Missouri Democrats Want to Change the Rules on Who Gets In Capitol Hall of Famous Missourians March 15, 2012

The fallout from the Rush Limbaugh bust controversy continues.
Today House Democrats in Jefferson City proposed changing the rules for who gets in to the ‘Hall of Famous Missourians’.
This developed because of the controversy over remarks made by Missouri native, conservative broadcaster Rush Limbaugh.
Now, it is up to the Speaker of the Missouri House to determine who gets in. The Democrats describe it as an institution that doesn’t legally exist. The House Speaker decides who is included. traditionally, the Speaker then raises the money to have a bust sculpted and placed in the state capitol.
Noteworthy Missourians with busts in the capitol include Mark Twain, Omar Bradley and former President Harry Truman.
Under the Democrat’s’ plan, the screening panel would be expanded. In order to achieve the honor, a nominee would have to get the votes of three of the four following officials; the Speaker; The Senate president pro tem; House minority leader and Senate minority leader.
Democrats say they’ll try to attach this plan to a bill already making its way the legislature.
Earlier, Democrats asked the state’s Office of Administration to deny providing space for any Limbaugh bust.

Tilley Defends Limbaugh Bust, Takes Heat from Capitol Tour Group March 9, 2012

Post-Dispatch:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. • House Speaker Steven Tilley’s plan to honor controversial talk radio host Rush Limbaugh sparked an outcry this week, but Tilley is standing his ground.
A bronze bust of Limbaugh is supposed to be added to the Capitol’s Hall of Famous Missourians, where it will stand alongside Sacajawea, Mark Twain, Walt Disney and Bob Barker (famous faces still missing from the hall include Dick Van Dyke, Maya Angelou, Chuck Berry and T.S. Eliot).
Pointing to Limbaugh’s latest scandal in which he called a Georgetown law student who publicly advocated access to contraceptives a “slut” and a “prostitute,” Democratic leaders and other groups have said the Cape Girardeau-native should not be included among the honorees.
On Thursday, Tilley met with about a dozen University of Missouri students who are part of a group known as Students for a Better Missouri.
“This induction would turn our hall of fame into nothing but a hall of shame,” said Nicole Silvestri, president of the group. “We should be honoring people who better society, not people who outwardly and purposely offend the citizens of this country,”
But Tilley wasn’t swayed.
“I listened to what their concerns were,” he said. “I respect their opinions, and I hope they respect mine.”
Some have questioned whether Limbaugh meets the test of being a Missourian who has “made outstanding contributions to the state, the nation and the world.” That’s the language used in a 2002 outline of the Famous Missourians program.
Tilley said he thinks Limbaugh is worthy of the honor because he is a notable entertainer. His radio show reaches more than 15 million listeners each week.

Democratic Women, Including McCaskill, Fill Campaign Bank Accounts Thanks to Rush March 8, 2012

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Sen. Claire McCaskill was so disturbed by Rush Limbaugh’s description of a law school student as a “slut” and “prostitute” that she decided to repeat his rhetoric, featuring it in a fundraising appeal sent to thousands of supporters around the country. The tactic has paid off nicely for the Democrat’s re-election campaign.
McCaskill is one of several female Democratic candidates facing competitive races who are seeking to capitalize on the conservative radio host’s comments to fuel their quests for the U.S. Senate or House. Their message: You can help fight Limbaugh — and, by extension, Republicans or tea party activists — by financing candidates who will stand up for women’s rights.
“It’s been one of our top fundraising emails for Claire,” said McCaskill campaign manager Adrianne Marsh.
Limbaugh has apologized for his comments about Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student who testified to congressional Democrats in support of their national health care policy that would compel her Jesuit college’s health plan to cover her birth control. But the apology hasn’t deterred some Democrats from continuing to repeat Limbaugh’s remarks.
On Tuesday, for example, Minnesota congressional candidate Tarryl Clark sent an email fundraising appeal with the subject line “Apology not Accepted.” Clark asked for “$25, $50 or more” to send a message “that publically degrading women is not going to fly anymore.”
Clark is the only woman in a three-way Democratic race for the right to challenge freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack. The fundraising email has generated several thousand dollars — a quicker response than is typical for such pleas, said Clark campaign manager Brandon Pinette.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn, who because of redistricting faces a primary against a fellow Democrat, Rep. Laura Richardson in Los Angeles, also sent a fundraising email Tuesday highlighting how “a right wing extremist used his radio show to hurl derogatory slurs at a young woman.” Hahn asked for donations of $20 to $40.
The president of the National Federation of Republican Women said Wednesday that Limbaugh’s words were inappropriate and diverted the health care debate away from the Republican assertion that the insurance mandate for contraception infringes on First Amendment freedom of religion protections.

