license.”

On 04/30/2011 Billy Long was, according to documents filed with the MO Secretary of State's office, the president of Billy Long, Inc.

On his financial disclosure form for 2010, Billy Long states that he resigned his position on January 1, 2011 and "no longer an officer or shareholder."

On 04/30/2011, the following document was filed with the MO Secretary of State's office: Barbara Long is now the president of Billy Long, Inc. Billy Long is no longer an officer of shareholder of Billy Long, Inc.

Couple of things....what did Billy do with his shares of Billy Long, Inc? If he sold them or gave them away, shouldn't that have been reflected somewhere in his financial disclosure? If he put those shares in a blind trust, shouldn't that have been reflected somewhere in his financial disclosure? If he gave them to his wife, shouldn't that have been reflected somewhere in his financial disclosure?

Then there is that quote of Billy's: “You have to sell your business. If you have a fiduciary business, you have to sell that, so I’ve gotta walk away from a business I built up for 30 years. Who’s gonna buy it without me there? Answer: Nobody. Whoever I sell it to has to take my name off of it. Now, what’s it worth? Absolutely nothing."

As of 04/30/2011 Billy Long, Inc was still in business with a new owner. Despite his protesting "Who’s gonna buy it without me there?" Apparently his wife did.

"What's it worth?" We don't know because the transfer of ownership didn't show up on Billy's financial disclosure statement. We know who bought his hay and how much Billy got for selling his tractor and brush hog....

And that bit about "Whoever I sell it to has to take my name off of it." -- well that didn't happen either because accordign to the document filed with the MO Secretary of State's office, BILLY LONG, INC is still in business and Barbara Long is the President, Secretary, Treasurer and appears to be the sole member of the board of directors of BILLY LONG,INC.

HOT DIGGITY DAWG!

Million Dollar Billy

2011-06-17T00:45:00.006-05:00

Billy Long photo by Alex Brandon

It shouldn't come to a surprise to anyone who follows Billy Long that despite his efforts to pass himself off as 'just a good old boy', Long is part of the congressional millionaire club.

We all know that Billy lives in a $750,000 Highland Springs house, a wealthy enclave with gates to keep the constituents outBilly Long's four walls and a roof.

We all know that Billy frequents a posh restaurant often enough to have a dish named after him. The Metropolitan Grill offers a "Billy Long Cut" 11 ounce ribeye filet served with pot roasted Heirloom baby bakers and apple brined Haricots Verts $28.50.

We can't vouch for where he shops, but it looks like it. We don't know if, as Billy told NPR's Andrea Seabrook on November 16, 2010, if he liquidated his 1/3 interest in Murney and Associates. "Gotta liquidate my auction company, liquidate my third interest in the largest real estate company in town, so there's a lot of things you gotta get up to school on, up to speed." Billy Long, November 16, 2010

Malia Rulon, in her blog, "Inside Missouri Politics", picks up the trail: Billy Long part of congressional millionaire's club:Rep.

Billy Long has something in common with the leaders of his party — they’re all millionaires.

Personal financial disclosure reports released this week show, in broad ranges, the assets and investments owned by each lawmaker. The reports, filed with the U.S. House Clerk, are designed to provide transparency so voters can be aware of any conflict of interest.

According to the reports, the Springfield Republican is worth at least $1.5 million. He could be worth more than double that, but lawmakers aren’t required to report the value of their primary residence and all assets are reported only in broad ranges.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is worth at least $2 million and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., is worth at least $3.4 million.

Long is among at least 19 Republican freshmen who own assets worth more than $1 million, according to The Washington Post. However, he’s also among 19 GOP freshmen who have personal liabilities of more than $100,000, the Post reported.

Many of the 87 GOP freshmen ran on a platform of reigning in the U.S. debt.

Long owes between $865,000 and $1.8 million in mortgages on a commercial building, rental condominium and other properties.

As for income, it’s unclear whether Long is earning more or less as a congressman than he did as an auctioneer. That’s because all income and assets are also reported in broad ranges and lawmakers aren’t required to report how much their spouse earns.

According to documents filed this week, Long earned $43,096 last year from auction commissions and the sale of hay, a tractor and a brush hog. He also earned rental income between $20,000 and $65,000.

He reported capitol gains of between $50,000 and $100,000. He also earned between$22,400 and $68,800 in interest and dividends from several bank accounts and stock worth between $349,000 and $811,000.

All together, Long’s report indicated that he made between $135,500 and $276,900 last year. As a congressman, he makes a $174,000 annual salary.

You can look up Long’s report for yourself on the House Clerk site.

Well, we did. And page 13 is of interest:Remember back in late January the Heritage Foundation paid for Billy's trip to California, a trip they called "In the Steps of Reagan", the 2011 Conservative Member's retreat. The Heritage Foundation spent $2,878.00 getting Billy out there, wining and dining him and bringing him back. Lobbying Reform: Travel Rules for Congress:

g) After each trip taken by a Member, Senator or staff a travel disclosure form that lists the expenses by the private source must be completed, signed and filed with the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate. [12]The form must include good faith estimates of the transportation, lodging, meal and other expenses paid, set out separately, and a determination that such expenses were ‘necessary’ and related to the individual’s official duties. In the House, this disclosure form must be filed within 15 days of returning from the trip. In the Senate, the disclosure form must be filed within 30 days of the trip. Furthermore, Members, Senators and officers, as well as employees who file a Financial Disclosure Statement, must also disclose each such trip on Schedule VII of their annual financial disclosure statement.

Billy Long's trip to California in January, paid for by the Heritage Foundation, was not listed on Schedule VII of his annual financial disclosure because it was taken in 2011. But it should be listed on Long's 2011 financial disclosure form.

Also, if Long sold his 1/3 share in Murney and Associates AFTER 12/31/2010, it too will have to be listed on his 2011 financial disclosure. Likewise, if Long, as he said he did, shut the doors on Billy Long Auctions and sold the assets to competitors, that too would show up on Long's 2011 financial disclosure.

At face value, Long's financial disclosure statement raises more questions than it answers.

Bob McCarty is among the many who have repeatedly asked substantive questions of Long and his staff and has repeated been ignored, also questions if the congressman failed to report all his assets:

Another thing the second report shows is handwritten explanations of how Long terminated one of his business enterprises and resigned from positions at three others. It does not, however, explain what happened to the “…third interest in the largest real estate company in Springfield” about which he told Josh Marsh, “I have to sell that.”

Springfield locals tell me that Murney Associates is the biggest real estate firm in town. According to Active Network, they’re correct; the company ranks as the 40th largest independent real estate company in the United States. Unless Congressman Long has a larger firm which he operates “below the radar,” one must assume the first-term congressman has twice failed to report all of his assets on his disclosure forms. After all, there’s no mention of Murney except as a source of earned income.

