Sources: Milton Wolf weighs Greg Orman endorsement

Politico ^ | 09/26/2014 | MANU RAJU and ALEX ISENSTADT

[GIdget2004]

Milton Wolf, the tea party candidate who battled Sen. Pat Roberts in a bitter Republican primary fight, is considering some political payback: Endorsing Kansas independent Greg Orman, sources said Thursday night.

But there’s a big catch: To win Wolf’s endorsement, Orman must first agree to caucus with the Senate GOP if he were to defeat Roberts in the general election.

The two men were scheduled to meet Friday afternoon at Orman’s house in Olathe, Kansas., just outside of Kansas City, according to two people familiar with the matter. One person said Orman’s team sought the meeting but there was no ask for an endorsement. Another source said the meeting may be canceled now that the media have caught wind of it.

“Milton is going to make an ask that [Orman] consider making a public commitment to caucus with the Republican Party, regardless of the outcome of the November elections,” one person familiar with the matter said.

Another person said: “I think if Orman agrees to Wolf’s terms, it means the end of Roberts.”

[SamuraiScot]

When Democrats win, it’s not Republican incumbents who lose...they go into lobbying

I don't necessarily disagree with you on the value of political spite. But there's no question losing contests is costly for the GOPe, because it damages the value of their lobbying, which is pegged to influence. And I think you do have to keep them worried that you might do something irresponsible.

[11th_VA]

[AuH2ORepublican]

“Orman’s likely to refuse to commit to caucus with either side. What’s the point? He’s winning by either a little or a lot in virtually every poll as it is, without picking a side.”

---

Exactly. Unfortunately, KS Democrats are smart enough to know that he will caucus with the Democrats, while many KS Republicans are naïve enough to believe that a liberal POS like him (who previously ran as a Democrat) might perhaps caucus with the Republicans.

You know who will caucus with the Republicans? Pat Roberts. That Wolf sure looks like a Democrat in Republican clothing.

[txhurl]

Roberts needs to make an ad of this PRONTO.

[kidd]

You’re right.
Let Orman caucus with the democrats. Harry Reid has been such a good leader.

[Paine in the Neck]

I think that would be a bad move on Wolf’s part.

I agree. There's no good reason to go nihilist. Orman brings nothing but the prospect of more disaster. At least Roberts has been somewhat conservative in his own, out of touch, doddering way. I'd support Wolf for a future run but not if he does this.

[Impy]

Here’s an idea, LETS BEAT ORMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He’s up 5 points and you’ve gonna pretend the SOB has already won? Barf.

[AuH2ORepublican]

“Let Orman caucus with the democrats. Harry Reid has been such a good leader.”

---

You know what would be better than wooing the liberal Democrat Orman in the faint hope that his self-interest will lead him to caucus with the GOP? Defeating him in the freaking election. Wolf knows that he can stop the liberal Orman by endorsing the conservative Roberts, yet he’s kissing up to Orman. Some “principled conservative” Wolf has turned out to be.

[centurion316]

I’m not voting for anymore establishment R’s. But I also won’t vote for Orman.

When illegal aliens are voting and you are not, you know that you have a very serious problem.

[centurion316]

From the point of view of keeping the seat Republican, Wolf is doing the right thing.

By supporting a liberal Democrat, Wolf is showing that he was in the race for something besides some deep seated conservative belief. I don't think that Orman will agree to this and it may be a good means of smoking him out as the Democrat he truly is. But, if he does agree I have doubts that he would keep his word. He could invent all sorts of excuses about how he was forced to reconsider given the egregious behavior of certain extremists, etc.

[C. Edmund Wright]

I don’t really disagree with you - but I would say it’s very very important to pick your spots for that kind of stand. Mississippi for example We really don’t need to make that kind of stand in NC or Kansas for example.

[Turbo Pig]

I think that would be a bad move on Wolf’s part.

