Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is no stranger to bad looks, but the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s bold stance against military veterans getting "discounts" may be his worst look yet.
Ashcroft debuted his criticism of perks for servicemen and women at a candidate forum this past weekend. The unusually hostile answer came in response to a softball of a question: how can the state better support its veterans and active duty personnel?
"This isn't really probably what you want as the answer to your question," Ashcroft began his answer, not incorrectly, before saying: "I don't think we ought to say, 'If you're in the military we'll give you this discount, but everybody else has to pay twice as much."
He added in a sort of falsetto, "I don't think that's good government."
Ashcroft (kinda) clarified that people in his family have served. Then, in the tone of someone speaking about a neighbor's kitchen remodel, he said about veterans, "I like what they've done."
It is unclear exactly what discounts Ashcroft was referring to — perhaps the fact that Missouri state parks allow those mooching war heroes to camp for $2 less than everyone else.
It is worth noting that as a young man Ashcroft was "effectively kicked out" of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy because, in his own words, he "did not apply myself as I should have academically."
Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, who is running against Ashcroft, had this to say about his opponent's bizarre new campaign plank: "For Jay Ashcroft to treat our veterans as anything less than heroes is disrespectful to all veterans and their families. Communities across our state value our nation’s heroes and their service and sacrifice to our country, and they would want their governor to do the same. As governor, I’m going to work to make Missouri the best state in the nation for our veterans."
To be fair to Ashcroft, he was attempting to say that all Missourians should be equal under the law, though this was probably among the worst possible ways to make that point.
Also, if he wants all Missourians to be treated equally by state government, it is curious that his party is pushing an initiative petition reform that would give rural, conservative areas of the state proportionally more power than St. Louis and Kansas City. Also, one wonders how he would apply the logic to myriad other issues, like the broad immunity from liability enjoyed by gun manufacturers but not manufacturers of many other products — or tax exempt status for churches.
But what the hell, now that he’s come after military veterans, it’s clear that no third rail is off limits. Could a takedown of the big man upstairs himself be next?
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