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GOP U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown has been all but abandoned by the same national Republican committees that pumped hundreds of thousands in campaign cash to former governors Mitt Romney and William Weld

Washington (CNN) – Although he called the Senate health care bill a "budget buster," Republican Sen. John Cornyn said Tuesday that there are some parts of it that he can get behind. The Texas lawmaker told CNN's Suzanne Malveaux that "there are some good things about the (health care) bill," like some wellness and prevention initiatives, delivery system reforms and requiring insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions. "Absolutely. There's bipartisan support for eliminating the pre-existing conditions exclusion," Cornyn said.

Conservative primary voters "have to yield" to reality, Senate Republicans' campaign chairman said Wednesday. Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), suggested that conservatives need to have a more realistic sense of which races are winnable and with which candidates. "Folks on the right, and frankly I'm one of them in terms of voting record, have to yield to the world as it is and not necessarily how they wish it would be," Cornyn told Reuters for a story about centrist Rep. Mike Castle's (R) bid for Senate next year in Delaware. Belying Cornyn's...

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is locked in a battle with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) over the future makeup of the Senate Republican conference. DeMint (S.C.), the chairman of the Senate Republican Steering Committee, is going toe-to-toe with Cornyn in Senate Republican primaries. DeMint has thrown his weight behind Chuck DeVore, a conservative Republican who is running against a more centrist candidate backed by Cornyn. “Every Republican campaigns on being a conservative, but if you look at what we do once we’re in office, most people join the club rather than the country after they get here,...

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who recruited Gov. Charlie Crist to run for Florida’s open Senate seat next year, said today that the National Senatorial Campaign Committee will not put money into the primary Republican battle with former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. “We will not spend money in a contested primary,” Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told ABC News.

Combing through Colorado GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton’s campaign filings this week, Congressional Quarterly finds Rick Davis among the many notables on the impressive Norton donor list, a collection of interested parties that generated a cool half million dollars in 16 days. Who is Rick Davis? Grassroots Colorado Republicans not in the know already will be interested to learn he was an adviser to John McCain during last year’s failed presidential bid. Davis is yet another McCain connection for Norton, who has been taking heat from state conservatives as a doomed McCain-driven national party pick since even before she announced...

Some of the readers of FA might know of Larry Elder. Known as "The Sage of South Central" he hosted a radio show on our local LA station KABC for close to 15 years when he ended it last December in hopes of starting a political career. No man would have been better to challenge Boxer in my opinion. But something funny happened along the way. The state NRSC and Senator Cornyn told him not to because they really want to support someone sure to lose, Carly Fiorina. You know Larry Elder: the African-American, Californian, libertarian, popular radio host and...

Several articles linked and discussed, including Reid’s refusal to go after ACORN; less than stellar polling numbers for candidates in Arkansas, Louisiana and Colorado; and a new Rasmussen poll shows support for ObamaCare at an all-time low.

NEWS | POLITICS Michael Steele Withdraws Support for Mark Kirk's Senate Bid Kirk's changing positions on a "cap and trade" environmental bill are inspiring angry boos from some fellow Republicans Copyright Associated Press / NBC Chicago First Published: Sep 24, 2009 1:48 PM CD By ANDREW GREINER Updated 3:54 PM CDT, Thu, Sep 24, 2009 Michael Steele has been responsible for some monumental gaffes since he took the reins of the Republican National Committee. Perhaps he’s trying to avoid another error by supporting a flip-flopper. The RNC Chairman has reportedly withdrawn his sole endorsement for Illinois Representative Mark Kirk...

This story looks like a local one on the surface, but has implications for Senate seats across the country. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is manipulating the Senatorial primary process, and maneuvering to retain his own power in a minority party rather than trying to win a majority.

...It’s a strategy that could land the party with a roster of highly electable candidates who could go a long way toward shrinking the party’s current deficit in the Senate. But it’s also an approach that is infuriating many activists who don’t like the idea of the national party stepping in and playing favorites — especially when it means picking a moderate over a conservative...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — An odd couple of Republican senators have hit the road, arguing for a go-slow approach to President Barack Obama's push to revamp health care. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and 2008 presidential nominee John McCain are headlining the GOP's answer to the raucous town hall meetings of August in which congressional Democrats had to shout over angry constituents about health care, growing deficits and the increasing role of the federal government. . . . . . Political recovery is an issue for McCain, too. . . . . . Health care also offers McCain a...

