It's great to be back following a couple of weeks of vacation which took me to the West Coast ... where I was happy to have SIRIUS XM in the car ... so I could listen to something other than the wall-to-wall coverage of the death of Michael Jackson. The Jackson story easily eclipsed the affair involving South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and his paramour in Argentina. It even poured cold water on word that former Senator John Edwards and his lover Rielle Hunter might have made a sex tape. Two questions: Who would want to see such a tape? ... And who in the name of all that is holy at Neverland Ranch would name a child Rielle?

But the political story that caught just about everyone off guard was the announcement by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin that she would step down from her job. There is no shortage of speculation as to what the woman referred to by detractors as Caribou Barbie plans to do once she leaves the Governor's Office in Juneau.

Many political pundits seem to think she is clearing the way for a presidential run in 2012. We don't know of that's the case. For all we know she and the "First Dude" could be involved in a scandal involving snowmobiles ... er ... make that snow machines. Or, maybe ... just maybe, mind you, she enjoyed her time in the spotlight when she was chosen as the Republican V.P. candidate and has grown bored with the land where the moose and the antelope play.

If the Alaska Gov does plan on a run for the White House in 2012, she had better consider spending some time in Missouri. I have written, in this space, about Missourians who simply adore Sarah Palin and who would be thrilled to support her in a presidential bid. Certainly, there are similar supporters in other states. And Sarah Palin will need the free time to attend as many statewide Republican events as time permits.

It's important to raise this issue because the Missouri GOP had worked hard to bring the Governor to Kansas City, earlier this year, for the Missouri Republican Party's annual Lincoln Days event. The rank and file with whom I spoke in the weeks prior to Lincoln Days expressed hope that their beloved Sarah would be the keynote speaker at the Saturday banquet. But it was not to be.

That's the past. It's history. We now look to the future. That future includes a Lincoln Days weekend in St. Charles next February.

In recent years, Missouri Republicans have succeeded in attracting such national figures as former Massachusetts Governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former Republican National Committee Chairman and current Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, and former U.S. Senate Leader Bill Frist.

As someone mentioned as a GOP contender for 2012, it's very probable that Romney would be quite happy to return to the Show-Me State ... and so might Barbour, who is said to be considering a White House run. Sarah Palin and a number of other Republicans who might be considering presidential bids will undoubtedly want to speak to the GOP faithful in Missouri in advance of the 2012 primary voting.

Sarah Palin must consider Missouri crucial to any potential national campaign. And with some free time in her future she might think of getting the jump on other Republican hopefuls by attending regional GOP events.

If she is interested in the presidency, the Alaska Governor already has a bit of an advantage over the other GOP candidates. Many prominent Missouri Republicans credit her with John McCain's extremely narrow victory over Barack Obama in this state last November. Remember, when John McCain was drawing 3,000 and 6,000 people to events in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas ... Sarah Palin drew 20,000 in Springfield, about 10,000 in Cape Girardeau, and between 8,000 and 10,000 to a weekday rally on the south lawn of the State Capitol in the thriving Metropolis of Jefferson. Many of those prominent Republicans - including Senator "Kit" Bond - jokingly suggest he and others voted for Sarah Palin and the gentleman who was also in the ticket.

From a reporter's perspective ... I can only hope that Sarah Palin - if she is a candidate for the White House - will spend time answering questions from local journalists and not just from the national media who are not as interested in how she would implement policies important to the American people than the reporters are with which articles Palin reads in Vogue magazine or in The New York Times.

Note to Sarah Palin ... visit us in Missouri ... unless some of John McCain's marvelous handlers offer to assist you and you accept. If that happens it's likely that even the adoration of so many Missourians won't be enough to help you.

- Steve Walsh

Some days ago I informed one and all I am on vacation ... driving to the West Coast. I added that while I would be taking time off, a good reporter is "on" 24/7 and must constantly be on the lookout for interesting stuff to write about. I found something on Tuesday in Phoenix, Arizona.

