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Democrat Robin Carnahan and Republican Roy Blunt are dead even in the first Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 survey of the hotly contested race for the U.S. Senate in Missouri. Both candidates capture 46% of the vote in a new telephone survey of Missouri voters. Two percent (2%) favor some other candidate, and five percent (5%) are not sure which candidate they will vote for. Blunt, a member of Congress since 1997, has held the number two GOP position in the House, serving as minority whip. His son was governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Carnahan, currently Missouri’s secretary of...

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), the likely 2010 GOP nominee for Senate in this perennial swing state, says he doesn't want to talk anymore about whether President Obama was born in the United States, the Springfield News-Leader reports. But Blunt still doesn't seem to be giving up on it as a legitimate issue, either. Blunt said last week that "I don't have any reason not to believe" that Obama is a natural-born citizen -- but at the same time he said the Birthers had a "legitimate question" about Obama's birth certificate. Well, the local media in Missouri is now asking him...

Capitol Hill recently asking Republican lawmakers their thoughts on those who continue to question President Barack Obama’s place of birth. Stark’s video was released today. Here’s what U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, seeking the GOP’s nomination for U.S. Senate, said: What I don’t know is why the president can’t produce a birth certificate. I don’t know anybody else that can’t produce one. And I think that’s a legitimate question. [Video at link]

Mike Ferguson, a prominent member of the state's Libertarian Party, announced today that he is now a Republican. Ferguson - who ran for lieutenant governor in 2004 under the Libertarian Party banner - is a Grandview alderman. He was active in promoting Libertarian Bob Barr's 2008 presidential campaign. "My principles and beliefs have not changed," Ferguson said in statement. "I am for cutting unneeded government spending. I am a fiscal conservative who believes that government should stay out of the private sector as much as possible. I am pro-life. I am a believer in the common-sense truth that protecting personal...

Two prominent Republicans today endorsed the bid of U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt for the U.S. Senate. The Associated Press reported that former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder announced their support for the Congressman’s campaign.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Rep. Roy Blunt’s disappointing first-quarter fundraising performance reflects growing concern within the party that the veteran Missouri Republican may not be the ideal Senate nominee to take on likely Democratic opponent Robin Carnahan, according to Missouri Republicans.

Here is the GOP response today to Obama's Weekly Address. Congressman Roy Blunt does the response, and he focuses on Obama's desire to being Socialized medicine to America. Blunt makes it clear that Obama's plan will lead to a rationing of care and lower quality. He uses the frightening image of the local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as an example of what health care will be like if Obama gets his way! That will get most people's attention! . . . . . (Watch Video)

With the upcoming retirement of Sen. Kit Bond, Republicans across the state are wondering who will run to replace the Godfather of the Missouri GOP. My sources confirm that Congressman Roy Blunt is seriously considering a run for Bond’s seat.  In a press release on his website, Blunt says, “There is no doubt that if Senator Bond’s name was on the ballot in November of 2010 he would have won handily.”The question is, can Roy Blunt win?  The likely opponent for Blunt would be current Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.  For those outside of Missouri, the Carnahan family has...

Republican Rep. Roy Blunt tells Newsmax that rule changes pushed through the House on Tuesday by the Democratic majority leave “the deck stacked to shove a Speaker Pelosi agenda through the House.” The former Minority Whip from Missouri also declared that the changes are an “absolute contradiction to everything Barack Obama said” about nonpartisan politics during the campaign. One change puts new restrictions on motions to “recommit” a bill to the committee that approved it in order to add new amendments. The new rule allows the full House to reconsider a bill without delay, depriving the minority party of an...

When the news that Missouri's Kit Bond will not seek re-election to the Senate reached RedState.com late this morning, several of my colleagues there and I all had the same thought at the same time: "Sarah." No, not Sarah Palin. She's not eligible to run in Missouri, but here in the Show Me State, we have a Sarah of our own in Sarah Steelman. And there are more than just a few similarities. Kimberly Strassel wrote a feature article about her last July in the Wall Street Journal: Ms. Steelman is clearly doing something right. Her sin is in fact...

WASHINGTON, Oct 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) applauded reports this afternoon that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened an active investigation into whether the left-wing advocacy group ACORN has violated federal election law by fostering and promoting a national program of voter registration fraud.

