WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim DeMint on Thursday dismissed worries by some of
his fellow Republicans that tea party-backed politicians like Delaware
Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell are too conservative to win in
November.
"The tea party represents a broad cross-section of the
American people," DeMint, R-S.C., told NBC's "Today." He said
Republicans need to embrace tea party goals like limited government and
balanced federal budgets.
DeMint, whose endorsement boosted
O'Donnell late in her primary race, cited other tea party favorites who
are doing well in polls, including Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio
and Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul. Both defeated
better-established Republicans in primaries.
"You can't change
Washington unless you change people who are here," he said. "People are
ready to throw out the bums."
After O'Donnell's victory Tuesday,
former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove, who is trying to fashion GOP
majorities in Congress, said of her general election prospects, "This is
not a race we're going to be able to win." And her primary opponent,
Rep. Mike Castle, said through a spokeswoman he does not intend to
support O'Donnell.
But other Republicans, including Sarah Palin
and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican
Senatorial Committee, rushed to O'Donnell's defense, and former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney sent $5,000 from his political action
committee for her campaign.
DeMint, who became a force in
Republican primaries this spring and summer, denied having conflicts
with the GOP establishment in Washington. "I like our current
leadership," he said. "I want to support this leadership team. What
we're trying to do now is get a group of Republicans that provide a
clear contrast with the Pelosi-Obama agenda."
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