Tag: Hawley

Which MO Politics Moment Are You Based On Zodiac?

As 2023 comes to a close, Progress Missouri wanted to reflect on the year in Missouri politics: the good, the bad and the ugly.

There were some standout moments, each as unique as the stars in the sky – or the zodiac signs’ personalities.

Read on to find out which Missouri political moment best exemplified your star sign this year!

Aries: Bill Eigel’s Staged “Book Burning”

Aries are the first fire sign of the zodiac: they’re bold, confident and fiercely competitive. They’re also impulsive, and often respond with emotion instead of logic.

Enter Bill Eigel’s staged book burning from earlier this year. In a bid for attention on his longshot gubernatorial campaign, State Sen. Eigel burned boxes with a flamethrower, saying when he became governor he would burn books “on the front lawn of the governor’s mansion.”

Taurus: The Most Unproductive Legislative Session In MO History

Tauruses are known for their dedication and resolve, but sometimes that dedication appears as stubbornness.

This past Taurus season, the 2023 state legislative session ended with a record low number of bills passed. Republican in-fighting and grandstanding prevented anything from getting done, which was not necessarily a bad thing given lawmakers’ priorities.

Gemini: The Cashew Chicken Twitter Spiral

Geminis are communicators at heart – they love to text, talk and tweet. But the more online you are, the more likely you are to screw something up. When Gemini missteps, they’re happy to just … move on.

The most chronically online moment of the year – the cashew chicken Twitter/X controversy – represents Gemini. Sometimes we just shouldn’t tweet.

Cancer: Bipartisan Successes At Lowering Maternal Mortality Rates

Cancer is widely seen as the most maternal of the zodiac signs. Cancers are also conflict-averse, but can be passive aggressive.

This year, the Missouri legislature made a rare bipartisan effort to expand Medicaid coverage postpartum to help lower Missouri’s maternal mortality rate. While the legislature eventually got there, Senate Republicans first proposed an amendment to the bill that would have prevented it from going into effect.

Leo: AG Bailey’s Desperate Attempts To Make Headlines

Leo might be one of the most recognizable zodiac signs, in part because they’re always trying to get in the spotlight! For Leos, it’s easy to be the center of attention because of their natural charisma.

While Attorney General Bailey doesn’t have the same ease as a Leo, he sure is trying to get attention. As his first ever election approaches, he’s making increasingly more grandiose gestures in order to get the media attention on him. He backed Elon Musk’s lawsuit against a media organization, repeatedly broke the law and filed pointless lawsuits to bully LGBTQ kids.

Virgo: Politicians’ Obsession With Controlling Us

Virgos are diligent and methodical perfectionists. They have high expectations and can be critical of others if they’re not careful. Because they are perfectionists, they often believe they know what’s best for everyone, and they’re not afraid to call you out if you step out of line.

This year, the Missouri state legislators took drastic measures in their attempts to force us to do what they want us to do. They considered laws banning birth control for low-income Missourians and tried to bring an end to majority rule. The legislature would benefit from trusting that Missourians know what is best for their communities and letting go of their control issues.

Libra: Mitt Romney’s Scathing Commentary On Josh Hawley

Libras are natural diplomats and peacekeepers – but they also love a good gossip sesh every now and again.

Right before Libra season this year, a snippet from U.S. Senator Mitt Romney’s biography was released. In the snippet, Romney called out fellow Senator Josh Hawley’s “oily disingenuousness,” blaming him for the January 6 capitol riots. Like Libras, Mitt Romney has been recognized for being one of the more bipartisan elected officials – but he also isn’t afraid to spill tea on his more extreme colleagues.

Scorpio: House Speaker Dean Plocher’s Attempted Staffer Retaliation

Scorpios are known for their ambition – but that ambition can have a dark side that turns into a relentless pursuit of power.

Right at the start of Scorpio season this year, reports revealed that Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher attempted to retaliate against a House staffer after she raised flags about a constituent management system that Plocher was trying to implement in the House. The constituent management system could have been used – illegally – to prop up Plocher’s Lieutenant Governor run.

Sagittarius: Bill Eigel’s Insane Pre-Filed Bills For 2024

Sagittarius is known for being multifaceted and extremely passionate. Sagittarians are natural entertainers, but struggle with practicality and commitment.

Bill Eigel’s weird pre-filing antics, which began right in the middle of Sagittarius season, exemplify the sign. From his proposal to disband the Department of Education to his bill making gold and silver legal tender, Senator Eigel has a lot of quirky ideas that make good dinner party stories. But no one thinks they’re practical enough to actually pass.

