MO-SEN

'Claire Air': How Bad Is It For McCaskill?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 22, 2011, 2:40PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) attempted to bring an end to the series of bad stories about her air travel on a conference call with reporters yesterday.

"I have convinced my husband to sell the damn plane," she said. "He has hired a broker, and I can tell you I will never set foot on the plane again."

It's not a bad plan. The private twin-engine plane, which McCaskill owns along with her husband and several investors, was meant, McCaskill has said, to provide a convenient (and, she says, cheaper) way to get around Missouri on official business. But in addition to hastening her trips to constituent meetings, the plane has given her opponents plenty of runway to launch attacks as her 2012 reelection campaign begins.

Though the ethical questions are murky, and McCaskill has opened her checkbook to repay the real expense of the flights and the unpaid taxes she owed on the plane, there's no denying that the optics surrounding the private flights are about as bad as optics can get.

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Claire McCaskill

'Air Claire' Scandal Turns: McCaskill Ponies Up $287K In Back Taxes

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 21, 2011, 5:06PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Well, this isn't the way to put a scandal to bed. As if the fact that she charged taxpayers for her flights around Missouri in a private plane she owns with her husband and several investors wasn't enough, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has revealed that she hasn't paid personal property taxes on the plane for four years.

And what's worse for McCaskill supporters, she suggested there might be more plane-related bad news to come.

The Senator told reporters today she's sending a check for $287,273 to St. Louis County, where the twin-engine plane she used to hop around Missouri is based. According to Politico, McCaskill also "said she had campaign lawyers looking into the flights to determine if any more in-kind contributions needed to be reported to be in compliance." That means there could me more news about the plane Republicans are already calling ClaireAir down the road.

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Claire McCaskill

Missouri Republicans Step Up 'Air Claire' Attack On McCaskill

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 21, 2011, 11:15AM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

First they turned Sen. Claire McCaskill's (D-MO) private flights into a full-blown ethics complaint, and now, not surprisingly, the Missouri Republican Party is turning them into an election issue.

With a full-page ad running in today's Springfield, MO News-Leader, the state party is making clear that they plan to make a major issue out of the tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars McCaskill spent on a plane she owns with her husband and other investors. McCaskill is a favorite 2012 pickup opportunity among the GOP, and it seems clear they're relishing the scandal.

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Claire McCaskill

Claire McCaskill Faces Ethics Complaint Over Private Plane Travel

Evan McMorris-Santoro | March 15, 2011, 11:46AM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

If Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) thought returning the $88,000 in taxpayer money she spent on flights aboard a private plane she owns a piece of would make the scandal go away, the Missouri Republican Party would like to inform her she's got another thing coming.

The party clearly smells blood in the water, and they've filed a formal ethics complaint against McCaskill -- a top GOP target in 2012 -- to make sure the story stays around for a least a little while longer.

As first reported by Politico last week, McCaskill sent the U.S. Treasury $88,000 after an investigation by the paper into her state travel found she "spent nearly $76,000 in public funds since 2007 to fly on a charter plane she co-owns with her husband and other investors."

McCaskill denies any wrongdoing and her office says neither she nor her husband made a dime from the use of the aircraft, which the Senator used mostly to crisscross her homestate. McCaskill ponied up the $88,000 "to cover all costs associated with the flights," according to Politico.

The state GOP says that's an example of too little, too late. Plus, they say they've got evidence that the flights broke ethics rules.

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Senate '12

Poll: Sen. McCaskill Looks Vulnerable For Defeat In 2012

Jon Terbush | March 8, 2011, 3:53PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Sen Claire McCaskill (D-MO) may face a tough road to reelection in 2012 according to a new PPP poll of registered voters that shows her just barely squeaking past a number of potential challengers.

McCaskill won election to her first term in 2006, but by a slim two-point margin in a year when Democrats romped to victory nationwide. As a result, her seat has been viewed as a toss-up heading into 2012, something the poll's results seem to confirm.

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MO-SEN

Report: Former GOP Sen. Talent Won't Seek Rematch With Dem McCaskill

Eric Kleefeld | January 25, 2011, 5:23PM

Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO), who had been eyeing a possible comeback bid in 2012 for the Senate seat he held until his defeat in 2006, is now reportedly out of the race after all. Instead, he'll be sticking with the private sector -- and backing Mitt Romney for president.

Had he run, Talent would have faced a primary race against former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman.