Others are suggesting that Long sold the bulk of Keller-Williams to a relative of the owner of the grocery store at Glenstone and Bennett and went over to Murney and Associates.

As to Long's claims, “I own a third interest in the largest real estate company in Springfield; I have to sell that. Do you want to buy a real estate company today? You know, they’re not worth anything, and I have to give up my real estate broker’s license.” some insiders insinuate that Long never owned any of Murney's company and that this statement is 'just so much bull'.

It is known that Long has never filed paperwork with the Missouri Secretary of State dissolving Billy Long Auctions, LLC; Billy Long Auctioneers Inc; and Billy Long,Inc.

It is not surprising, after all, Billy himself told us he is not a detail person. From the bus garage, January 5, 2011: "Like a horse, it's rode hard and put away wet," quipped Long.

A flashy Southern auctioneer with as much a penchant for cowboy hats as for telling voters that he’s “fed up,” Rep. Billy Long struck electoral gold with his campaign as a bona fide Capitol Hill outsider.

But Long not only met the insiders, he hired one of them as his chief of staff. Joe Lillis has been legislative director to Rep. Lynn Westmoreland since 2005, and before that, he worked for the Georgia Republican’s predecessor, Rep. Mac Collins (R), and former Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.).

Long declined to comment for this report, but Westmoreland recently recounted giving the inexperienced legislator the advice to hire someone who can guide him through Washington.

“I said, ‘Billy, you’re not a detail person are you?’ He said, ‘Nope,’” Westmoreland told Roll Call. “I said, ‘If you’re not detail-oriented, you better hire somebody who is detail-oriented.’ The ropes are going to be hard enough for a new Member of Congress to learn. If he has eight people or seven people there who are learning the ropes together, that’s going to be a long ride.”

How long is that piece of rope? Long enough to hang yourself with.

Billy Long in top 10 of highest-paying freshman members of Congress

2011-06-15T10:29:00.012-05:00

Billy Long is surrounded by members of his 10th highest paid staff (among the 94 House Freshman) at an event that took place last April and was billed as 'free and open to the public'.

Wide range of staff pay by House freshmen

Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) was the most generous freshman member of Congress, with a payroll of $243,431 in his first three months of office. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), on the other hand, had by far the lowest total payroll, not even breaking six digits.

Walsh's payroll was nearly $35,000 less than Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.), the next lowest-paying member. Walsh, a self-identified Tea Party activist, only had three employees when he took office on Jan. 3, although by the end of March his staff totaled 12 people (representatives are allowed to have up to 18 full-time employees).

Tipton, by contrast, had 16 full-time aides when he took office on Jan. 3, and he expanded his staff to the maximum 18 full-time employees, along with three interns and a part-time shared staffer.

The 2011 first quarter House salary data was released last week, providing the first look at the salaries paid by the large class of 94 House freshmen in the 112th Congress. The average payroll for the group was $176,342. Although these members generally took office with a core group of staffers, most built up their staff over the first few months, so their payrolls lagged behind the average of $246,911 for members returning from the 111th Congress.

10 highest-paying freshmen members of Congress:
Amount Member
$243,431.38 Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.)
$232,101.35 Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)
$220,819.43 Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.)
$220,032.23 Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.)
$216,122.20 Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.)
$212,000.01 Rep. Mike Grimm (R-N.Y.)
$209,570.64 Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.)
$205,191.65 Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio)
$205,138.86 Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.)
$204,497.76 Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.)Two members of Long's 10th highest paid staff among the 94 House freshman discussing, we surmise, why the bus stops here.

10 lowest-paying freshmen members of Congress:
Amount Member
$98,900.33 Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.)
$123,547.30 Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.)
$126,636.09 Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.)
$131,704.99 Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.)
$132,963.90 Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.)
$138,378.33 Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.)
$138,985.01 Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.)
$142,811.55 Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.)
$143,337.73 Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.)
$143,676.06 Rep. Rick Berg (R-N.D.)

If your weekend plans are ruined because of the weather, don't blame the weatherman, blame Billy Long

2011-06-14T10:32:00.006-05:00

IMAGE: An artist's rendering of a polar orbiting satellite to be launched in October. The satellite, critical for weather forecasting, is expected to last five years. Congress eliminated funding for its replacement. (NASA)

Earlier in this legislative session when Billy Long voted "YEA" on H.R.#1 and "YEA" on the Ryan Budget "Kill Medicare Bill", the bus pointed out some results of those votes that are going to have an effect on us down here in The Ozarks, the land of a million smiles: Billy Long voted to slash National Weather Service Budget which provides advance warning for tornadoes; suggests 'thoughts and prayers' instead.

Kate Spinner, a reporter for the Herald-Tribune expounds on the consequences, unintended or otherwise, of Billy's "YEA" vote: Satellite gap could put hurricane forecasts at risk:

A looming gap in U.S. weather satellite coverage could jeopardize the seven-day forecasts people have relied upon for everything from planning weekend picnics to preparing for hurricanes.

Hit hard by federal spending cutbacks this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been forced to delay a critical satellite scheduled to be in orbit by 2016. The postponement could cause an unprecedented year-and-a-half loss of weather data, undermining hurricane track forecasts and public warnings on the potential for deadly tornadoes.

The satellite data feeds into computer models that forecasters use for long-range predictions. For instance, in May, forecasters warned that Southwest Missouri would be at a higher risk for tornadoes several days before the deadly EF-5 twister devastated Joplin. Such warnings may not be possible in the absence of the satellite data.

To read the rest of the story, click this link.

Long and Hartzler attracting attention of national TV shows....and not in a good way

2011-06-14T10:07:00.006-05:00

Our congressmen and women are making waves in Washington. First it was Billy Long making Keith Olbermann's "Worst person in the world" earlier this past week.

Last night, on the Lawrence O'Donnel show, The Last Word, it was Vickie Hartzler:

Do you believe in miracles?

2011-06-13T14:22:00.003-05:00

I do.

Long votes for disaster relief for Joplin....with a catch

2011-06-13T09:48:00.005-05:00

When Billy Long finds a sound bite he likes, he uses it again and again. Take this one for instance:

While we need to look everywhere to make spending cuts, making sure our first responder, disaster relief and national defense communities have the tools they need always will be a priority while I’m in Congress.

That's from the Joplin Globe story by Susan Redden: Disaster funding bill faces hurdles.

The hurdle the bill is facing is where the offset for the $1 billion in aid comes from. The GOP, and Long, want to get the money through cuts to the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program at the Department of Energy. The program was funded by Congress in fall 2008 to provide debt capital to the U.S. automotive industry for the purpose of funding projects that help vehicles manufactured in the U.S. meet higher millage requirements and lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Democrats want to raise the cash by cutting subsidies for big oil companies.

Long called the DOE program “under-performing,” noting that it was first funded in 2009 and that about $4.2 billion remains unused from the $7.5 billion appropriated.

