Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake (R-CD6) has never been afraid to use the word "liberal" to describe anyone left of him on the political spectrum. His latest fundraising e-mail uses it four times and attempts to move potential supporters to immediately enter their credit card info at his website. But, he may be overreaching when he says that the libs are raising Arizona up to being "the key to maintaining their majority in the Senate," and that "the pundits" have done their part by downgrading the seat from "safe Republican". (The text of his fundraising e-mail is after the jump.)
It was the sentence about pundits downgrading the GOP's chances ("The pundits have downgraded the race from "safe Republican," fueling speculation that a liberal could win this seat." which sent me scurrying. Did I miss a possible news story? Nope.
He is apparently referring to the fact that all of the well-known political horse race watchers did downgrade the GOP chances to retain the Arizona seat... immediately after Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) announced his intention to not seek re-election in 2012. The fact that the incumbent was not going to be campaigning for another term - and that fact alone - prompted the re-categorization all the way down to "likely Republican" or "lean Republican".
For comparison purposes only, it should be noted that when next door neighbor Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) followed Kyl's lead, Roll Call Politics stated that seat went from "safe Democratic" to "TOSS-UP". The well-known Cook Political Report has Arizona as "likely Republican", Rothenberg lists it as "leans Republican"
I was unable to find any reports of Washington "liberals" (and "liberals around the country") declaring Arizona to be "the key" in the national efforts to retain a majority in the Senate. In the scheme of campaign and fundraising hyperbole, this almost qualifies as truth.
Also interesting was Flake featuring a "strong endorsement" from Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan at the top of the e-mail. Ryan has been in the forefront of the Washington debate on federal budgets/debt/deficits the past couple of months. However, he has taken it on the chin a little bit since Newt Gingrich's comments, and other Republicans pulling back from the Ryan budget that changes the basic nature of Medicare (among other things).
Dear Fellow Conservative,
Harry Reid and the Democrat-controlled Senate are stopping us from making the necessary cuts and balancing our national budget. And this open seat in Arizona has liberals across the country believing they can hold onto a Democrat Senate Majority next year—and they're already plotting to fight tooth and nail to take it back from Republican hands.
The pundits have downgraded the race from "safe Republican," fueling speculation that a liberal could win this seat. We cannot let that happen. Republicans simply must take control of the Senate and present a united—conservative—front to defeat the Obama Administration.
That's why I'm asking you to endorse my candidacy with a contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or more today. Your support right now will make a big difference in helping us keep this important seat in Republican hands and move us one step closer to bringing fiscal sanity to the Senate.
Can you imagine a Senate with committed conservative leaders, willing to fight for limited government? I can, but I need your help to get there. Since 1992 when I became Executive Director of the Goldwater Institute and still today as a member of Congress, I have dedicated my career to promoting a conservative philosophy of less government, more freedom, and individual responsibility.
I have fought against wasteful earmarks and runaway spending since Day 1, when too many other politicians were on a spending spree. And let me assure you: I am not going to abandon the fight to cut spending, reduce the deficit and balance the budget in the House. I will take that fight to the Senate, where more conservatives are desperately needed.
But this race won't be easy. I will need the help of fellow true conservatives like you to win this seat and carry the fight for fiscal sanity to the Senate. So will you follow this link right now to make a generous contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or more and help Republicans take back the Senate?
We cannot allow the Obama Administration and the Democrat-controlled Senate to continue dragging their feet and ignoring the will of the American people to reduce our nation's crushing debt. We simply can't afford to allow another Obama ally to represent us in the Senate, so I hope I can count on your early support.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Jeff Flake
Member of Congress
P.S. Liberals in Washington have made this open seat the key to maintaining their majority in the Senate. We cannot allow them to succeed. With the help of fellow true conservatives like you, I can win this seat and bring the fight for fiscal sanity to the Senate. Will you help by making an immediate contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or more to my campaign? Thank you.
(inset: "From earmarks to entitlement reform, Jeff Flake has been a consistent voice of fiscal restraint...Our country would benefit greatly by having Jeff's fiscal leadership in the Senate, and I strongly endorse his campaign." —Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI)
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