Audio update - Jim DeMint says GOP needs to embrace Ron Paul and his ideas more

[ZanZibar]

Jim DeMint praises Ron Paul on Laura Ingraham?

Did anyone hear this today? :confused:


update:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHcYwkeiDVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHcYwkeiDVc


article:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/203557-sen-demint-urges-republicans-to-listen-to-ron-paul

[bluesc]

He praised Ron on Mike Gallagher show too. What the hell is going on?

[bobmurph]

http://www.screenshots.cc/photos/medium/54378-a47p4.jpg

[Havax]

Well, he won't be able to say with a straight face that Santorum, Gingrich, or Romney stand for limited, constitution-based government.

[tsai3904]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/203557-sen-demint-urges-republicans-to-listen-to-ron-paul


"One of the things that's hurt the so-called conservative alternative is saying negative things about Ron Paul," DeMint told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. "I'd like to see a Republican party that embraces a lot of the libertarian ideas."

http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/10/demint-predicts-romney-win-in-sc/


“I’m still not going to endorse, Mark, because Republicans are yet united and I want to focus on the Senate,” he said. “I think whoever gets elected as a Republican, I want to help deliver a conservative Senate, otherwise it doesn’t matter who is in the White House.”

Later in the program, DeMint predicted a Romney win in his state.

[ZanZibar]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/203557-sen-demint-urges-republicans-to-listen-to-ron-paul

[mbburch]

I think that incumbent Republicans will start to realize that unless they are nice to Ron Paul, they risk losing 10% of their voting base. So I question whether DeMint's comments are genuine, but it does show that we are becoming a force within the party.

[Karsten]

Jim DeMint praises Ron Paul on Laura Ingraham?

Did anyone here this today? :confused:
Haven't we always said we wanted his endorsement?

[trey4sports]

I think that incumbent Republicans will start to realize that unless they are nice to Ron Paul, they risk losing 10% of their voting base. So I question whether DeMint's comments are genuine, but it does show that we are becoming a force within the party.


very few in politics are genuine. What really matters is that we tip their hand just enough so that they vote the way we want.

[agorist ninja]

A DeMint thread, we haz it: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?349514-Jim-DeMint-on-Mike-Gallagher-only-talking-about-Ron-Paul.

[virginiakid]

Haven't we always said we wanted his endorsement?

I think in a way, he has already endorsed Paul. His praise speaks volumes, especially considering that he has done it twice in one day and on two different national radio shows.

[odamn]

What took him so long?

[ThePiousPriest]

I think in a way, he has already endorsed Paul. His praise speaks volumes, especially considering that he has done it twice in one day and on two different national radio shows.

yeah, I think this about as close to an endorsement of Ron Paul that we can get. I don't think he will make an official endorsement, but this kind of press from him isn't bad either. My Dad tipped me off to what DeMint was saying about Ron Paul.

[blabam]

“I’m still not going to endorse, Mark, because Republicans are yet united and I want to focus on the Senate,” he said. “I think whoever gets elected as a Republican, I want to help deliver a conservative Senate, otherwise it doesn’t matter who is in the White House.”

What good is a conservative senate when you have a liberal president? Dude needs to grow a pair and endorse the only serious conservative in this race.

[bluesc]

What good is a conservative senate when you have a liberal president? Dude needs to grow a pair and endorse the only serious conservative in this race.

Yes he does. There are many others like him.

[Voluntary Man]

I think that incumbent Republicans will start to realize that unless they are nice to Ron Paul, they risk losing 10% of their voting base. So I question whether DeMint's comments are genuine, but it does show that we are becoming a force within the party.

Yup. It doesn't mean they agree with us. It just means they're scared. But I'll take that. After all, isn't fear of the TRUTH the beginning of knowledge?

[Echoes]

It's more fear then anything else, that Ron's gonna go 3rd party. You'll start seeing more of these backhanded compliments from mainline republicans.

