How Things Really Work

 

By Gretchen Garrity

Don't think the RINO Establishment is only on the state or federal levels. It's firmly entrenched in your local Republican party, too. Local party leaders enjoy their status, part of which includes selecting candidates for the voters.

How does this work? The Missouri GOP is a private organization. While its members include Republicans elected to public office, it nevertheless is not held to transparency standards like our elected representatives in their official capacity. For instance, citizens have no intrinsic right to expect Sunshine requests to the state or local GOP because they are private organizations.

What you see on their websites and in their communications is what they want you to see. If you want an idea of what goes on, you need to attend their meetings, get to know the individuals involved, and watch how the sausage is made. And even then you won't know everything simply because you are dealing with groups of people who have friendships, alliances, etc.

Image: Wayfair

 

Grassroots individuals and groups across the nation have been running into the comfortably-rooted apparatus on local levels that resent the upsetting of their apple cart. The Establishment has their ways, their people, and their views. And they aren't going to share power if they have anything to say about it. They know better than you. Because.

Additionally, the Jefferson City gang includes various state level elected officials as well as their ball-and-chains--the lobbyist cabal. These work the local organizations and people quite smoothly.

Sure they agree with some things the grassroots activists are firm about. They've given up on opposing President Trump (at least openly). They pay lip service to conservative causes like Initiative Petition Reform, Abortion, Tax Reform, local school control and so on. Some of them even care about those things.

However, when push comes to shove, like a secret society, they protect their own, and often fail to live up to their expressed convictions. 

Case in point: some in the Christian County Republican Central Committee had been involved in efforts to thwart wins that grassroots workers across the state fought for, namely the duly-elected delegates and other officers to the RNC. Not to rehash the events leading up to the attempted coup of the State GOP Convention by establishment individuals, but it was several members of the CCRCC who were involved.

These individuals were instrumental in Towgate (info HERE and HERE and HERE), the quashing of the 2024 platform, and later challenging the slate of delegates that Missourians across the state had voted for. Yes, some in our Christian County political apparatus were hard at work to overturn the will of the people in order to reward their friends.

And what has happened since they were exposed? Were they rebuked? Did they resign? Did they apologize? Is there no explanation on the CCRCC website for what happened? Nothing.

This is how the local machine works. And if you go against them, they do all they can to squash you. Instead of reflecting on their behavior, on the larger goal of saving our state and helping Missourians live better lives, they circle the wagons in order to keep their control grid functioning.

Not everyone in the CCRCC has this issue. Many are honest folks who are also frustrated. But, if the leadership of the CCRCC does not hold members accountable for their actions they sure as heck aren't going to go to bat for citizens in any meaningful way--unless it's no skin off their noses.

There has been particular intra-party fighting about the governor candidates--Bill Eigel and John Ashcroft. Few people in Christian County are Mike Kehoe fans so the race down here is Eigel versus Ashcroft.

The establishment Republicans are firmly in Sec. Ashcroft's corner, and they resent any positive news about state Sen. Bill Eigel, or any negative information about Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. In fact, an app called Team Reach, which is for active citizens to share information and post events, has as an administrator Mrs. Sandy Karnes, one of the people involved in Towgate. And her husband, Jack, attached his name to the Derrick Good challenge against the grassroots slate. That challenge was defeated because the evidence proved the challenge had no merit.

Last evening, Mrs. Karnes saw fit to delete my Team Reach post of the article regarding alleged lawfare on the part of the SOS's Office. It was posted below a pro-Ashcroft flyer Karnes had posted. Is the cardinal rule in the primary season that candidates supported by the Establishment shall have no open opposition? Are the issues addressed in the article not to be given an airing because we have to be respectful of others' choices? Karnes has apparently posted on Facebook about the situation, although she is careful not to name names. Why? Name names. Let us dialog and see who is lying and who is telling the truth.

That our Secretary of State's Office has had troubling interactions with dedicated grassroots patriots over election integrity, is a real issue that should be grappled with in order to determine the best candidate for Missouri Governor.

And Karnes is not alone in her "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil" attitude. The local Establishment has circled the wagons. Incidentally, both Sandy and her husband Jack are again candidates for committee man and woman. See all the candidates here.

