Thursday, May 31, 2012

My Uncle's Car and our cousin, Louis J. Klein

This is an early photo of my father, Bob and his younger brother Frank, taken in St. Louis MO-- not sure of the exact date, but Longrooffan thinks the car in the drivewayis an early 30s DeSoto.

In 1950 and 1951 my uncle Frank was in Korea.

He passed over in 2000 and is buried in Jefferson Barracks Cemetery. I recently came into possession of his scrapbooks.

These photos were in the scrapbook. Based on the comments on the back of the photos (in my Grandmother's handwriting), it looks like his folks sent these photos to Frank while he was in Korea.

Here are the photos with the comments my grandmother wrote on the back:

"Ain't she purty?"

"A picture of the horns and piping"

"Your Paw and the Hot Rod"

"The sign is the one you had in the car--Official Police or some such Cap"

"Wll f'hevens sake, here's your Mom"

"Even the back looks good but what's Pap so cross about? He's in the picture isn't he?"

"Course we had to take the DeSoto also."

"The new house the brown bomber and a passing car"

Uncle Frank: "My Car. 1936 DeSoto Convert. yellow with black top. Red Leather (top Grain() Seats and Rubble (rumble) Seat. 1951" A tip of the bus driver's hat to Bright Yellow Gun for colorizing the car!

And what was Uncle Frank doing in May, 1951 when these photos of his Mom, Paw and his pride and joy, his 1936 DeSoto were being snapped in front of his home at 4218 Giles Avenue in St. Louis, MO?

From Uncle Frank's photos, "Men and Vehicles of Baker Co, 23rd Regft, 2nd Infantry Div. Hong chon (?) May '51":

"The jeeps and drivers of our company. Merle Rowland on Rt."

"The company resting before taking their objective"

"One of the old timers in our company"

"One of the fellows"

"One of the fellows who worked in the one(?) section. Hoengsong Korea, May, 1951"

This undated photo (probably from 1946)is of Frances "Schatz" Klein and her brother "Louie". That's their grandmother, Moma Freesmeier also in the photo.

Louis was DOW DOI(died of wounds, died of injury) while servicing with the 25th Infantry Regiment in Korea 2 September 1950. A missle got him. This letter needs no comment.

I have lost contact with Louis' sister Schatz and her family. If by chance any of them should stumble across this post, please contact me.

Just as a sidebar, which may relate to the previous post, I did a search for Louis' grave in the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery.

This is what the search result:

KLEIN, LOUIS JOSEPH
CPL US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/30/1927
DATE OF DEATH: 09/02/1950
BURIED AT: SECTION 84 SITE 293 Click to view the cemetery map
JEFFERSON BARRACKS NATIONAL CEMETERY
2900 SHERIDAN ROAD ST. LOUIS, MO 63125
(314) 845-8320


None of the records I have for Louis mention him serving in World War II, just in Korea. So, I called the cemetery to inquire why his stone lists service in WWII.

The person who answered the phone, Catherine, pulled up Louis' record, and said Louis' father verified the information at the time of Louis' burial. But she said this was prior to computers and she would go out to his grave and see what is written on his tombstone.

A search of findagrave results in this information on Louis:
Birth: Jan. 30, 1927
Death: Sep. 2, 1950

Corporal Klein was a member of the 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.

He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy in South Korea on September 2, 1950 and died of those wounds later that day.

He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.




Wednesday, May 23, 2012

"He's in my food chain" A Decoration Day post

When I was child, my grandparents always referred to it at "Decoration Day". .. we would go to the cemetery and honor our war dead.

Then it became "Memorial Day", we still went to the cemetery to honor our dead.

My Dad and his brothers are dead veterans. They are buried in military cemeteries. Uncle Frank and Uncle Bill in Jefferson Barracks Cemetery and Dad is buried here in Springfield.


