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Spending Daily | February 5, 2013

Government Becoming “an entitlement machine”
Gerald F. Seib editorializes in The Wall Street Journal, “While the debate rages over the size of government, a funny thing has been happening: Quietly, government has been shrinking. Not dramatically, and not necessarily permanently. But in the ways most people think about government—employees on the public payroll running programs—it’s actually in decline. This reality has been masked by the fact that government spending isn’t declining, although the rate of increase has moderated. But the part of government that is really increasing right now is the part that churns out checks for people receiving Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. … What’s happening, in short, is that government, particularly at the federal level, is turning increasingly into an entitlement machine, dispensing benefits to those who qualify, while a combination of recession, deficits and an aversion to new taxes is squeezing most remaining government activity.”

NYT: Problem Is Washington Has Been “Consumed With Deficit Reduction”
The New York Times editorializes, “In President Obama’s first term, the fiscal stimulus and the auto-industry rescue of 2009 created and preserved millions of jobs. But the stimulus ended years ago, replaced with temporary measures that have been insufficient to propel the economy forward. Health care reform in 2010 was a major step in the effort to support the middle class, but its broad effects will be felt only in the years and decades to come. In recent years, the administration and Congress have been consumed with deficit reduction, which is antithetical to job creation because it curbs government spending when the economy is weak. … What has been missing for years is a forceful labor agenda — one that calls for more jobs, but also has as its goal rising wages coupled with robust hiring.”

“The GOP’s ObamaCare Flippers”
The Wall Street Journal editorializes, “As D-Day looms for ObamaCare, one big question is how many states will sign up for its Medicaid expansion. The recent and spectacular flip-flop of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is a case study in the political pressure and fiscal gimmicks designed to get states to succumb. … In March of that year, Ms. Brewer wrote to Mr. Obama calling the Affordable Care Act ‘a vast new entitlement program that our country does not have the resources to support’ and also one that ‘makes our situation much worse, exacerbating our state’s fiscal woes by billions of dollars.’ … The state supposedly no longer needs to spend ”billions” but merely an extra $154 million in 2014—then bank $1.6 billion from Washington, which her budget documents call ‘a return on investment of more than 10-to-1.’ How can the state conjure such money from nothing? The answer is that Ms. Brewer and Arizona hospitals have cooked up a spending scheme to rip off national taxpayers to avoid even the $154 million the state would at first pay. The hospital lobby first floated this scheme in 2011 ‘for the specific purpose of generating matching federal Medicaid funds.’”

“Can Washington Break Its Addiction to Crisis Economics?”
Nancy Cook editorializes in the National Journal, “Politicians have stared down so many fiscal battles and economic near-calamities during the past six years that it’s unclear if they still know how to operate when they’re not approaching some sort of crisis. That question hung over the last two weeks, as Congress voted to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and as Washington experienced a lull between fiscal battles. If we’re not in a crisis, then, really, what are we supposed to do now? The economic timeline since 2007 has conditioned us to think this way. We’ve become adrenaline junkies for the meltdowns and slap-dash solutions: from the credit crisis to the collapse of Lehman Brothers to the housing market dive to the recent battles over taxes and the budget. … The question for 2013 is: Can politicians and policymakers wean themselves off of the high of last-minute policy to create longer-term, less reactive plans to create jobs or boost the housing market or build better roads and bridges or overhaul the tax code or curb healthcare spending over the next two decades?”

Reid: Action on Spending Cuts Will Mean Tax Increases
Bloomberg reports, ”A consensus is growing among U.S. Senate Democrats to seek a short-term replacement for the $1.2 trillion in automatic federal spending cuts scheduled to take effect March 1, two Democratic aides said. … There is no agreement on what options Democrats will choose or how big the plan should be, said both aides, who sought anonymity to discuss the private talks. One alternative would be a $50 billion package of spending reductions and higher revenue to cover a five-month delay of the automatic cuts, one of the aides said. … ‘We’re going to make an effort to make sure’ that action on the spending cuts ‘involves revenue,’ [Sen. Harry] Reid said.”