Roy Blunt, negotiator for the House GOP, just told CNN that John McCain is "with" his caucus -- even though the Republican candidate hasn't publicly backed any plan yet. Blunt, seen as a seasoned hand who will smooth differences between the camps, didn't say if the Arizona senator backed their market-based approach ["Certainly... he might be supportive"] -- but suggested McCain agreed the whole process needed to be slowed down. "Everybody else seemed to be rushing for a deal and John McCain came back and said, 'Wait a minute, I think the House Republicans have the taxpayers in mind and...

Republicans were accustomed to cutting deals to pass their agenda during the dozen years that they ran Congress but have made few concessions this session as the minority party. "Our members went home happier than they have in the 11 years I've been here," said House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican. "Our members went home happier than they have in the 11 years I've been here," said House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican. "Our members felt like we've taken the weak hand you're dealt in the minority ... and got the maximum impact." Democrats conceded to the Republicans'...

WASHINGTON – House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement this afternoon after the House overwhelmingly approved a resolution condemning “in the strongest possible terms” MoveOn.org’s personal attacks on General David Petraeus, as well as honoring “all members of the Armed Forces,” and their families, for “serving in harm’s way.” Seventy-nine Democrats voted against it. “It’s been more than two weeks since the Republican Leader introduced a resolution condemning MoveOn’s personal smear campaign against Gen. Petraeus, and nearly a week since the Senate passed its own version and the House majority leader told me he had no intention...

Fresh off a vote last week urging our abrupt surrender in Iraq, and just hours removed from coming up 62 votes short in an attempt to override the president's veto, Democrats will use the House floor this afternoon to slide through legislation conceived of, written by, and moved in consultation with a key segment of their special interest constituency. The bill, harmlessly coined "the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act" by House Democrats, would create a nebulous new class of criminals based not on the things they do, but on the basis of what they may or may not...

House Republicans picked John Boehner Friday to serve as minority leader when Democrats take control of Congress for the first time in 12 years in January. Boehner defeated Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana in a closed-door election among colleagues. The Ohio winner was expected to speak after elections for other leadership positions concluded. Boehner received 168 votes, Pence 27 and Rep. Joe Barton of Texas won 1 vote.

Your May 17 editorial "'Rational Middle Ground'" missed the point on border security. You were right to say that I, along with a majority of House Republicans, would have serious problems with broader immigration reform "until we have adequately addressed our serious border security problems." You were wrong to suggest that those of us in the House who favor a border-security-first approach to dealing with our nation's illegal immigration problems wouldn't be satisfied unless the president called in the 82nd Airborne to guard our nation's borders. I would like to see a tough border security and interior enforcement bill signed...

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today announced that he and his wife Abigail have adopted a son. Alexander Charles Blunt, 18 months, was born near Moscow, Russia, in 2004. "Abby and I are so glad to add this little guy to our family," Blunt said. "So far, Charlie has spent every day of his young life in an orphanage or hospital. "We are so fortunate and so pleased to be able to share our lives and opportunities with him." The Blunts had worked with a Texas-based agency for a year prior to the adoption. Blunt has three adult children...

Growing opposition to Rep. Roy Blunt (Mo.) among conservative bloggers threatens to generate political momentum against his campaign to permanently replace Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) as House majority leader, according to those who have studied the growing influence of alternative media in politics. A growing number of influential conservative bloggers are throwing their support behind Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.), who is also running for majority leader, while Blunt is drawing negative reviews. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the third candidate in the race, is receiving a better reaction from conservative bloggers than Blunt. But Boehner has garnered fewer accolades in the...

FORGET MAGAZINES AND EDITORIAL PAGES. The only endorsements that really matter in the GOP House leadership contest are those from the members themselves, especially the members with clout. Two such Republicans are Jim Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Mike Pence, head of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC), both of whom endorsed Arizona congressman John Shadegg this week. Shadegg, an erstwhile chief of both the RSC and (more recently) the Republican Policy Committee, remains a dark horse--but he's gaining steam. "The 'Big Mo' is on our side," says one pro-Shadegg Republican.The timing of Pence's public support came...

WASHINGTON--As readers of this page know all too well, excessive government regulation, taxation and spending strangle economic growth as frequently as runaway litigation and soaring health-care and energy costs do. What politicians say about these issues does not matter much, but what we do about them does. I'm proud of what House Republicans have accomplished on this front over the last several years, but I know that much remains to be done. House Republicans have cut the tax rate on capital gains and dividends, substantially lowered personal tax rates, and set in motion a plan to eliminate the death tax...

