Time to Throw Out Second Best GOP Senators

Townhall.com ^ | July 10, 2013 | Kurt Schlichter

[Kaslin]

Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi is a loyal Republican, a decent guy, and generally a good senator. He also needs to retire from the Senate because he is not good enough, and I don’t care if that makes him sad.

The New York Times probably thought it was helping him recently when it ran an article about how Dick Cheney’s daughter Liz is planning to challenge him in the 2014 Republican primary. The Times hailed him as “a studious, low-key legislator who worked well with Senator Edward M. Kennedy,” and Enzi probably thinks that’s a compliment.

For that reason alone he needs to go.

He needs to go because we can do better. It’s not about Mike Enzi or any other Republican politician. It’s about winning this war against progressivism, and if you aren’t leading the fight then bow out and make room for someone who will.

Liz Cheney will. The seat would hardly be at risk – the Wyoming GOP primary is better known as the Wyoming general election – so we can take the chance to do better. After all, Liz Cheney has something Enzi doesn’t – a taste for political combat.

She wants to win. Not to “compromise,” not to “work together,” not sit around singing “Kumbayah” with the liberals. She wants to win.

Enzi wants to be a sober, serious legislator working with his liberal friends across the aisle to make a better country. Except there are no friends across the aisle, and the liberals do not want to make this a better country. Liberals want to ruthlessly acquire and maintain power and control over every aspect of our lives, and anyone who does not see and understand that and who can’t commit to destroying their hideous plans for our country needs to get out the way for a true conservative warrior.

The Times, perhaps again thinking it was helping, noted that Enzi “avoids political talk shows because, he says, their goal is to get guests to ‘beat up on their colleagues.’”

Except we need GOP Senators to be willing to “beat up on their colleagues.” It’s not about collegiality in the cloakroom. We want you hated, despised, and targeted because that will mean you are getting something conservative done.

We want Ted Cruzes and Rand Pauls, not Lindsey Grahams (By the way, South Carolina, somebody needs to get busy primarying Chuck Schumer’s best buddy).

Worse, Enzi has started to forget about what conservatives do and do not do. He was a prime mover behind the internet sales tax folly. Here’s a hint: Republicans don’t collect taxes for liberal states.

Now, I expect Enzi and the other GOP Senators who should be primaried for failing to perform at a maximum level of effectiveness to feel hurt, upset and even angry. After all, they’ve generally been reliable votes for conservative policies – incomprehensible apostasies like the internet sales tax notwithstanding. Enzi will no doubt take it personally.

It’s not personal.

It has nothing to do with Enzi and everything to do with making a clear-eyed assessment of who will be the most powerful advocate for conservatism in the Senate. A “low-key,” “studious” backbencher with a passion for bipartisan consensus who won’t make the case for conservatism in the media because it might offend some of his liberal pals is not it.

We conservatives owe Enzi nothing. Nothing. Serving three terms in the Senate was reward enough for services rendered to the cause – in fact, that he’s served three should probably disqualify him by itself.

For too long the GOP has given nominations to the next old dude in line because he was a nice guy who hung around longest. For every Tea Party-linked former witch or half-witted would-be obstetrician, there are many more nice guys who ended up finishing last.

Remember President McCain? Me neither. Nominating McCain gave us President Obama and, arguably worse, Meghan McCain.

This needs to stop. We need to ruthlessly identify and select the strongest conservative voice who can win in every election even if good men like Enzi have to move aside. It’s not about their hurt feelings. I don’t care about their feelings, not even a little. Nor should you.

If Liz Cheney fails to win the nomination, I’ll eagerly support Enzi because it’s not about Cheney either. If and when she stops being useful to conservatism, I’ll support someone else.

Call it the “Rubio Effect.”

Mike Enzi is a good senator, but not a great one. We can do better, and when the future of our country is at stake, a “good enough” conservative is nowhere near good enough. He can leave with his head held high, with our respect despite some minor disagreements. Or he can choose to fight a bruising primary battle against Cheney that his pal Alan Simpson says could cause “the destruction of the Republican Party of Wyoming.”

And for what? For the chance to spend six more years checking the boxes, but not making any waves?

It’s time to go, Senator, preferably at the top of your game and with dignity. But, one way or another, it is time to go. To quote Abe Vigoda in The Godfather, “Mike, it was only business.” Now get in the car, Senator.

[Servant of the Cross]

A move back towards traditional American conservative isolation is twenty years overdue.

It would be nice to have that luxury. However, in the post 9/11 world of Islamic extremists bent on the last caliphate, they won't permit 'isolation' as an option.

I fear for future developments if in fact they are going to continue to pursue the policy that this administration has pursued and live in accordance with affliction. We have got more territory now in that part of the world when you start to add up all the areas that have come or are coming under the influence of the Muslim brotherhood and the radical Islamists. There is a lot more land and territory there for safe harbors and sanctuaries for terrorists than we ever faced back in the time of 9/11. That entire part of the world appears to be or a good part of it certainly to be moving in the direction that is fundamentally hostile to the long term US interest and yet we are, seem to be unable to influence events in that part of the world partly because we are headed for the exits and everybody knows we are headed for the exits.

Influence events does not mean war. I think we've learned plenty from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

[C. Edmund Wright]

Those lists are on the money....though I have to admit I’m not totally sure who is and is not up for re-elect on the “upgrade” list. And I think Chambliss is retiring anyway - but man, Alexander seems to be getting worse and Graham will almost certainly get opposition. In fact, I am consulting one of the potentials for that....and I hope he does get in.

