When Politicians Lie-- Billy Long lies to Springfield News-Leader: HOT DIGGITY DOG

Today's Springfield News-Leader has an article on the MO7 congressional race of incumbent Billy Long and challenger Jim Evans:  Long, Evans sound alarm on cuts

In reporter Josh Nelson's article he writes:

Long noted he didn’t agree to debates during his primary race this summer either. Long also refused to debate Democrat Scott Eckersley in 2010.

Here is a photo of  Scott Eckersley and Billy Long at an October 2010 debate,  you know, the one Billy said he refused to do.  Photo credit to Brett Piper, KOLR-TV and KSFX-TV.

Hot diggity dog. Anytime you lie, Billy, I'm going to holler out 'Hot diggity dog.

Long did not debate during the primary race this summer but he did debate during the primary 2010. In fact there are numerous accounts, complete with photos, of Long being text'd answers to debate questions on his cell phone during the debate. http://longiswrong.blogspot.com/2010/04/democrat-tim-davis-watched-billy-long.html

Here is a photo of  Tim Davis and Billy Long participating in that debate.

Getting back to Nelson's story: Did Billy Long directly state he refused to debate Democrat Scott Eckersley in 2010 or did he just imply that and let Josh Nelson reach that conclusion?

Either way, "HOT DIGGITY DOG" Billy.

Billy Long and Scott Eckersley debated three times during the 2010 election.

Long's campaign even sent out a press release:

Republican Seventh District Congressional Nominee Billy Long has agreed to three more debates/forums before the general election.

“I’m pleased that voters will have an opportunity to hear about real issues,” said Long. “I am fed up with Washington. We need to get our country back on the right track and stop Nancy Pelosi’s agenda.”

The one-hour debates/forums agreed to are sponsored by: KSNF - Joplin. October 6th. KWTO- Springfield. October 7th. The Young Conservatives-Springfield. October 19th.

The Springfield News-Leader published a story about the debate you and Eckersley had in Joplin on October 6, 2010: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20101009/NEWS06/10090363/Anti-Social-Security-website-backs-Long?nclick_check=1

Of course, Billy may not want to remember that debate--- that's the debate where Long denied filling out surveys stating that he wanted to dismantle Social Security and Medicare.

"Hot diggity dog. Anytime you lie, Scott, I'm going to holler out 'Hot diggity dog.' And you lied last night. You lied consistently about me that I signed some kind of a questionnaire."

Unfortunately for Billy, he DID fill out and sign quite a few questionnaires and surveys where he states, quite emphatically I might add, that he was in favor of dismantling Social Security, privatizing the Postal Service and ending farm subsidies. Long also voted "YEA" for the Paul Ryan budget which changes Medicare as we know it and turns the program into a voucher system.

From the bus garage, October 9, 2010: Pedaling backwards as fast as he can and my new favorite Billy Long quote: "Hot Diggity Dog, Hot Diggity Dog, Hot Diggity Dog!"   

So when Long accepts money, endorsements or signs pledges from groups and individuals that advocate the privatization of Social Security, as does Conservative Congress, Americans for Tax Reform (see link above), John Boehner, the Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) and others Long is aligned with, then that is a pretty reliable indicator that Long favors dismantling the Social Security program and privatizing it.

Billy Long is lying when he says or implies to the reporter (who wasn't on the SN-L staff in 2010) that he did not debate Scott Eckersley in 2010.

Again, from reporter Josh Nelson's article:

Long said he still identifies with some of the ideals of the Tea Party such as cutting spending and rolling back the size of government."

What ideals does he NOT identify himself with? And when did he stop identifying himself with these ideals?

Last time we heard, Billy was "tea party before tea party was cool"

Remember when he told the NPR reporter (and the Philadelphia Inquirer reporter and the C-SPAN reporter and The Daily Caller-- well you get the drift he was talking to EVERYBODY!) : "You remember that old Barbara Mandrell song 'I was country before country was cool?'" Long said. "We've been tea partying. in the seventh district of Missouri before the tea party was cool* We believe in smaller government, lower taxes and sticking to the constitution."

I guess 'sticking to the constitution' is one of the tea party ideals Billy's not identifying with anymore.  Remember when Billy told us his copy of the constitution was "like a horse: rode hard and put away wet"?  I do.

Billy doesn't like sequestration either.  Again, quoting Nelson's story

Long called the sequestration plan a 'bill of goods,' because the plan was crafted in such a politically harmful manner that lawmakers would not let it go into effect..."

What Long conveniently neglects to tell the reporter is that Long vote "YEA" for the Budget Control Acto of 2011 and, on August 1, 2011  Long's office issued  a press release about his "YEA" vote:

Today in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Billy Long voted in favor of the Budget Control Act of 2011, a bipartisan bill that would cut excessive federal spending, create enforceable spending controls, form a deficit reduction committee, establish a balanced budget vote provision, and prevent America from defaulting on debt obligations."

When did Billy change his mind about this bill and why did Billy change his mind about this bill?

From Talking Points Memo, July 2012 Republicans want off the hook for voting for defense sequester:

Republicans have been been clear that they do not regard deep, looming cuts to defense and domestic programs — the enforcement mechanism at the heart of last year’s debt limit agreement — as a reason to compromise with Democrats and put real tax revenues into the mix of cuts and reforms required to reduce deficits over time.

But in recent weeks they’ve taken things a step further. They’ve disavowed the so-called “sequester” altogether and handed full responsibility for its existence to President Obama — despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of them voted to implement it last August.

This is why Billy won't debate: he can't get past the talking points.

That and he's afraid of Jim Evans.

Oh, lots of things to remember about Billy Long.  Remember in Tampa, during the Republican convention, when he appeared at that comedy club?  I do.  

LIVE, FROM TAMPA FLORIDA, IT'S BILLY ""I'm a congressman. Not too proud of that, but I am." LONG!

Remember Billy's first speech on the floor of  The House of Representatives?

I do.

He said he wanted to cut the cheese. (read the comments, they're funny)

Remember when Billy told me that "he ain't afraid of nobody"



---  I guess he was lying then too.

Billy's lied to us before.  Remember what he said at the post office meeting?   
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...


Of course the problem here is that Billy DID say he wanted to privatize the Postal Service: On June 10, 2010 Long signed his name to this statement: "I will support legislation aimed at protecting taxpayers by privatizing government-sponsored corporations and enterprises such as the United States Postal Service, adding in his own handwriting that "..the USPS...would be enhanced by privatization."

The News-Leader article said that Long "also noted he regularly makes himself available for constituent meetings when he's back in the district." Contrast that statement with the implied threat in Long's own words "that doesn't help you any with me or my office, so...."

And that's the problem with Billy Long.  When he lies about -- or conveniently forgets -- that he participated in three debates with Scott Eckersley in 2010, that he did say he wanted to privatize the Postal Service, that he did vote "YEA" on sequestration in August 2011,-- all statements that are well documented, what else is Billy lying about?

Ah jeez.

*Turns out Billy wasn't even the author of that statement, Joe Barton of Texas was. http://dailycaller.com/2010/10/17/joe-barton-i-was-the-tea-party-before-tea-party-was-cool/

For more on the Billy Long / Scott Eckersley debates during the 2012 campaign, google Billy Long Scott Eckersley Debate.