Photo: John Shinkle

By: Jim VandeHei and John F. Harris

The House Republican minority started 2007 in a deep funk — depressed about losing power in the recent elections, angry at President Bush, worried about Iraq, panicked about the future.

The House GOP is ending the year in a medium funk. Members are far from ebullient about the year ahead — if so, they are delusional — but they can at least feel that they are back in the fight.

That’s progress, albeit modest, and Minority Whip Roy Blunt can rightly claim a lot of the credit. He has been effective in using the procedural rules of the House to rally the GOP’s depleted troops and score several tactical, if largely symbolic, victories over Democrats.

In short, the Missouri Republican has played a weak hand pretty well. Along the way, he has exceeded expectations for a politician regarded by colleagues as ambitious but conventional. Read more…

Comments

comments