But first, it must be said that Missourinet News Director Bob Priddy told me I should not BWV - Blog While Vacationing - unless there is a connection to Missouri. Ergo ... I start off by telling you I attended the Arizona Diamondbacks-Texas Rangers game Tuesday night in downtown Phoenix. St. Louis native and University of Missouri alum Max Scherzer was on the mound for the Snakes, pitching six strong innings for the win. Now that is a Missouri connection!

Okay ... onto some political stuff ...

While the Missouri General Assembly called it a session more than a month ago, the Arizona Legislature is still at it, having just completed its work on a new budget. I visited with some of the scribes who cover politics in Arizona and exchanged war stories. They seemed to like the fact that Missouri has a constitutional end to its legislative session while Arizona does not.

They also informed me that there was often disagreement between Arizona's Republican-controlled House and its Republican-controlled Senate over fiscal issues ... like the budget. They asked if that happened in Missouri and I assured them that in Missouri there are NO disagreements between the Republican-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate - In Missouri it's all out war!

As for the actual proceedings ... I sat in on a bit of the goings on in both the Senate and House and found it's a lot like what we have back in the thriving Metropolis of Jefferson. Each chamber begins the day with a prayer followed by the pledge of allegiance. Then, before getting down to actual business, the members request unanimous consent to introduce special guests - much like Missouri's Capitol.

There was even a protest outside the Capitol ... with a group of people complaining about not getting enough from the government ... just like Missouri's Capitol.

Now to a profound difference between THEM and US. Members of both the House and Senate have laptop computers - ON THEIR DESKS - and nobody seems to mind that lawmakers a century ago didn't have access to the Internet.

What is a little odd is that just about everyone in the galleries (including yours truly) was working an IPhone or its ancestor - the Blackberry. What is disturbing is that some phones in the gallery actually rang during the floor debates ... causing lawmakers to stop for a moment while the final bars of "When the Saints Go Marching In" wafted through the chamber. But no one brought down the gavel and ordered people in the gallery to turn off their phones! Can you imagine Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, while presiding over the Senate, standing by and saying nothing about a phone going off?

So, what have we learned today? We have learned that while the Missouri Senate does not allow members to use computers on the floor and Arizona does ... Missouri's respect for decorum wins the day as cell phone ringing in the gallery is not tolerated. We have also learned that people who want something from the government - any government in any state - can be counted on to show up and protest that they're not getting what they consider to be their fair share. Finally, we have learned that Mizzou alum Max Scherzer is a heckuva pitcher.

Until we chat again ...

- Steve Walsh

A look ahead to Monday and a program note.

Our senior U.S. Senator - one Christopher "Kit" Bond - is guest hosting CNBC's Squawk Box - which is billed as the network's signature morning program that brings Wall Street to Main Street.

The Senator will be joined by Squawk Box anchors Becky Quick, Joe Kernen, and Carl Quintanilla ... as well as other special guests throughout the show.

It'll run from 6:00 to 8:00 Missouri time.

Last, but not least ... I am taking leave of my post for a couple of weeks and am heading to the West Coast. But I'll be checking in regularly to keep track of what is going on in the Missouri political world. And if something strikes me as interesting I'll blog. So, if you want to reach me, drop me an e-mail. Stay cool!

- Steve Walsh

Earlier this week we posted a number of pieces from Missourinet's Brent Martin as he attended the Current Strategy Forum in Rhode Island. The gathering has now concluded and Brent has filed one final piece.

- Steve

There is an irony to this final post about the Current Strategy Forum which was held at Newport, Rhode Island this week. I have returned to my home in Jefferson City, pondering all that was said and attempting to summarize the lessons learned. One of the struggles I faced during my stay was relating a forum sponsored by the Naval War College to an audience in Missouri, which is far from a Navy state. As I write, West-Central Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton addresses the 520 graduates of the Naval War College during a ceremony held on Dewey Field at Naval Station Newport.

