Sen. Chuck Purgason was missing from the recent Republican Senate Caucus.  The theories from participants were varied.  One suggested that Purgason felt slighted that nearly the entire caucus has rallied around Roy Blunt instead of Purgason in his senate bid.   (Sens. Matt Bartle and Scott Rupp are the only two caucus members who haven’t endorsed Blunt).

Does it signal a decision on Purgason’s part to “go it alone” during the upcoming session?  Will his power diminish without joining a coalition of hard-nosed fiscal hawks?  Will it free him to make more solitary stands against the intrusion of Big Government?