Russ Carnahan

St. Louis Activist Percy Green Compares Lacy Clay to Samuel L. Jackson in Django Unchained

The St. Louis mayor's race is over -- but controversial commentary on the battle between Francis Slay and Lewis Reed apparently is not. Activist Percy Green sent around an op-ed he wrote to his e-mail list this week with his analysis of the primary race between the long-time incumbent and challeng ... More >>

Odds Stacked Against Black Candidates, According to Some Operatives

If black candidates do not win these elections, where the odds are stacked against them, St. Louis, a city that is roughly 50 percent African American, will have no black representatives in Congress, the Missouri Senate or in the state House.

Net Worth of Missouri Congressional Delegation Tops $47.9 Million

​The Center for Responsive Politics recently released its report on the nation's wealthiest U.S. representatives and senators. No one from Missouri makes its Top 10 list, but that doesn't mean we don't have some worthy contenders. Turns out we actually have some of the richest -- and poorest -- po ... More >>

The U.S. Government Runs on Free Snacks -- So How Does Missouri Stack Up?

image viaHow things get done in Congress. (At least in the office of Representative Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, which sports of model of the Capitol building made from boxes of Peeps.)​In any office, no one is more likely to get visitors than the person who keeps a candy jar on his or her de ... More >>

Race Trumps Politics in Missouri Redistricting

Nasheed: Black before Democrat.​Yesterday the Missouri Legislature overrode Governor Jay Nixon's veto of a redistricting map that eliminates the district of Democratic Congressman Russ Carnahan. In securing the override, the Republican-controlled Legislature needed the votes of four Democrats. The ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Is It Okay For Blacks to Have Race-Based Agenda?

Today's comment comes in a response to a post about how four black Missouri legislators lined up with Republicans to override Governor Jay Nixon's veto of the state's new congressional districts. In voting with the Republicans, the four Democratic defectors ensured that the districts of Missouri's t ... More >>

Readers have scorn for Carnahan and Clay — but thrill to the Children of Sunshine

Disgraced Ex-Senator Jeff Smith Writing Book About What He Learned in Jail

Jeff Smith, ex-con and man of letters.​There's a long and honorable tradition of books written in prison -- Don Quixote, Robinson Crusoe, Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, possibly the letters of St. Paul. And why not? There's not much else to do there but reflect. ... More >>

Ed Martin Senate Bid Seems Likely

Apparently he just can't get enough of the campaign trail.​Just three months after losing his U.S. Congressional race to Russ Carnahan (and not being a good sport about it), Ed Martin seems poised to jump into the 2012 senate race against incumbent Claire McCaskill. Yesterday the Tea Party politic ... More >>

The 2010 RFT News Challenge

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Is Dead. How Did Our Congresspeople Vote?

​Unless you've been hiding out under a rock, you probably heard that Saturday, the Senate followed the House in voting to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." DADT, signed into law in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, was meant to be a compromise on allowing lesbian, gay and bisexual soldiers to serve in ... More >>

Ibogaine is a hallucinogen that has helped addicts kick their drug habits. Is it the trip that does the trick?

Voting Maps Show Political Divide in Missouri; St. Louis and Kansas City vs. Everyone Else

If you need anymore convincing that the people of St. Louis and Kansas City have nothing in common -- politically -- with their fellow Missourians, consider these election results....In the race for U.S. Senate, Democrat Robin Carnahan won only three regions in Missouri: Kansas City, St. Louis and S ... More >>

Ed Martin Alleging Voting Irregularities; Still Not Conceding Defeat

Ed (s)Martin: Not ready to accept sting of defeat. ​The unofficial results have Republican Ed Martin losing to Russ Carnahan by a margin of 4,418 votes in the race to represent Missouri's Third Congressional District in Washington D.C.Carnahan has 48.9 percent of the vote compared to Martin's 46.7 ... More >>

What Options Does Ed Martin Have Left?

Photo by Jennifer SilverbergMartin's gonna have to go to court to avoid a loss.​UPDATED below the jump. As Daily RFT reported earlier today, Republican challenger Ed Martin has refused to concede the 3rd Congressional District race to incumbent Democrat Russ Carnahan. But does it even matter? By a ... More >>

Ed Martin Sued by Former Board of Elections Employee for Comments in RFT

​Four years ago, Jeannie Bergfeld, who was once a high-ranking former employee at the city's bipartisan board of elections, filed suit against its two commissioners and then-chairman Ed Martin. (Y'all know Ed -- he's the conservative sparkplug now running for Congress against Russ Carnahan, and is ... More >>

Tea Party Crasher: Hard-charging Ed Martin wants to win your vote — and Russ Carnahan's congressional seat

Chris Powers' Attorney Confirms He Is Suspect in Carnahan Firebombing

susanroachlaw.comRoach: Powers retained attorney last week.​I just got off the phone with Susan Roach the attorney for Chris Powers, the man whose name was leaked yesterday as a possible suspect in the firebombing of Congressman Russ Carnahan's campaign building last week. Roach confirms that her ... More >>

Who is Daily RFT's "Ass Clown of the Week" -- August 6 - 13?

