Robin Carnahan appeared with Teamsters president Jim Hoffa in KC this afternoon after picking up the union's endorsement for the Senate seat being vacated by Kit Bond.

     Roughly 200 Teamsters and others were there for the announcement.

   But she wouldn't answer directly when asked if she supports the Employee Free Choice Act, otherwise known as card-check.

  (UPDATE, 3:50 P.M.:  The Missouri Republican party issues a statement on Carnahan, below.)

   The union-backed proposal would allow workers to unionize a business by submitting a signed card without having to cast a separate secret ballot.

    "I don't know what the current form of that is," Carnahan said.  "I will tell you the middle class has taken a lot of hits."

  Okay...but generally... is it a good idea to allow unionization without a secret ballot?

  "What I'm in favor of is what I just said, and that is there's no intimidation on any side."

    So you really don't have a position on it?

   "I'm going to see what comes out of this compromise, and then I'll talk to you about what it looks like...You want to see what comes out of the conversation."

   Hoffa seemed to give Carnahan some wiggle room on card check.

   "That's going to be up to her to decide (on card check)," he told reporters.  "We haven't talked about that."

  Hoffa said the issue might be decided before Carnahan -- if elected -- would reach the Senate in 2011.

   The Missouri GOP:

     “It is sad day when our state’s highest-ranking election official cannot bring herself to admit that she opposes the secret ballot. An endorsement from the Teamsters this early in the election cycle can only mean that Carnahan has assured the union that she would vote to eliminate the secret ballot for workers, yet when asked, Carnahan refused to give a direct and honest answer.  By unabashedly dodging questions, Robin Carnahan called into question both her straightforwardness and readiness for the job.”

 Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party