Last night, President Obama visited St.Louis for a $25,000 plate fundraiser courtesy of Russ Carnahan and his family. Across the street from the fundraiser, on Lindell Drive near Forest Park, members of the St. Louis Tea Party stopped by to welcome him with jeers and boos, displaying signs showing their extreme dissatisfaction of his policies over the past two years. I had the opportunity to capture some images of the event of both the members of the St.Louis Tea Party as well as the handful of Obama supporters.

Adam Sharp of SharpElbows.net and Jim Hoft (Gateway Pundit) among others.

Predictably, a pro-Obama counter-protest assembled, but the show of support for President Obama during his last visit in 2010 was much larger — a far cry from the amount of supporters that turned out for him this time around, shown by my photos from the event in 2010. (more…)

One party rule in both St. Louis city and county has atrophied the heartland of America. That one party, the Democrat Party, has built a machine lubricated with crony capitalism that bends justice to further its own political ends. We’ve witnessed the effects of this machine on the national stage a couple of times. In one instance we watched as justice was delayed for Kenneth Gladney only to eventually be denied as the Rev. Elston McCowan and Perry Molens were exonerated of assaulting Gladney. In another instance, the University of Missouri St. Louis’s (UMSL) course in Labor Studies seemed to advocate violence as a tactic in union negotiations yet no charges are brought when one of the professors is alleged to have assault someone. Those two cases are emblematic of the crony politics that reaches from St. Louis to Missouri’s capitol in Jefferson City and even to Washington, DC.

St. Louis has a long history of voting irregularities including dead people and pets casting ballots. While the situation has improved, there are still concerns about vote fraud. More worrisome is the collusion between Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s (D-MO) office and ACORN:

A staffmember of the Missouri Secretary of State was directly contacted by ACORN to secretly coordinate a press strategy for the suing of the state of Missouri.

This email thread is the clearest proof that Robin Carnahan was not only aware of, but her staff colluded with Project Vote to sue the state of Missouri, without harming Robin Carnahan.

That suit would provide $500,000 to the left-wing lawyers at ACORN and Project Vote (sister organizations) from the state of Missouri.

Robin’s brother, Tom, does not hold public office, but he did receive $107 million dollars from the stimulus bill to build wind farms:

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Having taken a closer, objective look at the GOP primary in Missouri’s new 2nd District, it would seem former Bush Ambassador Ann Wagner is a far better choice for Conservatives, than is Ed Martin – and then some. In fact, some of what I’ve seen on and from Martin is at least mildly troubling – enough so to raise a red flag, or two.

When I saw a link for Jim Hoft’s site, Gateway Pundit on Martin’s site, I assumed he was backing Martin and gave Jim a call. To be clear, Jim spoke well of both potential nominees, though he is backing Ann Wagner. After speaking with Jim, I certainly don’t want to go out of my way to run down Ed Martin, but research, facts, records, reputations and actions are what they are. Adding up what I’ve been able to ascertain, Ann Wagner is hands down by far the preferred candidate in the race.

For starters, Wagner bested Martin 5 – 1 in their latest reported fund raising efforts and added twice the number of new donors. It’s also important to note that Martin rolled in dollars from his abandoned Senate campaign to up his published numbers quite a bit.

He threw his name in the US Senate race. In time, Ed Martin realized he was no match for Sarah Steelman’s lackluster campaign. How sad is that! Steelman’s last two fundraising quarters has many in the media calling the campaign in real trouble. So Martin wandered off into another US House race only to have Ann Wagner join the race too. Once again, we see the lack of enthusiasm for Mr. Martin.

With Russ Carnahan a likely entry on the Democrat side, it’s going to take real money, solid support and a tenacious fighter to ensure a win, even in the Republican leaning District. Wagner has demonstrated her significant ability to raise campaign dollars, not only for herself, but for several other conservative Republicans, as well –  that’s a team player and something of a campaign all-star in my book. Helping others achieve their goals also pays great dividends in terms of support and endorsements. There’s nothing bad about that, it’s actually how the system works best for everyone involved.

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SEIU DRAGGED IN BOGUS WITNESS TO SMEAR GLADNEY!

After a health care town hall meeting in August 2009 St. Louis native Kenneth Gladney was beaten, kicked and called racist names by Rep. Russ Carnahan’s SEIU supporters. Gladney spent the night in the hospital after the beating.

On Tuesday, the two SEIU goons who beat Gladney were found not guilty of any wrongdoing.