For Russ Carnahan (MO) the discussion about cutting funding for clean energy versus cutting subsidies for big oil companies “is a debate that should be left in Washington and not put on the backs of the people in Joplin.”

Cue the Long sound bite: “While we need to look everywhere to make spending cuts, making sure our first responder, disaster relief and national defense communities have the tools they need always will be a priority while I’m in Congress,” Long said.

Long said the same thing May 25, 2011 in the Springfield News-Leader story by Maliaa Rulon House majority leader: Don't let disaster funds add to growing deficit:

Rep. Billy Long, a Springfield Republican whose district includes Joplin, said he was happy to see Cantor's tweet that House Republicans had found the offsets.

"Our deficit is not because we are taxed too little but because Washington spends too much," Long said. "I was sent to Washington to rein in wasteful government spending. While we need to look everywhere to make spending cuts, making sure our first responder, disaster relief, and national defense communities have the tools they need will always be a priority while I am in Congress."

"Making sure our first responder, disaster relief, and national defense communities have the tools they need will always be a priority while I am in Congress."

On February 11, 2011, Billy Long voted "YEA" on House Resolution #1 which cut $410 billion from the National Weather Service budget The service operates a nationwide network of weather monitoring stations intended to provide advance warning for natural disasters.

On April 15, 2011, Rep. Billy Long voted "Yea" on the GOP 2012 Budget Plan aka the "KILL MEDICARE BILL" which included the following cuts which directly affect the nation's preparedness for natural disasters (like a tornado in Joplin):

$1.2 billion cut in funding for NOAA, the government agency with “primary responsibility for providing tsunami warnings to the nation, and a leadership role in tsunami observations and research.”

$1.5 billion cut in grants for first-responders to disasters of “mass destruction.”

12 percent cut to Emergency Management Planning Grants, which provide critical funds to help communities conduct “effective catastrophic all-hazards planning.”

Closure of local National Weather Service offices and a furlough of NOAA employees for more than 27 days at a time. The closures would essentially silence the government’s warning system during disasters.

Cuts in NOAA’s satellite maintenance budget, putting satellites out of commission more quickly and crippling the government’s ability to track tsunami wave patterns, hurricanes and even routine weather patterns.

Billy "I was Tea Party before Tea Party was cool" Long has apparently been too busy shouting "FED UP" to acknowledge his own hypocrisy: he desperately needs the very programs he has been trying just as desperately to kill.

Long voted for the Joplin relief appropriation on June 2, 2011, effectively saying that Big Oil Companies can keep their subsidies, we'll screw the environment to pay for the Joplin relief.

Lake Taneycomo 06/11/2011

2011-06-12T16:21:00.003-05:00

Hey Billy Long! Remember this?

2011-06-08T09:51:00.002-05:00

That was from one of Billy Long's campaign commercials, you remember, the one he called "Doing the right thing", you know, the one where he said he was 'Fed up" with "politicians in Washington and their cronies", the one where he said "I'll do the right thing for the right reason everyday I'm there", yeah, that one.

Here's the whole commercial:

Was this just something you said to get elected? Were these just words you said?

Billy Long pays AG Liaison $15,888 1st Qtr 2011.

2011-06-07T22:28:00.006-05:00

Not only did Billy put his buddy on the gov't payroll for almost $16,000 so far this year, the same guy runs Long's old auction company.

When Billy Long told the Springfield News Leader last April that he dissolved his auction company he didn't tell them that Bob Kollmeier took it over.

Long also didn't tell us that he hired Kollmeier to be his agricultural liaison and paid Kollmeier $15,888.90 through the end of the first quarter, 2011.

Yesterday, in Forsyth, Long said that Bob Kollmeier was his "ag adviser and goes to all the ag meetings". This raised some questions in my mind about just what does an agricultural liaison do and what "ag meetings" does he attend.

Last Fall, shortly after the election, in a conversation that took place in Braum's on West Sunshine, a prominent agricultural leader from SW Missouri told me that Long had hired Kollmeier as his agricultural liaison. The discussion focused on the lack of expertise in that selection.

I made the comment if being an auctioneer qualifies one to serve in congress, then certainly being an assistant auctioneer qualifies one to be an "ag guy".

Kollmeier, in addition to earning almost $16,000 every three months while on Billy's government payroll, also runs Bob Kollmeier Auctions and Appraisals. If the phone number looks familiar, it's because it is Billy Long's old phone number. Remember his ads on KWTO? I do. I can hear them now: "I'll buy your house, I'll auction your house, I'll list your house, don't call the wrong number, call the Long number 882-LONG"

But wait, there's more! link to http://www.billylong.com/auctions/index.htm

And then there's still that sticky little issue of did Billy sell his 1/3 interest in Murney and Associates? We'll soon find out when his financial disclosure statement is released later this month. And you know we'll be watching for it.

Developing

Billy Long: "I'm a Representative. I don't need an entourage or a security detail."

2011-06-06T23:02:00.007-05:00

Congressman Billy Long talks to a constituent who is wearing a blue coat last April. Long's head is bare visible over the shoulder of one of those guys who are not part of his entourage or his security detail. The other two guys are also not part of Billy's entourage or security detail. They just travel everywhere with Billy and block access to him as they are doing here. Billy said today in Forsyth "I'm a representative, I don't need an entourage or a security detail." Apparently these three members of Long's entourage/security detail didn't get the memo.

This message was delivered to the bus garage this past weekend:

It has come to my attention that Congressman Billy Long will be at the Taney County Courthouse Monday, June 6 at 9 AM.

He will be in the Commission Hearing Room and we need everyone that can attend to be there.

Our support is very important to the Congressman.

If you have questions or comments he will be there to answer them.

Please attend and bring a friend.

Frequent bus riders will recall last September Billy Long announced his business tour. Myself and two other voters attended the inaugural event. It would be the last time Long attempted to explain his political philosophy to anyone. (Actions speak louder than words).

Since that time, Long has isolated himself from any real scrutiny by the press, mainstream or new media.

Last April, in an event billed as "free and open to the public" (which was only half right) Long stonewalled anyone who dared ask him a question that required more than talking points as an answer. (What's the difference between a duck)

Shortly after that event, Long announced that he was going to do no more live town hall meetings, instead he would focus on tele-townhalls (NO more live townhall meetings for Billy Long).

Billy would be at the Taney County Courthouse on Monday, June 6, 2011 at 9 AM, live and in person, to answer your questions or comments.

Since I have a summer home in Taney County (ok, so it a weekender cabin in Rockaway Beach-- it's one of the original Brookside Bungalows in Rockaway, from the 1920s. I go there to relax adn relax I do. I have no internet access there other than through my phone- so I don't post too much while I'm at the cabin, which may be old, but it's paid for) I decided to attend and perhaps get a chance to ask Billy a question.

