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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

On The Senate

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  December 14th, 2011 at 11:54 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

According to the vote count that leaked out, Senator Roy Blunt became Senate Republican Conference Vice Chairman with 25 votes and Senator Ron Johnson lost with 22 votes.

Let me be up front that I genuinely like Roy Blunt. But I also think Senator Blunt is part of the status quo problem in Washington. My support of Ron Johnson was about Ron Johnson being a guy from a state hard for the GOP to win who has fresh, conservative ideas and isn’t in Washington raiding the budget to send back home.

But such a guy is anathema to the Senate GOP leadership. Our work is not done. But there are races across the country where we can help turn the tide and get a set of Senate Republicans who will turn the tide, who will fight for fiscal sanity and a smaller Washington. The odds are in the GOP’s favor to take back the Senate.

We need to increase the odds that conservatives take back the Senate GOP. It is a long fight. But here are some candidates who will help. There are links you can follow to give them money and, if you choose not to give to them, please at least consider the Senate Conservatives Fund.

Arizona

In Arizona, Representative Jeff Flake is running. He is a no nonsense budget cutter who will side with the conservative wing of the Republican Senate Caucus and has never been afraid to stand up to the leadership.

Florida

There has been a sudden infatuation in the primary with Rep. Connie Mack, but while his voting record in the House was conservative, he never proved himself to be a guy willing to stand up to leadership and actually fight. I’m sticking with Adam Hasner who, during this campaign season, has proven himself to be in lock step with the conservative movement. He was one of the first candidates for the Senate to say he too would support Ron Johnson and he is not wedded to Mitch McConnell as leader.

Indiana

Here is one where we can pick up a good seat overall. Richard Mourdock, the State Treasurer of Indiana, is running in the primary against Senator Dick Lugar. Not only do we have the chance to add a conservative to the Senate, but we have the chance to pick off a squishy Republican in the process.

Nebraska

The Senate GOP does not like Don Stenberg. They say that Stenberg ran once statewide for the Senate and lost. This is true. What they do not tell you is that Stenberg was winning that race until the genius head of the NRSC, a guy named Mitch McConnell at the time, ran a bunch of uncoordinated, nasty, and fatuous ads against Stenberg’s opponent, causing a media firestorm that hurt Don Stenberg in the final two weeks of the campaign. Stenberg did everything right, McConnell did everything wrong, and now McConnell wants to do everything he can to stop Stenberg from getting to the Senate. That should be reason enough to support Stenberg.

Ohio

There is no finer choice in Ohio than Josh Mandel. He’s already proven he can get votes statewide. He has a military background and he is fundamentally a small government conservative. And it would be a real win for the nation if we picked off the socialist Sherrod Brown with the conservative Josh Mandel.

Texas

Do I need to say anything more than Ted Cruz? Seriously? The guy is a rock star and will join Mike Lee in Senate constitutional awesomeness once he gets to the Senate. The former Solicitor General of Texas, Cruz knows a thing or two about the constitution and he’s not afraid to stand up to the Senate GOP leadership.

Thus far in Campaign 2012, these are my candidates for the Senate. If you poured your heart into getting Marco Rubio, Mike Lee, Pat Toomey, and Rand Paul into the Senate, you should join me in supporting these guys. They are the next wave of conservatives to take on the Senate GOP and move the country right.

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COMMENTS

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  • earlgrey

    candidates, but hopefully by bringing this to the attention of the Red State community we can get some more $$ to good conservative candidates.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    will not support conservative challengers in primaries – specifically in Indiana where we have the opportunity to send the loathable Dick Lugar into a well deserved retirement.

    Any way to impact that decision??

  • Russ Martin

    to vote for Ted Cruz to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison.

  • Lucas Black

    I agree with all of those except FL. I’m down with Connie Mack IV. I liked Hasner, but he’s just not catching on. He needs to run for something else or perhaps get appointed when Rubio is sworn in as VP.

  • Sean (SIConservative)

    Nothing against Stenberg, but what does he have that Bruning doesn’t?

  • Whacker77

    Connie Mack has the ability to unify the entire party in Florida and he’s been a real conservative stalwart on fiscal issues. I understand why someone might like Hasner in theory, but he hasn’t been able to generate any excitement.

    At some point, this is about the ability to win a race. I know some will say Hasner is the next Rubio, but Rubio was running for an open seat against a squish and poor Kendrick Meek. The 2012 candidate will be running against an entrenched Democrat Senator in a battleground state.

    I’m excited about the more conservative, viable nominees we’re fielding for the Senate, but we must guard against the O’Donnell/Angle problem. Paul, Rubio, Lee, Toomey, Johnson, and Rubio were a great start, but let’s not ruin the momentum by supporting people who probably have little chance of winning.

    Right now, I’m for Mack in Florida and Brunning in Nebraska. My support for Brunning would change to Heinemann if he decided to run. I’m not interested in nominating Stenberg because he’s already run and lost statewide several times. He’s got the stink of a repeat candidate.