The Establishment dictum is thus: We are a Team, as long as you think like us.

Instead of having the guts to face the opposition, Karnes took the easy way out and censored my post and then admonished me to be respectful. Here is Karnes being "respectful" to an Eigel campaign worker not too long ago at an Independence Day parade. Notice the campaign worker simply continued on his way. He didn't attempt to stop her. Why? I think it's because he believes in his candidate, Sen. Bill Eigel. 

When the tables were turned, and Mrs. Karnes was "handing out" an Ashcroft flyer on Team Reach, she didn't behave as the Eigel campaign worker when someone came along behind her. She didn't just move on. She actively censored important information pertaining to the race for governor. Truth was not as important as Team Establishment. If the document in question was erroneous, Karnes has the opportunity to refute it. She knows she can't refute it so she attempted to squash it.

This is why Christian County Republicans are struggling right now. Ashcroft supporter interfering with an Eigel campaign person just for handing out a flyer. Can she do this across the state to save Ashcroft’s smoldering campaign?@JayAshcroftMO @BillEigel pic.twitter.com/T96zrOpwxj

— HickChristian (@hickchristnews) July 1, 2024

Come Meet Candidate for Governor Bill Eigel

 

Candidate for Governor Bill Eigel Meet & Greet in Ozark

 

In Case You Missed It

 

This is the GOP Establishment

You all might remember Republican Central Committee for Christian County committeewoman, Sandy Karnes. She's the gal who sent out a message to volunteers that cars were going to be towed at the GOP convention in Springfield, a message that helped end the convention without a 2024 platform. I wrote about it HERE, and David Rice also covered it HERE.

The very same Sandy Karnes was recently filmed running behind a Bill Eigel campaign worker who was handing out campaign literature at a parade in Willard. Karnes is an Ashcroft supporter. Her husband, Jack, also attached his name to a recent challenge to the grassroots' elected slate for the RNC convention, HERE.

Establishment. This is what they do. 

The Shield Maidens covered it. From the Maidens: "As Jay Ashcroft’s campaign is bleeding support, this volunteer for his campaign named Sandy Karnes chased around an Eigel staffer during a parade in Willard in an attempt to undermine his efforts. THIS is what the establishment does… bully and try to intimidate." There's video at the link:

IS THIS THE NEW NORM IN ELECTION ETIQUETTE? CAUGHT ON VIDEO--ASHCROFT VOLUNTEER UNHINGED DURING A PARADE. by Shield Maidens of MO

Staffer for Bill Eigel was bullied during a parade in Willard by an Ashcroft campaign volunteer..

Read on Substack

Disrupting Business as Usual

Eigel speaks with citizens

By Gretchen Garrity

Sen. Bill Eigel's grassroots supporters welcomed the candidate for Missouri governor at a round table luncheon in Springfield today. Eigel shared his thoughts about his run for governor, as well as answering questions from the audience.

Eigel is confident as the August 6 primary gets closer. He noted that two years ago a poll had Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft polling at 57%. "That's more than an incumbent would be polling at," he said. Further he stated, "There have been six polls since the beginning of June and each of those polls reflected a loss in support for Ashcroft. He's lost two-thirds of his support from where he started."

Eigel said the polls reflect that the other candidates are not talking about getting rid of the personal property tax, or defending Missouri farmland from being purchased by foreign countries, or deporting illegals, or stopping federal funds that put requirements like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or Critical Race Theory, or gender ideology in the schools.

Round Table Luncheon

"[People] are looking for something else," Eigel said. He mentioned that candidate Mike Kehoe has spent $6 million "trying to convince folks that he's not the same used car salesman that he's been for the past 30 years, that he's not the liberal that supported the gas tax increase, that supported adding exceptions for abortion to Missouri's heartbeat bill--that he's not that guy."

Kehoe has barely gone up in the polls at all, Eigel said. "He's gained two points from where he started in that first poll two years ago for the $6 million that he's spent."

Further, Eigel cited the latest poll (from a "Chamber of Commerce type" group he said) showing an extremely close three-way race, with about half of Republicans undecided at this point. Despite the name ID of Ashcroft and the special interest money from his other opponent "half of Republicans remain unconvinced that that's enough to secure their vote."

