They could turn out to be Mitch McConnell’s worst nightmare.
Tea Party had a solid positive effect for governance even in the Senate — and even more so in the House. And the State Houses. And the State legislatures.
: )
This editorial is so true. It’s too bad we didn’t take the Senate but this is the 2nd-best scenario: our seats are very close to the 50% mark and we have some rising new stars who are NOT going to sit in the corner and mumble about “reaching across the aisle”, like Dumbo McCain and a whole host of past “Republican” Senators.
I would rather see Fiorina, O’Donnell, and Angle in there too... but we have to settle for what we’ve got and we’ve got a lot!
I worked for, donated to and have met Pat Toomey and I don't believe he will betray us.
Pat really believes in the reasons we sent him there and will stand against all pressure, from the press, the President and the pubbies.
If this crew betrays us, then for me it's time to exercise my first two Amendment Rights; piece-ably assemble and then carry the piece.
Piece usage is a last resort, but even a last resort is a resort.
The author forgot Utah’s Mike Lee!
Most are overlooking the importance of this. Obama will get zero Senate confirmations for the next two years if the Repubs hang together and tell Obozo to go to hell the next time he sends a Marxist/racist/hatemonger for confirmation. They CAN stop a nominee. Now they may grow the balls to do it.
Don’t forget Mike Lee from Utah - He’s also a solid TEApublican as well. There’s also Hoeven - he’s reasonably conservative, and isn’t beholden to McConnell through institutional loyalty. And don’t forget Ron Johnson - solid conservative, no institutional loyalty to McConnell, rightly classified as a TEApublican as well. So that’s actually a base of eight conservative freshman Senators to start from.
Plus, there are other freshman Republicans who are solid conservatives, though they have previously been in the House of Representatives, so there’s some likelihood that they may have pressure put on them to swing for McConnell, as the “established” leadership. These would be folks like Blunt (MO), Boozman (AR), and Moran (KS). At the same time, though, they might could be induced to “join the winning team” if the right pressure were applied.
And I know they’re very long shots, but there is still a distant possibility that they may be joined by one or more from among Dino Rossi, Ken Buck, and Joe Miller. Again, it’s not likely, but not entirely outside the realm of possibility.
The key in the Senate for the Republicans is to combine these new TEApublican members with sitting GOPers who are solid conservatives and who could be induced to turn away from McConnell and towards a challenger (cough cough DeMint cough cough). These would be sitting conservatives who, whether through a genuine desire to swing the Party rightward policy-wise, or through exasperation with the pathetic “leadership” shown by McConnell, or through a desire to get in on the ground floor of the new paradigm, or some combination of these, might go with us.
These would DeMint himself, as well as people like Inhofe and Coburn (both from OK), Sessions (AL), Thune (SD), Risch and Crapo (both from ID), Enzi and Barrasso (both from WY), Ensign (NV), and Vitter (LA).
If we combine all these mentioned above, you could potentially see up to 22 folks who could be combined to dethrone McConnell. Add three more to that, if (a big if, I know) we got all three of the contested recounts and unfinished counts. 22 is almost half of 46 - surely there could be one or two more who could be swung our way in the Senate, and give the balance in a race for Minority Leader to DeMint, right?
When will we know?
And....would these be yet two more conservative new senators if they should prevail?
You cannot know what a thrill it is to have Ron Johnson representing us, instead of Russ Feingold.
And here’s HOPING AND PRAYING they join Demint in excoriating Mitchie the Kid every time he wimps and weasels out by “crossing the aisle” and bending over to the left. This is the group which MUST advise the American people on the pathetic, sleazy and gutless activities of traitors and sell-outs in the party.
Everybody is bitching about how the ‘Tea Party’ RUINED everything in the Senate...so they had a hard time getting rid of a few tough old weeds...but did you see the new crop of up and coming conservatives they planted in the State Legislatures? They are the FUTURE of the conservative movement, and HUNDREDS of them were elected on Tuesday.
Even better news...these ‘fresh faces’ are YOUNG. We just need to keep their feet to the fire...Lott wants to ‘co-opt them’, remember?