Senator Cory Gardner, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said that there were no plans for the GOP campaign organization to support the Republican nominee for senate in Virginia, Corey Stewart, in his attempt to unseat Democratic Senator Tim Kaine.
The Senate GOP’s campaign arm hasn’t endorsed Stewart, who has made defending Confederate monuments a central plank of his political career. And its chairman said that the committee has “no plans” to spend any money on Stewart in his race against Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
“At the senatorial committee we’re focusing on Missouri, Indiana, North Dakota, Montana, West Virginia and Florida. There are great races around the country. [Virginia] is not the map,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Cory Gardner (R-Colo.). “We have a big map this year, and what I’ve laid out in races that I’ve talked about, Virginia’s not on it.”
“Sometimes in the primary process, the thing we try and get done is get the most electable candidate on the ballot in the fall. And that doesn’t always happen,” conceded Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 3 GOP leader.
And Thune, like other Republicans expressed ignorance of Stewart despite his affinity for earning press with stunts like protesting outside the RNC in 2016, which got him ousted from Trump’s official campaign apparatus. Stewart also drew criticism for refusing to condemn white nationalists after last year’s violent rally in Charlottesville.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), said he has “no idea who he is. Not at all.”
Here is a picture of Senators Gardner, Thune, and Scott.
Pretending Stewart doesn’t exist isn’t going to help. Besides, it’s too late. Corey Stewart, a race-baiting, anti-Semite-loving, racial dog whistler is the legitimate, bona fide nominee of the Republican Party in Virginia who is supported by the president of the United States and racists.
Congratulations to Corey Stewart for his great victory for Senator from Virginia. Now he runs against a total stiff, Tim Kaine, who is weak on crime and borders, and wants to raise your taxes through the roof. Don’t underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018
Stewart is going to get creamed, so the NRSC is correct in not spending a dime on this loser. But what do Republicans do with this guy? He has been endorsed by the organizer of the “Unite the (White)” rally in Charlottesville, Jason Kessler, and had nice things to say about Paul Nehlen, the ridiculous challenger to Speaker Paul Ryan who ran openly as a “pro-white” candidate and is known for his anti-Semitic tweets.
Stewart’s win is a disaster of the first order for the national party and no amount of scrubbing will wash away the stench.
My colleague Tyler O’Neill has a thoughtful article on Stewart today, asking if he is really a “white supremacist.” Tyler thinks Stewart is an “opportunist” who will do anything to get a vote and not a racist. Personally, I think anyone who poses in front of a Confederate battle flag is an insensitive, ignorant lout and too stupid to serve as a United States senator.
Too bad Republicans in Virginia didn’t see it that way.
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