Young Guns Invite Billy Long To The Fight

From Duane Graham, The Erstwhile Conservative:

Last night (09/08/2010) at a sparse gathering of Young Republicans at Missouri State University, Long said this:

Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor, and Kevin McCarthy have formed what they call the Young Guns and they talked to me about being part of the Young Guns and I’m 55 years old and I’m like if you want to call me young on anything that’d be great.

Ironically, the Young Guns’ book reportedly is critical of past GOP leadership, which would include our own Roy Blunt, whom Billy Long enthusiastically—and financially—supports. Here’s a sample from the book via the Washington Post:

“Under Republican leadership in the early 2000′s, spending and government got out of control,” McCarthy writes. “As government grew, there were scandals and political corruption. The focus became getting reelected rather than solving problems and addressing pressing issues.”

The “scandals” and “political corruption” referenced by the Young Guns would, of course, include the Jack Abramoff scandal, with whom Roy Blunt had, shall we say, a “relationship.” Here is the opening of a 2006 story from USAToday:

Rep. Roy Blunt and the man he wants to succeed as House majority leader, Tom DeLay, shared similar connections to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and to corporate lobbyists.

Blunt, R-Mo., wrote at least three letters helpful to Abramoff clients while collecting money from them. He swapped donations between his and DeLay’s political groups, ultimately enriching the Missouri political campaign of his son Matt.

And Blunt’s wife and another son, Andrew, lobby for many of the same companies that donate to the lawmaker’s political efforts.

Hmmm. Billy Long says on his website, “We can’t expect to change Washington DC unless we are willing to change the type of people that we send to Washington.”

Okay. But in November of last year, Long forked over $1000 to Roy Blunt—before Blunt won his primary race—and Blunt recently said of Long, “He will be a great Congressman.” At last night’s Young Republican gathering, Long encouraged the youngsters to get involved in the action:

We really, really need to turn out the vote, particularly in my race and Roy Blunt’s race.

I can understand why the potential new Young Gun would want folks to come out and support his chance to share the national stage with hot young stars in the Republican Party, but I’m at a loss to understand why a self-described fed-up citizen-legislator would want folks to come out and support a multi-term, scandal-tainted Congressman who wants to take his tired political act all the way to the U.S. Senate.

Unless the self-described fed-up citizen-legislator is hiding something under his hat.