Politico reports:

Talent's decision against a 2012 campaign was telegraphed in recent weeks with his lack of activity in the state an an overseas trip with almost-certain presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

...

Talent backers said the former senator just did not have the stomach for what would have been a contentious primary and bruising general election at a time when he was content in the lucrative private sector and serving in an advisory role to a likely presidential candidate.

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MO-SEN

PPP Poll: Dem Sen. McCaskill Faces Tough Race In 2012

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 4:00PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

A new survey of Missouri from Public Policy Polling (D) shows a close race in 2012 for Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.

McCaskill was tested against three potential Republican nominees, with all trial heats ending up within the margin of error: Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder leads McCaskill 46%-44%; McCaskill edges former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman, who just declared her candidacy today, by 45%-44%; and former Sen. Jim Talent, who lost to McCaskill in the Democratic wave year of 2006, leads her 47%-45.

The survey of registered voters has a ±4.3% margin of error.

A key number here is that President Obama's approval rating in this perennial swing state is currently at just 43%, with 52% disapproval. McCaskill's approval rating as a senator is also only 43%, with disapproval at 44%.

MO-SEN

GOPer Steelman Launches Campaign Against Dem Sen. McCaskill In Missouri

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 1:07PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Senate candidate Sarah Steelman (R-MO).

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who first picked up her seat for the Democrats in 2006, now has her first official challenger for 2012, with former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman announcing her run.

Steelman was previously elected Treasurer in 2004, then lost the 2008 Republican primary for governor, in which the party establishment had supported her opponent. She has reportedly been encouraged to run by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Steelman sounded some Tea Party-style notes in her announcement, saying in part that her campaign is about "stopping the Washington elites from making America more like a European country instead of recognizing that people still flock to America because they know they can build a better life for their families."

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MO-SEN

Former GOP Sen. Talent Considering Rematch Bid Against Dem McCaskill

Eric Kleefeld | November 12, 2010, 11:23AM

Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) is gearing up for a possible rematch with Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, who defeated him back in 2006, Real Clear Politics reports.

At least four well-known Republicans in Missouri are exploring the race against McCaskill, but GOP operatives say Talent is farthest along and has been positioning for another run ever since he stood down in early 2009 when Rep. Roy Blunt decided to pursue the seat GOP Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond is vacating in January.

...

In an interview on Thursday, Talent said of the Senate race, "I am looking very carefully and very seriously at it."

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MO-SEN

Blunt Defeats Carnahan In Missouri Senate Race

Brian Beutler | November 2, 2010, 9:40PM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

The Missouri Senate delegation will remain divided in 2011, as tonight Republican Rep. Roy Blunt defeated Democrat Robin Carnahan to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Kit Bond.

In a normal year, Carnahan would have stood a very good chance of defeating Blunt, whose stock is low in Missouri after years of getting cozy in Washington and after his son Matt's disastrous single term as governor.

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MO-SEN

PPP Poll: Dem Carnahan Gaining On GOPer Blunt In MO-SEN

Marc Kilstein | October 18, 2010, 4:00PM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

A newly released PPP poll suggests things may be tightening up in the Missouri Senate race between Republican Rep. Roy Blunt and Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan. Blunt, who has maintained a lead throughout recent months' polling, is found to be leading by only five points, 46%-41%, with Constitution Party candidate Jerry Beck and Libertarian Jonathan Dine both polling at 3%.

This PPP poll was conducted for the Carnahan campaign.

When PPP looked at this race back in mid-August, Blunt led Carnahan 45%-38%, with Beck earning 5% and Dine polling at 3%. Two polls from October 5 saw Blunt leading more comfortably in the race: a CNN/Time poll gave him a 53%-40% lead, while a Rasmussen survey had him on top 51%-43%.

The margin of error for the latest survey is ±3.9 percentage points.

MO-SEN

Dem Carnahan's Ad In MO-SEN: Blunt Is A 'Pork-Meister' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | September 30, 2010, 4:27PM

From a Robin Carnahan campaign ad, "Potatoes."

Democratic candidate Robin Carnahan has a new TV ad in the Missouri Senate race, trying to tear down Republican Rep. Roy Blunt's bonafides on the issues of government spending that he's been pushing in the race. The message: He's a "pork-meister."

