Missouri's Blunt sees House post as a lock

WASHINGTON -- More than a year in advance, Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt has enough support from his colleagues to become the third-ranking Republican in the GOP-controlled U.S. House, he said Thursday.

Blunt said that more than half the 220 other House Republicans have promised their support since word broke Tuesday that the No. 2 Republican, Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, would retire when his term ends next year.

The news launched a bid for majority leader by the No. 3 Republican, Majority Whip Tom DeLay of Texas. Blunt, now DeLay's chief deputy, wants to become the whip.

It's the job description that appeals to Blunt, he said. As deputy whip, Blunt works daily to gather enough votes in the narrowly divided Congress to pass the Republicans' agenda.

"The whip's office is the place where we see all our efforts come together and find out if we succeed or if we fail," Blunt said. "Unlike other jobs in the leadership, you really do go up there and constantly show whether the whip team is able to get the job done.

"Every few days, the board lights up and you prove whether or not you can do your job," he said.

Blunt had not spoken to 71 members of his caucus by Thursday but had firm commitments from half of them.

"Those are hard yeses, not leaning yeses," he said, adding that he knows the difference because from experience.