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Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.
John Ensign supports higher taxes on all Americans and Dean Heller is against them. But John Ensign is against burgeoning deficits and Dean Heller doesn’t seem to care.
What’s a Tea Partyer to do?
That’s the seminal question as the 2012 U.S. Senate race began last week — or at least it seemed to — as Sen. Ensign and Rep. Heller were on opposite sides of the tax cut compromise vote that overwhelmingly passed both houses of Congress and was signed by President Barack Obama.
Ensign voted against the package after repeatedly saying how horrendous it would be to raise taxes during a recession but saying the near-trillion dollars in spending was too much to bear. And Heller voted for it, ignoring the deficit implications in a statement defending his vote and focusing on the “disastrous” tax increases if the tax-cut compromise hadn’t passed.
So does the Tea Party hate deficits or tax increases more? Or are both supplanted by hatred for a president it doesn’t think should be given a victory?
The group supposedly is all about excessive federal spending, so maybe Ensign wins this round. But a year from now, when and if Heller starts his ad campaign, besides mentioning Ensign’s vote for TARP in 2008, might he mention this overwhelming tax increase the senator supported?
The bad boy senator seems to be flailing about as part of the John Ensign Resurrection Project, desperately trying to transmogrify himself from crucified sinner to true believer once more. And the ambitious congressman seems to be embarking on a Dean Heller Just Might Run Campaign, trying to maintain his viability until he makes a decision while drawing a contrast whenever he can with Ensign.
Or maybe they both voted their consciences and it has nothing to do with 2012.
We in the Fourth Estate love to pore over every vote and statement for political signals, especially in the 24/7 world of instapunditry. But the fact is the Ensign-Heller conundrum is one the GOP will have to solve sooner rather than later, with the former a much weaker general election candidate than the latter and an almost-certain loser to a strong Democratic candidate.
So the 2012 question — and not just in Nevada — morphs into: What do you do with a damaged incumbent who has voted right and now panders, no matter how erratically, to the Tea Party while another credible conservative (albeit one who scampered right after being singed in a near-loss four years ago) stands ready to be the party’s nominee?
Ensign is appealing to that important GOP primary niche: The voter who doesn’t care if Ensign had an affair with his wife’s best friend who was also his best friend’s wife or that he had his parents pay off the couple or that he then creepily tried to find the cuckolded husband a job or that he is a world-class hypocrite for being a public morality enforcer while being a private adulterer or that he voted to raise taxes on every American (after saying how awful it would be to do so in a recession) or that he sponsored tens of millions in earmarks (after complaining about profligate federal spending).
This is your candidate, Tea Party?
If you take away his personal failings, rank hypocrisy and ethical transgressions, Ensign is a GOP exemplar. He also has aligned himself with the Jim DeMint-Tom Coburn wing of the Republican caucus, the deficit hawks who have made slashing spending the holy grail. (You also may recall that Coburn, a doctor, is Ensign’s gynecologist, having claimed doctor-patient privilege at the onset of the Ensign scandal and who Ensign’s former best friend says tried to negotiate a deal to buy the humiliated family’s silence, which Coburn denies. They are all honorable men.)
Heller is in an enviable position as he can wait for a few months to see how many factors play out: Whether Ensign’s near-fatal negative rating turns fatal. Whether Ensign raises any money. Whether the National Republican Senatorial Committee quietly signals it will support Heller. Whether Sharron Angle decides to get into the Senate race — a three-way race may be Ensign’s only salvation.
The senator’s biggest worry — if reality ever intrudes in Ensignville — should be that Republicans are good at terminating wounded incumbents. (See Gibbons, Jim, 2010.)
I don’t underestimate the Democrats’ ability to muck this up, either — Rep. Shelley Berkley will be well funded if she runs but may have serious problems outside Southern Nevada. And if the congresswoman doesn’t take the leap, the Democrats may have a crowded field that could inure to the GOP’s benefit.
Whatever happens, judging from the events of last week, forgetting this year’s apparently unforgettable U.S. Senate race may be easier than I thought, thanks to Ensign and Heller.
