Yelling "Stop" To The GOP Base

Eric at RedState is a blog friend and fellow conservative I like and respect, so I emailed him before engaging this debate regarding his post on targeting Bennett in Utah.

While we’re all focusing on picking Charlie Crist off in the Florida Senate Primary, I think if conservatives really want to send the GOP establishment a message, target number one a high priority should actually be Bob Bennett of Utah. Just to clarify for those of you freaking out that I said target number one should be Bennett: the Bennett race happens before the Florida race. That said, we should be targeting more than just Florida. Bennett is worth picking off because he is an incumbent troublemaker. Granted, it was a poor choice of words on my part, but I hope you get the drift — picking off an incumbent has added value.

Let's briefly consider some facts that can help in making this decision. As regards "we should be targeting more than just Florida," I thought we were. Was NY - 23 merely a bad dream caused by the terrible candidate Scozzafava was for us? For starters, we have to fight Owens at least to some degree in winning back a previously reliable GOP seat we've lost.

Does anyone believe defeating Crist in Florida is going to be a walk? Are we already throwing DeVore in California under the bus because the energy, cash and focus is needed to take out a popular state-level incumbent - never an easy thing in the first place, by the way?

Did Dodd concede to Simmons and does Toomey now have PA locked? Will Harry Reid continue to lead the Senate for the Democrats, or are those votes counted already? When are Portman and Kasich in Ohio sworn in, they both beat liberal Dems? Or haven't we taken back Ohio, yet? There's at least the possibility of some low hanging Senate and Governorship fruit in Illinois thanks to Blago. Are we going to wait and see if it falls to the ground so we can just pick it up? And I haven't even mentioned any Blue Dogs we might want to take out while the timing is good. That's especially true in parts of the South, where some GOP incumbents we like are going to face serious challenges, too.

The GOP was thrashed in the House in 2008. Was it only due to Obamania and are all those Dem incumbents going to do the right thing and simply step aside without a fight? Sorry, I don't think so, friends. There's a heck of a lot more than Rubio on our plates. And there's an out of control Leftist WH destined to take apart much of traditional America by 2012 without a Republican majority in Congress to stop him. Is now the time to take out a Republican who won with about 70% in 2004 only to gamble on someone who has never run statewide, let alone won, and hasn't been seriously vetted? Meanwhile, the Dems are looking at a moderate to run that Obama knows and said he would support.

Now, given all that, let's have a quick look at this scourge of liberalism, Bennett, we need to purge. I'll bullet point it to make this quick. Frankly, if this guy is such a threat to elements of the base it warrants putting a seat at risk in a year where we absolutely need to gain them, some of us conservative bloggers better get our resumes ready. It won't be long before we aren't welcome either. Or, maybe it's time for people to slow down and think before they go a Bennett too far. Always did like the similarly named war movie, though!

His record is solidly Pro-Life, Pro-Gun and Anti-Tax

Voted against Bush on No Child Left Behind on states rights grounds.

Voted against Obama stimulus bill

Voted against “Auto bailout”

Voted against “Cash for Clunkers”

Voted against the second round of TARP after pushing to break Bush's extreme emergency $700 billion request into two parts. He felt the $350 billion was enough and wanted to limit it.

Introduced an amendment to the Budget Resolution requiring additional TARP funds to be authorized by Congress and offset with reductions in discretionary spending.

Bennett introduced legislation with Thune to strip the Treasury Secretary’s authority to extend TARP beyond Dec. 31, 2009. The Bennett-Thune bill allows TARP to expire at the end of the year so Dems can't keep using it as a slush fund.

Voted against Hate Crimes legislation

Voted against the closing of Guantanamo Bay

Voted against the Obama budget

Voted against FY 2009 Omnibus bill

Voted against Sotomayor

Voted against Geithner

Voted against  Sebelius

Will be voting against David Hamilton

Blocked David Hayes, deputy secretary of
Interior out of domestic energy concerns.

Passed an amendment to protect the charitable contribution deduction from being used to pay for health care to save American charities $9 billion per year.

Passed the Washington County Land Bill to set the precedent for how Utah and the West manage public lands issues. This was firm push back on extreme environmentalism

Introduced legislation requiring the Census Department to include a question on citizenship  in census forms for purposes of apportionment and worked with Vitter on an amendment to restrict funding to the Census Department until the citizenship question is included.

Voted to prohibit funding to ACORN

Net Neutrality - Opposes efforts to regulate, or impose industry-wide rules based upon speculation about what may occur in the future of the Internet. He believes that government regulation will only threaten the innovation that continues to thrive through the internet.

