Danforth and his group had a 4th prospective candidate in mind, Danforth friend and former Bush administration State Dept. official Thomas Schweich.
2012 was Danforth’s second attempt to trash incipient normal functioning of a Missouri US Senate GOP primary by promoting his friend Schweich, the first being in 2009.
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The three candidates in 2012 had been running for months, one was a sitting congressman who’d been re-elected 5 times, one had won statewide election before, and one was self -financed and strongly endorsed by the US Chamber of Commerce. The Danforth group’s “open letter” was provided to the media and promoted a prospective fourth candidate they said would have the best chance to win (“nothing against anyone else”). Obviously a 4th candidate would further splinter the vote. Danforth’s clear implication was the 3 GOP candidates were so bad he needed to interrupt their campaign and momentum. In the meantime, his candidate just needs a couple weeks to decide for sure if he’ll run. The Danforth group could’ve worked behind the scenes lining up donors, preparing their potential candidate, and when all was in place announce his addition before the March 27 filing deadline. As it turned out, Danforth candidate Tom Schweich, ended up announcing on March 20 that
- he wouldn’t be running after all.
“The field is anything but weak. In fact, I would say it is too strong for many powerful people in the liberal wing of the Republican Party.”
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The candidate, Todd Akin also said he considered Danforth a friend. (Contrary to media headlines, Akin wasn’t a “Tea Party candidate.“ Tea Party groups and Sarah Palin supported his two opponents, Steelman and Brunner. The GOP establishment actually gave Akin his start in politics in 1987. In 2010 he was re-elected for the 5th time with 67.9% of the vote. The House ‘Tea Party Caucus‘ didn’t exist until July 19, 2010).
Publicly sabotaging entire slates of GOP candidates late in campaigns obviously weakens all the candidates and increases likelihood of a democrat winning. Which is likely what you have in mind when you publicly announce that today’s GOP
- makes you “nauseous” (2006),
- is “embarrassing” (2011),
- “beyond redemption“ (2010),
- has ruined “bipartisan collegiality” (2005), and if you
- write a book hoping to effect the 2006 elections
Danforth’s book, “Faith and Politics“ asks, “Are Christians reconcilers or dividers?“ I guess he’s talking about pesky Christians who weren’t slaughtered by Islamic terrorists on 9/11/2001.
- Danforth got his wish. In November 2006, six Democrats beat Republican incumbents giving Democrats control of both the House and Senate. (They deserved to lose but not because of Christianity.)
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5/11/2009, “Danforth Lends Credibility to Schweich,” ky3.blogspot.com
”Former Senator John Danforth’s endorsement of St. Louis law professor Thomas Schweich for U.S. Senate gives the little known former U.S. ambassador an initial jolt of credibility among top tier Republicans who remain uneasy about next year’s election prospects.
Schweich is not well known outside of St. Louis political circles, but Danforth’s strong backing of his former chief of staff is grabbing the attention of GOP leaders, donors and consultants across the state….
It’s a direct rebuke of Congressman Roy Blunt’s candidacy and a clear separation from the current incumbent, Sen. Kit Bond, who just tossed his official blessing to Blunt on Friday. If there was any doubt that
about how to best defeat Robin Carnahan next year, Monday’s news should rest the case. “I think we have a better chance at keeping Senator Bond’s seat with Tom Schweich than anyone else I can think of,” Danforth said.”…
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- 4. “Like so much involving the GOP these days, a golden opportunity appears to be getting gummed up.”
The GOP as exemplified by Danforth has shown by their actions that life under radical left democrats is fine with them. Following is a partial Danforth chronology:
- 12/27/76-1/5/95, John Danforth, US Senator from Missouri for 3 terms,18 years
- 7/04-1/05, UN Ambassador, submitted resignation after 5 months
- 6/11/2004, Washington Post, “He (Danforth) loved working with democrats.” (parag. 16)
- 3/30/2005-NY Times: Danforth op-ed, GOP has become “political arm of conservative Christians”
- 3/30/2005, Daily Kos: “Republican John Danforth Condemns (Republican) Party in NYT Op-Ed Piece”
- 6/17/2005, NY Times: Danforth op-ed, Sees connection between “increased activism of the Christian right, especially in the Republican Party, and the collapse of bipartisan collegiality.”