When asked why Billy Long, NOT a military veteran, was chosen to be one of the key note speakers at the Cemetery Service ( "Springfield Veterans Cemetery service begins at 1:30 pm. Keynote speakers are Congressman Billy Long and Lt. Gen.(ret) Marc Rogers USAF. Phone is 417-823-3944), Springfield Cemetery director Steve Maples told the bus driver Long was chosen because "He's in my food chain."

This afternoon I called the Missouri Veterans Commission expressing my displeasure with the selection of Billy Long as a keynote speaker at a cemetery service honoring departed veterans. Especially since the news release identified each speaker at the other four cemeteries as a veteran.

When he answered the phone, after being appraised by his secretary what I was calling about, Maples said to me "You got a problem with that?" or "What's your problem with that?" I'm not sure what because I was astonished that a veteran's affairs person would use that kind of language with a veteran.

My concern with Billy Long being a keynote speaker is best exemplified by looking at Long's "YEA" vote for the Paul Ryan budget which cuts veteran funding-- Long's votes do not match his rhetoric.

Another concern with Billy Long being a keynote speaker is that fact that he is NOT a veteran. Did you know that between 1965 and 1975 the enrollment rate of college-age men in the United States rose and then fell abruptly. Research seem to think that this rate is a result of draft-avoidance behavior. Google it.

When a non-veteran congressman such as Billy Long speaks praises for veterans and greats them at the Honor Flights and then votes to cut funding for programs that benefit veterans --I just believe that this is not the person we want honoring our veteran's on Decoration Day.

When I expresses those sentiments to Steve Maples, cemetery director, he told me if I didn't like Billy Long being on the program, I could just not attend the service.

Maples also told me the press release was wrong, Long was not to be a keynote speaker but was to introduce the keynote speaker.

Maple's use of the phrase "He's in my food chain" struck me as an odd thing to say.

A quick google search: http://www.federalgrantswire.com/national-cemetery-system-department-of-veterans-affairs-federal-grants.html

National Cemeteries (64.201)

To provide burial space, headstones and markers, and perpetual care for veterans and members of the Armed Forces of the United States whose service terminated other than dishonorably, and for Reservists and National Guard members having 20 years...

Procurement of Headstones and Markers And/or Presidential Memorial Certificates (64.202)

To furnish lasting memorials for the graves of veterans and eligible family members throughout the world and honor the service of the veteran through Presidential Memorial Certificates.

State Cemetery Grants (64.203)

To assist States in the establishment, expansion, and improvement of veterans' cemeteries.

By choosing to use the phrase "in my food chain" -- is this some sort of 'cemetery slang'? or is Maples acknowledging that he has to 'suck up' to Billy Long. I don't know.

I do know that I certainly hope that Mr. Maples is more empathetic with the families of dead veterans than he was with this 63 year old veteran.

I spoke with Larry Kay, Executive Director of the Missouri Veterans Commission. He gave me permission to publish his Memorial Day Speech:

I am here on this beautiful Missouri Day – Memorial Day to share with you and honor those who have done their duty and gone before. As the Director of the Missouri Veterans Commission I tell people that, by definition, a Veteran is alive. Today is not Veterans Day – it’s Memorial Day – a day that we are to look backward – to reflect upon what was – and maybe even what might have been. To take a look – even for a brief moment on how the lives of those Veterans who have gone before us have changed our world.

In his book Safely Rest, David Colley describes October 26, 1947. The Joseph V. Connolly is sailing past Ambrose Light, through the Narrows and gliding slowly into New York Harbor. With her are the destroyers USS Bristol and the USS Beatty along with the gleaming white Coast Guard Cutter USS Spence. The 16 Inch Guns of the USS Missouri boom a salute that echos off the New Jersey Palisades and through Manhattans man-made canyons. As the thunder rolls away a flight of fighter planes roars overhead and gracefully turns away to leave the streets of New York in an eerie quiet.

