Schweich hits back at Blunt criticism: “I am flattered”
Schweich
ST. LOUIS — Thomas Schweich, the former State Department official and visiting professor at Washington University who is mulling a bid for Senate, has shot back at Roy Blunt, his could-be rival in a GOP 2010 primary.
Late last week, the Blunt campaign criticized Schweich for his 2001 donation to Democrat Claire McCaskill, who at the time was running for state auditor.
Schweich’s response? Makes him want to run even more.
“”I am flattered that Roy Blunt is so concerned about me that he has launched a vintage Washington-style smear campaign against me before I have even decided whether to run,” Schweich said in a statement. “It underscores the need for our party to go in a new direction in this Senate race, demonstrates how vulnerable Blunt is feeling in light of the recent polls showing him being handily defeated by Robin Carnahan, and makes me more likely to run.”
Though Blunt has, of course, far more name recognition, Schweich’s candidacy has picked up creditability as his mentor, former U.S. Sen. John Danforth, presents him around the state as a fresh alternative.
Read more about Schweich’s candidacy in Tony Messenger’s column today from Jefferson City.
So, we’re going to run a guy from the liberal State Dept., who is a professor at a liberal university, who donated to an uber-liberal Dem Senator and is endorsed by another liberal former Senator. I know I’m missing something here, but then I really want to keep the seat. I am on the record as being against political royalty, so Roy doesn’t thrill me either. I am sick and tired of the political royal class thinking they can simply “knight” our next leaders. I’d rather see a leader emerge from the real people.
If Blunt wants to criticize Shwiech, go after him for being part of the Bushies’ Afghanistan debacles in allowing a resurgent Taliban and drug sales by Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists (who Bush left alone to regroup after he sent us off on a wild goose chase in Iraq) which drugs fund worldwide terror and have now wound up killing Missourians, one as young as 9.
http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/08/13/afghanistan-democracy-is-drowning-in-illegal-drugs/
Danforth-Schweich has done something that they probably NEVER anticapated, and that is make Roy Blunt look like a good alternative. I would suspect that a Danforth-Schweich run, barring a large cross over vote would guarantee a Blunt win. In the general Blunt can’t beat Young Lady Carnahan and should Danforth-Schweich be the candidate, it will still be Carnahan, The REAL Democrat will trump the stealth Democrat.
Comment from Tom Schweich:
Good morning:
This may be new for a potential politician, but I enjoy visiting websites and blogs and commenting like all of you do. I saw the comment about the “liberal state department” and the “liberal university,” and thought I might inject some accuracy into the discussion. Yes, you are right on the money when you say that the State Department is, for the most part, a liberal organization, but keep in mind that I was a three-time political appointee of a Republican President. Under Schedule C of the civil service code, Presidents are entitled to put political appointees at the Department to ensure that their policies are effectuated (Obama is doing that right now for his liberal friends). I am not a career diplomat; I was a Republican appointee of a Republican adminstration– just like Amb. John Bolton or Amb. Sam Fox– who were hardly part of the liberal State Department bureaucracy. I actually worked for John Bolton for a while. And, yes, you are right that Washington Unversity School of Law is, for the most part, quite liberal, but I was hired for the express purpose of providing a conservative perspective, as my students will tell you. As for the “political royal class”, I am from a middle class background, went to public schools, and my kids go to public schools in Missouri, and also went to public schools (the famous Marshall High) when I lived in DC. So before you go hostile on me, take some time actually to learn about my views and what I could bring to the Senate should I decide to run. I think you will like what you see. Look forward to continuing the dialog. Regards,
Tom Schweich
I’m loving every second of this. Republicans attacking republicans, moving the party farther out of the mainstream and into the extreme right. Potential candidates responding to bloggers. This is like amatuer hour at it’s best.
The GOP in rare form!
As a liberal Democrat, and a Robin Carnahan supporter I just want to say:
Thank you, Tom Schweich. Thank you, Sarah Steelman.
Thank you for helping to make sure that the Democrats score another senate seat in 2010.
We do love sitting back and watching the sniping and in-fighting going on at the MO GOP right now. Now I know how you guys felt during the Governor’s race in 2004. This is fun!
sounds like blunt’s worried…
he ought to be.
i just hope sarah steelman doesn’t run…
So, what about the liberal Danforth part? Also, what is your position on abortion?
Hey beaner, it looks like you and Garrison aren’t the only ones good at lifting the work of others….
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,520467,00.html
No Blunts and No Carnahans.
If they are both to run for Senate, I call upon both to resign their elected posts immediately. No freaking way that the citizens should be paying them a salary and benes while they glad hand and butt kiss all across this state seeking to further stroke their egos.
as usual…
the ‘lunatic’ adds nothing of any consequence…
to the conversation…
hey ‘looney’…
still enjoying those ‘union negotiated’ benefits?