1999 Roll Call article details Washington insider partnership of Karl Rove and Congressman Roy Blunt

Report Gives Context to Congressman Blunt’s Bringing His Friend and Ultimate Washington Insider Karl Rove to Raise More Special Interest Cash

Jefferson City, Mo. – According to news reports, Congressman Roy Blunt is bringing his close political confidant and Washington insider, Karl Rove, to Missouri to help him raise campaign cash.  Rove owes Congressman Blunt for all the work he did in Washington to help elect President George W. Bush and then shepherd his failed economic agenda through Congress for eight years.  

In May 1999, Roll Call’s Jim VandeHei highlighted how Congressman Blunt and disgraced former Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s were essential for Bush’s political success.  VandeHei noted that Blunt was a member of George W. Bush’s presidential Exploratory Committee, and played an especially integral role: “Blunt is often the only GOP leader directly involved in the day-to- day (Bush campaign) discussions…”

“It will be just like old times when Congressman Blunt’s close friend and fellow Washington insider Karl Rove comes to Missouri to help him rake in more special interest campaign cash,” said Missouri Democratic Party Spokesman Ryan Hobart. “They spent more than eight years together in Washington pushing an agenda that put corporate special interests ahead of Missourians and turned a $128 billion surplus into a $1.2 trillion deficit. Missourians can’t afford to return to the Bush and Blunt years of waste, corruption and sticking it to the middle class.”

More about the Blunt-Rove Brain Trust:

“While Blunt is often the only GOP leader directly involved in the day-to- day discussions, Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) are on board, three sources confirmed.”

The agenda discussions have included Bush; Blunt; Bush’s political director, Maria Cino; Bush’s top consultant, Karl Rove; and GOP strategists Bill Paxon and Haley Barbour, among others…the Texas governor has stacked his political team with so many Washington insiders with close connections to Republican leaders.

Every person involved in the talks is close to DeLay, but it’s Blunt, Paxon and Cino who are doing most of the work.

Blunt talks with Bush, Rove or Cino at least three times each week and has been instrumental in helping to lock up endorsements inside the House GOP Conference.

Rove, Bush’s top consultant, is closely involved in the talks and is the campaign point man in coordinating with Blunt. Rove, a Texas-based operative, is also close to DeLay and his political operation.

Learn more about Congressman Blunt’s close, personal relationship with Karl Rove here: http://theveryworstofwashington.com/episodes/view/you_know_youre_an_insider_when

You can revisit other Friday Flashbacks (All the News Congressman Blunt Hopes you Forget) at: http://www.missouridems.org/friday_flashbacks

Congressman Blunt has drawn 8 opponents, including Tea Party favorite State Senator Chuck Purgason, in the Missouri primary for U.S. Senate.

For more information about the Missouri Democratic Party visit www.MissouriDems.org and follow us on Twitter www.Twitter.com/MoDemParty

CONGRESSMAN BLUNT FINALLY BREAKS SILENCE – REFUSES TO CRITICIZE COLLEAGUE AND CAMPAIGN DONOR JOE BARTON OVER HIS APOLOGY TO BP

GOP Congressman Barton Apologized To BP CEO Tony Hayward For The “Political Pressure” His Company Is Facing, Calls $20 Billion Commitment “Shakedown”

KC Star: Blunt “Gives Barton A Pass”…AFTER Accepting $7,000 In Campaign Contributions From Him

Four day after the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called on Congressman Roy Blunt to denounce Rep. Joe Barton’s out of touch apology to British Petroleum, Blunt refused to do so and according to the Kansas City Star gave “Barton a pass.”  Instead of denouncing Barton’s apology to British Petroleum, Congressman Blunt said “he didn’t have a reaction.”  Congressman Barton contributed $7,000 to Congressman Blunt’s Senate campaign last year.   

“Congressman Roy Blunt made a career out of sticking it to the middle class and standing-up for Big Oil,” said DSCC Communications Director Eric Schultz. “Instead of denouncing Congressman Barton’s apology to British Petroleum as out of touch and out of line, Congressman Blunt gave his campaign donor’s comments a free pass.  Each passing day brings more proof that Congressman Blunt represents the very worst of Washington.”

Last Thursday a key Republican Congressman and a donor to Congressman Roy Blunt’s Senate campaign apologized to British Petroleum C.E.O. Tony Hayward during a congressional hearing over the insistence that the Big Oil company create a fund to pay for all of the economic damages to residents of the Gulf coast resulting from the catastrophic oil spill.  Congressman Joe Barton of Texas called the fund a “$20 billion shakedown” and said he was “ashamed” of the White House’s actions and offered his sincere apology to BP and it’s CEO Tony Hayward. 

