Billy Long Gets His Daughters a Poodle for Christmas: More Fluff From the News-Leader

Compare and contrast the political reporting of the St. Louis Dispatch and that of the Springfield News-Leader. In less than a month's time since Sarah Steelman announced she is running for US Senate, the St. Louis Post Dispatch has dissected her investments showing she is a hypocrite between what she says about not investing with companies who do business with terrorist states and her investment portfolio full of investments with companies that do business with terrorist states.

Now compare that to an entire two years of softball pieces written about Billy Long where there was no investigative reporting. For months, I had hinted that Billy Long sought earmarks while serving on the Springfield Branson Airport while his campaign rhetoric scolded politicians that earmarked. Yet, no one at the News-Leader cared to look into it, after all, why would you want to bite the hands that feed. you. Just look at all the advertising dollars coming into the paper from Murney Associates, Billy Long Auctions, and Billy Long backers like Ed Pinegar, owner of Pinegar Chevrolet.



Even after the commercial exposing Billy Long as an earmark hypocrite was released, Cory de Vera and the Springfield News-Leader did little to expose Long. Instead, de Vera rode around with Billy Long in his black Ford F-150 with Bozo the Clown on the dash yukking it up with him and basing her opinions of Long on one day on the campaign trail, which I learned when she interviewed me earlier this year.

There is a story the News-Leader has obviously been caught snoozing on. Billy Long was asked about foreign and the military policy during one of the forums. Having never sacrificed in combat boots, Long admitted he didn't know much about foreign policy or military policy and answered the question stating that and that he would call his buddies Jeff Wisdom and Michael Wardell and consult with them on these matters.

So it brings out some questions which the press hasn't asked about why Billy Long, who self-proclaimed his ignorance on foreign policy and the military, was named to the Department of Homeland Security committee, which definitely has a foreign policy and military slant to it?

Nope, instead, de Vera is giving us her typical worthless pieces because she isn't capable enough to ask the question how did Long end up on such an important committee considering his statement and resume. Rather, we get this story in today's paper about Billy Long going out and buying a dog for his daughters in the worthless Springfield paper proving once again that de Vera has no business in journalism and did this community a real disservice with her political reporting this year.


It was Christmas of 1994 when Rep.-elect Billy Long and his wife, Barbara, decided to get their daughters Kaleen, then 8, and Kelle, 5, a dog.

"I got to researching dogs, and I decided I liked the King Charles spaniel best," said Billy. He found one for sale on the other side of the state.

"So on Christmas Eve I drove up to St. Louis in the cold and the dark. I got all the way up to this lady's house. But, I looked around and I realized it was a substandard pet-breeding operation. I turned around empty-handed."

Billy said Barbara couldn't believe after a 400-mile round-trip drive, he had no dog. At least, said Billy, the girls didn't know of the plan, so they were not disappointed.

For Christmas 1995, Billy tried again. He looked at local dogs.

That Christmas, the family went to Disney World.

Billy said he'll never forget what happened when they returned home and his daughters opened the door. They found Santa had left a poodle for them; the girls named him Jackie.

"They were ecstatic," recalled Billy. "They were thrilled to death."

During the six years Billy hosted a morning radio talk show, he enjoyed sharing stories about Jackie's antics. When Billy was on the campaign trail, his old listeners would ask him how Jackie was.

Sadly, he would tell them, Jackie had to be put to sleep earlier this year, 21 months after being diagnosed with cancer.

But he was a great companion who gave the Longs many memorable years, said Billy.

-- Cory de Vera