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Follow Sen. DeMint on Twitter
Posted on 11/18/2010 7:02:31 PM PST by ejdrapes
By John Stanton Sen. John Cornyn said during a closed-door meeting Tuesday that he expects colleagues to bring their concerns to him about candidates he recruits as National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman — and not to help mount challenges against them, Republicans familiar with the meeting said Thursday. Although not mentioned by name, the Republicans said the Texas lawmaker’s speech was clearly intended for the ears of Sen. Jim DeMint. The South Carolina Republican backed a number of conservative “outsider” candidates this year who won tough primaries against establishment candidates favored by Cornyn, only to be defeated by what had been seen as weak Democratic candidates. DeMint did not respond to Cornyn’s comments, the Republicans said. However, the two lawmakers have had several conversations since Election Day, GOP aides familiar with the situation said. NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh declined to comment, but according to Republicans, Cornyn delivered his warning in a speech to the entire Conference during their leadership elections. In the speech, Cornyn noted that some members of the Conference were unhappy with the conservative credentials of Cornyn’s picks and opted to actively work against them during the 2010 cycle. Rather than attack candidates who have been backed explicitly by the NRSC or by a state’s party, Cornyn said, unhappy Members should come to him with their concerns. Cornyn’s speech and his post-election meetings with DeMint are unlikely to curb the South Carolinian’s efforts to forge a more conservative GOP Conference in the Senate. Although he did not have the kinds of successes this year that would warrant the title of conservative kingmaker, he nevertheless was a key player in the victories of Sens. elect Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rand Paul (Ky.). His Senate Conservatives Fund political action committee also helped funnel thousands of dollars to conservative candidates, and DeMint has built over the past two years a significant donor list to help fund future campaign efforts. Additionally, there have been long-standing rumors that those close to DeMint actively worked behind the scenes to help Republican Mike Lee in his successful primary bid against Sen. Bob Bennett (Utah), although DeMint has repeatedly denied those claims. Lee went on to win the general election. While DeMint is still expected to actively support conservative candidates in primaries for open seats or seats held by Democrats, he said Thursday that he has agreed not to “plan” to support primary challengers looking to oust any of his colleagues. “I have no plans to oppose incumbent Republicans in primaries, but I do plan to play an active role in primaries where there is a Democrat incumbent or an open seat. It’s important that principled candidates like Marco Rubio and Rand Paul are not overlooked by our party,” DeMint said.Sources: Cornyn Jabs at DeMint’s Interference in Primaries
Roll Call Staff
52 minutes ago
DeMint ping.
Not sure why Acorn comes to mind... /s
Rather than attack candidates who have been backed explicitly by the NRSC or by a state’s party, Cornyn said, unhappy Members should come to him with their concerns. And what good would that do?
How about the NRSC stay out of primaries?
Actually, it did. Cornyn and the NRSCC were fully behind Charlie Crist right up until it was apparent he was political road kill.
Texas s a lost cause. You seen that governor? He's Romney with a Southern accent. A total empty suit.
I miss Phil Gramm.
I have no problem with the NRSC recruiting candidates and I have no problem with them working to support incumbents but there’s also nothing wrong with primary challengers to incumbents or the recruited candidate.
The whole point of a primary is for the VOTERS to select the candidate they want, not to rubber stamp the candidate the NRSC or the national party wants to hand the job to. But I wouldn’t expect Cornyn to understand that since most of his career was spent winning as the anointed candidate, not having to win a hard-fought primary.
Texas has enough right-thinking folks in it to give us an upgrade over Hutchison and Cornyn. I am also familiar with Givernor Gardisil.
However, South Dakota once provided us with both Daschle and McGovern. So, I wouldn’t write Texas off just yet.
If only you could split off Houston and Austin...
The Rockefeller Republicans dissed Ronald Reagan too.
History is a bitch on the obtuse.
All of them should let the voters choose their own representatives. This helping certain candidates and exchanging $$$ is no different than earmarks when it comes to buying favors with each other.
This only makes it harder for non-incombents to win.
Remember when Cornyn wrote fund-raising letters for Arlen Specter...only a few weeks before Arlen switched parties? I loved it...and remind Cornyn's staff frequently.
It exists for their own job security apparently.
I think Cornyn sees himself in a bigger "National" role...judging by his actions. He has changed a LOT since he got to D.C.
I don't trust him to vote right today.
Boy, ain't that the truth?
Senator Cornyn has decided, apparently, that he represents the Republican National Committee, rather than Texas. Or Republican voters...
A primary challenge in 2014 will be welcome.
Corny-n has declared open warfare on the Tea Party and the Republicans core base. The politician is a disgrace to the party and should be stripped of his position as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and labeled a failure. And conservatives should still refuse to give money to the RNC as as the RINO’s continue trying to thwart the will of the conservative base which comprises many in the Tea Party movement. Corny-n must go.
I completely agree with you. The senate should not be choosing its own members. That’s for the people to do.
The NRSC is obviously corrupt since it never (God forbid) speaks badly against an incumbent senator. Specter should never have been supported and one senator, Demint, did him in by supporting his conservative opponent. The same with Crist and Castle and Murkowski, backstabbers all. They demand conservative support when they win nominations but it never goes the other way when they lose. And the NRSC supports these loser backstabbers every time. Because they play ball, they play the game. And we’re sick of their like!
“Oh, but Cornyn and the NRSC didn’t interfere in a senate primary. Ohhhh nooooo.”
Uh, I didn’t realize that NRSC were kingmakers and no one else need apply...hmmmmmmmmmmph!
That’s the way they’d like it. Unfortunately for them, DeMint paid no attention and endorsed real conservatives. Some won, some lost. That’s life, but at least there were conservatives on the ballot instead of the usual pantywaists. And there’ll be many more to come.
The people, and apparently the people in MD picked wrong.
Election 2010 was very instructive, for we learned that the players are: Communists, aka Democrats. Socialists, aka Republicans. And the Tea Party.
It appears Senator Cornyn and the NRSC — and indeed the RNC and the Republican establishment as a whole — haven’t gotten the message. I don’t know how “We The People” could have made it any clearer. I think the Tea Parties were ample and abundant messages of what we desired, of our principles — and of just where and HOW the Republican Establishment has failed. And yet, they continue to shove elitists and blue-bloods, “moderates” and Progressives at us and expect us to bow and genuflect to THEIR chosen ones, to THEIR will.
NO, Mr. Cornyn. WE choose. YOU serve US. And if YOU and your party refuse to do so, WE can sit you down, even of your party machine elects you repeatedly and puts you in your “position.” We don’t care about your “position.” We care about our future. We care about PRINCIPLES. We care about the Constitution. SO will our candidates. If yours do, great. If they don’t, we won’t support them. And you’ll lose. But one way or another, we WILL restore the Republic. Will you stand in our way, or help us to achieve that goal?
Does Texas have a sore loser law? Open primaries?
I’d love to see Texas get rid of KBH and Cornyn.
I’d also love to see Palin tweet that the Bushes should go back to New England where they belong.
Contact:
National Republican Senatorial Committee
Ronald Reagan Republican Center
425 2nd Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
Telephone: (202) 675-6000
E-mail: info@nrsc.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://www.nrsc.org/about-the-nrsc
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