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For Liljenquist, Mourdock, and Cruz: A Tea Party Senate takeover

By Michelle Malkin • February 15, 2012 08:00 AM

For Liljenquist, Mourdock, and Cruz: A Tea Party Senate takeover
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2012

The tea party isn’t dead. It’s just looking down ballot. While fiscal conservatives remain split over the GOP presidential candidates, grassroots activists are coalescing around a stellar slate of limited-government candidates looking to reinforce and reenergize the right in Washington.

And in the spirit of the modern-day tea party movement, no entrenched incumbent — Democrat or Republican — is safe.

Utah was Ground Zero for the movement’s first major electoral upset. In April 2009, this column first reported on a Salt Lake City tea party protest of 2,000 Utahans who repeatedly booed GOP Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch for supporting the $700 billion TARP bank bailout. In May 2010, the three-term, 76-year-old Bennett got the boot at the GOP state convention. Young conservative lawyer Mike Lee, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, went on to win the seat.

Now, young conservative entrepreneur and renowned state pension reformer Dan Liljenquist is taking on Utah’s other big government Republican barnacle, 77-year-old Hatch. Liljenquist excelled in the private sector as a global management consultant and business strategist; he also helmed a privately owned call center company that grew from two to 1,500 employees since its 1995 founding. Liljenquist was elected to the Utah Senate in 2008, where he spearheaded state pension and Medicaid reforms that earned him the non-partisan Governing magazine’s 2011 “Public Official of the Year” award.

The 36-year, six-term Hatch was first elected in 1976 on an anti-entrenched incumbent platform. Hatch’s campaign line then against his opponent Frank Moss: “What do you call a Senator who’s served in office for 18 years? You call him home.” Now, Hatch is clinging to power after almost four decades in government — and vainly attempting to claim the tea party mantle to stave off Liljenquist’s David vs. Goliath primary challenge.

Hatch co-sponsored the $6 billion national service boondoggle and dedicated it to his good friend Teddy Kennedy, with whom he also joined hands to create the ever-expanding SCHIP health care entitlement. He slobbered over corruptocrat Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, supported tax cheat Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner from Day One, lavished praise on Joe Biden’s manhood, and embraced and defended Attorney General Eric Holder’s nomination because, he said, “I like Barack Obama, and I want to help him if I can.”

In Indiana, another aging liberal Republican dinosaur is fighting for his political life by masquerading as a tea party standard-bearer. The six-term 79-year-old Sen. Dick Lugar — who prides himself on being Obama’s favorite Republican — hasn’t lived in his home state since 1977. He supported the Obama stimulus law, job-killing environmental mandates and the taxpayer bailouts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the auto and banking industry bailouts.

Richard Mourdock, Indiana’s former state treasurer, offers a fresh alternative with widespread support from both grassroots activists and local and state GOP officials. While others hedged their bets, Mourdock took the federal auto bailout head on, lodging a court complaint against the Chrysler bailout to expose its illegal abuse of shareholders and punitive impact on Indiana citizens. He was elected to the treasurer’s office in 2006, a tough year for Republicans, and was re-elected handily in 2010. Before politics, he worked in the private sector for 30 years managing businesses in the energy, environmental and construction industries. He’s never had a Beltway zip code.

In Texas, young attorney Ted Cruz is making waves in the GOP race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The former Texas solicitor general is a 10th Amendment scholar who doesn’t just speak the tea party’s language. Cruz has put constitutional conservatism into action, winning many of the 40 cases he has argued in front of the Supreme Court. Cruz isn’t afraid to challenge the GOP establishment. In 2008, he successfully battled the Bush administration and meddling globalists all the way to the high court to prevent international law from superseding American sovereignty.

The GOP needs just four seats to take control of the Senate. With inspired and inspiring free-market candidates like Dan Liljenquist, Richard Mourdock and Ted Cruz, 2012 bodes well for the tea party footprint on Capitol Hill. Remember: Entrenched incumbency is the disease. Fresh blood is the cure.

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FreedomWorks supports Cruz and Mourdock.

FreedomWorks honors Liljenquist as “Legislative Entrepreneur of the Year Award”

Club for Growth backs Mourdock.

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Permalink Reply by Norma J. Sears on February 15, 2012 at 11:42am

L1M89:

I couldn't agree more.

