Primary Concerns
The biggest political fallout from the recently approved debt-deal might still be lurking down the road, with conservative Tea Party Congressional leaders rumbling about lining up primary challenges for Republicans who voted for the deal. This from The Hill:
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) might back primary challengers to incumbent Republican senators after all.
DeMint had promised after last year’s election that he would not endorse any opponents to his fellow GOP lawmakers in the 2012 cycle. But now he is angry enough with the debt-ceiling compromise that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) struck with President Obama that he might back serious challengers to Republican senators who support the plan, according to a source close to the senator.
“He’s already opened the door to changing that policy in terms of supporting people in primaries — this deal could bring him to the point where he says he’s not going to make any guarantees,” said the source, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of intraparty relations. “It’s not a threat that he’s going to oppose anybody, but … if he does, nobody should be surprised.”
And then there’s this, with another Senator opening a similar door:
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a member of the Senate Tea Party Caucus, has established a new fundraising committee to support conservative candidates, and will not rule out challenging GOP incumbents.
Lee on Tuesday unveiled his new leadership political action committee (PAC), the Constitutional Conservatives Fund. It appears to be modeled on Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-S.C.) Senate Conservatives Fund, which helped elect Tea Party-backed candidates to the Senate in 2010.
…
“It would be hypocritical of me if I were to say never, ever under any circumstances would I try to support someone trying to come here the same way I came here,” Lee said.
He added, however, he does not have his mind set on supporting any particular challenger against a particular incumbent right now.
How about you? Any ideas on “a particular incumbent” who deserves a stiff primary?
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