Posted on 09/26/2011 9:13:37 PM PDT by smoothsailing
September 26, 2011 11:29 PM EDT
Fewer lawmakers are endorsing a presidential candidate this year, but that hasn’t stanched the whisper primary on Capitol Hill: “Are you a Rick Perry guy or a Mitt Romney guy?”
On the House floor, in the cloakrooms and in private conversations, House Republicans are just as gossipy about the presidential contest as any dedicated primary voter, and how lawmakers are choosing sides tells the larger story of the party’s philosophical divide.
“I gravitate more toward folks who support Mitt, and we seem to have common interests,” noted Nevada Rep. Joe Heck, a freshman Republican from a classic swing district in suburban Las Vegas.
“There’s no question Perry’s more of a fighter and Romney is more of the businessman-type, a little more diplomatic,” said Texas GOP Rep. Mike McCaul. “I predict there will be more backers for Perry than Romney in our conference.”
The Perry versus Romney conversations “are happening,” said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), a Perry guy. “It’s about ‘Who are you endorsing?’ Or ‘Who do you like?’”
Romney backers like Heck, with some notable exceptions, such as Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake, tend to be from swing states or moderate districts where the primary concern is choosing a candidate who can lure independent voters and beat President Barack Obama.
Perry backers represent the movement conservatives — Southerners and tea party sympathizers looking for someone who can ignite the base and translate the 2010 GOP congressional wave into a 2012 presidential victory.
“You know it’s hard not to periodically talk about it. Everybody has coalesced behind the fact that there are two candidates; the people still on the sidelines, I think, would like to hope that it becomes a one-person race, so they can be for [the nominee],” said California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, a Romney supporter. “But a lot of people like myself are weighing in because we think they’re both good, but there’s a better.”
Romney is leading the Hill endorsement game, with 20 endorsements to Perry’s 10. For the past year and a half, the former Massachusetts governor has courted about a dozen lawmakers — both natural allies and skeptics — for bacon and eggs confabs when he’s in town in the basement of Tortilla Coast, a Mexican restaurant near the Capitol, to talk politics and policy.
Romney also pulled in Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, a Capitol Hill insider with deep roots in the House and close ties to both leaders and rank-and-file conservatives, to lead his Hill outreach. He’s met one on one with both GOP leaders and rank and file, and his advisers reached out to GOP leadership aides to discuss his job plans and the National Labor Relations Board.
And to hear his supporters tell it, lawmakers are rallying behind Romney because they have deep concerns about appearing on the ballot next to a candidate who once called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” and questioned its constitutionality.
“Increasingly, over the last two weeks or so, members are making a decision about who they want to be on the ticket with. People with a high number of seniors in their districts don’t want to make their campaigning very difficult,” said Chaffetz, one of the most conservative members of Team Romney. It’s “a strong consideration of lots of people. ‘Do I want to defend the [so-called] Ponzi scheme … day after day after day?’”
Chaffetz said that lawmakers prefer Romney because he’s the “most well vetted” of the candidates. “Mitt won’t embarrass anybody,” he said.
Perry’s backers don’t share that concern. “To some extent, it is a Ponzi scheme,” said McCaul, a Perry backer. “You can criticize him, but he will tell it like it is, from his perspective.”
Perry’s backers on the Hill believe he brings new energy to the presidential field, that he speaks to conservatives who want the House GOP to go bigger in bringing spending cuts to Washington.
Rep. Mick Mulvaney perhaps best represents the Perry movement in Congress: a budget wonk from South Carolina and one of the staunchest conservatives in the freshman class — who has voted against nearly every spending deal that leadership has made with Obama. So far, Mulvaney is the only lawmaker on Capitol Hill working as an adviser for the campaign, and he says he’s been approached by lawmakers who are interested in helping the candidate on policy. He says he will “start putting out feelers to folks who want to get involved.”
Mulvaney downplayed the contrast between the candidates’ Hill helpers, saying he “won’t be the only one” working for Perry on the Hill as the election draws near. “Let’s not kid each other; the fact that I’m from South Carolina probably has something to do with this,” he said.
Meanwhile, Perry hasn’t met with congressional lawmakers since he visited their Republican retreat in Baltimore this January, and though he’s coming to Washington this week, he doesn’t have plans to sit down with members. A spokesperson for the campaign who declined to discuss endorsement strategy said that Perry “has been meeting and will continue to meet with elected leaders across the country to talk about his vision to get America working again.”
Perry supporters admit their candidate hasn’t been as aggressive in his outreach. “Romney might have a little bit better tactics, having met [with lawmakers] earlier, but you’ve got to keep in mind that you have a bunch of new guys who are looking to be relevant up here, too,” said one senior Republican aide with knowledge of the campaign operation.
One of the new guys is South Carolina Rep. Tim Scott, who hosted Perry, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain at town hall events in his state this summer. Scott hasn’t made an endorsement but said, “Perry is obviously the guy to beat right now in South Carolina.”
“I think the big chatter is that Romney has [the] opportunity to position himself, but he doesn’t spend much time in South Carolina, so it seems he’s not as interested in the state as many would like him to be.” Scott said that Romney “does appear to be a good candidate,” but “the closer we get to the race, the less we see of him, the worse his numbers will get.”
Newt Gingrich may be the luckiest of the GOP’s second-tier presidential aspirants. Five House Republicans — three from Gingrich’s home state of Georgia and two from Texas — are loyal to him. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) has his son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul; North Carolina Rep. Walter Jones and Michigan freshman Rep. Justin Amash. And Bachmann hasn’t received an endorsement from any of her House colleagues.