I was invited to stay and cover the Congressman’s address, but having spent enough of Learfield’s money (and my wife Tami and daughter Mackenzie having spent enough of our money), I had to decline and return home, missing an obvious Missouri-tie to the week’s events.

The information provided the Public Affairs Officers who so graciously helped me during the week indicates the scope of the CSF. According to a press release by the Navy, "The Naval War College’s missions today are developing strategic and operations leaders, helping the Chief of Naval Operations define the future Navy, strengthening maritime security cooperation and supporting combat readiness." The War College offers a 10-month postgraduate course not only to Navy officers, but officers in all branches of the military as well as to civilian federal agencies and international naval officers. The graduating class this year includes 298 members of the Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army and Coast Guard as well as civilian government employees. It also includes 115 international students from 65 countries. Many of the questions asked of speakers during the CSF came from officers in foreign militaries studying at the War College.

Naval War College President, Rear Admiral James "Phil" Wisecup, wrapped up the two-day event by telling attendees that as he considers what was discussed during the 48 hours of the CSF, he’s processing the information shared, information both broad in its range of topics and deep in its quality of analysis. The CSF attempts to accurately assess the status of the United States in the world today and consider what challenges the nation, especially its military, might face in the future.

It began with an incredible overview of the confidence-shaking world financial crisis which brought the nation horribly close to another Great Depression. The talk by Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff reminded everyone that the country’s overall strength and security is tied closely to its economic viability. As difficult as this current recession has been, it is incredibly similar to other economic crises in the past, according to Rogoff, who said we shouldn’t be lulled into believing the economy is different this time. He said the country ignored numerous warnings of a pending recession, stating, "We had all of the red lights blinking." Rogoff said he believes the worst is behind us, with stocks typically taking three years to recover. He added that he worries about the government’s "stunning rise in debt" that he believes will spark inflation.

One of the themes which threaded through the CSF was accurately assessing America’s status in the world. All who broached it stated it was a difficult topic. America stood astride of the world after the Second World War and became the counterweight to the Soviet Union in a Cold War that posed grave threats to world peace. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1989, leaving America as the lone Super Power. It seemed a new day had dawned and it had. Only it wasn’t the day we had expected. Terrorism rose throughout the world, but shook us awake to its deadly nature on September 11th of 2001. Now America faces multiple threats from rogue governments in North Korea and Iran, but also from terrorist networks and cells just as lethal, but more nimble than past opponents.

Still, making an accurate assessment of the current state of affairs and accurately predicting the future is nearly impossible. That reminder came from Eliot Cohen of Johns Hopkins University who stated we really cannot identify trends and problems that the nation might face in the future.

"I don’t think humanity walks into the future, we back into it," Eliot told the CSF. To illustrate the point, Cohen played what he called "Decade Leap Frog".

He called June of 1909, a century ago, the high summer of European civilization. Europe dominated the world and was at peace. In 1919, Europe is shattered, great Empires have vanished, communism has taken over Russia. Eliot stated no one could have predicted that a decade earlier. He noted that in June of 1929, the Stock Market had not yet crashed, reconciliation between Great Britain, France and Germany had taken place and Russia had been marginalized. In 1939, the Great Depression had severely weakened governments and a new form of totalitarianism had arisen under the leadership of Adolph Hitler in Germany, threatening everyone. The game continues with the incredible promise of one decade fading into chaos and conflict in the next.

