Awesome Direct Quote, "Candidates Shouldn't Make Stuff Up."

The St. Louis Post Dispatch offered up its endorsements for Missouri's 9th Congressional District. The problem was that on the Republican side, they couldn't recommend anyone. Liberal bias at work? Not so much.

Here are the paper's descriptions of the candidates:

— State Rep. Bob Onder, 46, of Lake St. Louis, a physician, is running as the "family values" candidate. Dr. Onder, with the help of Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton, played a prominent role in the last legislative session, sponsoring bills to crack down on undocumented immigrants and on abortion providers. Mr. Jetton also works as a political consultant for Dr. Onder. Whatever their party, voters concerned about ethics in government should find Mr. Jetton's double duty troubling, as well as Dr. Onder's role in it.

— Blaine Luetkemeyer, 56, a former state representative and former Missouri Director of Tourism from St. Elizabeth, is promising voters to stop a "massive job-killing $1.2 trillion a year income tax hike that the liberal Congress has planned." We have never heard of this plan, and Mr. Luetkemeyer could not provide details. He may be confusing it with the Lieberman-Warner "Climate Security Act," although he said that was not the case. Candidates shouldn't make stuff up.

— State Rep. Danie Moore, 62, of Fulton, is a retired school teacher who was a reliable GOP foot soldier in her eight years in the House but had no significant legislative accomplishments. Nor does she demonstrate much knowledge of current policy issues.

— Finally, there is Brock Olivo, 32, of Columbia, a business consultant and a former University of Missouri football star. His campaign got off to a rough start when he admitted that he had never voted in an election, but he is a very likeable young man. He doesn't know much about the issues, but at least he admits it.

That is one hell of a lineup. The Post-Dispatch summarizes the candidates thus:

The candidates differ little on the issues. None of them displays any command of policy. Their campaigns are based on platitudes and, in some cases, misinformation. We can't recommend any of them.

What is scary is that might not keep one of them from getting elected.

Via Kos.