Capricorn: Josh Hawley Endorsing Trump After Trump Mocked Him On Social Media

Capricorns are ruthlessly ambitious and relentlessly loyal. They work hard to make sure they – and their friends – come out on top.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley is actually a Capricorn himself, as demonstrated by his constant ladder-climbing and his unwavering friendship with Donald Trump. After Trump said Hawley might lose his 2024 re-election, Hawley almost immediately endorsed Trump in the Republican presidential primary.

Aquarius: Missourians Fighting Back Against Politicians Who Want To End Majority Rule

Aquarians are known for their rebellious streak: more than any other sign, they crave the freedom to make their own decisions. Plus, they’re natural humanitarians, passionate about fighting to make the world a better place.

To ring in Aquarius season this year, Missourians from around the state went to the Capitol to testify against legislation that would have ended majority rule in the state. Real Missourians went head-to-head with lawmakers, and ultimately they came out ahead when session ended without legislators passing any changes to the initiative petition process.

Pisces: Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft Leaving ERIC With No Replacement

Pisceans are imaginative dreamers – but sometimes they have trouble separating those dreams from reality.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft seems to have the same problem. He believes in disproven election conspiracy theories and used misinformation to guide his decision to leave ERIC, the interstate compact that helps states maintain secure elections. In the last week of Pisces season, Ashcroft pulled Missouri out of the compact with no replacement.

Our 2024 Prediction

Early next year, Pluto will enter Aquarius, symbolizing a new era of transformation. Pluto in Aquarius represents humanity and serving the common good. We’re dealing with big stuff here: changing power dynamics and developing empowerment as a community. That sounds great for everyone in Missouri who is over the status quo.

December 20, 2023
Man Enough To Help?

Hawley Knows The Problems Facing America’s Young Men. But Is He Man Enough To Address Them?

November 19 is International Men’s Day. As men face high rates of mental illness, drug addiction and suicide, International Men’s Day (IMD) aims to bring awareness to the reasons men might be uniquely vulnerable and to present systemic solutions.

So what does Missouri’s self-proclaimed manhood expert Josh Hawley think about this?

While Josh Hawley seems to understand the issues at hand – men are paid less than their fathers were for the same work, aren’t receiving adequate education and struggle with mental illness and drug addiction – he doesn’t seem that interested in solving them.

IMD is clear that their mission is to promote positive male role models, improve gender equality and highlight discrimination against men in social expectations. Hawley’s Manhood book, released earlier this year, does the opposite.

Hawley blames men for their issues, claiming they have no purpose and aren’t trying hard enough because they are “content to be dependent” on their families and the government. He mocks men who live with their parents, battle drug addiction and face unemployment, saying they have “disinterest in work” and are “incapable of living on their own.”

Josh Hawley has the power to address the issues plaguing young men. He could write and pass legislation diverting more resources towards mental health or addressing drug addiction. Instead, he backed legislation to undercut labor and education. Hawley would rather pin the responsibility on his constituents than vote to improve their lives.

Of course phony Josh Hawley would milk men’s issues for political points without fixing them – he has no problem doing the same on labor and veterans’ issues.

But Hawley adds insult to injury when he advocates in his book for a bootstraps approach – the banker’s son and Yale grad never had to work hard for a thing in his life.

So this International Men’s Day, let’s advocate for real change, and push Josh Hawley to do the same. If he wants to make manhood his passion project, he needs to put his money where his mouth is.

November 14, 2023
Faux Patriotism

Hawley’s famous phoniness stands out in votes against veterans

On Saturday, Nov. 11, Missourians around the state will honor those who fought to protect our freedoms right here at home.

But if Missourians really want to do their part and respect those who served our country, they should focus on getting Senator Josh Hawley out of office next year.

“Senator Hawley’s anti-veteran votes are just shameful, and he has no right to pretend he’s a friend of the Veterans’ community,” said John Hussey, a Navy Veteran of Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom who lives in St. Peters. “We’re talking about a guy who wanted to play politics and voted against vets who were exposed to toxic burn pits and Agent Orange. Then, on top of it, he supports an insurrection against the very Constitution that men and women like me put on the uniform to defend? He’s no patriot and he’s no friend of veterans.”

While Josh Hawley claims to stand with veterans and military personnel, his record is clear: on health care, jobs, housing and more, Hawley has voted time and time again against our troops.

Amid international turmoil, Hawley plays political games

As wars rage in the Middle East and Ukraine, Hawley is using his political capital to hold Army promotions hostage. The move reminded military personnel of Senator Tommy Tuberville’s similar temper tantrum, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called “unprecedented,” “unnecessary,” and “unsafe.”

The power play isn’t new for Hawley, who got the boot from the Armed Services committee in February “as retribution for delaying the confirmation of numerous Defense Department nominees” in 2022.