Specifically I wanted to ask him, that in light of Eric Cantor's remarks on the Joplin tornado relief funds and Long's own votes AGAINST FEMA, NWS, First Responders, Emergency Readiness, etc (Billy Long voted to slash National Weather Service, etc) if he still felt that need to defund those programs. I never got a chance.

The meeting was actually a Taney County Commission meeting. Billy spoke about 15 minutes.

I left my notes at the cabin but I am able to reconstruct them from the live tweeting I did during the meeting. What I don't touch upon here, I will revisit when I get back to my notes.

About 16 people were present, most of them appeared to be county employees. There was one elderly couple present. Obviously the plea for Billy's supporters to show up didn't yield any results.

Billy talked about the Branson floods and how the Corps of Engineers didn't use common sense in flood control. He was concerned that 'they' blew up a levy and ruined Missouri farmland so as not to flood an Illinois town (Cairo) but flooded a Missouri town (Branson) so as not to flood farmland in Arkansas.*

Billy said the Corps listened to him (he suggested opening the flood gates to lower the lake levels when rain is forecast) but that their 'hands were tied'. He said this several times.

Long told the commissioners that he urged Governor Nixon to declare Branson and Taney County a disaster area a full week before Nixon did what Long told him to do. Long also said he was displeased with the Governor's stalling in declaring the area a disaster area. (I have Long's exact words written in my notes. While I did find evidence of Long being in Branson during the flooding - he went to a realtor's breakfast - I could find no evidence of him visiting the flooded areas. His tweets for that period are not, meaning if he is doing something that he thinks is going to make him look good, he tweets about it. No tweets from Branson during the flooding. Others noted Long's conspicuous lack of concern about the flooding. (Flooding in Seventh District prompted U.S. Representative Billy Long to issue a press release)Main Street, Rockaway Beach, MO, April 2011.

Observers of Long have noticed that frequently he will criticize someone or something, then praise it. For instance, he voted to repeal HCR but he told us there are a lot of things he likes about it. (Billy Long: "There's a lot of things about the healthcare bill that are good") Today, he criticized Governor Nixon but later praised him for his actions in Joplin.

Long also told the commissioners later that he "was on their (FEMA's) radar" because he was on their case for not setting up assistance in Branson sooner.

Long said that the day after the Joplin tornado, FEMA's head called him up and told him that FEMA was coming to Joplin. Long told the caller that FEMA was already there. (Again criticizing then praising...do you ever wonder what kind of relationship Billy had with his parents while he was growing up?)

While speaking about the aftermath of the Joplin tornado, Billy said, "Somebody high up is coming on Wednesday. They told me not to make it public." wtf? Does this guy hold a security clearance? What does this statement mean and why did he even say it? Is this another on of Billy's "I know something you don't know" moments? Maybe he needs a shirt?

Billy then waltzed right into this statement: "I'm a Representative, I don't need an entourage or a security detail."

Then Billy transitioned into talking about his agricultural adviser, who used to work for Billy at his auction house. Billy said that Bob Kollmeir was his agricultural adviser and 'goes to all the ag meetings'. I am not sure what 'going to all the ag meetings' or being Billy's 'agricultural adviser' entails, but as Bungalow Bill points out, Long and Kollmeir have an interesting if not potentially ethically challenged relationship. Has Billy Long Created an Ethics Problem with Auction House and Agriculture Adviser?
Lot's of sticky questions contained in that post that I will probably never get to ask Billy.

Billy started talking about flood gates and flood levels, roads and bridges (he must have read the morning paper).

When a commission member asked Billy what his position was on the transportation committee, it appeared Billy didn't understand the question. Finally, Billy's befuddled reply was, "I'm on it."

Then, she arrived.

(to be continued)

update 06/07/2011 The Springfield News Leader's Cliff Sain also reports on the meeting: Representative Long calls for review of Corps' policies on reservoirs.

*Long's statement, viewed in context of the Corps spokesperson's remarks in that article ("There is a White River plan and there is a Mississippi River plan," she said. "It's comparing apples to oranges.") are further indication that once again Billy and his staff didn't do due dillegence before making this statement. In plain English, Billy doesn't know what he is talking about... what with his simplistic solutions to complex problems. Sound bites. The congressman talks in sound bites-- full of sound and fury and signifying nothing.

I wonder if Billy likes strawberries?

Billy Long: Worst Person in the World!

2011-06-06T21:03:00.002-05:00

Olbermann calls Billy Long. Worst person in the World

2011-06-03T20:09:00.002-05:00

The message was delivered to the bus garage this evening:

It has come to my attention that Congressman Billy Long will be at the Taney County Courthouse Monday, June 6 at 9 AM.

He will be in the Commission Hearing Room and we need everyone that can attend to be there.

Our support is very important to the Congressman.

If you have questions or comments he will be there to answer them.
Please attend and bring a friend.

In other news it has also been reported that Billy made Keith Olberman's worst person in the world! I just heard, KO said Billy needs to resign

I'll be busy.....

2011-06-02T10:34:00.003-05:00

Heading down to the lake to open up boat, powerwash the deck.

Taneycomo is full of silt from the floodgates, Bull Shoals is flooded until August, so it looks like we'll be heading over to Tablerock.

ps-- Happy Birthday to my brother Tom! June 5, 1950.

Who's the biggest loser here?

2011-06-02T10:28:00.003-05:00

Us.

Billy Long featured in story in San Jose Mercury,,,, and not in a good way

2011-06-01T21:06:00.004-05:00

Earlier the bus stopped at the Forbes magazine piece on Billy Long and The St. Louis Examiner piece by Tom Appelbaum on Long.

The Forbes piece it’s easy to be an ideologue when you can’t see the faces or don’t know the names of the people you are hurting and that's enough to make Billy a one term congressman.

Another national voice has opined on the congressman from MO 7. Byron Williams, a writer for the San Jose Mercury:

When we need government and when we don't:Between the opposing polarities that too often dominate our discourse, lies the reality that dislike for government ultimately is a luxury. It is a luxury because it assumes that one has no reason to need government in that moment.

Rep. Billy Long, whose congressional district includes Joplin, spoke in April at a tea party rally lamenting about government spending. He boasted that he voted to defund Planned Parenthood.

Long told the enthusiastic crowd, "Your tax dollars should not be going to kill innocent babies." Never mind that this ruse has been categorically debunked.

But Long, whose brief congressional career is based on what's wrong with government, sang a different tune in the aftermath of the tornado that devastated Joplin. He recently praised the initial response by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"On a scale of one to 10, they are a 12," he said. "I think they are doing an excellent job."

earlier, on May 26, 2011, in a ribbon cutting cermemony, Congressman Billy Long, R-Springfield, praised the work of federal officials, and said his job was to make sure the town could move forward “in a timely fashion.”

If anyone has a photo of Billy Long in Joplin where he DOESN'T have his hands in his pockets, please share it with us.

