Another challenger enters 8th District race
Texas County farmer announces intent to run for US Representative
By PAULA BARR
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Daily Journal Staff Writer
Published: Monday, November 09, 2009
Updated: Sunday, October 11, 2009 4:08 AM CDT
Updated: Sunday, October 11, 2009 4:08 AM CDT
A Texas County farmer will challenge U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson next year for the 8th District Seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Republican Bob Parker, 52, is a cattle farmer from Raymondville. Once a dairy farmer, he now raises beef cattle and sells real estate. He and his wife, Karen, have four children, four granddaughters and a grandson.
Parker was a Wichita, Kansas, native who moved to Missouri at age 19. He has served in elected positions on the school board and other local boards and is part of the Republican Central Committee in Texas County.
Although he has always been politically involved on a local level, Parker believes it is time for him to be a voice for conservatives in Congress.
“I’m very concerned about our country and the loss of freedoms,” Parker said. “When I heard about their proposal to bail out Wall Street and the insurance companies, I was outraged.”
Parker has been active in opposing animal identification legislation that would require livestock to have identifying chips imbedded in order to track individual animals in the event of a disease outbreak. He fears Missouri will soon make the program mandatory.
“This is one of the most intrusive programs for livestock that we’ve ever had,” Parker said. “I’m an old-fashioned conservative Constitutionalist. I believe in our Constitution and I don’t find the authority in the Constitution for the programs the government is coming up with.”
Parker said the influence multi-national and international corporations have on Congress concerns him. He decided he would campaign against Emerson because of her votes in favor of bailing out Wall Street financial firms. (Emerson voted in favor of the bailout in the fall, but voted against the second half of the plan in February.)
“I think our founding fathers would probably have picked up arms by now, given what’s going on in Washington right now,” Parker said.
Paula Barr is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 172 or at pbarr@dailyjournalonline.com.
Republican Bob Parker, 52, is a cattle farmer from Raymondville. Once a dairy farmer, he now raises beef cattle and sells real estate. He and his wife, Karen, have four children, four granddaughters and a grandson.
Parker was a Wichita, Kansas, native who moved to Missouri at age 19. He has served in elected positions on the school board and other local boards and is part of the Republican Central Committee in Texas County.
Although he has always been politically involved on a local level, Parker believes it is time for him to be a voice for conservatives in Congress.
“I’m very concerned about our country and the loss of freedoms,” Parker said. “When I heard about their proposal to bail out Wall Street and the insurance companies, I was outraged.”
Parker has been active in opposing animal identification legislation that would require livestock to have identifying chips imbedded in order to track individual animals in the event of a disease outbreak. He fears Missouri will soon make the program mandatory.
“This is one of the most intrusive programs for livestock that we’ve ever had,” Parker said. “I’m an old-fashioned conservative Constitutionalist. I believe in our Constitution and I don’t find the authority in the Constitution for the programs the government is coming up with.”
Parker said the influence multi-national and international corporations have on Congress concerns him. He decided he would campaign against Emerson because of her votes in favor of bailing out Wall Street financial firms. (Emerson voted in favor of the bailout in the fall, but voted against the second half of the plan in February.)
“I think our founding fathers would probably have picked up arms by now, given what’s going on in Washington right now,” Parker said.
Paula Barr is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 172 or at pbarr@dailyjournalonline.com.
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Article Comments (8)The comments below are from readers and do not represent the views of the Daily Journal.
PoliSci posted at Saturday, October 17th, 2009 at 1:24 am
She gets re-elected because of her husband, and in my opinion he wasn't a very good representative when he was in office. She's living off of his legacy, but atleast she has it right on Medicare, Stem Cell research, and the minimum wage.
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PoliSci posted at Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
"Not only did Mrs. Emerson vote for the banker bailout, she supports NAFTA/CAFTA, cash for clunkers, making the patriot act permanent, and every other big government socialist unconstitutional program that's come down the pike recently."
Also, not true... The bailouts via the TARP, NAFTA, and the Patriot Act are all Republican policies, NAFTA being an initiative of George H. W. Bush of which he tried to fast track. Mr. Parker's talk about taking up arms is just another southern style Conservative, who's likely about as sharp as the rusted tools he uses, and the misinformed paranoia they represent. We're just now getting the country back on track after a disastrous Bush Presidency and leading indicators, like the stock market, show positive improvement by moving 10,000 points this week. That's a 3,300 point turnaround since the impact of the Bush years. Repeal of ignorant policies like "Don't Ask Don't Tell", a movement for more market oversight, regulation, and healthcare reform is what this country wants and needs, not more days of the good ole boy wild west political philosophy that got us in this mess.
