This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Dec. 23, 2009 - The Missouri Democratic Party plans all this week to jab U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt for his latest honor.
The Sunlight Foundation, a Washington group that publicizes political parties and fundraisers, says that the Springfield, Mo. Republican -- who is running for the U.S. Senate -- has made its Top 5 Partiers for 2009.
The foundation says it has listed 30 of Blunt's parties and fundraisers over the course of the year. Three senators and one other U.S. representative, none from Missouri or Illinois, fill out the Top Five.
“It is troubling that Congressman Blunt has spent more time partying and raising money from corporate lobbyists and Washington insiders than just about any other member of Congress,” said Missouri Democratic Party spokesman Ryan Hobart. “This further proves how deeply entrenched Congressman Blunt is in the culture of Washington insiders and lobbyists that produced major scandals involving his confidants Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff.”
(The Democratic Party also notes that Blunt's lobbyist-wife, Abigail Perlman, recently made the top partier list of another publication, Politico.)
But Blunt's campaign says his packed political schedule illustrates that he's far more accessible to the public than his likely Democratic rival, Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.
"Roy Blunt travels the state more than Robin Carnahan, visits with Missourians more than Robin Carnahan, does more media interviews than Robin Carnahan, explains his positions on issues more than Robin Carnahan, so it should come as no surprise that our campaign has held more events than Robin Carnahan,'' said Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer.
"It's been 323 days since Robin Carnahan announced her campaign, and she has failed to hold a single campaign news conference to explain her support for a government takeover of health care, cap and tax and the other radical liberal positions."
Such back and forth continues to underscore the tightness of the polls, and the nervousness in both camps, as Blunt and Carnahan spend the remaining days of 2009 making calls for cash, in preparation for the next campaign finance reports, due Jan. 31 for candidates for Congress. (It's Jan. 15 for state and local candidates.)
