The Shot!

The nation’s most conservative Senator trying to help conservative candidates.

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From CQ:

Senator Unveils New PAC to Fund Conservative Campaigns
By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff

When he calls donors to raise money for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint hears the same basic message that has vexed party fundraisers since the start of this election cycle: The Republican Party isn’t much to write home about, particularly not with a check enclosed.

The NRSC, which gives money to help GOP candidates for the Senate, badly trails its counterpart, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The DSCC had raised $76.6 million and had $37.6 million on hand as of the last federal filing on April 30, while the NRSC had raised $47.9 million and had $19.4 million on hand.

But DeMint says that donors who might be reluctant to give their money to a party that has strayed from conservative principles may be willing to give to individual conservative candidates. He’s hoping those candidates can polish the tarnished brand and provide an alternative to the Democratic Party.

“It’s important that Republicans provide a clear, attractive contrast,” DeMint said in an interview at the NRSC headquarters on Capitol Hill.

So, DeMint is creating a new ‘leadership’ political action committee (PAC), the Senate Conservatives Fund, dedicated to nominating and electing conservative Republicans.

Most politicians’ leadership PACs dole out relatively small contributions to a broad swath of candidates to build a constituency for the lawmaker who runs the committee. The direct donations they make are limited to $10,000 per campaign per election cycle. DeMint said he would prefer to inject large chunks of money into unlimited “independent expenditures” — spending that is not coordinated with the campaign in any way — on a handful of worthy candidates. Because it is independent of the campaign, there is no restriction on the amount that can be spent on a race. He envisions dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into ads, literature, phone banks, etc for each of three or four races each cycle for maximum impact.

It may turn out to be a much more effective strategy for a chamber in which only one-third of the seats are up every two years and only a small fraction of those are typically competitive.

It also may sound like a recipe for disaster, a vehicle for challenging incumbent Republicans or knocking off viable moderate Republicans in open seats or those occupied by Democrats. Or, at the very least, forcing the winner to spend extra money in the primary to fend off the Senate Conservative Fund’s independent expenditures on an opponent’s behalf.

“The overriding distinction is that it puts principle over party,” said Andy Roth, director of federal government affairs for the conservative Club for Growth, which has proven to be a powerhouse in conservative fundraising circles in recent election cycles.

But DeMint, who said he has raised more than $1 million for the NRSC this cycle, has always tempered his wide conservative streak with a commitment to party-building activities. It may be that the new PAC can accomplish both by attracting the contributions of conservatives without threatening the party’s chances in November.

DeMint won’t rule out opposing incumbents in the future, but he doesn’t sound like he is spoiling for a fight, either.

“I hope that doesn’t happen where we have to make a decision between a colleague and someone on the outside,” he said.

DeMint said he will give only to candidates who support robust national defense, fiscal conservatism and traditional social values.

The Web site, which has not yet been made public, lists more policy goals, including efforts to “oppose appeasement,” “promote energy independence,” “secure our borders” and “expand private health insurance.”

DeMint plans to endorse his first campaign later this month.

He is not saying who it is, but former House colleagues Bob Schaffer, who is running for Colorado’s open seat and Steve Pearce , who just won a New Mexico primary, are strong possibilities.

DeMint said he understands the need for moderates in the party, particularly in states where conservatives would have difficulty competing. But he believes the GOP’s platform should be conservative and that an influx of conservatives would help the party refashion the kind of clear agenda that has been lost in an effort to ensure party moderates can vote with the party.

“In order to accommodate everyone, we have become nothing,” he said.

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