This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 16, 2010 - U.S. Senator-elect Roy Blunt's stance on earmarks -- which was squishy during his successful campaign -- should be in sharper focus today as the southwest Missouri Republican casts his vote later today during a GOP caucus meeting on whether to support a moratorium on the practice.
Paying close attention are St. Louis Tea Party activists -- and their progressive rivals. Both camps have been Tweeting like mad since late Monday, when reports surfacedthat Blunt was going to oppose the moratorium.
Tea Party loyalist Dana Loesch, who hosts a talk radio show, asserted on Twitter that she was waving the local Tea Party Pledge that Blunt signed this fall, which activists say should bind him to oppose earmarks.
Said the St. Louis group in a missive sent out this morning:
"On Oct. 4, 2010, then-candidate Blunt signed onto the Tea Party Treaty, thereby conveying the message that he understands the concerns of his constituents, as well as his duty to them. That being said, it is now time to put his ink-mark where his mouth is."
Tea Party activists said they were concerned that Blunt was not among the 15 co-sponsors of the proposed moratorium. "Stakes are particularly high in this vote, as accountability has now entered into the formula. . .accountability Blunt chose to enter into."
The St. Louis Tea Party also complained in its statement that calls to his office weren't being returned, and that Blunt wasn't commenting on Twitter either. Asserted the group angrily: "Despite the hundreds of queries and comments of outrage directed at @RoyBlunt, the message this blatant silence speaks to the constituents: 'I lied. I got your vote. I will do what I want. Burn on you.' "
A Blunt spokeswoman said he will issue a statement later today and emphasized that he will abide by the caucus' decision.
Missouri's biggest defender of earmarks, U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., won't participate in the caucus vote since he is retiring (and being replaced by Blunt).
The state's biggest opponent of earmarks -- U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. -- obviously won't be in the caucus session either. But the Democrat did issue a statement in which she praised the GOP's effort. A McCaskill spokeswoman reported that McCaskill and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, plan "to offer a moratorium on earmarking in the full Senate. The proposal would ban earmarks through 2013. They plan to introduce it as an amendment and try to get a vote at the earliest opportunity."
Such a vote could come later this week, the spokeswoman added.
McCaskill's proposal would strip all existing earmarks from the pending FY 2011 spending bills. That would include all of Bond's earmarks, several of which would have an impact on the St. Louis area.
During the Senate campaign, Blunt had defended the practice of earmarks although he also had voiced support for a one-year moratorium. His Democratic rival, Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, came out strongly against earmarks -- but she got crushed by Blunt in the Nov. 2 election, a sign that voters may not have been as interested in the issue as some politicians.
