Congressman Pete Stark on "Bad Sam" Graves

Here's what the Congressman from California's 13th District has to say about people like Sam Graves:

First of all, I'm just amazed they can't figure out, the Republicans are worried we can't pay for insuring an additional 10 million children. They sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq. Where ya gonna get that money? You going to tell us lies like you're telling us today? Is that how you're going to fund the war? You don't have money to fund the war or children. But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President's amusement. This bill would provide healthcare for 10 million children and unlike the President's own kids, these children can't see a doctor or receive necessary care. [...]

But President Bush's statements about children's health shouldn't be taken any more seriously than his lies about the war in Iraq. The truth is that Bush just likes to blow things up. In Iraq, in the United States and in Congress.

Believe it or not, Sam Graves still voted against insuring children. He needs to go. If you're outraged, go here to make a contribution to Kay Barnes.

Why is Joe Serviss in My Funny Pages?

Why in the world would Hearne Christopher treat us to Joe Serviss' thoughts on Mark Funkhouser's administration? (No link because the Star's webmasters are probably making the editorial call that the FYI editors failed to make.) Serviss was one of Kay's closest cronies, and now he's chatting with Hearne about how he would improve on Funk's mayoral performance. I happen to know and greatly enjoy Joe Serviss - he's a KC original, and a true character - but his views on Funk are neither informed nor newsworthy - not even to the minimal standards of a Hearne Christopher column.

Making it even a little more creepy is the fact that he wrote about "fantasiz[ing] about what it might be like to party like a politician in former KC Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Joe Serviss’ bachelor boudoir" on Sunday. This is getting unhealthy.

I've personally heard Joe say some outrageously foolish things about Funk, but never thought to report on them here, partially because I like the guy too much to embarrass him. I also see no need in encouraging the Barnes camp to continue its poorly thought-out campaign against Funkhouser when they are supposed to be running against Graves. (Yes, there are Funkhouser supporters who would much prefer that Barnes defeat Graves, but everytime Glorioso or Serviss opens their mouths about Funk, our enthusiasm wilts.)

Mayor Said "Son You're Gonna Drive Me To Drinkin' if You Don't Start Drivin' that Hot. Rod. Lincoln."

Buying a car is personal. In our car-centered culture, what you drive is a statement to the world about who you are. My lovely wife just got a new car (Beetle Convertible), and I would never have dreamed of picking the color, the options, or anything other than the radio presets. And I've been married to her for 25 years this June, and the car is officially half mine. Even though it's "our car", we both know it's "her car", and she ought to be able to pick out her own car.

But Kay Barnes (who I doubt has even made out with Funkhouser, much less been married to him) decided she should make the choice of what kind of car Mark Funkhouser will have as mayor. And she screwed it up royally. Faced with the prospect of riding in the "silver birch" Lincoln Town Car she picked out for him and paid $700/month for ($100 over the car allowance - but money's no object for Country Club Kay), he said "no thanks" and has opted to keep on driving his 10 year-old Corolla.

Things might have gone differently if she had chosen a cooler car. Maybe a Crossfire like Glazer drives. Or maybe she could have used her big business contacts to hook him up with one of those new Camaros GM has planned. Sweet. A Mustang Convertible would have been a fine sled for the Funk, especially if she tricked it out with a fine sound system and thumping bass. Personally, I would have picked out a mini-van with tinted windows for the Mayor, driven it down to the Crossroads, and told the artists down there to make that vehicle into a statement. Yeah, that's how I'd make Mark roll.

But a freaking Lincoln Town Car?! Silver Birch? Did she really think a guy who answers to "Funk" would want to ride around in a geriatric jalopy like that?

Personally, I think it was pay-back. Kay hated Mark throughout the election, and did her best to get him defeated. Despite (or maybe because of?) her slander and frothing attacks, though, he won. So, the day after the election, she tried to score some revenge by sticking his lanky ass into the lamest car she could possibly find in the metro area. I'll bet she even made them put curb feelers on it, and special-ordered a mono sound system that only gets AM radio.

Hurrah for Funk's telling her to take her car and shove it. He'll face enough challenges as Mayor without having to ride around in a car picked out by someone who hates him.