“House GOP thinks unthinkable on defense cuts”
Darren Samuelsohn writes in POLITICO, “The Republican mantra for decades has been: cut NPR, EPA and the National Endowment for the Arts.Now add the Pentagon to the list. In the modern history of the Republican Party, it would have been unthinkable. The GOP is built on two core tenets — small government and big defense spending — and for decades, the two ideas co-existed peacefully. Republicans wanted to cut the federal budget — everywhere except the Pentagon. No more. The reason: A new breed of conservatives in the House cares so much about cutting spending they’re willing to extend that to the budget for bullets and bombs, too — in this case, by letting $500 billion in across-the-board automatic budget cuts over 10 years take effect, alongside a similar number for domestic agencies.”

Hatch: “increased revenue alone cannot fix our crisis”
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, editorializes in POLITICO, “American families are used to working with dollar amounts starting with hundreds and thousands. But the fiscal situation of our country requires us to act in terms of billions and trillions. The numbers are well-known — our national debt is nearing $16.5 trillion, with annual trillion-dollar deficits having become the norm. Despite claims to the contrary, increased revenue alone cannot fix our debt crisis. The only way to get a grip on our financial outlook is to address the largest contributors to our debt — our nation’s entitlement programs, specifically Medicare and Medicaid. Unfortunately, waiting until the last minute to stop a crisis has become standard operating procedure in Washington. But that isn’t how we should be tackling our debt or safeguarding Medicare and Medicaid.”

Budget Day Came And Went, Battle Over Spending Begins
Roll Call reports, “Budget day came without a fiscal 2014 budget proposal on Monday, but congressional Republicans didn’t let the occasion go by without a sharp attack against the White House on its priorities and its inability tocomplete a federal spending plan by the required deadline. ‘This was supposed to be the day that the president submitted his budget to the Congress. But it’s not coming. It’s gonna be late. And some reports say that it could be as long as a month late. I think that’s too bad. The economy could use presidential leadership right now,’ Speaker John A. Boehner said in a floor speech Monday. … Without an Obama administration budget to target, House Republicans instead trumpeted legislation introduced by Georgia Rep. Tom Price last week requiring the president to offer either a budget that balances in 10 years or a supplementary plan stating when the president’s budget would eliminate the deficit.”

“Ending Corporate Welfare One Program at a Time”
Bloomberg editorializes, “U.S. President Barack Obama took advantage of one of the largest audiences in television history to address the residents of Greenwich, Connecticut. Well, maybe it wasn’t that straightforward. But by using his pre-Super Bowl interview with CBS News to discuss tax reform, including the infamous carried-interest loophole that benefits hedge-fund and private-equity managers, he signaled a new willingness to do something about corporate welfare — whether it is embedded in the tax code or embodied by government policy. If only saying something about it were as easy as doing something. Some lawmakers have been trying to close the carried- interest loophole, which allows investment managers to pay tax of just 20 percent on their income, for years. Doing sowould raise a mere $2 billion a year, small change when the federal deficit is close to $1 trillion. Even more intractable are the bailouts, tariffs, monopolies, subsidies, no-bid contracts, occupational licenses and loan guarantees that governments routinely grant to businesses and industries. The federal government directly spends between $75 billion and $100 billion a year on everything from farm subsidies to research grants. Include indirect benefits from things like tariffs and corporate tax exclusions, and the favors granted by local and state governments, and the total is much higher — probably more than $1 trillion.”

Cliff Notes: All Quiet On The Western Front

As President Obama and Speaker Boehner continue to work out a framework for a budget deal, the National Journal is reporting that some Democrat lawmakers (Sen. Dick Durbin) are literally running down the hall to avoid talking about spending cuts.  Despite widespread agreement that entitlement programs are the major drivers of our debt and deficits, liberal special interest groups have maintained a stranglehold on any efforts towards real reform.  With pressure mounting in Washington, DC to act, the question becomes whether Democrats will ultimately face reality and deal with these unsustainable programs or once again cave to the union bosses who helped get them elected.

Spending Cuts And Reforms Finally Part Of The Fiscal Cliff Discussion:

President Obama’s Latest Fiscal Cliff Proposal Includes Minor Reforms To Social Security As Part Of Larger Spending Cuts. “President Obama’s latest fiscal cliff offer to support deeper spending cuts to popular government programs puts his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill in a tough spot on Tuesday, driving them to dodge questions about whether they could support it. Obama’s plan calls for $1.2 trillion in spending cuts that include changes like slowing the cost-of-living increases for Social Security beneficiaries – a reform Senate Democrats declared off the table weeks ago.” (Chris Frates, “Dems Dodge Questions On Spending Cuts,” National Journal, 12/18/12)

