Posted on 02/15/2010 12:21:20 PM PST by Clintonfatigued
The Tea Party Movement, which has fueled the downward spiral of Gov. Charlie Crist's Senate campaign in Florida, is now targeting Republican Sen. Bob Bennett in Utah.
Bennett, who is seeking a fourth term this year, is facing a long list of potential primary challengers, including businesswoman Cherilyn Eagar, millionaire entrepreneur Tim Bridgewater, businessman James Williams and Mike Lee, a former assistant U.S. attorney.
But Tea Party activists are seeking to torpedo Bennett's re-election campaign because he supported the $700 billion financial bailout plan and has "missed a lot of the basic blocking and tackling," a political operative with close ties to Tea Party activists told Fox News. "He's just become too inside the beltway."
Next Friday, some Tea Party activists will gather in Salt Lake City to discuss their options.
A candidate must win 60 percent of the delegate vote at the state Republican convention May 8 to secure the party's nomination. If no candidate garners 60 percent, the top two finishers will face off in a primary election.
Tea Party activists note that because of the caucus nomination process in Utah, a group of committed activists can really "make a mess out there."
Bennett has reportedly already spent more than $500,000 trying to reach out to potential delegates who will be selected at caucus meetings in March.
But Bennett apparently hasn't spent nearly as much reaching out to Tea Partiers.
"Bennett hasn't tried to work with us too much," one activist said. "Maybe he's tired and that is why he hasn't tried to reach out any more to the Tea Party people."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Getting rid of the stinking RINOs. No more business as usual.
Tough primaries is never a bad thing, even for our side. It keeps our politicians on their toes and lets them know who they are supposed to be serving.
Saw the headline and thought Hatch must be the target, but I guess he’s not up in ‘10.
Bob Bennett is a RINO. State Republicans should flush him.
Bailout Bob Bennett must be defeated.
Utah has an unusual election law. There is a party convention. Candidates are voted for by ballot, with the last-place finisher being eliminated. If the first-place finisher gets 60% or better, he or she gets the nonination. Otherwise, the top two finishers face off in a primary.
Bennett also suppored the nominations of Cass Sunstein and Eric Holder, among others. The only time we see Senator Bob is in the few months before an election and the only way we know he is a conservative is because he tells us so.
Primaries are the heart and soul of our political system. While not 'easy' from a monetary standpoint, it's the 'easiest' place to beat an incumbent. Having a good anti-incumbent message and an organization that can get out the vote for a challenger is the best way to defeat an incumbent, period.
WooHoo. I don’t get to vote for his ouster, but I would if I could.
18 YEARS IS WAY LONG ENOUGH TO SEE YOU ARE A RINO BENNET!!!
BUH-BYE
All RINO’s must be voted out; no guts, no spine, no gonads. They’re worthless!
I think “Rubio’s Rising” has more to do with him being an excellent candidate rather than the TEA Party. Not to dis the TEA party but to compliment Rubio.
Newt Gingrich campaigns in Utah for Sen. Bob Bennett
“Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich campaigned for Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, on Wednesday by depicting him as a true-blue conservative with the brains needed to outmaneuver President Barack Obama and Democrats as they move toward what Gingrich calls a “secular-socialist” agenda.
“The best thing Utah can do to stop Obama and get conservatism back in form is to re-elect Bob Bennett,” Gingrich said at the formal campaign kickoff at the Grand America Hotel for Bennett, who is seeking a fourth, six-year term.”
In the same article:
In a news conference, Gingrich took a shot at the Club for Growth, a national conservative group that has targeted Bennett. “I wish the Club for Growth would spend as much time and energy to defeat liberal Democrats as they do dividing Republicans. … I try to defeat liberal Democrats. I don’t spend much time trying to defeat Republicans.”
Gingrich is badly mistaken. He needs to spend some time outside the beltway.
and the Revolution gains swell..
cool.
Bennett is pro-amnesty.
I’m just afraid there are too many challengers. They will split the anti-Bennett vote.
Eagar is a bit of a lightweight, I think. Lee or Bridgewater would probably be good. I gave some money to Lee. His dad was former Solicitor General Rex Lee. A brilliant conservative.
I’m becoming hopeful about this race.
Maybe if you and the rest of the RINOs had supported a true conservative rather than an ultra-liberal "Republican" we'd have a solid conservative in the House right now instead of yet another liberal scumbag Rat.
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