As Governor Jay Nixon wrapped up his dual press conferences in St. Louis and Kansas City yesterday, Republicans were fuming that Nixon was, yet again, taking credit for their initiative after spending months on the sidelines. Basically, his usual leadership style.
The Missouri Republican Party lambasted him for his political maneuvering, zeroing in on a bevy of issues with Nixon’s “patting-myself-on-the-back” state tour. In a press release, they noted:
Nixon’s fly-around comes one day AFTER Republican leaders announced a compromise on a historic job creation package—but it’s par for the course for a governor who has made an art form out of “stand[ing] on the sidelines before emerging at politically opportune moments.”
In fact, the Republican jobs plan compromise that Nixon is now calling for is something he completely opposed not long ago.
So, he’s calling for a special session he “threw cold water on” last week and he’s calling for a jobs compromise he fought against in the first place.
Anything else?
According to a report from Dave Drebes published on MOScout.com on July 13, “Jay Nixon, in a conference call with the House Democratic leadership, detailed his objections to the Aerotropolis legislation, and called for Democrats to stick together against Speaker Steve Tilley...
And, boy, did he push that Aerotroplis project at the pressers. (While refusing to give any more of an estimate than a guess of “in the hundreds of millions of dollars” on the cost. Wide brush…)
He was asked point blank during the Kansas City press conference about the GOP’s accusation of his taking credit for their work and he dodged the question outright, stumbling through a hazy explanation about how the groundwork was laid years in advance by Democrats.
Even if that were true, he is basically taking credit for more work done by others while admitting it in the process. Classy.
Overall, Lloyd Smith summed it up:
“What a difference a week makes. Just eight days ago, Jay Nixon was urging Democrats not to agree to the Republican jobs compromise; today, he’s taking credit for the very same agreement,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party. “Jay Nixon is not a leader; instead he has remained on the sidelines for far too long. It’s no wonder more than 269,000 Missourians can’t find jobs.”
Nixon somehow managed to pat himself on the back about job creation, too. No joke.
With their final salvo, the GOP pointed out in blunt fashion what Nixon leadership is all about:
Jay Nixon’s lack of leadership and last-minute emergence from the sidelines has been a hallmark of his governorship…
And that about says it all, doesn’t it?
- B.H.
Comments