Many Members Of Congress Are Afraid To Support The President’s Proposal Because Of Blowback From Liberal Interest Groups. “Democrats can’t embrace Obama’s plan for fear of getting hammered by liberal interest groups and giving Republican House Speaker John Boehner room to push for further entitlement cuts.” (Chris Frates, “Dems Dodge Questions On Spending Cuts,” National Journal, 12/18/12)

• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid And Dick Durbin Say No On Entitlement Reform. “But the White House and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have indicated that they won’t consider cuts to Social Security as part of a deal. Moreover, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, who is close to Obama, said on Tuesday that a cliff deal shouldn’t touch Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.” (Robert Schroeder, “Democrats Must Move On Entitlements In Cliff Deal, Bowles Says,” MarketWatch, 11/29/12)

Members Of Congress Tried A Variety Of Tactics To Avoid Questions On Spending Cuts:

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT): No Comment. “Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus refused to comment on Obama’s latest offer because it wasn’t a done deal. ‘I want to see what the deal is and I don’t want be negotiating, undermining the president by commenting on all of these different proposals that come out. They’re doing it, the speaker and the president. Godspeed, and hope they make it because it’s really important.’” (Chris Frates, “Dems Dodge Questions On Spending Cuts,” National Journal, 12/18/12)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL): Pleading Ignorance. “And even after a lunchtime briefing by White House negotiator Rob Nabors, Democratic leaders were still dodging reporters’ question. ‘I haven’t seen their proposal,’ said Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat. But hadn’t he just been briefed by Nabors? ‘He didn’t get into specifics,’” Durbin said, quickening his pace as he walked away from reporters.” (Chris Frates, “Dems Dodge Questions On Spending Cuts,” National Journal, 12/18/12)

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): Old Talking Points. “Sen. Patty Murray, the No. 4 Democrat in the Senate, fell back on old talking points. ‘We have been consistent from day one. Unless there is significant revenue on the table that was fairly balanced, we are nowhere. And to this point we haven’t gotten there so there is no plan,’ she said before waiving off further questions and bolting for the senators-only elevator.” (Chris Frates, “Dems Dodge Questions On Spending Cuts,” National Journal, 12/18/12)

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO): No Comment. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a moderate Democrat and close Obama ally, said she plans to wait until a deal is struck before weighing in. ‘I am not going to comment on any of the parts until it appears something’s moving,’ she said.” (Chris Frates, “Dems Dodge Questions On Spending Cuts,” National Journal, 12/18/12)

Liberal Groups Have Been Pressuring Washington To Ignore Entitlements:

Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO, Opposes Any Cuts. “Congress should reject Boehner’s ‘Plan B’ and any cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, or Medicare, regardless of who proposes them” (Richard L. Trumka, Tweet, 12/18/12)

Unions Want Washington To Disregard Entitlements In Deficit-Reduction Strategy. “Several major labor unions joined together to release an ad campaign this week pushing members of Congress to raise tax rates on the wealthiest Americans and protect entitlement programs from major cuts as a solution to the looming fiscal cliff, the groups announced Tuesday.” (Kevin Bohn & Ashley Killough, “Labor Groups Rally Against Spending Cuts In Fiscal Cliff Ads,” CNN.com, 11/20/12)

• Groups Are Targeting Democrats With A Six-Figure Ad Buy. “The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the National Education Association say they’re spending $300,000 on an initial TV and radio buy for the ad campaign, according to a high ranking labor official. … In the upcoming week, the labor unions’ commercials will appear in states with Democratic senators considered by some on the left as potentially more willing to support some major spending cuts that the unions would oppose.” (Kevin Bohn & Ashley Killough, “Labor Groups Rally Against Spending Cuts In Fiscal Cliff Ads,” CNN.com, 11/20/12)

AARP Is Running TV Ads With The Same Message. “The new ads come as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has also run television ads, educating viewers on the fiscal cliff issue and arguing to keep ‘Medicare and Social Security strong for generations to come.’” (Kevin Bohn & Ashley Killough, “Labor Groups Rally Against Spending Cuts In Fiscal Cliff Ads,” CNN.com, 11/20/12)

Broad Agreement That Entitlements Are Driving The Debt:

Obama: “I Believe That We Have To Continue To Take A Serious Look At How We Reform Our Entitlements, Because Health Care Costs Continue To Be The Biggest Driver Of Our Deficits.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At A News Conference, The White House, 11/14/12)

