ROY BLUNT BY THE NUMBERS

CHATTER's local congressman, the newly minted House majority leader, held a conference call with Missouri reports on Friday, and during that session Blunt feigned confusion about the maze of rules and laws governing the financing of campaigns. We've got lawyers to handle that complicated stuff, Blunt said (it's a rough but accurate paraphrase). Especially tricky, he added, were the rules about federal campaign funds going to state candidates.

And then Blunt used a personal example.

Just the other day, he said he donated money from "both" of his funds to Asa Hutchinson, the former Clinton prosecutor turned Homeland Security second banana. Hutchinson is now running for governor of Arkansas, and Blunt wants to support his Ozarks brother the best way he can -- with money.

"Both" of his funds ... but then Blunt quickly corrected himself. He had contributed to Hutchinson's campaign from his campaign warchest. But he could only recommend that his PAC -- Rely On Your Beliefs (ROYB) -- also contribute to Hutchinson. 'Cause of course Roy Dean Blunt doesn't have any control over his political action committee, especially one that's supposed to support federal candidates, not people running for state office in Arkansas. That would be against the rules. This explains his confusion.

Because Blunt is confused, we're here to help. Here's some Roy by the numbers:

•Roy Blunt -- the man, the congressman, the Leader, the perennial candidate -- has taken $764,693 in contributions for the 2005-06 cycle. So far. The season is young, and we know he's good for more, because he spent more than $3.5 million in the last cycle.

•But that's the man, not the PAC. ROYB has taken in $685,743 in the 2005-06 season. Sure, the PAC has already spent more than a half-mil, but it had a pad of $327k in the pre-season. It's still all good: $461,540 in the bank. Ka-CHING!

•A lot of corporations love ROYB. Some may also love RoyB, the man, but we're only certain that this is the case when it comes to Abby Perlman Blunt, the lobbyist/lover (much like a model/actress, but with much more juice).

•Roy Blunt is a dancing machine.