"What do this museum for teapots, this swimming pool, and this center studying potatoes have in common?" the announcer asks. "Thanks to Roy Blunt, they've been getting your tax dollars. That's right. Blunt's been a leader in allowing earmarks to get out of control. He's been called a 'prodigious pork-meister' for earmarks that cost you $20 billion a year. That's a lot of potatoes. Roy Blunt: The very worst of Washington."

The candidate then closes with her message: "I'm Robin Carnahan. I approved this message, because I'm for banning earmarks once and for all."

The TPM Poll Average gives gives Blunt a lead of 51.2%-44.0%.

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MO-SEN

Roy Blunt Ad: Carnahan Family Got 'Payoff' From Stimulus Money (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | September 30, 2010, 11:34AM

Campaign ad from Senate candidate Roy Blunt (R-MO), "Where's My Stimulus?"

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) has a new ad in the Missouri Senate race, that openly accuses his Democratic opponent, Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, of corruptly enriching her family through her support of President Obama's policies

"They promised jobs. Instead we got generations of debt. Where'd our money go?" the ad says. "Ask Robin Carnahan. Her brother's wind farm got over a hundred million stimulus dollars. How? Robin Carnahan campaigned for Obama and the stimulus. Her brother lobbied for his special deal, and was a top Obama fundraiser. The payoff: Over a hundred million dollars. The Carnahans get a real windfall. We get the bill -- and no jobs."

The TPM Poll Average gives Blunt a lead of 51.2%-44.0%.

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MO-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Blunt Leads By 8 In MO-SEN Race

Marc Kilstein | September 23, 2010, 11:58AM

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

A new Rasmussen poll of the Missouri Senate race shows Republican Rep. Roy Blunt leading Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan 52%-44%.

When Rasmussen last took a look at this contest on September 7, Blunt was on top of Carnahan 53%-43%. The TPM Poll Average finds the Republican nominee ahead 51.2%-44.0%.

The margin of error for the latest survey is ±4.0 percentage points.

For more on the race, check out TPMDC's full coverage here.

2010 elections

TPM's Top 10 Senate Races To Watch

Brian Beutler | September 13, 2010, 8:35AM

Kentucky Senate candidates Jack Conway and Rand Paul talk with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Campaign season doesn't really heat up until September ... which means now. That means all the scandals and ads and ups and downs you've heard and read about in the last several months were just stage-setters. Most voters really begin paying attention now.

It's looking like a tough year for Senate Democrats, almost of whom are polling below 50 percent. Several weeks ago, many Republicans -- including NRSC Chair John Cornyn -- thought Republicans wouldn't be able to retake the Senate. Today, it's a distinct possibility. There are a number of critical races, but you should really keep an eye on these 10.

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MO-SEN

Carnahan Ad Slams Blunt On Lobbyist Ties In MO-SEN Race (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | September 10, 2010, 5:14PM

Campaign ad from Senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D-MO), "Clean Up The House"

Democrat Robin Carnahan has a new ad in the Missouri Senate race, attacking Republican Roy Blunt as a Washington insider who is too connected to lobbyists for the current reform-minded, anti-incumbent environment.

The ad shows old video of Blunt on Fox News Sunday back in 2006, when the then-House Majority Whip was running for Majority Leader. Chris Wallace is shown bringing up Blunt's ties to Phillip Morris tobacco lobbyist money, and his ties to Jack Abramoff. "Are you the one to clean up the House?" Wallace asked. (Blunt later lost the leadership race to John Boehner, remained as Republican Whip, and gave up that post after the 2008 election.)

The Carnahan campaign really has hit on something phenomenal in this ad: A leading Republican was once criticized on Fox News!

The TPM Poll Average gives Blunt a lead of 50.6%-43.8%.

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MO-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: Blunt Up 10 In MO-SEN

Evan McMorris-Santoro | September 9, 2010, 3:58PM

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

The Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri, Rep. Roy Blunt, is pulling away from his Democratic opponent, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan in the race for the Show Me State's open Senate seat. A poll from Rasmussen out today shows Blunt ahead 53-43, the latest in a series of polls that have shown the Republican could be settling into a comfortable lead.

The last Rasmussen poll -- which also happens to be the last public poll of the race -- showed Blunt ahead 54-41. That poll was conducted Aug. 23.

The TPM Poll Average shows Blunt ahead 50.6-43.8. Trendlines show Blunt with the momentum:

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American Crossroads

Rove-Backed Group Drops Four New Senate Race Ads (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | September 2, 2010, 3:32PM

American Crossroads, the conservative group backed by Karl Rove and former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, has a whole set of new ads in four key Senate races.

