Andy Blunt

The Peter Kinder campaign isn't even pretending to pretend anymore.

A new web video from the Missouri Democratic Party focuses on Roy Blunt's work in 2003 to insert a special provision for UPS into an Iraq War funding bill: "The Wall Street Journal reported that Congressman Blunt’s provision was inserted 'without debate' in what "amounted to a night assault, Washington-style.' The St. Louis Post Dispatch even said Congressman Blunt’s behavior carried 'the unpleasant aroma of peddled influence,' and Andy Blunt enjoyed 'freebies from dad’s friends.' [Wall Street Journal, 4/7/03; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/9/03]"

PolitiFact.com takes a look at the Commonsense Ten ad running in Missouri:

When you date (and later marry) a Philip Morris lobbyist, when you have a son who works as a tobacco lobbyist, when you accept hefty sums of campaign money from tobacco executives, and then you add an 11th hour provision that some view as pro-big tobacco, you leave yourself open to the kind of criticism raised in the ad. "Secretly" may be overstating how Blunt acted, but the ad's other points are backed up, so we rate it Mostly True.

PolitiFact also challenges the Blunt campaign's assertion that he was trying to slip in language that was later supported by a broad bipartisan majority.  "The provision proposed by Blunt was not identical to the later Kohl/Weiner bill referenced by Blunt spokesman [Rich] Chrismer, which ultimately passed," they write (emphasis in original.

Here's the ad in question:

A new web video from the Missouri Democratic Party focuses on Roy Blunt's efforts to insert a special provision into a Homeland Security bill to benefit Philip Morris, and the reaction from the Missouri press and Missouri Republicans to his unethical actions. 

According to the News-Leader, Roy Blunt's spokesman Rich Chrismer says the DSCC is attempting "to deliberately deceive Missouri voters" with this television commercial.

Ummmm.... how?  It's, like, a fact that Roy Blunt was twice named to CREW's "Most Corrupt" lists. 

• CREW, 2006: "Beyond Delay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress"
  Blunt comes in at #1: "Rep. Blunt's ethics issues stem from the misuse of his position to benefit family members, his connections to Jack Abramoff, and a trip paid for by a foreign agent."
• CREW, 2005: "Beyond DeLay: The 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress"
  "Rep. Blunt’s appointment is a case of ‘new boss, same as the old boss.’ While Rep. Blunt may be new to the job, he has long followed Rep. DeLay’s pattern of ignoring campaign finance laws and ethics rules."

By deceptive, does Chrismer mean uncomfortably accurate? 

Just announced by the DSCC: "The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released a new television ad in Missouri today, 'Family,' which exposes Roy Blunt as one of the most corrupt members of Congress.  A nonpartisan watchdog organization, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, named Blunt one of the most corrupt members of Congress for “misusing” his position by inserting special favors into bills."

The DSCC's full press release may be found below the break.

A new "Truthwatch" segment from WDAF evaluating Robin Carnahan's "Mug" ad includes some hilarious spin from GOP consultant Jason Klindt.  Klindt, a longtime staffer for Sam Graves, was asked to respond to the statement in the ad, "Congressman Roy Blunt...got caught trying to insert a secret deal for tobacco giant Philip Morris into a bill just days after company executives gave him over $30,000." According to Klindt, the special language inserted into a Homeland Security bill without debate "wasn't exactly a secret" and "lacks context."

Watch it:

Back here in the Real World, we know that no one else in the GOP leadership knew that Blunt was trying to slip in the favor for Philip Morris.  As reported by the Washington Post on June 11, 2003, six months after Blunt attempted the dirty deed:

GOP WHIP QUIETLY TRIED TO AID BIG DONOR
Provision Was Meant To Help Philip Morris

Only hours after Rep. Roy Blunt was named to the House's third-highest leadership job in November, he surprised his fellow top Republicans by trying to quietly insert a provision benefiting Philip Morris USA into the 475-page bill creating a Department of Homeland Security, according to several people familiar with the effort.

The new majority whip, who has close personal and political ties to the company, instructed congressional aides to add the tobacco provision to the bill -- then within hours of a final House vote -- even though no one else in leadership supported it or knew he was trying to squeeze it in.

Once alerted to the provision, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's chief of staff, Scott Palmer, quickly had it pulled out, said a senior GOP leader who requested anonymity. Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) also opposed what Blunt (Mo.) was trying to do, the member said, and "worked against it" when he learned of it.

The provision would have made it harder to sell tobacco products over the Internet and would have cracked down on the sale of contraband cigarettes, two practices that cut into Philip Morris's profits. Blunt has received large campaign donations from Philip Morris, his son works for the company in Missouri and the House member has a close personal relationship with a Washington lobbyist for the firm.

It is highly unusual for a House Republican to insert a last-minute contentious provision that has never gone through a committee, never faced a House vote and never been approved by the speaker or majority leader. Blunt's attempt became known only to a small circle of House and White House officials. They kept it quiet, preferring no publicity on a matter involving favors for the nation's biggest tobacco company and possible claims of conflicts of interest.

