NRSC

Robin Carnahan Finally Shows Her True Liberal Colors In Seattle

As she continues to avoid campaign stops and dodge difficult questions in Missouri, Democrat Senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D-MO) finally exposed her true colors yesterday when she embraced the liberal fringe group, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), during a fundraiser in Seattle, Washington.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

"A political battle of Missouri family dynasties featured a Seattle stopover Thursday night as Democratic Senate candidate, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, stopped in Seattle to raise campaign cash...

"The Carnahan appearance here, which drew about 50 donors, was sponsored by the League of Conservation Voters."

Notably, LCV has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Carnahan’s Republican opponent in Missouri, U.S. Representative Roy Blunt (R-MO). LCV also has a long record of supporting liberal Democrat candidates, and the credibility of this extremist group’s advertisements has been questioned in the past.

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Press Secretary Amber Wilkerson Marchand issued the following statement in response to Carnahan’s Seattle fundraiser:

"It’s not surprising that Robin Carnahan traveled all the way across the country to embrace her true colors as a liberal extremist with her friends from the League of Conservation Voters. Carnahan may pretend that she’s a moderate in Missouri, but she clearly feels more at home hobnobbing with liberal fringe groups in Seattle.

"Notably, while Carnahan was lining her campaign coffers on the other side of the country, Roy Blunt was preparing to launch his bus tour across the state of Missouri and meeting with publishers, editors, and reporters at the Missouri Press Association's Day at the Capitol in Jefferson City.

"The contrast for voters this November could not be clearer: Robin Carnahan has promised to serve as another rubberstamp for President Obama and the liberal elite in Washington, while Roy Blunt has promised that he will fight to rein in government spending and restore the checks-and-balances that Missourians deserve."

Background Information:

Roy Blunt (R-MO) Is In Missouri While Robin Carnahan (D-MO) Is In Seattle:

On February 19th, Blunt Started His First Bus Tour Across Missouri. "Roy is getting ready to launch his ‘Jobs for Missouri’s Future’ bus tour this morning. . . . Roy’s campaign bus tour will travel to Cabool, Carrollton, Dexter, Fredericktown, Jefferson City, Lee’s Summit, Liberty, Mansfield, Marshall, Nixa, Popular Bluff, Potosi, Richmond, St. Louis, Sedalia, Van Buren, Warrensburg, Willow Springs and Winona." (Roy Blunt For Senate Email, 2/19/10)

"Blunt’s Campaign Bus Is Coming To Town As Part Of His Four-Day, 19-City ‘Jobs For Missouri’s Future’ Tour." (Roy Blunt For U.S. Senate Website, www.royblunt.com/bustour, Accessed 2/19/10)

On February 18th, Carnahan Visited Seattle, Washington To Raise Campaign Funds With The League Of Conservation Voters (LCV). "A political battle of Missouri family dynasties featured a Seattle stopover Thursday night as Democratic Senate candidate, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, stopped in Seattle to raise campaign cash. . . . The Carnahan appearance here, which drew about 50 donors, was sponsored by the League of Conservation Voters." (Joel Connelly, "Missouri Senate Candidate In Seattle Stop," Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Strange Bedfellows Blog, www.blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics, Posted 2/19/10)

LCV Is Attacking Roy Blunt In Missouri:

"The League Of Conservation Voters Spent Approximately $750,000 Running Television Ads Across Missouri Attacking Blunt For Voting Against The Cap And Trade Legislation Last Summer." (Chad Livengood, "Blunt Tops Carnahan In Donations To U.S. Senate Campaigns For Fourth Quarter Of ’09," Springfield News-Leader, 2/2/10)

In April 2009, LCV Launched An Ad Saying Blunt Has Not Been Helpful In Creating New Clean Energy Jobs. "As the House Energy & Commerce Committee prepares to vote on a comprehensive clean energy plan, the League of Conservation Voters launched a pre-emptive campaign against Rep. Roy Blunt for his stated opposition to the bill, which would build an American clean energy economy. The nonpartisan campaign is built around a hard-hitting TV ad, ‘Believe,’ which urges people to call on Rep. Blunt to believe in America and our history as a ‘can-do,’ nation again." (League Of Conservation Voters, "LCV Launches Missouri Ad Campaign To Hold Rep. Blunt Accountable For Opposition To Clean Energy Jobs," Press Release, 4/20/09)

