Many folks that came by our booth at SantaCaliGon Days this past Labor Day weekend asked what happened when I and Reverend Cleaver happened to meet at the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Relations breakfast on August 22nd, a beautiful Friday morning. As I pulled into the John Knox parking lot I noticed a car with a ‘Cleaver II’ bumper sticker which struck me as odd. With Cleaver’s strategy being to pretend there is no campaign, that he is not actually up for re-election, evidence of his campaign is far and few between. I figured that a staffer was dropping by to give the Reverend a presence at the meeting – how wrong I was.
Being later than I wanted, I blew into the room, started shaking hands, and handing out cards. About the fourth person I spoke with leaned in and whispered, ‘Your opponent is here.’ ‘What?’ ‘Cleaver is right over there getting breakfast.’ I looked up and right at that time Reverend Cleaver and Mayor Messerli turned around, and the Reverend and I locked eyes for a moment and just as quickly he turned away, looking like he had already eaten something that disagreed with him, and busied himself with his already full plate.
Hmmm, ‘I guess he is not happy to see me’, was my thought, and I went back to introductions and handing out cards. By the the time I finished meeting the folks sitting down, Mayor Messerli and Reverend Cleaver had arrived in my vicinity so I stuck out my hand and asked how life was treating him. He replied, ‘Any day you get out of bed is a good day.’ The Mayor and I exchanged pleasantries, and I went on my way to the buffet. About that time the Lee’s Summit Chamber’s governmental relations representative had an urgent matter to discuss so we had a brief conversation before I was able to grab a plate and some food. Man, I was hungry!
The delay however created an interesting situation. I was the last person to get breakfast and when I turned around to survey the room I did not see a single open chair. The tables were arranged together in a big ‘U’, and I was at the open end looking around with the head table opposite me. Some of the seated folks saw me and also looked around the room to help locate a seat for me. Looking past the Reverend at the head table, I finally spotted stacks of chairs behind him. About the time I decided I would have to set down my plate and grab one of those chairs, I noticed the only open chair. It was at the head table, two seats over from Reverend Cleaver with Carl Chinnery in between. I figured, well, that must be where I need to sit so I did. And there for the first time in two and half years, thanks to the Lee’s Summit Chamber, was the closest we have ever come to having a forum with both the candidates for the 5th District.
Unfortunately for the voters of the 5th District, only one of us had a microphone.
Turns out Reverend Cleaver in his role as our Representative to a failed Congress was the speaker of the morning, which was an educational experience for me. I was able to see first hand why people like him and then within seconds why people dislike him. On the personal side, he gave a charming and, at times, funny performance, and I was able to enjoy the speech like everyone else until he finished the anecdotes and actually touched on serious issues before the Congress. Then the switch was flipped and he lost me.
In one breath, Reverend Cleaver bragged about being on the committee for four years that is charged with overseeing the mortgage industry, in the next he was disavowing any responsibility for the mortgage industry debacle claiming nobody could have known. Nobody could have known! I knew just from talking to folks the last two years there was a problem with people getting a mortgage who should never have gotten one. The mortgage industry had been allowed to qualify borrowers based on far too little evidence of suitability and no one on that committee, including my Representative, had said a word! The responsibility for the mortgage industry meltdown lies at his feet and he is doing all he can to fool the people into thinking he didn’t have a hand in it. Check his contribution records and you will see the mortgage industry money supporting him. Our campaign refuses PAC money for a reason.
I was not happy with the Reverend misleading the audience on his role in the mortgage crisis including the ludicrous claim that the bailout of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae was not a bailout of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. It is what it is. The only point to be discussed is whether that bill should have become law. Reverend Cleaver decided a bailout was in order and should defend the decision not obfuscate the truth. During the very short Q&A that followed, I had to keep my emotions in check as he touched on issues close to my heart.
Reverend Cleaver allowed three questions, the first and last being fairly stock questions. The second one was a doozie, that initially made my heart glad. Your Jackson County legislator, Bob Spence, asked the question everyone in the room should have. May God bless Bob.
It went something like this: as a Republican, I am disgusted with both the Republicans and Democrats in Congress. There isn’t any coherent energy policy coming out of DC. Both you and Senator Bond brag about the pork you bring home which I am against as most people are. The mortgage industry was bailed out as was Bear Stearns. What are you going to do to make Congress work for us?
Reverend Cleaver’s reaction was again instructive. He started to answer then apparently realized how upset he was, slapped the table with both hands, jumped to his feet, and begin jabbing his finger in the air to emphasize his words. He spoke animatedly about how, yes, he is friends with Senator Bond, how he is one of the only brave ones in DC willing to reach across the aisle (my editorial comment is don’t all our Representatives and Senators continually tell us how they are reaching across the aisle?). He also claimed the Presidential candidates didn’t want him mentioning nor did he ever hear anybody else speaking about it, how oil is a national security issue. WHAT?! Everybody knows this is a national security issue. This from a man who has wanted to pull the rug from under our soldiers in Iraq for years, has been undermining their mission not only with his votes but also with his words. The Reverend was treading on the fighting side of me, the Marine side, and it was all I could do to keep staring at the American flag in front of me to ensure that I didn’t jump up and educate him on national security in no uncertain terms. He fools no one. He is a career politician who panders to the special interest groups and the PAC’s and has lost complete touch with us, the regular folks.
And even though Bob tried, Reverend Cleaver never answered the simple question of what was he going to do to change how Congress works. He can’t. He is part of a political elite that doesn’t want change. At it’s most basic, our race boils down to a regular guy running for Congress with only the regular folks on his side versus a career politician who is backed by the political machines of Kansas City and Jackson County, the have’s; a person who has turned his back on the folks and doesn’t even campaign for our vote.
After the last uneventful question, Carl graciously ended the Q&A and Reverend Cleaver was gone into the wind. I was still fuming when I was given the opportunity to make an announcement. This was a surprise as I was only a guest, there by the graciousness of the Lee’s Summit Chamber. I appreciated the opportunity and let folks know briefly about our campaign and that I would stay afterward to hear any concerns they might have. I also said that I welcome the day when opposing viewpoints would be heard because I did not agree with what was said that morning. The governmental relations liaison helpfully mentioned their candidate forum would be October 15th, and I announced I would be there. I pray Reverend Cleaver has the courage to appear as it is part of the job of a Congressman to hear from the folks and answer the tough questions.
As the meeting concluded, several folks came up to me thanking me for being there and expressing their joy that I was campaigning so hard. Unfortunately, since I have exhausted my two allowed visits to the Lee’s Summit Chamber events unless I join, which the campaign currently cannot afford, I will not be able to hear their concerns at future events. As always, I do look forward to hearing from the business leaders of all the communities in the 5th District.
Politics must change. We are the change.
