Close encounters of the Billy Long kind

"Is you is or is you ain't, my constituency"

Prior to the legislative spring break, Long's spokesperson Brett Funk refused an new media interview request because Billy was going to focus exclusively on district media and constitutents.

OK, so Billy denies an interview request from new media journalist Bob McCarty because Long is going to focus on district press and constituents.

I am a constituent of Billy Long and I write news and commentary for the new media through the Busplunge. I am also a member of the Missouri Press Association AND I live in MO 7, seems to me I meet all of Billy's requirement for to speak with him or at least attend his press briefing.

Wrong.

Long denies me entrance to a press briefing because, according to him and his staff, I am not a member of the press.

But I'm a constituent, Billy!


According to the words and actions of Billy Long and his staffers, new media journalists are not media and, because of that belief, Long and his metro somethings are justified in denying interview requests and in blocking new media's access to the congressman.

Using that Long logic, anyone who doesn't live in Billy's district, anyone who writes for the new media and anyone who isn't a print or television journalist ain't gonna get an interview with Billy Long.

Yesterday an email arrived at the bus garage alerting us that Long had given an interview to Politico:

Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.), one of those freshmen who Huckabee endorsed in a primary last year, was there and said the Arkansan emphasized that he hadn't yet made up his mind on a White House bid.

"He said, 'people that have printed that they definitely know that I am not running do not know what they are talking about and people who have printed that I am running do not know what they're talking about because, quite frankly, I don't know,'" Long and another attendee told POLITICO

Huckabee and his small inner circle very much want to keep buzz about his potential candidacy alive — but also don't want to pump up the possibility so much that executives at Fox, where he has a weekly show, nix his contract.

For his part, Long said he truly thinks Huckabee remains unsure of his plans.

"I do not think he's holding his cards tight to his vest," Long said.

Long also tweeted regarding Mike Huckabee's presidential aspirations.

Billy--- you won't talk to McCarty because, according to your staff, you are focusing on district press and constituents.

You won't talk to me because, according to both your staff and YOU, I'm not media.

Frequent bus riders will remember that not once, but twice you told us that you don't run to microphones everytime one is offered....Remember saying that, Billy? We do.*

Here, I drew some Venn Diagrams----



Ah, Billy get your stories straight, you no longer seem amusing.

*In an interview Long told NPR's Andrea Seabrook that he had to liquidate his third interest in the largest real estate company in town. Long is speaking of the 1/3 interest he owns of Murney and Associates.

Flooding in the Seventh District prompted U.S. Representative Billy Long to issue a press release

As a 'card-carrying' producer and reader of New Media*, I have standing searches on Google Alerts.**

Google Alerts has almost real time results of saved searches.

Using information gleaned from Google Alerts, it appears that while Congressman Long was quite interested in Missouri's re-districting process we never saw any record, via New Media or mainstream media sources of Long visiting any of the flooded areas of MO 7. Ever the prolific tweeter--he tweets what he eats-- there is not a tweet about visiting the flooded areas of MO 7 no tweets from Billy, no news coverage, no nothing.

That's is not to say that Long didn't visit the area. Google alerts alerted me that Long planned to meet in Branson on April 18 for a morning 'meet and greet' with Branson realtors. Long who "apologized for arriving late, he was on a conference call from Washington", shared stories about his travels from Springfield, MO to Washington D.C.Billy Long poses with a group of woman realtors in Branson. It is not known if Long shared with them all that he's done to take away women's freedoms and their opportunities to keep themselves and their families healthy. On May 4, Long voted "aye" on HR3 -- one of the most extreme anti-woman measures ever.

Long was also in Branson on March 26 attending a Republican event. KRZK Branson radio reported

7th District Congressman Billy Long has only been in office 3 months and he's already campaigning for his next election. Long was one of several Republicans who gathered in Branson last night for the annual Taney County Lincoln Days event at the Lion's Club on East Highway 76.