First up is an ad in Nevada, against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). This spot continues the theme from American Crossroads's previous ad, complaining about stimulus spending going to help other states.

"Really, Harry," the announcer says. "How about some help for Nevada?"

The TPM Poll Average of the Nevada Senate race puts Reid ahead of Republican Sharron Angle by 46.6%-43.7%.

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MO-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Blunt Widens Lead In MO-SEN Race

Marc Kilstein | August 24, 2010, 1:53PM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

A new Rasmussen poll of the Missouri Senate race finds Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) with a 13-point lead over Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, 54%-41%.

The latest survey shows Blunt's largest lead in recent months' polling. The Republican had an 11-point advantage, 51%-40%, prior to leaners' preferred candidate being fleshed out with a follow-up question, after which Blunt's lead widened to 13 points. An August 10 Rasmussen survey had Blunt ahead by a slimmer seven points, 50%-43%. Rasmussen's late-July poll of the contest produced a six-point lead for the Republican, 49%-43%. All three surveys have a margin of error of ±4.0 percentage points.

The TPM Poll Average finds Blunt leading the race, 49.9%-42.8%.

For more on the race, check out TPMDC's full coverage here.

MO-SEN

Up Is Down In Missouri As Dem Veers To The Right Of Her Party (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | August 20, 2010, 8:52AM

A new ad from US Sen. candidate Robin Carnahan (D-MO) attacking Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) on his vote for the financial bailout.

The race for Missouri's open Senate seat has to be one of the strangest out there this year. As Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R) slug it out, the backdrop of this battleground includes tea party spats, attacks over the bailout and Carnahan adopting the GOP positions on tax cuts for the rich.

Carnahan Thursday told voters at the Missouri State Fair she believes "now is not the time to raise taxes" for members of any income class, Huffington Post reported and confirmed with the campaign after catching the news on a St. Louis scribe's Twitter feed.

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Robin Carnahan

Carnahan Blasts Blunt In New Ad: 'The Worst Of Washington" (VIDEO)

Megan Carpentier | August 12, 2010, 5:22PM

Missouri Senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D) slammed her opponent, Rep. Roy Blunt (R), in a new statewide television ad issued today over everything from banking deregulation to his leadership during the bailout negotiations in 2008 to the reported $1.6 million in contributions he took from Wall Street.

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MO-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: Blunt Leads By 7 In MO Senate Race

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 12, 2010, 9:27AM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) has a slim lead over Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan according to a new poll from Rasmussen. Blunt leads Carnahan 50-43 in the survey, which was conduced Tuesday among 750 likely voters. The margin of error is 4%.

Past polling has also shown Blunt with a slight edge in the race. The last Rasmussen poll, from July 27, showed Blunt leading 49.-43. The TPM Poll Average for the contest shows Blunt in the lead 48.6-43.2.

Health care lawsuits

GOP Hails Purely Symbolic Victory In Missouri's Anti-Health Care Reform Vote

Christina Bellantoni | August 4, 2010, 12:41PM

A Tea Party protester

While yesterday's vote in Missouri against national health care reform will have little substantive impact on the federal health care reform law, Republicans nonetheless are hailing it as a major victory for their side. Voters in the Show Me State overwhelmingly voted to change Missouri statutes so the mandate for insurance coverage wouldn't apply, a symbolic gesture that everyone acknowledges is highly unlikely to have any effect on the federal health care reform law (absent major and unexpected changes to established legal precedent).

But don't tell RNC Chairman Michael Steele, House Minority Leader John Boehner or former Alaska governor Sarah Palin that.

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Health care lawsuits

Missouri Voters Poised To Reject Health Care Reform, Start Legal Challenges

Christina Bellantoni | August 3, 2010, 1:07PM

Protesting the health care bill in March.

Missouri Republicans today are preparing to celebrate the success of their ballot initiative on health care reform, which asks Missourians whether they want to roll back a critical element of the new law despite significant questions about the constitutionality of doing so.

But opponents of Prop C, the Republican-engineered ballot measure dubbed the "Health Care Freedom Act" that has more political significance than legal precedent behind it, number just in the hundreds and have scant help from the state's Democrats or even Gov. Jay Nixon. The teenage leader of the opposition, in fact, is managing a Facebook campaign against the ballot measure in between his job making sandwiches at Subway.

