Politico: Tea Party Challenge to GOP Senators an 'Expensive Headache'

breitbart.com ^ | 8/31/13 | Matthew Boyle

[cotton1706]

In his Saturday Playbook email, Politico’s Mike Allen defended GOP establishment Senators like Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Lamar Alexander and others facing Tea Party challengers as up against nothing more than an “expensive headache” they will defeat.

Allen, a denizen of D.C. political establishment, highlighted two news stories to make his point: One from the New York Times, and the other from the Associated Press. The New York Times’ Jennifer Steinhauser reported with Jonathan Weisman on the front page of the Gray Lady on Saturday that “[d]espite their careful efforts, some of the best-known and most influential Republicans in the Senate have been unable to shake threats from the right and have attracted rivals who portray these lawmakers as a central part of the problem in Washington.”

“In Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, the party's Senate leader, is fending off a charismatic and wealthy conservative challenger,” they wrote, referring to businessman Matt Bevin’s candidacy against McConnell.

They also referred to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) as a “reliably conservative voice on foreign policy” while noting that he has drawn three primary challengers: State Sen. Lee Bright, businesswoman and graduate of The Citadel Nancy Mace and conservative activist and computer programmer Richard Cash.

"In South Carolina, Lindsey Graham , one of the Senate's most reliably conservative voices on foreign policy, is being painted by primary opponents as a veritable clone of President Obama,” the New York Times reporters wrote.

“In Tennessee, Tea Party activists have vowed to take out Lamar Alexander,” they added. State Rep. Joe Carr has announced his candidacy there, and other potential candidates may soon get involved. A grass-roots "Beat Lamar" effort is sponsoring candidate forums throughout the states.

[deadrock]

I do hope you are correct.

[stilloftyhenight]

Well, ok Politico, we’ll just fold up our chairs and go home. LOL

[Lancey Howard]

Of the senators listed, I could live with McConnell, but Alexander and Graham must go.

[Colonel_Flagg]

These people don’t want expensive headaches? There’s a solution.

Vote reliably conservative and support conservative principles.

There. Problem solved.

[Darren McCarty]

McConnell I can live with. He's not ideal, but I wouldn't call him a RINO. Alexander is who he is, and everyone knew that going in. I'd prefer him to Corker, although I've seen better. I've also seen much worse like Levin and Stabenow.

Graham sucks ass. He's an annoying McCain mini-me. While the DC class loves him, even most establishment Republicans I know can not stand him and constant bashing of Republicans on TV.

[cotton1706]

McConnell would be fine as a back bench senator based on his voting record. The problem is that he is the republican leader, and a piss poor one who is constantly and continually undermining conservatives and conservatism and helping the democrats being a handmaiden to liberalism.

Since he will not retire or step down as leader (his mouth is watering to be Majority leader), he must be removed from power by the people, preferably in the republican primary, but if necessary by a democrat in the general.