Also, I think it was during the Jefferson vs. Adams Presidential campaign that one of them called the other a hermaphrodite.
(Be interesting to see what party the accused belonged to.)
Posted on 10/24/2017 2:09:14 PM PDT by jazusamo
WASHINGTON -- The GOP senator who wrote a scathing critique of the Trump era and was being targeted in a Bannon-backed primary challenged will retire instead of facing re-election.
Ahead of his official announcement that he will serve the rest of his term but not run again, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) told the Arizona Republic that he believes "there may not be a place for a Republican like me in the current Republican climate or the current Republican Party."
"This spell will pass, but not by next year," he said of the Trump influence on the party.
"Here's the bottom line: The path that I would have to travel to get the Republican nomination is a path I'm not willing to take, and that I can't in good conscience take," Flake said. "It would require me to believe in positions I don't hold on such issues as trade and immigration and it would require me to condone behavior that I cannot condone."
Flake, who was re-elected six times in the House before winning Sen. Jon Kyl's (R-Ariz.) former seat in 2012, noted that he didn't think running as an independent was a path to victory.
Former state Sen. Kelli Ward, who was endorsed last week by former White House chief strategist and Breitbart chairman Steve Bannon in his "war" against the GOP establishment, has led Flake for the nomination in several recent polls. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) trounced Ward by 20 points in 2016 when she tried to primary the former GOP presidential nominee.
Out in the lead for the Democratic nomination is Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), a moderate member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition in the House.
With Flake out, possible GOP hopefuls could include Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), the first American woman to fly in combat, or Rep. Dave Schweikert (R-Ariz.).
"Sen. Jeff Flake will be remembered for a distinguished and impactful career in Congress, as well as his independent streak and genial manner," Steven Law, president and CEO of the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC allied with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), said in a statement.
"The one political upshot of Sen. Flake’s decision today is that Steve Bannon’s hand-picked candidate, conspiracy-theorist Kelli Ward, will not be the Republican nominee for this Senate seat in 2018," Law, who is McConnell's former chief of staff, added.
In remarks on the Senate floor today, McConnell said he was "grateful that the senator from Arizona will be here for another year and a half."
"We have big things to try to accomplish for the American people," the GOP leader added. "From my perspective, the senator from Arizona has been a great team player – always trying to get a constructive outcome no matter what the issue before us.”
Ward tweeted, "Arizona voters are the big winner in @JeffFlake's decision to not seek reelection. They deserve a strong, conservative in the Senate who supports @POTUS & the 'America First' agenda. Our campaign proudly offers an optimistic path forward for Arizona & America."
President Trump, who joined Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill today for their weekly policy luncheon, called Flake "toxic" in an August tweet backing Ward.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) issued a statement praising Flake as "one of the finest human beings I've met in politics."
"He is moral, upright, and strong and he will be missed by just about everybody in the Senate," Schumer added.
Flake and Trump first crossed swords during the campaign. In a July 2016 closed-door meeting with senators on Capitol Hill, Flake introduced himself as “the other senator from Arizona — the one who didn’t get captured — and I want to talk to you about statements like that.” Trump reportedly threatened to start publicly attacking the senator, while Flake urged Trump to stop attacking Mexicans. When Trump declared that Flake would lose November 2016, the senator noted that he was not up for re-election.
Flake has since launched a pro-NAFTA campaign, arguing Trump's anti-NAFTA stance hurts border economies like his state. He also defended Deedra Abboud, an opponent running for the Democratic nomination to unseat him, after she was subjected to a torrent of online abuse for being Muslim. "Hang in there @deedra2018. Sorry you have to put up with this. Lots of wonderful people across AZ. You'll find them," Flake tweeted.
At the beginning of August, Flake released Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle .
In the Politico op-ed "My Party Is in Denial About Donald Trump," Flake asked, "Where does such capitulation take us?"
"If by 2017 the conservative bargain was to go along for the very bumpy ride because with congressional hegemony and the White House we had the numbers to achieve some long-held policy goals—even as we put at risk our institutions and our values—then it was a very real question whether any such policy victories wouldn’t be Pyrrhic ones. If this was our Faustian bargain, then it was not worth it. If ultimately our principles were so malleable as to no longer be principles, then what was the point of political victories in the first place?" he wrote in part.
The senator said at the time of his book's launch that a notion "that you have to be meaner" is "not a conservative value."
"If we ascribe the worst motives to our opponents and demean them and call them clowns or losers, you just lose the ability to sit down and solve the big issues and actually enact conservative policy. That's the paradox of all of this," Flake said. "You know, somehow conservativism has become being mean or loud and you can't enact conservative policy if you act that way."
I just joined this year dude. I’m afraid if they polled Freepers who their favorite entertainer is, it could be Bing Cosby lol
You’ve been on the weekly music thread haven’t you, lol? I used to catch flak for posting links to tunes any later than the seventies but that’s died down a lot over the past few years. Still some resistance to anything as recent as the 90’s or newer, though.
Who is Bing Crosby? What’s a Rocky Kid?
Weedin Rinos out one by one. Flake, Corker, McCain soon, etc.
Flakes constitutes are dancing in the streets.
Yep, More Winning!
Haha! Well I’m by no means a youngster but I have more of a live and let live attitude than most on here.
I’m new but I’ve never been to the music forum. I’ll visit for sure. They won’t ban me or call me a satanist if I post Metallica or Guns N Roses links, right? ;)
There’s not a specific forum but there are regular threads. Post what you like so long as the lyrics aren’t overly offensive and it fits with the theme (and there usually is a theme). There are Zappa fans here, Die Antwoord fans here, punk fans, you name it, very broad cross-section of musical tastes. As a group, though, there’s just a very pronounced preference for 50’s through 70’s music that is in my opinion generational.
Sen. Flake - don’t let the door hit ya!
Well, over across the pond, G.K. Chesterton wrote about a century ago that
it is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged..
The Senate No-Leadership Fund would be a better name of Mitch’s PAC...
Also, I think it was during the Jefferson vs. Adams Presidential campaign that one of them called the other a hermaphrodite.
(Be interesting to see what party the accused belonged to.)
New Unification To Leverage Election Supporters' Strength (NUTLESS) National Objectives: Bring Along Less Liberal Supportersn (NO BALLS)
And highly praised by the libs on social media...sniff, sniff...why can’t all the other Republicans come out and be as courageous as him?
I was hoping the critically damaged Flake would retire, to give us an opportunity to find a top tier conservative, pro-President candidate to run. Forgive me but I’m not sold on Ward and with Flake out there is no reason to pledge allegiance to her candidacy. I don’t rule her out of course but this is an opportunity to shop around.
“Bannon vs. McConnell” proxy war doesn’t interest me, electing a Republican Senator that will beat the lesbian democrat and that will vote conservative without constantly attacking his own parties’ President, does.
Kelli can win.
Trust me, her fundraiser last week sent shock waves through the GOP establishment. Without them, she beat all goals and expectations.
Indeed, Arizona has many good choices, with Trent Franks, Dave Schweikert, Paul Goser and ex-Rep. Matt Salmon (although he might be done with elected politics) all possibilities. Treasurer Jeff DeWit is floated as a possibility too, although I really don’t know much about him.
I believe she can win too, her successful fundraiser is great news.
Great news about Kelli Ward, LS.
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