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MO-SEN

Tea Party Protest v. Roy Blunt Turns Out To Be A Dud (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | August 2, 2010, 11:09AM

A St. Louis Tea Party protest against Roy Blunt.

Tea party groups in Missouri, irate over Rep. Michele Bachmann's endorsement of Rep. Roy Blunt before tomorrow's Republican Senate primary, were planning a "major protest' against Blunt's campaign events over the weekend. Democrats and Blunt's main Republican primary opponent, Chuck Purgason, pushed for the protest as evidence Blunt was headed for trouble this fall in a general election matchup against Robin Carnahan (D).

But it didn't quite turn out that way.

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MO-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: Roy Blunt Up 6 In Missouri Senate Race

Thomas Rhiel | July 29, 2010, 9:46AM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

Republican Roy Blunt still leads Democrat Robin Carnahan in the Missouri Senate race, according to the latest Rasmussen survey, which puts his lead at six points. Rep. Blunt -- the frontrunner in next Tuesday's GOP primary and the preferred Republican candidate of Michele Bachmann and Joe the Plumber -- leads Carnahan 49%-43% in the general election.

Those numbers are more favorable to Blunt than Rasmussen's last poll, which showed the Republican up only two points, but they're comparable to a Mason-Dixon poll from July 21, which showed Blunt ahead 48%-42%.

The TPM Poll Average for the race shows Blunt leading Carnahan 48.1%-43.2%. The margin of error for the latest Rasmussen survey is ±4.0 percentage points.

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MO-SEN

Missouri Tea Partiers Rip Michele Bachmann For Backing Roy Blunt

Christina Bellantoni | July 28, 2010, 2:52PM

Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Roy Blunt (R-MO)

Tea party groups in Missouri are furious that national tea party icon, Rep. Michele Bachmann, endorsed the strong frontrunner for the Senate nomination Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO). Bachmann will join Blunt for a fundraiser and to make campaign calls in his St. Louis headquarters Saturday.

Given that Bachmann has emerged as a tea party hero and formed the brand-new Tea Party Caucus in Congress, the groups said "we were shocked" that she is backing Blunt since he voted for the TARP bailout funds and "Cash for Clunkers."

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MO-SEN

Joe The Plumber Backs Roy Blunt Rival In Missouri's GOP Primary (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | July 27, 2010, 1:49PM

Joe the Plumber and US Senate candidate Chuck Purgason (R-MO)

Democrats are treating Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) like the certain Senate nominee this fall, but Blunt's rival in next week's Republican primary is getting an insurgent boost from Sam "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher.

Wurzelbacher endorsed state lawmaker Chuck Purgason for the Aug. 3 Republican primary in Missouri, saying in a new television ad (which he paid for) that voters "do have a choice" in the race. He noted his emergence on the national stage and said he's made it his goal to "stop politicians like Obama." Wurzelbacher calls Blunt a "Washington insider," and Purgason a "man with character."

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Health care lawsuits

Missouri Health Care Reform Foes Hope Ballot Initiative Will Start National Trend

Christina Bellantoni | July 21, 2010, 12:45PM

A Tea Party protester

The first real test of health care reform won't take place before the Supreme Court, as some Republicans have promised. Instead, it will happen in the heartland, when Missouri voters take a stand on their Republican-written ballot measure dubbed the "Health Care Freedom Act."

The actual question from the Aug. 3 Proposition C measure centers around the individual insurance mandate included in the sweeping overhaul of the nation's health care system. If it passes, it would amend state statutes to deny the federal government the authority to penalize people for not buying health insurance. Boosters are campaigning on the fact that it's the "first time" voters will get a chance to weigh in on health care reform passed this spring.

Repealing health care has become a central issue in the 2010 campaigns, and one we've followed closely at TPM. If this measure passes in the über-battleground state, critics with similar state ballot initiatives may feel emboldened this fall. Among those states with similar ballot initiatives are Arizona, Florida and Indiana -- all of which also have high-profile Senate races.

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MO-SEN

Blunt Tries To Use Obama Against Carnahan (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | July 20, 2010, 11:33AM

A new ad from Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) attacking Senate opponent Robin Carnahan (D-MO).

When a president comes to town to raise money for a candidate in a tough race, it's usually the candidate who boasts of the commander-in-chief's support in the form of a positive television ad. But today, Rep. Roy Blunt is trying to use President Obama's fundraiser for his Senate rival Robin Carnahan against her, putting a new ad on television starring Obama and Carnahan and claiming she would be a "rubber stamp" for the Obama agenda.

