Erick Erickson's Blog, page 61

Not Closing the Deal

"In five years of campaigning it is stunning to me that the Romney camp still has no clue how to play the expectations game."

This morning you were going to read a post from me saying Mitt Romney was definitely now the nominee and it was time for Santorum and Gingrich to drop out. The post was predicated on late polling and early corresponding exit polling from yesterday showing that Mitt Romney won Mississippi. He had finally won in the south.

But the early exits changed with the late exits. The late polling was wrong. Happily I could delete my post. Not only did Mitt Romney not win either Alabama or Mississippi, but he is, as you wake up, coming in third in both. The polls were wrong.

Yesterday, Mitt Romney went on CNN and told Wolf Blitzer that Rick Santorum's campaign was coming to a "desperate end." That seems more apt this morning to Romney's southern campaign. Given his poor showing, it's understandable if you expect Newt Gingrich to call on Romney to get out.

There is a lot to review in this biggest story of the day. But the start should be a simple question: does Mitt Romney need more debates?

The Romney camp signaled it was tired of the debates. But in the Florida debates the Romney camp largely destroyed Gingrich before winning Florida. In the Mesa, AZ debate on CNN the Romney camp ruined Rick Santorum before winning Arizona and barely Michigan.

Both times the Romney campaign used good debate performances to rebound lagging poll numbers into real momentum. Then he decided to stop debating. Out of sight and out of mind, conservatives forgot why they thought he was the guy who could beat Obama.

Does he need to get back to debating?

The most striking thing about last night's elections is that none of the candidates can close the deal. In effect, there was a three way tie, though it worked to Romney's disadvantage.

Newt Gingrich last night proved he is neither a regional candidate nor a spoiler. His influence is headed into Ron Paul territory. Gingrich could not win the deep south. He won Georgia and South Carolina. A Catholic yankee from Pennsylvania won Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and will probably win Louisiana. Even with Gingrich in the race, Santorum beat Romney. He was no spoiler. Gingrich's final act could be king maker by getting out and endorsing, but pride cometh before the fall. Gingrich is in mid fall. What a sad end to a brilliant legacy. But his campaign is over. All we need is Haley Joel Osment and M. Night Shyamalan to point out to him he is dead.

Santorum won the states. It was a huge victory. But even he is not closing the deal. The striking thing about the exits, which over all captured the race fairly well, is that Santorum's voters made up their mind in the last few weeks. In other words, Santorum's voters made up their minds as Romney was winning Arizona, Michigan, and Ohio. Santorum's vote is not about Santorum so much as it is about stopping Romney. He needs to bring those voters fully on board and give them a reason to vote for Santorum. He is on the verge of doing so.

Were I Mitt Romney I'd be firing staff. It's almost like God himself is toying with Romney. Maybe it is because the Romney camp says it would take an Act of God for Santorum or Gingrich to win. God seems like he wants to make it happen.

I don't think I have seen any political team mishandle and bungle expectations as badly as Team Romney. Every time they let expectations get out of hand they lose. They did it in Iowa. They did it in South Carolina. They did it in Tennessee. They did it in Mississippi. Hell, they did it in Michigan where Romney did win, but by less than three percent.

No doubt buoyed by exit polling yesterday, the Romney campaign made sure everyone knew they could seriously win Mississippi. By 8pm, Eric Fehrnstrom was on CNN telling Anderson Cooper that no one really thought Romney would win Alabama or Mississippi. I couldn't help but laugh in the background.

In five years of campaigning it is stunning to me that the Romney camp still has no clue how to play the expectations game. It is increasingly clear it is not a well run campaign, Mitt Romney is not a good campaigner, but he will still, more likely than not, be the GOP nominee. While all eyes were focused on Alabama and Mississippi, Romney was doing quite well in Hawaii and American Samoa.

Like sterile accountants counting pennies, the Romney camp keeps counting delegates. That can get them to a win, but it will be an uninspiring win. There is little enthusiasm for Romney with the base. In heavily Republican Madison County, MS, voter turn out barely topped 7,000 voters. In 2008, when the GOP contest was done and everyone knew McCain would be the nominee, 10,500 people still turned out to vote for McCain. Yes, more Republicans turned out to vote McCain in 2008 than Romney in 2012. That's a problem. That's a lack of enthusiasm.

The problem is two fold now. The base doesn't like Romney, but the base doesn't really like the other options either. At the same time, the base does not want this primary to end.

