Missouri brings playpen politics to Governor's Mansion

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- As the few men who have served as Missouri governor could tell you, the job isn't easy. As any parent will say, the task of raising an infant is even harder.

Starting next month, Gov. Matt Blunt will be pulling double duty when his wife, Melanie, gives birth to their first child.

It has been more than two decades since Missouri has been blessed with a "first baby." The last to hold that unofficial title was Sam Bond, who was born Jan. 26, 1981 -- just two weeks after father Kit Bond was inaugurated to a second term as governor following a four-year absence.

Bond, now Missouri's senior U.S. senator, has fond memories of his son's early years but said juggling the roles of Missouri chief executive and new father was at times tiring -- especially since he was 41 when his only child was born.

"When I had to do those 3 o'clock in the morning feedings and was supposed to bounce back and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I found out why a lot of people have their children younger," Bond said.

During Bond's second term, the Governor's Mansion underwent extensive renovations. Since, as Bond put it, he "lived in a work site for those four years," Sam and Bond's first wife, Carolyn, primarily resided in Kansas City.

However, Bond said Sam was a frequent presence at the mansion, and as a toddler enjoyed chasing the family dogs around the executive residence.

Balancing work and family is often a challenge for new parents, but Bond said being in the public spotlight occasionally brought unwanted attention.

One time, Bond recalled, a photo of him sitting behind his desk feeding Sam a bottle while simultaneously conducting official business over the phone hit the state's newspapers. Some criticism followed from those who thought the governor was paying insufficient attention to the child.

"I said I was capable of talking and holding a baby bottle at the same time," Bond said.

A more humorous anecdote occurred when Sam, who was by this point talking, was asked what his father does for a living.

"Sam said, 'My daddy changes my diaper, takes out the trash and goes to work in Jefferson City,'" Bond said.

Sam Bond, now 24, is an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Blunts' first child, a boy, is due March 13. He will be named William Branch after an ancestor of the governor's and will be called Branch.

Blunt said his maternal grandfather had traced that side of the family's genealogy to a 16th-century Englishman named William Branch.

From his extensive study of his political role model, president Thomas Jefferson, Blunt was aware of a William Branch Giles who was an early member of the U.S. Senate and also served a governor of Virginia. Giles was a staunch ally of Jefferson's during the president's political battles with fellow Founding Father Alexander Hamiliton. Following further genealogical research, it was determined that Giles was also a descendant of Branch.

"The more I thought about it, I decided William Branch Blunt was a good name," Blunt said.

Melanie Blunt plans to deliver the child at a hospital in Springfield near their home. Mother and son will remain in southwest Missouri for a few months before rejoining the governor in Jefferson City.

Blunt jokingly said the biggest challenge he and his wife will face raising a baby in the historic Governor's Mansion will come in a couple of years when they will have to maintain constant vigilance against the destructive force that is a toddler.

"There is lots of stuff you shouldn't break," Blunt said. "We'll be very forgiving, as I'm sure will the people of Missouri, but we'll try to safeguard the treasures of the mansion."

mpowers@semissourian.com

(573) 635-4608