Several in that circle say they were struck by Blunt's willingness to go out on a limb for a company to which he has ties. What's more, he did it within hours of climbing to the House leadership's third-highest rung, a notable achievement for a man who came to Washington less than six years ago.

A senior Republican lawmaker who requested anonymity said some GOP members worried at the time that it would be "embarrassing" to the party and its new whip if details of the effort were made public. Another Republican said Blunt's effort angered some leaders because there was "so little support for" a pro-tobacco provision likely to generate controversy...

Because Blunt's actions in the Philip Morris matter were kept quiet, there were no apparent repercussions or threats to his leadership ambitions. Meanwhile, there is evidence that the majority whip has continued to work aggressively on behalf of companies to which he has ties.

In April, for instance, Blunt managed to have a provision inserted into a Senate bill, without debate, on behalf of United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. The two companies were seeking to block the expansion of a foreign rival's U.S. operations. Blunt's son Andrew also represents UPS in Missouri, as the Wall Street Journal first reported, and the two companies have contributed a total of $120,000 to Blunt since 2001, according to Federal Election Commission data.

Also this spring, Blunt brokered a deal with Rep. Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.) to fight for a vote on legislation that could open the door to Food and Drug Administration regulation of tobacco, a top priority for Philip Morris, a senior House GOP leader said. Philip Morris would benefit because it is far ahead of its competitors in designing and selling "safer" cigarettes that could be permitted if the FDA gains regulatory power, lawmakers and industry experts said.

Regarding Klindt's complaint that the headline and statement in the ad lack context, I think he's right.  The public needs to know that Blunt had a "close personal relationship with a Washington lobbyist for the firm" -- Abigail Perlman, now his wife -- and that Andy Blunt, his son and campaign manager, is a paid lobbyist for the company. 

H'ray, Context!

The reaction from the Roy Blunt campaign to fairly tame talk about their candidate's long record of unethical leadership in Washington has been pretty intense.  Andy Blunt and Matt Blunt want people fired (try not to laugh).  Rich Chrismer says that a strong focus on Roy Blunt's glaring ethical problems means the Robin Carnahan campaign has no focus.  Uh-huh. 

Obviously, the strategy here from Team Blunt is to muddy the waters and distract reporters and voters from very real problems in Blunt's record.  It's simply a fact that Blunt has been dogged by questions regarding his leadership in Washington by the press, independent watchdog organizations -- and members of his own party.

For instance, here's a sampling of what's been written by independent watchdog organizations:

• CREW, 2006: "Beyond Delay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress"
  Blunt comes in at #1: "Rep. Blunt's ethics issues stem from the misuse of his position to benefit family members, his connections to Jack Abramoff, and a trip paid for by a foreign agent."
• CREW, 2005: "Beyond DeLay: The 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress"
  "Rep. Blunt’s appointment is a case of ‘new boss, same as the old boss.’ While Rep. Blunt may be new to the job, he has long followed Rep. DeLay’s pattern of ignoring campaign finance laws and ethics rules."
• Public Citizen, 1/13/06: "Roy Blunt: Ties to Special Interests Leave Him Unfit to Lead"
  "In this report, Public Citizen compiles a disturbing dossier on Blunt, based on original research and a comprehensive compilation of news accounts of recent months. In the end, what emerges is a portrait of a legislative leader who not only has surrendered his office to the imperative of moneyed interests, but who has also done so with disturbing zeal and efficiency."
• CREW, 1/12/06: "Ethically Challenged Reps. Blunt and Cantor Not Fit for Leadership"
  “If Members of the House were truly committed to cleaning up the cesspool that Congress has become, they would not even consider Reps. Blunt and Cantor to lead the way."

It's worth noting that CREW is more than happy to criticize members of both parties.  As you can see, Democrats outnumber Republicans on the organization's CREWsMostCorrupt.org website.

In 2003, the Washington Post reported that Blunt's relationship with now-wife Abigail Perlman was "raising eyebrows and giving fits to self-appointed ethics cops." Just months earlier, Blunt's attempt to slip in language for benefit Philip Morris into a Homeland Security bill.  By complete coincidence,  Perlman was a lobbyist for Philip Morris, and the two were engaged in a "close personal relationship" at the time.  Blunt's moves to provide the favor for Philip Morris even disgusted Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's chief of staff (!). 

A few years later, Thomas B. Edsall, a journalist who covered Blunt's work as Majority Whip and leadership of the K Street Project as a staff writer for the Washington Post, was so disenchanted and disgusted with Blunt's body of work that he took to the opinion pages of the New York Times to write the following:

SAME OLD PARTY

Last Friday, the Republicans gave the Democrats a gift that will keep on giving: Roy Blunt of Missouri.

After an election repudiating the politics of Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay, Republicans elevated Blunt from the number three spot in the leadership to number two.

Roy Blunt embodies the insidious, half-legal corruption that has permeated the G.O.P. majority since 1995. Blunt’s election as minority whip, by a 137-to-57 margin, was a defiant Republican rejection of calls to clean up their act. Warnings by Blunt’s challenger, John Shadegg of Arizona — “We ceded our reform-minded principles in exchange for a ...tighter grip on power” — went unheeded.

