Picture courtesy of a reader from NE Missouri.
“Nixon must immediately and permanently dismiss not just Templeton, but Chief of Staff John Watson, Senior Policy Advisor Jeff Mazur, and Communications Director Jack Cardetti. And he should finally end the cover-up and be straightforward about what he knew and when he knew it.” -MRP Statement
Democrat Harry S Truman is rolling over in his grave today as Jay Nixon tries to blame everyone but himself for putting the lives of thousands of people at risk of serious disease or even death because of high E. Coli levels at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Clearly, Nixon doesn’t believe that the buck stops with his office. Of course, for longtime Capitol observers, that’s nothing new. From the time he was a State Senator through his 16 years as Attorney General, Nixon never had a problem throwing others under the bus.
But this is different, because people could have died or become seriously ill, and there’s no guarantee that they didn’t and just haven’t come forward yet. But more about that later.
After months of deception, Nixon’s is blaming his Department of Natural Resources. The director is getting a two-week unpaid vacation. Whistleblower Suzanne Medley was fired. Oh, and DNR Deputy Director Joe Bindbeutel landed a nice cushy state job.
Nixon’s senior staff? Jeff Mazur knew about the contamination a month before it was made public and allegedly kept it to himself, despite the danger it posed to people. He still has a taxpayer-financed job thanks to his close ties to the Carnahan clan and his work with AFSCME. Those relationships may come back to bite him and them after all is said and done. But we doubt Nixon will fire him due to the backlash from organized labor who contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Nixon.
Jack Cardetti also knew, and he’s admitted to lying to every reporter who asked about what Nixon’s office knew and when they knew it. All those years under Jay’s black wings have rubbed off. To wit: Cardetti’s response to his lying was this unfortunate turn of phrase: “I should have flushed that out more clearly.”
Why are the very taxpayers who were put at risk by Mazur and Cardetti still paying their salaries? They should have the guts to resign. If not, Nixon should have them fired. But the lack of action either way shows what kind of folks we’re dealing with.
As people who know Nixon will attest, he has one thought in his mind at all times: “I want to keep the job I’ve been fighting for all these years. I’m not letting anything get in the way of ME, ME, ME.”
Even people’s health or even their lives can’t break the spell. And any attempts to convince people that control freak Nixon didn’t know about any of this is both farce and tragedy.
And there is an ominous cloud on the horizon.
What if someone got sick from exposure to E. Coli at the Lake during the time when the political cover-up was underway? What if someone dies?
Consequences could be: Criminal charges; Personal and financial ruin; Political suicide; Resignation; Impeachment.
Probably most of the above. Dark days are ahead, but not nearly as dark as those facing people who may be suffering right now because of the blind political ambition of Jay Nixon.
Related:
Inside Missouri Politics Blog: Fact-checking Nixon’s claims about beach closings at Lake of the Ozarks
Political Fix: Nixon suspends DNR director; admits giving false information
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