Billy Long doesn't trust Roy Blunt? Coulda fooled me!

Freshman showdowns with GOP legislators, Washington Post article by Paul Kane:

Summing up the attitude of many freshmen, Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.), a former auctioneer, reportedly told lobbyists early last year that party elders such as Boehner and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a former House leader, should not be trusted. “John Boehner and Roy Blunt are what’s wrong with Washington,” he said. Bret Funk, Long’s spokesman, said Sunday: “Rep. Long denies this incident ever took place and has nothing but the utmost respect for both Speaker Boehner and Senator Blunt.”

From the bus garage, September 2010: Billy Long's Explanation On Why He Made A $1,000.00 Campaign Donation To Career Politician Roy Blunt. Could It Be He's Not That "FED UP"?
This morning, I had the opportunity to attend the inaugural stop on the Billy Long Business tour. It was at the Trailliner truck lines terminal on East Blaine here in Springfield.

According to the article that was in yesterday's paper, Long encouraged members of the community to turn out for discussion of business issues.

So, at 9:30 this morning I showed up at Trailliner. As did two other people. One was there because she was concerned about Social Security and the environment. The other guy, a known Democrat, was there because, as Myron Cohen said, "Everybody got to be someplace." It was just the six of us: The owner of Trailliner; A Long campaign aide; Long; the woman; the man; and me. No other members of the community showed up. No Republicans showed up either.

We had a very nice tour of the Trailliner facitities. The owner was very friendly as he showed us his operation, of which he was justifiably proud.

After the tour ended, the members of the community present (all three of us) had some questions for Billy Long.

I specifically wanted to ask Long about that thousand dollar donation he gave to Roy Blunt's PAC, Friends of Roy Blunt, in November of last year.

Here is an exchange I had with Long: (The donation can be followed on Opensecrets.org)

Jim Lee (JL): Billy, I wanna ask you, I do wanna ask you a serious question because you campaigned against career politicians.

Billy Long (BL): Right.

JL: And, and on November 23, you gave a thousand dollar donation to, to Roy Blunt’s Friends of Roy Blunt. And yet you campaigned against career politicians. Is that, how is that in keeping with you’re against career politicians by giving a thousand dollars to a career politician?

BL: He’s got a lot more conservative voting record than people that he’s going to be running against on the Democrat side. At that time, I mean we didn’t know who his opponent was gonna be, for sure, we figured it’d probably be and he’s got a lot more conservative voting record.

Female: I don’t think he’s conservative at all.

JL: But I, you ran against career politicians and you’re giving money to help keep a career politician in Washington.

BL: Carnahans are not career politicians?

JL: I’m not, I’m talking about your donation to Roy Blunt for a thousand dollars.

BL: Right.

JL: When you campaigned against career politicians and you gave money to help keep a career politician , specifically Roy Blunt, in Washington, which seems to be the antithesis of what you campaigned for in the primary. You were “Fed Up” with career politicians.

BL: I’m “Fed Up” with everything that’s going on in D.C.

JL: What, then why are you giving money to keep Roy Blunt up there?

BL: I think that he’s more conservative and a better choice than Robin Carnahan.

JL: So then you’re really not “Fed Up” with career politicians.

BL: You’re putting words in my mouth.

JL: No. no. I. I’m trying to, I’m trying to follow this train of thought. If, if, if, if a tea party guy in Branson, Missouri’s against career politicians and he’s got your sign in the dairy queen building down there and I know where that building is, it’s next to where O’Reilly’s used to be and he’s voting for you because he’s “Fed Up” with career politicians and then you’re giving money to career politicians. It, it, it, it doesn’t, there’s a disconnect. Why didn’t you give the money to Purgason? I mean, Purgason was a tea party guy.

BL: silence.

Male: Chuck got real, he took off his toupee.

(minor discussion about Chuck Purgason and his toupee)

JL: But those are the kind of questions I have and those are the kind of questions when I’ve got to hold your feet to the fire.

At this point the conversation drifted into other areas.