Congressman Roy Blunt Elected Republican Whip

Today, with an overwhelming margin of 71 percent, Congressman Roy Blunt was elected as the Republican Whip for the U. S. House of Representatives.

Republican members of the House met today in Washington, DC, and elected Blunt to fill the leadership seat for the 110th Congress. Congressman Blunt has served Missouri's 7th District with pride and dedication, always holding the common sense, conservative values of our state with the highest regard. We congratulate Congressman Blunt on his success and look forward to his continued leadership in Congress.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego Claire McCaskill?

This week newly elected members of the United States House and Senate joined together in Washington, DC, to learn the ropes of their new jobs. The one and only senator-elect absent from the Senate orientation: Claire McCaskill. Inside sources reveal that McCaskill ditched the week-long training and flew to exotic Bali, an island off Indonesia, with hubby Joseph Shepard. Even though McCaskill was fond of touting her “rural upbringing” on the campaign trail, after the election Millionaire Claire is back to the same old routine, flaunting her family fortune and ignoring the job she was elected to do. So, if any constituent needs help from our new junior senator, don’t be surprised if Claire doesn’t come running to your aid. She will be a bit behind since she was off sunning herself on foreign beaches while other newly elected officials were learning how to best serve the people of their states.

Governor Blunt Meets with Japanese Leaders

This week Governor Matt Blunt traveled to New York to meet with several Japanese business leaders as well as Motoatsu Sakurai, the Japanese ambassador and consul of Japan. During the trip Governor Blunt focused on the importance of exporting Missouri products and creating additional markets for Missouri products abroad.

Currently Japan ranks fourth among Missouri export countries. Chemicals, electronics and agriculture are some of the products our state exports to Japan. There are also 70 Japanese-owned manufacturing companies in our state which employ approximately 6,400 Missourians.

Governor Blunt has focused on bringing quality, family-supporting jobs to our state and reining in job-killing taxes. Over the past two years nearly 50,000 additional jobs have been created in Missouri.

Nixon Puts Missouri Jobs at Risk

Jay Nixon’s political gamesmanship has become so flagrant that even his buddies in the liberal media are saying he has gone too far by attacking Governor Matt Blunt for a move that will save hundreds of jobs.

A St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial highlighted Nixon’s ridiculous reaction to the Missouri Gaming Commission’s decision to retain jobs for hard-working families in Pemiscot County by authorizing the temporary state takeover of a casino. The columnist rightly notes that Nixon’s reaction is “overblown” and that “he could cite no statute, regulation or rule the commission had breached.”

As Attorney General, Nixon is charged with protecting the people of Missouri. He has fallen down on the job by choosing to play political games and has put hundreds of jobs for Missouri families at stake. While Governor Blunt is focusing on the task at hand and seeking to protect family-supporting jobs, Nixon would rather place the burden of unemployment on Missouri families.

¹ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Such a dealer”, Nov. 14, 2006
² St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Aztar casino takeover grounded in legality”, Rick Alm, Nov. 14, 2006

Fellow Democrat Noren Rejects Carnahan’s Estimates as “Totally Ignorant”

When estimating voter turnout in counties across Missouri, Boone County Clerk Wendy Noren dismissed Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s numbers as “totally ignorant” in a Columbia Daily Tribune article¹.

To estimate voter turnout in Boone County, Noren mailed registered voters, and if the mail was not returned undeliverable, the individual remained on the active voter list in Boone County. Carnahan, however, relied on dated voter rolls which consistently retain voters on the list years after they have moved out of the county. Carnahan’s outdated voter list is unreliable, exceeding the actual number of voting age residents in the county. Noren’s calculations estimate a 68 percent voter turnout in Boone County, but Carnahan’s estimates show a significantly less turnout of 53 percent.

Since taking office, Carnahan has shown an utter lack of responsibility by delaying certification of special election and primary election results and then blaming local clerks for the delay. She also has continually dragged her feet in updating the statewide voter rolls, resulting in a federal lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department.

¹Columbia Daily Tribune, “County, state diverge on voter turnout,” Nov. 15, 2006

Over 200,000 Missouri Job Openings Projected for 2007

This week projected estimates released from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) estimate that through the year 2007 over 200,000 job openings will be available in Missouri. Some of the top employment opportunities are in the fields of computers and mathematics as well as construction and education.

Responding to the promising projections, Governor Blunt said, “I am thrilled that more Missourians are finding employment in quality, family supporting jobs. One thing to remember is that hard-working people, not government, create opportunities. Missouri’s economic strength is due to these individuals who have chosen to invest in our state.”

Montee Immediately Plays Politics

Auditor-elect Susan Montee left no uncertainty about her intentions to play politics while in office as she declared that she will be intervening in Governor Blunt’s plan to provide millions in additional funds to Missouri colleges and universities. The proposed sale of portions of MOHELA's assets has been approved by the MOHELA board and will be voted on by the General Assembly when they reconvene in January.

In her release, Montee also declared that additional quasi-governmental boards such as the Missouri Technology Corp. have lacked oversight in the past, slapping at the record of her predecessor Claire McCaskill, who audited that very agency during her tenure in office.

By making it her first order of business to stand in the way of new education dollars for our colleges and universities, Montee has made it quite clear that she is more interested in pandering to Democrat bosses than standing up for hard-working Missouri families.

Find out how our Republican leaders are serving Missouri by visiting their websites