Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) tells National Review Online that he is disappointed with his GOP colleagues who support Sen. Lisa Murkowski being able to retain her ranking status on the energy committee as she mounts a write-in campaign against Joe Miller, Alaska’s GOP Senate nominee. “I respect the friendship component of this, but our country is much more important than our friendships here,” he says. Enabling Murkowski to keep her position, he says, “undermines” Miller and “goes against the party discipline that is needed.”

In an interview outside of a fundraiser for Ken Buck, the GOP Senate nominee in Colorado, DeMint also shared his view on Buck’s campaign and on how the GOP should frame the midterms — he says candidates should make sure to “talk about what we’re for as Republicans, the bold reform ideas for our tax code, how we are going to fix social security and turn it into a wealth creation plan, how we are going to fix health care . . . talk about moving forward,” as a rebuttal to Democratic talking points.

DeMint also predicts that the Senate will be able to pass a moratorium on earmarks if the GOP makes major gains this fall.