When John Shadegg announced from his hometown of Phoenix on Friday that he is running for House majority leader, it appeared that the two leading candidates to succeed Tom DeLay had peaked. The reason is that Roy Blunt and John Boehner both are regarded as K Street candidates, whose selection might not be prudent for a Republican Party enmeshed in scandal. Neither Blunt nor Boehner is burdened with DeLay's connection to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Like DeLay, each is closely associated with K Street (the capital's big and brassy lobbyist community). Unlike DeLay, neither is viewed by ardent ideological conservatives...

The following is a transcribed excerpt of "FOX News Sunday," Jan. 15, 2006. "FOX NEWS SUNDAY" HOST CHRIS WALLACE: President Bush's agenda and the fate of House Republicans in the fall elections could be determined by a fight on Capitol Hill. It's the battle to replace Tom DeLay in the very powerful post of House majority leader. There are three candidates and they're our exclusive guests today, acting majority leader Roy Blunt, Congressman John Boehner, and Congressman John Shadegg. Congressman Blunt did what most frontrunners do. He insisted on being interviewed separately. Congressman, we'll start with you. Good morning. U.S....

Rep. Roy Blunt (R.-Mo.) said today he had secured 117 votes, enough to become the next House majority leader. Here's Blunt's official statement: "I've counted a lot of votes in my seven years in the Whip's office, and this was a well-fought fight on all sides," Blunt said. "John Boehner is a great congressman and a good friend. My friend John Shadegg is bringing an important focus to the final days of this race. I look forward to working with both of them as we achieve great results for the American people." "As I've talked with Members of our conference...

About 10 years ago, I attended a local GOP dinner in North Carolina where Boehner was the featured speaker. Boehner arrived early enough that he observed the preliminary segments of the program from the dais. As part of the program, each local GOP candidate was introduced and allowed to speak to the crowd for a few minutes. One particular gentleman -- we'll call him George -- was dressed in an out-of-fashion suit and spoke with an unusually pronounced Southern drawl. None of the locals seemed to notice or care, especially since George seemed like an extremely likable and funny individual....

House conservatives moved on Tuesday to prevent either Roy Blunt or John Boehner from wrapping up the race to become majority leader before Congress reconvenes later this month. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., who chairs the Republican Study Committee, a group of about 110 conservative members of the House, said he hopes the race won't be decided before his committee holds a retreat Jan. 30-31 in Baltimore. "I'm not going to express any endorsement" until after then, said Pence, who on Monday took his name out of the running to succeed Tom DeLay as majority leader. DeLay stepped down last September...

WASHINGTON — The contest to succeed Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) as House majority leader appeared to shape up as a two-man race Monday, as Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands) and another possible contender announced they would not run for the powerful No. 2 position. That apparently leaves the field to two senior Republicans — Roy Blunt of Missouri and John A. Boehner of Ohio — to compete for support from fellow House Republicans, who will choose DeLay's successor in a secret ballot election the week of Jan. 30. There is a chance that another candidate may yet enter the race because...

Multiple people on the Hill tell me that Blunt is in the lead. Those who are whipping for him are getting good feedback. As an added attraction, if Blunt goes into the majority leader position, it opens up the majority whip position, which a number of representatives are interested in. The desire to be majority whip increases Blunt's vote margin for majority leader by those who want to be whip. Update [2006-1-9 11:52:38 by Blanton]: We hear now that Congressman Jack Kingston will be endorsing Roy Blunt. Kingston is close to DeLay and a Vice Chairman of the Republican Conference....

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - Even before he was elected to Congress in 1996, Roy Blunt from Missouri signaled his intention to be a major player on Capitol Hill. And he did it in the universal language of politics - money. In a move of unusual perceptiveness, Blunt - himself a man of modest means - began sending contributions from his own campaign coffers to 21 Republicans throughout the country running for Congress for the first time. Blunt won his own election, as did 20 of the recipients of his largesse. When he arrived in Washington, he already knew and had...

Fox news just reported (via announcment with Dennis Hassert) that Roy Blunt will be taking over for Delay in the short term (while he is fighting the charges).