At the same time the United States Army Transport Ship Honda Knot slips through the frigid waters on the west coast beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. The aerial escort of 48 fighter planes flies over the vessel and dips their wings in salute before banking away. The Honda Knott is escorted to the marina pier by surface ships from the Coast Guard and Navy where a Navy launch greets the ship and offers a massive wreath from President Truman.

On the deck of each ship is a United States military-issue metal casket draped by a Flag of the United States of America. Each Casket is escorted by an honor guard representing each branch of service. On board the Joseph V. Connolly are 6,248 coffins containing the remains of Soldiers killed in the European Theater of World War II. In the hold of the Honda Knot are 3,112 coffins of those Army, Army Air Corps, Navy and Marines killed in the Pacific Theater of World War II. It was the initial stage of what has been called the most melancholy immigration movement in the history of man – the return to the United States of 233,181 Americans dead after the end of World War II. Think about it – 233,181 Americans. America’s army of fallen warriors was coming home from the four corners of the earth – from Guadalcanal and Australia, from New Guinea, Japan, China and Burma in the Pacific Theatre. From the Mediterranean Theater men were returned from Libya, Sicily, Italy, Yugoslavia and Romania. The bodies of men who had died in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany also came home. Most had been killed in action or had died from wounds received in combat against the enemy.

An additional 93,242 men were buried in overseas American Cemeteries because the families believed it more appropriate for them to rest with comrades near the battlefields upon which they had died.

The families of 78,976 dead had no choice. Their sons were listed as missing in action and their remains were never recovered. Even today the number missing has been reduced by only a fraction. About 8,000 of the lost have been recovered but are listed as unknown in American Cemeteries overseas.

The entire repatriation program took six years to complete from 1945 to 1951 at a cost of two hundred million 1945 dollars or several billion dollars today.

In comparison, More than 1200 were returned after the Spanish-American War and 46,292 were returned from France after World War I with 30,921 being buried in eight American Military Cemeteries in France following the conflict.

Today our Nation glorifies World War II – the Great Crusade and we idolize the men of the Greatest Generation and immortalize the dwindling legions of heroes in our midst. But in our idolatry, we have lost touch with the immense pain and suffering caused by the war and the ripples of sorrow that flowed though our land for decades. Since their time – they have been joined by comrades of Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, the Persian Gulf and Iraq and Afghanistan. Those families and friends who have experienced the pain know it clearly.

So what are we to learn from this – what do these rows of perfectly aligned grave markers tell us?

First, they describe the definition of a hero. Here today rest the earthly remains of some of those who came home on October 26, 1947. All of those are recipients of the Purple Heart. There are Congressional Medal of Honor recipients here - there are Generals with awards arching over the top of their dress jackets. Yet there are also those who died bedridden decades after their duty qualified them for this sacred place. There are Privates with a one line pedigree on a DD214 stating simply that they served. There are spouses of Veterans and dependent children – all of whom were familiar with the sacrifice of having served – true Patriots in their own right.

Is the Service of the 87 year old Veteran any less than the service of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipient? Is the Spouse who was charged with the care and conduct of their family to be afforded the same respect as their spouse whose exploits were celebrated and lauded when they returned?

Take a look – really, take a look. Look at the rows of white stones in this cemetery. This is the great equalizer. Here among these stones there is no African American Section – there is no special place for Generals or a separate section for Marines. Rank, color, creed – religion – they have no place here. To be a member of this club you had to raise your right hand and swear to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. That simple act began the journey of sacrifice that led service members and their families to this place.

Second, what do you take away from this? To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln – “in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate – we cannot consecrate – we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men and women have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.”

Many of you believe that you have come here to pay respect to those who have gone before. I honestly don’t believe that’s what they would have wanted. Much as Jesus served Communion to the 12 – these Patriots are here to honor you today. They are here to tell you that America is worth both service and sacrifice. They are here to tell you that there are things more horrible than being killed in a righteous cause for which you believe. I think they would smile when they see the professionalism, service and sacrifice of today’s military. Today’s military is built squarely upon the backs of those in this cemetery. They would also be proud to learn that it’s no longer a Band of Brothers but a Band of Brothers and Sisters upon whom rests the security of our Nation.