Opposed the fairness doctrine (voted in 2/09)

Opposed the “Medicare Doc Fix” or Medicare Reimbursement bill proposed by the Democrats this year because there was no offset or plan in place on how to pay for it.

Respecting States Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009

The Guns in National Parks Legislation (passed on cc bill)

Amendment restoring gun rights to DC

He supports a Federal Marriage Amendment to keep marriage between
a man and a woman.

If someone with the record above can't fit under the tent, maybe it's time to learn to enjoy the feeling of fresh rain myself. There's no way my libertarian streak would make the cut, whether I live in Utah, or not. And it's a potentially disastrous strategic move no matter how you slice it given the serious challenges we already face. I'm strongly backing Bennett out of nothing more than the principle of the thing at this point. There won't be that many left in the conservative base if these are the types of standards allowed to be employed.

Comments

[Lauderdale Conservative]

Yah. I feel the same way, but what are my options? Shout from the sidelines at both parties? I wouldn't feel at home at all under the Democrat tent. I’d feel like a side show oddity. At least I can find like minds amongst Republicans and feel somewhat effective in primary voting. I don't feel like the RNC caters to me and though I carry a RPOF card, their early endorsement of Crist really got my goat.

...but meh. What can you do? Waggle a Tea Party sign now and then. I’m still waiting for the RNC or RPOF to send me a donation drive letter so I can break out a sharpie and tell them what PACs I sent money to instead of them.

I haven’t gotten one though. I like to think they’re afraid to send me one :)

[PA]

It would certainly be nice to replace Crist, but I live here and don't think he warrants national focus if the resources might be better spent elsewhere.

Maintain FOCUS. Retaking one house of congress is what's required to clip Obama and Pelosi's wings. NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES. THAT IS THE PRIZE. DON'T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE PRIZE.

[MDr]

Although I agree with not targeting Bennett, your list of things he's voted against is unconvincing. Most have occurred in 2009, when the GOP has closed ranks, and virtually all Repubs are voting against. Using your list, most RINOs can be forgiven, and spared targeting. I prefer targeting, a few, of the most vulnerable RINOs to make a statement, but spending the greatest effort (2010) displacing the Blue Dogs. We can try picking off more RINOs in 2012, along with any Blue Dogs we missed in 2010.

[ThomasD]

A truly big tent would include hard core conservative muscle. What better place to flex that than Utah?

[RovingPoet]

Pleeeeeease, stop making the conservative base--the principled core--of the GOP the problem. Most of us know who has been Socialist-RINO in this party, and a libertarian has no business supporting that which diminishes our liberty and federalism.

We also don't know all the fine points of a voting record for each candidate: that is the job of the rep's constituents.

Your reply to Eric is persuasive, but MDr suggests this is a recent conversion to what used to be understood as GOP principles. If we have a strong choice for a candidate who won't be a RINA whirly bird in future, we should take it now as we take back our Republic.

Curb the libertine portion of today's libertarianism and focus on Const principles. We'll all get along in that Big Tent with "strong poles" as DeMint said.

[syn]

My main litmus test is: does the politician raise their hand to Al Gore Fraudulent Global Warming Climate Change man-made by GE's NBC's Inconvenient Truth? I begin at this point 'raising their hand to fraud' and work my way out from there.

I figure anyone who buys into this man-made fraud is deceptive and dishonest; furthermore a Statist, a bamboozle artist, a fake, a liar, a cheat, a thief, a dope, a mental disorder who cannot possible live in the natural world of reality.

It is insane schizophrenia to raise the hand to paranoid Al Gore's man-made fraud.

(I wonder, Utah did the GENBC-Go Green crap so I am curious to know during his last election campaign if Bennett raised is his hand to the fraud when the hand-raising fraud was popular?)

Go Green is made of creepy people.

[Mary Sue]

"Retaking one house of congress is what's required to clip Obama and Pelosi's wings. NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES. THAT IS THE PRIZE. DON'T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE PRIZE."

I agree with this completely. The recent elections should serve as a reminder, it is great to win. I really, really, really like winning. Our RINOs and moderates will get the message if we win back the House and I can't help but think they would have far less influence when Republicans are writing at least some legislation.

Also, who doesn't squeal with delight when the Daily KOS crew threatens to purge their moderates? I know I do. The momentum has shifted to the right but it hasn't gone that far right that we can afford to be picking and choosing how not if we regain a majority. The only exceptions would be if a Lindsay Graham were to give the dems a deciding vote on garbage like cap and trade. Cao didn't cast a deciding vote and the idea we could win that seat with someone more conservative is ludicrous. Let's give the left their wish and purge their moderates for them.

[gary gulrud]

Not that UT isn't one of the 57 states in the union, but challenging GOP in House primaries is fine by me, I just think Red states can be trusted to handle this, OK?