Andy Blunt wears a few hats. He's an active lobbyist for more than twenty corporations, including Altria, APS Healthcare, AT&T, MillerCoors and Motorola. He's a partner in the firm, Schreimann, Rackers, Francka and Blunt, LLC. And in his spare time, he's the volunteer campaign manager for a leading candidate in a somewhat interesting U.S. Senate race. 

By "volunteer," I mean that Andy Blunt receives no compensation from the Roy Blunt campaign, but still serves as a lobbyist for companies with an interest or two before Congress. In fact, he added at least two clients to his roster since taking over as campaign manager. Presumably, he ain't lobbying for free.

This arrangement raises no questions whatsoever, especially given the elder Blunt's well-documented history of unethical favors for lobbyists/family members.

As the governor, legislators and other leaders are working on an agreement regarding a special session that could save jobs at the Claycomo Ford plant and help Missouri produce the next generation of automobiles, lobbyist Andy Blunt and his team are working vigorously to oppose it.

Blunt's work to block a special session is especially interesting, given his ongoing responsibilities as the campaign manager for Roy Blunt's senate campaign. In fact, the Elder Blunt reportedly made calls to legislators during the last week of the session in favor of the Ford bill. 

Theories are floating around about which Andy Blunt client is trying to kill the session, but we honestly don't know what to make of them. 

We don’t always have the answers at Fired Up!, but know that our readers often do.  Do you know why Andy Blunt and his associates are working against the proposal to help Missouri’s economy? If so, please drop us a note on the tip line.

Lobbyist and Roy Blunt campaign manager Andy Blunt, James Harris and several others are raising money for Peter Kinder tonight at Summit Lake Winery in Holts Summit.

At last count, Kinder's gubernatorial campaign was still $315,000 in debt, he was still raising money for the Tour of Missouri, and is now seeking money to fill the coffers of his new LLC.  So take your checkbook!

When you've had your fill of the DC-area landmarks on Roy Blunt's "K Street Jobs Tour," it's time to get on a plane and visit some of the other key spots in your review of Blunt's record in Congress.  From Reagan National Airport, you'll travel to ocean side resorts where lobbyists get to play with the Congressman. Then it's off to Sugar Land, TX, home of Blunt's mentor and co-leader in passing Bush-era policies trough the House.  Finally, it's back to Missouri, a place the Congressman once knew, to see how his campaign manager, Andy Blunt, has practiced his craft.

View Roy Blunt's "K Street Jobs Tour" in a larger map

Roy Blunt has made it official: Andy Blunt will run his Senate campaign. 

Looking at the current Missouri Ethics Commission data, Andy Blunt is a lobbyist for all of the following companies:

• Altria Client Services Inc. And Its Affiliates--Philip Morris Usa Inc., John Middleton Co., And U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.
• MillerCoors, LLC
• Medsolutions
• AGP
• Ticketmaster

This from David Lieb in an AP piece about Sarah Steelman's rejection of state financial incentives for the Show-Me Ethanol boondoggle:

Among the hundreds of investors in Show Me Ethanol are Andy Blunt, the brother of Republican Gov. Matt Blunt; Lesley Graves, the wife of U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo.; and state Rep. John Quinn, R-Chillicothe, and his wife, Mary.

A Graves spokesman had said in January that she planned to sell her investment. But Durham said Thursday that the congressman's wife remains an investor.

Why does Sam Graves and his team want us to believe that his family was divesting of Show-Me Ethanol ownership when they clearly had no intention of doing so?  The press certainly can't like being treated in such a dishonest fashion.  Forget about the Graves' family stake in the venture; what does this deception say about Sam Graves' character?

Wow. That's all that I can say about what is happening with Matt Blunt's economic tax incentive bill.  What began as one of Blunt's main economic priorities has become a vehicle to put money in Andy Blunt's pocket without regard to average Missourians.

A little provision slipped into Blunt's tax incentive bill would legalize ticket scalping.  You heard me right, legalize ticket scalping.  Now, you might ask what this has to do with Matt and Andy.  Well, a quick glance at the lobbyist reports for ticketmaster show that none other than the Governor's brother, brown bag specialist, Andy Blunt. 

On Friday, the AP did a follow-up to their original "Andy Blunt-ethanol story.

It is clear from the Friday story that Andy initially grossly misrepresented his role in Show Me Ethanol, LLC when he talked to the AP for their first story.

You might also have noticed in the PD story, Andy repeated his nonsensical assertion that Governor Blunt's ethanol mandate won't have any impact on the success of his deal.

But the latest AP story shows otherwise:

Andy Blunt said he doesn't believe the state's ethanol mandate or incentives will have much of an effect on the proposed ethanol plant.

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Lobbyist Andy Blunt says he never lobbies his brother or the Executive Branch of Missouri State Government.

But consider this series of inexplicable events:

• 3/26/2003--- Andy Blunt registers as a lobbyist for Systems & Methods, Inc. of Carrollton, Georgia, a company that specializes in child support collections systems for states.

• 1/10/2005--- Andy Blunt registers as a lobbyist for Heritage Information Systems of Richmond, Virginia, a company specializing in Medicaid and prescription drug cost containment products for states.