If you listen they might tell you to square you life and circumscribe your passions. They might tell you to not be a part of spending your children’s future. They might tell you to get right with God and seek his forgiveness.

And I think they would tell you to take care of Veterans – for they are the ones who have gone into the night to ensure that everything you take for granted is secure.

Day is done,

Gone the sun,

From the hills, from the lake, from the skies,

All is well,

Safely rest, God is nigh. ---- Thank you.

Larry D. Kay

BG, USA (ret)

Executive Director

Missouri Veterans Commission

Monday, May 21, 2012

Billy Long: SoLongBilly.com


If you are like me and most of the voters in MO7

and are "FED UP" with Billy Long and his full of himself attitude--

I mean the man's a serial egotist--

Remember how he told he was "FED UP" with career politicians and their cronies?

He was lying to us. He played all of us for fools and suckers. That was just a campaign slogan that he blew out the window the first day congress was in session.

Yeah, the fat sum beach spent the first day congress was in session meeting with a lobbyist! He didn't even show up in the house chambers for the reading of the Constitution. When I called his office and expressed my displeasure with that fact, one of his handlers told me Billy had had a prior commitment and was unable to be on the floor at the time.

His prior commitment -- and Billy even tweeted about it-- he was meeting with Bill Phelps, former republican Lt. Governor of Missouri and current lobbyist for the fair tax people.

Billy blew it the first day he was in office.

Now it's time to say so long Billy Long!

We got to get Billy voted out and a decent person in there.

Jim Evans for Congress


Wednesday, May 16, 2012

White Supremacists Schedule meeting in Branson

White supremacists are meeting at a prime Branson convention center, June 1-3, 2012. Branson, an international tourist destination, should not promote racist hate.

This just in from a friend:

RALLY ON JUNE 2 (a Saturday) at 275 TANGER BLVD.,BRANSON, MO

On May 15, I informed Dave and Linda Skoglund, owners of the Camden Hotel and Convention Center, that we will be protesting the presence of LaPorte Church of Christ/Scriptures for America (sfaw.org) on the weekend of June 1-3.

I called the City of Branson and I have been told that a protest can take place as long as signs are hand-held and the protesters act in a civil manner.

The idea is to convince the Skoglunds to forego the $30,000 that the racist, anti-Semitic hate group might offer the hotel in future years, in exchange for keeping Branson decent and free of gutter trash.

The Skoglunds seem to be decent people. I told them as much. It is up to them whether they want to look at the plain-as-day evidence that is in the group's literature and has been outlined on www.facebook.com/reject.hate.in.branson.and.the.ozarks --

-- or shall Dave and Linda Skoglund continue taking filthy lucre from people who threaten to kill police, who recommend killing Jews and homosexuals, who recommend removing African-American families from the United States, and whose members have committed numerous felony crimes -- including murdering uniformed officers of the law.

For now, plans are to rally in front of the Camden Hotel on June 2 (Saturday) for an all-afternoon appearance.

The Camden is located at the corner of Tanger Blvd. and Oak Creek Drive, one block north of W. 76 Country Blvd. (SH 76). At the corner of Tanger and 76 is a Krispy Kreme and a big red Tanger Outlets sign. Turn north, go one block. The Camden in on the left (west) side of Tanger.

Interested parties can contact us at Reject.Ozarks.Hate@gmail.com.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Limbaugh bust unveiled at Capitol

The story comes from Fired Up Missouri--

Tilley Inducts Rush into Hall of Famous Missourians in Top Secret Ceremony

In case you missed it, Speaker Steve Tilley inducted conservative blowhard Rush Limbaugh into the Hall of Famous Missourians today after giving press a 20 minute heads up and all the while keeping the public out of the House Gallery.

