« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Bob Bennett Cries Foul

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  April 23rd, 2010 at 12:14 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Bob Bennett is out. He’s toast. Dead man walking. Pick your description.

Bob Bennett will not be the next Senator for the State of Utah despite Mitt Romney himself going to the Utah State Convention and begging them to re-elect Bennett.

Bob Bennett’s political career is finished.

How do we know?

As I type this, in Utah, Bob Bennett is behind the podium at a press conference he called and is assailing the Club For Growth and out of state interests coming into Utah to attack him, malign him, and beat him.

He’s really upset about it. And he is begging Utah Republicans to not do what they have every intention of doing.

Bob Bennett would not be calling this press conference if he were not toast. He’s going after the Club for Growth and outsiders not to go on offense, but to set the narrative of his defeat.

He will have us all ignore that the bulk of his money for his campaign has come from Washington, DC and lobbying interests, including Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Pay no attention to the money behind the man behind the curtain.

Good riddance.

UPDATE: A friend notes that Bennett has taken $651,000 from out of state individuals. On top of that, he’s received $324,000 from the finance and insurance industry (Wall Street), including TARP recipients like Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, Citigroup, US Bancorp, and Bank of America. And the recently scandalized Goldman Sachs. He also has received $46,000 from law firms (Lobbyists) and even $3,000 from organized labor.

Tags: , , ,

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • the_invisible_hand

    I love these guys attacking outside forces. You know you are dead when that happens. As if they wouldn’t welcome outside support themselves.

  • Locked and Loaded

    this is also a signal of Romney’s future on the stage.

    I sure hope so. We need conservative winners.

  • Right Reason

    It creates momentum for the effort, it encourages other challengers, and it makes those in office who might otherwise stray leftward think twice.

  • dhorowitz3

    Hopefully this will serve as a warning to old bull Orin Hatch not to make out with the Democrats. Its amazing what primaries will do to RINO’s. Just take McCain for an example.

  • toadold

    The caucuses in Utah didn’t select enough of Benndict’s er Bennet’s delegates to the Republican primary convention for him to stand any chance. It was the locals and the local Tea Party groups that did him in. In these days of alternative news he got outed for what he is. He can spin but all he’ll do is drill a hole to fall into.

  • saintgeorgegentile

    Bennett slammed the CFG at the Washington County convention last weekend (he didn’t mention them by name but it was obvious who he was talking about). Bennett received a civil but underwhelming reception here (Mormon’s are nothing if not polite) with no overt support from any other Republican on the dais. My greatest concern is that if he loses on May 8th at the state convention he’ll show his true colors and start voting like the scoundrel he is.

  • jaybo

    It will not be enough to come to your constituents when you are seeking re-election and tell your base that you should be returned to office because you are a republican (conservative). You now actually have to live up to the standards that you claim to believe in when you go to Washington DC (what a concept!).

    Are you listening Sen. Graham?

    Are you listening Sen. Collins and Sen. Lincoln?

  • Oz

    must romney haters show up in every thread.

  • Oz

    must romney haters show up in every thread.

  • Oz

    So you’re saying that he doesn’t even have enough supporters to make it to a two man race?

    That would be great news, but I’ll wait for the votes to be counted or have they and I just missed the link.

    Here’s hoping for a true conservative from a very conservative state.

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

    civics of Utah who have made this happen:

    http://www.redstate.com/coldwarrior/2010/04/21/utah-tea-party-weve-taken-over-the-state-gop/

    This is what “we the [conservative] people” need to do in every state. The Republican Party is there for the taking by conservatives if we’d just all UNITE INSIDE it.

    Thank you.
    ColdWarrior, PC
    Conservatives, UNITE! CHANGE the Republican Party and the world by UNITING INSIDE the Party as precinct committeemen. NOW!

  • Locked and Loaded

    so prominently and pertinently in the second line of the piece – as Bennett’s greatest asset no less.

    Far from being a Romney hater, I supported him in 2008. Yet, the times they are a changing.

    In hoping Bennett is history, should we not hope his supporters go with him?

  • Locked and Loaded

    so prominently and pertinently in the second line of the piece – as Bennett’s greatest asset no less.

    Far from being a Romney hater, I supported him in 2008. Yet, the times they are a changing.

    In hoping Bennett is history, should we not hope his supporters go with him?