Blunt's 30-second television ad up today includes video footage from Obama's event for Carhanan (D-MO) earlier this month. During the fundraiser, Obama told Missouri Democrats that he needed Carnahan in Washington to be "another vote" for his agenda. In many other races, Democrats have used the glowing Obama remarks in their own television ads to showcase that they'd be a partner to the president.

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MO-SEN

Blunt Outraises Carnahan In MO-Sen

Christina Bellantoni | July 15, 2010, 6:52PM

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

Rep. Roy Blunt this quarter has outraised his rival Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan in the battle for the heartland.

Blunt (R-MO) pulled in $2.2 million in donations during the second quarter from April 1 to June 30, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported. Carnahan raised $1.5 million during the same period. Blunt has $4.5 million in the bank and she has $3.6 million cash on hand. They are vying to replace retiring Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO).

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MO-03

GOP Candidate: Obama And Carnahan Want To Take Away Your Chance To Find The Lord (AUDIO)

Christina Bellantoni | July 12, 2010, 8:45PM

House candidate Ed Martin (R-MO)

Ed Martin, a Republican candidate for Congress in Missouri, said in a radio interview with a conservative talk show host that President Obama and Rep. Russ Carnahan are trying to interfere with America's freedom to worship. Martin also has taken a swipe at Carnahan's sister Robin Carnahan, suggesting she is doing the "devil's work" as Secretary of State.

Martin said today the growth of government endangers religious freedom and the "ultimate freedom ... to get your salvation." "And I think that's one of the things that we have to be very, very aware of that the Obama Administration and Congressman Carnahan are doing to us," Martin said during an interview on the "Dr. Gina show."

Martin is challenging Carnahan (D-MO) this fall. The left-leaning FiredUp Missouri blog caught the radio segment and posted the audio tonight.

Read more »

MO-SEN

Obama Headed To Missouri To Help Robin Carnahan

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 24, 2010, 3:28PM

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan enjoys the Oklahoma Sooners-Missouri Tigers basketball game.

The race to replace retiring Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) will get some high-profile attention next month in the form of a visit from President Obama on behalf of Democratic nominee Robin Carnahan.

According to the Kansas City Star, Obama will appear at a Carnahan fundraiser July 8. As the paper reports, the race with GOP nominee Roy Blunt "is sure to be a very expensive" and Carnahan can certainly use the cash Obama will bring.

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2010 elections

Blunt's Hopes For Top Republican Slot On Energy Committee Blunted By Reality

Christina Bellantoni | June 23, 2010, 6:33PM

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

The thirty seconds in which it seemed like Rep. Joe Barton's (R-TX) seat atop the Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee might be in question led to quite a bit of quiet jockeying on the Hill for the right to fill the chair. Given that Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) often touts the fact he's the "second-highest ranking Republican" on the committee all over the place and that he was named to that deputy spot behind Barton last February, one might have assumed that Blunt would have been next in line.

Republican aides weren't willing to say this on the record, but TPMDC learned that Blunt was never under consideration to get the spot. GOP leadership aides made it clear that Rep. Fred Upton (MI) was most likely to get the spot, with Rep. John Shimkus (IL) the contender behind Upton.

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MO-SEN

The Race You're Not Watching: Could Missouri Senate Define 2010?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 26, 2010, 9:53AM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

Is the Missouri Senate race the secret bellwether of 2010? Some are saying that the still largely below the national radar race between Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) and likely Republican nominee Rep. Roy Blunt is the clearest place to see what this year's mid-term is about. Faced with the incumbent Blunt with his fingerprints on the TARP program, Carnahan supporters say the Democrat can run on the outside in a Republican year. But Republicans say that the Democratic agenda -- and Blunt's opposition to it -- will win the day in a year when voters want the Democrats gone.

In a race that pits one establishment politician vs. another in an open contest -- incumbent Sen. Kit Bond (R) is retiring -- the difference could come down to whether voters don't like the way Republicans used to do things more than they dislike the way Democrats are doing them now. That sets the stage for a campaign that some say could define the Obama midterm.

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MO-SEN

Poll: Blunt Leads Missouri Senate Race, With Obama And Health Care Bill Unpopular

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2010, 11:04AM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

The new survey of Missouri by Public Policy Polling (D) finds Republican Rep. Roy Blunt narrowly ahead in the race for the open Senate seat of retiring GOP Sen. Kit Bond. More importantly, however, other numbers show that the Democrats could have a very tough time ahead in this perennial swing state.