Billy knows how to get to Branson. Honoring his commitment to seniors, Auctioneer Colonel Billy Long shakes hands with an old guy in Forsyth. It is not known if Long told the old man he voted to kill medicare. Photo by Monte Schisler

During Spring break (April 18 - May 1) Long went to a realtor's breakfast, wouldn't let a new media report attend his press briefing, judged an art contest, went to Jefferson City --- held NO live town hall meetings, went to Barnes and Noble and re-tweeted a bunch of John Boehner tweets. But nowhere is it recorded that Long visited the flooded areas of MO 7.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at 10:44 PM, I received the following notification from Google Alerts: Congressman Billy Long : Press Releases : Congressman Long ...
WASHINGTON, DC—Flooding in the Seventh District prompted U.S. Representative Billy Long to request help from federal agencies for individuals ...
long.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&sectiontree=6...

Here are some photos of what Congressman Long would have seen if he had toured the flooded areas of Taney County:

Corps of Engineers Lake Taneycome boat launch ramp, Rockaway Beach, MO.

View from B's Nest deck showing valley behind Pettijohn's cabin flooded. The water was about 2 feet higher earlier.

On shoulder of Highway 160, just east of the Swan Creek bridge, Bull Shoals Lake and Shadowrock Park campground. That's the old concrete bridge you see there.

Main Street, Rockaway Beach, MO


Congressman "Call me Billy" smiling for the camera at a restaurant in Branson in late April.

Lake Taneycomo, Rockaway Beach, flooded resorts.

More flooded resorts, Rockaway Beach, MO.

Jack's Landing, Rockaway Beach, MO. The road is under about three feet of water.

Forsyth-Taneyville Road near Shadowrock Park, Forsyth, MO.

How high's the water Ma? Flood waters block access to Lake Taneycomo boat dock in Rockaway Beach, MO.

Taneycomo Campgrounds, Rockaway Beach, MO, flooded. The campground proprietor told me the water was 'lapping at the door of the store'.

And finally, some big black Ford F150 pickup trucks seen around the area:

Saw this big black Ford F150 on the way home-- didn't see if it had Bozo on the dash.

from Wonkette.com: What is ruining America for middle-aged white guys who drive monstrous pickup trucks around the Ozarks thanks to the oil from Islamofascist dictatorships? Oh, the usual: President Obama, “the news media,” and higher education. Also, beware of “rhinos,” also. Thanks to Wonkette operative “Will Ferrell.”The only missing here is trucknutz and Bozo.

Ahh, there's Bozo!

Why waterboarding isn't torture

Some have attributed the assault on and killing of Osama Bin Ladin to waterboarding.

Others continue to assert that waterboarding is torture.

From the bus garage comes this post from October 31, 2007...


The Hardy Boys.....if you grew up boy you knew the Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe and their friends Chet and Brit plus a slew of others.


Somehow the boys always solved the caper in the nick of time. Often with a hint of wry humor.


In the course of our web travels we came across this entry: How gay were the Hardy Boys?. We read it and laughed and found inuendo in just about every sentence we remembered from the Hardy Boy books we read as a young boy and the 10 minutes episodes on the originial (sorry Britney and Justinyou two just don't compare) Mickey Mouse Club...Jimmy Dodd....Darlene, Annette, Tim Considine.... Spin and Marty (Way out west on the triple R, Yippee Yay, Yippee Yi, Yipee Yo).....and of course, the Hardy Boys.


Then, it hit us. We are about the same age as W, about 10 years younger than Cheney and the attorney general nominee, Mukasey.

If we could remember the Hardy Boys with fondness and longing, perhaps they could too.


Destiny references "The Secret of the Caves" for its hidden homosexual agenda (not that there's anything wrong with that), we found it a lot more engorging for its defense of waterboarding:

They were just approaching the cliff that hid the cave from view when Frank halted and peered through the fog at the base of the rocks some distance ahead.

"Do you see somebody lying there, Joe...? Seems like a man sprawled on the sand...."

The boys hastened across the rocks in the direction of the figure on the shore...

They came up to the man sprawled on the sand. He was not dead. An empty bottle lying by his side told the reason for his slumber.

