[UPDATED with White House reaction.]

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan is one of Democrats' top recruits for U.S. Senate in 2010. So her reaction to the Obama administration's budget proposal announced today is striking in its criticism:

"From where I stand here in Missouri, I'm disappointed in the President's budget recommendation. Budgets are about setting priorities and it's time Washington started making fiscal discipline and tackling the long-term budget deficit higher priorities.

"For too long, officials in Washington, including Congressman Blunt, have contributed to our country's growing deficit with their wasteful government spending, earmarks and favors for corporate special interests. In fact, as part of the Republican Congressional leadership, Congressman Blunt helped turn a $128 million surplus in 2001 into a $1.2 trillion deficit by 2009.

"Missouri families have to balance their checkbooks and our government should be no different, so I urge our elected officials in Washington on both sides of the aisle to work together to get our country's long term deficit under control."

Running against Rep. Roy Blunt (R), a former member of the GOP House leadership, Carnahan's statement is an interesting threading of the needle to lump all of Washington together, even a Democratic White House.

UPDATE: Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton says the White House "look[s] forward to having Robin Carnahan in the Senate to work with in putting our nation on a fiscally sustainable path."