It's a family affair

The Washington Post has an illuminating story about one of Missouri's own, Representative Roy Blunt. The story revolves around Rep. Blunt and his role as the Republican Whip and as the Republican point man when dealing with K Street, the home of Washington's most well-to-do an influential lobbyists.

While many Democrats in Missouri worry about the fact that Governor Matt Blunt's brother and sister are lobbyists and may exert undue influence, consider that his father is Republican Majority Leader Rep. Tom DeLay's (R-Tex) right hand man for working with lobbyists.

Here in Washington, Blunt has converted what had been an informal and ad hoc relationship between congressional leaders and the Washington corporate and trade community into a formal, institutionalized alliance. Lobbyists are now an integral part of the Republican whip operation on par with the network of lawmakers who serve as assistant whips.