On March 4, 2009 I posted an article critical of President Barack Hussein Obama, one that questioned his Constitutional creditials to serve as president as well as informing readers about HR-45 , a gun-grabbing piece of legislation that has "piggy-backed" his way in the president's stimulus package.

The article, which I entitled, "A Tale of Two Dictators" stayed on the front page of the Southeast Missourian website until sometime today when it was "pulled" and replaced by Matt Sanders blog about peanut butter.

I called Mr. Sanders and left a message on his phone at 2:25 p.m. today asking why the blog post had been pulled from the front page, giving my number and telling him that I would greatly appreciate it if he would get back to me.

What a surprise it was at 3:46 pm to receive a phone call from Southeast Missourian publisher Jon Rust.

He told me that it was his understanding that I was wondering why "A Tale of Two Dictators" had been moved from the front page of the Southeast Missourian.

I responded by stating that I would like to know the reason.

He replied by saying, "The Southeast Missourian has a certain criteria for the front page".

I asked him to be more specific about the criteria and he replied by saying, "The Southeast Missourian has a certain criteria for the front page"

I again responded by stating "Do you realize that I did not approach the Southeast Missourian about writing a blog but rather the Southeast Missourian approached me?"

He replied by stating that he did understand this.

It's true; on December I received an email from Matt Sander that stated the following

"I notice from the stories you submit that you like to write quite a bit

about real issues in Bollinger County and beyond. Would you be interested in a blog, where you could interact with readers?

Given the subjects you're interested in I think you'd get a great

response."

Well apparently "Bollinger County and beyond" does not include the subject of Barack Hussein Obama.

I told Mr. Rust that it was my understanding that the Southeast Missourian was a Conservative paper and thought it odd that an article critical of President Obama would be pulled from the front page.

Mr. Rust responded by saying "The front page is reserved for certain criteria. You're article still appears on the blog page.

At this point I very politely informed Mr. Rust that I would soon be ending my relationship with the Southeast Missourian newspaper.

Mr. Rust told me that I was welcome to continue writing a blog for the Southeast Missourian.

I thanked Mr. Rust but told him that if I was going to write for the Missourian it was going to be something worth writing about and suggested to him that if he wanted meaningless fluff I'm sure Mr. Hollerback would be interested in doubling up on his blog posts.

You see for the Southeast Missourian, "criteria" means writing about the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg as Mr. Hollerbach's does in his latest post.

What does not fit the criteria is being critical of the "Messiah", President Obama, conservative paper be damned!

Yes, it appears that I have committed the ultimate sin.

This is not a problem that limits itself to the Southeast Missourian's management, we are in troubled times, the message is clear; no one is to defy or criticize President Obama.

I consider myself to be a "Jeffersonian Democrat" and have never really been a fan of Rush Limbaugh, but I have to give the man credit for one thing, in a time when other Republicans have "gotten the message", rolled over and played dead, he stands firm in his criticism towards the president, refusing to compromise his principles.

It's too bad that Jon Rust doesn't share these principles; the whole situation reminds me of a scene in the 2007 movie "Valley of Elah".

As Tommy Lee Jones is leaving town to find his son, he spots an immigrant janitor raising the U.S. flag upside down on the school flag pole.

When Jones asks him if he knows what it means, the janitor replies "no".

Jones then informs the janitor that, (and I'm paraphrasing here) it is an international distress symbol. It means that our backs are to the wall, we're in a world of crap and there is no way out.

Yes, change has come.

If you want to stay in touch with what is happening down at the Marble Hill City Hall then please visit my Alderman Lacy Blog if you want real news , views and opinion then please visit my Missouri Bushwhacker Blog.

Goodbye From the Foothills