Cornyn Attacks DeMint For Not Supporting His RINO Candidates
Posted by Jim Hoft on Friday, November 19, 2010, 6:04 AM
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) attacked Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) during a closed door meeting yesterday for not supporting the RINOs he selected to support as candidates in the 2010 elections.
Roll Call reported:
Sen. John Cornyn said during a closed-door meeting Tuesday that he expects colleagues to bring their concerns to him about candidates he recruits as National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman — and not to help mount challenges against them, Republicans familiar with the meeting said Thursday.
Although not mentioned by name, the Republicans said the Texas lawmaker’s speech was clearly intended for the ears of Sen. Jim DeMint.
The South Carolina Republican backed a number of conservative “outsider” candidates this year who won tough primaries against establishment candidates favored by Cornyn, only to be defeated by what had been seen as weak Democratic candidates.
DeMint did not respond to Cornyn’s comments, the Republicans said. However, the two lawmakers have had several conversations since Election Day, GOP aides familiar with the situation said.
NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh declined to comment, but according to Republicans, Cornyn delivered his warning in a speech to the entire Conference during their leadership elections. In the speech, Cornyn noted that some members of the Conference were unhappy with the conservative credentials of Cornyn’s picks and opted to actively work against them during the 2010 cycle.
Rather than attack candidates who have been backed explicitly by the NRSC or by a state’s party, Cornyn said, unhappy Members should come to him with their concerns.
Cornyn’s speech and his post-election meetings with DeMint are unlikely to curb the South Carolinian’s efforts to forge a more conservative GOP Conference in the Senate. Although he did not have the kinds of successes this year that would warrant the title of conservative kingmaker, he nevertheless was a key player in the victories of Sens. elect Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rand Paul (Ky.).
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Mark1957 commented:
John Cornyn needs to go. Period. We the people will decide who represents us and we will no longer tolerate RINO’s that you hand pick.
Paul Revere commented:
I wonder if Cornyn “approved” of Marco Rubio? Cornyn is part of the “old boys” club that decides for us who should get their back room Tammany Hall style blessing. He’s the spittin image of Karl Rove who decided to actively campaign against/blast Christine O’Donnell and others. Cornyn/Rove are like aging dinasours. They just cannot let go of their power for the good of the country. Watch out Sarah Palin! These two’ll getcha!
tarpon commented:
We had the pleasure of sending Crist back to the RNSC.
Cornyn was the one who didn’t want Rubio elected. We had different plans. And gave Crist all their Florida funds.
moron commented:
Cornyn, I have news. Your boss, we the people, have spoken and WILL speak again. Can you hear us?
RedBeard commented:
Hey Cornyn! Your crown is on crooked. Here, let me fix it. Now where’s my ball-peen hammer……..
Espresso Logic - The 6th Sense commented:
I’m very happy with the progress of the tea party movement. RINOs are in season.
INC commented:
Paul Revere/#2:
Cornyn endorsed Crist I think the day after Crist entered the race. This was after saying the NRSC would stay out of the race.
Rubio announced Senate run May 5, 2009
Obama/Crist stimulus hug was February 10, 2009
Crist announced Senate run May 12, 2009
Politico runs this on May 13, 2009
INC commented:
Sorry–put those dates out of order. I meant to put Stimulus hug first.
INC commented:
DeMint endorsed Rubio in June of 2009.
and
INC commented:
Wow–messed up the DeMint link–I need caffeine! I think it’s on the last page of this Weekly Standard column.
It Was Rubio’s Tuesday.
If you want to read any more, I did a post last year on May 18th with over a dozen links at another political blog about the unfolding Red Cent revolt.
Rubio v. Crist: The Not One Red Cent Revolt
Rubio v. Crist: The Not One Red Cent Revolt
Bruce Obermeyer commented:
A friend expressed it as well as anyone, so here is his letter as sent”
exceller commented:
The people were the ones who decided that they didn’t want Cornyn’s Rino’s, and they don’t need his permission either. Who does he think he is anyway? Anyone who talks like that needs to go. They’re representatives, not rulers.
gary gulrud commented:
Rossi, Fiorina, McMahon, Castle, Murkowski, Crist, Grayson, … I’m thinking some colleague must have rolled their eyes, yawned, called BS between fingers, …
bg commented:
++
albeit Dems a bit more than Reps, been saying this since before the 04 election.. both parties suck.. and embeds from both sides (on the fence & in between) of the isle, need to be tossed off of that cliff they’ve been pushing US towards..
re: John Boehner
[In spite of that expectation, Boehner is threatening to axe the Office of Congressional ethics. Established in March of 2008 after the Jack Abramoff scandal, the Office of Congressional Ethics is responsible for “launching investigations of wrongdoings by House Members” in order to “stiffen the spine of the House ethics committee.” Operating as an inspector general of sorts, the OCE has “won praise for reviving the House’s notoriously moribund and secretive ethics process.”
