PUB DEF

Audit Shows Need for City Reforms

According to a new report, the president of St. Louis’ board of aldermen drives a $25,000 city-purchased sedan with such luxury options as a heated leather steering wheel and seats. President Lewis Reed he uses the city-owned vehicle for personal use. Those are among the claims made by State Auditor Susan Montee in reports released Tuesday on [...]

Ashby: Is George “Red”?

I had to laugh just a little bit when Republican Congressmen called the proposed Sub Prime bailout a step toward socialism.  Back in 2004 I wrote a piece suggesting that in a different time Republicans would have accussed President Bush of being a closet socialist.  Following is the article…   Is Bush a Closet Socialist? You laugh, but [...]

God help us if this woman ever becomes President

Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, an early Palin fan, wrote on the National Review website that Palin is “clearly out of her league…I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.” Here [...]

Sarah Silverman: Get your ass to Florida!

Comedian Sarah Silverman makes a plea to young Jewish Americans to help sway the important Florida electorate as only they can. Definitely less vulgar than her Emmy-nominated "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" song, but still sure to offend more than one viewer. View discretion definitely advised.

Who is the New Superintendent?

The Special Administrative Board of the St. Louis Public School District voted this evening to hire the district’s next superintendent -- the seventh superintendent in just five years for the troubled district.

Hey, what’s an extra $25,000,000,000?

The Financial Times reports The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a $25 billion package of low-cost loans to help hard-pressed carmakers and their suppliers finance plant modernisation at a time of restricted access to public capital markets. The automotive loans are separate from the proposed $700bn bail-out for the banking sector, which is still being [...]

VIDEO: Letterman feels like McCain dissed him

David Letterman did not like Senator John McCain canceling his appearance on his show to supposedly head back to Washington to work on the $700,000,000,000 Wall Street bailout plan. Actually, McCain didn’t head back to D.C. Nor did he suspend his campaign, as he pledged. He dumped Letterman to instead record an interview with Katie Couric. “You don’t [...]

Reed calls on Slay to fire IT dept head

Aldermanic President Lewis Reed is calling on the mayor to immediately fire his head of the city’s IT Department. Reed’s demand follows a report aired last night on KSDK Channel 5 showing over the past three and a half years city taxpayers paid more than $1.5 million to a company ran by a convicted felon and apparently [...]

Messenger and Martin: Together at Last

Political reporter Tony Messenger is slated to be a guest on the new show hosted by former Matt Blunt chief of staff, Ed Martin. Messenger was one of Martin’s biggest critics when he was in the governor’s office. He was also one of the reporters who brought to light Blunt’s email-shredding scandal, which Martin was [...]

Clay “leaning against” supporting $700B Bailout

Count Congressman Lacy Clay among those that are having a tough time swallowing the idea of handing over $700,000,000,000 in taxpayer dollars to the already wealthiest people in America in the hopes of fixing a crisis that they created. From Monday’s CQPolitics.com: “I’m leaning hard against it,” said William Lacy Clay, D-Mo. “All the calls to my [...]

Alaska Women Protest Palin

From a friend: Psssst…pass it on! [The] Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaska women, or men. I had no [...]

Guilty By Association?

While John McCain launches a new round of attack ads on Barack Obama, this time trying to link him to the charges against some other Illinois Democrats… … the corruption trial McCain’s colleague and Sarah Palin’s own U.S. Senator, Ted Stevens from Alaska, begins today.

Sunday Show Roundup: McCain’s Bleak Week

New Look, More Changes Coming

Like the new look? Well, don’t get used to it. PubDef is changing. As the site approaches its 3rd anniversary, we’re going to be going in a… “new direction” very soon. On October 1st, look for something new.

Governor wants “full and comprehensive” audit of City Police Dept

Corruption and mismanagement in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has finally made it to the front page and, apparently, the front burner. The governor, who under an archaic remnant from the Civil War is responsible for city’s police department and appoints the commissioners who are supposed to provide oversight, has suddenly noticed things aren’t [...]

Young Dems and GOPers to come together for Debate Watch Party

When John McCain and Barack Obama come together for their first debate this Friday, some of their young supporters here in St. Louis will also be coming together to watch the event… This could get ugly. The Young Democrats of St. Louis and the St. Louis Area Young Republicans will be watching their candidates debate one another [...]

Sherman Parker Dies at 37

The Post-Dispatch reports former State Rep. Sherman Parker was declared brain-dead Thursday night after suffering a brain aneurysm. Post your memories and condolences in the comments section. UPDATE: In lieu of flowers or plants, the family has asked that you make donations to his daughter Alexandra Parker’s college fund. Please send savings bonds or checks to: PO Box 410334 St Louis, [...]

Florida Saggy Jeans Law Ruled Unconstitutional, Is Pine Lawn Next?

A Riviera Beach, Florida law that landed a 17-year-old teenager in jail for wearing sagging jeans has been ruled unconstitutional. A similar law was passed last year by the St. Louis County town of Pine Lawn. Here’s our report from last year on the Pine Lawn “fashion police”. Former PubDef intern Gabe Bullard, who produced this report, [...]

Ed Martin’s New TV Show

Former chief-of-staff for Governor Matt Blunt and regular PubDef.net commentator Ed Martin has a new show on city cable.

McCain Flip-Flopping All Over the Place