Roy Blunt

Roy Blunt's Gun Lobby Support: Does "Receipt" Explain No Vote on Background Checks?

Last month, we reported that U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, voted against a federal background checks proposal -- with a statement saying, "We must do everything we can to prevent tragedies like those that took place in Newtown, Aurora or Tucson." Now, a national advocacy group pus ... More >>

Rep. Casey Guernsey: Gun Control Is Not Constitutional Even if Barack Obama Says It Is

As we've reported, Missouri lawmakers are aggressively pushing forward with their effort to make it illegal to enforce any federal firearm laws in the state with a proposal that Republican supporters say is a bold statement against gun control. Critics say it's an absurd, unconstitutional move to ba ... More >>

Roy Blunt, No on Background Checks: "We Must Do Everything We Can to Prevent Tragedies"

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, yesterday voted against a proposal to expand gun background checks in the country. Then he fired off this statement, that said, in part: "We must do everything we can to prevent tragedies like those that took place in Newtown, Aurora, or Tucson..." Bl ... More >>

Claire McCaskill Asks Why Boston Bombing is Labeled Terrorism, But Newtown Isn't (VIDEO)

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing this week, officials across the country have labeled the attack an act of terrorism, even at this early stage in the investigation, in which little is publicly known about potential suspects. But U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, ra ... More >>

"Stan Span" Plan Nearly Law: Musial Bridge Tribute Gets Unanimous Support in U.S. Senate

U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, and Roy Blunt, a Republican, don't usually agree on much of anything -- but they can come together for Stan the Man. And thus the rare press release yesterday quoting both Missouri senators, who are championing the unanimous passage this week in the U.S. ... More >>

Senator Claire McCaskill: "The Violence Against Women Act is Way More Popular Than I Am"

Republican Senator Roy Blunt is not interested in passing a Violence Against Women Act that includes special protections for LGBT individuals and Native Americans, as we reported last week. When Daily RFT asked Blunt about it at the end of his recent press conference, he wasn't much interested in ta ... More >>

Violence Against Women Act: Why Is Senator Roy Blunt Still Opposing? LGBT Protections?

One of the more heated battles in D.C. this year so far centers around the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a measure that provides protection for victims of domestic violence. Congress failed to extend it last year, but it's now under consideration at the House -- after it passed ... More >>

Photos: Senator Roy Blunt Promotes Mental Health Plan, Irritated By Gun Control Questions

Late Friday afternoon, Senator Roy Blunt held a press conference at the Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Center in St. Louis to promote his plan to improve mental health treatment across the country. The time is right, he told reporters, since people want concrete actions taken in response to the ... More >>

Stacey Newman on Missouri GOP Gun Bill: "Could you imagine anything crazier?"

Gun debates are alive and well in Missouri and Representative Stacey Newman, a Democrat, is currently promoting her bill that would require all sales or transfers of firearms to go through a licensed dealer. She is also, however, speaking out about some Republican proposals that are directly in op ... More >>

Roy Blunt on Missouri Gun Control Proposal: "Big Step Away From The Second Amendment"

Yesterday, we reported that State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal, a Democrat, is pushing gun legislation that would force parents to notify school officials if they own firearms. It's one of many proposals that is sparking controversy at the state level as federal officials continue to debate what ki ... More >>

Gun Policy: Roy Blunt Open to Background Checks, Says "Bans on Things" Don't Work

Questioned about gun control this weekend, Republican Senator Roy Blunt said that there have been "bans on things" for a long time in this country that don't "make any difference at all" -- but he's not entirely opposed to better background check systems for gun sales. In an interview with Fox New ... More >>

Guns Blazin' n' Insults Flyin', GOP Candidates Wrap Up "Victory Tour" in STL County

We didn't find Abby Wambach amid the stacks of GOP yard signs, but 300 or so STL-area Republicans were on hand to celebrate their slate and revel in partisan glory... however premature.

Missouri Makes "Toxic 20" List of States Most Polluted by Coal-Fired Power Plants

The good news: When it comes to toxic air pollution, Missouri is not the worst! The bad news: We're among the twenty most worstest. According to a report just released by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Missouri comes in #15 on a list of the 20 states most polluted by coal-fired power plants. ... More >>

If You Like Guns, Ted Nugent, Mitt Romney & More Guns, the NRA's Got a Deal for You!