Nationally, Americans are beginning to again trust Republicans over Democrats on taxes and the economy. The overreach in spending and the constant Democratic drum beat of wanting to raise taxes on "the rich" to pay for a massive enlargement -- and engorgement, really -- of big government has dug into the high approval rates that Democrats had enjoyed for well over a year. So, what does the National Republican Senatorial Committee want to do in Colorado? You guessed it, they want to endorse a tax raising, squishy moderate for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate for the 2010 race. My...

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The first primary contest of the 2012 election cycle is more than two years away, but some Republicans are already voting … sort of. The National Republican Senatorial Committee — which assists GOP Senate candidates — e-mailed a "Proxy Ballot" to some supporters on Monday asking them which Republican leader is their top choice for the Republican presidential nomination. The survey also asks Republicans to rank the importance of issues like health care, abortion rights and taxes.

KENILWORTH—Five-term North Shore Rep. Mark Kirk formally announced his bid for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate today, billing himself as an independent who wants to lead others who are “not afraid to stand alone” against the corruption that has infiltrated Illinois politics. Standing in front of his late father’s north suburban home, Kirk said his record as a moderate on social issues shows he is “not an ideologue or party partisan.” . . . . . Kirk listed as endorsers Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who heads the Republican National Senatorial Committee, as well as GOP Sens. Mitch...

Several months after he became the leading Republican candidate in Pennsylvania’s 2010 U.S. Senate race, former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has won the endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in a statement: Congressman Pat Toomey’s life experience and public service make him uniquely qualified to serve Pennsylvanians in the U.S. Senate. Through hard work and self-reliance, Pat Toomey has successfully represented a Democrat-leaning district and accomplished much in his private sector endeavors. Congressman Toomey is a vigorous and determined advocate for the people of Pennsylvania, and he is clearly guided by principles instead of political...

Sen. John Cornyn’s Facebook friends aren’t in a very friendly mood. The Texas Republican’s page on the popular social networking website has been filled with comments like this one from a Florida real estate broker: “As soon as I read of your endorsement of Charlie Crist, I sent in a donation to the Marco Rubio campaign.” A new Facebook group has since cropped up challenging members to give “not one penny” to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), of which Cornyn is chairman. The online group’s description says: “First they supported Chafee. Then they supported Specter. Now they support Crist.”...

Here is a new ad put out by the NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee) that starkly shows the powerful majority Democrats now have in Congress with the additon of Al Franken as their 60th vote. The ad reminds voters that 2010 will be their opportunity to hold the Democrats accountable for what they have done, and are trying to do to America. . . . . . (Watch Video)

Coleman: the GOP's million-dollar man GOP senators, the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee insist that the Coleman challenge has been worth the money — for now. Over the past three months, the NRSC spent nearly $1 million to pay his legal bills, and since Election Day, Republican senators and the RNC have pumped in hundreds of thousands of dollars more. -snip- Coleman’s legal challenge has reached the Minnesota Supreme Court, but many legal experts believe that the court’s decision — expected any day — will affirm that Franken won last November’s election. If that happens, Coleman...

The Club for Growth, a conservative anti-tax group, is considering running ads in the Republican Party's Senate primary race against Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for supporting higher state taxes and President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus spending package. Mr. Crist's opponent for the Republican Party's nomination next year is former state Speaker of the House Marco Rubio, a young conservative running on cutting government spending and taxes who recently met here with the Club for Growth, which has a strong reputation for defeating liberal and moderate Republicans in party primaries with its aggressive ad campaigns. "We recently interviewed Marco Rubio...

The National Republican Senatorial Committee spent almost $1 million last month on Republican Norm Coleman's attempt to win last year's U.S. Senate race. Coleman is attempting to overturn Democrat Al Franken's slender lead. The former senator's appeal of a trial court's decision that Franken won is awaiting a ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court. That ruling could be issued any day. Last month, the NRSC spent $937,917 to help Coleman in that effort. Minneapolis law firm Dorsey & Whitney, home to Coleman attorney Jim Langdon, received $350,171 of that and Washington, D.C., law firm Patton Boggs, Coleman legal spokesman Ben...