The roller coaster continues. The one sure thing out of this is that, though Romney is not becoming a better candidate as the primaries continue, Rick Santorum sure is. As for Newt? He is becoming less relevant.

It is time for Newt Gingrich to exit. It is time for Santorum v. Romney and let the chips fall where they may. I still think Romney is the nominee. But I think Santorum vs. Romney one on one gives Romney a run for his money he needs to become a candidate conservatives can potentially rally around.

Adam Kinzinger Finally Admits He's Not Conservative

It's not really a surprise, is it? After all, as I pointed out last week, Adam Kinzinger's scores from the center-right are rather pathetic by themselves and really pathetic compared to Congressman Don Manzullo.

Now even Kinzinger is dropping the pretense of being conservative. He told a Boone County, IL Lincoln Day Dinner, "This isn't a race about who is more conservative, it's a race about over the next two years, who is going to be the most effective."

If effectiveness is crossing the aisle to make sure Nancy Pelosi lines her pocket when pretty much every other Republican tries to stop the money, I guess you can consider that effective.

If effectiveness is fighting to reduce the size and scope of Washington in our lives, then Kinzinger is pretty much a dud.

In related news, Congressman Louis Gohmert is taking the lead on getting conservatives to help Don Manzullo in this fight. FreedomWorks has come out for him as well.

In Illinois, a bunch of tea party groups, pro-life groups, and fiscally conservative groups are rallying to Don Manzullo. I hope you will too.

David DewCrist's Health Care Problem

David DewCrist . . . er . . . Dewhurst is Texas's Lieutenant Governor and is running for the United States Senate against RedState endorsed Ted Cruz. Lt. Gov. DewCrist has been making sure local news outlets in Texas understand he understands healthcare. He has studied healthcare. In fact, Dewhurst has joined up with a top expert to figure out how to save costs in healthcare.

There's just one problem.

David DewCrist's top advisor is a man named Guy Clifton. Mr. Clifton "was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow in Congress, assigned to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah." Oh, and Mr. Clifton and David DewCrist were in a "years-long collaboration" according to DewCrist.

What the Lieutenant Governor did not discuss was that Dr. Clifton is an advocate of the individual mandate.

It really is amazing these experts and a lot of politicians on both sides of the aisle up until 2010 were all in favor of the individual mandate even though its constitutionality is dubious. But hey, no one reads the constitution anymore. It's too old.

The Utah Election

When Orrin Hatch ran for the United States Senate the first time, he campaigned against then Democratic Senator Frank Moss. Hatch traveled Utah asking and answering a simple question: "What do you call a Senator who's served in office for 18 years?" "You call him home," he said.

That was thirty-six years ago. Orrin Hatch beat Frank Moss and has been in the United States Senate ever since. This week, voters in Utah will begin the process of deciding whether or not it is time to call Orrin Hatch home, having served twice as long as the Senator he decided to challenge successfully in 1976.

I was one when Orrin Hatch beat Frank Moss. He is the longest serving Utah Senator. He is, for those of us who started paying attention to politics in the 1980′s, a seminal figure in late twentieth century American politics. From his seat in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Hatch's face has been a visible presence in American homes for decades.

Each time I have met Orrin Hatch, I've come away liking the man. But were I in Utah this week, I'd want to do as he wanted to do thirty-six years ago and call him home.

My problem with Orrin Hatch is not, as it is for some, the seemingly inexplicable relationship he had for so long with Senator Ted Kennedy. It's amazing the number of people who hold that against him. But I give him credit for forging a friendship with a polar opposite who he routinely matched wits against.

One issue I have with Orrin Hatch is that he has been in Washington for thirty-six years. Many of my friends and colleagues within my office and elsewhere are Hatch supporters. He has done a tremendous job over the years building strong relationships and bases of support within the conservative movement. Fighting for conservative judges will do that for you. For so many of those battles, Orrin Hatch was the guy we all relied on.

But Orrin Hatch is not an indispensable person. No man is indispensable. I am not a term limits advocate, but thirty-six years wanting to make it forty-two years does seem a bit much.

Frankly, my biggest issue with Orrin Hatch is, counter-intuitively, just how well he's voted in this session of Congress. In Orrin Hatch's thirty-six years in the United States Senate, it sticks out like a sore thumb. He, and most Republicans, have voted well on every big issue. Orrin Hatch has, for his Senate career, always fought the good fight on judges. In fact, much of Hatch's support comes from his zealous advocacy on behalf of conservative judges.