DeMint's another fake conservative who voted for TARP, Patriot Act and all of Bushes spending. Not 'genuine' at all in my book.

[sailingaway]

I think that incumbent Republicans will start to realize that unless they are nice to Ron Paul, they risk losing 10% of their voting base. So I question whether DeMint's comments are genuine, but it does show that we are becoming a force within the party.I think DeMint likes Ron, loves his budget, has qualms about his foreign policy and wishes he'd be more circumspect in how he discusses social issues. I think they are allies. DeMint carried Ron's audit bill in the Senate when Sanders effectively dropped the ball, if you recall, and he and Rand do a lot together. I think he is VERY supportive of what he considers a fall back for us of supporting Rand, who overlaps his orbit. I don't know if he would endorse Ron, but I genuinely consider him friendly to us in most things. He is not a neocon, he is a national security conservative. He understands that the debt is a huge risk to our national security. If he and Ron TALK about how to protect the country, I think they would make a lot of headway.

[Sola_Fide]

It's more fear then anything else, that Ron's gonna go 3rd party. You'll start seeing more of these backhanded compliments from mainline republicans.

DeMint's another fake conservative who voted for TARP, Patriot Act and all of Bushes spending. Not 'genuine' at all in my book.


Hmmm. I thought DeMint voted against TARP.



EDIT: He did vote against TARP, along with Pence and Sessions:

http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/Senate/South_Carolina/Jim_DeMint/Views/The_Economy/

[sailingaway]

Hmmm. I thought DeMint voted against TARP.

Uh, yeah....

[Standing Liberty]

What good is a conservative senate when you have a liberal president? Dude needs to grow a pair and endorse the only serious conservative in this race.

Yep he sure does.
What does he have to lose?

[bluesc]

If he and Ron TALK about how to protect the country, I think they would make a lot of headway.

Problem is Ron generally doesn't do that unless invited. Why Rand can't facilitate the meeting, I don't understand.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/203557-sen-demint-urges-republicans-to-listen-to-ron-paul-

[georgiaboy]

I think in a way, he has already endorsed Paul. His praise speaks volumes, especially considering that he has done it twice in one day and on two different national radio shows.

Yep, this is huge. DeMint knows what's what, and he knows Ron's the only guy talking about real cuts.

The conservative base will side with DeMint on this. So huge!

[jct74]

tube


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHcYwkeiDVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHcYwkeiDVc

[IDefendThePlatform]

http://www.screenshots.cc/photos/medium/54378-a47p4.jpg

Link for retweeting: https://twitter.com/#!/IngrahamAngle/status/157125148695216128

[BigByrd47119]

Is it time for a DeMint twitter bomb?!?

[AuH20]

DeMint is a good guy. You can see how gentlemanly and friendly he treated Ron in that South Carolina presidential forum earlier this year. He's genuine and likes Ron as well as his boy.

[ronpaulitician]

What is the better scenario in this case?

DeMint keeps talking favorable about Paul, but doesn't endorse him. Those who think favorably about DeMint gradually start to think favorably about Paul.

DeMint endorses Paul. Some of those who think favorably about DeMint suddenly start to think favorably about Paul. Others who think favorably about DeMint but who do not think favorably about Ron Paul stop listening to DeMint altogether.

[jmdrake]

I think that incumbent Republicans will start to realize that unless they are nice to Ron Paul, they risk losing 10% of their voting base. So I question whether DeMint's comments are genuine, but it does show that we are becoming a force within the party.

Don't you mean 20 to 25%?

[nasaal]

I heard swipes taken at Paul about Iran and 9/11. Really irritating when people laugh at ANY point of view. Dismiss it once you have heard it, but don't scoff at it like a child.

[MR2Fast2Catch]

DeMint outlines the significance of Ron Paul's campaign this time around. Even if we don't win. We're getting 25% of the vote and doing better than anyone but Romney. The GOP can no longer afford to ignore us because our numbers have grown so much. Keep up the work and this movement will keep growing as more and more Americans join the freedom movement. The Republican Party will have to embrace us in some fashion, because if they ignore us, it is their loss not ours.

