Club For Growth's Chocola: We're Closely Watching Hatch, Lugar, Snowe

Sunday, 06 Mar 2011 06:23 PM
By Henry J. Reske and Ashley Martella
Video at the link

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch’s recent embrace of tea party values does not erase the Republican’s 40 years of history in Washington, Club for Growth President Chris Chocola tells Newsmax.TV.

Club for Growth, which helped end the political careers of Sens. Robert Bennett of Utah and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, is keeping a close watch on other longtime GOP senators up for re-election, says Chocola, a former Indiana congressman.

The Club for Growth is a national network that promotes fiscally conservative public policies that encourage a high-growth economy. Among the group's key principles are reducing income tax rates, repealing the estate tax, limiting government through limited spending, tort reform and expanding trade freedom.

The organization is monitoring the re-election bids of not only Hatch but also Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, says Chocola, who expects primary challenges for all three regardless of what his group decides. When looking at candidates, the Club for Growth examines the records as “a whole,â€