Blunt Gets "Aggressive Grilling" From St. Louis County Republicans

The Beacon's Jo Mannies reports that Roy Blunt experienced an "aggressive grilling" in Chesterfield last night.  To be sure, these folks hate the libruls, but this doesn't sound like a group that's excited with their establishment's candidate for Senate (emphasis added).

For 90 minutes, U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt -- the best-known Missouri Republican running for the U.S. Senate -- underwent an aggressive grilling Thursday night from the suburban party activists who he acknowledged he'll need to win next year…

Several stood up to object to the Springfield, Mo. congressman's 12-plus year record, which included supporting big-ticket spending items during the GOP administration of then-President George W. Bush, and now Democratic President Barack Obama.

 Among the beefs:

 -- Blunt's support for the first part of the bank bailout approved a year ago under Bush, and Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit that went into effect in 2006.
 

 -- He also got jabbed for voting in favor of the "cash for clunkers'' program earlier this year that offered federal aid of up to $4,500 to get older cars off the road…

Blunt appeared to come closest to winning over the crowd when he conceded the growth of government during the six years (2001-2006) that Republicans controlled Congress and the White House.

"We spent too much and we better have learned a lesson from that,'' Blunt said,igniting applause.

The question, I suppose, is what lesson we learn.

Later, Mannies writes, Blunt "called for an end to GOP philosophical struggles."  There's no question such a truce and collective decision to ignore the Bush years would be to Blunt's advantage.

Read the whole article here.