DeMint won’t be endorsing Inglis

[ccharles000]

Make sure to check out the story Manu Raju and I wrote about Sen. Jim DeMint’s increasingly assertive role in contested Republican primaries, where he’s backing underdog conservative Senate candidates against the favorites of the GOP establishment.

DeMint, however, is steering clear of a contentious primary in his backyard involving his home-state colleague Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), who is facing four Republican challengers accusing him of being insufficiently conservative.

Several sources with knowledge of DeMint’s decision tell POLITICO that the senator will not be endorsing Inglis and, most likely, will stay out of the primary entirely. That’s a blow to Inglis, who has been a political mentor to DeMint for much of his career, dating back to 1992, when he served as the congressman’s first campaign manager.

When Inglis ran for the Senate (unsuccessfully) in 1998, DeMint ran for his open House seat and won. And when DeMint ran for the Senate in 2004 (successfully), Inglis reclaimed his old seat that year.

But since his second stint in the House, Inglis has jeopardized his political future by taking positions at odds with the district’s conservative base. He’s been outspoken about the need to fight global warming, opposed the Bush administration’s surge policy in Iraq and has publicly condemned Glenn Beck at town halls.

Most recently, he annoyed his party by becoming one of just seven Republicans to support censuring Rep. Joe Wilson for his “you lie!” outburst in front of President Barack Obama.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1109/DeMint_wont_be_endorsing_Inglis.html?showall

[jefferson_dem]

1. The Grand Old (TeaBagger) Party purity purge continues...

Inglis is one of the very few nearly-sane Repugs.

[Turbineguy]

2. "Are you crazy enough

for the Republican Party?"