The Senate Republican campaign operation is citing a Tuesday exchange between California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and U.S. Army Gen. Michael Walsh in its latest fund-raising pitch to supporters. During a hearing before the Environment and Public Works Committee, Walsh referred to Boxer as “ma’am,” a moniker the chairwoman did not appreciate. “Do me a favor, can you say ’senator’ instead of ‘ma’am’?” Boxer said, interrupting the Army general. “It’s just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title, so I’d appreciate it. Thank you.” Smith responded: “Yes, senator.” In an email pitch to supporters, National Republican Senatorial...

The chairman of Senate Republicans' campaign committee has donated $5,000 to Pat Toomey's campaign against Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter. The move suggests the Republican establishment might be embracing Toomey. A spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee said Monday that Sen. John Cornyn, of Texas, donated the money last week.

Over the past week, I have repeatedly heard from Republicans troubled by the rumors that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, the National Republican Senatorial Committee's choice in the 2010 Senate primary, is gay. At age 52, Crist had never wed until he married Florida businesswoman Christine Rome two weeks before Christmas last year. Those who profess concern about "civility" would say -- or at least, should say -- that the rumors are thereby disproven. But . . . Let me share with you a message I received yesterday from someone I don't know, and who wishes to remain anonymous: I have...

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell may have a tepid relationship with fellow Kentucky Republican Sen. Jim Bunning, but he's giving GOP rising star and 2010 Senate candidate Florida Gov. Charlie Crist a thumbs up. According to Crist's Web site, McConnell gave the governor a full-throated endorsement. "Decisions are being made every day in Washington that have a direct impact upon the lives of all Americans and we need Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate to ensure that those decisions will benefit the citizens of Florida.” Crist, McConnell and other party luminaries are slated to attend a campaign fundraising...

Florida’s Republican Governor Charlie Crist is getting a big boost for his U.S. Senate bid from a bevy of GOP A-listers. Helping to raise money for Crist in Washington are Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chairman Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and 2008 GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. The power trio will be on hand – along with yet other Republican luminaries – to help attract major donors at an event for Crist slated for June 22 at the NRSC, according to a report in The Hill, which obtained an invitation. The week...

The struggle to settle on a speaker for Monday's big congressional Republican fundraising dinner underscores the tough time the party is having finding national leaders to help them form a message and go head-to-head with President Obama. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ended up headlining this year's Senate-House Republican dinner, capping an awkward back-and-forth in which Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's advisers in Washington initially agreed for her to deliver the keynote speech only to have her Alaska office later argue that she never committed. The party's former vice-presidential nominee was then reinvited to attend but told she could not speak...

Today's topic is about a crucial event in politics. Whether the candidate is a Republican or a Democrat, the importance is the same. Whether the candidate is running for city council, Congress, or the White House, the importance is the same. What is this event? Simple... the political fundraiser. Fundraising events are crucial at all levels of politics. They come in all shapes and sizes, some simple and some elaborate, but all have one singular goal: to raise money. A fundraising event is judged on only one thing: how much money did it raise? So, it only seems logical that...

In another sign of the sway that Sarah Palin and her supporters in Palin Nation hold over the GOP, NRCC chief Pete Sessions is working behind the scenes to get Palin reinvited to the big GOP fundraiser tonight, GOP sources say. It’s the story of the day that GOP leaders have been battling over who’s to blame for the fact that Palin was “snubbed” when she was disinvited from a speaking role at the big fundraiser, which is for the two Congressional committees, the NRCC and the NRSC. Politico laid the blame on NRCC chief Sessions, claiming he didn’t want...

As we noted yesterday, the Beltway GOP invited Gov. Palin twice to speak at their fundraiser event tonight, and has twice disinvited her. Patrick at Hot Air’s the Greenroom expressed the sentiments of many conservatives: Whatever you think of Sarah Palin, the NRCC’s treatment of her in the run up to tomorrow’s fundraising “gala” has been atrocious. And I don’t just mean in a “that’s not how you treat someone” sort of way. I really mean it in a “that’s not how you raise money and win elections” sense. Earlier today, Fred Malek tweeted that this double disinvite is “[m]ore...

