John Danforth

Politico's Dave Catanese posted a series of interesting tweets on Saturday about Tom Schweich's campaign for State Auditor.  In chronological order:

• 8:38 PM - Bad buzz about Schweich from even those who support him. He's steamed he has a primary when he cut a deal. Ala [Florida Governor Charlie] Crist, welcome to the NFL.
   
• 9:14 PM - GOPer says Schweich needs to learn from @RoyBlunt in approach. Roy takes his licks, but smiles, brushes off like Jay-Z. Schweich gets mad.
   
• 9:32 PM - Schweich should devote a speech to his $500 contrib. to @clairecmc. Say if the GOP wants to b party that excludes indys, it won't prevail.
   
• 9:41 PM - No, @allenicet [primary opponent Allen Icet] doesn't inspire. But Schweich is turning people off. RT @davesmith3: @davecatanese is @alanicet really crushing it THAT much?

John Ashcroft endorsed Roy Blunt today.

With former GOP Sen. Ashcroft, former GOP Sen. Jim Talent and former GOP Sen. Jack Danforth in his camp, Blunt seems to have locked down the crucial old-white-dudes-who-used-to-be-in-Congress demographic -- an elusive bloc of voters one generally wouldn't expect to support a candidate like Roy Blunt.

Tony Messenger has an interesting piece today in the Post-Dispatch about John Danforth's criticisms of Roy Blunt's Senate candidacy, Danforth's public support for Thomas Schweich as an alternative candidate, and how that conflict may impact Blunt's fundraising at upcoming events and party unity in general.

Reading the article, I find it a little odd that Blunt doesn't want to call Danforth's frank assessment of Blunt's considerable campaign baggage a "conflict." That's a "strong word," Blunt says. What, exactly, would he prefer it be called?  Conflict seems like a kind word.

The pro-Roy Blunt and anti-Thomas Schweich forces are working to nip this whole Senate campaign thing in the bud.  Schweich says he's "flattered" by the attention, and what he calls a "vintage Washington-style smear campaign" against him. For now, anyway. 

Via JohnCombest.com, we see that Townhall.com blogger Matt Lewis is particularly concerned with Sen. Danforth's alleged hatred of conservatives, Schweich's service at the UN and the fact that Danforth and Schweich have worked together.

Meet John Danforth, former Republican Senator from Missouri and diplomat in the George W. Bush administration. After leaving the Bush administration, he has made a career out of attacking conservatives and Republicans. 

He co-founded the Republican Leadership Council with Christie Todd Whitman to advance social liberals within the Republican Party. He also led the fight as honorary co-chair of the 2006 ballot initiative to support embryonic stem-cell research in Missouri.  You get the point. He’s not a conservative...