Will NRSC Chairman Cornyn Follow Through On Pledge; Demand Crist Return His $10,000?

NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

For Immediate Release: Nov. 05, 2009

Will NRSC Chairman Cornyn Follow Through On Pledge; Demand Crist Return His $10,000?

Tallahassee, FL - With ABC News reporting yesterday that National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn pledged that the NRSC won't spend money in contested Republican Primaries to, "ease some of the anger being directed at the party establishment," today many are wondering how serious Cornyn was in making this pledge.

"After announcing yesterday that the NRSC won't be spending money to fuel the Republican 'Civil War,' people around Florida are wondering if Chairman John Cornyn will put his money where his mouth is. They are asking, 'Will Chairman Cornyn demand that Charlie Crist return his $10,000 check,'" said Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic Party spokesman. "Over the last few weeks, the people of Florida have abandoned Crist with his approval rating now down to 42% and the Governor was labeled 'America's Worst Governor' by Forbes Magazine. Now in another serious blow to his campaign, Crist's Washington Republican base has cut off his financial support after 'Big John' Cornyn woke up to the fact that he can't just get back on his high horse and demand the tea party types follow his decrees to get behind Crist."

ABC News: Cornyn: 'We Will Not Spend Money in a Contested Primary'

Rick Klein

November 4, 2009

With Republicans grappling with the fallout of an intra-party battle that may have cost them a House seat, the head of the Senate Republican campaign effort is making a pledge that may ease some of the anger being directed at the party establishment.

"We will not spend money in a contested primary," Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told ABC News in a telephone interview today.

"There's no incentive for us to weigh in," said Cornyn, R-Texas. "We have to look at our resources. . . . We're not going to throw money into a [primary] race leading up to the election."

Cornyn said his pledge extends to races for open Senate seats - not incumbents who may face primaries next year. The NRSC so far has endorsed candidates in four open Senate seats - Florida, Missouri, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

Cornyn's commitment is most immediately relevant in Florida, where the NRSC's candidate, Gov. Charlie Crist, is facing an aggressive challenge on his right from state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

Some of the same conservative groups that supported Doug Hoffman in New York's 23^rd congressional district are making noises about backing Rubio, in a contest that could be the next showdown over the direction of the party.

"We're seriously looking at it. We like Marco Rubio a lot. We think that Charlie Crist represents some of the same things that Dede Scozzafava represents," Club for Growth President Chris Chocola said on ABCNews.com's "Top Line" Monday.

Cornyn had praise for Rubio, and said he's sure that he would win the general election if he gets past Crist in the primary. Cornyn said he's confident that - unlike in upstate New York - Republicans will settle their differences in the primary.

"The first lesson is that competitive primaries are generally a good thing," Cornyn said. "To me, that's the overarching lesson to be learned out of the 23^rd. When 11 people get behind closed doors and pick the nominee ... the grassroots are going to find an alternative."

Cornyn said the NRSC is only endorsing in races where - like in Crist's case - the candidate specifically requests its stamp of approval. He said that - notwithstanding any endorsements - his group would even offer advice on hiring and strategy to GOP challengers, like Rubio, who haven't been endorsed.

Asked what endorsements mean, then, Cornyn said some candidates may want the backing to help line up support and financing. Beyond that, however, he said NRSC endorsements won't mean very much in practice.

"Endorsements, frankly, are overrated.... They can to some extent be a negative," Cornyn said, noting that candidates in New Hampshire, California, and Colorado, for example, have asked the national party to stay out of their races.

"People shouldn't read too much into endorsements by the NRSC. We are encouraging people we think are the strongest candidates to run."

Cornyn said he hopes yesterday's results help expand Republicans' map next year: "There are a few other candidates I'd like to see get into these races. This can't be anything other than encouraging to them." Scozzafava was the Republican nominee in the New York race.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/11/cornyn-we-will-not-spend-money-in-a-contested-primary.html

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