AUDIO:  Cohen describes "Decade Leap Frog" (20 min MP3)

State Department Director of Policy Planning, Anne-Marie Slaughter, seized upon the theme of the Current Strategy Forum 2009, "Seizing Strategic Opportunities: Challenging the Paradigm" in her address. Slaughter said it is an incredible time to be considering such things. She identified three broad areas where she sees the paradigms of how we analyze the world shifting. The biggest shift, in Slaughter’s view, is from a hierarchical world to a horizontal world. Nations can still pose threats, but terrorism poses a deadly threat to which governments find difficulty responding. The second big paradigm shift, according to Slaughter, is from alliances to partnerships. She said formal alliances with their broad agreements and requirements have faded into the background with less-formal partnerships now being formed to address specific issues. The third paradigm shift outlined by Slaughter is the shift from an inter-state world to an inter-people world. She said there remains classic power politics, inter-state conflict, but non-state actors, such as terrorists, now can threaten a nation’s security.

AUDIO: Slaughter addresses CSF (40 min MP3)

One of the most interesting speakers at the CSF wasn’t a member of the Obama Administration, a military officer or an academic. Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and founder of the nonprofit Central Asia Institute, has been sought out by the military for his cross-cultural expertise in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His foundation promotes education, especially for girls, in the remote regions of the two countries.

Mortenson told CSF attendees that ignorance is the real enemy in the volatile region in which the United States military is working to uproot terrorists. He said the Taliban is trying to drive a wedge between the youth of the region and their elders, breaking the bond that would keep the youth from becoming terrorists. He says radical Islamic leaders peel the youth from their families and villages, break those bonds and teach a new ideology. He said that if America wants success in the battle against terrorism, it must think in terms of generations, not decades, presidential cycles or military rotations. Mortenson calls it a very difficult, long, tedious, but beautiful process. He said he is convinced that education has to be one of the top priorities.

Mortenson said that though the majority of terrorists are young boys, the key to disrupting their recruitment is the education of girls. He said the education of girls changes society in that remote region of the world. The reason, according to Mortenson, is that when girls become educated, it reduces infant mortality, reduces the population explosion and improves the quality of health, which improves their overall lives. Also, girls will teach their mothers how to read and write, which breeds a more civil society. Mortenson said the cultural impact has been noticed by the Taliban, which has been targeting schools the last three years, bombing more than 500 schools in Afghanistan and 320 schools in Pakistan. About 80% of the schools destroyed are schools for girls. Mortenson says the Taliban fears the pen more than the sword.

AUDIO:  Mortenson speech to CSF (55 min MP3)

Perhaps this might seem to be a lengthy blog. In truth, it only scratches the surface of the discussion that took place at the Current Strategy Forum, a discussion that takes place every year in Newport, Rhode Island as the Naval War College pauses to consider our place in the world and our role in maintaining peace.

Brent Martin

Hot on the heels of this week's announcement that the Missouri Republican Party is filing an ethics complaint against Secretary of State and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Robin Carnahan ... the Missourinet newsroom began receiving phone calls from Democrats here in Missouri and in Washington. These folks wanted to know why we ran the Robin Carnahan story but have done little with their news releases regarding Congressman and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Blunt.

I personally received not one ... not two ... but three calls over the course of two days. And while discussing politics was and always will be entertaining, the callers were unable to convince me their Blunt stories were newsworthy ... and I was unable to convince them of the merits of our decision-making process.

The first concern raised by the Democratic callers - that the filing of an ethics report is not a story - must be dismissed. The story was covered by most Missouri media including the Missourinet, the Associated Press, the Kansas City Star, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The claim by a couple of the callers that this is a nuisance complaint might or might not be true ... but the fact is Missouri's Secretary of State (or someone representing her) will have to respond to this official complaint - and that certainly makes this newsworthy.

Now to Roy Blunt. Democrats in Missouri and Washington have been working overtime sending out press releases regarding the southwest Missouri Congressman and what he is doing that Dems feel is not only bad, but newsworthy. One such item, this week, involved Blunt's opposition to a bill that included what is referred to as a "poison pill" - an unwelcome and often unrelated addition to legislation a lawmaker might otherwise support.

