DeMint chides GOP senators for protecting Murkowski

Politico ^ | September 23, 2010 | Shira Toeplitz

[jazusamo]

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint is publicly criticizing his Senate GOP colleagues for allowing Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski to keep her ranking membership on a key committee less than a week after she announced a write-in campaign to try to retain her seat.

In a revealing e-mail to his supporters, DeMint gives his account of Wednesday’s private Senate GOP caucus meeting, when he believed his colleagues would vote to strip Murkowski of her post on the Energy and National Resources Committee — but the caucus instead allowed her to keep her remain in the coveted role.

“It was bad enough to watch my colleagues work to support her in the primary after she had built a record of betraying conservatives principles,” writes DeMint. “But watching them back her after she left the party and launched a campaign against the Republican nominee was more than I could bear.”

Murkowski, who unexpectedly lost the GOP primary last month to attorney Joe Miller, announced last week that she was staying in the race as a write-in candidate — a move that angered Senate Republicans, who support Miller as the new GOP nominee. Murkowski resigned her position as Senate Republican Conference vice-chair, but several of her colleagues, including DeMint, insisted she should also lose her ranking committee membership.

DeMint revealed some details from the closed-door Senate Republican caucus meeting Wednesday.

“One senator after another stood up to argue in favor of protecting her place on the committee — a position she will no doubt use in her campaign against Joe Miller, the conservative Republican nominee,” writes DeMint.

DeMint is an ardent Miller supporter and is raising money for his campaign. DeMint initially refused to comment about the meeting – only saying that the party was “united” behind Miller.

But DeMint was vocal about his frustration on Thursday, describing in the e-mail to the Senate Conservatives Fund membership how he “spoke out against the motion” during the private caucus meeting and voted against it. He wrote that “the motion was adopted by secret ballot and the final tally was not disclosed.”

The Senate GOP caucus’s decision was a major boost to Murkowski, whose seniority on the committee is a major selling point for her campaign. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee is a key committee assignment for someone representing Alaska, which compared with other states, relies heavily on federal funds to build infrastructure.

Murkowski’s post on the committee has also become a political football in the race against Miller and Democratic nominee Scott McAdams. Miller told a local newspaper last week that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised him that Murkowski would lose her ranking slot on the committee even if she won her write-in bid – essentially giving the Alaska senator the same level of seniority as a freshman.

[jazusamo]

Jim DeMint is one of a few Republicans that gets it.

[jazusamo]

Jim DeMint Ping!

[Nateman]

Secret vote of course. They know what would happen to them if they admitted how they voted. Can we at least see who voted to keep it secret?

[Travis T. OJustice]

Way to friggin go, jim!

I have never donated to any political campaign before Scott Brown (becoming a regret), but now I have a ton more free cash, i will do way more of it, he might just get a check or two.

Dad left me in charge of his philanthropical bucks, and since my siblings would be pissed if I bouth a 50 million dollar fishing boat, I may as well advance conservatism.

Some chick in Delaware is already having orgasms over my dad’s coinagen I can
‘t take with me.

[Texas Fossil]

Yep, Demint is one of the best.

Bump

[seekthetruth]

From the article:
“It was bad enough to watch my colleagues work to support her in the primary after she had built a record of betraying conservatives principles,” writes DeMint. “But watching them back her after she left the party and launched a campaign against the Republican nominee was more than I could bear.”

JIM DEMINT/ALLEN WEST for 2012!

[txhurl]

Was a fan of DeMint until he said this:

Greta asked Senator DeMint who he liked for president in 2012, after she had asked him about his possible run and received a firm, "no" from the senator. He answered, Mitt Romney, then Sarah Palin, and Newt.

Greta said her entire interview with Senator DeMint is posted at GretaWire, but it's not posted yet. The postings of her interviews seem to run almost one day behind. Must have something to do with the replay of her show 3 hours after the original broadcast.

'Conservative' wires crossed beyond repair for me, very demoralizing. Just when we thought we were getting somewhere.

[Tennessean4Bush]

GOP leadership in Senate MUST be overhauled in November-December. What a bunch of tin ears.

[onyx]

“One senator after another stood up to argue in favor of protecting her place on the committee — a position she will no doubt use in her campaign against Joe Miller, the conservative Republican nominee,” writes DeMint.

But DeMint was vocal about his frustration on Thursday, describing in the e-mail to the Senate Conservatives Fund membership how he “spoke out against the motion” during the private caucus meeting and voted against it. He wrote that “the motion was adopted by secret ballot and the final tally was not disclosed.”

Recall that Orrin Hatch announced that "they" had decided Lisa would keep her committee post?

LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT THE COWARDS VOTED BY SECRET BALLOT!

[jazusamo]

That blew me away when I read it was a secret vote.

[penelopesire]

Pathetic.
It’s going to take us a few years to completely get rid of the old establishment/rino guard, but we aren’t going away...in the end..they are!

Go Demint!!

[Howie66]

Damn right he is! I am furious that Murkowski is slapping the voter of Alaska in the face and the Good Old Boy Club is just fine with that.

I’m going to call my senate pukes (Cornyn and Hutchinson) tomorrow and give them hell over this. I have had it with these people!

[SharpRightTurn]

DeMint for President BUMP.

The only R Senator with the backbone to take on the (many) quislings in his own party.

[Houghton M.]

Just let them know you are taking names, Senator DeMint, so that when the Tea Party Caucus in the new Congress meets and becomes kingmaker for the next speaker and majority leader and for all the committee assignments, the ones who protected Murkowski will get their comeuppance.

[Houghton M.]

Perfect is the enemy of the good. If you are willing to backstab DeMint, then you ain’t got nobody left to support.

Bite your nose to spite your face, if you insist.

[SharpRightTurn]

“he might just get a check or two.”

Good man, Travis T.

Send it to DeMint’s conservative senate fund:

https://senateconservatives.com/takeamericaback

DeMint for PRESIDENT.

[upchuck]

Jim DeMint is one of a few Republicans that gets it.

Absolutely!

Jim DeMint Ping!

Want on or off this ping list? Just FReepmail me.

Follow Sen. DeMint on Twitter.

Jim is running for reelection this November. If you like his philosophy, consider tossing him some bucks.

[ansel12]

He is running against Al Greene and is going to win by 75 to 85%, don’t you think the money could go elsewhere, like Delaware?

[txhurl]

I’m not back-stabbing DeMint at all.

I just want to know if we went through all this just go get (back) in line for Mittens.

Aren’t you curious about this?