“Their following doesn’t really translate to clout in the United States Congress,” one House Republican said, stating the obvious. “[House Speaker John] Boehner doesn’t turn to Bachmann or Ron Paul for guidance.”
“A lot of members have a tendency just to hold back and let dust settle,” said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), a supporter of Gingrich. There are “a lot of people who are standing by, you might say.”
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is also struggling to find backers on Capitol Hill.
His problems were evident as he walked across Constitution Avenue last week to attend the Senate GOP’s weekly luncheon. Santorum, seeing someone he recognized, yelled across the street, “Appreciate your help, Jack?” The man yelled back: “I’m helping Newt.”
Manu Raju contributed to this report.
© 2011 POLITICO LLC
ROFLMAO - now that’s funny (Shawn would love you)
It's not just hurt feelings. Aside from the immigration issue, one reason for my strong reaction against Perry is that his amazingly stupid "no heart" comment reminds me of too many cringe-worthy G.W. Bush comments over the years. Not a pleasant memory.
If Perry wins the primary, I will support him. Not before.
Neither
Neither
Neither.
These two politicians typify what got us in the pickle we're in. Twisting themselves into pretzels to avoid making hard decisions or commitments. I have only two major issues our next leadership should address the second is simply a subst of the first...
1. Reduce government intrusion into everything in our lives by reducing Federal spending by at least 40% and maintaining future increases to no more than the rate of increase in legal population.
2. Remove all illegal aliens and return them to their country of origin. Yes, the criminals may choose to split up families, or not. Their choice. All adults must go.
As a remote alternative, no public monies can be spent on welfare of any kind, or education on illegal adults and their children.
Since 50% of the taxpaying citizens believe otherwise, being liberals or progressives, the can set up private charities and spend as much as they care to for the illegal aliens' benefits.
Neither of these candidates seem to have the ability or the desire to address these issues clearly with no equivocation.
Absolutely.
The ol' Boy Business-As-Usual professional politicians are not only RINOS, they're a******s, too.
LOL. I read that paragraph and had to go back and make sure that was a recent date on that article! (Sorry, I just couldn't help sharing that! hehe)
Well I'm a Perry winkle girl, and I'm proud of it.
But.. smoothsailing, I know you like both Palin and Perry (with a little bit of Herman Cain in there I think), but I just can't see you as any GUY'S guy! :)
Perry or Romney on the ballet vs Obama will present to the voters a one sided coin.
No choice at all!
I love it also B!!! senor ricarrdo hussein perrynista’s look says, “Damn, how much longer can I fool these idiots who fall for my B/S? How much/many more American tax payer bucks can I direct to laraza’s fans and organization without American’s knowing it? How many anchor babies daily at Parkland Hospital can I look the other way on? What about my little, ahem.....muslim/islam enabling crap that I am involved with in the Texas school system. Can I stop that from popping up much longer? How much longer can I fool these people?” Globalist, open borders perry, is EVERY bit as horrible and terrible as paul and mitty. How can any adult American fall for this phony fake fraud is beyond me. I guess CRIMINAL INVADING ILLEGAL ALIEN lovers will never get it....well, maybe they do....CRIMINAL INVADING ILLEGAL ALIEN lovers stick together. This ancient old boy has seen a lot of politicians come and go but I never would have thought I would have lived long enough to see American Repub. voters support a man who is openly and very clearly, by his own mouth and record, helping to destroy our Nation with his love of all things illegal. Oh yeah...the muslim thing to. Go get ‘em little ricky...Say hello to that Mexican Vincente Fox prez. guy next time you speak/pander/sell out America while talking to his butt for us also huh? Keep up the good fight B. Maybe these ILLEGAL LOVERS might get it.
I really appreciated seeing the deep and honest comments in your post here. You probably described the twisting and turning feelings many of us have with this. We all want to protect America and none of us want illegal immigration gone amuck, but sometimes it’s hard to know the difference between an undocumented worker and the friend next door we grew up with and who was the best man at our wedding. Sometimes... oddly enough and unbeknown to us even sometimes... they are one and the same.
You do make a good point about Perry needing to see America differently than he sees Texas. That is a very good point. Thanks for sharing.
434 colleagues and not one endorsement? Three terms and it appears she hasn't formed any alliances.
I'm sure she'd have no issues moving a presidential agenda. /s
No way. Give me (Palin, Bachman, Cain, Christie, Arpaio)
oh, plus Newt
California has around 30.
Even pitch perfect Palin's Alaska has two.
I don't understand why people rage so much against governors for things that have not reached their desks or over things their legislature has passed with overwhelming, veto proof majorities.
If one tried to use an executive order to ban sanctuary cities, people would raise hell over a lack of respect for local control.
I'm not saying there aren't times an executive shouldn't defy such majorities and dare the legislature to formally override a veto anyway. It's a kind of nuclear option, best used sparingly in most states.
Are you a Mitt Romney guy or a Rick Perry guy?
No.
Returning to Perry's condemnation of me, saying I have no heart.Look at what Arizona has done--and the reaction from Washington.
Look at New Mexico--Susana Martinez vs. Bill "No Fence Stopped History" Richardson
Look at Johnny Sutton and the BATF arming the Sinaloa cartel and the DEA giving it immunity
Perry can stay in Texas--I have a heart--and a brain
Michelle Bachman can replace Boehner
who has a heart, tear ducts, but doesn't have the Bachmann Burner Overdrive
A storm is coming
Rick Perry. I’d go for Palin, too, but that isn’t the question. I’m leaning toward Rick more all the time anyway, maybe sympathy for all the bald faced lies popping up to attack him?
The liberal MSM can’t hold a light to spinning the truth backwards like some of the posters right here on FR. Interesting.
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