I wrote about the SEIU’s “surprise witness” from left field. This surprise witness, who is also an SEIU activist, testified on Tuesday that she witnessed Kenneth Gladney “starting the fight” with two SEIU goons who were twice his size.

The SEIU “witness” was not at the scene. She came walking up with a cane after the fight was already broken up.

24th State wrote more about the surprise SEIU witness.

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After a health care town hall meeting in August 2009 St. Louis native Kenneth Gladney was beaten, kicked and called racist names by Rep. Russ Carnahan’s SEIU supporters. Gladney was beaten so badly that he was hospitalized for the night.

Gladney, a cancer survivor, was selected by the Carnahan supporters for the beatdown because he was handing out “Don’t Tread On Me” flags and because he was black.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported at the time:

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In the 3rd Congressional District of Missouri, a race for the ages is taking place.  Ed Martin (R), one of the originals involved with the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition and endorsed by that organization, is fighting to replace Russ Carnahan (D), representative of everything the tea party movement has been fighting against.

This was not supposed to be a competitive race.  The district was designed as a safe seat for Democrats, carving out pieces of St. Louis and the union stronghold of Jefferson County.  If it had not been a safe seat, Carnahan’s campaign would have been over a year ago when SEIU goons beat Kenneth Gladney at one of his health care town halls or a few months ago when the state passed the Missouri Health Care Freedom Act with 71% of the vote.

The 3rd District likes politicians that like to politic.  Traditionally, the representatives of this district have been fairly public figures that engage the voters.  This is not Russ Carnahan.  He cannot speak without his constituents laughing at him. He knows nothing about guns in a gun-friendly district.  He sends video of himself to speaker forums instead of showing up.  He does what he is told to do by Nancy Pelosi, and he sends taxpayer dollars outside of his district to support his brother’s windmill farm. (more…)

KABOOM!

Far Left website TPM Muckraker took the offical walk of shame today and admitted that one of their unhinged bloggers was arrested for firebombing Congressman Russ Carnahan’s office. The suspected firebomber blogs at TPM under the name “Ripper McCord.”

When Leftie Bloggers Attack…

Dem operative, Russ Carnahan staffer, TPM blogger and suspected firebomber Chris Powers is the sweaty one pictured here on right during a rally for nationalized health care. Powers reportedly is was a paid canvasser for Russ Carnahan.

TPM reported:

Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) confirmed in a press conference yesterday that the suspect in an alleged arson at Carnahan’s campaign office is a former paid campaign worker named Chris Powers.

Powers has not been charged in the arson case. In a phone interview this morning with TPMmuckraker, Powers denied having any involvement with what local reports have described as a “fire bombing.”

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The suspect who firebombed Rep. Russ Carnahan’s office last week was reportedly a disgruntled progressive activist employed by democrats. An unnamed source familiar with the case released the information. Suspect Chris Powers reportedly was upset because he did not get paid so he firebombed the Carnahan finance offices at 2 in the morning.

What a complete shock.

Dem operative and firebomber Chris Powers is the sweaty one pictured here on right during a rally for nationalized health care. Powers is was a paid canvasser for Russ Carnahan.

The RFT reported:

Congressman Russ Carnahan held a press conference confirming that the person St. Louis police arrested and released for last week’s firebombing of his campaign headquarters did in fact work for his re-election campaign.

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Last Tuesday August 17, 2010, Rep. Russ Carnahan’s office was reportedly vandalized and “firebombed” at 2 AM in the morning. Hours later police arrested a suspect for the crime and held him for several hours.

Of course, when the “firebombing” was reported local leftists blamed the tea party activists.

Then things got really weird. The police released the suspect and the Carnahan camp went silent. Carnahan employees were seen dumping documents into a dumpster but refused to to talk to reporters. There was a complete blackout on information.

Photo of Carnahan’s office after the firebombing. (Via the Carnahan Office)

Now we know why.

The suspect was reportedly a disgruntled progressive activist employed by Russ Carnahan. An unnamed source familiar with the case released the information. Suspect Chris Powers reportedly was upset because he did not get paid so he firebombed the Carnahan finance offices at 2 in the morning.

What a complete shock.

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On May 5th, 2010 The Missouri NAACP hosted a press conference and rally on behalf of Perry Molens and Elston McCowan, demanding the county prosecutor drop assault charges stemming from an attack outside Russ Carnahan’s townhall in South St. Louis County on Health Care last August. Molens and McCowan were arrested after the staged Carnahan event in August after they beat, kicked and stomped on black vendor Kenneth Gladney. The two Russ Carnahan supporters and SEIU members also called Kenneth the n-word as they bashed him into the cement.

