SpeakOut 11/1

Friday, November 1, 2002

Call 471-6636

Editor's Note: In an effort to allow as many political opinions as possible, today's Speakout is devoted to the many political calls we have received. No further comments will be run on the upcoming election and the candidates.

I would like to respond to "Counting the days." First of all, it's none of your business who I want to vote for. Keep your nose out of everybody's business and let them vote for whoever they want to. I'm a Carnahan fan. She's got my vote all the way.


I am so tired of hearing all these people running for office lying about the other people. I've heard so much of it I'm sick and tired of it. It's been going on for years but it's worse this year, and I just made up my mind that I'm not going to vote for anybody. I'm just going to stay at home because I don't know who to vote for.


I want to SpeakOut about the big election that's coming up on Nov. 5. I don't know about you registered voters here in the Bootheel, but I always get excited around election time. One of the things that makes me excited is just watching the candidates. Just use your imagination trying to figure out who told the truth and how many haven't. Whatever you do, if you're a registered voter, go vote. It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or Republican. That old stuff went out the window years ago because we haven't had the quality politicians that would seek office that would need it. Just vote for the one you think will do the best job. Remember this, if you don't vote, you don't have any room to complain.

I want to SpeakOut about John Ashcroft. I am so proud of the way he stepped down for Jean Carnahan. He was such a gentleman. I am so proud of him for that. I hope Jim Talent wins over Jean Carnahan because Jean Carnahan just isn't strong enough to be a leader. In the debate, I noticed she was so petty, like a senile old woman or something. I don't mean to talk about her, but it's true. We need somebody strong in this office like Jim Talent and I hope he wins.


I would like to enter my viewpoint on who to vote for in the upcoming election, specifically regarding the race between Carnahan and Talent. There are at least a dozen reasons for not voting for Carnahan. The one I hold foremost in my mind is the fact that a vote for Carnahan, or any other of her ilk, is a vote for socialism. I believe there is not a dime's worth of difference in a Democrat and a socialist. There is not two cents' worth of difference between a socialist and a communist. Mr. Talent will uphold the ideals I believe in, mainly less government, lower taxes, and support of the free enterprise system. My vote for Mr. Talent will be the least I can do to help stamp out socialism in our country.


After 16 years in Congress, Jim Talent is telling us he wants to fix health care. This is the health care he gave us after pocketing all the insurance industry's campaign donations. That's what we got from him for 16 years, campaign donations for 16 years. Look it up. He is the one who is voting against the common man. Send him back to Chesterfield, Mo.


I would like to SpeakOut about the Oct. 28 editorial in the Southeast Missourian. It talked about Jim Talent and why he will be the best man for the Senate race in the Nov. 5 election. That is one of the best editorials and it covered both sides of the campaign, Talent and Carnahan too. You people really did a superb job. I liked this article so well that I cut it out and saved it. You really have to have something great for me to cut it out and save it because politicians just don't impress me all that much. This is really a good editorial. I don't believe Mike Jensen could write one to top this and Mike, you're a pretty good writer. So you Republicans, don't vote because of the party, vote because Talent will do the job. Remember, I believe Talent is a man who will do the job and stand up and say what he believes when nobody else will believe him. That's pretty good nowadays to get a politician like that. It's very unusual.


I watched Mr. Talent and Mrs. Carnahan's debate. I didn't go along with hardly anything he said. He contracted himself and Mrs. Carnahan brought his attention to a lot of things and he just denied it. Mr. Talent needs to go back to St. Louis and help his brother and not run for the Senate. His brother runs a restaurant or a store and that's what he needs to be doing. Mrs. Carnahan is a lot smarter and I think she will help the poor a lot more than Mr. Talent. The area Mr. Talent came from are not backing him, they cannot stand him. So why does he think he can get anywhere in the polls if his own area can't stand him. He's just like all the other Republicans, always running his mouth. I also think that anyone running for any kind of office, if they make false accusations against their opponents, I think they should be disqualified. They shouldn't be allowed to continue and we sure don't need them in any kind of office. We don't need a bunch of liars in any office, like we already have.


I also would like to remind voters how Mrs. Carnahan got into office. Two years ago, when we checked Carnahan into office, we knew we were getting Jean Carnahan. She has been a great senator for the working people of Missouri. She maybe wasn't as representative or the wealthiest or the corporate executive, as some people might like.


Crime on the uprise, murders on the uprise, assaults, rapes up. Thanks, Mr. Bush, you're really bringing it home to us. More snipers, more campus killings, more crazies with their guns. Thanks, Mr. Bush, you're bringing it to us. Stock market down, economy down. Thanks, Mr. Bush. You're really bringing it to us. I can't wait to vote for Jim Talent to have some more of this.


I have a question for the voters before the Nov. 5 election. Are you better off now than you were two years ago? The economy has fallen, crime is increasing, the deficit is going by leaps and bounds. Do we really want to elect more Republicans? I think not. Just ask yourself before you vote, are we better off now than we were two years ago? You can answer it yourself.