"You know what they're looking for? They're looking for a 'disrupter'. They're looking for a Donald J. Trump at the state level whose actually a little bit of a mixture--maybe a little bit of Donald J. Trump and a little bit of Ronald Reagan, right? Because not only are we are gonna disrupt the swamp but we're going to implement policies that I know you want and have been asking for the last two years on the first Tuesday in November."

Eigel said the difference this year is that voters know him from his eight years as a state senator. He noted his fight for a gold and silver bill, the fight to cut the personal property tax, cutting income taxes, defending the sovereignty of Missouri, and protecting children.

Finishing up, Eigel said the special interests "belong the hell outta Missouri." He received several rounds of applause. Supporters then asked a couple questions of Sen. Eigel, including about food freedom (he's for it and supported an informed consent bill for when genetic material is being introduced into beef. He supports direct to consumer farming, noting he and his wife order their food directly from a local supplier.

With Patrick Holland of Missouri Freedom Initiative

Another supporter asked the senator's view on any future medical/health coercion from government in Missouri. He said, "I don't believe we should be forced to be part of any medical experiment." He opposes forced vaccines and masking. Eigel noted he had been part of a group of legislators that approached Gov. Parson to hold a special session to make it illegal for workers to lose their job if they refused a shot. He also noted that Gov. Parson did nothing. He further stated that a few "well-placed" executive orders from the governor could have avoided the Covid disaster.

He also stated he recognizes no authority from organizations like the World Economic Forum and the World Health Organization. "I don't recognize any authority from the CDC to tell us how to live our lives, either," he said. Eigel went on to say that he will stop the flow of federal dollars to Missouri that has contributed to a loss of state soverignty. He said neither Kehoe or Ashcroft would say that. He said he's been attacked for eight years for speaking bluntly.
 

When asked about the problem of pornography in the schools, Eigel had a simple solution. Enforce the laws already on the books. "How does it happen that pornography is being allowed? It is a state crime for pornography to be in our libraries. It is a state crime for pornography to be in our schools...we're lacking action by elected officials."

With Val Swearingen of WTPCC

Jodi Grace, a podcaster who works with the campaign, spoke to the group. "The lobbyists literally hate this man. Every single one of them...The bureacrats in Jefferson City, the lobbyists in Jefferson City hate this man...They hate him because he's not putting up with their crap and he's not taking their money." Grace went on to say he had "stopped at least 29 pieces of legislation this session--lobbyist sludge...it's the crap that robs you of your freedoms. No one will ever tell you that. You won't see it in any article."

 

Sen. Eigel stayed after the luncheon to speak with supporters one-on-one.  On Tuesday, July 2, Sen. Eigel will be back in Springfield for a campaign event, the Family Freedom Fest. The public is invited and the event is free, but do register to attend.

The MO Senate Filibuster Goes On...

It continues. Link to listen live HERE.

SB735 the Silver & Gold Bill has passed the MO Senate

 

SB 735, The Constitutional Money Act passed with 21 votes in Missouri in the Senate.

It’s off to the house! If it passes it will be the most comprehensive Sound Money Bill in the country!

— Citizens for Sound Money (@4SoundMoney) April 29, 2024

 The Missouri Senate today passed Sen. Bill Eigel and Sen. Mike Moon's Constitutional Money Act. SB735 passed 21-10. It now moves to the Missouri House to be considered. The Tenth Amendment Center has the story HERE.

From the article:

"Under the proposed law, gold and silver would be accepted as legal tender and would be receivable in payment of all debts contracted for in the state of Missouri. The state would be required to accept gold and silver for the payment of public debts. Private debts could be settled in gold and silver at the parties’ discretion.

The Director of the Department of Revenue would be tasked with “promulgating rules on the methods of acceptance of specie legal tender as payment for any debt, tax, fee, or obligation owed.”

Practically speaking, this would allow Missourians to use gold or silver as money rather than just as mere investment vehicles. In effect, it would put gold and silver on the same footing as Federal Reserve notes."