This was the case with legislation that tied troop funding to a $108 billion line of credit for the International Monetary Fund. House Republicans opposed the IMF provision and, therefore, rejected the whole package. At this point the Dems began shouting Republicans were not supporting the troops. It is true that when George W. Bush was President it was Republicans who would tie agricultural and other issues to troop funding bills and they would dare Democrats to vote against funding the troops. But wasn't the new regime in Washington supposed to change all that? Perhaps we haven't really had much "change" after all.

I asked one of the Dems with whom I spoke why President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress didn't simply come up with a "clean bill" for everyone to consider - not a bill weighed down with riders that have nothing to do with supporting our troops. One responded that this is how things are done in Washington. Doesn't that speak volumes?

I suggested that if the people in charge had put up a "clean" troop funding bill ... and Blunt and other Republicans had opposed it ... we would have a story - a great story. But this is nothing more than "Inside the Beltway" political games being played ... and no one should be surprised that there is frustration because of the Missouri media's reluctance to play along.

- Steve Walsh

An improved version of an agreement to bring the Kansas City Chiefs' training camp from Wisconsin to St. Joseph has been approved by the Missouri Development Finance Board ... and the Chiefs will stay in St. Joe for at least ten years.

The finalized agreement has the Missouri Development Finance Board awarding the Chiefs $25 million in financial incentives to relocate. In exchange for that the Chiefs agree to contribute $10 million in proceeds from the sale of the tax incentives to help Missouri Western State University build a new $13.4 athletic facility on its campus.

The Chiefs would use the facility for about three weeks each summer ... with Missouri Western students, faculty and community members getting the chance to use it the rest of the year.

An earlier agreement from the MDFB only guaranteed a five year stay for the team at Missouri Western.

- Steve Walsh

Missourinet's Brent Martin is in New England attending the Current Strategy Forum in Rhode Island. And he has written yet another entry - his third - for the Missourinet Blog. So, here goes.

- Steve

Ok, ok I planned to write a lengthy blog about the Current Strategy Forum sponsored by the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. That blog will come, but not yet.

The day has been long, the flight comes early in the morning and my energy is low. Also, I don’t want to shortchange all that I learned these last couple of days. I had no idea what the CSF would be. Now that I have experienced the two days of discussion about America’s role in the world, the threats and dangers it faces and how it should respond to a rapidly changing world, I am nearly overwhelmed.

I came to Newport at the invitation of West-Central Congressman Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. When I would disclose that I worked for the Missourinet and lived in Jefferson City, Missouri, far from any ocean, I got some looks. That is, until I mentioned that I came at the invitation of Congressman Skelton. That seemed to be magic. Everyone here seems to know the Congressman and hold him in great respect.

The reaction of many of my fellow attendees is that it will take a while to fully digest all of the information shared. Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, urged attendees from the Naval War College to take time to think, which he says is needed now more than ever. I am no student at the War College, but feel I have taken a crash course. I plan to think about what I have learned and write more later.

- Brent Martin

A rumor making the rounds in the thriving Metropolis of Jefferson has Governor Jay Nixon vetoing part of a budget bill that would give millions of dollars of funding to the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center in Columbia.

In fact, Senator Kurt Schaefer of Columbia is urging residents of Boone County to call the Governor's Office to ask that money not be withheld. He's doing it through those popular robo calls. Just about anyone with a phone in Boone County has received or will receive a call asking that the Governor be called.

I called the Senator to learn from whence this information came ... and he told me the source was "very reliable" and that he could not divulge any name.

A quick check with Scott Holste at the Governor's Office provided no confirmation ... and no denial, either. Scott gave me the standard line that the office of any Governor is bound to give at this time of year: The Governor and his staff are going through the budget line by line. He added Missouri is facing challenges ... and that every item is being looked at closely.

I spoke to Scott around 2 o'clock on Wednesday and he could not tell me how many calls the Governor's office had received.