Tornado Photo: Garden Hose in a Tree

2011-06-01T17:32:00.002-05:00

Evolution of Man

2011-06-01T17:30:00.001-05:00

That man evolved from certain lower primates is proved beyond doubt. Several fossils of prehuman, sub-human and cohuman fossils are discovered in several parts of the world. The antiquity of man is 1 lakh to 20 lakhs – depending upon whom one considers as exactly human as our imagination permits. Since evolution is evolution, a sort of change but no sudden or spontaneous creation, we cannot exactly pin point where an individual in the process of evolution is man and no longer subhuman. Africa, Asia, Europe abound in human fossils of various evolutionary levels. A fuller discussion on this would be quite rewarding and revealing but this is not the occasion.

Billy Long's bad week continues....

2011-06-01T14:31:00.004-05:00

Billy Long recently told a group of constituents that he had received 1300 emails prior to his vote on the the debt ceiling and everyone one of them said don't raise the debt ceiling.

Billy Long was the subject of an article by Tom Appelbaum in the St. Louis Examiner: Joplin tragedy speaks to the role of government in safety and education:

Arguably, the primary functions of government should include educating the children and keeping people safe, as well as responding to emergencies. This concept would be challenged, however, with some of the recent actions by some members of congress. Congressman Billy Long from Missouri’s 7th district, Joplin’s congressional district, based his election campaign on the reduction of the role of government, saying that he was “FED-up” with the government.

He even went so far as to belittle the role of the tornado warning system and voted to cut funding for the National Weather Service, which could put the nation’s early warning weather alert system at risk. The irony that these statements and actions have, coming from that area’s Congressional Representative, is only matched by the callousness of House Speaker Eric Cantor’s insistence that federal disaster relief be tied to federal spending cuts.

Rick Ungar, writing for Forbes Magazine: Deadly Tornados Reveal The Failure Of Today’s Perverse GOP Ideology

Setting aside what most of us may feel about Congressman Cantor’s rather heartless engagement with this heartbreaking situation, it turns out that Joplin is represented in Congress by a Tea Party backed Republican named Billy Long – one of the angry freshmen elected to Congress on a platform of being ‘fed up’ with career politicians and who ran on the motto that he was “Tea Party before Tea Party was cool.”

So, what is a Tea Party Congressman – dedicated to smaller government and individual responsibility – to do when the very people who are hurt and in serious need of federal assistance are the same people who sent him to Congress in support of his uber-conservative beliefs?

In Long’s case, the answer -so far- has been to do nothing as he weighs his ideological commitment against the dramatic needs of his constituents and the political damage that might follow whatever decision he makes.

Oklahoma publication, Tulsa World, first reported that Long told them upon his arrival in his district following the disaster, that his first priority was ensuring that Joplin received speedy assistance from the federal government. However, upon learning of Cantor’s position on the subject, Long has clammed-up, refusing to say where he stands.

The Springfield News Leader, May 25, 2011: House majority leader: Don't let disaster funds add to growing deficit:

"Our deficit is not because we are taxed too little but because Washington spends too much," Long said. "I was sent to Washington to rein in wasteful government spending. While we need to look everywhere to make spending cuts, making sure our first responder, disaster relief, and national defense communities have the tools they need will always be a priority while I am in Congress."

In February 2011, Billy Long voted "Yea" on H.R. 1 (which passed) which CUT first responder funding, disaster relief funding, National Weather Service funding, advance natural disaster warning funding and on April 15, Billy Long voted "Yea" on the Paul Ryan budget bill which, along with killing medicare, also cut funding in the aforementioned areas.

Billy Long also is in support of extending the Bush tax cuts for the top % of our population.

Frequent bus riders know that Billy Long, the master of hyperbole and self promotion, know that Long's words ring hollow and don't match his votes.

Even as I write this piece, word is spreading across the internet that Long voted, again, to kill Medicare. Developing

Billy Long's terrible horrible week

2011-05-27T22:44:00.004-05:00

This will be brief, I'm on the bus phone down in Rockaway Beach fixing toilets, flooded Rockaway Beach.

Billy Long had bad week. If you haven't read the Forbes piece, do a twitter search for Billy Long or @Auctnr1 -- there's a lot there. The rest of the country is rapidly finding out what frequent bus riders already know: Long is not a good fit for the job

When I get to a computer I'll fill you all in on the rest of the story.

Images of Billy Long in Joplin: Boots on the ground, hands in the pocket. No disrespect intended, Congressman Long,

2011-05-25T09:59:00.009-05:00

but you should have answered your constituent's question.

No disrespect intended Congressman Long, but don't you think you should have answered this constituent's question? Billy Long refuses to answer questions about Eric Cantor's warning on federal help for Joplin.

While I was standing and watching Diane Sawyer live on ABC News’ evening broadcast from Joplin, I got a call from my brother, who informed me of Cantor’s comments. I confess I haven’t been following closely the national news, focusing rather on what has been happening in Joplin related to the tornado. So, I didn’t hear that Cantor had actually said what he said.

Across the street from St. John’s Medical Center, where ABC News was set up, was the site of a just-concluded press conference by the FEMA folks and local politicians—including our U.S. Congressman, Billy Long—updating progress on the post-tornado efforts. Naturally, I moved across the street and tried to find Mr. Long to ask him about Cantor’s ridiculous comments.

I found him.

Immediately—I could see it in his eyes—he recognized me as, I suppose, his local tormentor. I shook his hand and ask “Mr. Long” about Cantor’s comments, about what he thought about them, about whether we could expect federal money.

And instead of answering me, instead of telling me what he thought, he ignored me. He turned and walked away. My congressman, the man elected to represent me, simply walked away without a peep. Without a single bleeping word. Without answering whether the victims of this disaster in Joplin could expect federal help or whether they—meaning, really, President Obama and the Democrats—would have to fight the goddamn Republican leadership for it.

I’m pissed.

Long’s “handler,’ or whoever the aide was trailing him, rudely told me they would “look into it.” Damn right they had better look into it.

I found Wally Kennedy, the Joplin Globe news reporter who I had seen interviewing Long as I was making my way across the street, and I asked him if he had asked Long about Cantor’s comments. Kennedy, obviously and understandably preoccupied with local events, hadn’t heard about them and therefore hadn’t ask Long about what Cantor said.

Thus, Long wasn’t challenged, as far as I know.

Fifteen or twenty minutes later I saw Billy Long on CNN being interviewed by John King. Nothing about Cantor’s comments that I saw. Nothing about whether Billy Long will fight for federal funds to help rebuild this devastated city. Nothing.

And that had better change.

Billy Long voted to slash National Weather Service Budget which provides advance warning for tornadoes; suggests 'thoughts and prayers' instead.