Of all those most mentioned as winners in last week's successful passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) — the White House, the Republican-led Congress, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay — none proved himself or earned as much newfound respect as Majority Whip Roy Blunt. Though seen as an effective leader and vote-herder, Mr. Blunt had never really commanded the awe and reverence in the position as his predecessor — and close ally — Mr. DeLay. Last week's come-from-behind victory on CAFTA, however, might just change that. In the beginning of the year, just about the only person...

BLUNT AMENDMENT TO PREVENT INTERNATIONAL TAXES PASSES --“International taxation out of step with our nation’s formative opposition to ‘taxation without representation’” - WASHINGTON---An amendment sponsored by House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 will prevent the taxation of American citizens or businesses by international entities. The amendment passed the House today by voice vote. “The United States already pays nearly 25 percent of the United Nations’ $2 billion annual budget,” Blunt said. “This payment, of course, comes out of the pockets of the American people. “Congress sent the...

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today issued the following statement regarding the attacks in London, England: "Today the American people stand with our friends in Britain, as they have stood with us in many of our darkest hours. "The terrorists attack those who stand for freedom and tolerance, as we in the U.S. experienced in the starkest terms on September 11, 2001. "Now, as then, America stands against these cowardly attacks on innocent people, and we will not falter in our efforts to rid the world of this ideology of hatred. "Our thoughts are with the victims and their...

WASHINGTON, June 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today issued the following statement regarding comments made by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) on the House floor Thursday calling, the war in Iraq a "grotesque mistake" and the resources allocated for fighting the war spent "without success:" "When elected officials back home call the war our men and women are fighting abroad a mistake, the only people emboldened are the enemy. "Our troops in harm's way need armor and equipment, not second-guessing and cynicism. They deserve to be supported, not demoralized. "Leader Pelosi's comments during debate...

The days of buying certain cold remedies off the drugstore shelf may soon be gone, a casualty of the methamphetamine epidemic. Picking up on laws already passed in more than a dozen states, Congress is thinking about requiring the nation's retailers to sell medicines like Sudafed and Nyquil behind the pharmacy counter to make it harder to get the ingredients needed to make highly addictive meth. A similar law in Kansas took effect this week and a bill in Missouri is awaiting the governor's signature. Retailers, who once resisted the idea as burdensome for consumers, now seem ready to go...

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt hopes to use his weight in Congress to help National Guard and Reserve members win more benefits and bolster job security. Blunt, R-Mo., and other House members plan to include the protections in the Defense Authorization Bill the House is expected to approve on Wednesday. With recent reports of a steep decline in military recruiting, Blunt said Tuesday it is crucial to show a greater commitment to volunteer forces. "We're trying to look at things that ensure when people leave their civilian jobs to go into full-time reserve, full-time guard, when they're called up, those...

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the man one step behind Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in the Republican leadership, has built a political machine of his own that extends from Missouri deep into Washington's K Street lobbying community. Blunt, who entered politics as a protege of former senator John D. Ashcroft (R-Mo.), has assembled an organization of whips and lobbyist vote counters that has delivered more than 50 consecutive victories for the GOP leadership on tough fights over issues including tax and trade bills, District of Columbia school choice and tort reform -- without a single defeat.

Roy Blunt Pitches Social Security in Springfield , Missouri . Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt visited Springfield last Tuesday (3/29/05) fulfilling his obligation to President Bush to meet with hometown constituents and sell his Social Security package. “The President is out and others too. I've had a dozen of these meetings and talking about this is a good thing,” Blunt told a crowd of approximately 125 Greene County residents. Are the Fish Biting? How receptive was the audience to what Blunt had to say here at home? The best way to answer this question is to look at the dialogue after...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., March 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today issued the following statement: "Everything about the Schiavo case has been tragic: her illness, the divisions her case has generated, and now her death. "I am sorry that the courts reviewed only the judicial process, rather than the facts of the case, as Congress had intended. "Terri can now rest in peace. I hope her family will find comfort, and that all Americans will reflect on the troubling issues that this tragedy has highlighted."

A roomful of residents at City Hall Wednesday were wanting to get some questions answered and find out the latest news on Social Security. Congressman Roy Blunt tried to oblige the 40-45 people in attendance at one of the four viewpoint sessions he was holding in the area. He made one thing clear to the seniors in the audience. "We can't move forward unless we decide that for those 55 and older, there will be no changes," Blunt said. "I wouldn't lay awake at night worrying about solutions for a little while." Blunt also pointed out some bad news. The...

