Republican officials are playing hardball against GOP Rep. Doug Collins in Georgia Senate race

theweek.com ^ | 2/12/20

[cotton1706]

The Republican Party did not respond positively to Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) waging a primary challenge against Sen. Kelly Laoeffler (R-Ga.), who was appointed to the seat by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) last December and has to defend it in a special election in November. Now, the National Republican Campaign Committee, the Senate GOP's campaign arm, has formally asked vendors to stop working for Collins and against Loeffler, and multiple vendors have quit the Colllins campaign, Politico reported Wednesday.

Collins took the defections in stride. "Instead of a bunch of suits like the cast of Law & Order" working for the campaign, his spokesman told Politico, Collins will run with a "colorful cast of characters who all have an aversion to authority."

Loeffler certainly has powerful friends in her bid to fend off Collins' right-flank challenge. The Club for Growth has put $3 million into TV and digital ads targeting Collins most recently as a fiscal spendthrift. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a prominent Georgia Republican, endorsed Loeffler on Tuesday, calling her "exactly the type of political outsider we need in Washington" and a "strong supporter of President Trump."

The big endorsement is Trump's, though, and so far he has remained neutral. Last week, Trump appeared to offer a compromise between Loeffler, whose appointment he opposed, and Collins, who he called "an unbelievable friend of mine and spokesman — and somebody that I really like." Trump told Loeffler at a White House ceremony that she's "going to end up liking [Collins] a lot," adding, "Something's going to happen that's going to be very good. I don't know; I haven't figured it out yet." Both campaigns told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they viewed that as supportive from Trump.

[SanchoP]

I’m sorry. I didn’t realize corruption was only for ‘rats on FR. Politics is not a sport.

[McGavin999]

Yes he has, but if Mitch want Loffler he will get her. Doug is too important to waste. He can stay in the house where his value is known and as Chair of the Judiciary he would be invaluable. There is plenty of time, we can’t play with losing a senate seat.

[lodi90]

Loeffler certainly has powerful friends in her bid to fend off Collins’ right-flank challenge. The Club for Growth has put $3 million into TV and digital ads targeting Collins most recently as a fiscal spendthrift.

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$3 million from Club for Growth??? So much for Loeffler financing her own campaign. She is such a fraud. It’s painful to watch her fake conservative poses. Sadly, with the weight of the GOPe behind her I expect it will dupe enough GOP base voters for her to beat Collins.

[lodi90]

If Cocaine Mitch wants Loeffler, Collins has to play ball. Or see the seat go to a Democrat.

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Correct. As was proven in Alabama, China Mitch and the useless GOP Senate prefer progressive Democrats to the choice of GOP primary voters.

[SanchoP]

My bad but the scenario stands. Next time I’m in Georgia feel free to smack me upside my head. (It could be soon if you have to go through Georgia to get to Virginia from South Texas.)

[Alberta's Child]

If I lived in Georgia I'd probably be a big Doug Collins fan, but this whole story is bizarre. I'd raise a few key points here:

1. What exactly does the GOP, the people of Georgia, and this country gain with Collins in the Senate that they don't get with Loeffler?

2. The NRCC feels like it has a huge stake in this seat because they're looking at it as not just one election, but TWO. The 2020 election will determine who fills out the remainder of Sen. Isakson's term, and the winner of the 2020 election will have to run again in 2022 when Isakson's term would have ended. Loeffler is very wealthy and can probably finance her own campaign. Will Collins require a lot of financial help from the national GOP to run?

3. Can Collins even win a statewide race in Georgia? His district is solid "red," but this is the same Georgia that damn near elected a human dumpster fire named Stacey Abrams in 2018.

[Alberta's Child]

Collins isn't just an ordinary Republican House member, either. He's the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, which is why he's even a household name across the entire country these days.

As someone else here on FR pointed out a few weeks ago ... By running to become the junior Senator from Georgia, Collins is basically giving up his job as captain of a Navy destroyer to become a deck hand on a merchant ship. Something about this whole thing strikes me as highly irregular.

[Dana1960]

It’s too bad the Georgia gov didn’t nominate the right person for the job: Herman Cain

Would have solved a lot of problems.

[Blue Highway]

It does seem odd and out of character for COllins to give up so much to gain so little and perhaps to even lose it all.

[Georgia Girl 2]

We dont want Johnny Isakson in a skirt. Thats why we want Doug Collins. Traditionally one RINO follows another in these GA Senate seats.

[Ron H.]

Sure hope Rep. Doug Collins can manage to stay in the race and stick it to establishment pick Kelly Laoeffler and her master RNC owned and led Cocaine Mitch. Kelly Laoeffler is nothing more than a RNC owned and controlled RINO puppet and has no real interests in representing the voters.

[zerosix]

The “Club for Growth” - read: Koch Industries, Open Borders (Uber alles), Bushies, full and free immigration everywhere, permission for employees to train their replacements in order to get their final paychecks, pro-moving company after company to a China to improve their bottom line, never-Trumper money behind the scenes and “wink, wink” Loeffler will ‘support Pres. Trump’s programs........(yeah, ok, hmmmm)

[Impy]

Cocaine Mitch? Isn’t that what that psychotic democrat operative called him?

The guy might be the best Senate Leader we’ve ever had.