  • Tim Griffin@griffinelection

    We need a pro-life woman in the U.S. Senate that won’t vote to increase government and lose elections when we need her most, unlike the frontrunner.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    don’t need Jamie Radtke. She’s probably not a witch, but she does make the former female, pro-life candidate from Delaware look sane at times.

  • Scope

    Radtke has never gotten out of low single digits in state polling. She has never been able to collect any funds, and almost a year out, she is more than $200,000 in the hole. OTOH, Allen is running neck and neck with Kaine, and has collected millions in fundraising. Virginians will never be stupid enough to hand the currently Democrat Senate seat back to another Democrat with nominating Radtke, or any of the other myriad of candidates also running in the primary. Besides, Radtke is a Ron Paul approved candidate, and that should say it all.

  • Scope

    to keep bringing up Jamies Radtke here at RS particularly because of the negative Radtke/Redstate history.

  • joecollins

    . . . to elect enough conservatives to the Senate to vote someone other than Mitch as Senate Leader. Imagine giving the Senate the option of electing a conservative to bring in a limited government, pork-free, budget cutter.

    Based on the vote above, we need at least four. 2012 is more than the presidency.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …and won’t run for Veep; Hasner was effective @ the RedState Gathering.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …as per a debate @ last week’s meeting of the PA Society.

    http://www.politicspa.com/grading-the-pasociety-debate/30083/

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …was an omission for the precis that is somewhat telling; he held $-raisers @ his home for Sestak/Obama [and voted D], claiming he was enamored of supporting home/change while being annoyed @ the R’s.

    Jus’ sayin’….

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …chatted with him [and Guzzardi thinks he's great], probably the reason why Vernon [who worked with Petraeus, good speaker] dropped-out.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …who is a Constitutional Scholar, per direct probing ~18 months ago, and who is supported inter-alia by a true-conservative, Rep. Curt Schroder [who would have run for Congress had Gerlach not flipped back from other ambitions...and who is now retiring...and who has distinguished himself in multiple realms].

  • Lucas Black

    It’s easy to say you won’t take it – I suspect that if offered it, he would not say ‘no’.
    I like Hasner, but he just has not caught on down here in FL. That’s the reason Mack got in. At this point, Hasner would be smart to look for another race to run in and drop out of the Senate race and endorse Mack.

  • jomo2009

    let me put in a plug for state Sen. Mike Doherty. He’s a constitutional conservative and recently sponsored an amendment to the state constitution to solve the wretched property tax inequity that has bedeviled New Jersey for the last three decades. Sen. Robert Menendez will get a good fight from Mike. How could he not? what with Doherty being a Marine Corps vet.

  • http://bobnew.com robertnew

    Yeah, don’t give to them. Give directly to the candidate.

  • http://www.sunshinestatesarah.com SunshineStateSarah

    He won the CPAC – Florida straw poll by a wide margin – and that was as fair as can be. Each candidate had equal speaking time and got to give two speeches.

    True, CPAC was before Mack got in the race, but Hasner just won the Pasco County straw poll by another huge margin – 51% to Mack’s 25%. Keep in mind that (1) Pasco County is fairly close to Mack’s Congressional District, and (2) Mack has been on TV a LOT the past few months, so he’s a known quantity.

    http://bit.ly/tmHjD4

    The takeaway here is that when people hear from Adam Hasner, they like him and overwhelmingly vote for him. Mack does have good name recognition and inherited good will from his father, but he just doesn’t have the conservative backbone that Hasner has.

    All we need is to continue the (so far) excellent fundraising momentum we have so that we can get his message out.

    FYI – link to video of Hasner’s speech at the RedState Gathering and an interview afterwards:

    http://www.sunshinestatesarah.com/2011/08/adam-hasner-wows-attendees-at-redstate.html

    Judge for yourself if you think he is a good messenger for the conservative cause.

  • GregInFla

    But I have a hard time supporting a Florida Congressman for Senate whose wife, Mary Bono Mack, is a Congresswoman from California. Something about this causes me to have doubts about commitments here. Do they simply live in DC? Hasner strikes me as real. I like that.

  • cwilson

    McConnell (et Boehner) delenda est.

  • celador2

    Jim Demint backs Mark Neumann for US Senate in Wisconisn. Neumann served in Congress iin 1995-98 and lost a Senate run that year. He lost primary for governot 2010 to Scott Walker. Neumann is still strong.

    Demint has been very vocal in favor of Neumann against Tommy Thompson in primary 2012. I thought Demint broke his pledge not to endorse in primaries when he came out for Neumann.

    If he has not formally endorsed he sounds as if he has endorsed Neumann for Wisconsin Senate.

  • rcastonjr

    give to the SCF if you can afford it. They did great work helping get true conservatives elected in 2010 and will be a great help in 2012 and beyond. Jim DeMint is working hard to get true conservatives elected. Why people on this site would not support that is bewildering.

