WTF, Missouri? [Y-not]

This didn't get much coverage in the conservo-sphere during a news-heavy week, but I think it's tragic. Missouri's auditor, Tom Schweich, who had recently entered the Republican primary for governor, killed himself. Motive unknown at this point:

In a voicemail reportedly left just minutes before died, Schweich is heard asking the editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board Tony Messenger to send a reporter to his home.

"Tony, this is Tom Schweich calling," Schweich says in the recording posted on the paper's website. "You can have a reporter here at my house at 2:30."

Schweich also reportedly called and spoke with an Associated Press reporter just minutes earlier.

The Republican gubernatorial hopeful wanted to meet with the reporters to go public with allegations that head of his party had made anti-Semitic statements about him as part of a whisper campaign against him.

"This is only for you two and I hope you will not make it known that I am doing this," said Schweich. "To me, this is more of a religion story than a politics story, but it's your choice on who the reporter is."

Look, I know the responsibility for a suicide* rests on the person committing the act. That said, from what I've gleaned, the Republican primary had already turned very nasty. And it appears that Schweich's allegations about an anti-Jewish whisper campaign had merit:

In conversations with the AP, Schweich said he had heard that Hancock had been making phone calls last fall in which he mentioned in an off-handed way that Schweich was Jewish. Schweich said he felt the comments were anti-Semitic and wanted Hancock to resign the party chairmanship to which he had been elected last Saturday.

Hancock told the AP on Thursday that Schweich had talked to him about the alleged comments last November, but not since then. Hancock, who is a political consultant, said he held meetings last fall with prospective donors for a project to register Catholic voters. Hancock said that if he had mentioned that Schweich was Jewish, it would have been in the context that Hanaway was Catholic but that was no indication of how Catholics were likely to vote.

"I don't have a specific recollection of having said that, but it's plausible that I would have told somebody that Tom was Jewish because I thought he was, but I wouldn't have said it in a derogatory or demeaning fashion," Hancock said.

So party chairman Hancock admits to raising Schweich's religion (incorrectly, as it turns out) with Catholic donors. Sacred honor compelled him to do it, no doubt.

I don't know in what circles Hancock travels, but none of my Catholic family or friends or former professors (or any Catholic of my acquaintance) would hesitate to vote for a Jewish person. NONE.

Shame on him.

By the way, it appears Mr. Schweich was very good at his job.

Not that that mattered to his political opponents.

His funeral will be on Tuesday.

*Exceptions exist, imo. For example, any of the WTC "jumpers" who chose that path bore no responsibility, as far as I'm concerned. Also, these 7 year old so-called "suicide bombers" are NOT committing suicide -- they're being murdered.

posted by Open Blogger at 05:15 PM

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