A conservative Governor in what ought to be viable conservative soil in a critical state to close electoral contests seems like a no-brainer to me. Crist needs taking down, now more than ever.

The goal in 2010 is to swing the House, but not from Donk to GOP, from Government for the governing class to one for America(yeah, that includes the poor, legal immigrants, the young, women, gays, etc.).

Stop the base? No, stop getting stuck on schtoopid. The base is not the enemy, the base is not stupid, the base is cynical and distracted with life. Stop blowing as the wind blows, focus.

The base is not listening to the GOP, but people they can trust. Be one of those.

[mark l.]

any chance this was a brain fart?

the bennet I'd be working on is in colorado and is a democrat.

[Dan Riehl]

Gary - it's already clear that there isn't enough desire to take out Bennett in Utah across the base. If you want to pick a fight you're going to lose, go for it. Just try not to lose the whole frickin state the way we lost NY - 23 over a stupid one-year appointed term. And don't give us a Lieberman problem. Otherwise, enjoy your minority status in your new euro-socialist digs.

[iconoclast]

Can we have Bennett up here in Washington state? I would love a senator who wasn't too dumb to come in out of the rain or another who thinks that Obama was liked because he built day cares and a few roads.

Now Lindsay Graham you can keep in SC thank you very much....

[MDr]

Mary Sue seems to be heading where I am. Let the Dems move Left, expunging their moderates. Let the GOP move right (as right as each district can tolerate, anyway). I'm confident that voters will take the conservative over the (overt) liberal in the majority of races.

I want the Dims to target and displace (or try to) their more moderate members. I'll even hit their tip jars. I see it as a better gamble than attacking "all" RINOs. Let them push more liberal candidates. If they succeed, an easier win in the general election(s). If they lose? Gee, just helped delete the winner's campaign coffers.

[gary gulrud]

" If you want to pick a fight you're going to lose, go for it. Just try not to lose the whole frickin state the way we lost NY - 23 over a stupid one-year appointed term. And don't give us a Lieberman problem. Otherwise, enjoy your minority status in your new euro-socialist digs."

Not sure what part of Kolob your living on, the GOP triangulators, your 'leadership' lost NY, no ifs, ands or buts about that take.

Gallup said months ago 73% of Republican affliates thought the leadership "out-of-touch". They further reported that while the Donks had lost 20% of their affiliates, none had returned, defected or otherwise taken on the GOP mantle.

Look behind you GOP, is a leader a 'leader' if no one follows?

Enjoying our new digs, not hardly. But scratch our sores and pour dust on our head we will, until the GOP, or its successor is our biatch.

Won't happen? Enjoy the outer darkness.

[mariner]

Damn.

That ain't rain, Dan.

Bennett sounds to me like a nearly perfect conservative.

[utah_1]

In March of this year Senator Bob Bennett was rated one of the ten most liberal Republicans in the Senate by Human Events based on the American Conservative Union Ratings for 2008. (Now 8th) Why Bennett would pay money to convince voters he is Conservative is beyond me.

While he voted Saturday against the currently proposed Health Care Bill, the bill he was co sponsoring with his name on it, had an abortion clause.

There is an exception for insurance companies owned by a church, but the rest of the insurance companies are out of luck.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.00391:

Bennett's bill, S.391 Healthy Americans Act:

(3) COVERAGE FOR FAMILY PLANNING-

(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a health insurance issuer shall make available supplemental coverage for abortion services that may be purchased in conjunction with enrollment in a HAPI plan or an actuarially equivalent healthy American plan.

(B) RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EXCEPTION- Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require a health insurance issuer affiliated with a religious institution to provide the coverage described in subparagraph (A).

[utah_1]

I don't believe we should kick Bennett out of the GOP, just not vote him back in.

He is the king of pork spending with an over 90% rating.
He is addicted to earmarks.
He voted against Senator Hatch's flag protection amendment and was the vote that killed it.
He brokered the bailout and still defends TARP.

He most resent blundering comment:
"The financial crisis has passed," said Bennett. "The usefulness of TARP is therefore over."
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13808381
While I agree TARP should go a way as it was a mistake as pass the 1st place.

Since TARP didn't nothing to help banks loan money in the last 18 months, and only increased government over the private sector, this is not someone that backs what we want.

According to Cherilyn Eagar, and one other outside witness, Bob Bennett is being targeted by both "moderate" and "Conservative" US GOP Senator's as part of the problem.

See her report at:
http://www.redstate.com/cherilyneagar/2009/10/17/the-dc-report-part-1-our-us-senators-utah-out-of-control-pork-earmark-spending/