I kind of agree. I see a big issue with anti Robertson conservatives backing a guy who has stated he'll caucus with who ever has a "solid majority". Sounds to me like he's saying he's going to stick his finger in the air and side with whomever benefits him the most. If he's announced a winner, bottom dollar his vote goes up for sale about 10 seconds after.

[DoodleDawg]

I didn’t follow this primary fight. Was it as nasty as the Mississippi primary?

I don't know if it was as nasty, but Roberts whole attack on Wolf had to do with some Facebook posts in poor taste that were done some years ago.

[DoodleDawg]

I think that would be a bad move on Wolf’s part.

Wouldn't be very wise on Orman's either. He needs Democrats, independents, and moderate Republicans. Wolf won't bring any of those.

[tanknetter]

It could be a draw play on Wolf’s part. Orman’s being coy, and a lot of people really buy that he’s open minded about who he’s caucusing with.

So Wolf dangles a guaranteed win in return for caususing with Republicans in front of him, believing that Ormans already agreed (or at least decided) to caucus with the Dems, in order to get Orman on the record.

Now if Wolf is smart he has a deal cut with the GOP: if Orman refuses he endorses Roberts in trade for support in running for office down the road, perhaps even as Roberts successor in 2020.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“But there’s a big catch: To win Wolf’s endorsement, Orman must first agree to caucus with the Senate GOP if he were to defeat Roberts in the general election.”

And no....Orman wouldn’t lie now, would he?

[stremba]

Good strategy strictly from the point of view of taking over control of the Senate. Certainly Orman would be very much a RINO. Whether or not he’d “flip-flop” might well depend on the election results elsewhere. If it’s 51-49 with him caucusing with the GOP, he’d probably flip-flop. If it’s 52 or more GOP seats, he’d probably stay with the GOP. A liberal is concerned with one thing above all - maximizing his own power. Being with the majority rather than the minority gives a senator more power.

[BillyBoy]

>> I also won’t vote for Orman.
From his website under “Reproductive Rights”: “We’ve spent a lot of time over the last two decades debating whether or not women should have the right to make decisions about their own reproductive health. As a man,I’ll never have to face some of the decisions that women have to make. I know the women of Kansas are smart,and I trust them to make their own decisions about their reproductive health.”
From his section on “Supreme Court”: “......In the Hobby Lobby case, the Court ruled that certain types of corporations can have religious values and as a result of that be able to deny types of healthcare to their employees because of the corporation’s views. This is a dangerous precedent to set and opens the door to many more court challenges from private employers.”
He’s scum. <<

The fact Milton Wolf would even CONSIDER endorsing the likes of Orman finally tells us exactly what kind of Senator he would have been. Anyone who is willing to meet with a pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, anti-Hobby Lobby, DNC-backed Senate candidate out of spite is no conservative. Reminds me of when Bob Barr showed his true colors by endorsing Eric Holder (or, as Impy likes to point out, when Bob Smith endorsed John Kerry, though at least Smith has admitted he did that out of spite).

Wolf would make a Kansas a "red" state, alright. He's a "Tea Party conservative" the way Islam is a "religion of peace"

[stremba]

I make no statements regarding the character of Wolf nor his intentions regarding his candidacy. I simply am pointing out that if Orman agrees to caucus with the GOP, there’s no chance that the GOP will lose the Kansas seat.

He may well back out of any agreement. However, I think that may be contingent on some of the races in other states. I think he’s much more likely to renege if the split is 51-49 (counting Orman as a Republican) than if the split is 52-48 or 53-47 (or better). Being with the majority gives a senator a better position with more power than being with the minority. Even at 51-49, he might well wait until after 2016 to see who controls the White House and move over if the Dems win. It would be pretty unseemly to switch now and then switch again if the GOP wins. Even the low info voters might catch on to that.

[MortMan]

I’m in Kansas, and this isn’t smart by Wolf, nor helpful.

Roberts has some issues, but he does vote conservative quite frequently, and he didn’t go scorched earth against Wolf. KS is not MS.

Just my $.02.