​Whoa! It's nearing quittin' time and we've yet to post this week's Ass Clown of the Week nominations! You know the rules, vote for the person or group whose words/actions brought them the most shame and/or embarrassment this week. 1. Brandon Phillips: The Cincinnati Reds infielder was left eating ... More >>

Ass Clown of the Week: Rotten Jailers, Yogis, Holier-Than-Thou Politicians, Taco Bunglers

​It's that time of the week again. Time for you to vote for the local newsmakers whose words or deeds you thought brought them the most shame and infamy over the last few days. And the nominees...1. Vernon Wilson and Valeria Jackson: The father-daughter jailers accused of encouraging inmates at th ... More >>

Henry Rollins Schools Missouri Republican Congressional Candidate Ed Martin

Sarah ParadoskiHenry Rollins at the Pageant in 2008​On Monday, local Republican Congressional candidate Ed Martin appeared on the "Dr. Gina Show" on KJSL (630 AM). As Daily RFT reports, Martin accused the Obama administration and incumbent Congressman Russ Carnahan of "taking away...The freedo ... More >>

Clangclangclang!!!! The Loop's Gettin' a Trolley!

Image viaClang clang clang will go the trolley! ​It's official: $24 million in federal funds have been secured for a trolley system connecting The Loop to Forest Park. Joe Edwards, the ponytailed Pope of U. City, just told Charlie Brennan on KMOX that the trolley path will start on Delmar near the ... More >>

Dental Patients at St. Louis VA Hospital Could've Been Exposed to Hepatitis, HIV

​Q: What's worse than a trip to the dentist? A: A letter from the dentist telling you that his dirty dental tools may have exposed you to hepatitis or HIV. More than 1,800 veterans received such a letter this week informing them that St. Louis VA Medical Center had not properly cleaned its dental ... More >>

Harry Truman Endorses Ed Martin -- No Not That Ed Martin

When Harry Met Ed ... on the Internetz.​Ed Martin, the Republican candidate who seeks to dethrone incumbent Russ Carnahan in Missouri's Third Congressional District recently posted an interesting letter of support on his campaign website. It's an endorsement (of sorts) from Harry Truman (posted on ... More >>

Meanwhile, Ed Martin Responds to Allegations Against Right-Wing "Patriots"

Ed Martin​The allegations are flying this week that the Tea Party and other right-wingers have reached a new low in boorish behavior. These include accusations that they spit on a black Missouri congressman and allegedly called him the N-word in Washington D.C. Also this week, the St. Louis Tea Pa ... More >>

Ed Martin's Race to Unseat Russ Carnahan Gains Traction, Attention

edmartinforcongress.com​Got an email the other day from Ed Martin with some "big news" for the Republican candidate for Missouri's 3rd Congressional District (map here). According to a non-partisan report issued last week, Martin is now being pegged as a somewhat legitimate threat to unseat Democr ... More >>

Paul D'Agrosa Steps Into the SEIU/Tea Party Legal Fracas

Wikimedia CommonsSEIU hopes D'Agrosa will trounce on the charges called for by Tea Party activists.​Elston McCowan and Perry Molens face misdemeanor charges for allegedly assaulting a political button-seller last year; the defendants have pulled out the big guns by retaining St. Louis criminal def ... More >>

Who Is Daily RFT's "Ass Clown of the Year"?

​Over the course of the past 12 months, you -- the readers of Daily RFT -- have cast thousands of votes for your favorite "Ass Clowns of the Week".  Now comes an even greater decision. Ladies and gentlemen, who is Daily RFT's "Ass Clown of the Year"???You know, the person whose idiocy and hub ... More >>

How St. Louis Area Congressmen Voted on Last Week's Hate Crime Bill

Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming college student murdered in 1998 and an inspiration for the revised hate-crimes law.​You've probably heard by now how the House of Representatives passed a measure last week that broadens the definition of a "hate crime" to include incidents committed because of the ... More >>

Oh, Meth! New Campaign Against Meth Use Hopefully as Catchy as Old One

As we reported last week, U.S. "Drug Czar" Gil Kerlikowske is in St. Louis today to unveil the White House Office of National Drug Policy's new anti-meth campaign. Here's hoping the campaign is as good as the last one featured here.  Continue on to view the full press release of today's announ ... More >>

Crack-Dealing Coaches, Lying Politicians, Suspected Bombers and a Hummer Dealer: What Do They All Have in Common?