[ctiger2]

DeMint is currently a big government conservative. When the Ron Paul ship comes by I predict fair weather DeMint will see the tide shift and jump on board. Sure, it's good to have more allies. Just realize DeMint is a pandering follower and not a leader like Paul.

[PaleoForPaul]

It's more fear then anything else, that Ron's gonna go 3rd party.

It's not just third party at this point. Ron is pulling 20-25% of the vote in Republican primaries. Even if those votes are from independents they're potential Republican votes. If the Republican party disenfranchises and ostracizes them, they will likely lose in the general election.

On top of that, they have to worry about Ron Paul winning the nomination, or showing up at the convention with a significant number of delegates and being "disruptive". Barry Goldwater's supporters boo'ed Nelson Rockafeller as he gave a speech, how horrified is the establishment of Ron Paul supporters showing up to boo Mitt Romney?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Republican_National_Convention

[AuH20]

DeMint is currently a big government conservative. When the Ron Paul ship comes by I predict fair weather DeMint will see the tide shift and jump on board. Sure, it's good to have more allies. Just realize DeMint is a pandering follower and not a leader like Paul.

DeMint is retiring in 2016. He's sick of DC and only came back because he felt compelled to push back against the constitutional intrusions. He recently voted to end the war in Iraq, he voted against the NDAA and he previously was one of the most vocal opponents against TARP. He's arguably one of the best senators behind Rand.

[Echoes]

Hmmm. I thought DeMint voted against TARP.



EDIT: He did vote against TARP, along with Pence and Sessions:

http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/Senate/South_Carolina/Jim_DeMint/Views/The_Economy/

I stand corrected. Ok, i give him big props for that.

What are his views on the Federal Reserve ?

I still view him as a fair weather conservative, who's not fully behind states rights.

[AuH20]

I stand corrected. Ok, i give him big props for that.

What are his views on the Federal Reserve ?

I still view him as a fair weather conservative, who's not fully behind states rights.

Demint was leading the fight for Ron's federal reserve transparency act even after it was subverted. He even tried to sneak Ron's bill through:

http://tekgnosis.typepad.com/tekgnosis/2009/07/breaking-news-on-audit-the-fed-hr-2918-as-senate-amendment-1367.html



Senator DeMint, who has a well-deserved reputation for taking the battle to the other side in the Senate, once again proved why he is such a valuable ally in our fight to bring transparency and accountability to the Federal Reserve.

A little while ago, the Senate voted to pass HR 2918, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. This $3 billion bill contains, among many other things, provisions for GAO audits on certain agencies.

Seizing on a chance to take quick action to bring Audit the Fed up for a vote, and with the GAO provisions in mind, Senator DeMint attached the full text of S 604, the Senate version of Ron Paul's Audit the Fed bill, to HR 2918 as Senate Amendment 1367 before it was considered for final passage.

However, Senate Democrats refused to even allow a vote on the amendment! That's right. The internationalist, Fed-loving elite in the Senate used a parliamentary tactic to shut down DeMint's amendment.

After Senator DeMint brought Audit the Fed to the floor, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska raised a "point of order" to prevent a vote, claiming that the amendment violated Senate Rule 16 by "legislating" on an appropriations bill. The Senate president agreed, and the amendment was shot down.

Senator DeMint did not back down, though, and directly challenged Senate leadership by pointing out the other GAO audits contained in the bill. As Senator DeMint listed them off, the Senate president was forced to agree with Senator DeMint that each one he described, all of which would be left in for final passage, also violated Senate Rule 16.

Which tells us at least one thing: the problem wasn't with "legislating" on the bill or violating Senate Rules (which is commonly done). Shooting down the amendment was about preventing a thorough audit of the Federal Reserve for the first time in its history!