2011-05-25T00:31:00.003-05:00

On February 19, 2011, The Missouri delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 1, "Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011"

Their votes were as follows:

Missouri
Nay MO-1 Clay, William [D]
Yea MO-2 Akin, W. [R]
Nay MO-3 Carnahan, Russ [D]
Yea MO-4 Hartzler, Vicky [R]
Nay MO-5 Cleaver, Emanuel [D]
Yea MO-6 Graves, Samuel [R]
Yea MO-7 Long, Billy [R]
Yea MO-8 Emerson, Jo Ann [R]
Yea MO-9 Luetkemeyer, Blaine [R]

Billy Long's "Yea" vote on H.R. 1 included a $410 million budget cut for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Commerce Department agency that runs the National Weather Service. The service operates a nationwide network of weather monitoring stations intended to provide advance warning for natural disasters.

“The No. 1 mission of the National Weather Service is to save lives,” said Dan Sobien, president of the National Weather Service Employees Organization. “If you start deconstructing the early warning system, something is going to fall through the cracks.”

BILLY LONG VOTED TO CUT $450 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

On April 15, 2011, Rep. Billy Long (R MO) again voted "Yea" on the GOP 2012 Budget Plan aka the "KILL MEDICARE BILL" which included the following cuts which directly affect the nation's preparedness for natural disasters (like a tornado in Joplin):

$1.2 billion cut in funding for NOAA, the government agency with “primary responsibility for providing tsunami warnings to the nation, and a leadership role in tsunami observations and research.”

$1.5 billion cut in grants for first-responders to disasters of “mass destruction.”

12 percent cut to Emergency Management Planning Grants, which provide critical funds to help communities conduct “effective catastrophic all-hazards planning.”

Closure of local National Weather Service offices and a furlough of NOAA employees for more than 27 days at a time. The closures would essentially silence the government’s warning system during disasters.

Cuts in NOAA’s satellite maintenance budget, putting satellites out of commission more quickly and crippling the government’s ability to track tsunami wave patterns, hurricanes and even routine weather patterns.

Additional cuts to FEMA and the Coast Guard.

According to a Ocean Conservancy fact sheet obtained by ThinkProgress, at least a third of US GDP is concentrated in weather sensitive industries and the GOP’s cuts could leave large sectors of the economy vulnerable to natural disasters. The cuts would also deny daily weather information to more than 30 million Americans, and reduce the military’s access to weather information before combat missions.

Rep. Billy Long (R-MO) released a statement on Monday about the tornado that devastated Joplin, Missouri. The death toll from this storm has reached 117, according to authorities. Here is the full text of that statement:

Shock and disbelief best describe the reports from those fortunate enough to have survived the tornado in Joplin. It is comforting to see the strong response from our local, state, and federal authorities and to see the surrounding communities come together and offer assistance during this difficult time. Please keep the families who have lost loved ones and the Joplin community in your thoughts and prayers.

Yes, by all means, pray for these folks, Billy. But once you say your prayers, some of us would like to ask you if you still support Paul Ryan's budget, you know, the one you voted for on April 15, Remember that vote? I do. You were one of the 235 Republican representatives who voted for Ryan's budget bill which not only kills Medicare, but also slashes funding for FEMA, first responders, federal disaster recovery programs, and the National Weather Service..

So you can understand why I am more than a bit cynical when I read tweets like this: Representative Billy Long, "I was Tea Party before Tea Party was cool", has apparently been too busy shouting "FED UP" to acknowledge his own hypocrisy: he desperately needs the very programs he has been trying just as desperately to kill.

Of course, Billy is no stranger to hypocrisy. Hot diggity dog, remember his comments on Social Security and Medicare?

So Billy---you need to tell us: Do you still support slashing funding for FEMA? The National Weather Service? First Responders? Disaster Relief?

Your April 15 vote says you did, do you still?

And about extending those Bush tax cuts you are so much in favor of,,,,, what's it going to be? FEMA or extend Bush tax cuts? NWS or extend Bush tax cuts? First Responders or extend Bush tax cuts?

The people in Joplin need a heck of a lot more than your thoughts and prayers, Congressman, they are going to need money, and lots of it, regardless of what your buddy Eric is saying.

BTW, Billy, no disrespect intended, thoughts and prayers are nice, but tell that to the guy who's lost his house how your thoughts and prayers are going to help himh. He's going to need more than the grace of God to get through this.

Meanwhile, you keep those tweets coming, Billy. After all, it's all about you.

Joplin Congressman Bill Long (R) Made Fun of Tornado Test Warnings, Wanted to Sell HAM Frequencies

2011-05-23T23:51:00.001-05:00

Congressman Bill Long MO7 (R) sure wishes he had a reset button, and we're not talking about his vote to Kill Medicare (How's that vote workin' for you, Billy?)

Today Billy Long made the Daily Kos: Joplin Congressman Bill Long (R) Made Fun of Tornado Test Warnings, Wanted to Sell HAM Frequencies

I hate to politicize tragedies, but sometimes they shed light on the irresponsibility of those who are responsible for the well-being of our nation.

Take Billy Long for example. He is the classic wise-ass cowboy Republican Congressman who once said "Get out the crying towel" to people who don't have health insurance. Ironically, David Catanese, now a reporter for Politico, made a prescient prediction in that article:

...throughout his humorous and off-the-cuff repertoire, Long has a tendency to make some statements that could come back to haunt him.

Well, here comes the haunting...

Last year, Billy Long tweeted another one of his wise-ass comments, making fun of Joplin's preparedness drills for tornadoes:

In fact, he even irked "Bungalow Bill" a conservative blogger from the area who proudly touts that he has been featured by the likes of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

Actually I have to agree with Bungalow Bill on both his major points here:

"War of the Worlds Part Duex, a F4 tornado, which some claim was a multi-vortex tornado, has taken out a large section of homes and businesses in Long’s own home district. How many lives were saved all because the state of Missouri has a day to remind people of procedures that may save their lives. This was no time for inspiration from Bozo (Billy Long).

"Last night’s storm also reminds of the importance of first responders on HAM radios, mobilizing injury prevention and first response before and after the storm. Long’s co-sponsorship of HR607, the federal emergency broadband bill, weakens this first responder network by removing valuable HAM frequencies that were used yesterday to spot tornadoes, get people to take shelter, and mobilize emergency efforts, but Long’s bill he co-sponsored would make it harder for these HAM radio operators to perform this valuable service."

Bungalow Bill's full article is here. It's pretty good...and damning to Billy Long.

Oh snap, did he just say Billy Long co-sponsored a bill to sell off the frequencies used by HAM radio operators to help protect the public? Yes he did. Later in the article, he apparently tried to pawn it off on Peter King, who "asked him to co-sponsor the bill". So...does that mean Mr. Long didn't even care enough to know what the bill was about, let alone the details of it? Not surprising.