During the ceremony, Limbaugh spoke from the House dais and referred to "our friends on the other side of the aisle" as "deranged."

Pro Tip: If you have to induct your hero into the Hall of Fame under Top Secret conditions, you probably shouldn't be inducting him in at all.



Sunday, May 13, 2012

Another reason I don't like Billy Long... Here's his Mother's Day Tweet:


Happy Mothers Day to Moms everywhere or as the Democrats call it the "GOP War on Mothers" #MothersDay


nailed it

"We were overrun with surveys," Long said.....





News Leader story this morning with the headline "Hartzler a top spender on mailers"

Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, ranked 87th in his spending on taxpayer-funded mailers, compared to other House lawmakers. He took the No. 2 slot within the Missouri delegation, spending about $115,000 in the last nine months of 2011.
Long said that when he arrived in Washington, GOP leaders encouraged freshman to take advantage of the franking privilege. “They said ‘you need to frank, you need to keep your constituents informed and involved so people you know you’re the congressman’.”
He didn’t send out any mailers for the first few months, but now he’s a convert to the practice. One of his first missives was a newsletter that told constituents about disaster recovery efforts after the tornado in Joplin. Included in the newsletter was a survey that voters could fill out to weigh in on various national issues.
“We were overrun with surveys,” Long said, estimating that 1,200 to 1,500 residents took the time to fill out the survey and mail it back.

So he has sent out other newsletter-surveys. And he has held telephone town hall meetings, too.
I've gotten Billy's surveys before and been a participant in his telephone town halls also. The Turner Report filed this report on Billy's first teletown hall:
Anyone waiting for an opportunity to ask Seventh District Congressman Billy Long about the issues that affect southwest Missouri and the nation might as well forget it...Long's aides are letting it be known that the Congressman feels he reached more people through his recent telephone town hall meeting than he could reach through in-person meetings.

Left unmentioned is the obvious: With the telephone meeting, Long may have reached thousands of people, but all they had a chance to do is listen to Long reel off folksy one-liners and take questions from carefully pre-screened listeners. I might add that in the one hour town hall meeting, Long only fielded five questions, with one of those being specifically about one man's problems with the Veterans Administration.
The latest teletown hall Billy did was on Israel/Iran issues, somewhere around the garage I got the notes I took from that phone call. I do remember there was a lot of talk about bombing Iran.

And that newsletter survey? I saved that too.

I liked Question #7: What is the single biggest impact government has on you and your household?
*Lack of meaningful employment
*Health care costs
*Health insurance availability
*Government regulations
*High taxes
*High energy prices
*Paying for education
*Other___________

Just about what one would expect from the congressman who has been described as a loud, opinionated person who’s thinly veiled racism and misogyny is only superseded by his not-so-thinly veiled hatred of gays.

He says he’s a Christian, but never misses the opportunity to cheer for war, judge his neighbor, applaud the death penalty, and bloviate proudly about how merciless he is.

He fights anything that challenges his fantasy of earned superiority, even if Liberal socialism of Social Security, Medicare, etc. allows him to live in dignity.

He regales you with factually incorrect tales of American history.

He disdains “intellectuals,” and perceives science as a “liberal plot.”

It tickles his brain to hear Paul Ryan paint a picture of millions of lazy bums swinging in the cushy hammock of our social safety-net.

He fears the end of liberty if the government confiscates rich people’s money and they stop “trickling down jobs” on us.


His fear, inflated sense of self-worth, and bigotry cause him to pander to an ideology that opposes progress and places him squarely on the wrong side of history. Here is a list of issues where, from a historical perspective, he is or will be dead wrong:


• Equal rights and opportunity for all races
• Equal rights and opportunity for women
• Equal rights and opportunity for LGBT people
• Minimum wage, child labor laws, sick leave…
• Conservation of natural resources
• Austerity as a path out of recession
• Environmental protection
• Humane treatment of animals
• Freedom of religion
• Reproductive health rights
• Deficit reduction and taxes
• Social Security
• Affordable health care
• Deregulation to produce economic growth
.

