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The Spectacle Blog
On the matter of actually listening to the grassroots and ending the obnoxious “Washington leaders know best” model of poitical party management, where does U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, really stand? Well, despite talking a good game now (in response to justifiable grassroots anger at Cornyn’s horrible decisions to endorse Crist over Rubio in Florida and repeatedly favor Washinton-chosen moderates rather than letting primaries take their own course), it turns out that Cornyn not only continues to “go native” inside the Beltway, but he does so in a two-faced fashion.
On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asked him about this issue. Here’s the relevant part of the transcript:
WALLACE: Well, I’m talking about the Tea Party Movement, which…
CORNYN: Yeah.
WALLACE: … was upset with your organization for endorsing people like in Florida and saying let the voters decide.
CORNYN: Well, we try to listen to what they’ve told us, and that is we’re going to have competitive primaries in Florida and elsewhere, and let the primary voters choose. I think that is — and then nominate the strongest candidate to run in November.
Sounds good, right? Too bad his words can’t be trusted. There is a big primary election in Illinois on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The establishment candidate is U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk. The general election is seen as winnable, and for all I know, Mr. Kirk may well be by far the Republican with the greatest ability to win. But there ARE other candidates, five of them, including conservative favorite Patrick Hughes. Judging from Cornyn’s words on Sunday, one would assume — would one not? — that the NRSC is NOT playing favorites in that race, and that it will stay neutral until the Republican voters of Illinois themselves sort it out. But one would assume wrongly. Go to the NRSC web site, to the page dedicated to the Senate race, (click on the state of Illinois on the map) and, voila, the ONLY GOP candidate mentioned is Mark Kirk. This is outrageous, and it is unacceptable. And it makes Sen. Cornyn a liar.
The NRSC has been more problem than solution for most of the past 24 years, at least. As long as it continues to try to play favorites within Republican primaries, rather than to concentrate on beating Democrats, it will continue to be part of the problem. It is a counterproductive, insider-enriching, bed of Beltway egos with no more idea of what makes the hinterlands tick than Bill Clinton has an idea of what maritel fidelity entails.
Again, this is not to endorse Hughes over Kirk, or to say that the NRSC should do so. Instead, this is to say that national party committees should keep their friggin’ paws out of this primary, and all primaries. Let the people decide. Listen to the home-state voters rather than dictate to them. And don’t just check their Washington egos at the door, but relegate those egos to one of Dante’s deeper circles, where such egos belong.
View all comments (8) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/01/26/cornyn-where
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Mike L.| 1.26.10 @ 12:25PM
Probably because Patrick Hughes has skeletons: http://teamamerica10th.blogspo.....ative.html
Mike S| 1.26.10 @ 12:30PM
Haha. Someone not voting in a Republican primary in Chicago is a Skeleton? How about meeting with Nancy Pelosi and then voting for Cap and Trade? He even claimed to have read it all, but then still voted for it?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF6iK84Q8Gw
AntS| 1.26.10 @ 1:27PM
I've lived in Illinois for nearly 30 years and I've watched the GOP slide for a variety of factors, especially bickering within.
However, as a staunch Republican, I continue to support Mark Kirk for U.S. Senate and urge friends and colleagues to do likewise. Kirk's many accomplishments should be acknowledged including the Kirk Amendment, eliminating funding for the Alaskan "Bridge to Nowhere"; voting against last year's stimulus, Obamacare and voting FOR tax cuts, including an end to the death tax and elimination of the marriage tax penalty, let alone his local accomplishments including securing super funding for North Chicago Public Schools, working with law enforcement to address gangs and drugs in our communities and internet safety for our students to name just a few. There is no doubt about Congressman Kirk's commitment and contribution to improving lives in the 10th District of Illinois.
With Patrick Hughes you get the same thing as Barack Obama - empty promises - a history lacking accomplishments and lame excuses for not exercising his right to vote every time he could. For more information on Patrick Hughes, I highly recommend www.teamamerica10th.blogspot.com
where you'll receive an accurate account of Mr. Hughes, his background and his campaign practices.
Oldefarte| 1.26.10 @ 1:35PM
Bravo, excellent! Incumbent Republicans [in addition to Democrats] had better head the warnings of the tea partiers, voters of Vaginia/NJ/Massachusetts; if they want to remain employed as DC congressmen!!!!!
RightKlik | 1.26.10 @ 2:14PM
Profile of a closet Democrat:
Voted for Nancy Pelosi's radical Cap & Tax Bill
Voted against new oil drilling in ANWR for energy independence
Has earned an "F" from the NRA for being "a true enemy of gun owners’ rights...and a consistent anti-gun candidate who always opposes gun owners’ rights."
Voted against the final surge in Iraq.
As a supporter of partial birth abortion, he gets a 100% rating from NARAL.
For this stellar performance as a liberal RINO, Representative Mark Kirk has earned a score of 48 (out of 100) from the American Conservative Union. Looking at it from another angle, Kirk is 52% liberal.
Ken (Old Texican)| 1.26.10 @ 5:17PM
Quin, as an "involved Texan", I keep up with Senator Cornyn via his website.
Heh...I also fax him regularly. He pretty much stands with us on Texas issues, and I always fax him an attaboy when he does so.
On national party issues...not so good. I think he...like most of us Texans.....doesn't hope much for many States. His expectations of their majority voters are quite low, it seems.
Pingback| 1.27.10 @ 12:12AM
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