“[Treasury Secretary Timothy] Geithner Targeted Entitlement Programs As The Key To Reducing The National Debt While Insisting That Social Security Benefits Remain Protected.” (“Geithner: Entitlement Programs Key To Cutting Deficit,” ABCNews.com, 2/15/11)

FLASHBACK: In 2009, Obama Pledged To Reform Social Security And Medicare. “President-elect Barack Obama pledged yesterday to shape a new Social Security and Medicare ‘bargain’ with the American people, saying that the nation’s long-term economic recovery cannot be attained unless the government finally gets control over its most costly entitlement programs.” (Michael D. Shear, “Obama Pledges Reform Of Social Security, Medicare Programs,” The Washington Post, 1/16/09)

• Obama: “What we have done is kicked this can down the road. We are now at the end of the road and are not in a position to kick it any further … We have to signal seriousness in this by making sure some of the hard decisions are made under my watch, not someone else’s.” (Michael D. Shear, “Obama Pledges Reform Of Social Security, Medicare Programs,” The Washington Post, 1/16/09)

The Washington Post: “Since 60 percent of the federal budget goes to entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, there’s no way to achieve balance without slowing the rate of increase of those programs.” (Editorial, “Mr. Obama’s time to lead on entitlements,” The Washington Post, 11/27/12)

Washington Faces Increasing Pressure To Address Entitlements:

The Washington Post: “Entitlement Reform Must Be On The Table” (Editorial, “Entitlement Reform Must Be On The Table,” The Washington Post, 11/14/12)

USA Today: “Cut Entitlements To Control Debt” (Editorial, “Cut Entitlements To Control Debt,” USA Today, 11/14/12)

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde: “[A]n agreement that would only extend tax cuts for the middle class without addressing spending or entitlements would be insufficient to reassure the rest of the world, she [International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde] said.” (Sandrine Rastello, “IMF’s Lagarde Says U.S. Fiscal Agreement Should Be Comprehensive,” Bloomberg, 12/9/12)

Former Chairman Of The President’s Council on Economic Advisers Austan Goolsbee: “Former chairman of the president’s Council on Economic Advisers Austan Goolsbee tells National Review Online that any solution to America’s economic ills ‘cuts on discretionary and entitlement spending.’” (Eliana Johnson, “Former Obama Economic Advisers: We Need Entitlement Reform,” National Review, 12/7/12)

Former Sen. Alan Simpson: “I mean, the bizarre thing, not touching the entitlements. The entitlements are the engine on the train driving us to the cliff. They were on automatic pilot.” (Alan Simpson, CBS’s Face The Nation, 12/9/12)

Former Clinton Chief Of Staff Erskine Bowles: “First of all, most important thing is if we’re going to raise revenue and if we’re going to raise it in any form, then we darn well better cut spending because spending is the biggest part of this problem, and the biggest part of that problem is the fact that health care is growing at a faster rate than GDP.” (Erskine Bowles, CBS’s Face The Nation, 12/9/12)

“View from the Capitol: Free Cupcakes on the Hill”
The National Journal reports, “Bankrupting America, an education project of the nonprofit Public Notice, threw Capitol Hill staffers a ‘Not-So-Sweet Sixteen’ party Thursday, handing out more than 500 free cupcakes to commemorate the country reaching $16 trillion in debt. The cupcakes were provided by the food truck Cupcake Joy. Flavors included sweet potato, lemon and everyone’s favorite, red velvet. Event planners seemed surprised at how quickly the sweets disappeared.” Click here to see photos from the event.

New Bankrupting America Political Cartoon: A Not-So-Sweet 16 Party!
Unfortunately for America’s this Not-so-Sweet Sixteen comes with the bill as well. Check out our latest political cartoon below as the us national debt passes $16 trillion for the first time in history here: http://www.bankruptingamerica.org/political-cartoon-a-not-so-sweet-sixteen-party