[Arm_Bears]

Any person that receives the praise of the NYT is automatically dead to me.

[Vigilanteman]

Simple answer: Because she has roots in Wyoming, not South Carolina, Texas or Kentucky.

This is the money quote:

. . . liberals do not want to make this a better country. Liberals want to ruthlessly acquire and maintain power and control over every aspect of our lives, and anyone who does not see and understand that and who can’t commit to destroying their hideous plans for our country needs to get out the way for a true conservative warrior.

Cheney understands that. Enzi, apparently, does not.

Neither did Bob Bennett in Utah, which is why Mike Lee was moved in to replace him. And Wyoming is at least as conservative as Utah.

[0.E.O]

Simple answer: Because she has roots in Wyoming, not South Carolina, Texas or Kentucky.

Her roots are 40 years in the past. She wasn't raised there or educated there or, until a few months ago, lived there as an adult. He roots lie more with Virginia, her home for the overwhelming majority of her life. If not for the fact that she apparently thought that the Wyoming senate seat was hers by right of being a Cheney, she wouldn't be living there now. What I would like to know is why she didn't go for the Virginia seat? Doesn't she like the idea of contesting an election?

Enzi, apparently, does not.

And you base that on...? And it's a serious question. What exactly makes her more conservative than Enzzi is?

Neither did Bob Bennett in Utah, which is why Mike Lee was moved in to replace him. And Wyoming is at least as conservative as Utah.

There is no way to compare Lee with Cheney. Lee was educated in Utah. Cheney was educated in Virginia, Colorado, and Chicago. Lee clerked for the U.S. District Court in Utah, was an assistant U.S. Attorney in Salt Lake City, was general counsel for the governor of Utah, and moved back to the state three years before he ran for the Senate. Cheney has never worked in Utah or lived in Utah except for the His roots in Utah are a mile wide by comparison.

[Vigilanteman]

Enzi is apparently proud of his role in the internet sales tax bill and work across the aisle. I'll be content to leave this to the voters of Wyoming to decide. Enzi will be a better senator for it even if he wins.

Even Orrin Hatch had the sense to vote against the amnesty bill with Bennett's primary challenge in mind.

[af_vet_rr]

She wants to win. Not to “compromise,” not to “work together,” not sit around singing “Kumbayah” with the liberals. She wants to win.

Enzi wants to be a sober, serious legislator working with his liberal friends across the aisle to make a better country. Except there are no friends across the aisle, and the liberals do not want to make this a better country. Liberals want to ruthlessly acquire and maintain power and control over every aspect of our lives, and anyone who does not see and understand that and who can’t commit to destroying their hideous plans for our country needs to get out the way for a true conservative warrior.

Notice the liberals aren't compromising with their "friends" across the aisle, it's the flippin' RINOs, the McCains, Rubios, Grahams, etc. that bend over and spread for the Dems. One of many reasons I have turned my back on the GOP, until they decide to become the conservative party they claim to be. Part of being a Conservative is not getting on your knees and compromising for the libs. It's fighting for Conservative principles.

[truth_seeker]

“If I can ever find a way around them Wyoming WINTERS, I will move there in a New York minute.
Wyoming may be the last best place in the disUnited States. “

How do Wyoming winters differ from neighboring Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska winters?

[Tupelo]

You may be right about Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, North & South Dakota, Utah and Nebraska. I never lived in any of them. I DID live many years in Colorado and shoveled tons of snow. THAT is why I live in Arizona.

[iopscusa]

Kaslin who made you gatekeeper and why all the bully tactics? Liz Cheney is a retail politic novice and needs to set her sights on a local election such as School Board or State AG before jumping into a Senate race. Has she mostly been riding on the coat-tails of her father? We need to see where she stands on many sides including the Cheney/Bush administration FU’s and make no mistake it was a lot of Big Damn FU’s, paving the way for Obama was not the least FU!
Liz Cheney appears to be Carpet Bagging WY and maybe needs to be more than a talking head on TeeVee before she is taken seriously.

[BillyBoy]

>> She wants to win. Not to “compromise,” not to “work together,” not sit around singing “Kumbayah” with the liberals. She wants to win. <<

Notice the only time you hear references to Enzi "working across the aisle" and "compromising with his friends" and "singing Kumbayah with the liberals", it's because Liz Cheney supporters are making the allegation. Enzi's record shows exactly the opposite (every Washington watchdog group rates Enzi as a staunch partisan conservative), and he has never said that he wants to be "bipartisan" with the left. His voting record and statements on every high profile "bipartisan" Senate bill in memory (like the gun background check, illegal alien amnesty, Obamacare, Violence Against Women Act, DODT repeal, TARP, Porkulus, etc.) show he was completely in the "kill the bill" camp, not the "let's work together" camp. Aside from being wrong on the internet sales tax bill, Enzi had been rock solid the other 95% of the time.

>> Even Orrin Hatch had the sense to vote against the amnesty bill with Bennett's primary challenge in mind. <<

And Enzi doesn't need a primary challenge threat to vote against the amnesty bill. He's ALWAYS been 100% opposed to amnesty his entire career, GOP opponent or otherwise. Where does the "more conservative" Liz Cheney stand? None of her supporters seem to be able to cite anything thing back up their claims that she would legislate to the right of Enzi.