Jeff Flake and his worried pals

McCain‘s astute protégé runs into trouble on campaign trail

After reading the fulsome Wall Street Journal piece about Jeff Flake by Stephen Moore, any urge to respond quickly subsided. Moore is, after all the founder of Club for Growth, the laissez-faire organization that ran seemingly nonstop, vicious television spots eviscerating conservative businessman Wil Cardon.

And Cardon’s crime worthy of continual buckshot-like assaults?  He had the temerity to challenge Flake in Arizona’s recent U.S. Senate primary. Club for Growth’s brutal hits ensured the demise of his fresh, well-funded and energized campaign.

Responding to an eastern interloper who lays claim to being a business advocate, yet knows nothing about Arizona is an effort in futility.  Moore, a toney member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board, likely derogatorily regards Arizona as a sandbox.

Then in rapid succession, columnist and radio talk show host Dennis Prager takes to National Review to weigh in with “Jeff Flake’s non-supporters,” and it becomes abundantly clear that Flake is shuddering in his previously secure sanctuary, where he has enjoyed the protective nurturing of his mentors, establishment elites John McCain and Jon Kyl — both of whom have endorsed him for the soon-to-be vacant seat currently occupied by retiring Kyl.

Back in July Roll Call noted that support was lagging for Flake, even among his Arizona House colleagues.

Why the vulnerability, when both Moore and Prager define Flake, as a noble skinflint, rearing up against wild wastrel business execs?  After all, what have the CEO’s ever done other than provide jobs for countless families? Flake, the newfound and politically expedient border hawk, has long been content to give a wink and a nod as American jobs went to illegal border crossers. The only jobs he has ever provided are to his government staffers. Prior to the economic meltdown, statewide construction sites were rife with Mexican nationals who undercut salaries previously paid to American tradesmen.

And the perpetually smirking 6-term Congressman Flake?  He rattles his opposition to ‘earmarks’ as sabers in his home district, where his congressional partnership with pro-amnesty, Chicago liberal Congressman Luis “My only loyalty is to the immigrant community” Gutierrez, is virtually unknown. In this article, Gutierrez heaps praise on Flake for helping him turn more red states blue via implementing the costliest of measures — granting tuition and other taxpayer funded benefits — while gifting amnesty for illegal aliens living in our country.  Although Flake claims to want to cut spending, he conveniently forgets the nearly $3 trillion American taxpayers will have to shell out to accommodate the amnesty chain families  for whom he and his McMentor advocate. 

Flake is a notorious double-talker. Although he habitually prattles about this opposition to earmarks, his behind-the-scenes dealing actually shows a history of writing letters or “letter marking“ — leaving no embarrassing footprints — to federal agencies highlighting projects in his district for which he seeks federal grants. Flake shuffles words, declaring his request is for “informational purposes only” and is not designed to be a “congressional directive.” He has sought grants for local fire department in his district, funding for a new post office, that  highway from Phoenix to Las Vegas he now scorns and a solar energy project at Arizona State University.

It’s not just CEO’s who are abandoning Flake. Neither Stephen Moore nor Dennis Prager have any inkling that grassroots Republicans also view him with disdain. It’s difficult for Libertarians to grasp that conservatives would actually like to cast a ballot without holding their noses. They don’t want to vote for Obama recruit Richard Carmona, but the stench of McCain is a lingering and foul odor. For many, once more is too much.