Why is MO Governor Jay Nixon a Democrat? Is it my imagination, or is this guy

[VanGoghRocks]

a total and complete putz?

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon defended his decision (emphasis added) not to replace a local prosecutor probing the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer, a day ahead of the funeral of the young man whose death sparked days of civil unrest in Ferguson.

All well and good, except that Nixon has no constitutional power to replace an elected county prosecutor. Nixon is defending a decision IT WAS NEVER HIS TO MAKE! Does Nixon think his constituents are stupid?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-24/obama-said-to-order-audit-of-military-gear-used-by-police.html

[Lindsay]

1. My understanding is that

because he declared a State of Emergency in Ferguson, that gave him emergency power to replace the prosecutor.

Which is not to say he's not a putz anyway.

[VanGoghRocks]

4. My understanding is that McCulloch must first recuse himself before he can be replaced. If you read

further in the article, you find Nixon vociferously defending McCulloch after McCulloch viciously criticized Nixon's handling of the case.

Like I say, putz extraordinaire.

Harry S. Truman is spinning in his grave.

[RKP5637]

2. I think he got thrust into a situation that he lacks the skills to handle. n/t

[VanGoghRocks]

6. Q.E.D.! (Not directed at you but at the universe! :)

[stevenleser]

7. That was my impression from seeing an interview with him. WAY over his head.

Good guy that has no idea how to handle this kind of a crisis.

[handmade34]

3. just politics and money

over people

[Enrique]

5. many people think he does have that power

the NAACP for example has been pressuring Nixon to have a special prosecutor handle the case.

[VanGoghRocks]

8. The county prosecutor (in this case, McCulloch) must first recuse him- or herself. Here's a

county prosecutor who has viciously attacked Nixon and what does Nixon do? Why, if you read a little further in the linked article, you find Nixon vociferously defending McCulloch.

Like I say, a putz extraordinaire.

Nixon should be using every rhetorical and political weapon in his arsenal to pressure McCulloch to step down and instead Nixon defends McCulloch????? Jesus H. Christ.

[GeorgeGist]

9. Hopefully Missouri

has ways of replacing a prosecutor beyond waiting for the prosecutor to recuse themselves.

[VanGoghRocks]

10. One would think. But McCulloch has been busily needling Nixon for not replacing him when

Missouri's constitution gives the governor no such direct power. McCulloch's needling is the height of disingenuousness, since according to that constituion, McCulloch has to first recuse himself.

One wonders what Harry S. Truman and John C. Fremont would make of Nixon's putzitude.

[jwirr]

11. I'll get flamed but there are states in this country that are so close to red or are red. These

states do not elect left leaning congressmen period. So we can either elect this kind of candidate if they are lucky. They could have a rethug.

Politicians like Jay Nixon drive us on the left crazy because they often vote too far to the right. But they do have a chance of helping us. For instance in the case of Nixon - he could extend Medicaid and help Obamacare succeed. I think if you look you will find out that blue dogs do help us get what we want some of the time the rethug would never help.

The other way they help is when it comes to who controls the congressional committees and the majority in the Senate or the House. And they could be a big help in appointing to the SCOTUS and other positions that are now setting empty.

In other words blue dogs have to play politics more that any other politician because if they do not they hand the seat over to a rethug.

[VanGoghRocks]

12. These are all good points you raise (and thanks for raising them). In this case, though,

Nixon is a Dem but so is McCulloch.

McCulloch viciously attacks Nixon.
Nixon vociferously defends McCulloch when Nixon should be pounding McCulloch into the dustbin of history.

No wonder that state perpetually threatens to go red.

Am I missing something here?

[jwirr]

13. It seems.

[alp227]

16. I won't flame you. For one thing, solidly liberal Democrats usually beat DINO's.

But that's not the case in the Heartland states. It's easy to say that left-leaning Democrats will bring out the base. Not all states have the same political base though.

[gordianot]

14. Nixon for all his faults has been the ONLY voice of reason against radical Republicans in MO.

The Missouri legislature is among the most Radical Rightwing governing bodies in modern times. If not for Nixon's veto education would have been de-funded, Missouri pensions raided, federal agencies outlawed in MO in an factual secession from the Union (it would make the presence cooperation with Federal agencies illegal in Mo). The Republican Whip in the Senate Brian Nieves is a gun toting thug who is willing to stick a pistol up the nose of a political opponent, threaten constituents in his office we are talking some of the most radical under the radar Republicans imaginable. They hate Nixon, they would love to impeach him in the scheme of things DINO Jay Nixon is a liberal in comparison to the Grandsons of the German American Bundt (I mean that) residing in the legislature.

Nixon will not return due to term limits in 2016. Roy Blunt U.S. Senator establishment Republican holds a fairly safe seat but could be threatened by the myriad of bomb throwing tea party aching for his seat. This might make his seat viable. Fact is though no Democrat in Missouri makes it without the African American vote in Kansas City, St. Louis. So you may have two Democrats looking at the same Senate seat. They both need the African American vote which is largely ignored except during election years. Along comes an 18 year old who is literally gunned down in the street on flimsy to no pretext. People are rightly upset including those voters Democrats ignore but need to get elected. So add Nixon facing no job and McCullough with St. Louis electorate very stirred up both get into a foot stomping contest. Missouri has never handled politics and conflict well nor have they recovered from the American Civil War. That this happened in Missouri is no surprise what happens next who knows? I am not so certain that out of job survival Prosecutor McCullough will not end up actually prosecuting this case for real. After all this is Missouri like the weather anything can happen.

[n2doc]

15. He has actually done a pretty good job, up until the crisis

He doesn't seem to be good at this, and definitely has screwed up. Still, I will give him a lot of cred for standing up to the rabid ALEC-worshippers in the MO legislature, though.

Certainly better than his colleague to his west.