(CNSNews.com) - Following CBS's ouster of four employees, House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) Monday called on the network to retract the "60 Minutes" story that called President Bush's National Guard service into question. "An independent group has underscored what we already knew: CBS failed to uphold its most basic responsibility to its viewers when it aired a false and scurrilous story that deceived the American people and impugned their president," Blunt said. "Now it is time for CBS to take the responsible step and formally retract the story. Certainly, President Bush -- after four months -- deserves an...

After a visit to Iraq last week, U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt brought back a story of holiday spirit. "I saw Christmas trees in the Saddam palaces that are now being used as office space. And Christmas decorations in the dining halls," Blunt recalled Monday upon returning to his Springfield office. "And I'm sure virtually every soldier I saw would rather be home for Christmas, but they all also understood what they were doing and felt it was important." Blunt, R-7th, and other representatives traveled to the Middle East to visit troops and assess preparations for Iraqi and Palestinian elections next...

WASHINGTON -- Republican lawmakers expressed outrage Wednesday over a CBS News report that cited documents critical of President Bush's service in the National Guard as one congressmen calling for a investigation into the report and another asked for a retraction from the network. Rep. Chris Cox, R-Calif., in a letter to Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., asked for an investigation of "the continued use by CBS News of apparently forged documents concerning the service record of President George W. Bush intended to unfairly damage his reputation and influence the outcome of the 2004 presidential election." Upton chairs the House Subcommittee on...

House Republicans yesterday demanded a public retraction from CBS News of its report on President Bush’s National Guard service, which was based on documents widely believed to be forgeries. The Republicans also called on the network to reveal the source of the apparent fraud that is seen as an attempt to turn the election against the incumbent in the campaign’s homestretch. Many conservative lawmakers regard the contretemps as an opportunity to disgrace a media icon, anchorman Dan Rather, who they believe is the poster boy for the establishment liberal media. Long accustomed to being on the sharp end of media...

NEW YORK - Top Republicans on Wednesday tried to tie the Kerry campaign to disputed documents used by CBS News for a story examining President Bush's Vietnam-era service in the Texas National Guard and called for a congressional investigation. Meanwhile, CBS News president Andrew Heyward promised to work harder to answer questions about the veracity of memos it believes were written by the president's late National Guard commander. The network continues to maintain that "the content" of the story is true. The documents written by Lt. Col. Jerry B. Killian indicated he was being pressured to sugarcoat the performance ratings...

Rep. Blunt Seeks Repeal of McCain-Feingold's Attack on Freedom of Speech WASHINGTON – The third-ranking member of the House Republican leadership is a co-sponsor of a bill to repeal the anti-free-speech sections of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance “reform” law. House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., has signed on to the measure, just introduced, to “restore Americans’ First Amendment rights,” in the words of the prime sponsor of the repeal, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md. The very fact that a major player in the House GOP leadership would affix his name to Bartlett’s bill sends an unmistakable signal to the rank-and-file Republican...

Campaign finance records show that Matt Blunt, the son of House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), received significant contributions from out-of-state sources during his successful 2000 race for Missouri secretary of state. Many of the contributors seemingly lacked a direct interest in the down-ballot state race but had significant interests pending before Matt Blunt's father. At the time that the contributions to his son's campaign occurred, Roy Blunt was a rising GOP star and an aggressive fundraiser. After the elevation of J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to Speaker in 1999, Blunt was named chief deputy whip. He also won a seat...

Top Missouri Republicans are rallying around Secretary of State Matt Blunt as their likely nominee for governor. Blunt says he's pondering the governor's race but isn't ready to announce his candidacy for the 2004 general election. But fellow Republicans say he has already shared his gubernatorial ambitions with them. Saturday, Blunt didn't confirm he is running for governor. But he told an applauding Republican audience: "We need to re-take the chief executive office of the state of Missouri." Blunt appeared at Lincoln Days, the annual GOP gathering, in Kansas City. Governor Holden is expected to seek a second term. He...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 — Republican leaders on Capitol Hill pressed Democrats today to act quickly and show the world that Congress backs President Bush in his resolve to confront Iraq if necessary. "I think it's vital for Congress to show the world that we back this president and we'll give him the authority he needs to protect the American people in the world community," Senator Trent Lott, a Republican from Mississippi and the minority leader, said soon after the president's speech to the United Nations. "We must vote to show support to the president right now." Senator John S. McCain...