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Inhofe Endorses Rubio

By: Brian Faughnan (Diary)  |  October 19th, 2009 at 10:08 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

The veneer of inevitability is starting to peel off:

Conservative Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has endorsed former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) in Florida’s open Senate race.

Inhofe’s endorsement means he will oppose the NRSC-back candidate in the race, Gov. Charlie Crist (R).

“Like me, Marco believes that the federal government works best when it returns dollars, decisions and freedom to our local communities and families,” Inhofe said in a statement. “In the Senate, Marco will stand up for America’s taxpayers, not with President Obama and dangerous big government spending.”

The Inhofe endorsement comes a week after Rubio announced raising a strong $1 million in the third quarter. His campaign appears to have new life, as Crist’s standing as the presumptive nominee begins to be called into question.

Rubio is clearly coming on strong. And with Inhofe now backing him – in addition to Senator Jim DeMint – we’re likely to see more endorsements in the weeks ahead.

Rubio is going to win this race. Help show your support by donating here.

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  • redtillimdead

    Tom Coburn comes up. I would say David Vitter, but he has his own election to focus on right now, and I’m not sure anyone’s looking for his endorsement. Governors? Palin, Jindal, Barbour, Perry? Probably not Barbour or Perry I guess, as RGA leadership, they probably support one of their Governors.But this is looking good for us!

    • Illinicon

      Since I am sure Crist was one of the McCain people trying to throw her under the bus. Heck I am surprised Rudy has not come out in favor of Rubio since Crist lied to him about endorsing him and then endorsed McCain.

      • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

        And Hoffman in NY-23.

        So, why not write to her. Read on.

        If you want a sea-change to occur on Nov. 2, 2010, wishing it will happen and ?talking it up? won?t make it happen. The ONLY guarantee for making it happen is real, boots-on-the-ground, political action WITHIN the Republican Party as a precinct committeeman. I heard Mark Levin yesterday, too. He goes only so far. He says ?talk to your neighbors and friends? and ?get involved politically.? Going to a Tea Party or town hall is not ?getting involved politically.? That, alone, won?t change anything.

        For those of you who know what I?m about to say, stop reading now as you?ve read this before. I don?t want to waste your time. (But, there’s more about Sarah Palin below.)

        Bottom line: the only way to change things (assuming you?re not a billionaire and can ?buy? an election) is to change the Republican Party. It is at 50 per cent ?strength? in that only 50 per cent of the available precinct committeeman slots nationwide are filled.

        There?s a 50-50 split in those filled slots between moderates and conservatives. If conservatives (like the ones here at Redstate and the thousands (millions?) that have gone to Tea Parties and town halls) who profess to want to ?DO SOMETHING?) would invade the Republican Party in droves to quickly fill up the 50 per cent of the precinct committeeman (?PC?) slots that are vacant, the make-up of our Party would change overnight.

        We?d have a Party at 100 per cent strength with a 75 per cent majority of conservatives.

        We?d get conservative leadership in the next round of Party internal leadership elections and we?d have conservative precinct committeemen endorsing, and helping to elect, the best conservative candidates in the Republican primary contests.

        Or, we can cross our fingers and sit at home and hope ?the Republican Party? magically presents us with better candidates in the general election. There is no such thing as ?the Republican Party.? It?s not static. It?s a reflection of its voting members. And with 50 per cent of the available precinct committeeman slots vacant, it?s there for the taking by conservatives. If only they will act.

        Why don?t our existing conservative ?leaders? talk about this? Michael Steele doesn?t. Why? BECAUSE HE?S NOT A CONSERVATIVE AND HE?S TERRIFIED THE CONSERVATIVES WOULD THROW HIM OUT IN THE NEXT RNC CHAIRMANSHIP ELECTION.

        Sen. Jim DeMint, Rep. Mike Pence and Rep. Tom Price, so called conservatives, spoke to the DC 9-12 rally crowd. Did they implore those in that ?target rich environment? of conservatives to become actual, functioning political operatives, that is, precinct committeemen? Did they tell the crowd the country needs a return to conservative principles and the road to that lies with a resurgent Republian Party? Did they explain the Party is at 50 per cent strengnth because 50 per cent of the slots are unfilled?

        Nope. Why not? Tom Price knows all of the above. I told him about it at the Redstate gathering. Why won?t they encourage conservatives to become PCs?

