U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake was the first off the bat to throw his hat into the ring, just days after Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)’s – number two on the Senate Republican leadership ladder as Majority Whip – surprise retirement announcement.
Flake has compiled one of the most libertarian voting records of any Member of Congress, keeping true to his principles when he went ot Washington after serving as executive director of the Goldwater Institute, Arizona’s state-based free market think tank.
If, as Slate’s Dave Weigel was quick to remind us, Flake’s libertarian record could come under scrutiny in a hotly contested, multiple candidate Republican primary, his base in the small government crowd has been itching to jump behind him.
Politico’s Morning Score missive scribe Alexander Burns offered this quip: “Question of the day: Will the Club for Growth endorsement come down before or after noon on the East Coast?” Indeed, FreedomWorks joined the Club for Growth in endorsing Flake that day. The primary field has yet to take shape, but it’s clear these groups are confident none of the other potential candidates can match Flake on their scorecards. (Talking Points Memo’s Even McMorris-Santoro wasn’t quite on mark in describing FreedomWorks’ backing as akin to a “Tea Party endorsement,” although the group is one of Washington’s biggest tea party boosters and serves as a clearing house for local activists.)
Libertarian excitement about a Jeff Flake Senate bid may have been tamped down as he was in the midst of casting two rare votes that leave libertarians smarting, and some surprised, over reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. Flake has been a critic of provisions of the PATIOT Act in the past.
A statement from Flake’s office took longer than promised – because, it turns out due to the flurry of preparing to announce a Senate bid. The statement insists that the votes do not change his overall perspective on this issue:
So, even if Jeff Flake joins the Senate, don’t expect him to join in Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) PATRIOT Act stymieing efforts. Of course, Rand Paul, who adheres to dad Rep. Ron Paul’s (R-TX) idiosyncratic freedom agenda, may not be with Jeff Flake on every key libertarian-test roll call, either.
CORRECTED: Rep. Flake’s office contacted me to note that the first reauthorization took place before Sen. Kyl’s retirement announcement and wanted to underscore that Rep. Flake had no prior “no prior knowledge” of the development.