But as I have learned sitting in my editor's chair these past few years, most Republicans are always right on the big votes. It is the fights behind the scenes, the small votes, and the votes between conservatives and Republicans that separate the wheat from the chaff.

On many of those votes over the years, Orrin Hatch was no different from any of the other Senate Republican leaders. We're now past $15 trillion in debt and Orrin Hatch voted for a good bit of spending contributing to that debt. Some of it was necessary, but much of it was not.

He sees the light now. His colleague, Bob Bennett, got tossed out by the tea party and replaced with Mike Lee. Suddenly, Orrin Hatch is voting in near lock step with Mike Lee. He, the senior Utah Senator, seems to be the junior partner in Utah's conservative shift.

As we've seen time and time again, though, many a Senator gets right with the voters in the fifth and sixth year of any term headed into an election, but in years one through four, they march to a different beat — one they seem to only tune out when they run for election.

I'm not worried about Orrin Hatch on the big votes. He'd vote with the conservatives more often than not. But I am worried about Orrin Hatch on the small votes that matter between the status quo and smaller government. I worry about Orrin Hatch in the years he is not worried about re-election. And if he were to win re-election, surpassing forty years in the Senate, I'd worry he might decide then to end and so we'd have six years of Orrin Hatch in the Senate caring little what conservatives or Utahans think.

We moved Utah to the right in 2010. We should try to do it again. Orrin Hatch is a fine and decent man. He deserves a lot of praise for putting so many conservatives on the federal bench. But I think it is time, after thirty-six years, to call him home.

Morning Briefing for March 13, 2012

RedState Morning Briefing

March 13, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Can Republicans Win In 2012 Without Leadership?

2. New Record Monthly Deficit 37 Months into Obama's Presidency

3. The Utah Election

4. Fake Filibuster Outrage From Left

5. Jon Bruning: The Eric Holder Republican

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1. Can Republicans Win In 2012 Without Leadership?

Fred Barnes, who is nothing if not plugged in to the thinking of leading Beltway Republicans, looks at how the Congressional GOP plans to work with the presidential nominee. . . .

Even considering the fact that McConnell has to play coy due to the fact that there's as yet no nominee, you will notice what is missing in this picture: the idea that the nominee himself, now most likely Mitt Romney, will have any ideas of his own to which Congressional Republicans will have to accommodate themselves. This is part of a broader pattern: outside of the party's most moderate precincts – where Romney is seen as a bulwark against conservatives – Republicans who have resigned themselves to Romney have done so, more or less, on the theory that he can be brought around to do things the party's various constituencies want him to do. This is the opposite of the thing we normally look for in a president: leadership in setting the agenda of the party and the country. As such, it represents an experiment, or at least a throwback to the late-19th century model of how the presidency operates. Can the GOP beat Barack Obama and run the country the next four years without presidential leadership?

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. New Record Monthly Deficit 37 Months into Obama's Presidency

Here's a headline you won't see in the media this week: we incurred the largest monthly deficit on record in February.

Seven months into a government "reined in" by the Budget Control Act, we are supposed to be reaping the benefits of budget reduction. Yet, according to CBO, we incurred a gargantuan $232 billion deficit in the month of February. The conservative Washington Times was the only publication to note that this was the largest monthly deficit on record. Keep in mind that we didn't start accruing annual deficits of $230 billion until this past decade. The preliminary estimates from CBO projected outlays at $335 billion and revenues at $103 billion. Our total deficit for the first 5 months of fiscal year 2012 is $631 billion ($869 billion in revenue; $1.5 trillion in outlays).

Think for a moment about what it means to spend $335 billion in 29 days. It comes out to $11.5 billion per day; $480 million per hour. So the next time Congress deliberates over a few billion in spending cuts over the course of a month, remember that we will add several hundred billion more in debt during the course of the debate.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. The Utah Election

When Orrin Hatch ran for the United States Senate the first time, he campaigned against then Democratic Senator Frank Moss. Hatch traveled Utah asking and answering a simple question: "What do you call a Senator who's served in office for 18 years?" "You call him home," he said.

That was thirty-six years ago. Orrin Hatch beat Frank Moss and has been in the United States Senate ever since. This week, voters in Utah will begin the process of deciding whether or not it is time to call Orrin Hatch home, having served twice as long as the Senator he decided to challenge successfully in 1976.