This press conference in May was intended to drum up political pressure to prevent the jury trial of the two SEIU staff members arrested for attacking Kenneth Gladney in the presence of three witnesses.

Video of the entire press conference was posted online in eight parts and includes speeches by Harold Crumpton (NAACP national board member and president, St Louis City branch), Mary Ratliff, (NAACP state president, Missouri), progressive blogger Adam Shriver (cited as their legal expert), Elston McCowan, Perry Molens, and emceed by Zaki Abruti, UAPO. Also attending the event were a host of self-defined socialist agitators and a self-proclaimed Huffington Post reporter, Jeanine Molloff.

Here is the unbelievable video of the racist NAACP event. The two men accused of attacking Gladney go on trial this month. Elston McCowan, the man standing next to the speaker, can be seen laughing when the speaker says Gladney is not a brother.

Following is the transcript:

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Andrew Breitbart has been very generous with space on this blog defending me and telling the story of how I was beaten by SEIU thugs.  Once again he has reached out and offered me an opportunity ask for your help.  Below is a letter from my brother, Keith Gladney, and it describes my life at this place and time and what you, the Big Government readers who have continued to support me for months and months, can do to help me get back on my feet.

Thank you very much for your time.
Sincereley,

Kenneth Gladney

*************

The process for contributing to the Kenneth Gladney Trust:

1) Go into Bank of America; you cannot call to use a credit card over the phone.
2) Ask the teller or service rep pull up the name “Kenneth Earl Gladney Trust.”
3) Tell them you are a contributor or you want to donate to this trust.
4) Give them the dollar amount, and that’s it.
5) Please REMEMBER! The trust is not under “I Am Kenneth Gladney.” (more…)

I know a little something about coffins.  And I know when I’m being lied to.

An email arrived in my inbox this afternoon from Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s baby-brother, Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-Missouri).  In this email, Carnahan pledges to not be intimidated by Coffingate, and then asks me for money.  This email may be the most despicable yet of the campaign season.  After a brutal 48 hours of press retractions about an incident regarding a coffin placed near his house, Carnahan is attempting to hustle money for intimidation that did not occur.

Carnahan provides a link to a piece in Politico – the very piece that was suggested to Politico reporter Jake Sherman by a Carnahan spokesperson, (and subsequently corrected).  Here is some text from his email.

They’ve tried every dirty trick in the book to block critical reforms that will stop insurance companies from rejecting children with preexisting conditions or denying care to those who are sick. Try as they may, we will not be intimidated.
Help me send a message that threats and extreme tactics will not work. Please contribute $100, $50 or even $25 right now to help me fight back against those who will stop at nothing to block health care reform for Missouri families….

It must be hard to get good help these days.  At the center of the controversy is Sara Howard, Congressman Carnahan’s spokesperson for his re-election campaign.  Howard comes from SEIU, where she spent a number of years learning the ins and outs of labor-press relations.

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Remember as you read this: There is nothing the democratic-media complex will not do to lie about the tea party patriots or to prop up these horrid leftists who are transforming our country into some kind of quasi-socialist state.

On Sunday night several members of the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition held a prayer vigil at Russ Carnahan’s office for the millions of babies that will be slaughtered under the democrat’s pro-abortion health care bill. We also prayed for the handicapped and the elderly who will be turned away as they face the death panels created by this bill. And, as we stood outside his office in the rain, we prayed for our country and for the democrats in Washington DC who were stealing away our freedom at that very moment.

We brought a coffin with us to represent the millions of Americans who will suffer from inadequate treatment and perish under Obamacare.

(KSDK Photo)

Local reporters from KSDK News Channel 5 showed up to interview myself and others after our prayer service.

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Hundreds rallied today outside of Russ Carnahan’s office in St. Louis.

500 protesters met today at Carnahan’s Brentwood office. The rally was called late yesterday afternoon. Missouri protesters wanted to let “Rubber Stamp Russ” know that he will pay in November for being Pelosi’s puppet all year long.

Angry protesters chucked shoes at radical Russ Carnahan on a can:

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Kenneth Gladney was beaten, kicked and called racist names by Russ Carnahan’s SEIU supporters after a health care town hall meeting in August.

The national media and NAACP ignored the hate crime.

Gladney was beaten by several SEIU thugs after the meeting let out. He was working outside the town hall event selling flags and buttons when he was attacked.

