We are happy to see U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., stay on as House minority whip. He has been an able and effective advocate for Southwest Missouri and is an important voice for common-sense solutions in the bizarre world of Washington, D.C.
From this position, he will be intimately informed of the agenda set by the new Democratic House majority leadership, and will be able to offer insight and guidance to both the opposition party and his own colleagues.
Blunt has successfully navigated through the torrent of corruption and mishandling of crises that plagued many of his colleagues, ranging from House Speaker Dennis Hastert's strange inattention to reports of sexual harassment committed by former Rep. Mark Foley to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's alleged money laundering to lobbyist Jack Abramoff's blatant purchase of congressional influence.
We must, however, point out that Blunt's statement after his leadership election was disappointing in its partisanship:
"For 12 years, the Democrats have gotten away without leading, without offering an agenda and without saying what they're actually for. Now they will be forced to govern.
"Under this Republican leadership, the job of the minority whip will no longer be to go to the House floor every day and lose. Instead, each time we hold our team together and force the Democrats to vote like Democrats, we'll be taking one more step toward recapturing our majority in 2008.
"One hundred forty-nine Democrats demonstrated yesterday (Thursday) that they are willing to buck Nancy Pelosi. We'll work each day to give those Democrats a viable alternative to her liberal, San Francisco agenda."
We understand he has to address his base among House members who elected him, but the remarks seem out of step with his well-thought-out articulation before an audience of the Heritage Foundation of how the GOP lost its majority because it strayed from its conservative principles and focused more on winning than on doing what's right.
Still, we know Blunt to be an effective legislator who will work to craft good legislation that will serve Missourians and the American people well.
Opinion
In our view: Congrats to Roy
- Opinion
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Our View: Shining light on the Guard
When a few members of local fire and law enforcement agencies got caught looting or doing things that clearly broke department policy following the May 22, 2011, tornado, the public knew about it and knew who they were.
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Other Views: Internet control
Here’s a bad idea that keeps recurring: Turn control of the Internet over to the United Nations.
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Your View: ‘Crying shame’
What irony! Joplinites are involved in a massive effort to plant hundreds of tiny trees to re-leaf Joplin, . . .
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Your view: Words matter
Geoff Caldwell made a good point in a Globe column (May 27) about pack mentality by pointing out how people on the extreme ends of the political spectrum only hear what they want to hear and cannot get beyond their ideological biases.
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Your View: Irresponsible
The irresponsible side of the Missouri Legislature has showed itself again.
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Your View: Journalists and their jobs
I was glad to see the tears and quavering voices during the public showing of “Deadline in Disaster” on Thursday.
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Other Views: We need to learn from floods
Why do tornadoes teach us lessons, but not floods?
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Our View: Taxpayers deserve better
Legislators who fail to work together to fix problems in their state may not reach a compromise, but they do compromise their state and the taxpayers.
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
Editor’s note: In addition to speeches by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon, Joplin High School’s top students addressed graduates, faculty, parents and other guests packed into the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Following are the text of those speeches.
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
I would like to take a moment to reply to guest columnist Anson Burlingame’s, “The Marriage Debate” (Globe, May 13).
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