Sarah Palin’s on-again, off-again appearance at Monday night’s gala GOP fundraising dinner is off — again. After being invited — for a second time — to speak to the annual joint fundraiser for the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Palin was told abruptly Saturday night that she would not be allowed to address the thousands of Republicans there after all. The Alaska governor may now skip the dinner altogether, and her allies are miffed at what they see as a slight from the congressional wing of the Republican Party.

- Ex-Gov. George Pataki is at the top of national Republicans' wish list to take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand at the polls next fall. "In New York there's sort of a short list," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is in charge of recruiting and coordinating the GOP's Senate campaigns. "I've talked to Gov. Pataki about it, but I don't know what he will decide," Cornyn, tasked with reversing the tide of Democratic Senate victories the past two elections, told reporters over breakfast.

NRSC: Fail I and most RedState readers tend to be the practical sort. In a state like Delaware where conservatives cannot get elected statewide, I have no problem with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) endorsing a candidate like Mike Castle, though I could not personally support him. In Illinois, a state with a wholly dysfunctional Republican Party, Mark Kirk represents a compelling, popular candidate who, though I disagree with him on a number of issues, would be a good Senator. The NRSC endorsement makes sense. As much as I loathed Arlen Specter, I could see the NRSC rationale behind...

Senator Cornyn, Thank you for your email solicitation. Unfortunately, I cannot in good conscience provide any funds to the NRSC. In my judgement, the GOP in Washington and the NRSC in patricular is too feckless to be trusted to spend my hard earned money wisely. I cite your decision to prematurely and ill-advisedly support Gov. Crist of FL in his senate race as one recent example. You haven't been paying attention. The grassroots in this country are saying they want something else than socialism-lite. We want a return to first principles; a return to the Founders' good work and a...

If you want to know why the NRSC’s endorsement of Charlie Crist in the Florida Senate race was such a stupid move, watch Marco Rubio’s farewell speech to the Florida House of Representatives.

John Cornyn knows better than you conservative boobs and he wants you to know it. In commenting about the NRSC’s endorsement of Charlie Crist, Cornyn said “I need to constantly remind some of my very conservative friends who want to sort of purify the party – and, in so doing, cast us in a permanent minority status – that Ronald Reagan said the person who votes with me 80 percent of the time is my friend and ally, not a 20 percent traitor,” Cornyn says. But contrast that with this statement from Cornyn in the same article: n 2010, cting...

It was disappointing to many Republicans to see the National Republican Senatorial Committee get involved in the Charlie Crist vs. Marco Rubio primary in Florida. We've had the leadership of the Republican Party saying we need to get back to our principles and talking about how important it is to attract more young voters and Hispanic Americans. Then, we get a viable, young, conservative, Hispanic candidate running for Senate and they arrogantly try to shove him aside to make way for a better connected, moderate pol who's more acceptable to the GOP establishment. This cuts to the core of what's...

The NRSC sure knows how to pick ‘em. Fresh off of their beclowning via the Specter Switch, they rushed to endorse Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio, citing “winnability”, and general crossover appeal. Well, now they get to see exactly what they endorsed: a squish that would’ve gone along with Specter and the Maine Sisters in voting for Porkulus: Speaking to a politically mixed crowd in Daytona Beach, Crist emphasized his support for the bill as practical and pragmatic, though it would have meant crossing party lines. Only three Republican senators backed the stimulus bill, and Martinez wasn’t one of them....

Making it really simple for the NRSC Since the National Republican Senatorial Committee seems to have trouble making a distinction between bed-wetting socialists, RINOs and conservatives, I thought I'd make it a bit easier for them. I've taken the latest ratings I could find from several conservative organizations and averaged them out so even the nitwits over at the NRSC can figure it out.

The interests of Floridians — not political parties — should be paramount as candidates jockey for position in the state’s 2010 elections. The dominos officially began tumbling this week when Gov. Charlie Crist announced, to no one’s surprise, that he’ll run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez. Crist, who has vied for four statewide offices in the past 13 years, was immediately endorsed by state Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer. While anointing his friend (who installed Greer as chairman in 2007), the GOP boss said he would work to limit primary contests for governor and the...

The Republican Party certainly does require a "Big Tent" -- the kind of tent we sometimes see covering a house infested with termites. Unless conservatives can rid the GOP of Democrats hiding out in their midst, the Republican Party can never recover. Liberals are sapping the GOP's strength from within. It now seems that a looming divorce within the GOP has grown inevitable. Unless the Republican Party returns to its conservative principles, a number of conservatives will go on strike. They feel it is no longer acceptable for conservatives to do most of the hard work of winning elections, while...

