Gov. Matt Blunt today issued a fiery statement responding to remarks by a St. Louis University political scientist in a St. Louis Beacon article.

Professor Ken Warren told the Beacon that “unequivocally that the racist vote in rural Missouri cost [Obama] the state.” Continue Reading

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt today issued a statement saying he is “concerned” about the integrity of the upcoming election: Continue Reading

Gov. Matt Blunt will appear on “Face the Nation” with Bob Schieffer on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Gov. Blunt will discuss why he is supporting Senator John McCain for President Continue Reading

Political reporter Tony Messenger is slated to be a guest on the new show hosted by former Matt Blunt chief of staff, Ed Martin. Messenger was one of Martin’s biggest critics when he was in the governor’s office. He was also one of the reporters who brought to light Blunt’s email-shredding scandal, which Martin was at the center of.

Corruption and mismanagement in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has finally made it to the front page and, apparently, the front burner. The governor, who under an archaic remnant from the Civil War is responsible for city’s police department and appoints the commissioners who are supposed to provide oversight, has suddenly noticed things aren’t exactly going OK.

His response? Demand the Democratic State Auditor look into it.

The press release:

JEFFERSON CITY— Gov. Matt Blunt is requesting that State Auditor Susan Montee conduct a full and comprehensive audit of the St. Louis Police Department amidst disturbing reports that hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars are missing due to what appears to be an inappropriate relationship between the department and Metropolitan Towing. State Auditor Montee said she would look at the towing issue but Gov. Blunt said today the Auditor should go much further.

“I commend State Auditor Montee for quickly agreeing to examine the accounts related to this most recent discovery,” Gov. Blunt said. “Today, I am asking her to perform a full and comprehensive audit of every account of the St. Louis Police Department. At this point we have no confidence that the accounting problems at the St. Louis Police Department do not go beyond hundreds of thousands of missing taxpayer dollars so a full and comprehensive audit is in the best interest of taxpayers.”

Gov. Blunt is also asking the St. Louis Police Board to continue investigating the matter.

“I expect the St. Louis Police Board to continue to investigate all misdeeds, take steps to ensure this never happens again and do whatever is necessary to recover the missing money for taxpayers,” Gov. Blunt said. “Police business should be conducted appropriately, ethically and legally.”

Gov. Blunt has authority under Section 26.060 RSMo to request an audit at any time of any department, office, commission, board, bureau, institution, any subdivision of the state, road districts, school districts, townships, municipalities or counties.

While the St. Louis Police Department is basically controlled by the state government, the tab to operate the largest police force in the state is paid by the taxpayers of the City of St. Louis alone.

In fact, almost 50 cent of every dollar city residents pay in taxes goes to the police department. Yet they have almost no say at all in how it operates.