Next weekend, more than 60,000 people are flocking to downtown St. Louis for the 2012 National Rifle Association Annual Meetings and Exhibits! This is a huge deal because, first of all, I will have a tougher time finding a parking spot. Secondly, an important national figure will be present: Ted Nug ... More >>

Senate to Vote on Roy Blunt's Opt-Out Bill for Contraception Coverage

It's nearly March, just six months before the G.O.P. convention, which sounds like a perfect time to celebrate our quadrennial political tradition: culture wars. In Michigan, Republican presidential nominee Rick Santorum is telling folks there shouldn't necessarily be a complete separation of churc ... More >>

William Lacy Clay Shares "Most Liberal" Ranking

The public policy magazine National Journal released its annual rankings reflecting the most liberal- and conservative-voting politicians last Friday, and two Missouri lawmakers earned slots that make for interesting discussion. Rep. William Lacy Clay, who represents parts of St. Louis and north S ... More >>

Net Worth of Missouri Congressional Delegation Tops $47.9 Million

​The Center for Responsive Politics recently released its report on the nation's wealthiest U.S. representatives and senators. No one from Missouri makes its Top 10 list, but that doesn't mean we don't have some worthy contenders. Turns out we actually have some of the richest -- and poorest -- po ... More >>

Roy Blunt Confirms: Osama Bin Laden is Dead

Blunt agrees. Bin Laden is dead.​U.S. Senator Roy Blunt yesterday viewed the photos of Osama bin Laden taken after Navy SEALs killed the al-Qaida leader this month in Pakistan. In a statement yesterday, Blunt said the pictures leave no doubt. "The pictures were conclusive, along with the DNA evid ... More >>

Roy Blunt Discovers Social Media

We're not sure how you spent last weekend. But we're pretty sure we know how Roy Blunt spent his. Missouri's newest senator struck upon a "really new approach" to communicating with the masses. Observe:I don't know about you, but I'm a little disappointed that the senator forgot to include MySpace a ... More >>

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Is Dead. How Did Our Congresspeople Vote?

​Unless you've been hiding out under a rock, you probably heard that Saturday, the Senate followed the House in voting to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." DADT, signed into law in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, was meant to be a compromise on allowing lesbian, gay and bisexual soldiers to serve in ... More >>

Roy Blunt Dubbed "Senator Earmark" By The Wall Street Journal

"Did somebody say earmark?"​Robin Carnahan tried for months to convince Missouri voters that Roy Blunt is a "Washington insider" whose long and cozy history with lobbyists for big tobacco, big oil and other big bad industries made him unfit for office.The strategy, of course, failed miserably. Blu ... More >>

Roy Blunt Disses Fox Television Reporter

"Aw, shucks. I thought she was with CNN."​Senate hopeful Roy Blunt seems to have forgotten that Fox television is his friend. After all, Fox News is suing his Democratic challenger Robin Carnahan over a commercial that ties Blunt to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and questions Blunt's romance wi ... More >>

Senate Debate: Carnahan Goes for the Jugular; Blunt Dons His Teflon Suit and Counterattacks

​Robin Carnahan wasted no time going after her Republican opponent, Roy Blunt, in the first face-off between the two candidates yesterday. Sporting an aqua-marine blouse, Carnahan leaned on the dais during her two-minute opening statement and blasted Blunt with allegations made in her campaign ads ... More >>

Political Drinking: Robin Carnahan, Roy Blunt Debate Tonight

​Senatorial hopefuls Robin Carnahan and Roy Blunt will square off tonight in Kansas City and again tomorrow at Lake of the Go Carts. Only tonight's debate will be televised -- 9 p.m. on KETC Channel 9.So, what to look for in tonight's debate? Political blogger John Combest has a few ideas. This mo ... More >>