I was one when Orrin Hatch beat Frank Moss. He is the longest serving Utah Senator. He is, for those of us who started paying attention to politics in the 1980?s, a seminal figure in late twentieth century American politics. From his seat in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Hatch's face has been a visible presence in American homes for decades.

Each time I have met Orrin Hatch, I've come away liking the man. But were I in Utah this week, I'd want to do as he wanted to do thirty-six years ago and call him home.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Fake Filibuster Outrage From Left

The left is fear-mongering on the issue of the filibuster. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed cloture on 17 nominees today and the left was quick to parrot the Reid talking points claiming Republican "obstruction" of these nominees. The fact of the matter is that there is no filibuster and Reid is merely setting the table so he can make hysterical arguments about Republican obstructionism.

Republicans, nor Democrats, have uttered one word of debate on any of these nominations. There is no filibuster going on right now and there never was. This is a fake filibuster created by Reid.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Jon Bruning: The Eric Holder Republican

At a time when Republicans of all stripes are calling for the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, one Republican continues to stand by his side.

Meet Jon Bruning, candidate for U.S. Senate and the sitting Attorney General for Nebraska.

Last week, we learned that Bruning lobbied the Senate to support Holder during his confirmation process. As President-Elect of the National Association of Attorneys General in 2009, Bruning co-signed two letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee praising Holder for his "fairness and balance" and urged members to confirm him. Bruning wrote: "We believe that Mr. Holder has the knowledge and experience necessary to run the Department of Justice and work with us to enforce our laws."

Bruning of course was not alone in this. There were other Republicans who signed these letters, and some Republican Senators voted to confirm him. But many Republicans also opposed him – and importantly… for those who didn't, they now understand how bad Eric Holder is and would likely admit they made a mistake.

But not Jon Bruning.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

Jon Bruning: The Eric Holder Republican

"Don Stenberg has actually won more statewide races in Nebraska than Jon Bruning, but the facts don't seem to matter to this Eric Holder Republican."

At a time when Republicans of all stripes are calling for the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, one Republican continues to stand by his side.

Meet Jon Bruning, candidate for U.S. Senate and the sitting Attorney General for Nebraska.

Last week, we learned that Bruning lobbied the Senate to support Holder during his confirmation process. As President-Elect of the National Association of Attorneys General in 2009, Bruning co-signed two letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee praising Holder for his "fairness and balance" and urged members to confirm him. Bruning wrote: "We believe that Mr. Holder has the knowledge and experience necessary to run the Department of Justice and work with us to enforce our laws."

Bruning of course was not alone in this. There were other Republicans who signed these letters, and some Republican Senators voted to confirm him. But many Republicans also opposed him – and importantly… for those who didn't, they now understand how bad Eric Holder is and would likely admit they made a mistake.

But not Jon Bruning.

When asked by the Omaha World-Herald about his previous support for Eric Holder's unconscionable guns-to-Mexico program – "Fast and Furious," Bruning declined to talk about it. Instead, he deflected by defending his record on gun rights.

Nice try, but the fact Jon Bruning backed Eric Holder in 2009 and is now unwilling to admit it was a mistake shows that he's clearly not the conservative he holds himself out to be – and worse, he apparently is willing to stand by an aggressively liberal Attorney General who abuses the rule of law.

Setting aside for a moment the disastrous Fast and Furious program – let's consider how bad Holder is, and how inexcusable it is for Bruning to stand by him. Even before his confirmation, Holder's problem with truthfulness was clear to anyone who followed his intimate involvement with the dubious Marc Rich pardon by Bill Clinton and subsequent shady testimony about it in Congressional hearings. But since he became Attorney General, Holder and his DOJ have aggressively challenged religious freedom (the right of churches to hire folks who share their faith), challenged Voter ID laws, challenged state immigration laws, and even had to take the highly unusual step of withdrawing its own Section 5 Voting Rights Act objection.