Despite strong conservative support for OCE, “GOP leaders are gearing up to kill the fledgling” OCE. In doing so, Boehner is clashing head-on with the rhetoric of many newly-elected Republicans and the driving force behind them — the Tea Party. In Boehner’s home-state, the Tea Party has not only noticed this fact, but has issued him a warning:
The Ohio Liberty Council, the main umbrella organization for 58 Tea Party groups in the state, supports efforts to strengthen the OCE and is warning House GOP leaders that any attempt to weaken it will upset Tea Party activists.
“I[f] they move in the opposite direction of transparency that this office provides, I think we will be very upset about that,” said Chris Littleton, president of the Ohio Liberty Council and the Cincinnati Tea Party. “Symbolically, it’s a huge problem for them … they should be as transparent as they can be. Any opposition to that would be inappropriate on their part.”]
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StrangernFiction commented:
Has anyone in the Senate Republican leadership had any choice words for the 16 R’s (Alexander, Barasso, Brown, Burr, Collins, Corker, Enzi, Grassley, Gregg, Johanns, LeMieux, Lugar, Snowe, THUNE, Vitter, Voinovich) who voted to cut off debate on legislation (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act) which will give the leviathan — currently led by an anti-American president — greater control over our food supply?
Didn’t think so.
bg commented:
++
Bruce Obermeyer #11
same goes for DADT and quite a few
other “repetitive distractions”, gah!!
==
JimmyT commented:
This is going to be a long, hard battle to get this country back on track. It’s going to be like going on a diet. Stay the course; the results will be worth it to our children and grandchildren.
OLD FAN commented:
You know Mr. Hoft, you are so much better than this. This is a report via a closed door session, via ROLL CALL. We really cannot trust the accuracy. Also, we must be aware of the vivid efforts intending to divide us. Sorry Mr. Hoft, but also, we can handle a little criticism of the ‘fashion’ Mr. Demint is peddling as well. His Midterm offerings were indeed problematic. Conservatives can handle honest, fair, reasoned debates and differences. We are the adults, and should be able to grow as a team. No one is going to completely agree, or share all the views of others. In this case, a sound National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman should encourage all to talk with him or her about all issues and Candidates.
This fashion of ‘seeing the worst’ is a bad habit. This is all stuck on some deeply misguided anti-GOP obsession. Do I want better, more sound Conservatives? Of course, but the irrational fan fare, this jumping to see the cabal and the conspiracy, is simply not conservatism.
Mr. Hoft, you are the finest, and yet can’t you see the fashion this is enabling?
The comments all jump in, eager to prove themselves, desperately seeking acceptance in the game.
Cornyn is one of the good guys, and so is Demint. Both are far from perfect, and Mr. Demint has made some terrible mistakes.
We are better than this sophistry, and we better grow up quickly, if we want to defeat this disastrous Democratic Party.
Thank you.
Fuzzy commented:
Heee! Keep throwing that weight around Cornyn. It’s funny. DeMint didn’t go out and find / recruit candidates, he simply backed the ones who were already running who best shared his values. Isn’t that what we are SUPPOSED TO DO? Isn’t the fact that everything is decided by ten old, out-of-touch DC-insiders and big government lackeys the actual problem here? All this plotting behind the scenes has to stop. It’s not up to Cornyn or anyone else in DC who runs for–or wins–a Senate seat. Anyone remember we, the people?
Indy Voter commented:
The establishment in the House didn’t support Renee Elmers, she did it, recount confirms.
Well done NC voters – district 02
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/8649714/
WRJonas commented:
Cornyn and Hutchison both need to go. Might as well throw Michael Steele into the pot. They have served with some honor and a small measure of success but the Conservative and Tea Party movements need to grow and clinging to moderate policies will not win the next round.
ss252 commented:
Johnny Boy your next!!! Keep opening your elitist Mouth!! The soup line is around the corner, maybe you and Rove can meet every Friday for Clam Chowder!
WFT commented:
You people are so bizarre. Demint cost us the Senate. You would rather hands seats to outright liberals than have a moderate republican win it? Jim Demint is psycho and so are all the people on this site who support him. Grow up and try to put rational conservative candidate up rather than O’Donnell whack jobs.
bg commented:
++
INC #7 – #10
thumbsup!!
flashback:
Thank You Rubio & DeMint
==
bg commented:
++
pardon the4 source..
2010: Cornyn vs. DeMint
[“The Family Research Council, an influential group with large followings among conservatives and evangelical Christians, announced a nationwide initiative Wednesday to persuade 1 million people to pray” for Sen. Jim DeMint, The State reports. “Tony Perkins, head of the Washington-based organization, said DeMint has been unfairly blamed for having cost Republicans control of the Senate by backing ultraconservative candidates who lost several key general election races last week.”]
==
bg commented:
++
Why The Establishment Republicans Still
Hate DeMint, Palin, And The Tea Party
John Hawkins
November 05, 2010
[First off, let me give you a little history lesson. Before Sarah Palin or the Tea Parties made a big splash, Jim DeMint was on point in the Senate, fighting on behalf of conservatives. Time and time again, conservatives would be cheering themselves hoarse because of something DeMint was doing and yet, his staffers would be telling me that behind-the-scenes, he'd be catching hell for doing the right thing. Then along came Palin. A lot of the same people who hated DeMint, hated Palin. Next up were the Tea Parties and again, a certain element in the Republican Party wasn't happy.