"He's drunk!"

He was quite senseless from the effects of the liquor he had drunk... "This is luck!" exclaimed Frank.

"What shall we do with him? asked Joe.

Frank groped in his pocket and produced a length of stout cord.

"We'll tie him up first!"

"What if he puts up a fight?"

"He's too drunk."

They throw hat-fuls of water into in his face to revive him — but when he wakes up, they keep throwing more water at him.
"Hey! What's this?" roared the car thief indignantly. He had just discovered that his wrists were bound.

"Just a little joke," said Frank.

Water was streaming down the man's face. He was thoroughly aroused by now.

"I'll say he is!" ejaculated Chet Morton.

Sounds like waterboarding to me, and it is just a little joke! A little joke is not really torture because if it were torture, the Hardy Boys wouldn't do it. We all know that.

Billy Long deletes @Auctnr1 tweets that slammed Panetta and disclosed embargoed information

This post deals with screen captures of various twitter accounts. Click on the images for a larger view.

Both the Huffington Post and Politico have picked up on Billy Long's tweets from yesterday..... the ones he didn't delete that is.

From The Huffington Post:

So as Navy SEALs hunted down one of the greatest threats to America's security in a highly dangerous undercover operation, what was Leon Panetta thinking about? "On Monday, Panetta fielded questions from 25 congressional freshmen during a long-planned and, as it turned out, well-timed tour of CIA headquarters. Rep. Billy Long tweeted from the tour, "Panetta 'watching it unfold live I thought- this is like watching a Harrison Ford Movie' when asked who should play him- he said 'Al Pacino.''" Robert Gates' uncanny resemblance to Ruby Dee really is an asset right now. [Politico's Karin Tanabe]

From Politico:

Movies will certainly be made about the death of Osama bin Laden and the CIA-led operation that killed him.

When that happens, CIA Director Leon Panetta suggests that Al Pacino play him.

On Monday, Panetta fielded questions from 25 congressional freshmen during a long-planned and, as it turned out, well-timed tour of CIA headquarters.

Rep. Billy Long tweeted from the tour,

Long tweeted that the tour was arranged “some time ago,” adding “what a day to tour CIA Headquarters and have a Q & A with Director Leon Panetta- incredible- riveting recap of events.”

The Missouri congressman said the details of “how everything unfolded” were “incredible” and “remarkable.”

“What planning, preparation and execution,” he tweeted.

At 9:40 PM, May 1, JamesMNHarris retweeted a tweet from a BenjaminHackett, which Billy Long, tweeting under the pseudonym of "Auctnr1" retweeted: RT JamesMNHarris RT @benjaminHackett House Intelligence committee aide confirms that #Osama Bin Laden is DEAD. US has the body.(click on image for larger view.)

Twenty minutes later, at 10:00 PM, Auctnr1 made the following tweet (referencing the previously scheduled tour of CIA headquarters for twenty-five freshman reps):

We're scheduled to tour the CIA tomorrow and hear remarks from Leon Panetta. Wonder if plans will change or we'll hear Panetta's the best ever!

Several members of new media in Southwest Missouri picked up on that tweet. Randy Turner was the first one to notice it. He was also the first to notice that Long had deleted the tweet

Seventh District Congressman Billy Long rapidly deleted a sarcastic tweet about he expected to hear tomorrow about how great CIA director and soon-to-be Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is.

The tweet, of course, was made before the news that a CIA-led operation resulted in the death of terrorist Osama bin Laden.

Long must have realized that his tweet was in poor taste, even for him and deleted it.

Fortunately for those who are not into revisionist history, Long's tweets and re-tweets were captured through an iPhone app. This was not Billy's first rodeo.Billy Long in Neosho with his ever-ready iPhone

The next morning, Long tweets about his tour of CIA Headquarters in Langley with quite a different attitude from the previous night:These are the tweets the DC new media picked up on:

Timing is everything--what a day to tour CIA Headquarters and have a Q & A with Director Leon Panetta- incredible- riveting recap of events.