[jersdream]

Don't worry, the purists are going to come in and say they don't want a Palin or DeMint endorsement because they are big government people, war hawks, neocons, etc.

[Echoes]

Don't worry, the purists are going to come in and say they don't want a Palin or DeMint endorsement because they are big government people, war hawks, neocons, etc.

Obviously not, DeMint's got major pull with the S. Carolina electorate. I just question how authentic he is.

[Student Of Paulism]

Eh...well DeMint definitely seems to be on the right side, with the record to show it, but then again, its always tough to say where he truly stands right now. Both him and Palin are nothing new though. Like so many others, they say great things about Ron, and its like, you can almost tell they want to endorse him, but so afraid of the backlash they would get from the party.

Yea, politics suck like that.

[ronpaulhemp]

Wow, this is great. Maybe it'll make a difference for Dr. Paul in South Carolina.

[bobbyw24]

Following former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, the South Carolina primary is shaping up to be the last stand for many of his competitors.

Romney is headed to the state with a key endorsement from South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and a lead in recent polls. He’s also been given high marks by Sen. Jim DeMint, who said on Mark Levin’s radio show Tuesday night that Romney was sounding good to him.

“I was just sitting here listening to the Romney acceptance speech, and he’s hitting a lot of the hot buttons for me about balancing the budget, and frankly I’m a little concerned about the few Republicans who have criticized some of what I consider free market principles here,” DeMint said.

“I’m still not going to endorse, Mark, because Republicans are yet united and I want to focus on the Senate,” he said. “I think whoever gets elected as a Republican, I want to help deliver a conservative Senate, otherwise it doesn’t matter who is in the White House.”

Later in the program, DeMint predicted a Romney win in his state.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/10/demint-predicts-romney-win-in-sc/#ixzz1jBX20b00

[thoughtomator]

I wonder if the tweet I sent him last night had an impact... must be just a coincidence but I can't help but wonder

[iamse7en]

Grow a backbone and endorse him Mr. "small-government conservative."

[bobmurph]

Demint has a new book out. He needs to realize that if he endroses Dr Paul he will sell a TON of books. Can you say BOOKBOMB?

[Arklatex]

I think after last night anyone who wants to improve their political career will start being nicer to us. We are the growing part of not only the Republican party but politics period!

[thoughtomator]

Jim DeMint is going to be on Jon Stewart tonight

http://www.thedailyshow.com/guests

Is Jon Stewart becoming a Ron Paul fan??

[blazeKing]

Jim DeMint is going to be on Jon Stewart tonight

http://www.thedailyshow.com/guests

Is Jon Stewart becoming a Ron Paul fan??


I think so...also he pulls a young audience and well..so does Ron Paul :D

[jay_dub]

He's giving the message that people need to hear in that interview. I've been saying it for some time. No matter what policies you like, they are all being threatened by our debt and it's only going to get worse. People need to hear that, come election time, the debt will be $16 Trillion and the interest on that will be over $500 Billion every year.

This is something that anyone can relate to and only RP is addressing, but he really needs to condense it down. The message gets lost in talking about ideology.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

It's more fear then anything else, that Ron's gonna go 3rd party. You'll start seeing more of these backhanded compliments from mainline republicans.

DeMint's another fake conservative who voted for TARP, Patriot Act and all of Bushes spending. Not 'genuine' at all in my book.

He didn't vote for TARP!

He has always been a fiscal hawk.

He is a conservative. I used to be for all these wars and laws after 911, because face it I was scared. DeMint is a conservative first and hawk second. I like him.

[thoughtomator]

DeMint cast a vote for the odious Food Safety Act that I'm still waiting to hear an explanation on.

[traviskicks]

Eh...well DeMint definitely seems to be on the right side, with the record to show it.


Yea, I am a fan of DeMint

[AuH20]

Some of the Hot Air commenters want to burn DeMint at the stake for his pro-Ron Paul comments:

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/01/11/jim-demint-its-time-to-start-listening-to-ron-paul/