- Steve Walsh

As we told you earlier this week, Missourinet's Brent Martin is attending the Current Strategy Forum in Newport, Rhode Island. He has filed another piece ... and here it is:

- Steve

Information overload.

That seems to sum up the Current Strategy Forum being held in Newport, Rhode Island. The forum sponsored by the Naval War College located here has brought together the top brass of the Navy with civilian leaders from much of the country to discuss what threats the country faces now and might face in the future.

It might seem odd, but the forum began with the keynote address by Harvard professor Kenneth Rogoff about the economy. Rogoff says the global economy had a heart attack and he believes it survived. He says the global financial crisis of late 2008 and early 2009 was the worst economic crisis the country has faced since World War II and nearly plunged the United States into another Great Depression. He predicts it will take years for the economy to recover. Rogoff remains concerned about the debt the government is running up and worries that a “stunning rise in debt” will trigger inflation.

Secretary of the Navy Raymond Mabus predicted that no matter how well the military plans, the country will face threats and challenges which we cannot see today. A panel of professors stated that America will continue to dominate on the world stage, though its status cannot be taken for granted. Stephen Walt of Harvard, G. John Ikenberry of Princeton and Mitchell Reiss with The College of William and Mary discussed America’s role in the world. America enjoyed prosperity and stability after World War II even with the advent of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world entered a new, unstable period. No longer did countries face a threat that forced them to ban together to hold off a common foe.

Chief of Naval Operations Gary Roughead says the public must be part of the discussion about how the military protects the nation. He says the world is more inter-connected, fragile and easily disrupted. He calls it a disordered world.

A panel that truly interested me was one which looked back to look forward. Three prominent history professors reviewed the role of history in peering into the future and concluded that history can only help inform decisions, not guide actions. Donald Kagan of Yale says that people assume peace is the natural order of world, but that history discloses that that isn’t the case. He says the preservation of peace requires active planning. Eliot Cohen of Johns Hopkins says humanity doesn’t walk into the future, it backs into it. He says we see the things that have already happened, more or less clearly, the stuff in front of us we don’t see at all. Daniel Byman of Georgetown says terrorism doesn’t just threaten the United States, it can undermine countries friendly to us. He calls the historic transformation of the economies of India and China “truly a game-changer."

Those are just thumbnail sketches of the incredible amount of information discussed during the first of the two days of the Current Strategy Forum, much to ponder long after I leave Newport.

- Brent Martin

We all know that our junior U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill ... aka ... Our Claire ... is a huge supporter of President Barack Obama. But she's making it clear she won't roll over and play dead when the President does something she thinks is wrong.

Case in point ... the President fired Gerald Walpin, the Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service ... telling Congress - on Thursday - that he had lost confidence in Walpin. Interestingly enough, Claire authored a law requiring the President to give Congress 30 days advance notice of an IG's dismissal and a solid reason for the firing. He didn't follow the rules and Claire doesn't like it.

Tuesday, our junior Senator issued a statement regarding the Walpin removal:

It was back on March 5th, 1946, that President Harry Truman and former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill descended on a gymnasium at Westminster College in Fulton. And it was a speech titled the Sinews of Peace in which Churchill gave the world a phrase used thereafter to describe the freedomless Soviet Bloc of Eastern Europe. That speech became known as the Iron Curtain speech.

It was a little more than a couple of decades later that the Churchill Memorial and Library of the United States opened on the campus of Westminster. Now, a resolution put forward by Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer and passed by Congress makes the Memorial America's National Churchill Museum

The 9th District Congressman joined Westminster College officials on campus in May to announce his introduction of the resolution for the new designation.

- Steve Walsh

Missourinet's Brent Martin is spending some time at the Naval War College in Rhode Island, attending the 2009 Current Strategy Forum. He's filed a preview of the conference and hopes to send us additional blog material during the week. Enjoy!

- Steve

Greetings from Newport, Rhode Island!