Love your terminology. Must write that down. Grey brain matter taking over.

"The Loyal Opposition Party" indeed. lol

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Permalink Reply by L1M89 on February 15, 2012 at 11:45am

Indeed that's good news Norma;) Another entity requiring a guard change is the R.N.C. as those good old boys represent the Republican't wing of the G.O.P., apparently a wing that wouldn't rebel against being known once again as The Loyal Opposition Party. It seems as though they see their party's 'glory days' as it was long ago, from FDR's era through LBJ's term & up to '94.

Chances are if there isn't a conservative take over at the R.N.C., we'll all live to see the complete destruction of our Constitutional Republic, in part facilitated by Republican'ts all to eager to compromise away our freedoms so as to appear reasonable. They're seemingly desperate to appear moderately tolerant of the political boondoggles sponsored by their good friends from across the isle.

Who can comprehend how those advancing the Obamanation's fundamental transformation of our USA into an Obammunist Utopia can be called friends, much less the good friends of patriotic Republicans? Those Republican's alleged "good friends" in the D'Rat Party of Treason, Treachery & Tyranny would be elated at the thought of the GOP relegated to the pathetic status of "The Loyal Opposition Party" once again. Perhaps this time it will be set so in perpetuity, Rs jauntily tagging along behind the despotic regime of their good friends from across the isle, ever wonder,,, anyone?

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Permalink Reply by Mangus Colorado on February 15, 2012 at 1:20pm

The States [38+] and Article V will restore the CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC - DOWN BALLOT IS WHERE IT IS AT - GO CONSERVATIVES.

http://goldwaterinstitute.org/articlev

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Permalink Reply by TERESA SMITH on February 15, 2012 at 1:48pm

Now your talking! There really is no difference between the the parties. We must get serious if we are going to save this Republic. She is fading fast.

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Permalink Reply by Mangus Colorado on February 15, 2012 at 2:05pm

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Permalink Reply by C_Marie on February 15, 2012 at 2:07pm

Conservatives must take back the other side of the aisle as well or Harry Reid remains the stumbling block to any sensible government regress (as opposed to progressive). Do you know what conservatives are running against the entrenched D Senators?

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Permalink Reply by Norma J. Sears on February 15, 2012 at 2:42pm

I don't but wish someone would come forward with it. Check all the different blogs or on facebook.

Encourage anyone to share their state's conservative that is running.

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Permalink Reply by JeansBrother on February 15, 2012 at 3:41pm

I am trying to figure out why there has not yet been an impeachment effort against Harry Reid. He certainly hasn't upheld his oath of office. He fails to allow votes on House budget proposals. He supports baseline budgeting. It is bad enough that Nancy Pelosi is still lurking in the background hoping for another shot at Speaker.

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Permalink Reply by Norma J. Sears on February 15, 2012 at 2:27pm

Pass this article along to others. So often we only have negatives. It really feels good to see this in these states and maybe it will inspire others.

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Permalink Reply by kwicgov55 on February 18, 2012 at 11:57am

Another thing that I would like to bring up, is that how many GOP had previously been democrats before they changed their party affiliation! In my area, I saw that happen a lot when the republicans were popular.

In my area, you can't tell the republicans from the democrats. Whether they are local reps or not, they are out for themselves, and that includes getting elected again and again. Their arrogance is unbelievable here. If you are not one of the upper crust, and can do nothing for them, you are virtually ignored until an election is coming up.

Time to kick the established GOP from every state out of office in 2012! No more BS as usual!

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Permalink Reply by Carole Lawrence on February 19, 2012 at 9:40pm

@kwicgov55; you said "Time to kick the established GOP from every state out of office in 2012! No more BS as usual" & doing just that would guarantee "more BS as usual" as D'Ratz wouldn't have any motivation to do the will of we the people as they were made omnipotent by terminating "the established GOP from every state". Right now what's preeminent is booting out d'Obamanation & terminating Obammunism this year.

In the mean time while ousting the present regime in 2012, start taking back the GOP at every level, there by assuring patriots will have a shot at all party nominations & support of the RNC. Those treasonous commieratbastards did it over at the DNC & seized control of the old Democrat Party, doing it from the ground up so there shouldn't be a problem for motivated highly intelligent & skilled patriots to seize control of the RNC, restoring the Republican'ts to the true Republican party of patriots.