TKC: Cleaver Says Brooks Sexting “Dumb”, “Stupid”, August 21, 2013

The website ‘Tony’s Kansas City’ (TKC) reports Kansas City Congressman Emanuel Cleaver is calling City Councilman Michael Brooks’ Sexting scandal “stupid”.
“I think Michael Brooks would be the first person to acknowledge that what he did was . . . Stupid. I think he would say it”, according to TKC’s transcript of an interview.
TKC has posted a link to the website where the interview is posted.
Cleaver, however, does not call on Brooks to resign from the City Council.
Cleaver says Brooks can continue to stay on the City Council as long as his problems don’t affect his ability to work at City Hall.
TKC quotes Cleaver saying, “I’d say 90% of the whole thing is something that impacts his family and the Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church and not necessarily the community. Unless there’s something we don’t know about, something that comes up at a later time. I think he’s a good man, he did something dumb.”
More: https://soundcloud.com/darren-smith-72/hot-topics-w-darren-smith-8-19

Report: Sanders Leaving MoDem Post July 10, 2013

The website ‘Tony’s Kansas City’,reports Missouri Democratic Chairman, Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders will leave his post as one of the leaders of the state’s Democrats later this month.
Sanders has not been shy about telling Missouri Democrats he intends to leave.
It is also not clear Sanders will join in the fight to name his replacement.
Sanders has told insiders they can battle that outside themselves. Sanders expects Missouri Democrats will find a replacement for him by late summer.
Despite GOP dominance in the Missouri Legislature, Democrats won four out of five statewide offices at the polls in 2012
Sanders passed up a chance for a statewide office in 2012, saying he wanted to spend more time with his growing family, but took the volunteer position as Democratic Chair, which involved lots of fundraising.
2014 will be a relatively quiet year in Missouri politics, with the top race likely to be State Auditor Tom Schweich’s bid for re-election.
2016, however, is a presidential year, the Missouri Governor Mansion will be an open seat. Jay Nixon will be termed out. Several other statewide offices will also be on the ballot

TKC Apologizes to Local 42’s Louie Wright August 14, 2012

In what appears to be part of a lawsuit settlement, the popular Kansas City blogger Tony Botello of ‘Tony’s Kansas City’ has issue an apology and retraction for a set of stories about the former president of the Firefighters’ Local 43, Louie Wright.
TKC has the statement posted on its website.
“Retraction And Apology To Mr. Louie Wright
Regarding TKC posts published on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 11:49 a.m.; Friday, May 13, 2011 at 4:47 p.m.; and Monday, May 16, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.: This blog is retracting those entries, and they have now been deleted from the archives.

In the context of a tense debate over the MAST ambulance merger into the Kansas City Fire Department, this blog reported and offered commentary on arguments from anonymous tipsters aimed against former Local 42 Union President Louie Wright. TKC acknowledges that the claims were not verified and that such claims should be viewed as baseless.

TKC agrees with, recognizes, respects and acknowledges Mr. Wright’s assertion that he has never profited from any charity work for the United Way or any other charitable or not for profit organization, with which he is or has been affiliated.

Moreover, TKC would like to apologize to Mr. Wright for any distress caused by the posts.”

TKC: KC Gay Democratic Club Endosres Judy Baker Over LGBT Activist Gilhooly June 22, 2012

TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! KANSAS CITY LGBT COMMUNITY ANGER AS KC PRIDE DEMOCRATIC CLUB ENDORSES JUDY MORGAN OVER LGBT ACTIVIST SARAH GILLOOLY!!!

This morning there’s another big shocker among Kansas City’s political denizens watching an important Missouri House election.

IN A HURRIED AND SOMEWHAT SECRET MEETING KC PRIDE DEMOCRATIC CLUB ENDORSED JUDY MORGAN OVER LGBT ACTIVIST SARAH GILLOOLY!!!

This is certainly an oddball decision given that so many LGBT leaders had expressed their excitement over a young, female and dedicated activist getting into the race to represent Downtown Kansas City in the Missouri House.
http://www.tonyskansascity.com

Hundreds Rally in KC at Trayvon Martin Protest March 27, 2012

(photo: Tony’s Kansas City. KC Mayor Sly James at Trayvon Martin Plaza rally)
KC Star:
Here and in cities across the country, crowds gathered Monday to mourn and rally for the 17-year-old high school student Trayvon Martin who was shot and killed a month ago by a neighborhood watch volunteer.
George Zimmerman, 28, says Martin attacked him. The teen’s parents and supporters accuse Zimmerman of racial profiling and shooting an unarmed youth returning to the home of his father’s girlfriend.
“We shouldn’t have to be out here,” said Virginia Alder of Lee’s Summit, one of those who gathered Monday at the J.C. Nichols Fountain near the Country Club Plaza. “We shouldn’t have to rally and get angry. This was about the color of Trayvon’s skin and this thing shouldn’t have gotten this far.”

Martin was black. Zimmerman is the son of a white father and Hispanic mother.
At rallies in Kansas City and elsewhere, people expressed anger and sadness, but perhaps the biggest emotion was disbelief.
People said they have a hard time understanding how Zimmerman could go against police instructions to stand down, then encounter the teen and shoot him.
“You raise your children to be honorable and academically driven and then someone just comes along and kills him,” Artesha Gladney said at the Plaza rally. “Well, I’m here to let the world know it’s not OK to do that to anyone’s kid.”
Keveion Robinson, 18, of south Kansas City, sat nearby in his hoodie with a bag of Skittles.
“You should be able to walk anywhere in this country without anybody following you because they think you’re doing something wrong,” Robinson said. “I’m grieving for his family.”
Zimmerman not being arrested has frustrated many.
“We are trapped between hopelessness and obligation,” Derecka Purnell, one of the organizers of the Kansas City rally, told the crowd.
“How can this happen and nothing be done?”
The political science major at the University of Missouri-Kansas City said if it can happen in Florida, it can happen here.
“We don’t want to wait until a child dies here before we realize KC has a problem,” Purnell said.
For the most part, the Plaza rally was about solidarity and peace.
The first mention of Zimmerman’s name brought only a single boo from the crowd.
Mayor Sly James pushed for racial harmony by having everyone grab somebody’s hand, preferable from another race.
“See, it’s about the same temperature and has the same number of fingers,” James said.
As Dave Winters, a retired Presbyterian pastor, arrived, he pulled on a blue hoodie and surveyed the crowd.
“We saw an incredible tragedy in Florida and it’s important that we get a diverse showing here today,” Winters said.
Then he smiled.
“Particularly with all the hoodies. We can all look suspicious together.”