Video: Roy Blunt & Fellow Missourians On "Pain at the Pump, Stories from Missouri"

Missouri GOP Caucuses Select Delegates, No Vote for President - from LA Times Politics

Missouri GOP Caucuses Select Delegates, No Vote for President - from LA Times PoliticsKim GeigerLink to story: click here.

March 17, 2012, 11:30 a.m.

Reporting from Washington —

Missouri Republicans gathered at caucus locations across the state Saturday morning to complete the first part of a multi-step process to decide how many delegates to apportion to each of the Republican presidential candidates.

If Missouri weighing in on the presidential election sounds a bit familiar, that’s because the state already held what amounted to a beauty contest primary last month. Rick Santorum won handily with 55% of the vote. Romney came in second with 25% and Ron Paul third with 12%. Newt Gingrichdidn’t make the ballot.

But those results don’t count because the state GOP decided to comply with new Republican National Committee rules that stipulate that any state holding a nominating contest earlier than March 6 would see the size of its delegation cut in half. After a failed effort to have the state legislature reschedule the February primary, the state GOP decided to maintain its 52 delegates by awarding them through a caucus system that begins today.

Self-declared Republicans who are registered to vote were eligible to participate in the county-level caucuses, most of which took place at 10 a.m. local time. Participants selected delegates who will go onto congressional district conventions in April and a state convention in June. They did not participate in a presidential preference straw poll, and, with few exceptions, the delegates they selected are not bound to any candidates.

At the congressional district conventions on April 21, the delegates chosen at the county-level conventions will select the delegates who will be sent to the national convention inTampa, Fla. Three delegates will be selected to represent each of the state’s eight congressional districts for a total of 24 delegates.

At the state convention on June 2, 25 at-large delegates and alternates will be selected to represent the state in Tampa.

At both conventions, the delegates will identify which candidates they prefer before the selection process takes place, and, if chosen to move on, they will be bound to those candidates on the first ballot in Tampa, unless a candidate drops out of the race and releases his delegates.

In addition, the state chairman, national committeeman and national committeewoman are automatic delegates.

kim.geiger@latimes.com

Joint meeting of Lafayette County Central Committee and Federated Women's Club to be Thursday, March 22

Thursday March 22-- Joint meeting between the Federated Republican Women's Club of Lafayette County and the Central Committee. The Federated Women's Club will meet at 7 p.m. to be followed by the Central Committee meeting at 7:30 p.m. The meetings will be held at historic Lafayette Hall, 10th and Franklin, Lexington, Mo. Both are open to the public and refreshments will be served. Joint program: recap of March 17th Caucus and planning of April 26th Lincoln Dinner.

Special to KC Star: Sen. Roy Blunt "On Energy, President Obama is out of touch"

SPECIAL TO KANSAS CITY STAR:

AS I SEE IT

On energy, President Obama is out of touch

BY SEN. ROY BLUNT

Special to The Star

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/28/3457514/as-i-see-it-on-energy-obama-is.html#storylink=cpy

As recent reports have noted, gasoline prices are on course to hit $4 a gallon by summertime — more than doubling since President Obama took office in January 2009 and marking a record high for February.

Higher prices at the gas pump hurt families and small businesses in Missouri and nationwide, delaying much-needed job creation and threatening our economic recovery.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration recently brushed off Americans’ concern over rising gas prices as a product of media hysteria that occurs every year as we head into peak driving season in the summer months. The reality is that people are feeling the consequences of the administration’s hostility to increased domestic energy production in the form of pain at the pump.

These policies have done nothing to help the people of Missouri and across the country, who are struggling with skyrocketing gas prices amid sustained high unemployment and slow economic growth.

What’s worse is that this administration continues to bet hard-earned taxpayer dollars on high-risk green companies like Solyndra, while dismissing shovel-ready projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would create 20,000 jobs at no taxpayer cost and decrease our nation’s heavy reliance on unstable foreign sources of oil.

The next best thing to energy we produce ourselves is more North American energy. More than 800,000 barrels of oil a day would go to our refineries from Canada if the administration would just say “yes.”

Recent price volatility also demonstrates the vulnerability of our energy supply to the increased use of different types of specialized gasoline formulations in certain localities. Current regulations require that unique blends of fuel — or so-called “boutique fuels” — are used in different states and cities in an attempt to curb pollution. This mandate often leads to needless and unexpected gas price hikes due to a higher chance of faster inventory depletion when gas supplies are low.

Recently, I introduced an amendment to the highway bill to simplify our fuel blends to help lower costs and provide more flexibility for consumers. Boutique fuels make localities such as Kansas City especially vulnerable to production problems, shortages and price swings. Ten years ago, the Kansas City area switched to a rare summer boutique blend that failed to clean the air but instead added more unnecessary and burdensome costs for area consumers.

As a result, The Kansas City Star recently reported that Kansas City area drivers have been paying on average 10 cents a gallon more than their neighbors. Simplifying our fuel blends is a step in the right direction to help lower costs and provide more flexibility for consumers in Missouri and nationwide.

Every developed economy in the world looks to their own resources to fuel their growth — yet the Obama administration continues to restrict access to our own American energy resources — demonstrating how out-of-touch it is with the gravity of our economic situation.

Our country needs the benefits and stability that come from American energy resources. We have the potential to jumpstart private-sector job creation and stimulate economic growth by enacting a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages more domestic oil production.

We also must utilize all forms of American energy — wind, solar, renewable, biomass, shale gas/oil, coal, and nuclear — that can offer us energy security and economic growth.

If President Obama really wants to support an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, he should stop blocking and delaying domestic energy production and enable all sources of energy we have here in the United States — starting with the Keystone XL Pipeline. The responsible development of more domestic energy will help create more private-sector jobs, bring down prices at the pump and position our nation for greater energy independence now and into the future.

Sen. Roy Blunt is a Missouri Republican.

Posted on Tue, Feb. 28, 2012 06:00 PM

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/28/3457514/as-i-see-it-on-energy-obama-is.html#storylink=cpy

Harley Amos Todd of rural Wellington-Napoleon area announces bid for Lafayette County Assessor

Amos Todd, who lives in the rural Wellington-Napoleon area, has announced he will run as a Republican candidate for the office of Lafayette County Assessor.

Amos graduated from Wellington-Napoleon R-9 in 1994 and went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts Degree from William Jewell College in 1999. For the past 12 years he has worked in the Real Estate and Finance industries. He has owned and operated a small business and is currently working as a Real Estate agent.
Amos stated, "As a real estate agent I have hands on experience estimating residential, commercial and land values. I have a strong work ethic and believe firmly in honesty and integrity. I feel that the combination of my work experience and my personal beliefs have given me the necessary qualifications to perform the duties of Lafayette County Assessor to the fullest."

Amos, his wife, Rheanna, and their son live on a family farm they recently purchased from his grandparents. In addition to share cropping a portion of the land, they run livestock and operate a roadside produce stand on the farm.

For more information about his campaign check here often.

Find him on Facebook: Friends to Elect Harley Amos Todd