When it comes to buying political influence, the National Rifle Association stands in a league of its own. For Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the NRA money spigot spews like a fire hose, making him among Congress' top three beneficiaries. Over his 21-year Washington career, Blunt's take from NRA exceeds $4.5 million.

NRA donations should not be confused with a defense of gun owners' interests because the NRA's main concern is not gun owners. The NRA is the principal lobbying arm of major gun manufacturers. It will not allow the deaths of innocent schoolchildren, Las Vegas concertgoers or Texas church congregations, among many other victims, to deter gunmakers from their primary profit-making mission.

It's a shame that Missouri cannot count on both its U.S. senatorsto stand up to a voracious and heartless gun lobby as mass shootings increasingly terrorize the country. Two components show up consistently in these shootings: commercial assault weapons of the AR-15 design and the use of high-capacity magazines that maximize mass-killing potential.

Civilians have no need for these weapons, as lots of politicians, police officials and military leaders have stated repeatedly. The NRA's purchased politicians treat such talk as blasphemy.

Forget all the NRA's flag-waving assertions about being on the front lines defending Second Amendment rights. It's a smokescreen. Fewer than 7 percent of American gun owners are NRA members.

Blunt votes in lock step with the NRA. But you can also see the organization's influence in his overly cautious reactions whenever mass shootings occur, as if he fears offending the NRA's fragile sensibilities.

In 2012, after 20 young children and six adults were slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., Blunt responded in reference to the killer's AR-15 variant: "I don't think the weapon is likely to be the problem here nearly as much as how do you identify people with these problems in a society and try to intervene before they do something that tragically impacts their lives and the lives of others?"

After 58 concertgoers were gunned down and 851 others injured in Las Vegas last October by a gunman using AR-variant rifles modified with rapid-fire bump stocks, Blunt tweeted this powerful call to action: "Saddened by the tragic loss of life in #LasVegas. My thoughts are with all of the families affected by this horrific attack."

After last week's mass shooting at a Florida high school left 17 people dead, Blunt stated: "Let's see if any of the current laws were violated or if there's any law that anybody has in mind that would have made a difference." Powerful stuff.

Independent, objective lawmakers speak their minds about the need to restrict sales of mass-killing machines. The NRA's money is designed to buy off such lawmakers. It's worked like a charm with Blunt.

REPRINTED FROM THE ST LOUIS POST DISPATCH