Show Me a Better Candidate

No one is sure about the origin of Missouri’s unofficial slogan, the “Show-Me” state . In an 1899 speech, Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver said, “I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.” Though he may not have coined “show-me,” Vandiver certainly popularized the phrase that embodies the no-nonsense character of Missourians.

Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley has the show-me spirit in spades, and she’s ready to bring that approach to Congress so she can fight for the families of the 4th District . She has deep Missouri roots and strong ties to the community she protects by prosecuting criminals . She’s serious about women’s safety, and was recognized by the Missouri Attorney General with a Justice Award for Domestic Violence Prevention . Teresa wants to serve in Congress so she can protect Medicare and Social Security for her parents, union jobs for workers like her brother, and Pell grants for students like her nephew.

Currently representing the 4th District is Tea Partier Vicky Hartzler , swept into Congress on the Republican wave of 2010. Hartzler didn’t get the memo on Missouri’s motto. Apparently, she thought it meant “show me the money” from oil companies (to the tune of over $36,000) and from the Koch Brothers. And she got it wrong again, saying she had “a lot of doubts” about President Obama’s birth certificate and that she didn’t “understand why he didn’t show that right away .”

It’s high time to show Missourians a better candidate, and Teresa Hensley fits the bill.