Frank Mail

Apart from the fine print that reads, "This mailing was prepared published and mailed at taxpayer expense," it's hard to the tell the difference between the messages in Congressman Roy Blunt's most recent taxpayer-financed mailer and the Roy Blunt for Senate campaign's defensive attacks in recent weeks.

Jim Lee's Busplunge blog has the scoop on the mailer, an obvious response to the League of Conservation Voters' "Stain" ads playing on the teevee in recent weeks.  In the taxpayer-financed version, Blunt pleads with his constituents: "Don't be fooled. I don't work for the interests of big oil or the energy industry." 

Blunt's belief that this is a reasonable official expense would be a lot more believable if it didn't sound just like what we've been hearing from Blunt's campaign over the past few months.  Blunt, his spokesman and the Missouri GOP have repeatedly and consistently tried to connect the ad to Democratic Senate candidate Robin Carnahan.  The MOGROP spokesman, for instance, says the LCV "is attempting to purchase the seat for Carnahan."  So now we're supposed to believe that Blunt's official office is just informing constituents of important nonpartisan matters that they should help pay to learn about?  Please.