The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today jumped into the GOP Senate primary in Nebraska, endorsing Atty. Gen. Jon Bruning, whom I wrote in today’s column is on the K Street/Chamber of Commerce/Trent Lott wing of the GOP.
The candidate from the Tea Party/Club For Growth/Jim DeMint wing of the party is Don Stenberg. He fired back with some Grade-A free-market populism:
Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Don Stenberg, said today that Jon Bruning’s endorsement by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is more proof that Bruning is a big government Republican who can’t be counted on to fight the establishment in Washington.
“I’m not going to Washington to support big business and corporate welfare. Nebraska voters will send me there to support free enterprise,” Stenberg said.
…
“This campaign has come down to a fight between a genuine free-market conservative who will not back down to big government – and a crony capitalist who has made backroom deals that have made him a multi-millionaire while serving as Attorney General,” Stenberg said.
“I’m not going to Washington to support big business and corporate welfare. Nebraska voters will send me there to support free enterprise,” Stenberg said.
…
“This campaign has come down to a fight between a genuine free-market conservative who will not back down to big government – and a crony capitalist who has made backroom deals that have made him a multi-millionaire while serving as Attorney General,” Stenberg said.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a competitive GOP candidate so harshly skewer the Chamber (which supported TARP, the Detroit bailout, stimulus, cash-for-clunkers, etc…) and so clearly attack corporate welfare.
