Blunt steps aside as No. 2 House GOP leader

By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press Writer
Published: November 6, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, the No. 2 Republican in the House, announced Thursday that he is stepping aside after Democrats expanded their congressional majorities and captured the White House.

Blunt said he had long ago decided that if Republicans did not reclaim the majority in Tuesday’s elections, he would step down from the difficult job of shepherding votes.

“Ten years of asking people to do some things they don’t want to do is a long time,“ Blunt, 58, told reporters Thursday morning. “I can tell you more problems about more members of Congress than you’ll ever want to hear, I can tell you more reasons not to do something than you’ll ever want to hear.“

Blunt’s move avoids a difficult intraparty battle with protege Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican who’s already campaigning for the job of Republican whip.

Blunt says it’s time for a new generation of Republicans to assume leadership roles. Cantor is 45.

Meanwhile, conservative Indiana Rep. Mike Pence has been recruited by GOP Leader John Boehner of Ohio to serve as chairman of the Republican conference, the No. 3 leadership post vacated by Florida Rep. Adam Putnam on election night.

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Associated Press Writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.