The Shot!

The mantra that many fiscally conservative Republicans often tell voters is that “we didn’t lose the 2006 Elections because of the Iraq War, it was because we lost credibility on the issue of spending.”

Exit polls from that election suprisingly showed most Americans thought the Democrats were more fiscally responsible than Republicans. If Republicans are going to be successful in 2008, we have to regain our status as the party of fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately Sen. Mitch McConnell obviously didn’t get the “memo”. He is literally running his campaign on bringing home the bacon. Watch these two ads. The first one is about how he secured $200 million in earmarks to fund research at Kentucky Universities. The second one is about how he helped work out a multi-billion dollar buyout for tobacco farmers.

Don’t get me wrong here. I want McConnell to win re-election because Republicans can simply not afford to lose another seat in the Senate. But other Republicans will need to carry the day in Kentucky. The Republican Presidential Nominee, Congressmen, and state legislature candidate will need every advantage they can get to ensure victory. The problem is while they are out on the trail talking about reducing government spending and cutting wasteful projects, McConnell is running ads talking about the latest piece of pork he was able to bring home on the back of the taxpayers.

I hope Sen. McConnell will realize that his campaign transcends his reelection efforts and stops running these ads. While he certainly does not have a spotless voting record, there are a number of great issues he should highlight other than the earmarks he has been able to secure.

In tonights CNN Democrat Debate from Las Vegas, Sen. Hillary Clinton cited her work with Sen. Lindsey Graham on how she is capable of uniting the nation? Is this good for Sen. Graham during his re-election?

Sen. Graham sent out a press release touting his cash on hand and if he’s in trouble, you certainly can’t tell it by his money.
He is one of the top Republican fundraisers this cycle and reports an astounding $4.22 million cash on hand. In the past three months he has raised close to $500k and has collected $2.25 Million since January.

There were some problems in Sen. Graham’s numbers that we covered earlier today. These reports have been amended to correct problems dating from as far back as 2002. Sen. Graham’s campaign went through an “intensive internal review of the campigns financial records which revealed numerous unauthorized disbursements made by a former employee. The unauthorized disbursements totaled approximately $215,000 over the past four years.”

Earlier this week, Senator Graham mailed a letter to supporters discussing the internal review and unauthorized disbursements made by a former employee.

“Our campaign recently conducted an intensive internal review of our financial records. During this review we uncovered numerous unauthorized disbursements made by a former employee. While we are still conducting the review, it appears the unauthorized payments for personal use totaled approximately $215,000 over a period of four years.

“Our campaign contacted the Federal Election Commission upon discovering the suspected misappropriation of funds to make them aware of the situation and to seek appropriate guidance on how to proceed,” wrote Graham. “Based on their direction, we have begun filing amended financial reports and turned the matter over to law enforcement for investigation.

“Finally, the individual in question has been terminated from employment, and we have implemented strict internal controls governing all financial activities of the campaign to ensure nothing like this ever happens again,” wrote Graham.

Someone challenging Graham may feel froggy this cycle, but they may just be jumping to their [political] death.

[Tim Cameron] 

The 2008 U.S. Senate in South Carolina race is about to get heated up. That’s because RNC National Committeeman Dr. Buddy Witherspoon has decided to challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham in next year’s Republican Primary. Witherspoon has already contacted several key state party leaders and expressed his intentions to run against the recently embattled Graham. At this point, the question isn’t whether Witherspoon plans to run, but rather when he will announce.

While names like former Congressman Tommy Harnett and state Rep. Jeff Duncan were floated around as potential challengers to Graham, it did not appear as though he would face serious opposition in next year’s primary. Witherspoon isn’t a widely known figure, but his position with RNC should give him enough clout with donors and activists to mount a serious challenge to Graham.

Sen. Graham will be extremely well funded. He has nearly $4 million cash on hand. But Graham has angered numerous Republican Primary voters with his stance on immigration and his membership in the “Gang of 14”. This has led many GOP activists to question his conservative credentials. 

Witherspoon, on the other hand, is considered to be ultra-conservative.  He is steadfastly pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, pro-gun and anti-amnesty.  If he were elected, he would be the farthest right member of the South Carolina delegation and possibly the entire U.S. Senate. 

Currently, it appears that Graham will have a huge edge on Witherspoon, but things often happen in elections that nobody expects. Sen. Graham and his $4 million will be tough to beat, but it certainly won’t be impossible given the feelings of the voter base.