SALINE CO.— Many believe that when President Richard Nixon coined the phrase “Politics is a dirty business” he hit the proverbial nail on the head.
Before the voting machines from the 2016 Primary election season could even make their way back into their carrying cases, state candidates began implementing their battle plans in their quest to march toward the November General Election.
And while some candidates dig into and bring to the public the background of their opponents’ voting records and personal habits, there seems to be a disturbing trend to short circuit media attempts to vet troubled candidates.
In fact, multiple sources close to the man say that Jason Kasiar of Eldorado, Republican candidate for 118th State Representative, has announced to his insiders that he is looking into any way possible that he can file a lawsuit against Disclosure and its publisher Jack Howser.
“Once the sources were heavily vetted, I have to admit that I was caught off-guard by the reports,” Howser said. “I know we had a run-in with Mr. Kasiar at the scene of his house fire in 2013 and that upset him, but I thought all of that was handled in a professional manner, in which he apologized for assaulting our photographer during a time of understandable stress, and we let it go.”
Reggie Phillips connection
The sources indicate that Kasiar has what they are describing as an unnatural fear of Disclosure and the coverage the publication might give his run for office.
Howser said other than Kasiar being the only man State Representative Reggie Phillips (R) of the 110th District could get to run against incumbent 118th State Representative Brandon Phelps (D), he had no clue as to why Kasiar would have concerns.
“We know that Phillips has been rumored to be somewhat of a snake in the grass and has directed state contracts to individuals he wants to do his political bidding,” Howser said. “But we hear that about nearly every elected individual in the state.”
Sources say that Kasiar’s strategy is to either win a lawsuit preventing Howser and his publication from writing about him, or to tie the publication up in lawsuits in an attempt to rob them of the time and resources needed to investigate him.
No love lost
“There’s no more love lost between this publication and Mr. Kasiar than there is between this publication and Rep. Phelps,” Howser said. “As a general rule I think by their very nature politicians would consume their own family members to achieve their goals and exist somewhere on the food chain between a snail’s belly and the slime they leave behind as they make their way through life.”
Howser said Disclosure has dedicated itself to being a-political.
“We have prided ourselves in exposing human feces on both sides of every topic we cover,” he said. “We have exposed and come to the defense of both Democrats as well as Republicans, crooked cops as well as those who go above and beyond the call of duty, scumbag drug dealers as well as those brutalized during an arrest no matter the crime.”
Finding the Why
Given the old-school, investigative, answerable-only-to-the-truth style of journalism the publication practices, Howser says said he understands there will always be someone upset on either side of an issue, as well as those wrongdoers fussing behind the scenes in hopes of keeping his publication out of their lives.
“I guess if Mr. Kasiar pops out a lawsuit from nowhere, we will have our answer,” Howser said. “In the meantime I must say I am more than a little intrigued when it comes to my most favorite question of all and that would be ‘Why?”
And in his pursuit for the answer to his favorite question, Howser said he fully intends to dig in, under, over, around and if needed through all the candidates in this specific election.
“I know I am going to come out of this investigation knowing the answer as to why but can’t help believing I am also going to feel in desperate need of a shower that will never wash off the grime of following in the footsteps of politicians just to see where they have come from, where they have gone and where they are going,” Howser said.