Why? There were a lot of reasons for it. Some Republicans aren't really conservative and don't like the idea of moving the party to the right. Other people in D.C. have a problem with the idea of the "conservative rabble" actually influencing events in D.C. Then there are careerists who don't care about anything other than keeping a job. People like that tend to have a go-along-to-get-along attitude, like to take pork home, and don't want to do anything that might draw the ire of the New York Times or Washington Post. To them, the "true believers" represent nothing but problems. Here they have people who want them to take courageous stands and they might face a primary if they don't? How are they going to spend the next 40 years in D.C. doing that?
So, this is the backdrop against which the 2010 elections played out -- and what happened? Well, conservatives were playing hard ball, fiscal conservatism was a big issue, and Palin, DeMint, and the Tea Partiers were everywhere. The result? It was the best election for the GOP since the forties. To a certain segment of the Republican Party, this was bad news. What if Palin runs for President? What if DeMint becomes even more influential? What if the Tea Partiers start pushing the GOP to the Right? What to do?
Easy. Anonymous whispering campaigns. Smear jobs. Working with their liberal pals in the press to go after those darn conservatives. Their key attack point has been the Senate, where the GOP underperformed. The spin is supposed to be that Palin, DeMint, and the Tea Partiers contributed nothing to this incredible wave election and in fact, they were a detriment because they cost the GOP the Senate!]
i agree with every word he wrote!!
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RedBeard commented:
WTF (#23), did we “hand seats to outright liberals” in Florida, where conservative Marco Rubio had an uphill battle against the dreadful Cornyn-backed turncoat liberal, Charlie Crist?
bg commented:
++
why is it those who consider themselves “Conservative Republicans”
(aside from imposter trolls) are sounding more & more like “Moonbat
Democrats” than “true believers” ie: Palin, DeMint, Tea Partiers every
day??
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Rose commented:
Good for this Texas gal to know!
Here I was a few years ago thinking that Kay Bailey Hutchison was our only RINO Senator, and that Cornyn looked good for leadership!
YUCK!
So now we need TWO NEW SENATORS. Good news is that Kay is likely to retire in 2 yrs.
Ed commented:
I did not give to the NRSC during this past election and I will not give to the NRSC until I can prove for myself that the NRSC supports all candidates including the most conservative of all Republicans. I know that they will support RINO’s, but their lack of support for conservatives is a slap in the face to all of us conservatives! hence, I did not and will not give donations to the NRSC and the RNC until they change their ways.
serfer62 commented:
Sorry #18, what cornyn did to FL selecting crist was to insult the local GOP who were really upset with him. As precincts made the choice against crist the DC GOP continued to send millions to the rino even after ALL precincts voted for Rubio. And it wasn’t just crist either, CA again was a hugemongus waste of millions. bad mouthing local picks is only for 1 reason, self interest.
Demint ONLY sponsored a candidate AFTER local nomination which makes cornyns a total ass for the critizism.
Freddy commented:
“National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman”
Clearly, this is an OBSOLETE position grandfathered forward by the political elites that desire power for themselves and no others.
The Republican party needs to eliminate this position today.
Paul Revere commented:
I differ with the monologue above, which decried earmarks as useless. I know there are key legislative initiatives needing attention, but before Republican blast off, they need to set the tone for the upcoming debates and, if you didn’t notice, embarrass the Obamacrats that still want to tack some obnoxious thing onto say a defense appropriation bill (Reed/legislation to pay for illegal’s tuition!). The Republican earmarks ban is, more than anything, a statement of the right ethics – and that’s important. Finally, the Republicans are not in the majority yet in the House, so it didn’t take 15 minutes to proclaim a ban that you and I just know in our bones.
daryl commented:
House panel calls off Waters trial – The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/130161-ethics-committee-calls-off-waters-trial
Bob commented:
No offense, but this country would be a lot better off if Cornyn’s choices had been nominated in DE and NV. Christine O’Donnell isn’t fit to be elected dog catcher and Sharron Angle is so gaffe-prone, she makes Joe Biden look like Socrates.
bg commented:
++
Bob #35
none taken, opinions facts do not make, so bash away!!
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Finncrisp commented:
If this recent election is to have meaning, then the Republicans better stop this crap and get ready for the battle ahead. The Marxist express is trying to take over this country. And if they don’t defund the train, we are all doomed.
What a pompous ass!
ewkeane commented:
The east coast types that sabotaged the party in 1964 must be purged.
This party cant afford to set loose any more Nixons or Bushes onto the
American public.
You had better get it right this time. Ive been with this party since 1984.
Get it right, or go the way of the Whigs!
ewkeane commented:
ps TEA
bg commented:
++
ewkeane #38
oh no, not another “posing as conservative” troll, LOL!!
you’ve no idea what a whopper you’ve just told, too funny!!
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tina commented:
Mark1957-You got it buddy-I’m with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!