The April Ad Buy Was Close To $100,000. "The national League of Conservation voters launched Monday in Missouri the first attack ad of the 2010 U.S. Senate contest, by taking on the announced Republican candidate, U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Strafford. But a League spokesman said the ad buy -- which so far is close to $100,000 (hefty for Missouri) -- is aimed at Blunt’s current job, not his hoped-for-future one." (Jo Mannies, "Blunt Environmental Group Tangle Over TV Ad," St. Louis Beacon, 4/21/09)

View Ad Here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI9WbUlBYk4&feature=player_embedded

In May 2009, LCV Teamed Up With Other Liberal Special Interest Groups Attacking Blunt For Voting Against Cap-And-Trade. "On the heels of their votes against a comprehensive clean energy bill, VoteVets.org, the League of Conservation Voters and America’s Building Trades Unions launched a joint television ad campaign to hold Reps. John Barrow (D-Ga.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Mike Ross (D-Ark.) accountable for opposing legislation that would create millions of new clean energy jobs and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil." (League Of Conservation Voters, "Votevets.Org, League Of Conservation Voters & America’s Building Trades Unions Launch Ad Campaign To Hold Reps. Barrow, Blunt & Ross Accountable For Opposition To Clean Energy Bill," Press Release, 5/26/09)

View Ad Here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHXAOMPw1EY

In August 2009, LCV Launched An Ad Saying Blunt Voted Against Jobs In Missouri By Voting Against Cap-And-Trade. "With the U.S. Senate poised to take up historic clean energy legislation next month, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) today launched a multi-state paid media campaign to hold House members accountable for voting against a comprehensive clean energy bill that will jump-start American’s economy and help create 1.7 million clean energy jobs.* The American Clean Energy & Security Act, which passed the U.S. House in June with bi-partisan support by a margin of 219-212, will help build a clean energy economy, cut our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and reduce harmful global warming pollution. The ad campaign, which includes both television ads and newspaper ads, targets Reps. Jason Altmire (D-PA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) and Denny Rehberg (R-MT)." (League Of Conservation Voters, "LCV Launches Media Campaign To Hold Members Of Congress Accountable For Opposing Clean Energy Jobs," Press Release, 8/25/09)

"Four Independent Groups Are Launching More Than $1 Million In Attack Ads Tuesday Targeting Five House Republicans Who Voted Against Energy Legislation In June, Spokespeople For The Groups Said." (Ben Smith, "Group Targets GOP On Cap-And-Trade," Politico, 8/25/09)

View Ad Here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yitrs6vhAJQ

LCV Has History Of Liberal Leadership:

Current LCV President Gene Karpinski Has Contributed To The Liberal Huffington Post Blog. (League Of Conservation Voters Website, www.lcv.org, Accessed 2/19/10; The Huffington Post Website, www.huffingtonpost.com/contributors, Accessed 2/19/10)

In 1991, Former LCV President (And Former Clinton Interior Secretary) Bruce Babbitt Summed Up The LCV’s Hit Squad Mission While Introducing Its Environmental Scorecards: Bruce Babbitt: "We Must Identify Our Enemies And Drive Them Into Oblivion." (The National Center For Public Policy Research Website, www.nationalcenter.org, Accessed 6/19/03)

LCV President Gene Karpinski: "Clearly, we can’t win on the environment unless we have champions on both sides of the aisle. The environment is a bipartisan issue." (Paul Singer, "‘Change Is in the Air’," National Journal, 4/15/06)

National Journal: "How do you separate yourselves from the Democratic Party? You have a Kerry-Edwards poster in your office reception area." (Paul Singer, "‘Change Is in the Air’," National Journal, 4/15/06)

The Credibility Of LCV Ads Has Been Questioned In The Past:

Former LCV President Deb Callahan Had Difficulty Defending An Ad When Confronted About Its Claims. Fox News’ Sean Hannity: "Two points here." Deb Callahan: "[Thune] voted for arsenic in water." Hannity: "Your ad is deceptive in two ... areas here. Number one, there were two specific votes, not buried in a 50-page $84 billion bill, which is what your ad is referring to, two occasions ... Two occasions where he voted the opposite way. You did not include that in your ad. Isn’t that unfair that you didn’t tell the whole story? Shouldn’t you have put that in the ad? You’re purposefully trying to hurt this guy because you don’t like his politics." Callahan: "I’ll tell you, we are purposefully trying to raise this ..." Hannity: "Because you don’t like his politics ..." Callahan: "... issue because we have certainly stimulated an important debate." (Fox News’ "Hannity & Colmes," 6/10/02)