So, Billy Long makes fun of Tornado Warnings, then sponsors a bill to cut the HAM radio networks which help provide the National Weather Service and local authorities spotter reports on what is going on. I have to wonder if he will ever be held accountable for this irresponsibility... seems like he's already pissed off some of his base.

This all just goes to show that yet again, these wise-ass Republicans can be counted on for either dishonesty, incompetence, or both.

p.s. Hey Billy, it's Deux...not Duex buddy. But I'm sure you pronounce either "duh".

-------

Update... Wow, I get back home after grabbing lunch and I find out I've made my first trip to the rec list! Thank you everyone, I'm honored and humbled...especially knowing the crowd of great writers here on dKos.

Update 2 (3:21pm PDT)...just saw a live interview between him and Wolf Blitzer. He seems to have lost a little of his swagger and is now eager to accept any "big government" help available to his district. It's great to see how Republicans are against "big government" until they need it.h

Update 3 (5:34pm PDT)...Looks like there are quite a few HAMs on dKos, who knew? I am not licensed myself (yet), but I have a few good HAM friends. If you're interested, check out www.arrl.org for info on amateur radio and how to get licensed as a HAM operator

135 comments!

I have referenced that David Catanese report on Billy Long before. It was at Fassnight Park, at a rally. Long was wise-cracking there:

In a similar vein, KY3's David Catanese reports that Billy "Long has a tendency to make some statements that could come back to haunt him. He mocked the plight of the uninsured ("Get out the crying towel") and claimed that 26 million people under 35 probably don't want health insurance anyway. Claiming that President Obama's healthcare plan might have taken his mother's life back in March of 2008 is also quite a strong charge. It's all done in the loving-aw-shucks Long way.." but these statements need to be fact checked also.

Billy Long -- Missed opportunity

2011-05-18T14:29:00.007-05:00

Freshmen representatives are all over the map bragging about how they are pumping gas for constituents.

We've posted about it here and here.

Reports are coming in that Billy refused to fill the tank of one constituent who has been critical of Billy in the past.

But this tweet of Long's bothers me:
Billy tweeted: "One Lady said she scrapped together $5 for her gas - I pumped 1.32 gallons for her."

My first thought on reading Billy's tweet was that poor woman probably spent $5.00 in gas getting to the gas station to buy $5.00 worth of gas.

Then I thought if she had to scrape together $5.00 for gas, she should have used that gas to go to the grocery store or the Ozarks Food Harvest, not waste it going to see some politician's publicity stunt.

Then I thought what is Billy's purpose in tweeting this? To show his appeal? I wonder if this woman realizes that Billy voted against her in his vote to Kill Medicare?

Then I thought why didn't Billy chip in a few bucks and put a couple gallons in her tank. That would have been a decent thing to do. He could have done it discreetly and no one would have known that you actually helped a constituent. Or he could have even told some of the metro somethings/bodyguards that surround him to put some gas in her tank.

But Billy doesn't think that way. It's not about constituents, it's all about Billy Long.

Billy Long's salary is $14,500 a month and he couldn't find the decency in his heart to put some gas in a woman's car who had to scrape together $5.00 to come see him?

The average Social Security recipient's check in SWMO is just over $13,000-- a year! Billy makes more than that in a month and he couldn't put a couple of dollars of gas in the woman's tank?

Sheet, Billy, you could have just ate one less Billy Long cut steak at the Metro Grill and put that money towards some gas for the lady.

Right now I am not sure who is the fool.... the woman who scraped together $5.00 so you could put 1.32 gallons in her tank or you, because you didn't even think to put some gas in her tank. All your thought of was yourself and how she scraped together $5.00 to come see you.

Opportunity lost, Billy Long, opportunity lost.

Here's what you could have done: from the bus garage, May, 22, 2008: It was only $26.00

The Agenda Project: America the Beautiful

2011-05-18T10:32:00.003-05:00

Have you asked your representative why he voted to kill Medicare today?

Palin was right when she said there were death panels....

Billy Long and Republicans posture at the pump hoping you'll forget their vote to KILL MEDICARE

2011-05-18T08:58:00.009-05:00

Two unknown republican representatives don't know how to react to constituent who is angry over their vote to kill medicare, continue big oil subisidies and their support of Wall Street speculators which is increasing the cost of gas at the pump.

Last April EVERY HOUSE REPUBLICAN (except four) voted for Paul Ryan's "Kill Medicare" bill. What a gross miscalculation. Now these republicans are scrambling to deflect attention from their vote by staging a rash of publicity stunts that are nothing but showboating and they are hoping like heck it works.

There is a rash of Republicans pumping gas this week.

Jeff Duncan of North Carolina is pumping gas.

Alan West of Florida is pumping gas.

Steve Stivers of Ohio is pumping gas.

Steve Womack of Arkansas is pumping gas.

Todd Young of Indiana is pumping gas.

Billy Long of Missouri is pumping gas.

When all these guys voted for Paul Ryan's "Kill Medicare" bill, they didn't realize what a colossal mis-calculation that was. Then, all of them voted to keep the big oil subsidies.

And they want you to forgit about those votes.

Roy Blunt and Dennis Haesart did the same thing five years ago: Posturing at the Pump

First, a little backstory: This morning, the Washington Post's Dana Milbank had a funny piece on the gas price rhetoric, and somewhat ironic driving habits, of some members of Congress. He led with a quick account of a Democratic press event yesterday that took place at an Exxon station on Capitol Hill, where regular unleaded is going for $3.10. "Since George Bush and Dick Cheney took over as president and vice president, gas prices have doubled!," Milbank quotes Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Boxer saying. "They are too cozy with the oil industry."

Milbank subsequently noted that Boxer "then hopped in a waiting Chrysler LHS (18 mpg) -- even though her Senate office was only a block away."

Today it was the Republicans' turn to use a gas station as a backdrop to score some political points. Representatives Dennis Hastert, Roy Blunt, Marsha Blackburn and Adam Putnam were scheduled to appear at a BP station about nine blocks from their home base on Pennsylvania Avenue around 1:30, but thanks to an emergency conference meeting concerning the lobbying bill, the event got pushed back until about 2:35.

That's when waiting reporters watched as Blunt, Blackburn and a few others pulled up to the pumps in two blue, General Motors fuel cell vehicles, complete with Shell logos. Hastert was nowhere to be seen, but he eventually emerged from a parking lot near the gas station. After speeches about the importance of better energy policy, the members went over to one of the cars. They then awkwardly looked under the hood, commenting on how interesting it all was, as photographers took pictures.

When that wrapped up, the members started to leave. (All but Putnam, who stuck around to talk to reporters.) Blunt and Blackburn got in one of the fuel cell vehicles, while Hastert started walking back in the direction he'd come from. His press guy then apparently told Hastert that he should get into one of the fuel cell vehicles. Hastert changed course and did so.

