Pizza by Stout in Joplin and Bloggergate: Billy Long (for Congress) is a Small Little Man Despite His Big Ego

I remember it well. Republican Congressional Candidate Billy Long rushing out of the Joplin Federated Republican Women's meeting over to me and asking if we could talk. At that time, the Long is Wrong Web site was still new, and it really didn't pose much of a threat to Long at that point. I agreed, and we found a table as you turned the corner left in the dining room.

Long was baffled that someone didn't like him. His whole life he was told he was good and people liked him, and suddenly there was a blogger listing reasons why you shouldn't vote for Billy Long. He spoke of his friendships that went back to elementary schools as solid, and he tried to make the case we got off on the wrong foot. Billy Long said he was a common guy who didn't party and was usually at home with the wife at night. Of course, Long was hopeful I wouldn't discover what I know now, and I haven't even shared with you all of it yet.

Billy Long didn't like the fact there was a Web site online that placed him under a microscope, which furthers my belief Long is trying to buy a Congressional seat and probably feels like he is entitled to the seat Roy Blunt sits. He wanted it removed from the Web, so much he sat at that table frustrated and angry seeing I wasn't budging as I listened to the Pappy O'Daniel figure beg for it to be removed. I tried to focus the conversation on issues and the Constitution, and in front of three others sitting at the table, Long said he's not the smartest guy in this race and that's why he pays Curtis Trent $2,000 a month to keep him up on issues.

Since then, we know Billy Long received answers on his cell phone during the Ozark Chamber of Commerce Congressional Forum, which was verified by Democrat Tim Davis. As well, a few people noticed Curtis Trent was using his phone during the forum as well. We also have observed Billy Long avoiding questions in the forums and meetings he participates in like last week's Greene County Pachyderm Club, where Long may be the first person ever to address the luncheon and run from questions.

It was at Pizza by Stout, the Watergate of the Ozarks, where a desperate Billy Long wanted the Long is Wrong Web site down so badly, he attempted to bribe me with a job in his campaign if I would take it down. It's funny now that I look at this man with a huge ego cry over a site that is truly American, for it is the responsibility of Americans to question those who leader and desire to lead as they seek election. Yes, under that white cowboy hat and large ego, is a very small man named Billy Long the auctioneer.

Oh could one say that about Billy Long? He's the poor man's Rush Limbaugh! Isn't it interesting that Billy Long begged for a Web site called Long is Wrong to be removed from the Web, knowing it may actually pick up on the wild parties he participates in, his gambling and the World Poker Tour, his campaign finance shenanigans, and his overall lack of good character and knowledge needed to represent Southwest Missouri, yet a Web site called Defeat Nodler registered and written by an anonymous source suddenly goes from attacking Gary Nodler to attacking me and connecting me to Jack Goodman, Miles Ross, and David Barklage (who I have never even met or even heard the name of prior to the libel written on the site). Anyone who reads this site knows I go out of my way to give everyone but Darrell Moore and Billy Long equal time.

This week, they use an article I wrote on the Missouri gaming industry that centers around an amendment Jack Goodman introduced in the Missouri Senate that would slow the growth of the casino industry in Missouri. Randy Turner of the Turner Report wrote the story, and I took the parts from the story that appeared to be written by the Goodman campaign. See for yourself Jeff Rowe and James Harris.

Jeff Roe has been caught at this game before and wound up in a libel case not too long ago. He knows a thing or two about this works, but really isn't that good at it. Of course, Billy Long hired bottom feeders to run his campaign. The funny thing is, they are a power hungry career politician producing machine, the same scum Billy Long says he opposes.

Obviously, the sophomoric attempt to create a Web site to bring down Gary Nodler's campaign for Congress has been ineffective, but it also appears based on the sudden change of rhetoric and the continued focus on Bungalow Bill, the site could very well be written by Billy Long and his operatives. Obviously, since the site clearly states untrue connections, a court case would deliver the owner of the Web site and Billy Long could be embarrassed once again in this campaign. It wouldn't surprise me at this point. Once again, we may be seeing how Billy Long plays the game, and if that's the case, there is only one way to describe it--DIRTY.