Hawley voted against necessary care for veterans exposed to burn pits

Last year, Hawley voted down a bill that would provide medical treatment to veterans who were victims to toxic burn pits overseas.

Open-air burn pits are large areas of land where the military burns all sorts of waste, including plastics, rubber, human waste, and toxic chemicals. Veterans exposed to burn pits can wind up with any number of medical conditions, including asthma, chronic sinus and throat conditions, and more than 14 types of cancer.

Hawley tried to defund Veterans Affairs, which would have affected 400,000 Missourians

In 2021, Hawley delayed a vote to continue funding the department of Veterans Affairs, which would have caused furloughs and reduced services for veterans across the country.

Over 400,000 Missourians and their families could be affected if the VA had to reduce services. The VA offers vital services like medical care and prescription drugs, home loans, education and training, and job preparedness and employment.

Hawley’s a fraud – let’s make sure everyone knows it!

As Hawley prepares for next year’s election, he’s ramping up his efforts to fool Missourians into thinking he stands with them. He even visited striking union members on the picket line to feign support, even though labor unions say his record against workers is clear.

But using veterans as a political pawn is a step too far, even for Josh Hawley. They’ve risked their lives to uphold the same democracy Hawley tried to destroy.

Hawley’s record is in black and white: he doesn’t care about veterans and he doesn’t care about our troops. We need to break through the noise of Hawley’s lies and make sure everyone knows the truth! Share our posts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to spread the word!

November 8, 2023
It’s Always Spooky Season

It’s spooky season – and here in Missouri, we have no shortage of scream-worthy moments from the past year to keep us on our toes.

10. Missouri’s Most Famous Coward Wrote a Book On Manliness

Senator Josh Hawley, nationally known for literally running away from his own problems, thought he was the authority on manhood for Missouri, so much so that he wrote a whole book about it. Notably missing: form tips for sprinting away from rioters.

9. Extremists In the Legislature Obsessed Over Controlling Women’s Bodies

Last year, Missouri became the first state to ban all abortions after the fall of Roe v. Wade. But that wasn’t enough for the extremists in the state. As soon as session kicked off in January, the legislature spent days debating dress codes for women. And in February, the legislature debated restricting access to birth control and other preventative health care for the poorest Missourians.

8. Secretary of State Ashcroft Left an Anti-Voter Fraud Organization Over Conspiracy Theories

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft decided earlier this year to leave ERIC, a bipartisan interstate group designed to combat election fraud. Over six months later, he hasn’t found a replacement for it. Ashcroft pulled Missouri out of the organization after far-right conspiracies emerged about ERIC.

7. Radical Politicians Banned And Threatened To Burn Books

Missouri was named number one for school censorship earlier this year after the state successfully banned more than 300 books from libraries. Not long after, State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Bill Eigel posted a video of him using a flamethrower to burn boxes, saying if he was elected he would burn books on the front lawn of the Governor’s mansion.

6. Missouri Kids Were Granted Complete and Total Access To Guns Unsupervised

In February of this year, Republicans in the state legislature voted down any restrictions on toddlers’ right to bear arms – meaning a four year-old can carry an assault rifle in the street without adult supervision.

5. Elected Officials Refused To Feed Hungry Kids

Missouri had a chance to get free money to feed hungry kids during the summer. Elected officials just… didn’t apply for the money, so poor kids didn’t get fed.

4. The State Kicked Kids Off Their Health Care Because Of Paperwork Issues

After automatic Medicaid re-enrollment ended earlier this year, the state kicked thousands of Missourians off their health care, half of whom were children. Most of these Missourians are still eligible for Medicaid, but administrative issues like paperwork are forcing them out of coverage.

3. Lawmakers Ignored Education To Fight Culture Wars

Missouri is in the bottom five on teacher pay nationally, and is in last place for starting teacher pay. Nearly a third of Missouri schools are only open part-time. School funding has fallen in the past decade, putting Missouri at 49 in the country for K-12 education spending. But lawmakers spent session ignoring education and instead arguing about trans kids getting health care.

2. Attorney General Bailey Repeatedly Broke the Law

Attorney General Andrew Bailey made repeated illegal power grabs at the initiative petition process. Despite calls from the Republican State Auditor, a Republican judge and lawyers across the state, Bailey has continued his crusade for power by attempting to lie to voters.

1. Missouri Speaker of the House Committed Multiple Crimes

The Speaker of the Missouri House, Dean Plocher, got caught breaking the law multiple times, might be under FBI investigation, and is currently facing multiple calls to resign. The spookiest part? Plocher has said he will not step down AND he’s running for Lieutenant Governor – a higher office than his current position.

