Take back the streets from election losers

The Royale is doing what it can to clean up America - or at least the public spaces of St. Louis - in the wake of a brutal Missouri primary election that was decided last Tuesday.

This Thursday through Sunday, August 14-17, Royale proprietor and man about town Steve Fitzpatrick Smith is offering select drink discounts to anyone who brings in a campaign sign or poster from a candidate who lost on August 5.

That discount, he said, is $1 off Schlafly beers.

Since at least two races of local interest - attorney general and the 5th Senatorial District - were decided by margins slim enough to qualify for a recount under state law, the person considered the winner by unoffocial election night results (Chris Koster and Robin-Wright Jones, respectively) will be considered the winners for the weekend drink special.

Smith did not offer a quote when called to see if he would be offering his usual post-election, take-back-the-streets-from-the-losers drink special. So we will invent one.

"I want all St. Louisians to participate in the electoral process, and that includes cleaning up after elections," Smith didn't say, but might have said, had we thought to get a quote from him. We were too busy coordinating a time to visit his public house when he would be on premise.

As for primary losers who paid for billboard space, removing their faces from public view is pretty much on them or those who rented them our air space.