Chrismer: Steelman An Earmark Hypocrite

ROUND 1 HAS BEGUN

"It would be nice if Sarah Steelman was truthful about her own record . . ."

TEAM BLUNT FIRES ITS FIRST REAL SHOT BACK AT THE FORMER STATE TREASURER OVER THE ISSUE OF EARMARKS

The News Has Us All A-TWITTER

Steelman: Roy and the boys are attacking! Does this mean he is for or against earmarks? LOL

John Hancock, former Hulshof campaign manager & GOP consultant: the press is chomping at the bit for a GOP Senate primary... I'm thinking they may be disappointed.

Tony Messenger: I agree, as to the possible lack of primary. At the moment, @sarah_steelman still isn't even a candidate.

FOLLOW MY TWEETS HERE

Roy Blunt's U.S. Senate campaign is calling former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman "dishonest and hypocritical" for challenging the Congressman on earmark reform.

Late Monday a spokesperson for Blunt, cited a Rolla Daily News article calling Steelman "dishonest" for attacking her opponent for not bringing enough funding back home to their State Senate district.

Steelman served as the District 16 State Senator from 1998 until 2004, when she was elected State Treasurer.

"Sarah Steelman's letter is dishonest and hypocritical," said Blunt spokesperson Rich Chrismer in a statement. "When she was in the State Senate, Sarah Steelman supported earmarks and bragged about earmarks like $200,000 for soybean research and $5.5 million for a local university construction project. She even bragged about state spending for baseball fields and sewers in her district. In October of 1999, the Rolla Daily News reported that Steelman even vowed to continue bringing state assistance to her district in order to generate economic development," Chrismer went on.

Earlier Monday, Politico reported that Steelman sent a letter to Blunt's office asking him to "never request earmarks as a U.S. Senator." "It is clear to me and many Missourians that the earmark spending habits of the past ten years have contributed significantly to our present economic difficulties," Steelman wrote, according to Politico's Ben Smith. "Will you join me in pledging that as a U.S. Senator you will never request earmarks and that you will fight politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid who insist on maintaining the corrupt earmark process?," Steelman asked.

"Roy Blunt has a totally open record of fighting for Missouri's fair share and he will continue fighting for Missouri in the United States Senate," responded Chrismer in a response sent to reporters. "It would be nice if Sarah Steelman was open and truthful about her own record before she launched political attacks against other Republicans."

In her letter to Blunt, Steelman also pointed to a letter sent to her during her primary race against Kenny Hulshof for Governor.

"During the governor’s primary you signed a letter chastising me for my stand against earmarks. I would respectfully suggest that recent economic events and the pork laden bills being passed by Congress have vindicated my position," Steelman wrote.

But Chrismer noted that Blunt's name wasn't the only signature on that letter.

"Sarah Steelman knows that Roy Blunt did not send a letter chastising her on spending. Every Republican member of Congress in Missouri sent her a letter because she was not truthful and misrepresented the facts in a campaign television ad," Chrismer responded.