I have the privilege this week to attend the 2009 Current Strategy Forum sponsored by the Naval War College which offered its first class on October 6, 1884. The college sits on Coasters Harbor Island in Narragansett Bay. Founding President Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce stated, "The War College is a place of original research on all questions relating to war and to statesmanship connected with war, or the prevention of war."

More than 24,000 U.S. military and international officers have graduated from the college over the years as well as hundreds of senior federal service civilian executives, according to the Naval War College Web site.

My invitation came via Congressman Ike Skelton, the West-Central Missouri Congressman who chairs the House Armed Services Committee. I arrive here officially as a participant, but also as a journalist. It will be interesting to see how the two mix. In my invitation, Congressman Skelton indicated that the military learns a great deal from the civilians who participate in the forum. I’m not sure that I have anything to contribute. I am excited about covering the event.

This is the 60th Current Strategy Forum sponsored by the Naval War College, which began in May of 1949 under the title "Round Table Talks". The forum, known as the CSF here, offers an opportunity for the nation’s public servants, scholars and senior military officers to join the Naval War College faculty and students to discuss the future strategy of the United States. The theme this year is "Seizing Strategic Opportunities: Challenging the Paradigm."

A host of impressive speakers are scheduled for the two-day event, Tuesday and Wednesday. Several top college professors will address the challenges and opportunities facing the country, especially with the backdrop of war in both Iraq and Afghanistan. A panel of history professors will look back to look forward, discussing how a knowledge of history should guide future strategy. Military officers will speak. Scheduled to address the forum are Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations and General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marines Corps. We also will hear from the State Department and various think-tanks.

This opportunity comes at a crucial time in our nation’s history, perhaps made even more crucial as the military adjusts to a new administration which has been attempting to accommodate the military role it inherited with its own view of the United States’ place in the world.

-Brent Martin

What kind of person who could be spending a wonderful Saturday swimming or fishing or boating would spend that day at a tax rally? Several thousand Missourians who headed to the Boone County Fairgrounds in Columbia for the Midwest Fair Tax Rally ... that's who.

They came by car, bus, camel ... okay ... maybe they didn't come by camel. But that's not the point here. The point is they came to show their support for the so-called Fair Tax, which would replace the income tax with an expanded sales tax on certain goods and services. Much like the Tea Party events held some months back at the State Capitol and at other venues throughout the Show-Me State and throughout the country ... it was a peaceful event with a lot of people enjoying themselves.

The event had its share of stars ... including syndicated radio talk show host Neal Boortz, former Godfather's Pizza President and CEO Herman Cain, and Samuel J. Wurzelbacher ... aka ... Joe the Plumber. And it had politicians ... from Congressman John Linder of Georgia - Boortz's co-author of a couple of Fair Tax books - to former Missouri Lieutenant Governor Bill Phelps ... to several Missouri State Representatives including Ed Emery, who authored the Missouri Fair Tax legislation, which failed to make it through the General Assembly this year. But the Rep plans to try again next year and believes the movement is gaining momentum.

I was talking with my friend Sara Dickson of Jefferson City at one of the book booths when Yancy Williams from Senator Kurt Schaefer's office came over ... and asked us if we wanted to go back to where the "cool kids" were hanging out - the "cool kids" included Neal Boortz and Joe the Plumber. This gave me a chance to conduct some interviews and to take some photos. Sara asked me to take a shot of her with Joe the Plumber ... and I am taking it upon myself to include the photo ... because I told her I would.

Okay ... let's move to the speechifying. While Boortz, Cain, and Joe the Plumber were entertaining and delivering just what the crowd wanted to hear .... it was the comments of a woman by the name of Jessica Wexler of Kansas City, a Democrat and a supporter of both President Obama and Senator Claire McCaskill, that caught my attention. Never one to let an opportunity to crack a joke go to waste ... I asked this woman why, as a Democrat, she supports the Fair Tax ... and she told me it would actually make those earning high wages "pay their fair share" because they wouldn't be able to cut taxes through imaginative tax deductions hidden in the tax code. I then joked ... "So, you believe that under the Fair Tax (Treasury Secretary) Tim Geithner would actually pay his taxes?!" HA! I couldn't resist.