The numbers, among registered voters: Blunt 45%, Dem Secretary of State Robin Carnahan 41%, with a ±4.4% margin of error. Carnahan edges the other Republican candidate, state Sen. Chuck Purgason, by 42%-38%. The TPM Poll Average gives Blunt a lead of 47.0%-40.7% over Carnahan.

Below the surface, President Obama's approval rating is only 43%, with 52% disapproval. In addition, voters said by a 51%-42% margin that Republicans should work to repeal the health care bill. And voters oppose the health care bill by 54%-37%.

Read more »

FL-SEN

Wistful Cornyn: I'm 'Honor-Bound' To Stick With Crist Endorsement

Christina Bellantoni | March 8, 2010, 1:46PM

State Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R)

Sen. John Cornyn sounded downright regretful today when explaining why he's sticking to his early endorsement of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, despite a surge from conservative darling former state House Speaker Marco Rubio as the two slug it out in the Republican primary.

Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told reporters today in a briefing that he won't campaign against Rubio, despite having endorsed Crist early in the process "before this became a real contest." But was there a tinge of regret for choosing Crist, who has tanked in the polls and could lose to the conservative upstart this summer after a long primary.

"I'm not going to do anything to change that. I think I'm honor-bound to leave it as it is. It doesn't mean that we're going to be spending any money in the primary, doesn't mean we're going to be saying anything bad about Marco Rubio," Cornyn said. He complimented Rubio's strength and said he didn't mind the Republican was raising money in the key presidential primary state of South Carolina.

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2010 elections

House GOPers Running For Senate Put On Spot: Dems Ask If They Support Social Security Slashing 'Roadmap'

Christina Bellantoni | February 11, 2010, 2:57PM

Clockwise from top left: Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), Rep. John Boozman (R-AR), Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL)

Democratic operatives are targeting four House Republicans running for Senate - attempting to put them on the spot on whether they support the privatization of Social Security and cuts to Medicare as outlined in Rep. Paul Ryan's budget roadmap.

TPMDC has learned the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is going after Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), Rep. John Boozman (R-AR), Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) with releases to their local newspapers to ask where they stand on Republican plans to "kill Social Security."

The DSCC asks those members to take a stand on Ryan's plan to "privatize Social Security, cutting the tax rate on corporations, raising the retirement age to 70, and moving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to private insurance plans," asking if they side with Main Street or Wall Street.

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Claire McCaskill

Give It Back, Then! McCaskill Swats MO-GOP For Stimulus Hypocrisy

Brian Beutler | February 10, 2010, 10:59AM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

It's not always easy being a Democratic politician from Missouri. The Republican-controlled state government there pulls no punches attacking Democrats in Washington--and by extension Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)--for reckless spending, even as Missouri itself, bruised by recession, benefits from that spending. Well, now she's hitting back.

McCaskill has written a sharply-worded letter to two particularly critical Missouri state legislators. The letter, dated February 9, takes the lawmakers to task for blasting the stimulus while using the funds to help bridge the state's budget gap. She writes, "I have noticed that you and many of your colleagues have been highly critical of some of the emergency spending that has gone on since the financial meltdown in September 2008."

[A]s I consider your suggestions, especially regarding the stimulus program, I need additional information.

You are about to use almost a billion dollars in stimulus dollars in your current budgeting process. Please advise me as soon as possible what cuts you would recommend to your committees and the rest of the legislature to make up for these funds if we decided to rescind the unspent stimulus funds.

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MO-SEN

Poll: GOPer Blunt Takes Lead In Missouri Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | January 21, 2010, 9:37AM

Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)

In a further sign that Democratic fortunes have declined, a new Rasmussen poll of the Missouri Senate race shows Republican Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) taking the lead. The seat is currently held by retiring GOP Sen. Kit Bond.

The numbers: Blunt 49%, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan 43%, with a ±4.5% margin of error. Last month, Carnahan had a slim lead of 46%-44%, and in September they were tied at 46% each.

From the pollster's analysis: "As it has for other Democrats throughout the nation, the health care issue appears to be creating challenges for Carnahan. Just 37% of Missouri voters favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats, but 62% oppose it. As in most other states, stronger feelings are on the side of the opponents. In Missouri, 20% Strongly Favor the plan versus 50% who Strongly Oppose it."