Thread: Conservative Senator "Staying Neutral" In Arizona

FoxNews.com
February 10, 2010 | 12:17 PM ET
Conservative Senator "Staying Neutral" In Arizona

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC, darling of the conservative Tea Party movement, just told our Gregg Jarrett live on Fox that he intends to remain "neutral" in the Arizona GOP primary where incumbent Sen. John McCain now has a conservative challenger --- former Rep. J.D. Hayworth.

McCain has always had trouble with the right wing of his party, particularly in Arizona, and more particularly after he joined forces with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-MA, a liberal, to craft a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Hayworth railed against the reform effort at the time.

DeMint was adamantly opposed to the legislation, as well, and he and McCain are certainly not close, so this is no surprise. As McCain has moved further right since the '08 election, DeMint and he have come together on some issues, like recently annoucing a one-year earmark moratorium proposal and a Constitutional balanced budget amendment. Still -- DeMint was a Mitt Romney guy in the 2008 presidential race.

DeMint has said he's perfectly willing to go against GOP incumbents -- his own colleagues -- because he thinks it's healthy for the process, that it weeds out possible 3rd party challenges. And DeMint is quick to add that it's not about him but about "taking back our country" -- as he sees President Obama and Democrats deepening the involvement of the federal government in everyday lives.

"My intent is not to shine a light on me but focus on underdog candidates who are not underdog anymore," DeMint told Fox.

So - the fact that DeMint's remaining neutral is perhaps good news for McCain. No doubt Hayworth could use the backing and finanical resources that DeMint is now able to marshall with his legions of conservative followers. He's dropping a "money bomb" on the conservative candidate in the Florida Senate race, for instance -- hundreds of thousands of dollars for Marco Rubio --- against the establishment's pick: Gov. Charlie Crist. (DeMint has a conservative PAC he set up a number of years ago.)

Hayworth is expected to officially announce his candidacy Monday in Phoenix.

http://congress.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/ ... n-arizona/

Politico
DeMint staying out of Arizona
By: Jessica Taylor
February 10, 2010 12:35 PM EST

South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint won't be wading into the Arizona Senate primary between GOP Sen. John McCain and former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a DeMint spokesman confirmed Wednesday.

Spokesman Wesley Denton told POLITICO that while McCain and DeMint have "worked together to end the earmark favor factory and to balance the budget to stop runaway debt and will continue to do so," the outspoken conservative's PAC "is focused on helping to bring new conservative leaders to Washington in 2010, and will only be involved in a limited number of primaries."

On Tuesday, DeMint said on Glenn Beck's radio show that he didn't plan on getting involved in Arizona, but warned McCain against any temptation to work with Democrats on health care reform.

"I'm not going to get involved with this race in Arizona. And if John McCain goes with this health care bill, I'll be his biggest opponent and I think he knows that. But I don't know that he's going to do that," DeMint said. "But what we're trying to do is get some new senators from around this country who will stand with us on these key issues."

While Beck said it was "great news" that DeMint would not back his Senate colleague for reelection, DeMint insisted: "I know J.D. well, and they can have their own race."

DeMint's group, the Senate Conservatives Fund, has backed several insurgent Republican primary candidates, including Marco Rubio in Florida and Chuck DeVore in California, over GOP establishment favorites.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32785.html

Wow! Is Fox News taking up for McCain or what? I could not believe how they left the word AMNESTY out of that piece above!

W

They really played it down didn't they? The reason is because of their promotion of Sarah Palin who is backing McCain and having signed Sarah up as a Fox "contributor". Fox put themselves in a box on that one.

"DeMint's group, the Senate Conservatives Fund, has backed several insurgent Republican primary candidates, including Marco Rubio in Florida and Chuck DeVore in California, over GOP establishment favorites."

_____________________

This should be illegal. US Senators and US Representatives should not be able to form "funds" to add to or subtract from the balance of power within any organization they're elected to serve in.

If they want to raise money to impact or influence the outcome of elections, other than their own, then they need to resign as a member of the US Congress. That's a clear cut abuse of their power as elected representatives of the people. Our Congress doesn't decide who its members are going to be, the voters of the districts and states decide that.

Geez! Where are the Constitutional Lawyers on this one?!!

Republicans, you're going to blow this if you don't wise up.

How can South Carolina have two U.S. Senators from the same Political Party who are complete opposites? Be thankful that you have Senator DeMint! I'll trade you one Senator Kamnesty Bailey from my state for your Senator DeMint! I could even throw in a governor to be named later.

Originally Posted by lccat

How can South Carolina have two U.S. Senators from the same Political Party who are complete opposites? Be thankful that you have Senator DeMint! I'll trade you one Senator Kamnesty Bailey from my state for your Senator DeMint! I could even throw in a governor to be named later.

Jim DeMint supports Free Trade Treason. He's part of the Free Trade Traitor contngent in the US Congress who's sold out our country for years which has done even more damage to our country than illegal immigration. DeMint is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Every free trade agreement he voted for increases immigration from those countries into the United States, steals jobs from Americans in two ways, jobs out and people in, and has done as much as any traitor in the US Congress to bankrupt our nation and impoverish our people increasing the cost burden of taxpayers to support these people who don't have any jobs and no prayer of ever finding one.

http://www.issues2000.org/International ... _Trade.htm

From Link:

"Textile industry is dying so trade isn’t the issue
TENENBAUM: “It’s the cheap imports that are putting our people out of work,â€

What they said was with the statement DeMint made about staying out of AZ means he must support Hayworth

I picture DeMint supporting Hayworth but probably affraid to come out and say anything against a fellow incumbent.

Beck said the other day that the two most patriotic people in congress are DeMint and Michelle Bachmann.

To sum it up you are saying that while Graham is busy importing ILLEGALS to take United States Citizen's Jobs, DeMint is busy exporting United States Citrizen's jobs outside of the country. However I am still willing to give South Carolina our Senator KAMNESTY Bailey without receiving anything in return.

Originally Posted by lccat

To sum it up you are saying that while Graham is busy importing ILLEGALS to take United States Citizen's Jobs, DeMint is busy exporting United States Citrizen's jobs outside of the country. However I am still willing to give South Carolina our Senator KAMNESTY Bailey without receiving anything in return.

Exactly. Big Business bought up DeMint and small business bought up Lindsey and both forsook the people of the United States in return.