Fed Pledges $40B Monthly Bond-Buying, “eclipses any concerns about inflation for now”
Bloomberg reports, “Ben S. Bernanke for the first time pledged that the Federal Reserve will buy bonds until the economy gets closer to his goals, cementing his place as the Fed’s most innovative chairman and signaling the battle against unemployment eclipses any concerns about inflation for now. The central bank yesterday announced its third round of large-scale asset purchases since 2008, with the difference that it didn’t set any limit on the ultimate amount it would buy or the duration of the program. Instead, Bernanke said stimulus will be expanded until the Fed sees ‘sustained improvement’ in the labor market.” According to The Hill, Bernanke commented on the decision saying, “‘We’ve seen unemployment basically in the same place it was in January. … We’ve seen not enough jobs growth to bring down the unemployment rate, and what we need to see is more progress. We’re just trying to get the economy moving in the right direction…”

Coming Soon: Lame Duck Kicking A Can
Roll Call reports, “Amid all the bluster about how high the stakes are and the vows by both parties to play out the game of chicken until they win, the approaching lame-duck session is more likely to come down to what lame ducks almost always come down to: punting until the next session of Congress. It has long been clear that Congress and the White House are leaving until after the elections the big questions about the renewal of Bush-era tax rates and whether to roll back pending spending cuts. While both sides seem to believe an electoral victory for their party will force the other to capitulate, those dynamics have rarely played out in lame-duck sessions of the past, and Congress as a whole has been more apt to defer to the next duly elected Congress on long-term decisions for the country’s fiscal policy.”

House Approves Short-Term Spending Bill, Fiscal Cliff Still Looms
The Associated Press reports, “Congress is moving to quash the threat of a government shutdown, but the prospect of a one-two punch of tax increases and slashing, automatic spending cuts will still confront lawmakers when they return to Washington after Election Day.

The House on Thursday passed a six-month stopgap spending bill to keep federal agencies running past the end of the budget year, the elections and into the spring. It effectively scratched a major item off of Congress’ to-do list heading into a potentially brutal postelection, lame duck session.

The bipartisan 329-91 House vote for the measure sent it to the Senate, which is expected to clear it next week for President Barack Obama’s signature, capping a year of futility and gridlock on the budget despite a hard-fought spending and deficit-reduction deal last summer. … While taking the possibility of a government shutdown out of the equation, the so-called fiscal cliff — a combination of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes set to slam the economy in January — still hangs over Congress and President Barack Obama.”

“Greece denies report it will need third bailout”
Reuters reports, “Greece’s finance minister on Thursday denied a report citing the country’s representative to the IMF as saying Athens would need a third bailout package. The euro weakened against the dollar on the report, which was later also denied by the official quoted in the article and came as international inspectors are mulling handing over the next tranche of Greece’s second aid package. … Cash-strapped Greece must come up with nearly 12 billion euros of extra cuts for the next two years to get the money, and it has fallen behind in reforms.”

Friday Funnies

“Last night in his speech President Obama invoked FDR. Then he saw the unemployment numbers and invoked WTF.” –Jay Leno

“Everyone is still talking about Bill Clinton’s speech last night in Charlotte. It was a remarkable speech, 45 minutes long and 6,000 words. Like the political version of the guitar solo from ‘Freebird.’” –Craig Ferguson

“We got some bad economic news. The United States has slipped further down the global ranking of the world’s most competitive economies. We’re now #7. Switzerland is number one. Romney said, ‘See, that’s why I keep my money there.’” –Jay Leno

The House Ethics Committee said on Monday that it will launch a full-scale subcommittee investigation into whether efforts by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., on behalf of a kidney-transplant program in Nevada that has financial ties to her husband was a conflict of interest.

The announcement from Chairman Jo Bonner, R-Ala., and ranking member Linda Sanchez, D-Calif.. — which comes amid Berkley’s challenge to freshman Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. — emphasizes that committee’s decision does not necessarily imply that a violation occurred.

But news that the committee on June 29 unanimously voted to establish an investigative subcommittee is an unwelcome development for Democrats, who hope that the Silver State is one of a few where they could swipe a Senate seat back from Republicans. There is no certainty of when the closed-door investigation will end.

Last fall, the Nevada Republican Party filed an ethics complaint against Berkley, 62, after The New York Times detailed five years of actions “in which she pushed legislation or twisted the arms of federal regulators to pursue an agenda that is aligned with the business interests of her husband.” Those efforts reportedly included advocating for higher Medicare reimbursement rates for kidney care.

According to the committee’s Monday announcement, Rep. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, will lead the investigative subcommittee and Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., will serve as ranking member. Reps. Robert Latta, R-Ohio, and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., round out the subcommittee.

From the National Journal:

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., faces an ethics investigation in the midst of her bid for U.S. Senate this year, as she hopes to knock off incumbent Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev.