After Saying $75 Million Cap Was Enough, Blunt Introduced Legislation That Would Keep A Cap on Oil Spill Liability.   In May 2010, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Blunt asserted that the present liability cap ($75 million) would be the extent of BP’s exposure “unless there’s some criminal activity that no one is aware of.” Blunt then introduced legislation that would increase, but keep a cap, on oil spill liability.  The Post-Dispatch noted “Blunt’s legislation, available just minutes ago, would cap liability of offshore facilities at clean-up costs plus $150 million or, as an alternative, tie liability to profits in a way that could saddle a big company with billions in costs.”  [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5/20/10]

More Than $1 Million from Big Oil & Energy Interests: Blunt has taken $1.2 million from energy industry interests over the course of his career — over three-quarters of a million dollars specifically from oil and gas interests. [OpenSecrets.org, 5/21/10]

• Blunt Received $1,000 From Halliburton Since Oil Spill. As reported by the Politico, “In the House Reps. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee … received $1,000 from the oil giant.” [Politico, 6/2/10]

Blunt Has Accepted $7,000 in Campaign Contributions from Barton. Blunt has accepted $7,000 for his Senate run from Barton – $2,000 from his campaign and $5,000 from his leadership PAC. [Federal Elections Commision, 3/13/09, 3/13/09]

DC DOUBLESPEAK:

Under Pressure, Big Spender Blunt ‘Embarrassed’ About Record of Wasteful Government Spending

 
Congressman Blunt again uses DC Doublespeak to try and hide his 14-year Washington record of wasteful spending

 
Jefferson City, MO – As Congressman Roy Blunt continues to draw fire from both sides of the aisle his reckless government spending, he recently tried a new talking point: concern about his own record of spending in Washington.

Once labeled the “prodigious pork-meister” for his pork-barrel spending and a key architect of the $700 billion bailout, Congressman Blunt was part of the Congressional leadership team that turned our $128 billion surplus into a $1.2 trillion deficit. [CNN, 1/28/09; New York Times, 8/25/09; Providence Journal, 2/6/06; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 11/23/08]

But now that 65% of Missourians think Congressman Blunt is part of the problem when it comes to wasteful government spending, he’s decided he’s got some explaining to do. “I think we have a chance to stop some of the spending because I think finally, for the first time ever, people are getting embarrassed about it,” Blunt said at an event in Springfield. [PPP, 11/18/09; Springfield News Leader, 6/9/10]

“Congressman Blunt has spent 14 years in Washington spending our money like a drunken sailor and now that it is campaign season he expects Missourians to buy his DC Doublespeak on wasteful spending,” said Ryan Hobart, Communications Director for the Missouri Democratic Party. “Congressman Blunt’s Washington record is clear. Whether it is being at the helm for the $700 billion bailout or turning our nation’s surplus into a $1.2 trillion deficit, Congressman Blunt can’t hide from his record.” 
 
In recent weeks, Congressman Blunt’s primary opponent State Senator Chuck Purgason has been taking Blunt to task for his record of wasteful spending. In addition, Purgason recently told Resistnet Radio, “What people didn’t expect was Republicans to go up, spend money like they did … [they] became part of the problem rather than be part of the solution. That’s one of the frustrating things about Congressman Blunt. He was in leadership at a time when we failed.” 

Adding salt to the wound, Purgason has even featured a new “Purgason vs Blunt” side-by-side on his website where he attacks Congressman Blunt for failing to balance the budget and get the United States out of debt.

CONGRESSMAN BLUNT: A RECORD OF WASTEFUL SPENDING

 
Exploding Deficits – Blunt Turned $128 Billion Surplus into $1.2 Trillion Deficit: The Bush-Blunt team inherited a budget surplus of $128 billion in 2001 but proceeded to post deficits every single year after that. In fact, the Blunt-led Republican majority never once balanced its annual budgets. As a result, by the time Bush left office in 2009, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated a deficit of $1.2 trillion. [CNN, 1/28/09; New York Times, 8/25/09]

Skyrocketing Debt – Blunt Oversaw Doubling of the National Debt: During the time Blunt was in the Republican leadership, the national debt nearly doubled from $5.7 trillion in 1999 to more than $10 trillion eight years later – an over $4 trillion increase. [TreasuryDirect.gov] 
 
The number of pork barrel spending projects has increased seven-fold during Congressman Blunt’s tenure in Washington — from just 1,596 earmarks when he went to Congress in 1997 to nearly 12,000 in 2008.  These earmarks cost taxpayers over $228 billion. [Citizens Against Government Waste, Annual Pig Book]  

Springfield News-Leader editorial, said Blunt “allowed earmarks to get out of control during an era of no accountability.”  [Springfield News-Leader, Editorial, 6/16/07] 

Providence Journal labeled Blunt a “prodigious pork-meister.” [Providence Journal, 2/6/06]

KC Star: Blunt Must Overcome Grass-Roots Anger Over Deficits: Blunt “must overcome grass-roots anger over soaring deficits, stimulus packages and bank bailouts. … Blunt was elected to the House in 1996 and has been a prominent member of the chamber’s Republican leadership.  Blunt also faces a primary challenge from Missouri Sen. Chuck Purgason, a Caulfield Republican who has sharply criticized both parties for out-of-control spending.  “There’s a need for new leadership from people who know that two plus two equals four, and when you spend five you’re losing one,” Purgason said. “When Representative Blunt was in the leadership the deficit grew almost $1.5 trillion. Republicans have proved they can’t balance the budget either.“ [Kansas City Star, 12/27/09]

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