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    And are you so sure Maine Republicans don’t like Sen. Collins?

  • constitutionalconservative

    The Kos crowd and the Democratic left realized this some time ago. The only way to keep wobbly politicians in line is to make sure they understand they will lose their jobs if they don’t.

  • mbecker908

    Bennett has credible competition. McCain doesn’t.

    If Shadegg or Flake had run in the primary it would be a different story.

  • mbecker908

    Senator Graham and Senator Snowe or Senator Collins?

  • crassus

    While it is true that the “Tea Party” really is just Republicans and conservative independents (no apologies here) it is important that bad Republicans get replaced by better ones to gian credibility.

    In ranking Utah candidates, I’d say

    1. Mike Lee
    2. Cherilyn Eagar
    3. Tim Bridgewater

    And to the person who wants a credible challenger to Lindsey Graham I’d say either J Gresham Barrett (ACU-98) or Nikki Haley. Graham isn’t up for re-election until 2014.

  • jaybo

    And NO, I will not waste my hard earned money by giving it to the RNC.

    Instead I will target specific candidates that show promise as real conservatives. By the way that would go for any primary challenger to the above senators.

  • crassus

    McCain doesn’t have credible competition?

    J.D. Hayworth, former congressmen is down by a mere 47-42 in the latest Rasmussen Reports poll.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    I’m correcting it now. I no longer encourage people to give to the RNC as long as Steele is in there.

    But please give to the NRCC. Steele isn’t there. He’s not in charge of its money.

  • Right_Again

    At the end they will take a straw poll of all of the county delegates regarding the Senate race. Utah County is quite possibly the most conservative county in our very conservative State. I will be surprised if Bennett does even as well as third. I’m betting fourth. My wife is a county delegate so I’ll report the results on here tomorrow.

  • jaybo

    And I disagree that Michael Steele is bad for the RNC. I suspect that he is running into trouble with the establishment republicans that continually choose political power over principles. He needs to clean up the mess that is in there.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    The NRCC is all we’ve got. Nobody else is equipped to deal with 435 house elections. Giving to individual candidates fails spectacularly in that case

  • crassus

    Giving to the NRCC is not as good for sevaral reasons.

    (1) Individual candidates will be more responsible with the money you give them. This would be true even if the NRCC were honorable (it isn’t).

    (2) NY-23. Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?

    (3) Because they may get involved in primaries and support bad candidates. Why wouldn’t you give to the candidates whom you thought were the best.

    (4) There are many better PACs to give to, like the Club for Growth, Senate Conservatives etc.

  • bsoe

    Most active state delegates have known that Bennett was toast long ago.

    Regardless of who we support, lets cast our votes in the final to avoid having primaries. If we can avoid primaries in both the Senate and House races, we can make a run at taking out Matheson. If we end up with a primary in either race, Matheson wins. If Matheson wins, Pelosi wins.

    A Vote for a candidate that puts us in a primary is a vote for Pelosi.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    CfG is a single issue PAC. They’re not going to follow 435 house districts.

    The Senate Conservatives Fund doesn’t do the House.

    Duh.

    If you badmouth the NRCC and don’t give us a functioning alternative that works for a majority, and not just for a few races, then you’re wasting our time.

  • arc_ut

    re: $500 to Lee donated to Bob Bennett’s campaign in Oct. 2008. Did Lee knew about Bennet and Tarp or not?

    As quoted by Utah Policy: ?I was furious at Bennett for voting in favor of TARP. I almost didn?t go to the event. I was hoping that Bennett would give us some explanation why he voted in favor of the program. He didn?t.?

    As quoted by Lee supporters on facebook from Dan Hauser: “The timing needs to be put into context. This was two weeks after TARP but at the height of the election. The focus was on not letting Obama win, and many had to hold their noses with McCain. Mike was not aware of Bob?s role in TARP at that time or about the Healthy American?s Act. Mike was basically asked by a colleague to make the donation to fend off a Matheson run. So Mike did. Once the Presidential election was over and
    Mike was able to read up on TARP he realized how problematic that was.”

    I guess Lee can’t remember why he donated $500 for Bennett on October 25, 2008.

