Middle Man

***NEW BELOW: OBAMA CAMP DISTORTS BLUNT REMARK

Southwest Missouri's Roy Blunt is central to the debate over whether Congress will pass a bailout for Wall Street.
CQ Politics: Blunt enjoys "considerable esteem from both sides of the aisle."
Article Hints Blunt's relationship with Republicans may be more strained than with Democrats
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"Blunt has a close relationship with” House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer , D-Md., said a senior GOP aide. “Hoyer will get out the word that Blunt can be trusted."
Rep. Jim McCrery of Louisiana, top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, said, "It’s in good hands. Roy Blunt is a very good negotiator."

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****UPDATED @ 6:15 PM . . . MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS CALLS OUT OBAMA CAMP FOR DISTORTING A BLUNT REMARK . . .

An Obama statement sent out this quote from Blunt, trying to imply that he blamed McCain for blowing a bipartisan deal . . . "Clearly, yesterday, his position on that discussion yesterday was one that stopped a deal from finalizing," Blunt was quoted.

THE PROBLEM: Blunt's words were taken out of context and the video was edited to make his remarks appear more critical of McCain than they actually were. Blunt's full quote was this: "I do think that John McCain was very helpful in what he did," Blunt said. "Clearly, yesterday, his position on that discussion yesterday was one that stopped a deal from finalizing that no House Republican, in my view, would have been for, which means it wouldn't have probably passed the House."
BUT . . . BELOW, WATCH A CLIP OF BLUNT'S DARE TO THE DEMS

"I WANT A DEAL BY MONDAY"

ALSO NEW . . .BLUNT APPEARS ON CNN:

On House Republicans' demands: "We want a bipartisan solution that has better protection for the taxpayers and more free enterprise principles and better protection for homeowners..."
On John McCain's role in the negotiations: "Everyone else is rushing for a deal and frankly John McCain came back and said, 'the House Republicans have the taxpayers in mind and I am with them.'"
On The Details: "I want a good deal by Monday. Well, we are in for a real negotiation. If there is no real negotiation, there won't be a deal and virtually all of my colleagues can go home to explain what was wrong in their mind with the deal that was being offered and how just a few additions here and there could have really made a big difference for the taxpayers and that is what we are going to try to achieve."