Despite being next in line to replace outgoing Sen. John Ensign (R., Nev.) on the Senate Finance Committee, despite the lobbying efforts of many conservative organizations, and despite being “very interested” in the open seat, Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) will not be joining the committee. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) has selected Sen. Richard Burr (R., N.C.) to fill Ensign’s slot, sources confirm.
DeMint issued the following statement:
“I’m disappointed, but this was the leader’s decision and I’ll respect it. The policy issues before the committee are very important to the future of our country and I will continue to work on them even though I’m not a member of the committee. While I was not chosen this time, I am deeply grateful to the thousands of conservative activists across the country who supported me.”
Another reason Republican voters can add to the list of reasons we're unenthusiastic about Republican leadership in Congress.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseVery disappointing. In his 7th year, Burr has hardly distinguished himself as more than an empty suit in the Senate, and is quite fortunate his term involved the 2004 and 2010 elections because he would not have survived in either 2006 or 2008.
The GOP leadership does not get it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's a pity Sen. De Mint isn't the Minority Leader (or, better still, the Majority Leader) since he's one of the few individuals in that body worth more than spit.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseA complete OUTRAGE. My Senator Burr is a leadership black hole. At the most important moment of his pathetic little career -- the Senate vote on the McCain/Kennedy Amnesty Bill...one of the most dramatic Senate votes in my lifetime -- the lowlife Burr hid behind the skirts of Elizabeth Dole, who turned out to be the centrist with the courage to take a stand against amnesty.
THEN...after all the drama was over, Burr hopped around crying, "Me, too! Me, too!" In so far as Burr has any principle whatsoever, it is support for agribusiness. Otherwise, he is too squishy, shapeless, and frivolous even to be called a RINO.
And McConnell elevates this careerist clown ahead of Jim DeMint? Believe it or not, I had previously been on the fence as to whether Tea Party types needed to be fiercely confrontational or try to work with the existing leadership. The existing leadership must be overthrown.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMitch's time is past ... we need him to be a back bencher at Walmart ...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSenator Burr has a 91.06 lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union, putting him well within the solidly right-wing of the Senate. Moreover, he actually intends to work with Senator McConnell to reform the American political edifice instead of burning it down like DeMint in the pursuit of DeMint's own vanity, populist demagoguery, and apoplectic calumny. The Finance Committee is a place for careful, rational debate, not DeMint's rhetorical bomb-throwing, political pandering, and ceaseless argumentum ad populum. McConnell made the right choice, as usual.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@Junius
91.06 ACU....humbug!
He would not cast a critical vote against amnesty until the battle was already won. THEN he tried to join the parade of the victors.
I don't need any of your statistic, thank you very much. The man showed who he was when it counted. Otherwise, nobody has ever even noticed him.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@Ed: "I don't need any of your statistic" [sic]
Speaking of argumentum ad populum; you keep your opinions, I'll keep my facts. I'll leave it to the good judgement of others whether which paradigm is in the tradition of Bill Buckley.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse>"Senator Burr has a 91.06 lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union, putting him well within the solidly right-wing of the Senate. Moreover, he actually intends to work with Senator McConnell to reform the American political edifice"
When I think of Senator McConnell the words "reformation of the American political edifice" stubbornly refuse to come to mind. He's a business-as-usual big government Republican.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHow seriously can anyone take a lifetime voting score when you can clearly see deliberate padding of the score...refusing to cast a vote that really counted in the legislative process but then eagerly casting a vote "for the record." It is the behavior of a frightened and ambitious little mouse.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThere's a reason why they're called the stupid party.
And McConnell is truly the king of fools.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLooks like Burr voted against the Stock act which bars congress from insider trading, horrible decision by Mitch McConnell to appoint him, McConnell needs to be replaced as well just like Hatch. Burr has a terrible voting record!
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