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As bad as Ebenezer Scrooge was, at least he didn’t fire Bob Cratchit right before Christmas.  I can’t say the same for the St. Louis Dept of Health.  Animal Control Officer, Keith Gladney was fired on December 23^rd, less than 48 hours before Christmas Day.

Regular readers of Big Government will recognize the sur name of this unfortunate soul who finds himself unemployed just as the holidays are upon us.  Yes, Keith Gladney is the brother of Kenneth Gladney, the man who was assaulted by leaders of the St. Louis SEIU outside of Rep. Russ Carnahan’s Town Hall for Health Care on August 6, 2009.

Considering the fact that government work seems to be the only growth industry in this economy Keith probably thought he was in a stable job, serving diligently for the Animal Control agency, a division of the St. Louis Dept. of Health.  And, considering he was just given a positive job performance rating as recently as October, it must have come as a heartbreaking shock to learn of this Dickensian turn of events just he was preparing for his Christmas.

So, what changed between September and today?  What could have been the reason for Mr. Gladney’s termination? (more…)

Photo by Dana Loesch

St. Louis County Prosecutors watered-down the charges in the Kenneth Gladney case from a misdemeanor to an ordinance violation without so much as even calling St. John’s Hospital, where Gladney received treatment for his injuries, and checking Gladney’s hospital record or speaking with care providers on site.

Elston McCowan and Perry Molens were witnessed on video assaulting Gladney who is seen being taken to the ground. Cheryl Johner punched Kelly Owens in the face – which Owens caught on camera, an assault witnessed by a police officer, according to the police report – and all three get off with nothing more that ordinance violations.

Owens beating recap:

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The symbol of our judicial system is the blind folded lady liberty holding the scales of justice in her hands.  In St. Louis County it appears she may be peeking.

On October 9th, 2000, Patricia Redington, a newly appointed St. Louis County Counselor showed such dedication to her job, that she opened the office on the Columbus Day holiday in order to file assault charges against Republican candidate Bill Federer.  This is in contrast to the way she handles the, typical case and the way she is handling the case of Democrat SEIU members pounding a businessman.   St. Louis area patriots smell a rat and show no signs of letting up until justice is served.

Realizing that workers can lose their initial zeal for their jobs, we can understand why Counselor Redington now says that despite what she did for Federer, her typical time to get charges written up and filed is six to eight weeks.  That is unfortunate for Federer who had an election in four weeks and might have appreciated a delay.  He lost his election as voters had to choose between throwing out Gephart and voting in a guy under a legal cloud and media scrutiny.   The respected author, historian and family man just might be mentally unstable considering he had in fact, been charged with a crime.  Redington, by the way, is a Democrat.

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On August 6, 2009 two Service Employee International Union (SEIU) leaders and a volunteer for Organizing for America (OFA) assaulted Kenneth Gladney outside of Rep. Russ Carnahan’s Town hall meeting on health care.  The perpetrators were arrested at the scene of the crime, and three months later charges have finally been filed.

Much has been said in the past three months about this incident.  Here at Big Government calls have been made for justice, for formal charges and mostly for the mass media to follow the story and delve into the government’s role in this violent attempt to intimidate and silence dissent.  We can no longer wait for the establishment journalists to connect the dots and bring to light the insidious relationships between the SEIU, OFA, Russ Carnaham’s office and the Obama Administration.

Was this assault merely a flare up of tempers during a heated exchange of rival political camps?  Or was it a coordinated attempt to silence the scores of protesters who had been so effective at swaying public opinion against the President’s health care scheme?  Today, Big Government will bring to light documents that read like an instruction manual for the SEIU forces in St. Louis the evening of August 6^th.  We will also show that on the very same evening of the St. Louis assault, an almost identical scene played out in Tampa Bay, Florida.  Also involving SEIU and OFA.  Also resulting in hordes of union members shouting down and physically evicting protesters from a U.S. Representative’s Town hall meeting.  Finally, we will introduce all of the various players in leadership roles at these organizations, what they said in instructing their members in how to fight back against the Town hall protesters, and how these individuals all connect to each other and to the Obama Administration.  As I said, we’ve been waiting for the “Real” journalists to do this, we’ve waited long enough.

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Harris Himes, the minister who witnessed Kenneth Gladney’s beatdown at the Russ Carnahan town hall in August, cannot believe that only misdemeanor charges were filed against the SEIU thugs last week. The Russ Carnahan union supporters beat, stomped on and kicked black vendor Kenneth Gladney.

Big Government featured Harris Himes in a report in early November:

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