It would seem to me that if Billy's going to spend in excess of $115,000 on surveys---(“We were overrun with surveys,” Long said, estimating that 1,200 to 1,500 residents took the time to fill out the survey and mail it back) and this survey went to every voter's household in MO7 -- and he only got 1,200 to 1,500 replies-- I would think that someone in his office would tabulate or should tabulate the responses and Billy should know exactly how many he received back.

But that would involve work. It is much easier to brag about your votes on repealing healthcare, repealing funding for Planned Parenthood and National Public Radio, his support of the Fair Tax (thanks Bill Phelps), the Sanctity of Life bill (from fertilization an egg is a person-personhood amendment) and a bill to reduce frivolous transportation lawsuits- than it is to actually govern.

Billy and surveys... what a joke. Frequent bus riders may also remember Springfield News Leader reporter Cory DeVera giving us Billy's response 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."

"Just another out-of-state survey" in which Billy Long expressed his support for privatizing the U.S. Postal Service, killing medicare and social security (he voted for the Ryan budget bill, remember) .

I went to Billy's website to read his positions, they are different than what he signed on those surveys.

I wonder if Billy pays the same amount of attention to our survey responses as he says he gives to his survey responses. Remember this? I do.
Let's take a ride on the bus back to September 25, 2010:
The problem here is that Long told the three of us that he is not for raising the Social Security age right now at all. He didn't answer when we asked for clarification.

So we turn to other sources of information about Long, surveys and questionairres he has answered and who he accepted donations from. If he accepts money from NARAL, that is a pretty good indicator his is pro-choice. If he receives an endorsement from PROMO, that is a pretty good indication he is in favor of gay marriage.

Look now at a story in this morning's SN-L about political surveys:
"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."

Researchers at Project Vote Smart were "unable to determine how Long stood on privatizing Social Security, capital punishment and regulations to affect climate change."

While we don't know how many surveys or questionnaires the auctioneer/political candidate didn't answer (somehow the number "jillions" seems to be quite the exageration), he did find time to respond questions from two groups that a simple google search picked up: "Citizens Against Government Waste" who said "Billy Long responded to CCAGW’s questionnaire and signed CCAGW’s ‘No Earmark Pledge'.

The auctioneer also answered a survey for "Conservative Congress". He received this group's endorsement also. Conservative Congress supports candidates who seek to dismantle the Department of Education and Social Security.

From the Conservative Congress website:
Conservative Congress supports candidates who are committed to de-regulating and dismantling wasteful federal social agencies and programs. Specifically, Conservative Congress supports candidates who seek to dismantle the Department of Education and Social Security, by and through constructive reforms, and who firmly oppose the expansion of federal control over our nation’s healthcare industry.
In endorsing Billy Long, the Conservative Congress says he is an approved candidate and fully in line with their mission statement.

Long also is a of 'vanguard' member of John Boehner's Freedom Project

By looking at these groups and their positions on Social Security, and their endorsement of Billy Long and his acceptance of their endorsements (remember how Long was all over Goodman for accepting casino donations? I do.) can only mean one of two things:
In tonight's debate Long said he never filled out a survey, the group didn't have a survey.

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.

Are you "Fed Up" now?







Thursday, May 10, 2012

Billy Long "comes out" against gay marriage,


From the Springfield News-Leader's story on local reaction to Obama's statement on gay marriage:

Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, a staunch opponent of gay marriage, said Wednesday that he was not surprised by Obama’s remarks.
“When I heard the vice president’s comments last Sunday on ‘Meet the Press,’ I thought something orchestrated was going on,” said Long, referring to Vice President Joe Biden’s comments last week that he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriage.
“I am not surprised that the other shoe has dropped,” Long said. “I am not in favor of gay marriage.”