        I believe it?s because they, too, are terrified of a resurgent Republican Party with a strong conservative majority because it might mean a challenger would toss them out in the primary. An incumbent?s number one priority is to get re-elected. None of these congresscritters are ?pristine? conservatives. They?ve earmarked. They?ve on occasion compromised their principles. And they FEAR a primary challenger who will say, ?I?ll be a better conservative that this guy who?s been there forever and has done nothing but gone along to get along to the detriment of ?we the people? he?s supposed to have been representing and fight for.?

        Point me to a diary of one of these guys here on Redstate where they?ve implored us to become PCs. Please. I hope there is one. I haven?t found one.

        I?ve got DeMint?s book, ?Saving America.? Not a word in there about the paramount importance of becoming a precinct committeeman. Same with Levin?s ?Liberty and Tyranny.? Just vague exhortations to ?get involved.?

        Make that Nov. 2, 2010 Tea Party a reality ? by becoming a PC NOW. I stress NOW because in some states the deadline to become one is fast approaching. You?ll be left out.

        Go here to learn more:

        http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com

        Also, plug into the Redstate.com search pane the words precinct and committeeman to find more info.

        I?ve asked Sarah Palin by letter to make this plea to conservatives.

        If you think that?s a good idea and would also like to send her a letter, print out what I wrote here and send it to her via FedEx:

        Sarah L. Palin
        1140 W. Parks Highway
        Wasilla AK 99654-6910

        (907) 373-3113

        I tried calling the number but got no answer. I?m sure it?s just some number they use that they never answer. My letter was delivered and signed for by J. Palin.

        It?s one thing for me to make this plea, it would be quite another for Sarah to make it. Could you imagine if she did this? Obviously, the ?conservative? Republican incumbents won?t. It?s not in their self-interest, apparently. (Well, at least some of our AZ state reps and senators think otherwise ? I know three here in AZ who implore conservatives to become PCs whenever they speak to conservative audiences.)

        Thank you.

        ColdWarrior
        www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com

  • bassethound

    Inhofe is a HERO. You won’t find a more fearless debunker of the “global warming” cult anywhere. I wish the Republican party had more like him.

    He makes me proud to be from Oklahoma.

  • wcvarones

    I can’t wait!

  • zbigreddogz

    Would be for Crist to squeak out a primary win, after being forced to tack right, and Rubio coming back and running for Senate in ’12 against Nelson.

    That way, we’d still get to use Charlie’s endless fundraising to make the race easy, freeing up resources in other areas of the country, and we’d have someone great to KO Nelson in ’12.

    Don’t get me wrong, I perfer Rubio in a perfect world, and I won’t be sad if he gets the nomination, but my #1 goal is to get back to 43 seats or so, so as to realistically filibuster. And it just seems easier to me with Crist, and while Crist does some things that drive me nuts, I think he’s gotten a bit TOO bad of a rap around here. He’s not Arlen Specter. At worst, he’s more like George Voinovich, and he’s with us on virtually every big issue (minus John Bolton…which is the one sin I still haven’t forgiven him for).

    That said, I’ll be happy with a Rubio victory…it just makes me nervious given the steepness of the hill we must climb.

    • Hooah_Mac

      A Crist win doesn’t help anything. You want the filibuster? Then you need candidates who actually disagree with Reid and Pelosi.
      Crist may be with us on some things, but when it comes to the important issue right now – the size of government, he is our enemy not our friend. It is suicide for the Republicans to run anyone who is pro big government anywhere in this next cycle. If we can’t make a case both against the democrats and the previous republicans’ spending, we can’t gain and we can’t stop the democrats from socializing the country.

      • ufgator

        You are absolutely right. It is imperative to support conservatives who have core beliefs and values that do not change when they run for office.

    • redtillimdead

      Id rather have Rubio the extra 2 years when were in a minority, Crist wont be as bad in a majority

    • Martin Knight

      It goes against whatever passes nowadays for “moderate” principles.

      I have no fear of Crist voting Reid for Majority Leader or decamping to the D side of the aisle like Arlen Specter.

      But being Barack Obama’s “bipartisan” supporter on “our” side? Certainly. Endorsing Obama in 2012? At this point, I think it’s 60-40 he’ll be endorsing Obama and campaigning for him in Florida.

