To Vote or Not To Vote? | Grandma’s Stories

Oct 14th To Vote or Not To Vote?

The Missouri Democratic Committee sent a “Flyer” out to all Current Residents and this is my view after reading! Just under my address, they have this statement; The National School Lunch Program ensures 650,000 Missouri elementary school children are hungry to learn instead of just hungry.

Starting with page one (1) are pictured four (4) Republican Senators, “WHO ” voted for a total of 26 times for the school lunch program. And under that statement a large picture of four (4) students with their lunch trays and smiling faces. The food on their trays is not nutritious, nothing wholesome enough to increase “brain” incentive or power?

Pages 2 and 3 spell out the “Hate” message, against a Republican Senator who opposes federal spending. America is too deep in debt! So, what’s wrong with someone who understands that America has to stop spending! Also, center spread page, a large picture of a young boy holding a tray of lunch, an apple, juice, milk and a white bun clearly seen, what kind of proper lunch is this? The boy’s face tells the story, his hair almost covers his eyes, “I don’t want to be here! On this same picture, looks like high scholars, two with milk cartons, and the boys at the next sitting area, one has his feet in the face of another with hamburger at mouth trying to eat? (poor photo staging)?

The “Flyer ” message is that, Senator Todd Akin’s words and views are too extreme for Missouri. My message is that we need to elect more people with words and views similar to those of “Todd Akin’s!”

Missouri’s U.S. Senate race is shaping up as one of stark contrasts — and a dream matchup for both Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and her newly minted Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin.

Within hours of Akin winning the Republican nomination, McCaskill was casting him as a conservative extremist who would jeopardize seniors’ health care and retirement savings while putting college out of reach for all but the rich. Akin countered by portraying McCaskill — one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the nation — as a budget-busting, tax-hiking, big-spending liberal.

The clash of ideals is welcomed by both candidates. In fact, McCaskill’s ads highlighting Akin’s conservative credentials helped persuade some people to vote for Akin in Tuesday’s primary against self-financing businessman John Brunner and former Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman, who had been endorsed by Sarah Palin. Akin won 36 percent of the vote, compared with 30 percent for Brunner and 29 percent for Steelman.

McCaskill, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, immediately began targeting Akin for the November general election by using his own words against him. She launched a website Wednesday featuring video clips in which Akin expresses opposition to federal student loans and the minimum wage, says he doesn’t like the Social Security program and supports changes to Medicare that could include vouchers for people to buy insurance policies.

“Todd Akin is out of the mainstream,” McCaskill said as she kicked off her campaign with a news conference at a Kansas City sheet metal fabricator. A sign touting her as “a senator on our side” was propped on a raised forklift.

“We’re going to prove to Missourians that Todd Akin is out of touch with their problems, out of touch with the pain that they feel, and out of touch with the views that they hold dear,” she said.

Akin contends it is McCaskill who is out of touch — and to the left — of most Missourians. His prime example: McCaskill’s support for President Barack Obama’s health care law, which received a symbolic vote of disapproval when Missourians passed a 2010 ballot measure rejecting government mandates for people to have health insurance. Akin wants to repeal the federal health care law.

Akin also accuses McCaskill of voting “to bust the budget” by backing Obama’s 2009 stimulus act and says she supports “job-killing red-tape regulation,” although he doesn’t go into a lot of specifics.

“If she’s a moderate, I sure don’t want to run into a liberal,” Akin said in an election night interview with The Associated Press. An Akin spokesman said the candidate planned no public events before ramping up his campaign again next week.

While Akin replenishes his campaign account, conservative groups are keeping the pressure on McCaskill.