Dear Chuckles

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Senator Schumer:

When I saw you literally dance up to the podium last night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago I was hopeful that you would use your five minutes of prime time to not only deliver your professionally-crafted applause lines for Kamala Harris, but also put in a plug for the Democratic Senate candidates -  the incumbents as well as the aspirants - and you managed to do that, kinda sorta.

I took some time this morning to listen to your speech again and make a few notes.  You singled out five Democratic incumbents who are in tight races:  Jackie Rosen of Nevada, Jon Tester of Montana, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.  We all understand the importance of keeping Democratic control of the Senate, and re-electing those five is a critical part of that calculus.

In your pivot to highlighting the aspirants, you labeled them "our amazing candidates" and put the spotlight on Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, Collin Allred of Texas, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida.   They are a fine group of individuals and clearly all have the potential to be great senators.

Chuck, would it have interfered with your obvious buzz yesterday evening to have mentioned Lucas Kunce in Missouri?  The young and dynamic native Missourian and Marine Corps veteran has been campaigning relentlessly for over a year now to unseat Missouri Senator (and Virginia resident) Josh Hawley - and Kunce is running a very credible race.

You're aware of Hawley, aren't you Chuck?  He was the senator who had his fist in the air outside of the Capitol on January 6th giving open encouragement to the insurrectionists - and then later that same day he was running through the Capitol building in full panic mode as he fled from the same group of terrorists that he had been supporting just a few hours earlier.  I'm sure you must remember all of that Chuck.  I know I do - and so do thousands and thousands of Missourians - and we've all been waiting patiently for Election Day so that we can show Hawley just how well we remember his treachery and cowardice.

Not only did Josh Hawley openly support the US Supreme Court Dobbs' decision which took away the constitutional right of women in this country to access abortion care, his wife, Erin Hawley, is associated with the "Alliance Defending Freedom," a conservative Christian advocacy group that works to expand Christian religious influence and practices in public schools and government, outlaw abortion, and oppose LGBTQ rights.   They are a dangerous power couple on the order of Clarence and Ginni Thomas.

Did you know, Chuck, that Missouri ended almost all access to abortion services literally within minutes of the Dobbs decision, the first state to do so - and that the "show-me" state now has a constitutional amendment on the ballot for this November that will restore those rights?  That amendment is going to pass big time, and not only will it pass, it will also draw voters to the polls who would not normally have shown up.  And Chuck, those voters are very likely to support Democratic candidates.

You should not only be mentioning Lucas Kunce when you rattle off your list of "amazing candidates," you should also be sending some of the DSCC cash his way.  You certainly have no qualms about begging Missouri voters for donations to the DSCC.

Get Josh Hawley out of the Senate and replace him with a real Missourian like Lucas Kunce, and then, Chuck, you will really have something to dance about!

Keep those feet limber and happy!

Your Pal,

Pa Rock

West Plains, MO