But there is another inside story, that of Blunt’s ability to grind away at legislation in behind-the-scenes dealings with Democrats. One of his best friends in Congress is House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who often worked with Blunt in the House.

Clerking beginnings

Blunt’s first elective office was clerk of Greene County, a post he filled for 12 years in the 1970s and 1980s.

Richard Struckoff was a radio reporter there when he first met the county clerk in 1978. The pair quickly hit it off.

“As a reporter, you kind of have a sense about people,” Struckoff said recently. “He was very honest, he was very willing to help the local press.”

He and Blunt became lifelong friends, and Blunt turned the apolitical Struckoff into a conservative. Struckoff eventually followed Blunt as Greene County clerk and held the job for 27 years.

Blunt moved on. He was Missouri’s secretary of state from 1985-1993 and served in the U.S. House from 1995-2011, ending up in the House leadership. Blunt easily won the Senate seat over Democrat Robin Carnahan in 2010 and quickly became part of leadership there, too.