It seems like all that it takes to get things done in Democratic-leaning Kansas City, Missouri, is to have Republican bigwigs come to town. Before the Republican National Convention site-selection committee landed in Kansas City on Wednesday, scores of weed-whacker-armed workers fanned out all over the Crossroads Arts District to get rid of weeds that have been growing through cracks in sidewalks for weeks. City Hall for years has wanted to jettison the garish sign, but it has withstood pressure over the years. By midafternoon Thursday, the white tarp obscuring the sign began surrendering to the post-storm breeze.