This Story Is Brought To You By The Payback’s A You Know What Division Of Conservatism

15 Jun, 2005 by John Hawkins

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Ohio Senator Mike DeWine was one of the 7 Republicans who popped a middle-finger off to conservatives by signing on to John McCain’s sell-out deal with the Democrats on judges. Wonder if he would have done it had he known it would cost his son a chance to be a Congressman?

From the LA Times:

“Pat DeWine, son of U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, was considered an easy favorite to succeed newly named U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman as the Republican congressman from Ohio’s 2nd District — until the younger DeWine ran afoul of the Christian right.

Now he won’t even be on the ballot in the Aug. 2 special election.

In Tuesday’s primary, 35-year-old DeWine finished a distant fourth behind Jean Schmidt, a former state representative who ran a traditional-values campaign that motivated conservative voters by staying above the vitriolic campaign fray and using techniques honed by supporters of President Bush in 2004.

…Although he raised more than $1 million for his campaign, DeWine saw a commanding lead vanish over the last three months, due to objections from Christian conservatives who have become increasingly active politically.

Observers cite two factors: First, DeWine divorced three years ago, and news of the split spread on the Internet and in radio ads. Second, he suffered the wrath of conservative Christian activists after his father helped forge the recent compromise agreement in the Senate to preserve the filibuster for judicial nominations while guaranteeing confirmation of some but not all of Bush’s nominees.

…Tim Rudd, chairman of the Clermont County Republican Committee, said the feelings against the DeWines were palpable after the senator helped forge the filibuster compromise.

“The reaction was, ‘We’ve got one DeWine; we sure don’t want another,’ ” Rudd said. Schmidt won with about 31% of the vote. DeWine received 12%.”

The LA Times — being the LA Times — tries to play this off like only the “Christian right” was angry about the sell-out on judges. The truth is that the fury at the deal ran wide and deep throughout the whole base and it’s great that Mike DeWine’s kid got caught up in the backlash.

Now, I know some of you are probably thinking: “But it’s not Pat DeWine’s fault his pops sold out the party, so why should he be punished for it?”

Pat DeWine’s a big boy, he’s an adult running for Congress, so he can take it — and it’s a fantastic way to send a needed message to the RINOs in the Senate who think they can do anything they want because the base will forget about it by the time they’re up for election. Yep, they’re “made men,” they’re impervious to political harm and so if they stick it to the base, well, the “little people” will just have to learn to live with it because there is nothing they can do about it.

Tell that to Mike DeWine.