When the vehicles drove away, a few people noted they were going in an odd direction. Davis got in her car and started driving. She soon spotted the two fuel cell cars on 8th street, and immediately noticed that Hastert, along with his security detail, were no longer in one of them. One of the cameraman said he'd seen Hastert's standard Chevrolet Suburban parked a few blocks away from the gas station -- apparently he'd been dropped off there before the fuel cell cars went back to the Capitol building.

Meanwhile, Senator McCaskill is actually doing something about high gas prices instead of "showboating": Senate blocks McCaskill-led effort to end Big Oil tax breaks:

WASHINGTON -- A few hours after Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., called for a probe into possible price-fixing of gasoline, the U.S. Senate failed to advance a bill Tuesday that she and other Democrats advocated to end tax breaks for the five biggest oil companies.

(AP Photo)

The proposal got a majority of 52 votes, but the opposition of Senate Republicans -- including Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill. -- and some oil-state Democrats assured that the measure fell short of the 60 votes needed to stop a threatened filibuster. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., joined McCaskill in voting for the legislation.

McCaskill argued that the $2 billion a year that would be saved by eliminating tax breaks for Big Oil could be used toward easing the budget deficit. "How are we going to tackle the bigger problems if Republicans couldn’t find the courage to cut handouts for the most profitable companies in the history of the world?" she said after the vote. "Oil companies aren’t struggling. Missouri families are."

But Blunt contended in a Senate speech that the McCaskill-backed bill "would make it even harder to create energy jobs," and "will almost certainly increase gasoline prices." He said the best way to lower gasoline prices, over the long run, is to make it easier for oil companies to explore and drill for oil in this country. As for deficit reduction, he argued that the amount saved per year was about what the U.S. pays per day in interest on its debt.

The lead sponsor of the Big Oil bill, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., labeled as "absurd" the assertion by opponents that oil companies
would respond to a tax hike by raising gasoline prices. While the legislation has been stopped for now, some supporters plan to push to add such a provision to a deficit-reduction agreement that is being negotiated behind the scenes.

Earlier on Tuesday, McCaskill and Senate Democratic leaders including Durbin had upped the ante by calling for a federal probe of possible price fixing of gasoline.

So all the republicans can come up with is a re-hashed publicity stunt-- posturing at the pumps- which seems more like a radio station promotion than a serious attempt to engage constituents in a serious discussion about higher gas prices.

I wonder how many of these reps pumping gas today hold regular, live townhall meetings? I know Billy Long doesn't.

Run away Billy, run away! But you'll never be able to run far enough away to make us forget you voted for the "KILL MEDICARE" bill!

Billy Long wants to pump your gas: hopes you forget he voted to kill Medicare.

2011-05-17T19:59:00.008-05:00

Billy Long and dang near every Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to kill Medicare.

Oops! That didn't turn out so well, did it Billy.

Since that vote Billy has tried to deflect criticism from himself by blaming the newspaper (No live town hall meetings for Billy Long), issuing a press release on the flood waters in Branson (Flooding in the Seventh District prompts Billy Long to issue a press release), launching an attack on the war on consumers which seems more like an attack on the president (Billy Long says anybody would be a better president than Barak Obama)and now Billy wants to press the reset button (FEDUP Billy has no backbone, tries to distance himself from his vote to kill medicare).

Rapid Roberts, tomorrow, from 11 AM to Noon, Billy will pump your gas for you.

He says he wants to meet with families and individuals struggling with rising gas prices.

Long says he will personally pump gas for constituents as he listens to their concerns over rising energy costs and the economy.

“High gas prices are kicking the American people when they’re already down,” Long said in a news release. “When gas goes up, everything from buying groceries to going to work gets more expensive and puts a strain on families trying to make efnds meet. It is time for Congress to start listening to the people and take this problem seriously.”

It's hard to take Billy seriously when he sells out to auctioneers for $5,000 and puppy mill operators for $4,800. And we don't even know how much he sold out to the PGA for. This ain't nothing but a publicity stunt to try to take people's mind off Billy's vote to kill Medicare.

Billy not only voted to kill Medicare, he also voted to keep the big oil subsidies.

We're going to run out of oil sometime. Big oil knows this, so do most sensible thinkers.

They know that the supply of oil is finite. Once it's gone, it's gone and there goes their cash stream.

So what do they do? They raise the price of oil. We need gas. We're going to buy oil until it's all gone, no matter if it $3.73 a gallon or $9.55 a gallon. They want to make as much money as they can before the oil is all gone.

Remember, Billy Long voted to kill medicare and to keep the big oil subsidies. He hopes that by pumping a few folks gas tomorrow, he look like he cares.

Besides, what difference does it make. The world's going to end on May 21.

Not to quibble,

2011-05-16T13:09:00.002-05:00

but this happened at Pricecutter not Walmart.

But the guy didn't care, he was just tickled to death Regina went shopping that day.

Roy Blunt tweets: "Heading to see the #OBL photos this morning." Why?

2011-05-16T10:37:00.004-05:00

"Where's the pictures of the dead guy? Let me in, I wanna see them, I deserve it, I'm a senator, show-me and all that stuff. C'mon you guys, let me see them!"Artistic interpretation of Senator Roy Blunt asking to see the death photos of Osama Bin Laden

Roy Blunt tweeted this morning he was "Heading to see the OBL photos this morning."

Why?

Ah, I get it now, Roy's from Missouri, you know, the 'Show-Me' state. Just as he didn't believe Obama was a citizen because Ol' Roy hadn't seen his birth certificate, maybe Ol' Roy can't believe OBL is dead until he sees the death photos.

Birth certificates, health records, death certificates, death photos, it's all the same to Ol' Roy. Seems sort of creepy, wanting to see photos of a dead man. But hey, show me what we got for our money.

Say, do you think he's taking Billy with him? Can you see Billy Long looking at death photos? Maybe we can get Jack Merritt to take some photos?

If Roy can see the photos, why can't I? Is Roy a 'super-citizen' with 'super-privileges' that other American's don't have?

What purpose does it serve to see the death photos?

Well, it's shows America what we got for the 500 billion trillion zillion dollars we spent chasing after the guy and leaving our footprint all over the middle east.

Here's what Jon Stewart had to say about releasing the photos....

And Lawrence O'Donnell's change of heart regarding release of the photos

Ok, I'm tired of picking fruit this morning, I got stuff I got to do for I am a busy man.

May 15, 1947

2011-05-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

Today is my mom and dad's wedding anniversary, May 15, 1947. That is one of their wedding pictures.

I've been busy

2011-05-15T21:55:00.003-05:00

Thanks to aaronmentele taking this photo. Ida done it myself but I've been busy.

Sorta brings a whole new meaning to "I was tea party before tea party was cool."

2011-05-15T20:27:00.003-05:00

Billy Long and who's that lady?