Don’t Let Them Get Away With It

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October 31, 2023
Josh Hawley’s ‘Oily Disingenuousness’: 5 Takeaways From Mitt Romney’s New Book

Mitt Romney glares at Josh Hawley from the floor of the U.S. Senate. Photo from the Senate Television via AP.

The Atlantic published explosive highlights from the upcoming biography of Senator Mitt Romney, Romney: A Reckoning.

The biography’s star-studded cast includes one notable Missouri name: Senator Josh Hawley. In his re-telling of the events on January 6, 2021, Mitt Romney reveals the “oily disingenuousness” of the Senator who built a brand off of supporting a violent insurrection. Here are our takeaways:

1. Hawley made “a calculation… that put politics above the interests of liberal democracy and the Constitution.”

Romney says Hawley was far too smart to believe Trump won the 2020 election. Instead, he made a political calculation and chose to sacrifice democracy to get 15 minutes of fame

What bothered Romney most about Hawley and his cohort was the oily disingenuousness. “They know better!” he told me. “Josh Hawley is one of the smartest people in the Senate, if not the smartest, and Ted Cruz could give him a run for his money.” They were too smart, Romney believed, to actually think that Trump had won the 2020 election. Hawley and Cruz “were making a calculation,” Romney told me, “that put politics above the interests of liberal democracy and the Constitution.”

2. Romney to Hawley on January 6: “You’re the reason this is happening!… You did this.”

Mitt Romney saw Hawley’s performative grandstanding as the cause of the January 6 riots:

Something about the volatility of the moment caused Romney — a walking amalgam of prep-school manners and Mormon niceness and the practiced cool of the private-equity set—to lose his grip, and he finally vented the raw anger he had been trying to contain. He turned to Josh Hawley, who was huddled with some of his right-wing colleagues, and started to yell. Later, Romney would struggle to recall the exact wording of his rebuke. Sometimes he’d remember shouting “You’re the reason this is happening!” Other times, it would be something more terse: “You did this.” At least one reporter in the chamber would recount seeing the senator throw up his hands in a fit of fury as he roared, “This is what you’ve gotten, guys!” Whatever the words, the sentiment was clear: This violence, this crisis, this assault on democracy—this is your fault.

3. Hawley “seemed to take a very dim view of [his] Republican constituents.”

Hawley knew Trump had lost the 2020 election, but he refused to tell the truth to his constituents. He manipulated Missourians because he thought he could get away with it:

It struck Romney that, for all their alleged populism, Hawley and his allies seemed to take a very dim view of their Republican constituents.
“The best way we can show respect for the voters who are upset is by telling them the truth!” Romney said, his voice rising to a shout.

4. Romney: “I doubt I will work with Josh Hawley on anything.”

After seeing Hawley sacrifice democracy for his own political gain, Romney determined he couldn’t work with him again:

What Romney couldn’t stomach any longer was associating himself with people who cynically stoked distrust in democracy for selfish political reasons. “I doubt I will work with Josh Hawley on anything,” he told me.

5. Hawley’s “authoritarianism is like a gargoyle lurking over the cathedral, ready to pounce.”

Romney knew authoritarians like Hawley from studying the history of great empires. After January 6, he worried Hawley and others like him would be the end of the American project:

His time in the Senate had left Romney worried—not just about the decomposition of his own political party, but about the fate of the American project itself.
Shortly after moving into his Senate office, Romney had hung a large rectangular map on the wall. First printed in 1931 by Rand McNally, the “histomap” attempted to chart the rise and fall of the world’s most powerful civilizations through 4,000 years of human history. When Romney first acquired the map, he saw it as a curiosity. After January 6, he became obsessed with it. He showed the map to visitors, brought it up in conversations and speeches. More than once, he found himself staring at it alone in his office at night. The Egyptian empire had reigned for some 900 years before it was overtaken by the Assyrians. Then the Persians, the Romans, the Mongolians, the Turks—each civilization had its turn, and eventually collapsed in on itself. Maybe the falls were inevitable. But what struck Romney most about the map was how thoroughly it was dominated by tyrants of some kind—pharaohs, emperors, kaisers, kings. “A man gets some people around him and begins to oppress and dominate others,” he said the first time he showed me the map. “It’s a testosterone-related phenomenon, perhaps. I don’t know. But in the history of the world, that’s what happens.” America’s experiment in self-rule “is fighting against human nature.”
“This is a very fragile thing,” he told me. “Authoritarianism is like a gargoyle lurking over the cathedral, ready to pounce.”

Josh Hawley can’t get away with this.

Every Missourian needs to know that Josh Hawley’s selfishness and political gambling almost cost us our democracy – and if he’s left in charge, there’s no telling what he’ll do next.

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September 18, 2023