Roy Blunt - Out of Step With Missouri

For years, Roy Blunt has been a Congressman from a different part of Missouri and I could pretty much ignore his philandering and prize-winning corruption. But now he's trying to become my embarrassment, too, as a candidate for Senate, so I'm starting to pay attention to whether he can fill the shoes of Senator Kit "Earmark" Bond.

Yesterday, Roy Blunt announced that he is opposing "pre-existing condition" coverage in Health Care Reform. He wants insurance companies to be able to deny coverage for those with high blood pressure, minor skin cancer, diabetes, even genetic conditions. It really is a shocking position to take - 89% of Americans support the provisions requiring coverage of pre-existing conditions.

Roy Blunt a Tax Cheat? Give Me a Break . . .

It turns out that Roy Blunt, one of my least favorite Missouri politicians, owes $6,820 in taxes on the house he owns in DC with his second wife, as a result of a mistake by the DC tax assessors.

Making hay while the sun shines, one of the big national progressive blogs has used the confusing little snafu as an opportunity to label him as follows: "Roy Blunt (R-MO): Congressman, GOP leader, Senate Candidate and Tax Cheat". He is also described as a "typical Republican" for "trying to cheat on his taxes."

There are plenty of good, solid, legitimate reasons to oppose Blunt's candidacy for Senate, just as there are plenty of good, solid, legitimate reasons to support Robin Carnahan's. Roy Blunt being a tax cheat because of a mistake on an exemption for DC real estate is not one of those reasons.