      That’s what I’m afraid of.

    • mbecker908

      1. Crist IS our next Arlen Specter in waiting.

      2. Never put a win off for two years when you can have it decisively now.

      3. Pound Crist into the ground now, do everything possible to destroy him politically in the process and run Jeb in ’12.

      • Martin Knight
        • pirate55

          Every Floridian, every American would benefit from a defeat of Senator Nelson. A challenge from Jeb Bush would be welcome and if not him, how about stepping up Connie Mack?

        • zbigreddogz

          There is no way Jeb is running for Senate in ’12. He might run for President, but if he wanted to run for Senate, he’d already be running.

          I think he’d make a great President, but unfortunately, his last name is wrong.

          Anyhow, goodbye.

    • pirate55

      It’s time to realize Charlie Crist is a McCain Republican and that faction of the Republican Party which has placed us in the predicament we are in. It’s time to quit consensus building and either stand up for conservatives in American or please get out of the way. Jim Greer better understand the growing discontent among Florida’s conservatives and permit equal footing for Mr. Rubio.

    • Scope

      “Would be for Crist to squeak out a primary win, after being forced to tack right”

      and just how long do you think he would stay on the right- I’d say until the day after the election, and, then he would join Snowe, Graham, McCain, Collins and the rest of the Liberal R’s in Congress. Do you really have such great desire to be lied to? or can’t you tell the difference?

      • zbigreddogz

        Now I remember why I stopped posting on Redstate. Anybody who even raises pragmatism against the true believers is instantly pilloried.

        I think I’ll go back to not posting here while you declare me to be a RINO SELLOUT or something like that and explain why I’m really no different then Ted Kennedy.

        • Scope

          let’s elect the RINO now and wait until 2012 to elect a conservative, well maybe you should consider not posting and just keep reading what reality really is. Have you ever heard of “A bird in hand is worth 2 in the Bush”? Also, again, why would you encourage that someone lie just to get elected, because you know that is what Crist has already started doing. Have a good sleep.

        • Scope

          let’s elect the RINO now and wait until 2012 to elect a conservative, well maybe you should consider not posting and just keep reading what reality really is. Have you ever heard of “A bird in hand is worth 2 in the Bush”? Also, again, why would you encourage that someone lie just to get elected, because you know that is what Crist has already started doing. Have a good sleep.

        • stixxxnstones

          Zbig, I won’t call you stupid, I promise :D Ad hominem is a waste of everybody’s time.

          That said, you’re wrong, and here’s why.

          Kendrick Meek is likely the Democrat to beat down in Florida. He’s an extreme leftist in a state that’s extremely not. Florida is the ultimate swing state, which essentially blows with the political winds.

          And which way are the winds blowing for 2010?

          So far, they’re blowing to the right. As evidenced by Rubio, against all party machinery and odds, catching up to a talented politician (and I mean that with every ounce of disrespect that title connotes) like Crist.

          So you’re asking me to believe that this will be a difficult environment — and there is no evidence for that. You’re asking me to believe that Kendrick Meek will be difficult to beat — and there is no evidence for that. You’re asking me to believe that Rubio stands a better chance of winning a statewide race against a sitting Senator whose politics fit Florida to a tee, when he (in your hypothetical) couldn’t beat essentially the same guy in a closed primary — and the evidence is strongly to the contrary.

          Whereas, if you win with Rubio now, in an easier environment against an easier opponent, you can send your political hitman (Crist) against a more difficult opponent next time, and ask him to earn the respect of the base before he runs for a permanent Senate seat.

          Or, you could send somebody better than Crist — a Jeb Bush, for example. And heck, that’s just the only other name I know in Florida — there could be another Rubio down there, for all I know. But the usefulness of moderates is to take out the majority-making moderates on the other side — not to build a majority’s base with.

          Priorities, my good man. Conservatism is the goal, pragmatism is the means. Use the moderates wisely — after all, they’re useful idiots.

  • ufgator

    The only chance we have to challenge Obama’s radical policies is to have strong conservatives in Washington fighting for the American people. Charlie Crist publically endorsed Obama’s stimulus plan, supports cap and trade, and appointed a liberal democrat to the Florida Supreme Court. Even if you do live in Florida, please consider contributing to Marco Rubio’s campaign.