But Billy remains quiet on his favorite Swiss Miss and how she has withdrawn her Swiss citizenship. “I took this action because I want to make it perfectly clear: I was born in America and I am a proud American citizen,” she said in a statement. Bachmann’s husband Marcus has dual citizenship.

From April 15,    twitter feed:

I'm proud asked me to speak for & introduce her yesterday at Convention



Delivering Keynote tonight at MN6 Nominating Convention dinner w/ Marcus & Michele Bachmann AKA

Billy's twitter feed seems to have missed  Marco Rubio's "anchor baby" status.
During his rise to political prominence, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) frequently repeated a compelling version of his family’s history that had special resonance in South Florida. He was the son of exiles, he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after “a thug,” Fidel Castro, took power. But a review of documents — including naturalization papers and other official records — reveals that Rubio’s dramatic account of his family saga embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio’s parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than 2½ years before Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year’s Day 1959. 
 Funny, Billy sure found the time to tweet about Obama's birth.   
 Billy Long is on Twitter tonight, which means he isn't reading the legislation he promised to read before voting or working to complete his congressional Web site. Long tweets tonight about Obama and the birth certificate:
"And for his next Act" - Now that he found his Birth Certificate can he find a copy of The Constitution?"
If there is a man in America who probably shouldn't be trying to hold someone up to a Constitutional standard it's Congressman Billy Long. Billy was visiting with a lobbyist on the very first day Congress was in session.

Billy also conveniently doesn't tweet about falling gas prices.

Billy remains silent on Mitt's tonsorial activities.

MSNBC's David Corn:  “Let’s be clear here, this was not a prank,” adding “This was even more than bullying. This was an assault. It was violent.”

Corn also made the excellent point that, while an incident from 50 years ago arguably has little relevance to the current-day presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s character, it’s “what the reaction today is that’s where (Romney) is failing the character test.”

 Laughing off violence and violation is the hallmark, not just of the bully, but of the culture that enables them, and make no mistake about it, laughing it off is exactly what Romney is trying to do here, and with a series of obvious lies.

 Last January Long endorsed Romney. Does this mean Long endorses bullying?   Long has also received a $2,000 check from Mitt.

 Remember how Billy came out against gay marriage?

Don't worry Billy, there isn't a self respecting man in America tonight who wants to marry you anyhow.

Well, almost.







Homosexual Activists Bullying Christian Lawmakers Over Bill

JEFFERSON CITY–Emails and threatening phone calls have been directed to Rep. Steve Cookson, R-Fairdealing, and those co-sponsoring his bill that would prohibit the discussion of sexual orientation as part of classes on human reproduction in public schools.

The homosexual community has risen up in opposition to House Bill 2051 (HB 2051) and the 19 representatives who have signed onto it. They insist it would have a harmful effect on students struggling with their sexual identity.

“We need to focus on how to get jobs. We want education to be about developing mathematicians and civil engineers. We do not like education to be the place where a political agenda uses it to social engineer our children,” Cookson said.

“We still need to be focusing our dollars toward good subjects and the primary mission.”
Calling for Cookson and other sponsors to withdraw the proposed legislation is a group of 36 representatives, led by Rep. Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis, calling itself the “House Progressive Caucus.”
Cookson said his bill does not target a particular sexual orientation but would ensure that the focus is on the curriculum parents expect their children to learn when they send them to school.

Kerry Messer, legislative liaison for the Missouri Baptist Convention, said that all the bill does is to remove the social engineering regarding the homosexual agenda.

“In 28 years, I have seen over 45,000 bills going through the Legislature. Until today,” he said, “I have never seen one group of legislators publicly call out another group of legislators to remove their names from a bill related to an issue those sponsors believe in.”