​The Ass Clowns seem to be crawling out of the woodwork this week, especially following Jeff Smith's guilty plea and resignation. Outside the political arena, there were also a few worthy candidates. So you know the rules: Vote for the following headline-maker whose actions or deeds this week you ... More >>

Twenty-two Page Criminal Case Against Jeff Smith and Posse is Engaging Read

Nope. But he can go to prison.​I could attempt to reconstruct the federal complaint filed against Missouri state Senator Jeff Smith and cohorts (state Rep. Steve Brown and campaign worker Nick Adams) for lying to federal authorities during an investigation into campaign violations. Or I could just ... More >>

RFT Reporters Make Milton "Skip" Ohlsen's Shit List, Court Records Show

Milton H. "Skip" Ohlsen​Milton H. "Skip" Ohlsen is in federal custody awaiting sentencing on weapons and bank fraud charges. As has been reported in recent days, Ohlsen is also a person of interest in the bombing that hurt attorney John Gillis last year. No charges have been filed in that case. So ... More >>

Former State Senator Jeff Smith Facing 20 Years in Prison, Maybe More

​A little over a month ago, Jeff Smith was still considered a rising star in Missouri Democratic politics. Now his political career is more than likely over. Smith admitted in federal court today that he tried to cover up his involvement in a federal elections violation not once -- but twice. Smit ... More >>

The Postcards That Brought Down a Senator

Here are a few images of the postcards Jeff Smith's congressional campaign mailed out back in 2004 to some 25,000 constituent attacking fellow candidate Russ Carnahan. Convicted felon, Democratic Party strategist, and suspected bomber Milton "Skip" Ohlsen allegedly assisted Smith in the mailings, wh ... More >>

What the Post-Dispatch Missed About Milton "Skip" Ohlsen

Ohlsen's mug shot as it appears in an arrest report from March 2008 when police in Ladue found him in possession of a stolen .40 caliber Glock handgun. ​If you didn't see it yesterday, the Post-Dispatch ran a front-page article on Milton "Skip" Ohlsen, the man behind a federal probe into state Sen ... More >>

Ohlsen's Former Wife Testified that He Was Behind "Voters for Truth", Used Multiple Aliases

Jeff Smith​The former wife of Milton "Skip" Ohlsen testified last year that her ex-husband operated Voters for Truth, the political committee at the center of a federal probe into state Senator Jeff Smith (D - St. Louis) and state Rep. Steve Brown (D - Clayton).  Smith and Brown are reportedl ... More >>

St. Louis Tea Party and MC Hammer: Kindred Spirits

​By its own admission, the St. Louis Tea Party has yet to make much impact on the public policy of President Barack Obama and the Democratically controlled Congress. But that's beginning to change, states St. Louis Tea Party organizer Bill Hennessey in a message to his flock. Following his group's ... More >>

Flour Flies as McArthur's Bakery Declares War on Russ Carnahan

If the Daily RFT were a bakery and wanted to show our displeasure with our local congressional representative, we'd ply him with gooey butter cake and stand over him and make sure he ate it all, until he was thoroughly sick. www.stlbeacon.org Revenge, thy name is McArthur.David McArthur, prop ... More >>

Forget Dying for the Pro-Life Cause. Let's Send Postcards Instead!

In November St. Louis' archdiocesan administrator, Bishop Robert Hermann, made headlines when he told church clergy: "I think any bishop here would consider it a privilege to die tomorrow to bring about an end to abortion." The bishop went on: "If we are willing to die tomorrow, then we should be ... More >>

Brain Drain

Unreal learns how to keep young, bright St. Louisans in town — and alive. Plus: Blog o' the Week, advice for the apocalypse and a chat with Bill the Thrill.

Sleeping Under the Arch

More than just a film festival

The Lamest Duck

In his final term, Dick Gephardt goes AWOL

WMDs Found at Last!

Our favorite inanimate objects celebrate birthdays, Russ Carnahan snags the Hefner endorsement, and Silver Dollar City gets political; plus, we find the real WMDs (in St. Charles!) and Bill Haas phones it in

The Absurd Third

Last-minute campaign shenanigans mark the final days in the race to replace Dick

Cowboy Him

A hometown boy's skills on the open range could win him $25K, Mariano Favazza offers a money-back guarantee, and Unreal gets to the seat of the issue at the new ballpark; plus, won't someone from the STL break the marathon-bowling record?

Letters

Week of February 28, 2001

The Redundant-Component Campaign

Vote for Gore, vote for Bush -- what's the difference?

A Twist of Faith

From her small-town Baptist roots to her run for public office, Jeanette Mott Oxford has relied on her religious convictions to overcome fear and prejudice -- including her own.