Pupocalypse Now?: Local Blogger Imagines Disastrous Repercussions of Prop B

What horrible fate lies ahead for this little pup?​We've got less than a month to go till Election Day now, when Missourians will go to the polls and determine the fates of Robin Carnahan, Roy Blunt, Ed Martin and thousands of puppies. If Prop B, officially known as the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prev ... More >>

RNC For Life Abortion Scorecard Released

Raped? Too bad, says Schlafly.​National Congressional candidates -- including plenty in Missouri -- who think women who've been raped should be forced to carry their pregnancies to term have earned money and plaudits from heavy-hitting local conservatives. The Alton, Illinois, based Republican Nat ... More >>

Slate Debunks the Fox News Lawsuit Against Robin Carnahan

To be blunt, Fox is full of it.​From being represented by a law firm with ties to Republican Roy Blunt to using copyright law for the purpose of political censorship, earlier today Slate published a thorough take-down of Fox News and their "bogus" lawsuit against Robin Carnahan, Missouri's Democra ... More >>

Poll Suggests Robin Carnahan is Closing the Gap vs. Roy Blunt; Is Fox News to Thank?

Carnahan never looks a Fox News gift horse in the mouth.​First a caveat, the following poll was conducted at the behest of the Missouri Democratic Party. Assuming, then, that their pollsters got it right, Democratic candidate Robin Carnahan is now neck-and-neck with her Republican rival Roy Blunt ... More >>

Rupert Murdoch: Ass Clown of the Week

Murdoch: A new feather in his cap, Ass Clown.​It wasn't even close. Rupert Murdoch collected three times as many votes as any other candidate this weekend to earn him the title of Daily RFT Ass Clown of the Week. Sixty percent of voters thought the media mogul worthy of the honor after his Fox New ... More >>

Ass Clown of the Week: Stupid Criminals and Rupert Murdoch

​That time of the week again! Time to vote for this week's local Ass Clown. And the nominees...1. Scott Schwartz: The St. Charles man who chased two dumpster-divers from his apartment complex with a Ninja sword and stabbed the dashboard of their pickup truck as they tried to drive away. 2. Hunks: ... More >>

Fox News Sues Robin Carnahan Over Campaign Commercial

Excerpt from the Fox News interview.​Saying that a campaign advertisement compromises its "apparent objectivity," Fox News yesterday filed suit against Robin Carnahan's senate campaign over a commercial that uses footage taken from the broadcaster.The lawsuit stems from an interview Congressman Ro ... More >>

FiveThirtyEight and NYT: Polls Indicate Robin Carnahan is Totally Screwed

Image viaNo Horsing Around: Carnahan needs a miracle to beat Blunt.​To the untrained eye, the race for Missouri's senate seat between Robin Carnahan and Roy Blunt looks like a toss-up.  A tenacious battle between a longtime Republican congressman with a carefully crafted aw-shucks demeanor an ... More >>

Blunt and Bond: Religous Freedom Doesn't Apply For Mosque Near Ground Zero

Image viaAn abandoned Burlington Coat Factory near Ground Zero? That's just wrong.​Campaigning yesterday in Kansas City, Republican senate candidate Roy Blunt told reporters that he opposes a plan to build a mosque two blocks away from "Ground Zero" in New York."We constantly talk about what's app ... More >>

Missouri Tea Party Suffers (Roy) Blunt Trauma in Primary

Image viaLet's be Blunt -- the Tea Party didn't stand a chance.​The tea baggers don't mince words when it comes to Roy Blunt. Before yesterday's primary, a coalition of more than two dozen Missouri Tea Party organizations called the longtime Republican congressman "a career politician and Washingt ... More >>

Missouri Democratic Party Files Complaint vs. Joe the Plumber, But Why?

