JEFFERSON CITY - The feud between the Claire McCaskill/Roger Wilson led Missouri Democrat Party and the Carnahan children and their mother heated up over the weekend over the posting of a visceral message from a regular Carnahan site blogger against an annual charitable golf tournament held in honor of people like Wilson?s grandfather, a former Boone County Sheriff?s deputy who was killed in the line of duty.

The blogger ?Jefferson Thomas? attacks the Blunt administration for allowing state employees to use vacation or compensatory time they?ve earned working for taxpayers to play in golf tournaments benefiting the families of fallen police officers at their own expense.

Proceeds from the tournament go to the Benevolent Fund to assist families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty like Wilson?s grandfather and the late Columbia Police officer Molly Bowden. Thomas?s attack on this charitable event raises serious questions about former Sen. Jean Carnahan?s motives to create and raise funds for a site many originally thought was created solely for the apparently unemployed spouses of the employees of her daughter, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, to launch insidious and deeply personal comments about Blunt, his wife, and son.

Jefferson?s foray into attacking a charitable tournament benefiting people like the Wilson family seems to indicate that Sen. Jean Carnahan is willing to say or do anything to advance the political careers of her children. Many Missouri Democrats have expressed frustration with the party?s failed attempts to recruit a candidate to run against popular incumbent Sen. Jim Talent and though Wilson has been a less than active Chairman, he was thought to have the respect of Democrats throughout the state - until this weekend.

?Jean Carnahan and her Internet allies owe an apology to the families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty,? said Missouri Republican Party Executive Director John Hancock. ?This is a highly offensive attack coming from a political family and organization that has redefined smear campaigns in Missouri. They also need to thank Gov. Blunt for allowing these hard working state employees to give their personal time and resources to such a noble cause. Partisan politics should not interfere with the solemn remembrance of our state?s fallen police officers.?

It is unclear if ?Jefferson Thomas? and his fellow half-dozen or so bloggers are paid by the Carnahan family, their blogsite, or their various campaign committees to post unseemly attacks public officials like Blunt and Wilson online, but it is painfully obvious that the group is determined wrest control of the party from McCaskill, who lost badly to Blunt in November. Hancock called on Carnahan to encourage her bloggers to shed their secret names and to extend apologies to the offended families in person using their real names.

?If she is concerned at all about her legacy in Missouri government, Jean Carnahan would do well to follow the examples set by people like Jack Danforth and Tom Eagleton who, though still somewhat involved in the political process, have refrained from funding efforts to spread malicious and often untrue statements about public servants,? Hancock said. ?Secretary Carnahan and Congressman Carnahan should condemn this kind of gutter politics and ask their Internet allies to do the same.?