Also, not true... The bailouts via the TARP, NAFTA, and the Patriot Act are all Republican policies, NAFTA being an initiative of George H. W. Bush of which he tried to fast track. Mr. Parker's talk about taking up arms is just another southern style Conservative, who's likely about as sharp as the rusted tools he uses, and the misinformed paranoia they represent. We're just now getting the country back on track after a disastrous Bush Presidency and leading indicators, like the stock market, show positive improvement by moving 10,000 points this week. That's a 3,300 point turnaround since the impact of the Bush years. Repeal of ignorant policies like "Don't Ask Don't Tell", a movement for more market oversight, regulation, and healthcare reform is what this country wants and needs, not more days of the good ole boy wild west political philosophy that got us in this mess.
TheProfessor posted at Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
What many of you fail to realize is that Emerson keeps getting re-elected because she is moderate. Her husband was moderate as well. He got a lot of independent and Democrat votes. They called us Emercrats back in the 80's.
If you replace her with a more conservative in the primary, you could lose the general election to a Democrat. I would be cool with that, but many of you may not.
Give this some thought. Look what happened to Linc Chafee in Rhode Island. They ran someone who was far right of him in the primary, it weakened him in the general election and he lost to a Democrat.
Are you Conservatives willing to let that happen to Emerson?
If you replace her with a more conservative in the primary, you could lose the general election to a Democrat. I would be cool with that, but many of you may not.
Give this some thought. Look what happened to Linc Chafee in Rhode Island. They ran someone who was far right of him in the primary, it weakened him in the general election and he lost to a Democrat.
Are you Conservatives willing to let that happen to Emerson?
T-Bone posted at Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 8:42 am
although, I wouldn't mind seeing Emerson replaced with a more conservative member of congress, Not sure if some cow farmer who's main gripe is about micro chipping his cows, is going to be good enough. The Democrats would love to have her beaten in the primary by a guy like this. Then they will come in and fund some slick talking lawyer and all you sheep will fall for it and our hope will be even further gone.
lewis56usa posted at Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
g's thoughts is the one who needs to get his/her facts straight. Not only did Mrs. Emerson vote for the banker bailout, she supports NAFTA/CAFTA, cash for clunkers, making the patriot act permanent, and every other big government socialist unconstitutional program that's come down the pike recently.
Additional documentation on Emerson's vote on the bailout can be found at Project Vote Smart.
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=22467&can_id=903
I've heard Mr. Parker speak several times and have had the opportunity to meet and talk to him. He is a man who believes in government by the people according to the Constitution and who will not be corrupted by the political establishment in Washington as Mrs. Emerson obviously has.
Additional documentation on Emerson's vote on the bailout can be found at Project Vote Smart.
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=22467&can_id=903
I've heard Mr. Parker speak several times and have had the opportunity to meet and talk to him. He is a man who believes in government by the people according to the Constitution and who will not be corrupted by the political establishment in Washington as Mrs. Emerson obviously has.
EGN posted at Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
In response to g's thoughts' comment.
Please get YOUR facts straight before YOU sling "UNIMFORMED" comments based on half truths. Please see:
Emerson’s “YEA” vote for the Bailout is posted for all to see right here:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
here:
Final Vote Results for Roll Call 681
H R 1424 YEA-AND-NAY
Emerson voted YEA
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
HERE:
VOTES on H.R.1424 – Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
October 03, 2008 Roll call number 681 in the House
http://www.opencongress.org/roll_call/show/5099
AND HERE:
House Vote On Passage: H.R. 1424 [110th]:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2008-101
Please get YOUR facts straight before YOU sling "UNIMFORMED" comments based on half truths. Please see:
Emerson’s “YEA” vote for the Bailout is posted for all to see right here:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
here:
Final Vote Results for Roll Call 681
H R 1424 YEA-AND-NAY
Emerson voted YEA
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
HERE:
VOTES on H.R.1424 – Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
October 03, 2008 Roll call number 681 in the House
http://www.opencongress.org/roll_call/show/5099
AND HERE:
House Vote On Passage: H.R. 1424 [110th]:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2008-101
Harriet Lane posted at Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Congresswoman Emerson's vote on H.R. 1424, the TARP Bill, dated 10/3/08, can be found at the Library of Congress web site, www.thomas.loc.gov. On the home page, look down to "Roll Call Votes", click, then select "House--110th Congress, second session", click, then search the tables for Roll Call Vote #681. This is the final vote in the House passing the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. This vote created the TARP plan, and sealed the deal on the first $350 Billion, which is more than a thousand dollars for every single person in the United States. Was this money well spent? Who knows. Fed. Chairman Bernanke refused to tell Congress which banks received money.
This is fact.
This is fact.
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