Blank lines

[SAZ%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA]

I've just been screwed by Query Replace String;s
inablity to recognize a blank line
[ie, 

----------------------------------------
Query Replace String$

$
stuff-this-into-some-of-the-blank-lines
$$
-----------------------------------------

doesn't do anything to the buffer]

What I find even more puzzling is that there
is NO OTHER access [at least none that allows
me to do actually *modify*] blank lines [or CR tokens,
if you will] in the implementation of Emacs
[at least none that are documented using key-
words such as "Find", "Blank" or "Line"] in the
case of Query REplace and REplace String [which
has never known about CR tokens, interestingly enough]
breaking down, as has happened here.

Why is there such limited access to blanklines?

frustrated,

dave m j saslav