But for Holder to countenance a DOJ program that sent guns to drug cartels and gangs in Mexico is beyond comprehension and shows a total lack of devotion either to the rule of law or the spirit of the 2nd Amendment. But many conservatives knew when Holder was being confirmed that he held extreme views against gun rights. This is why the NRA opposed Holder's confirmation and it's why 21 Republicans in the Senate voted against Holder's confirmation, including Jon Bruning's home state Republican Senator, Mike Johanns. In a letter to a constituent explaining his opposition to Holder, Senator Johanns wrote:

"Of particular concern to me was Mr. Holder's antagonistic record on the Second Amendment. As both a private citizen and public servant, Eric Holder has been a zealous advocate of gun control regulation, working against the interests of gun owners. I firmly believe that the Second Amendment's individual right to bear arms is an important right for millions of Americas and future generations to come, and I am concerned that the strength of Mr. Holder's convictions may hinder his ability to defend the Second Amendment to its fullest extent."

Republicans knew Holder was a bad apple from the beginning. It's why they opposed his confirmation and it's why countless Republicans are now calling for Holder's resignation.

Not Jon Bruning.

Jon Bruning is trying to hide his liberal record just long enough to win the May 15 primary for U.S. Senate against conservative Don Stenberg. Each time he's asked about a flaw in his record, Bruning dodges and attacks Stenberg for losing several statewide races. Of course, Don Stenberg has actually won more statewide races in Nebraska than Jon Bruning, but the facts don't seem to matter to this Eric Holder Republican.

Conservatives in Nebraska should know that if they vote for Jon Bruning, they're voting for a Republican who still can't bring himself to oppose Obama's Attorney General. The primary is two months away so now is the time for conservatives to support Don Stenberg.

Morning Briefing for March 12, 2012

RedState Morning Briefing

March 12, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Obama, Energy Promises, and Empty Rhetoric

2. The Obama Administration's Assault on Religious Freedom

3. ShePAC Fights Back: First Casualties, Misogynist Maher and Opportunist Obama

4. Sometimes I wonder if we should just abolish the FCC

5. Take Out Bonner and Bachus in Alabama

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1. Obama, Energy Promises, and Empty Rhetoric

Voters in the November election will be acutely aware of two key economic variables above all others: the national unemployment rate, and the price they pay for a gallon of gasoline. President Obama senses his vulnerability on gasoline prices, and is busy erecting a defense against charges that his actions (or inactions) have contributed to high prices.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. The Obama Administration's Assault on Religious Freedom

Has the Obama Administration declared war upon religious freedom in the United States?

This is not as extreme a question as it appears at first blush.

What initially appeared to be a series of unrelated act is now taking on the color of a conscious strategy to eliminate the ability of religious groups to control any aspect of their lives outside the barest of liturgical practices.

In interests of full disclosure and to avoid allegations of plagiarism, I need to take a short detour to explain the genesis of this story.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. ShePAC Fights Back: First Casualties, Misogynist Maher and Opportunist Obama

"What about saying she's a wh*re?" – Jerry Brown and aide in reference to Meg Whitman

""You have to lift their skirts to find out if they are women. You sure can't find out by how they vote!" – State Rep. Janis Sontany (D-TN)

"She works the pole" (as in stripper pole) – Joe Scarborough about Jerri Thompson

"She performed [redacted sexual act] on all the talk show hosts in Milwaukee" – John Sylvester, WDTY about Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch

"She's a balloon head" – Chris Matthews, MSNBC in reference to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann

"Christian Stepford wife in a 'sexy librarian' costume" — "hardcore pornographic centerfold spread." – Salon, about Sarah Palin

"Distracted by the lure of celebrity' and "the gubernatorial equivalent of the Real Housewives of New Jersey." – Democrat Chair Dick Harpootlian in reference to Governor Nikki Haley

The above quotes are just the very tip (and cleanest for a family site) of the iceberg of what Conservative women face in the political arena. Michelle Malkin did a great job highlighting some of the worst in her column this week 'The War on Conservative Women". Conservative women seeking political office are heretics, you see. How dare they stray off the Lefty plantation? For that, they must pay. And be punished.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Sometimes I wonder if we should just abolish the FCC

I know, I know. The way that broadcasts travel across state lines, it's important that some sort of national control step in, because the states can't do it. But the way the Obama FCC operates, sometimes I wonder if it's worth all the trouble.

Instead of working to ensure we have the spectrum we need allocated to the purposes we want, The Obama FCC constantly works as a roadblock, earlier against AT&T, and now against Verizon.

