This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Feb. 12, 2009 - New U.S. Rep. Blaine Leutkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, is joining fellow Missouri Republican congressman Todd Akin and U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., in registering his objections to the proposed federal stimulus package.
Being media savvy, Leutkemeyer's staff already is circulating a Youtube video of his remarks on the U.S. House floor Thursday, which total 57 seconds. It was Leutkemeyer's first floor address since taking office less than six weeks ago.
The St. Louis area's two Democratic members of Congress, Russ Carnahan and William Lacy Clay, already have made clear their support for the stimulus package -- as has the state's Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Claire McCaskill (who resides in Kirkwood). All three were early and enthusiastic supporters of now President Barack Obama.
Missouri's partisan congressional split so far hints that the state's 11-member delegation could end up casting party line votes on the final stimulus bill.
