News-Leader editorial board endorses Blunt, but tells him to straighten up

The Springfield News-Leader endorsed incumbent Seventh District Congressman Roy Blunt's re-election bid today, but did it with some qualifiers. The News-Leader dismissed the challenge by Jack Truman of Lamar on the Democratic ticket saying:

"He faces no legitimate opposition, which in today's environment in which Democrats are enjoying a bit of a revival says something about Blunt's staying power in southwest Missouri."

Then the editorial board spanked Blunt for his role, or lack thereof, in some of the shenanigans that have been going on in Washington:

"Blunt is part of a leadership team in the Republican Party that has consistently put partisanship over good public policy, and we don't believe that sits well with independent-minded Ozarkers. Whether it's the stain of the Mark Foley embarrassment, or the unethical power grabs by Tom DeLay, or the stench of too much money from lobbyists that has emanated from the Beltway during the Jack Abramoff investigation, Blunt's party simply can't crawl out from under the clear feeling that power has gone to its head. That Blunt has yet to be pulled down by any of those incidents speaks well for his character, frankly. But make no mistake, the congressman didn't rise to power in the D.C. culture without knowing how to play the game."