http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/carnahanca_6633.mp3
Democratic candidate for US Senator Robin Carnahan Kicked off her “Stop the Bull” tour today on a farm in Willard, Missouri, but it wasn’t agriculture that had the self-proclaimed Midwestern farm girl calling “bull.” KSMU’s Chasity Mayes reports on Carnahan’s plan to take out the competition.
Sound: "Clapping"
Clapping interrupted Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s speech many times during the kickoff of her “Stop the Bull” tour. Around 30 people gathered on a farm in Willard to support Carnahan as she fights for a seat in the Senate. Warm temperatures, the distinct scent of manure, and a podium made of hay bales acted as a back drop for her three point plan to crack down on wasteful spending in Washington.
“I call that bull.”
That’s what Carnahan said about her leading opponent, Congressman Roy Blunt, referring to what she says is a 14 year record of reckless spending. The catchy saying was a hit with the crowd made up of primarily senior citizens, who quickly began taking her lead with the phrase.
“And I know it might come as a surprise to some of you all because Congressman Blunt can look pretty good and sound pretty good when he puts on his plaid shirt and comes back home. [He] drives around in that rented pick-up truck and tells us he’s a fiscal conservative who wants to reign in spending. The problem is, of course, his 14 year record in congress tells a very different story,” says Carnahan.
Carnahan recently challenged Blunt to stop going “hog wild” and to release what earmarks he has requested during his 14 years in Washington. She says her plan to eliminate earmarks will force politicians to find a new way of bringing home the bacon.
Her three-point-plan includes a ban on earmarked spending, an end to corporate bailouts and new spending caps for the federal budget.
Carnahan also accused Blunt of turning a 128 billion dollar surplus into a 1.2 trillion dollar deficit. She says Blunt pushed through the 700 billion dollar Wall Street Bailout, and increased earmarks by seven-fold, which she says cost taxpayers a cool 225 billion dollars.
Willard was the first of three stops for Carnahan. Independence and Columbia, Missouri were also on her tour schedule.
For KSMU News, I’m Chasity Mayes .