Both the left and the right are jumping into the speculation surrounding the announcement by Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, that she is seeking the US Senate seat held by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY).
From the right, The Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis has “4 reasons why Liz Cheney shouldn’t run. Here’s the list, along with an excerpt from the part that stuck out to me: (click the link above for full article of course)
1. It’s dynastic (It’s in the name)
2. She lacks a raison d’être. If Mike Enzi had an egregiously bad voting record — or even if he had an obviously controversial vote on something like Obamacare or immigration reform — it would help. But according to National Journal, Enzi was the eighth-most-conservative senator in 2012. The only compelling reason for Liz Cheney to run now is because Liz Cheney wants to be a U.S. Senator. Is there another rationale?
3. How conservative is she really?
4. It’s overly ambitious
From the left, Chris Matthews asks, What’s Dick Cheney up to here? (h/t RealClearPolitics.com)
AP story in Casper Star Tribune: Enzi unmentioned, Cheney opposes ‘cutting deals’
Speaking in Cheyenne, Cheney said it’s time for Republicans in Congress to stop “cutting deals” with Democrats.
Cheney did not once mention Enzi by name or indirectly during the 15-minute news conference. Instead, she focused a series of blistering attacks on President Barack Obama, accusing him of working to disarm the country and nationalize much of the economy.
“We’ve got to stand and fight, and we have to defend what we believe in. We have to not be afraid of being called obstructionists,” Cheney said.
Tom Balek started RockinTheRightSide.com in Lewistown, Montana. Here’s what he had to say:
Anyone who has paid attention to Liz Cheney over the last several years knows that she is tough, intelligent, polished, deeply educated on the issues, and solidly conservative. She is virtually impossible to defeat in debate. Establishment (as in moderate) Republicans are outraged. Alan Simpson, former Wyoming senator, said Cheney’s candidacy “threatens to start a civil war within the state’s Republican establishment, despite the reverence many hold for her family.”