MoveOn.org Reports Satisfying Meeting With Blunt Staff

BLUNT AGREED TO MEET WITH THE GROUP HIMSELF

You can't always hug it out, but sometimes actually sitting down and talking with your political adversary can help turn down the partisan temperature.

Case in point: Springfield's representative for the liberal MoveOn.org political group said he's satisfied after a meeting with Congressman Roy Blunt's office on the issue of energy. (Go ahead, read it again.)

Jonathan Conrad of Springfield's MoveOn.org chapter told The Notebook that his group met with two Blunt staffers last week, and called it "a well-rounded meeting."

Blunt even agreed to meet with the MoveOn members himself on May 1st, but his campaign spokesperson said (and MoveOn confirms) that it was MoveOn that declined the meeting. (Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer said Blunt rearranged his schedule to fit the meeting in.)

"It was too soon." said Conrad. "They were offering us a meeting the next day and we just didn't have all our people ready," he added.

Still, Conrad said the rescheduled meeting with staffers was productive, if not always agreeable. It centered on the cap and trade energy bill, and why they are advocating for its passage. "They agreed with us on many parts of the bill, but were clearly concerned about costs. But it was a well-rounded meeting and we're satisfied," Conrad said.

Chrismer makes the case that this shows Blunt "is an open book," -- a clear contrast with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Robin Carnahan.

"First this shows that Roy is an open book, accessible and willing to discuss his positions on issues, even with liberal Democrats who clearly have a partisan agenda," Chrismer said.

"Second, this shows a real difference between Roy Blunt and Robin Carnahan. Roy is willing to discuss his positions and record on the issues and Robin Carnahan is attempting to conceal her positions and record on the issues by dodging questions from the media and refusing to meet Roy for a series of candidate forums this year," Chrismer added.