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Sunday that despite the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s early endorsement of Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida’s GOP Senate primary, neither he nor the RNC will take sides in the contest until after the primary. Crist is competing with former Florida Speaker Marco Rubio in the fight for the GOP nomination. Although Crist is popular in the state and most polls have shown him winning the open seat general election easily, some conservative groups have been critical of his record as governor — particularly his decision to support President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package...

Republican Backlash Brews TALLAHASSEE -- A Republican backlash is brewing against the state and national party as they anoint Gov. Charlie Crist's U.S. Senate campaign -- thereby dissing that of his rival, former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. From South Florida to Tampa Bay, a few county Republican parties are discussing or passing resolutions telling the state party to butt out of the Senate race or any other primary. If the state party presses forward, Crist's election could be rockier than expected and his hand-picked Republican Party of Florida chairman, Jim Greer, could find it tougher to hold on to...

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which normally doesn’t endorse candidates in Republican primaries, this week announced it is supporting Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, whom we call the “Arnold Schwarzenegger of the Southeast.” As governor, Crist vetoed budget cuts, and welcomed Barack Obama to Florida. He was a strong advocate for the $787 billion federal Stimulus Spending Bill earlier this year. Who’s running against Crist, and whom did the NRSC dis? Marco Rubio, the young conservative success story, whose Wikipedia bio says, “championed a major overhaul of the Florida tax system. He wanted to reduce property taxes and decrease the size...

Florida, Other Senate Races Pit Conservative Base Against Moderate Recruits By David Weigel 5/14/09 1:41 PM Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Fla.) and Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) (usembassy.gov, myfloridahouse.gov) On March 11, when Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Fla.) entered the 2010 U.S. Senate race, Marco Rubio was in Washington. The former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives was ready for this moment, rumored for weeks, the entry of a Republican party dream candidate who threatened to push him out of the race. When Crist put out a press release announcing the run, RubioÂ’s campaign pushed out a Web ad...

GOP recruiters tilt toward center in 2010 races Outreach to more moderate candidates angering many in conservative base Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a moderate Republican, has found support for his Senate race from key Republicans even though another well-established candidate has stronger conservative credentials. WASHINGTON - Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh contend the Republican Party needs less moderation and more conservative backbone to win back voters who have been abandoning it in droves. Leaders of the party's 2010 election efforts are showing they don't think ideological purity is the answer. In the latest example, key Republican senators jumped this week...

Rubio’s Party A young conservative challenges Governor Crist. An NRO Q&A Marco Rubio is a kind of Republican both new and old. A Cuban-American first elected to serve in the Florida House of Representatives in 2000, at the age of 29, he became Speaker at age 35. Throughout his career, he has promoted a conservative philosophy of limited government. He counts former Gov. Jeb Bush as one of his most important political mentors. Rubio, the father of four children, believes that the Republican party is a failing institution. Its leaders are pulling it away from representing a genuine center-right voice...

This week’s endorsement of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist by senior Senate Republicans is being cheered by GOP senators as a move toward the middle. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) endorsed Crist over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, a protégé of former Gov. Jeb Bush and a more conservative candidate. The decision by McConnell and Cornyn was the first such choice since last month’s defection of Arlen Specter to the Senate’s Democratic conference. Moderate GOP senators like Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine used that opportunity to publicly warn the...

Off goes Gov. Charlie Crist to run for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring Sen. Mel Martinez. ... But there are more machinations. Challenging Crist to battle for the big Washington prize will be former House Speaker Marco Rubio on the GOP side and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and state Sen. Dan Gelber, both South Florida Democrats. Hey, as Rubio says, ``let the debate begin.'' But wait. The fix is already in, and Rubio's worst enemy is his own party. There's no debate apparently within the National Republican Senatorial Committee. On Tuesday, the committee endorsed the popular Crist just minutes...

Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced his candidacy for Mel Martinez’s Senate seat today, which should have been the big political news of the day. Instead, the NRSC overshadowed Crist by endorsing him as a primary candidate, even though state House Speaker Marco Rubio had already announced his bid for the job. Conservatives may well wonder why the NRSC has interfered in a GOP primary:..................