John Putnam, Volunteer Missouri State Director for Americans for Fair Taxation and one of the organizers of the event, was thrilled with the turnout, saying it's quite an accomplishment when you can inspire thousands of Missourians to spend a Saturday listening to speeches about taxes - when it isn't even tax season. The reaction with most of the people with whom I chatted was that they had had a fun day ... and it sure beat cutting the grass or washing the car.

- Steve Walsh

Okay ... this has nothing at all to do with politics (unless office politics fall into that category) ... but it's a Friday afternoon entry that involves something that has brought peace and harmony to the Missourinet newsroom. So, it's worth a paragraph or five in the Missourinet Blog.

For weeks we have had to endure ... make that suffer through ... News Director Bob Priddy's squeaking chair as he rocked back and forth - just as the sea ebbs and flows - while doing phone interviews. The big difference was that the ocean's waves are pleasant to listen to ... while the squeaking of Bob's Chair led to partial insanity on the part of certain members of the staff.

After suggesting that one of us head to the store to buy a can of "Squeak No More" or "WD-40" ... the unbearable squeaking continued as no one took it upon himself (or herself) to actually trek to the store to make that all important purchase.

I would be less than truthful if I didn't mention that the situation got so bad that Bob starting receiving anonymous death threats from members of the staff because the noise was unbearable. It was like accidentally turning on your TV to MSNBC to find Keith Olbermann was once again ranting about Bill O'Reilly. Which reminds me ... If Bill O'Reilly were to pack it in and call it a career ... would that be the end of Keith Olbermann's career, too? I mean, what else would he have to talk about? But I digress.

Back to the unbearable squeaking. Jessica Machetta - the blessed one - journeyed to a local grocery store ... the one that offers "a helpful smile in every aisle" ... and purchased a can of WD-40. Like a pair of genetically engineered turkeys that have difficulty mating ... we had trouble finding the sweet spot on Bob's chair once we commandeered the seat. But we found it ... and ended the squeaking. And all was good, again, in the thriving Metropolis of Jefferson.

Enjoy the weekend.

- Steve Walsh

Washington University in Saint Louis Law Professor Tom Schweich has decided not to run for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond.

Schweich, a former U.S. Ambassador in Afghanistan and a protege of former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Danforth had toured the state last month as he explored the possibility of running. He said, at the time, that he would only run if he thought his candidacy would help the party hold onto the Bond seat.

I had a brief chat with the ambassador and he told me he's decided to get behind Congressman Roy Blunt and hopes other Missouri Republicans unite behind Blunt, as well:

Download Tomschweich (:60 MP3)

Here's the press release in which he makes his announcement:

Still no word from former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman on her plans to run for the Senate seat.

- Steve Walsh

MoDOT, your friendly neighborhood State Transportation Department, is taking part in a national effort to collect interesting travel stories from the road. It's actually the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials doing the collecting ... but MoDOT and other transportation departments throughout the country are helping out.

Enough with the set up ... let's get to the meat of this. What these folks are looking for are people's favorite road trip stories. And it could go well beyond the kids asking "Are we there yet?" and you telling the kids to shut up or you'll leave them on the side of the road. The story could be one involving a trip to the beach ... or a trip to a ballpark ... or a road trip to see a creepy relative.

Keep the stories to 300 words or less ... and you could win a prize.

Remember ... no story is too embarrassing ... because people who check in will no doubt want to read about all the awkward situations you have come up with on your road trips. Okay ... maybe most people don't want to read about it ... but I will ... because if we get someone from Missouri telling a strange story it would make good Blog material.

- Steve Walsh