Politically Speaking

Missouri Congresswoman Ann Wagner says that President Trump made the right decision to attack Iran, contending that the GOP president needed to prevent that country from procuring a nuclear weapon.

And while the Ballwin Republican said on an episode of “Politically Speaking” that she wanted the conflict to end as soon as possible, she defended her ‘no’ votes on War Powers resolutions that sought to curtail Trump’s ability to use military force in Iran.

“The president has his Article Two authorities to conduct what he is doing right now with Iran,” Wagner said. “He doesn't need Congress's permission or or non permission. Those are just political throwaway votes that the Democrats try to toss out there on a monthly basis. I'm going to give the president his prerogative in continuing this, to the extent that it takes to make sure that they're not nuclearized, to make sure that they're not attacking American citizens, to make sure that when they chant ‘Death to America,’ that it doesn't have any teeth behind it.

“I believe that this will come to a quick end,” she added.

Wagner is squaring off against Democrat Fred Wellman to represent Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District, which takes in portions of St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Warren County and all of Franklin County.

Missouri auditor candidate Quentin Wilson said that having a Democrat running the office would make the GOP-controlled state government more accountable.

“I think it's really important in a democracy for an independent review of everything the state government does, and that's what an auditor can be,” Wilson said on the “Politically Speaking” podcast.. “A single party cannot police itself.”

Wilson is running against Republican incumbent Scott Fitzpatrick, who is seeking a second four-year term. Fitzpatrick has been invited to record an episode of “Politically Speaking.”

The Democratic and Republican nominees for St. Louis County executive agree on a key issue: Missouri’s most populous county is in a dire budgetary situation.

During a joint appearance on “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air,” Democrat Jake Zimmerman and Republican Dennis Hancock both said whoever succeeds St. Louis County Executive Sam Page will have to make hard financial decisions when they’re sworn into office next year. STLPR's Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum posed questions to the two candidates.

Republican David Messner discusses his candidacy for St. Louis County assessor.

Democrat Fred Wellman says he has what it takes to finally unseat GOP Congresswoman Ann Wagner.

Wellman said Wagner was wrong to support the Iran War, adding that President Donald Trump didn’t have a firm strategy or reasoning for starting the conflict.

“A lot of people hate us in the world, but if we attack every single person who hates us, we're going to be at war forever and ever and ever,” he said. “And what bothers me in the end is how many people make these decisions who don't actually have skin in the game in any way.”