This same FCC is also, with apparently no objection from the President, actively and openly stonewalling Chuck Grassley and the Senate in attempts at applying reasonable oversight to the committee.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Take Out Bonner and Bachus in Alabama

Last week, I bemoaned the fact that Alabama is one of the most conservative states, yet it sports a mediocre congressional delegation. Alabama has one of the earliest congressional primaries; they will overlap with the presidential primary this coming Tuesday. It turns out that several of the incumbents have primary challengers.

The one sane Republican in the state, Mo Brooks (CD-5) is being challenged by former Congressman and former Democrat Parker Griffith. Obviously, we must support Brooks over Griffith.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

The Party That Brought Us Dede Scozzafava Wants to Stop Ann Marie Buerkle

Remember Dede Scozzafava? In 2009, the New York Republican Party tried to foist her on the people of New York. She was a liberal Republican who, with the backing of unions, almost got elected until conservatives stood up and said no. She wound up dropping out and endorsing the Democrat.

The same New York GOP that gave us her and spectacularly saw the next several of its preferred congressional picks go down in flames, is now ready to redistrict one of the most conservative women in Congress out of Congress because, well, she is willing to stand up to her own party on spending.

Dan McLaughlin pointed out back in 2009 that the New York Republican Party has a habit of being tone deaf when it comes to its political preferences. It seems nothing has changed.

Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle is widely considered one of the most, if not the most, conservative women in Congress. She is a darling of the Club for Growth and of pro-life groups. The New York Senate Republicans, however, don't like that she is willing to vote against pork for New York, so they've redistricted her into a hostile district.

Tom Dadey, the Chairman of the Onondaga Republican Party, supports Buerkle and noted to the Daily Caller "that unlike other state representatives, Buerkle did not hire lobbyists to plead her case to the state legislature on redistricting, nor did she donate to the campaigns of Republican state legislators, while other members of the New York delegation 'contributed heavily.'"

Congressman Jim Jordan, the leader of House conservatives as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, tells me, "Ann Marie Buerkle has my wholehearted support in her race for Congress, regardless of which district that may be. Congresswoman Buerkle is one of the most fiscally conservative female members of the House and it is imperative that she continue her work of lowering taxes, reducing spending, and limiting the role of the federal government."

Other conservatives should pay attention.

Conservatives Should Mobilize to Help Don Manzullo Against Adam Kinzinger in Illinois

"If we are unwilling to stand up for a man who stands up for conservatives even against his own party, then why should we ever expect any man to stand with the movement against the party?"

On February 18, 2011, 98 Republicans joined with the whole of the Democratic Caucus in the House to defeat legislation offered up by Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee designed to ensure the House GOP lived up to is "$100 billion in cuts" pledge to nowhere.

As I noted at the time, "Blackburn's amendment, by its own description, would have 'reduce[d] spending by 5.5% in 8 non-securiy spending subsections of the bill and reduce[d] Legislative Branch appropriations by 11%.'"

Ushering Republicans across the aisle to join with Democrats in a refusal to cut the budget was House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy.

It was the first major vote that separated the men from the boys. It showed who the fiscally responsible were and who the fiscally irresponsible were. Eric Cantor himself had co-sponsored the same Blackburn measure three separate times. But this time, the tea party had the votes to actually get it passed. So Cantor led squishy Republicans to the Democrats. And our debt soon went up to over $15 trillion.

Standing with Marsha Blackburn and the conservatives wanting to cut the size and scope of Washington was Congressman Don Manzullo of Illinois.

Following Eric Cantor across the aisle to join the Democrats was Adam Kinzinger, who campaigned as a tea party congressman intent on reducing Washington. His vote showed clearly he really did not mean it.

Illinois has redistricted Manzullo and Kinzinger into the same district. Yesterday, Eric Cantor endorsed Kinzinger. Conservatives better fight back and support Manzullo.

The day before Adam Kinzinger and Eric Cantor walked across the aisle to join the Democrats, Kinzinger went by himself. On February 17, 2011, the House voted on a measure to strip from the budget an earmark requested by Nancy Pelosi for San Francisco. Pretty much every Republican in the House of Representatives, including Eric Cantor and Don Manzullo both, voted to strip the earmark from the budget.

But Adam Kinzinger joined Nancy Pelosi, Jesse Jackson, Jr., and even Barney Frank to give Nancy Pelosi the money she wanted. They lost the vote.

RedState supported Adam Kinzinger in 2010 against Debbie Halvorson. The whole of the tea party in Illinois went to bat for the young veteran who said he would go fight for the tea party in Washington.