  • celador2

    A vote for Blunt at 25 is too close for comfort for him. A Rookie tea party challenger , Ron Johnson at 22, is very impressive as it shows organizational support is strong for a rookie Senator. Johnson says in ads he is an accountant-business man. That helped defeat Feingold.

    The momentum or direction must continue in favor of the conservatives who openly cite the constitution as their source of authority.

  • celador2

    Good luck in NJ and to Mike Doherty.

    I see that all the many conservatives are rallying and moving along in the right direction, NJ has some gems like Lungren? who for years stayed true to limited government and thrived as a public official, a mayor, I think.

    Menendez had a challenger then it fell apart. 2012 that will not be the case. Doherty will win imo.

    And if the Dem majority can be cracked in NJ it will be slowed even derailed. It looks as if Democrats NJ are demoralized while Republicans get down to doing the people’s business.

    That characterization is a caricature but you know what I mean.

  • celador2

    I would like to see the big money the tea party express poured into falures like Nevada Angle or Miller Alaska even McDonnell DE put $$ into a sound thoughtful constitutional candidate who derives her political origins from the tea party VA which she founded!

    Her credentials are stellar and her policy views reflect the limited role of government she would practice. She has a desire to serve. As a citizen she is ready to step up and serve

    I like what I have seen of her and regret Allen will not debate.

    A pro life woman in Senate with Radtke’s zeal is what we all need. Thank you for posting about her campaign.

  • celador2

    I would like to see the big money the tea party express poured into falures like Nevada Angle or Miller Alaska even McDonnell DE put $$ into a sound thoughtful constitutional candidate who derives her political origins from the tea party VA which she founded!

    Her credentials are stellar and her policy views reflect the limited role of government she would practice. She has a desire to serve. As a citizen she is ready to step up and serve

    I like what I have seen of her and regret Allen will not debate.

    A pro life woman in Senate with Radtke’s zeal is what we all need. Thank you for posting about her campaign.

  • celador2

    I would like to see the big money the tea party express poured into falures like Nevada Angle or Miller Alaska even McDonnell DE put $$ into a sound thoughtful constitutional candidate who derives her political origins from the tea party VA which she founded!

    Her credentials are stellar and her policy views reflect the limited role of government she would practice. She has a desire to serve. As a citizen she is ready to step up and serve

    I like what I have seen of her and regret Allen will not debate.

    A pro life woman in Senate with Radtke’s zeal is what we all need. Thank you for posting about her campaign.

  • celador2

    What missteps ro gaffes has Radtke made that have hurt the 2012 Senate race in any way?

    What little I have seen of her ads and talk it looks to me as if the people of Virginia are all the more enriched.

    This lady is heavy duty.

  • carolynr

    Can you say….Saxby Chambliss. We need a real Conservative in GA. This is another Romney…do and say anything to get elected and then changed once he gets the vote. I hope DeMint…or someone here in GA comes up with something better.

    He is the jewel that voted against drilling offshore in the US. and on that point…watch this video and let it go viral. Now we see where the oil money is going…to educate our kids…and now we see why Obama is so opposed to it.

    http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid949801312001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAACEco_Vk~,9bOat4XcfB_88ri1a3UMdKnLpH9aM8Fv&bclid=0&bctid=1271237687001

  • morstar150

    Sorry but Adam Hasner is not catching on I disagree with those who say he is. He does not have the statewide regognition. His a good guy but he has taken a very big step and I think he will falter. Connie Mack has name recognition and is very popular in his own district.

    Here’s a Rasmussen Poll on this race shortly after Mack got in.

    Nelson 39% Connie Mack 43%

    Nelson 39% George LeMieux 33%

    Nelson 40% Adam Hasner 31%

    http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2012/election_2012_senate_elections/florida/election_2012_florida_senate

    Why would anyone vote for Lemieux? He needs to rehabilitate his name and excise himself from Charlie Crist.

  • morstar150

    Get real!

  • morstar150

    Anyone but her!

    She’s a plague on the Republican party,

  • tailfins1959

    It’s going to take some work just to get Paul LePage re-elected Governor.

    http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/19267/Default.aspx

    On the political front, nearly 74 percent of those polled said they had a very, or somewhat, favorable opinion of Snowe. Nearly 67 percent of Democrats, 79 percent of Republicans and more than 80 percent of Independents surveyed had a very, or somewhat, favorable opinion of Snowe.

  • wrg3

    There is a long way to go before the election; Hasner recently released internal polling showing that when the voters actually learn about the candidates he comes out ahead of Mack. That combined with the strong grassroots support he has, and is continuing to build, his army of endorsements, and his strong, principled conservative message will propel him to the front of the pack once voters start paying attention to the FL senate race. Also, I for one have had enough of the GOP nominating candidates who are not 100% committed to completely reversing our nation’s course and returning to smart, conservative, limited government like our founders intended for us to have. The other candidates who have a chance all have backgrounds that show they are not 100% committed, and have weaknesses in other areas that can be exploited by Nelson in the general election.