Congressman Roy Blunt and Kenny Hulshof joined forces on the campaign trail for the second day in a row - today the target was Branson.
Congressman Hulshof clearly has the Republican machine behind him as he battles Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman in Missouri's Republican Gubernatorial primary. Steelman infused $1.5 million into her own campaign to combat the machine failing to yield to pressure from what promises to be a tight race in the general election.
In Branson last month, Steelman stole the "mantle of Reagan" reminded press in attendance that Senator Kit Bond campaigned against the former president during the Repubican presidential primaries. (She made the statement after swallowing two handfulls of Jelly Bellies)
Hulshof's spoke to integrity and the importance of trust in politics in response to a question about "Wholesale Politicking", a dangerous practice once common place in America where politicians take cash in exchange for endorsements and even votes. In addition, Hulshof condemned the Supreme Court decision last week shooting down the death penalty for child molesters. Governor Matt Blunt has been verbal endorsing the death penalty for sex crimes against minors under the age of 12.
Congressman Roy Blunt lauded Hulshof's success being elected to represent Missouri's 9th Congressional District which is better known for their sympathy for "marijuana reform" than conservative politics.
Blunt noted Hulshof isn't the first Republican to be elected from the district, but is the first to be re-elected to serve the district. The statement reflects and promotes the idea that Hulshof can gain bi-partisan support during an election cycle that promises record Democratic turnout.
In a speech to the Heritage Foundation after the 2006 elections, Blunt said, "The Democrats didn't win this election, the Republican's lost". In 2006 Senator Claire McCaskill beat Jim Talent pulling Southwestern Missouri voters with a well orchestrated campaign. While Talent focused on votes in Missouri's urban centers, McCaskill campaigned heavy in rural districts - a strategy that paid off.
While Hulshof and Steelman exchange blows, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon has continued to gain headway polling high among Missouri voters. Five weeks from the primary neither Hulshof nor Steelman are relenting promising only a little more than a month to rally support for a Republican Gubernatorial victory after the primary.