​So, I'm a little late to the game here. The reason? I just can't get my head around the latest political skirmish pitting the Missouri Democratic Party against Joe the Plumber and G.O.P. Senate hopeful Chuck Purgason. Purgason, something of Tea Party extremist (though grudgingly appreciated here ... More >>

Tea Party Groups to Protest Roy Blunt Tomorrow in St. Louis

​A coalition of Tea Party groups plan to picket tomorrow in Sunset Hills near the Republican Party's St. Louis headquarters. The groups say they're protesting Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann's decision to come to Missouri to stump for Senate candidate Roy Blunt. Bachmann is seen as somet ... More >>

Tea Party Groups Do NOT Endorse Roy Blunt; Say He's Part of Problem

Mo. Tea Parties put it Blunt-ly.​Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, a darling of the Tea Party movement, is headed to Missouri this week to lend her support to Republican candidate for Senate, Roy Blunt. And that has some 28 Tea Party groups in Missouri calling foul. In a letter posted onl ... More >>

Roy Blunt: Campaigning in Missouri in Rented Pickup Truck

Blunt: So much for the low profile.​Hey, it worked for Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Of course, the pickup truck Brown drove to his Senate victory -- his 2005 GMC with 200,000 miles on it -- was his own. The pickup that Roy Blunt has been seen driving while campaigning in Missouri is reportedly a ... More >>

Jack Abramoff: Now Flipping Pizzas Instead of Votes

​Shamed and prosecuted former uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff is working with a new kind of dough these days. That's right, instead of rolling out questionable gifts and incentives to lawmakers, Abramoff is now involved in business scheme even more yeasty than his congressional dealings: a kosher pizz ... More >>

Karl Rove Swinging Through Missouri Today in Support of Roy Blunt

​Republican strategist Karl Rove was in St. Charles this morning for a $500 per-plate breakfast in support of Congressman Roy Blunt and his campaign for Senate. For $2,400 attendees got the privilege of sitting near Rove. For a mere $1,000 they could get their picture taken with George W. Bush's t ... More >>

U.S. Senate Election 2010: Roy Blunt Leading Robin Carnahan by 6 Points

Roy Blunt continues to hang on to his lead to be Missouri's next U.S. Senator.​In a race almost certain to attract widespread national attention later this year, Republican Rep. Roy Blunt continues to lead Democrat Robin Carnahan in the Missouri Senate contest, according to the latest Rasmu ... More >>

Here's A New One: Child Molester for Mayor!

The Show-Me State embraces diversity when it comes to elected officials -- or the candidates, anyway. Who doesn't remember Midge Potts, the transgender war activist who lost to Roy Blunt in the 2006 Congressionals (and is now trying to beat him to Kit Bond's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat)?Still. Thi ... More >>

How They Voted on Health Care: Missouri and St. Louis Area Representatives

Todd Akin: Health care reform = fightin' words.​Updated 10:00 a.m. The health care reform bill passed the House of Representatives last night with a 219 to 212 vote. No Republicans supported the measure. Thirty four Democrats also voted no, including Missouri rep Ike Skelton.The bill now heads to ... More >>

Ass Clown of the Week: Roy Blunt

To be blunt about it, readers consider him an ass. ​The results are in, and in the closest tally in Daily RFT "Ass Clown" history, this week's title goes to Missouri congressman (and senate hopeful) Roy Blunt. Question is: Will Blunt be "honored" by the recognition?Blunt won 33 percent of the vote ... More >>

Ass Clown of the Week: Radical Right-Wing Edition!

Which ass gets the hat?​Perhaps it was the presence in the Show-Me State this week of that good-fer-nothin', socialist Barack Obama, or maybe it was just that their haldol injections were wearing off. Whatever the case, Missouri's right-wing extremists were tripping over themselves this week for r ... More >>

Roy Blunt "Proud" To Be On Environmentalist's Dirty Dozen List

Image Via Lee Marvin does not approve of Roy Blunt's environmental voting record​The League of Conservation Voters released its annual "Dirty Dozen" list of U.S. lawmakers who consistently vote against clean energy and the environment yesterday and Missouri's Roy Blunt was among the dirtiest.The g ... More >>

How St. Louis Area Congressmen Voted on Last Week's Hate Crime Bill

Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming college student murdered in 1998 and an inspiration for the revised hate-crimes law.​You've probably heard by now how the House of Representatives passed a measure last week that broadens the definition of a "hate crime" to include incidents committed because of the ... More >>

How Congress Rolls: Our lawmakers drive gas guzzlers — and guess who's paying for it?

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The Ethics Omission

Enforcers of Missouri's campaign-finance laws would rather hide than seek.