Dave Helling: Roy Blunt tiptoes away from Trump
Sen. Roy Blunt sent a ripple across the political pond Tuesday when he said the Senate Intelligence Committee should take a close look at the relationship between Russia and President Donald Trump.
“I think we should look into it exhaustively,” Blunt said on St. Louis’ KTRS.
Some reporters interpreted the remark as Blunt calling for a deep dive into the controversy surrounding former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. A Blunt spokesman said the senator was merely repeating what he’s said before about the work of the committee.
Either way, it was good to hear the possibility of daylight between Blunt and Trump.
A few Republicans have shown independence from Trump. But members like Blunt so far have shown a reluctance to criticize the president, even when their views differ.
Some of this is politics. The president is more popular than the senator here, so consistent opposition isn’t in the cards, and shouldn’t be.
Still, senators of good faith and intelligence — including Blunt — should feel free to criticize Trump when necessary. The sound we heard Tuesday was Blunt tossing a small pebble into the water.
This story was originally published February 14, 2017 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Dave Helling: Roy Blunt tiptoes away from Trump."