Finance and Politics: What a Week

Investments made big news recently as the IPO of Facebook brought about a situation that has led to great uncertainty in the future of Facebook and the shock of billions of dollars of losses in the JB Morgan bank operation has started a downtrend in the Stock Market, wiping out gains of earlier weeks. Now Facebook and some Wall Street banks are under fire from Congress and various lawyers. Keep watching to see how this gets sorted out.

Back to local politics, a very unique meeting was held in Creve Coeur Township to vote on their endorsements for the Primary.

Although it was only attended by about 20 voters, candidates for two state representative districts, and two Congressional Districts were together for the first and probably the only time this year.

For the first time I got to meet the other three Second District Candidates and we seemed to be received very well during our five minutes and all were constructive in their remarks.

The amazing part of the meeting was the remarks by the First District Candidates, both sitting Congressmen, Russ Carnahan and Mr. Clay. As Missouri lost one Congress District because of the census, the powers that be, decided to make two Democrat Districts into one as only one of these men will win the Primary election.

I will not give the results of the endorsements, because of the small group of perhaps 10 voters in each district, but the event in itself was amazing. In the Second District, the winner will have to face off against a Republican in a heavy Republican-based district and in the First District, the winner will probably be a winner in the November election. 

In my own case, I served with the fathers of both the First District Candidates in the Missouri Legislature and I was happy to be a part of this very significant circumstance. With four in my race, each of us has a chance to be the nominee, but my past success in 2004 and 2006 may give me an edge in the 2012 Primary.  It does fit my "no budget" plans as I feel when the voters get to the polls, they may agree with me.

Time will tell.

As I write this, I have been invited to Rolla to recognize the sacrifice of another victim in Afghanistan, a 21-year-old father-to-be in June killed by an IED there. A group of Legion and VFW members are planning a welcome back commemoration of his death. We have stood by several here locally, so I don't know how many from here will make the trip.