NRSC Backs Blunt

ENDORSEMENT TRAIN KEEPS ROLLING

The U.S. Senate Minority Leader and the Senate GOP campaign arm has thrown their support behind Roy Blunt's 2010 campaign.

The backing from Sen. Mitch McConnell and National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) chair John Cornyn follows a flurry of endorsements for Blunt during a month where he's focused on uniting the Republican establishment around his U.S. Senate campaign.

"Throughout his tenure in Congress and during the early days of this campaign, Congressman Roy Blunt has demonstrated that he understands the difficult issues facing the people of Missouri," said Cornyn in a statement. "While the likely Democrat nominee prefers to remain silent or undecided on the challenges confronting our country, Roy Blunt is - as he always has - providing critical leadership at home and in Washington."

The Blunt campaign said that this is only the 2nd open seat endorsement by the NRSC in the country.

That the Blunt campaign is even touting this endorsement is telling of the position they knew they were in just months ago when it heard dissatisfaction from conservatives and felt the pressure of numerous primary threats.

ALSO: Later Monday, the Blunt campaign announced the endorsement of Cape Girardeau State Senator Jason Crowell. "In his public service Roy has always represented Missouri's common sense, conservative values, supporting limited government and fiscal responsibility," Sen. Crowell said in a statement.

Crowell becomes the 19th of 23 Senate Republicans who have endorsed Blunt.

Asked about the timing of his endorsement Crowell told The Notebook: "I didn't want to during session and I wanted to talk to Roy Blunt first. I got to this weekend and he earned my support."

Crowell said he was not waiting for another potential candidate to enter the race: "I have had no conversations with Sarah Steelman and she did not factor in," adding jokingly,"and no i was not thinking of running."

AND: The Carnahan campaign sent out a release to donors today, attempting to capitalize on a weekend "GOP pig roast."

On Saturday, Blunt was quoted saying that a vote for Carnahan would be like a vote for "her friends that are pro-abortion, or anti-Second Amendment, or environmental extremists."

Wrote Carnahan Finance Director Emily Elbert: "In Robin's email on Friday, she talked about moving past the partisan bickering and finding real solutions for Missouri's families, not the big special interests invested in the status quo. Well, this weekend Republican insiders who also happen to be big supporters of pork-barrel spending went to a pig-roast and proved her point. Lloyd Smith, Peter Kinder and Congressman Roy Blunt attacked Robin with the same old mudslinging we're all so sick of hearing. CLICK TO HELP ROBIN FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE PARTISAN ATTACKS!"

The second quarter fundraising deadline is tomorrow.