And more here, but do read the whole article:

"The United States Constitution states in Article I, Section 10, “No State shall…make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.” Currently, all debts and taxes in Missouri are either paid with Federal Reserve Notes (dollars) authorized as legal tender by Congress or with coins issued by the U.S. Treasury — very few of which have gold or silver in them. Passage of SB735 would allow Missourians to pay state obligations with gold and silver.

The Federal Reserve destroys this constitutional monetary system by creating a monopoly based on its fiat currency. Without the backing of gold or silver, the central bank can easily create money out of thin air. This not only devalues your purchasing power over time; it also allows the federal government to borrow and spend far beyond what would be possible in a sound money system. Without the Fed, the U.S. government wouldn’t be able to maintain all of its unconstitutional wars and programs."

For more information on the Silver and Gold bill go HERE (hours 2 and 3), HERE, and HERE.

The Missouri Freedom Initiative has been working alongside Daniel Diaz of Citizens for Sound Money to pass the Gold and Silver bill.

A Tale of Two Rallies

 

A slice of the Freedom Rally

 

By Gretchen Garrity


Groups of citizens from Christian County, including the Missouri Freedom Initiative and Grassroots Patriots of Christian County, traveled up to the Capitol to attend the protest organized by grassroots activist Catherine Dreher of Rogue Politics. Dreher threw the event together quickly after Sen. Caleb Rowden and Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin attacked members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus in a contentious few days in the Senate last week.

When we arrived we heard cheers and applause coming from the rotunda. It could not have been the rally, since that wasn’t scheduled for a couple hours later.

Instead, it was a gathering of well-organized activists from groups like Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, Vote.org, a contingent from Jobs With Justice, and the United Auto Workers.

 

Some of these groups claim to be nonpartisan. I really hope people understand the current narrative that is being pushed by these leftist groups. They are anything but nonpartisan. Don’t fall for it, whether it’s Jobs for Justice or United Springfield PAC.

Really, the “voting rights” rally was a perfect foil for the protest in support of the Missouri Freedom Caucus. From the photos below you can see that a generous guess of attendance was about 150, if you count the chairs (which had been mostly filled at the height of the rally) and those standing on the edges, including the media.

News coverage of the event followed along the lines of this article from the Columbia Missourian. Notice how the pictures are framed in the linked article. Notice that the article does not provide links to the organizations mentioned in the article (doing a little digging would out their far left agendas). Notice how Rep. Dean Plocher is given the last word, as if he was the Republican hero trying valiantly to get IP reform passed. Eye roll.

Here are pictures I took of the event. A different perspective.

As the other rally finished up.

 

Side view during the organized rally

Lots and lots of signs

GRASSROOTS IS REAL

Enjoy the videos:

Let’s move on to the grassroots-organized freedom protest. In just a few days, Dreher and her compatriot Kirby Lane, also of Rogue Politics, put the word out and the people came. Packed into an upper hallway on the second floor, about 400 citizens from all over the state made the trek to support senators Bill Eigel, Denny Hoskins,

Andrew Koenig, and Rick Brattin and the rest of the Freedom Caucus and to call for the leadership resignations of senators Rowden and O’Laughlin.

Besides senators Eigel and Hoskins, speakers included native Missourian Doug Billings of The Right Side podcast, Sen. Andrew Koenig, Sen. Jill Carter, Rep. Justin Sparks, and several more. The rally lasted over an hour and was interspersed with prayer, song, and deafening cheers.

 

Although the RINOs in the state legislature are doing their best to blame their perfidiousness on the Freedom Caucus, Missourians know that legislators like Plocher, Rowden and O’Laughlin are the ones who have stood in the way of IP reform and other legislation important to citizens.

After the protest, members of the Missouri Freedom Initiative conducted a Knock And Shock, visiting as many legislators as possible to encourage them to support the following bills in the House and Senate: SB735, SJR61 and HB1955.

Grassroots is real.

And it’s growing.




Hundreds & hundreds (!) of Missouri Freedom Fighters have shown up @ the MO Capitol today to support the ⁦@MOFreedomCaucus⁩ ! Second floor of the Capitol is absolutely PACKED…I’ve never seen anything like it in 15+ years. #MOLeg pic.twitter.com/mp6kh4gdK7

— ThePeoplesSpeaker™️🇺🇸 (@SpeakerTimJones) January 30, 2024