Stenger, elected on 'swirling rumors,' eats a subpoena in public

[Sherman A1]

In the earliest hours of Sunday, March 24, as far as the public knew, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger was a made man. An organization funded and driven by a billionaire was pushing for a statewide ballot initiative that would make him (in effect) mayor for life of a newly merged and expanded metro St. Louis, where he would rule over what is now the City of St. Louis even though none of what would then be the former city’s citizens had ever voted for him for mayor – or dog catcher, for that matter.

Two days later, retired financier Rex Sinquefield’s Better Together had dropped Stenger like the bad investment he was and is, deciding – in a sudden flourish of democratic spirit – that all of the people of the newly merged and expanded metro St. Louis should have an opportunity to elect their chief executive, rather than letting Sinquefield knight Stenger with the grinning support of what would be the last mayor of old St. Louis, Lyda “Let Clayton Have the city” Krewson.

Three days later, not only did Stenger no longer have Sinquefield by his side, but he suddenly also felt the need to have the notorious defense attorney to the stars Scott Rosenblum covering his suddenly exposed hindquarters. Among the many good jokes about Rosenblum, there is this one: If you wake up and there is a dead body in your house and you don’t know how it got there, call Ed Dowd. If you wake up and there is a dead body in your house and you do know how it got there, call Scott Rosenblum. The kicker to this joke is then-Gov. Eric Greitens called them both when he was under investigation by everybody but Robert Mueller and Gerard Carmody.

The very, very troubling news for Stenger is he is now ending up the butt of the jokes and stories that Greitens ended up in. The man who was supposed to be the unelected king of the metro St. Louis of the future is now scrambling simply to stay on the safe side of orange jumpsuits and nightly lockdowns. What happened?

http://www.stlamerican.com/news/political_eye/stenger-elected-on-swirling-rumors-eats-a-subpoena-in-public/article_3278b5c2-50b0-11e9-8141-3f46e10f02a0.html

[Kurt V.]

1. what a bizarre turn

[Sherman A1]

2. Indeed

Stenger has some serious questions to answer and has had a real problem getting along with the County Council during his previous term. I just don't see him as the guy to run the Metro City should that ever come to pass.