Five-term congressman from Arizona’s 6th district Jeff Flake has announced his bid for the Senate seat that will be vacated by retiring fellow Republican Jon Kyl next year. As the former head of the Goldwater Institute, Flake has iron-clad fiscal conservative credentials and is already being cheered on by the Club For Growth. But his libertarian streak poses a problem for some social conservatives. Via Matt Lewis, here’s Concerned Women For America PAC’s Mike Mears:
So what’s my problem with Flake?
1. He’s bad on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
…2. The so called Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Flake voted in favor of telling businesses who they could and couldn’t hire. How is that conservative? Now the interesting thing here is that Nancy Pelosi and her friends really wanted to add sexual expression and identity(men wearing dresses to work) to the list as well, but settled for this as a first step.
3. Pledge Protection Act. Flake voted against protecting the United States flag from desecration. Before those of you who only get out of your mom’s basement to either vote for Ron Paul or attend C-PAC, jump all over me about this, the only reason I bring this up is that it passed, and even RON PAUL voted to protect the flag.
4. Internet Gambling. Flake is on the opposite side of social conservatives and major league baseball, football, basketball, etc…
This being Arizona, Flake’s biggest problem will more likely be immigration. He teamed up with John McCain on the issue during the Bush years, and continues to support “comprehensive” reform, which typically means combining increased border security with a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, or what reform opponents call “amnesty.” It’s not quiet support either; just last month Flake was calling out his party for what he sees as their shortcomings in the debate:
[Flake] says that while we need to enhance border security, that’s not enough. “You have to have a viable mechanism to deal with the people who are here. My party hasn’t come to grips with that.” He explains that his own state of Arizona passed a controversial law (now the subject of a federal court challenge) that allows for us to “more easily round people up. But that’s not the problem. The problem is what to do about them after we get them.” On a political level, he says the “tone and tenor of the debate” needs to improve on the Republican side.
Immigration has the potential to be a flashpoint in Arizona politics. Governor Jan Brewer was bogged down in budget battles, facing friendly fire over a sales tax hike and suffering from a weak approval rating before championing SB 1070, Arizona’s controversial immigration enforcement legislation. Just six months after signing it into law, Brewer was reelected in a landslide. Flake is nonetheless a pretty good recruit. The Democrats don’t appear to have a blockbuster contender lined up, and one potentially strong Republican competitor, former Rep. John Shadegg, has already passed on a bid.