By Andy Kirchoff
On Monday, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia announced that she is running against incumbent Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat, in 2014. Rep. Capito is the highest-ranking and longest serving Republican official in West Virginia, and her decision to run against the 30-year uberliberal incumbent Senator Rockefeller is welcome news. Election 2014 gives the GOP a real chance to take a Senate seat that would almost certainly be out of reach otherwise.
Fortunately, West Virginia is hardly the only state where a vulnerable Democrat is on the ballot in 2014. Red-State Democrats in all corners of the country – Arkansas, Montana, North Carolina, Louisiana, South Dakota – are up for re-election in two years, as are many other Democrats in swing states. Every single one of these Democrats deserve top-tier Republican challengers. The time to start vetting candidates is NOW.
For pro-immigration reform Republicans in particular, election 2014 presents some excellent opportunities to showcase conservative solutions to the U.S.A.’s broken immigration system. It should also serve to highlight Democratic hypocrisy on immigration issues. Of the 5 Democrats who voted against the DREAM Act in 2010, 3 are up for re-election in 2014. Many of the Democrats whose opposition to guest worker programs killed immigration reform during the Bush administration (here’s looking at you, Sen. Tom Harkin) are also up for re-election and deserve strong Republican opposition, as well.
While the sting of 2012′s defeats is still fresh, Republicans should not become despondent, but rebound and regroup. 2014 provides the GOP with a great opportunity to restore conservative momentum; let’s not waste away valuable energy fretting and worrying. Let’s do something about it, instead!
Well, HOT DAMN, Andy – it’s SO REFRESHING to see that YOU, of all people, SUPPORT the DREAM act of 2010 !!!!!!!
That-a-boy, Andy !!!!!!!