America's heartland sees little need for a political insurrection

By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 4, 2010

QUEEN CITY, MO. -- It would seem like the wrong kind of year for Roy Blunt to go looking for a promotion.

The conservative Republican congressman is the picture of the Washington insider. Blunt rose through the House GOP ranks as the party's emissary to K Street lobbyists. His wife is a prominent lobbyist. He raises more money from lobbyists than just about any of his House colleagues and is unapologetic about wringing money from the federal budget to benefit his home state.

In other words, he is just the type of candidate voters are supposed to be shunning this year in favor of angry outsiders who say they will overturn the Blunt way of doing things.

Yet so far, this baggage doesn't appear to be hurting him. Blunt is running far ahead of his Republican primary challengers in the race to replace retiring Sen. Christopher S. "Kit" Bond (R). And polls show he is even with or slightly ahead of the Democratic candidate, Robin Carnahan. A seat that a year ago seemed to be one of the Democrats' best pickup chances is now viewed by both parties as up for grabs.

(More here.)