Newton County Watermelon Feed features pro-choice Republicans, witch hunt criticism, threats to nail McCaskill "pow, right in the kisser"

The deep state invaded Big Spring Park in Neosho Tuesday night.

The park was not filled with faceless bureaucrats from the FBI or our other intelligence agencies waiting to do their best to keep America from being great again.

It was the introduction of the phrase "deep state" and the accompanying fears of faithful Donald Trump followers that he is the subject of a witch hunt that found its way into some of the politicking.

Republican candidates for U. S. Senate attending the annual Watermelon Feed sprinkled those references into their speeches and let everyone know that each of them was more pro-Trump than the ones who had spoken earlier.

The candidates also revealed that they were pro-choice and that information did not set off any fireworks. More on that later.

Back to our president.

Attorney General Josh Hawley, who was anointed by Trump himself during a speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Kansas City last week, made sure everyone knew Trump endorsed him for U. S. Senate.

"It's good to have President Trump's support," he told one of the largest crowds in years to attend the watermelon feed. He would have said it again and again, but the rules limited each speaker to three minutes.

As it was, he just barely had enough time to work in his support of the Second Amendment and the right to life and then darted off the stage before the rest of his primary opponents spoke and left Newton County so that he and his wife could celebrate their anniversary.

Hawley was there for the first speaker, Austin Peterson, whose primary claim to fame was a stint as a producer for Judge Andrew Napolitano's show on the Fox Business Network, noting a poll, though he did not note which poll, had him beating Claire McCaskill in the general election by double digits, something Hawley could not claim.

Why, not only could Peterson beat McCaskill, but he would make sure to do it decisively. "Pow, right in the kisser," he said, placing himself firmly to the far right of the Me Too movement.

Though, Hawley thankfully was able to hear a man promising to nail McCaskill right in her kisser, he missed out on Courtland Sykes promoting his work with former National Security Director Michael Flynn.

"There is a witch hunt after that man," Sykes said, failing to mention that Flynn pleaded guilty.

Sykes used his three minutes to rail against the "deep state" that is conspiring to destroy this country. Apparently, he feels there are Americans colluding with Americans.

Thankfully, for those who prefer their Republican politics the old fashioned way when the enemies were the Democrats and not the people who are protecting us, there was plenty of Democrat bashing with Claire McCaskill and State Auditor Nicole Galloway serving as the primary targets.

All of the top GOP people who skipped last week's Lincoln Ladies Ice Cream Social at Memorial Hall in Carthage, including Gov. Mike Parson, Lt. Gov, Mike Kehoe, Seventh District Congressman Billy Long and Hawley were working the Big Spring Park crowd.

Parson showed a skill for meeting with people that his predecessor, Eric Greitens, did not have. While Hawley stood with arms crossed waiting for people to come to him, Parson went into the crowd, right arm extended, greeting old friends and making new ones.

It was a Newton County Republican's ideal scenario when Billy Long auctioned off a painting of Ronald Reagan and the top bidder was Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin.

Parson, who was not encumbered by the three-minute limit since he is not on the ballot, told of his recent meeting with President Trump.

"I was totally surprised how familiar he was with the state of Missouri. He wanted to know can we win in the U. S. Senate. Can we do that? I assured the president and vice president of the United States that we could win that election 'if you come back to Missouri and help us.' "

Parson said the country is doing well with Trump at the helm and would be doing even better if one obstacle could be removed- Claire McCaskill. Parson said he had promised to say one good thing about McCaskill.

"I wish her the best second place finish you can have in November."

Parson noted that McCaskill had worked hand-in-hand with former President Barack Obama, his tone dripping with derision as he mentioned Obama's name.

"She stood with him every step of the way."

The governor ripped into McCaskill for not revealing how she would vote on Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The speakers were so anti-McCaskill and spoke of her so negatively, it was almost if they were on a witch hunt and McCaskill was the witch.

The most surprising revelation from the watermelon feed was the pro-choice attitude of the candidates.

Of course, that was on Proposition A.

The candidates felt every person had a right to choose not be a member of a union, but to benefit from whatever the unions get for workers through collective bargaining.