Not long after getting there, reporters started buzzing that Kinzinger was one of the critics behind closed doors of the earmarks ban. In vote after vote, Kinzinger lined up with the Republican leaders in silly deal after silly deal. Reporters noticed that many of those who ran under the tea party banner went straight into a voting pattern similar to the very same Republicans the tea party opposed.

Adam Kinzinger had not become a tea party leader, but a leadership flunky. His voting record is a disappointment

Republican Leaders in Washington have been at war with conservatives this past year for daring to hold Republicans accountable for their promises. Leadership staffers complained about the Heritage Foundation. The Leadership staff ridiculed conservatives opposed to Planned Parenthood.

Adam Kinzinger stood with that leadership. In fact, roughly 70% of the tea party backed congressmen fell in line behind the leadership betraying the people who sent them there.

Consider, if you will, that Eric Cantor has a 60% rating in the Heritage Action for America scorecard. It is, more so than the American Conservative Union or any other ratings list, the best indicator of conservatives in Congress.

Adam Kinzinger only rates 3 percentage points higher than Cantor, coming in at 63%. Don Manzullo, however, is at 84%.

In the American Conservative Union rankings, Don Manzullo rates 92%. Adam Kinzinger only rates 72%.

, Don Manzullo earns an 85% score and Adam Kinzinger has a 56% score.

This race should be a no brainer for conservatives, fiscally or socially. We must support Don Manzullo. If we are unwilling to stand up for a man who stands up for conservatives even against his own party, then why should we ever expect any man to stand with the movement against the party?

Morning Briefing for March 9, 2012

RedState Morning Briefing

For March 9, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Conservatives Should Mobilize to Help Don Manzullo Against Adam Kinzinger in Illinois

2. A Day's Work in the House of Lords

3. No Jobs Shortage For Obama Bundlers

———————————————————————-

1. Conservatives Should Mobilize to Help Don Manzullo Against Adam Kinzinger in Illinois

On February 18, 2011, 98 Republicans joined with the whole of the Democratic Caucus in the House to defeat legislation offered up by Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee designed to ensure the House GOP lived up to is "$100 billion in cuts" pledge to nowhere.

As I noted at the time, "Blackburn's amendment, by its own description, would have 'reduce[d] spending by 5.5% in 8 non-securiy spending subsections of the bill and reduce[d] Legislative Branch appropriations by 11%.'"

Ushering Republicans across the aisle to join with Democrats in a refusal to cut the budget was House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy.

It was the first major vote that separated the men from the boys. It showed who the fiscally responsible were and who the fiscally irresponsible were. Eric Cantor himself had co-sponsored the same Blackburn measure three separate times. But this time, the tea party had the votes to actually get it passed. So Cantor led squishy Republicans to the Democrats. And our debt soon went up to over $15 trillion.

Standing with Marsha Blackburn and the conservatives wanting to cut the size and scope of Washington was Congressman Don Manzullo of Illinois.

Following Eric Cantor across the aisle to join the Democrats was Adam Kinzinger, who campaigned as a tea party congressman intent on reducing Washington. His vote showed clearly he really did not mean it.

Illinois has redistricted Manzullo and Kinzinger into the same district. Yesterday, Eric Cantor endorsed Kinzinger. Conservatives better fight back and support Manzullo.

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2. A Day's Work in the House of Lords

Earlier today, the Senate began voting on a series of 30 amendments to the highway bill (S.1813). The three important amendments regarding energy subsidies that we referenced earlier (2 bad, 1 good) were postponed until next week. However, here is a list of other commonsense amendments that were voted down by Democrats. It is truly sad that at a time when gas prices are at a record high Democrats are willing to place the interests of the eco-radicals ahead of American consumers. They also showed that, once again, they have no interest in creating jobs or cutting spending.

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3. No Jobs Shortage For Obama Bundlers

The below video is a report by Jake Tapper regarding the doling out of plum jobs to those who brought in the most money to the Obama campaign. It aired in June of last year, but came up again in the wake of this post by Ed Morrissey at Hot Air.

"About 80% of those who collected more than $500,000 for Obama took 'key administration posts' as defined by the White House."

Tapper points out that Obama promised "a new way of doing business." In fact, then-Senator Obama, remarking on the influence of money in politics, said in 2008 "the time for that kind of politics is over." Yet President Obama handed out more of these primo posts to donors in just two years than President Bush handed out in four.

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