Then this one (I almost wish Long was have used the phrase "Penatta's the best ever" in this tweet):

Director Panetta was rightfully proud of our incredible Men & Women in the Military& Intel Communities.

And finally this one:

“Panetta 'watching it unfold live I thought- this is like watching a Harrison Ford Movie' when asked who should play him- he said 'Al Pacino.’”

Ok, picture this: CIA HQ on the day after the President announced to the US and the world (ok so Billy announced it first on Twitter)that Osama Bin Laden had been killed in daring raid on his compound in Abbottabad.

I can just imagine Director Panetta describing the events that lead up to the raid, the intelligence gathering, the planning, the discussions with the President, the final go-ahead and, when the mission was underway, the atmosphere in the White House Situation Room.*
Perhaps sensing that he was losing some of the members of the tour with the details, I can imagine Director Panetta saying, to describe the night in a framework that even Billy could understand, that it was 'watching it unfold live I thought- this is like watching a Harrison Ford Movie'.
Then I can imagine Panetta opening up the floor for questions. Questions all of us would have wanted to ask: How long was this planned? How did you find where Bin Laden was living? What happened to his body? All questions pertaining to the mission.

Then, a member of the tour asks, "Who will play you in the movie?"

I just hope it wasn't Ozark Billy who asked that question.

But then again, I maybe hope it was so the rest of the twitter universe can see what a lot of us down here in MO 7 see: the man is out of his league.Billy Long with his ever-ready iPhone.

While I was gathering information and screen shots for this post, I went back to Long's Twitter account and Harris's twitter account to nail down the times the tweets came across.

Not only was Long's sarcastic tweet about Panetta deleted, but Long also deleted his retweet of JamesMNHarris announcing the death and capture of Bin Laden's body:

The tweet is here:


Later, the tweet is gone-- it was between the tweet about Geraldo and Greenwood:


Remember, Billy Long retweeted Harris' tweet at 9:40PM, but when I went to Harris' tweets, I can't find it.

I have deleted some of my tweets before, usually for grammar corrections or because I couldn't nail down the facts. But Long, while known for smack talking and code-talking, also tweets some pretty outlandish stuff.

No, don't get me wrong, he did the right thing by deleting them. He screwed up by posting them in the first place. I expect more from a member of congress and a member who secured an appointment to the Homeland Security Committee.



I guess to some in D.C., Billy seems amusing, but that dog don't hunt too much down here.Can Billy Long be trusted with state secrets? Does he need his iPhone taken away from him? Do we want to trust Billy with state secrets? Anyone with access to a computer knew Sunday night that 25 US Representatives were going to be enroute to Langley on Monday morning-- Didn't Billy realize that?

*President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Seated, from left, are: Brigadier General Marshall B. “Brad” Webb, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Standing, from left, are: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Tony Binken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

(By the way JamesMNHarris, reading your tweets... what kind of vehicle do you drive? I have spent over $125 to fill the tank on my Chevy Suburban, but it's got a 454 motor and I haul our Airstream with it. For my daily driver I drive a 10 year old 4 cylinder 5 speed S-10 that gets about 25 mpg. Maybe you ought to think about getting a car that gets better gas mileage?)

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Auctnr1 tweets.....

Billy Long was tweeting last night. He probably should have just watched it play out on TV and stayed away from the internet.

These tweets came across between 9:40 and 10:00 our time: (This is not the first time Long has retweeted Harris, either.)Long must have thought his tweet was in poor taste even for him because he quickly deleted it. But nothing on the internet is gone forever, it just moves to a different place.

Today, Long had his CIA tour. He tweeted about it.


Billy's tweets about Panetta remind me of Eddie Haskell:



I keep remembering that Peter King put Billy on the Homeland Security Committee "Peter King was looking for people who could take the tough votes," Rep. Long said. "So, for me to be named Vice Chairman—for a freshman, that's a pretty tall honor." Apparently thoughtful analysis and an understanding of the nuances and complexity of issues was not a requirement.