- 2/1/2006, Washington Post: Danforth says “the Republican right is a divisive force in the party and the nation.“ “St. Jack and the Bullies in the Pulpit,”
- 2/1/2006, “Danforth style GOP can forgive anything except success.” “When Danforth took office in 1977, there were 143 Republicans in the House and 38 in the Senate, compared with 232 in the House and 55 in the Senate last year (2003).” (“St. Jack and the Bullies in the Pulpit,” Washington Post, p. 4)
- 2/1/2006, Danforth publishes book timed for 2006 election criticizing GOP and Christian right (Wash. Post, p. 5, end of article). Danforth got his wish. In November 2006, six Democrats beat Republican incumbents giving Democrats control of both the House and Senate. (They deserved to lose for many reasons, none of them Christianity.)
- 2/1/2008, Danforth named honorary chairman of McCain Missouri campaign
- 5/11/2009, KY3 Political Notebook: Danforth publicly rebukes elected Missouri Republicans and candidates, proposes his own candidate for US Senate from Mo.
- 11/27/10, NY Times: Danforth says GOP “has gone overboard and is beyond redemption.” This bitter outburst right after the historic Nov. 2010 Tea Party landslide gives credence to the claim, “Danforth style GOP can forgive anything except success.” (p. 4)
- 11/27/10, Think Progress notes Danforth’s NY Times comments about the GOP :beyond redemption” (The left appreciates Danforth’s help.)
- 12/1/11, Think Progress notes Danforth on KTRS radio, 11/30/13, where he says the “GOP Presidential Field Is ‘Embarrassing’.” Probably true but if you want to help you do so behind the scenes. Danforth just makes things worse, damages the GOP brand, and hastens the demise of the two party system.
- 12/2/11, Daily Kos notes Danforth KTRS interview criticizing GOP presidential candidates and audiences at debates
- 3/12/12, “Stalwart Missouri GOPers want auditor Schweich to run for U.S. Senate,“ Kansas City Star, Steve Kraske. “Besides Danforth, 17 others signed the letter, including Sam Fox, one of the most prolific fund-raisers in the state; Bert Walker, the first cousin of the first President Bush; former Missouri GOP chair Tom Fowler; major GOP donor David Humphreys, and Annie Presley of Kansas City, former deputy finance chair of Bush for President.…Danforth can say what he wants. But the letter’s message is clear: The current field is weak.…“There is no doubt that you are the candidate best qualified to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate,” the letter said of Schweich….Like so much involving the GOP these days, a golden opportunity appears to be getting gummed up.”
- 3/12/12 St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Danforth sabotage: 5 months before Missouri GOP primary Danforth and power brokers including George Bush #1 cousin Bert Walker say Missouri Senate primary field is too weak and a fourth candidate of their choosing should enter the race.
- 3/12/12, GOP US Senate candidate Congressman Todd Akin responds to Danforth implication that declared GOP group is too weak: “This is absolutely untrue; the field is anything but weak. In fact, I would say it is too strong for many powerful people in the liberal wing of the Republican Party.”
- 3/20/12, “Auditor Tom Schweich to forgo Senate bid,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Some of Missouri’s leading Republicans, among them former Sen. John Danforth, had appealed to him this month apparently out of concern about potential weakness of Republicans vying to challenge McCaskill.”
- Danforth is a Senior Fellow at “Bipartisan Policy Center“
- Danforth is an heir to the Ralston-Purina fortune.
- 11/8/13, “The Sabotage Republicans,” By Jeffrey Lord, American Spectator
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