City Of Brady Texas

Missouri's change of direction

When passions were highest last year during the Big 12 meetings at Kansas City’s InterContinental Hotel, when there was talk of ultimatums, when metaphorical planes were about to take off with or without the waffling members of the league, reporters surrounded Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton and asked about MU’s interest in the Big Ten.

“We’re not shutting our ears to anything,” Deaton said. “I’m sure every school here has a responsibility to its own institution as a primary responsibility.”

One year later, with the Southeastern Conference seeking expansion and Missouri suggested as a candidate to join Texas A&M in the eastbound lane, Deaton’s reaction was completely different. He said Missouri hasn’t had any contact with the SEC and wasn’t interested in chatting.

“We’re committed to moving ahead with the Big 12, pledging our full commitment,” Deaton said.

That’s a major policy shift. Why?

The cynics say this newfound interest in conference unity means Missouri officials learned their lesson from last year’s embarrassment and are hiding their true intentions. They will remind you that a certain basketball coach publicly stated he would retire at Missouri and was introduced at a press conference in Arkansas two weeks later. This is how it works in high-profile negotiations: Deny until the ink’s dry.

The skeptics say Missouri simply has no interest in joining the SEC and would still kick the Big 12 to the curb if its true love, the Big Ten, called. And the skeptics might well be onto something.

But Deaton, the chairman of the Big 12’s Board of Directors, said yesterday his reaction would have been no different if it were the Big Ten and not the SEC expanding. He said the Big 12 is so cohesive, its future so bright, why would a school want to leave?

“The atmosphere is different this year,” Deaton said. “The Big 12 is real solid together. We’ve been through a lot over the last year, and we’ve done a lot in terms of planning and looking strategically at where we’re going. We would prefer that everyone in the conference is absolutely totally happy with where we’re going, and I understand there’s dissonance that occurs, and the discussions with Texas A&M reflect that right now, but I see that as a bit of an exception — not a bit of an exception, quite an exception.

Daily Kos: ACTION! August Town Hall Meetings Schedule (Continually ...

A great idea suggested in the comment section: If your Critter is on this list as having none scheduled, it would be an awesome idea to call their offices and let them know that they should be having them instead of taking what looks more like a 5 week vacation.

One more good addendum to the above taken from the comments: And call the local newspapers, TV stations, news radio, etc. and tell them that Congressman _ Barbara Lee, Nancy Pelosi, Raul Grijalva: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will join Rep. Barbara Lee at a “Speak Out for Good Jobs Now!” town hall meeting next Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Oakland.

The event, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Christ, 1034 66th Ave. in Oakland, is open to the public. In addition to Pelosi, D-San Francisco, and Lee, D-Oakland, Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., also is scheduled to attend.