It is not clear what the subject of the probe is. The investigation was first revealed on Friday by the House Ethics Committee, which announced that it had received the case on Feb. 9 from the Office of Congressional Ethics, an independent office that acts as a grand jury of sorts for the formal ethics panel.

Spokesmen for Berkley’s campaign and office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last fall, the Nevada Republican Party filed an ethics complaint against Berkley over the congresswoman’s efforts to help a kidney transplant program in Nevada that has ties to her husband, a physician. The New York Times last September detailed five years of Berkley actions “in which she pushed legislation or twisted the arms of federal regulators to pursue an agenda that is aligned with the business interests of her husband.”

Whatever the issue, the existence of a probe in an election year is an unwelcome development for Democrats who hope that Nevada is one of a very few states where they could swipe a Senate seat back from Republicans.

Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine are the two least conservative Republican senators, according to 2011 vote ratings released this morning by the nonpartisan National Journal

The publication issues its conservative and liberal rankings of members of Congress each year, putting together a composite score based on breaking down key votes on economic, social and foreign policy issues. Collins and Snowe have usually been in the middle of the Senate, among the least conservative Republicans but not as liberal as conservative Democrats.

Of the 47 Senate Republicans, Collins’ conservative rating comes in 47th, while Snowe’s rating comes in 46th.

The Maine twins certainly don’t do Conservatives or Republicans any favors, if any, so it’s good to know there is a primary process in place to, well, replace them… not that I expect that to happen any time soon up there in Maine!

By the estimation of National Journal magazine – which attempts to rate every member of the U.S. Senate each year along a liberal to conservative continuum -  Ohio’s Sherrod Brown is no longer the “most liberal” member of the U.S. Senate.

Last year, the Democrat from Avon tied for “most liberal” with eight other U.S. Senators in the magazine’s ratings of 2010 votes. This year, its evaluation of 2011 votes put Brown in a five-way tie for fifth most liberal U.S. Senator with Democrats Barbara Boxer of California, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, and Tom Udall of New Mexico.

The latest ratings still prompted the National Republican Senatorial Committee to proclaim Brown among the “most liberal” U.S. Senate members, and note his tie with the “far-left” Boxer. The group’s spokesman, Jahan Wilcox, said the rating shows “just how far out of step Sherrod Brown is with most Ohioans.”

From National Journal Hotline:

As ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) “inches toward” the WH’12 GOP nomination, “many conservative activists are increasingly focused on a different political prize for 2012:” the Senate.

Some supporters of the tea party movement “and other conservatives distrust Romney, deriding him as a moderate, and they hope to get a few of their candidates into the Senate to serve as a ‘bulwark’ against him or” Pres. Obama.

FreedomWorks’ Russ Walker: “Conservatives won’t win every race they want, but they could win enough to double the size of the Senate’s conservative contingent. … If that happens and Romney wins, he could go down in the history books as America’s most conservative president. … Not because he wants to. … But because he will have to listen to the Senate.”

GOP strategist Ford O’Connell: “The Senate gives conservatives their greatest opportunity to have an impact in 2012. … And the Senate is doubly important because no one should underestimate President Obama, he’s the best campaigner I’ve ever seen. … Once the Republican presidential nomination process is over… the real story is going to be the Senate” (Carey, Reuters, 1/11).

— Wanted: Key campaign staff.

Quietly during the holiday break, top staffers at U.S. Rep. Todd Akin’s senate campaign parted ways with Akin, according to the National Journal.

Among those who left: Karl Hansen, Akin’s campaign manager; Chris LaCivita, his general consultant; and Heather Grote, his finance director. LaCivita confirmed with the National Journal that they all did leave the campaign, but did not offer further explanation.

After announcing his candidacy for the Republican nomination to take on Sen. Claire McCaskill last May, Akin has had trouble controlling his message through the summer. He flubbed a rollout of support, and faced opposition from even members of his own party during tough battles in Congress.

Akin, who primarily pulls support from the conservative wing of the Republican party, faces two opponents in the Republican party next August, including St. Louis businessman John Brunner and former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman.

Citing Akin’s repeated flubs, Steelman’s failure to raise significant campaign funds, and Brunner’s business baggage, the National Journal said, “the Missouri GOP field has been among the weakest in any of the tossup Senate races.”

(A request for comment from the Akin campaign was not immediately returned.)