    I do know by Jan 22. 2009 someone I know was asking Mike Lee if he was going to run and Feb. 19, 2009 Mike Lee had his first house meeting in Mapleton Utah with a room full of people. He was going to probably run then, but it took until Nov. 14, 2009 before I heard for sure he would run for US Senate, but starting in Jan. or Feb. 2010.

    Perhaps Lee wasn’t as ticked at Bennett and Tarp as he could have been.

  • RedBeard

    …he just now discovered that he might lose his phony-baloney job because he failed to act according to the wishes of his state?

    My, my. What a concept. An elected official, a senator from a sovereign state, expected to do what the folks in that state want done. Radical concept, ain’t it?

  • JadedByPolitics

    been crying FOUL for some time now! Turnabout is fairplay as WE all know :)

  • crassus

    I’m talking about people that are ONLY going to give a few hundred or thousand dollars a year. If you give to many organizations than I suppose the NRCC is ok. But I suspect most people only can make a few contributions each cycle. Also, there is no point in the whole 435 districts thing. At least 100 of those are just waisting time. A reasonsable goal might be 270-300. That in and of itself would be far better than Republicans have ever done. Cheers.

  • shadowtax

    If that seat opened up, I believe SC will elect a great conservative. There are so many candidates running this cycle for Governor, Lt. Gov, AG, and the two open House seats. That’s good news for developing a deep bench.

  • Doc Holliday

    but SC still has a lot of ‘splainin to do. I don’t know that they would elect him again.

  • Right_Again

    My wife just returned from the convention. Just as I predicted, Bennett came in fourth. The breakdown was: Mike Lee 41%, Cherilyn Eager 22%, Tim Bridgewater 18%, and finally Bob Bennett 15%. It appears that Bennett will not make it out of convention.

    Many county delegates were trying to become state delegates in order to vote against Bennett. Hopefully enough of those who were elected state delegates feel the same as these county delegates.

    I would be pleased with any of the top three candidates.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    You don’t get it though: To shoot for winning 270-300, we have to WATCH all 435 to know which ones need money.

    The NRCC is more responsive than individual donors are to that. Individual donors will give too much money to some races, because they got mor media attention, and not enough money to under-the-radar upset opportunities.

  • JadedByPolitics

    in all 435? That was exactly Dean’s strategy and he angered a lot of Democrats who thought he was crazy and guess what he was right and they blew open Republican districts with “conservative” Democrats and WE of course know those were LYING Democrats because there are NO Conservative Democrats but he went out there to attack every district and WE MUST DO THE SAME! There can be no lying back whining that WE cannot WIN everywhere!

  • Scope

    he never has been able to do anything unless someone told him to. LaHood would be a fine puppetmaster. Graham is with him on the Global Warming EPA thing already.

  • crassus

    I definitely think that Lee and Eagar are the two best. I give Lee the edge because he is extremely well informed on legal issues, and could tear up leftist nominees for the Supreme Court if (which he should) is on the Judiciary Committee.

  • crassus

    I definitely think that Lee and Eagar are the two best. I give Lee the edge because he is extremely well informed on legal issues, and could tear up leftist nominees for the Supreme Court if (which he should) is on the Judiciary Committee.

  • ihateliberals

    calling some Republicans Republicans. Mitt Romney, Huckabee, John McCain and yes what about Bob? these people are RINO’s. they are the middle of the readers that have gotten the Republican party in such disarray. We need strong Ronald Reagan Style Republicans if we want; to take back congress and the Republican party.

    What good ole bob doesn’t understand is that they all Senators have an effect on All US citizens regardless of what state they are from. It is time that we made these national elections actually be national. It is in my best interest to be interested in what a Bob Bennett or John McCain or a Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi are dong. It is in my best interest to make sure that no matter what state a person lives in they must make sure that strong conservatives get elected in all states.

  • MF

    how many of those 42 percent are for Hayworth, and how many are for “any (R) other than McCain”? How would McCain poll against a dead cat?

  • rightwingmom52

    like most politicians he claims to be working on behalf of all Americans when it’s convenient for his career. I make this point repeatedly every time I call an elected official who is not in my district. I identify myself as an active, registered voter who makes individual campaign contributions and I tell them I am one of those Americans the official claims to be working for.

  • cahnman

    n/t

  • Tbone
  • bs61
  • bs61

    I’m afraid if we vote McCain out in the primary, that he’ll have nothing to lose and be Obama’s lap dog!