48 Missouri Democrats Probably Don’t Listen to Rush March 6, 2012

(AP) – The decision of the Missouri House speaker to induct Rush Limbaugh into the Hall of Famous Missourians is drawing objections from the chamber’s Democrats.

A letter signed Tuesday by 48 House Democrats says the conservative radio talk show host is unworthy of the honor. The letter, written on the letterhead of Democratic Minority Leader Mike Talboy of Kansas City, asks Speaker Steve Tilley to abandon the decision he made months ago to add Limbaugh to the circle of bronze busts in the state Capitol.

The Democrats’ letter cites Limbaugh’s on-air references to a female law student involved in the national debate about insurance for contraception as a “slut” and “prostitute.” At least nine advertisers have pulled their support from Limbaugh’s show.

Tilley and Limbaugh are both from southeastern Missouri, and the speaker says Limbaugh is one of the world’s best-known radio personalities.

McCaskill Says Missourians Should Vote on If Limbaugh Bust Should be Placed in Missouri Capitol Hall of Fame March 5, 2012

Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill says she’s running a poll on her campaign website, should a bust of conservative radio talk shot host Rush Limbaugh be placed in the state capitol’s hall of famous Missourians.
Limbaugh was raised in Cape Giradeau. He still has family there. He worked in Kansas City radio for KMBZ and for the Kansas City Royals baseball team.
In an interview with KMBC TV McCaskill said, “I really don’t think, in light of what Rush Limbaugh said last week, and what Limbaugh did in terms the criticism he made of Michael J. Fox in 2006–accusing him of acting when he was ill with Parkinson’s–I just think this is probably not the right decision. But I want to hear from everyone else and hear what they think.”
McCaskill has put the poll on her campaign website, ‘clairemccaskill.com’.
The reference to the actor Michael J Fox recalls a powerful campaign commercial Fox cut on McCaskill’s behalf when she was running against incumbent republican Jim Talent. The issue dealt with Talent’s opposition to embryonic stem cell research and it’s potential to research the causes of Parkinson’s disease.
Fox spoke directly to the camera, shaking badly because of his affliction. Limbaugh accused him of using his acting skills to exaggerate the problem.
Some of the famous Missourians in the capitol include Walt Disney; Omar Bradley; Harry Truman; Mark Twain and recently John ‘Buck’ O’Neil, the famous Negro League baseball player from Kansas City.
The same sculptor that created O’Neil’s bust, E. Spencer Schubert of Kansas City, is now working on the Limbaugh project.
“I just think that the people are currently represented in th hall of fame of Missouri in the state capitol represents the very best our state has to offer to this country and the world”, said McCaskill.
The decision to add a bust of Limbaugh was made by House Speaker Steve Tilley last fall.
Today he told reporters in Jefferson City, Limbaugh certainly qualifies for the honor. Tilley said with his millions of radio listeners, Limbaugh might be ‘the most famous Missourian’.
McCaskill also says the woman who started the latest controversy, Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law school student, who Limbaugh called a “slut” and a “prostitute”, might be able to sue Limbaugh. She testified on Capitol Hill in favor of the Obama Administration position about contraception availability.
” I think she probably could,” said McCaskill speaking of Fluke, “She’s not a public figure.”
McCaskill is a former Jackson County Prosecutor.
McCaskill believes Limbaugh’s apology didn’t cover his sarcastic claim the broadcaster wanted to watch sex tapes of the woman.
“I thought that would be something a lot of juries would find actionable,” said McCaskill..