From the Missourian:

Two servings of lame duck proved to be a recipe for individualism and internal dissension this year in the Missouri House.

First, Gov. Matt Blunt announced just one week after his State of State address that he would not seek re-election this year. The Republican governor’s new lame-duck status relieved the Republican-led legislature of the normal election-year pressure to enact his agenda.

Then, term-limited House Speaker Rod Jetton served up a second helping of lame-duck. He indicated early on that there were very few bills he cared about passing. By the final week of the session, just five his fellow 90 House Republicans stood by Jetton on the issue that he perhaps cared most passionately about.

As the 2008 legislative session concluded Friday, Blunt, Jetton and other Republicans declared it success — an assertion always put forth by whoever controls the Capitol. Democrats panned their accomplishments — a complaint always voiced by the minority.

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