Jim DeMint

DeMint: My Senate Votes Are About The United States -- Not South Carolina

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2009, 12:47PM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who is up for re-election in 2010 and is heavily favored to win, has made an interesting admission: That he's not thinking about South Carolina when he votes in the Senate, but about larger conservative principles.

From The State:

DeMint, 58, makes no bones that he's more focused on advancing conservative goals nationwide than on pursuing the parochial interests of his state.

"All of you all over the country - please remember that Senate seats are not about a particular state," DeMint told more than 4,000 listeners on the recent conference call. "They're about our country. Every vote I take is not about South Carolina. It's about the United States of America."

In practice, legislative governance is often a balancing act between the immediate interests of one's constituents and the greater national interest. Sometimes, choosing one can mean short-changing the other in immediate terms. But it's rare to see a legislator so bluntly acknowledge that his votes aren't about his constituents.

IL-SEN

Conservative Insurgent Candidate In Illinois Could Get Support From DeMint Group

Eric Kleefeld | November 23, 2009, 11:30AM

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and IL-SEN Republican candidate Patrick Hughes

Could Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-SC) leadership PAC, the Senate Conservatives Fund, be on the verge of getting involved in the Illinois Senate race, and opposing establishment favorite Rep. Mark Kirk?

DeMint's group held an online poll this past week, asking supporters to choose between Kirk, attorney and conservative activist Patrick Hughes, and "Other." As it turns out, Kirk came in third, even trailing "Other": Hughes 644 votes (73.9%), "Other" 132 votes (15.1%), Kirk 71 votes (8.1%), with "Undecided" and "No Response" totaling 24 votes (2.7%).

Hughes has met with DeMint twice, and is working to mobilize conservatives against the frontrunner. DeMint has taken the sides of more conservative candidates over the establishment in recent months, including Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election, Marco Rubio in the Florida Senate race, and Chuck DeVore in the California Senate race.

Kirk has worked hard to move to the right -- such as when he changed his position on the climate change bill, right in the middle of a speech to a local Republican crowd.

Rand Paul

Rand Paul Meets With McConnell, After Failing To Commit To Supporting Him For GOP Leader

Eric Kleefeld | November 13, 2009, 12:01PM

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate candidate Rand Paul (R-KY)

Rand Paul, a candidate in the Republican primary for Senate from Kentucky, had a meeting yesterday with the state's top Republican, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- following a gaffe in which Paul failed to commit to supporting McConnell for GOP leader.

The meeting came after Paul, an ophthalmologist and son of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), made a gaffe in an interview this past weekend, when the ABC affiliate in Louisville asked whether he would support McConnell for Republican Leader, if given the choice of the very conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). "I like both of them and I don't know that I could make a judgement," Paul said at the time, adding: "I have to win the primary first. So I don't think I'd make a judgement on how I'd vote for leader, but I think obviously Kentucky having a leader is good for Kentucky."

Paul's opponent in the primary, Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, has pounced on him for this. Paul apparently worked to undo the damage. "I have nothing but high compliments about his job as minority leader," he told reporters. "I have no reason not to support him."

"We had a very cordial conversation," Paul explained "I think it's probably better not to go into any detail about what we talked about."

2010 elections

Conservatives Emboldened: DeMint Says 'Army Of Americans' Will Fight For Freedom In '10

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 4:05PM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)

Sen. Jim DeMint says Republicans must be "rock solid" conservatives to win in 2010, and predicted a national "army" will rise up next year.

TPMDC listened in last night on a call run by DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund as they ticked off the races they are watching and detailed the conservative direction they think Republicans need to head toward.

DeMint said he wanted to "harness the energy" he saw during the tea parties.

He said he wants to show that "anywhere in the country," a "principled Republican with conservative principles" can win.

"That is going to change politics in America," he said. "You're going to see an army of Americans fighting for freedom in this next election."

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CA-SEN

Senate Conservatives Fund Picks Sides In Ca. As DeMint Backs DeVore

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 12:53PM

CA-SEN Republican candidates Chuck DeVore and Carly Fiorina

A California Republican aiming to unseat Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) next year has gotten a boost from conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC).

DeMint announced last night his Senate Conservatives Fund was endorsing state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore over former Hewlett Packard chief Carly Fiorina. The group supports only "rock solid" conservatives, organizers told supporters on a conference call last night as election results came in.

DeVore "will work with me to shake things up," DeMint said, and "vote the right way ...
stand up in our conference meetings and say, 'Folks this is wrong let's turn this thing around.'"

DeMint's fund already has endorsed Republican senate candidates Marco Rubio in Florida and Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania.

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