Messer said the homosexual network is doing everything it can to harass the 20 representatives who are in support of the bill. “They’re being beaten up with hundreds of harassing phone calls from around the state.”
Messer pointed out that the homosexual lobby is more than the homosexual community. It includes those who have empathy with them, and it is made up of groups who are affiliated based on the sexual fetishes that they hold in common, which may include criminal sexual behavior such as pedophilia, he said.

Cookson, who said he has been threatened as well as harassed, plans to work with House leadership but has no intention of withdrawing the bill or changing his stance on what the 23 words of the bill actually say:
“Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no instruction, material, or extracurricular activity sponsored by a public school that discusses sexual orientation other than in scientific instruction concerning human reproduction shall be provided in any public school.”

“I am a man of faith,” Cookson said. “I prayed to God before I filed the bill, like I do with other legislation. He gave me the words to accomplish what His goals are, to further His glory. That’s why I filed the bill.”

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Fed Up with sandwiches, Billy Long now eats at restaurants with "Mai-tre d's"

Is Billy Long Fed up with sandwiches now too?

"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.)"

Apparently not.  Billy's twitter feed from this evening:

when the Maî·tre d' rushes up to your table "Congressman Long do you have a Doctor in your group"? 911 on the way



Clarification - emergency at dinner wasn't at our table, Maî·tre d' was just hoping there was a Doctor amongst us. Another patron w/ stroke

If Billy eats at a this restaurant enough that the "Mai-tre d" knows his name it sort of makes his tale about going "home for another sandwich and some rest" just more Billy Long bullsheet.

Maybe Billy's at Cheers?  But I thought that was in Boston.

Either way, Billy's doing his best Norm imitation again.  He's the re-tweet king tonight.

As Billy said to Steve Grant a while back, "There's been many a slip between the cup and the lip."

Oh yeah, Roy Blunt gave Billy $5,000.00 last week.


Monday, May 07, 2012

YELLOW BREAD

One time there was a fellow names Job Eskin, and he come a-walking up to where the ladies was giving a dinner-on-the-ground at the Methodist Church. Job was a ragged peckerwood and pretty dirty, but you can’t turn people away from a church sociable, no matter if he puts any money in the hat or not. They had fried chicken and vegetables and pies and all the trimmings, but Job didn’t touch nothing but Mary Weatherman’s yellow poundcake. He just cut off slice after slice and put butter on it.You wouldn’t believe that a skinny little old man could eat so much, unless you seen it with your own eyes.

Pretty soon it looked like Job was going to eat the cake plumbn up, and the ladies was getting desperate. So they ask him won’t he please sample the fried chicken and the nice beat bisquits.  “Thank you, ma’am,” says he, “but you just save them things for the high-toned folks.  This here yaller bread is good enough for me.”  In the early days we lived on cornbread mostly, and biscuits made of white flour was something extra fine. Country folks didn’t have biscuits only on Sundays, or when company was a-coming. Job was a good sould, but he didn’t know much.

Finally one of them Ledbetter girls whispered something in Job’s ear. He looked considerable set back, and after that he didn’t gobble no more poundcake, but just et chicken and biscuits like the rest of the boys. Poor Mary Weatherman was plumb sick.  “I don’t mind men actin’ like hogs, because that’s their nature. It’s what that old feller said that’s a-killin’ me!” And with that she began to giggle, and acted like she was going to throw a fit, so she had to be took home in the buggy.

Mary Weatherman was kind of upset for about a week, and then she come out of it and bustled round same as ever. And so did poor old Job Eskin.


Stiff as a Poker, A Collection of Ozark Folk Tales, collected by Vance Randolph.(Originally published as "The Devil's Pretty Daughter".
Told by Mrs. Pearl Spurlock, Branson Mo. The date is missing from my record, but it must have been in the Winter of 1934 or the Spring of 1935.

Mr. J.C. Edwards, Webster Groves, MO., October, 1950, has an almost identical tale which he read in rural Missouri about 1980. (V.R.)