GOP senators are treading carefully with tea party

WASHINGTON -- Twice burned, Republicans are treading carefully around tea party groups as they pursue a Senate majority that slipped through their fingers in 2010 and 2012.

"You'd have to be an idiot not to prepare" for primary election challenges from the right, no matter the state, says Rob Jesmer, who was executive director of the GOP Senate campaign committee when flawed, conservative candidates captured primaries, only to lose winnable races in the fall.

While incumbents work to ward off or repel challenges from within their party, a Republican tempest already is flaring in Georgia, where GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss is stepping down. Party officials also look apprehensively toward Iowa, where Sen. Tom Harkin's decision to retire down opens up a seat long in Democratic hands.

The developments come at a time the Republican Party nationally is involved in a well-chronicled period of introspection after failing to win the White House last fall. President Barack Obama's support reached 53 percent among women who cast ballots, 60 percent among voters under 30, some 71 percent among Hispanics and 93 percent among blacks. Numerous officials have said the party must find a way to broaden its appeal rather than continue to steer rightward.

Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for Republicans, said consternation about a replay of recent politically damaging primaries "at least for the moment, doesn't seem to be an issue" for the GOP. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, who chairs the campaign committee, declined a request for an interview.

Yet the divisions that pit the party establishment against insurgents and self-styled grass-roots groups show no signs of abating.

Karl Rove, a prominent strategist with deep ties to the Republican establishment, recently disclosed creation of a Conservative Victory Fund with the stated goal of backing electable conservatives in party primaries.

But when Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, a longtime conservative and possible Senate contender, was quoted in the National Review as saying he didn't oppose the objectives espoused by Rove's group, he drew a slap from a rival organization with close tea party ties.

"The Republican establishment is becoming increasingly hostile to the conservative movement, and Congressman Price should openly and aggressively oppose their efforts, not defend them," blogged Matt Hoskins, head of the Senate Conservatives Fund, an organization founded by former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint.

Price's office declined comment.

Steven Law, head of the Conservative Victory Fund, said it was too early to predict which races it would become involved in. He said the organization hopes to "work with other groups that share that mission to see if we can ensure more rigorous evaluation of candidates, find consensus where possible and perhaps most importantly prevent the Democrats from picking our nominees for us."

Incumbent Republicans seem eager to avoid antagonizing groups that have helped elect tea party favorites such as Sens. Mike Lee in Utah, Rand Paul in Kentucky, Marco Rubio in Florida and Ted Cruz in Texas in recent years.

Even before the beginning of the year, the party's Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, hired the campaign manager who guided Paul to his establishment-upending victory in 2010.

The party's second-ranking leader, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, was one of only three Senate Republicans to oppose John Kerry's confirmation as secretary of state. He has said he expects a primary challenge and Democrats recently accused him of being on "Cruz control," as he seeks a new term.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/21/3246397/gop-senators-are-treading-carefully.html

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