Dean Heller and Ensign should address voter fraud, else Nevada again elect a Harry Reid
Pssst---hey, Jon, the campaigning never ends. You know that.
As soon as one election ends the next campaign begins and politicians these days spend most of their time campaigning and securing kickbacks for their supporters (at taxpayers' expense)---which is why Congress should only be in session for 3 months out of the year, and politicians' wages should be cut accordingly.
Ensign voting to repeal DADT will be used against him by the Sharron Angle TeaHeads to get her the nod to run for his Senate seat next year.
I can t wait to watch that, more political comedy, you betcha..
All that's missing is Sharrrrrrrrrrrrrrrron, and the Nevada GOP will (yet again) be a 3 ring circus! And yes, I won't be surprised if she runs... And wins the primary (yet again). Teabaggers just don't know how to admit they're wrong.
Perhaps that's what Shelley Berkley is betting on?
Let's also not forget that on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal vote, Ensign voted against cloture, only to turn around and vote for the repeal.
atdleft
OH Happy Days..Reid is going to spend the next six years promoting illegal immigrants rights/entitlements and sneaking internet gambling for licensed operators into law..
Internet gambling for the Owners of Las Vegas Casino's would create so many more jobs in India..Doesn't your poor little bleeding heart just weep with joy to think of all those poor people having a job..and think Green..When the lights go out in Las Vegas...the only income is going to be federal entitlements and saved energy We will have so much more to give away to poor people...we can import a few million more illegals to come vote democrat
It's past time for TARP to be given considerable credit for preventing a melt down of the global financial system. The program was rushed together at the height of the crisis, and while not perfect, it accomplished its purpose with fewer problems than bills Congress spends years on. The half of Tarp executed under Bush is on track to be profitable as most banks have repaid the loans with interest and warrants. The second half that was geared more to social outcomes such as manipulating the auto bankruptcies to the
benefit of the unions, preventing foreclosures,
cash for clunkers, homeowner credits, etc.
while more popular with the public, will not be
recouped. The continued assistance given the banks by the Fed through 0% interest rates is more deserving of criticism than the original
TARP. It is those who voted against TARP that
should be kept out of office.
well, Thanks to Reid NV is back on Track and thanks to the NV voters we beat back the Sharron Angle/Tea Party whackos with the help of a few republicans no less!
ENSIGN just killed his chance of re election yesterday when he voted against the dream act . The same Hispanic vote that saved Harry Reid could have been his but he voted the way he did and in 2012 he will pay the price ..
Not passing the DREAM act helps us dems. Tea Party will have a more difficult time in NV after Sharon Angle. Repubs still haven't learned that the TP will not be their yes men. Love to see more weirdos get their backing.
We sure as hell wouldn't go to you to find out what the Tea Party should do.
You have no idea what the Tea Party movement is.
The last thing conservative should do is listen to those who got their butts kicked in the last election.
Libs and their media are trying to tell the Tea Party what to do. Crawl back in your little hole. You are in for a bigger defeat in 2012 and once again, you won't know what hit you. In the meantime, nobody reads this garbage writen by leftists in the media anymore. They can see themselves for what they are either.
I was just watching a History Channel show on the demise of Rome and how a succession of rulers were inept and only worked for personal gain. It reminded me of the Tea Party who seems to have the over riding goal of tax evasion. They want the benefits of living in the United States just so long as it doesn't cost them anything.
Voter fraud, that's the crap from Heidi Harris, Jeromy Wayne and the other talk radio losers....If "they" were going to fix elections, why wouldn't they fix the Titus v. Heck race???
Xtra, since you have PROOF of voter fraud, why don't you file an official complaint.
Oh wait, someone did and the election officials didn't find any indication of election fraud. The state of Nevada verified the election results and Ms. Angle lost. Badly.
So I guess your next step is to slander Senator Reid with the attacks that have already been proven to be lies. Just keep listening to the AM radio, close out the rest of the world and everything will be Ok.
In you own mind, that is.