I certainly hope Jim Talent wins that election. I hate to see the State of Missouri make a mistake and put that woman back in there again. She has no business going in there. The only reason the Democrats put her in there was because they needed somebody they could manipulate. She's just an airhead.


I am responding to the person who doesn't like Mrs. Carnahan as our senator. Mrs. Carnahan has represented us real well and if you don't like that she voted against John Ashcroft's nomination for attorney general, try to remember back of all the nasty and terrible things he said about her husband, who was our governor at the time. Keep that in mind when you go to the polls. Mrs. Carnahan is a wonderful person and stands up for the middle class people, the people who probably make up 90 percent of the population, if not more. Talent is in favor of all his rich Republican friends. Just remember that.


I read in SpeakOut where someone was talking about how Mrs. Carnahan got her job. How do they think JoAnn Emerson got hers? After the death of her husband, she was appointed. She was not elected. Neither was your President. He was appointed by the court, he was not elected by the people. John Ashcroft didn't fight Mrs. Carnahan because he knew if Bush got in, he would get a better job and he is not doing too good a job. We never see or hear from him. Vote for whomever you like, but don't run another one down. I do wonder why Talent was re-elected to Congress. He didn't win for governor. There must be something wrong and I do know that he did not do anything for the senior citizens while he was in Congress and all this hot air he's talking about now is just hot air.

You're all wet on this one. Rep. Emerson was indeed elected, not appointed.


Look at your retirement funds, or at least what it is left of them. Look at what it is costing for you to send your children to college. September was the worst month for the stock markets since the Great Depression. How can you honestly vote for Jim Talent, knowing he is just another tax, break and spend ultra-conservative Republican? He spent 16 years in Congress and then got a job as a paid lobbyist when he left. That tells you exactly where he was coming from. I'd say watch your wallet.


Mike, your Republican hate venom is spewing out again. Your Oct. 24 editorial is another great example. Why you did not watch the debate between our U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan and her challenger Jim Talent, you make it part of your editorial. You do know that you didn't see it, but you're basing all your facts on talk radio and mainly your good buddy, Rush Limbaugh, who is an ultra-conservative Republican. He hates any Democrat. Well, Mike, you speak about Mrs. Carnahan has no experience and doesn't deserve to be there. She does have two more experience in the U.S. Senate than Jim Talent does. And by the way, all Jim Talent appears to have ever done in his lifetime is be a professional politician. So, yes, he is a good debater. He does like to polish and show his sword, but I really don't know that he ever knows how to go to battle.

A while back, someone requested information about Wayne Petitt, candidate for Missouri state representative of the 161st district. He has a website at www.waynepetitt.com

The R-1 Bond Issue, not having something to gain about it? Yes, I do have something to gain. We're taxed, first of all, but most importantly, a brand new school building with the best possible opportunities for my two children.

I called in recently on the issue of the R-1 Bond Issue. Tonight I read in tonight's paper some ill-mannered rebuttal to my comment. I just want to clear it up that a person can be in the R-1 School District without having to be from New Madrid. I happen to be one of those people. I do have two children involved in this issue, which does make it my business. No, I am not a board member or an administrator and anyone who is supportive of their school considers the school board "their" board. That's why I referred to it as "our" board. Thank you for clearing this up for me.

I saw the ad on TV about the tobacco tax. They talk about how Missouri is rated the highest smoking state. What they don't tell you is that a lot of people from Illinois come across the river to buy their cigarettes because they're cheaper in Missouri. They also tell the people they are doing this to keep the young kids from getting them. That is a big laugh. If they want them, they're going to get them. Why don't they start putting some of that tax on alcohol beverages. The young kids get that all the time. Doesn't that concern you just as much as smoking? If they have a wreck when they are drunk, they could kill a man, a woman or an innocent child. Who would you rather ride with, a smoker or a drunk?


I read in the Standard where Citizens for a Healthier Missouri have spent more than $4.5 million in advance for the Nov. 5 election. If they were so worried about a healthy Missouri, why didn't they give that $4.5 million to be spent in Missouri for Proposition A. It would have helped more people than blowing it on the election. Only 7 percent of the 75-cent increase is going to smoking prevention efforts. That is sure a low percentage. I do not understand.


I read where Jefferson City said if the tobacco proposition goes through, it will be spent the right way. You better be sure who your governor is before you say that. Look what Wisconsin did last year. They had over a $6 million payoff and that idiot they have in there for governor sold it for about 25 cents on the dollar. The $6 million is supposed to be paid over a period of 25 years. He got one lump sum and spent it to cover up all the mistakes he made since he took over for Tommy Thompson. And now there's no tobacco money to fall back on and the idiot is running again. He's like the governor we have in there now. He spends money the wrong way. If he stays in there, Missouri won't have any tobacco money, either.