(The Center Square) – With apologies to Mark Twain, the reported campaign death of Republican Michael Whatley from lack of ongoing cash from the National Republican Senatorial Committee was an exaggeration.
Or as Chairman Tim Scott, the senator from South Carolina says, “Hogwash!”
kAm“%96 >65:2 :D 56DA6C2E6 E@ 92?5 s6>@4C2ED 2 H:?[ 3FE E9:D :D 2 ?6H =@H … `__T 72<6 ?6HDP” $4@EE HC@E6 @? D@4:2= >65:2] “%CFDE :? >65:2 :D 2E 2? 2==\E:>6 =@H[ 2?5 E9:D :D 6I24E=J H9J]”k^Am
kAm%H@ C6A@CE6CD 7@C E96 >65:2 @FE=6E !@=:E:4@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]A@=:E:4@]4@>^?6HD^a_ae^_h^ab^?CD4\E:>\D4@EE\86@C8:2\?@CE9\42C@=:?2\D6?2E6\_`_h_fecnFE>0D@FC46l5=GC]:EU2>AjFE>0>65:F>lEH:EE6CQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mD2:5 2 4=@D65\5@@C >66E:?8 (65?6D52Jk^DEC@?8mk^2m :?4=F565 2 7@4FD @? DA6?5:?8 E@ 5676?5 #6AF3=:42? &]$] $6?2E6 D62ED @FE @7 |2:?6[ p=2D<2[ ~9:@[ x@H2 2?5 %6I2D[ 2?5 >2<:?8 677@CED E@ 7=:A s6>@4C2E D62ED 7C@> |:49:82? 2?5 }6H w2>AD9:C6] u@FC 2?@?J>@FD D@FC46D H6C6 4:E65]k^Am
kAm%96 9625=:?6 7@C E96 DE@CJ D2JD }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 2?5 v6@C8:2 2C6 =67E @77] %9@D6 H@F=5 36 E96 C246D @7 #6AF3=:42? |:4926= (92E=6J 282:?DE s6>@4C2E #@J r@@A6C :? E96 7@C>6C[ 2?5 #6AF3=:42? |:<6 r@==:?D 2?5 s6>@4C2E:4 :?4F>36?E $6?] y@? ~DD@77 :? E96 =2EE6C]k^Am
kAm}2E92? qC2?5[ D6?:@C 25G:D@C E@ $4@EE 2?5 :? E96 C@@>[ D2:5 E96 DE@CJ :D “6?E:C6=J >256 FA]”k^Am
kAm~? D@4:2= >65:2[ r@>>F?:42E:@?D s:C64E@C y@2??2 #@5C:8F6K @7 E96 }2E:@?2= #6AF3=:42? $6?2E@C:2= r@>>:EE66[ HC@E6 :? A2CE[ “%9:D 4@>A=6E6=J 723C:42E65 DE@CJ D9@F=5 36 C6EC24E65 2?5 !@=:E:4@ D9@F=5 36 6>32CC2DD65] r92:C>2? $4@EE 5:5?’E >2<6 2?J DA6?5:?8 2??@F?46>6?ED 2E =F?49[ 2?5 96 AC2:D65 |:4926= (92E=6J 2D 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 2 42?5:52E6 H9@ 92D A@==:?8 >@>6?EF> @? 9:D D:56]”k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]FD?6HD]4@>^?6HD^FD^2CE:4=6D^a_ae\_h\ac^C6AF3=:42?\4@@C5:?2E65\42>A2:8?\DA6?5:?8\DFC86D\27E6C\FD\DFAC6>6\4@FCE\CF=:?8Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m!F3=:D965 C6A@CED D2Jk^DEC@?8mk^2m 23@FE Sg >:==:@? E@ DFAA@CE (92E=6J :? yF=J 2?5 pF8FDE 92D 366? >256 3J E96 4@>>:EE66] %92E 2>@F?E ?@EH:E9DE2?5:?8 2D D:8?:7:42?E[ >@C6 >@?6J D6G6C2= E:>6D @G6C :D 36:?8 7F??6=65 :?E@ (92E=6J’D 42>A2:8? 3J DFA6C A@=:E:42= 24E:@? 4@>>:EE66D]k^Am
kAm%9:D &]$] $6?2E6 D62E :D G:6H65 2D 2 >2;@C A=2J6C ?2E:@?2==J :? E96 BF6DE 7@C 2 >2;@C:EJ :? E96 492>36C] #6AF3=:42?D 92G6 db D62ED E@52J] x? ?@ A2CE:4F=2C @C56C[ ~9:@[ |:49:82?[ v6@C8:2[ |2:?6[ x@H2[ }6H w2>AD9:C6[ p=2D<2[ %6I2D 2?5 |@?E2?2 2C6 E96 @E96C E@A 32EE=68C@F?5D 2>@?8 bd C246D] %H@ @7 E9@D6 2C6 DA64:2= 6=64E:@?D[ E96 @E96C bb 2C6 :? C68F=2C C@E2E:@?]k^Am
kAm(92E=6J :D D66<:?8 9:D 7:CDE 6=64E65 AF3=:4 @77:46] w6 H2D E96 92?5\A:4<65 492:C>2? @7 E96 #6AF3=:42? }2E:@?2= r@>>:EE66 3J s@?2=5 %CF>A :? E96 a_ac AC6D:56?E:2= 4J4=6]k^Am
kAmr@@A6C 92D bg J62CD :? 6=64E65 AF3=:4 @77:46[ 52E:?8 E@ 9:D 7:CDE H:? :? E96 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 7:G6 564256D 28@[ E:>6 :? E96 DE2E6 $6?2E6[ 7@FC 7@FC\J62C E6C>D 2D DE2E6 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=[ 2?5 E96 >2I:>F> 2==@H65 EH@ 7@FC\J62C E6C>D 2D 8@G6C?@C]k^Am
kAm|@DE C646?E=J :? A@==D[ r@@A6C 92D =65 (92E=6J ch]aT\bc]`T :? E96 r2C@=:?2 y@FC?2=’D A@==:?8 7C@> $6AE] `b\`d 2?5 @?=J cg]cT\ca]dT :? E96 x?D:56Cp5G2?E286 A@==’D D2>A=:?8 $6AE] `e\`f]k^Am
kAmr@@A6C’D 3:5 E@ DF44665 EH@\E6C> #6AF3=:42? $6?] %9@> %:==:D H@F=5 36 EC6?5\3C62<:?8 :7 DF446DD7F=] %:==:D[ #:492C5 qFCC 2?5 %65 qF55 92G6 >256 #6AF3=:42?D d\7@C\d D:?46 s6>@4C2E z2J w282? H@? 6=64E:@? E@ E96 &]$] $6?2E6 :? a__g] p?5 s6>@4C2ED 92G6?’E E2<6? 2 >:5E6C> $6?2E6 D62E :? E96 DE2E6 D:?46 y@9? t5H2C5D :? `hhg]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6C]?4D36]8@GQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m#6AF3=:42?D :? DE2E6H:56 C246Dk^DEC@?8mk^2m 7@C E9:D 564256 – a_a_[ a_aa 2?5 a_ac – 2C6 ba\`_ 282:?DE s6>@4C2ED[ 2 A2CEJ H:E9 D:8?:7:42?E=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^GE]?4D36]8@G^#68$E2E^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m564=:?:?8 G@E6C C68:DEC2E:@?Dk^DEC@?8mk^2m 7@C >@C6 E92? a_ 4@?D64FE:G6 J62CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ $E2E6 q@2C5 @7 t=64E:@?D 52E2 2?2=JK65 3J %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6]k^Am
kAmp3D6?E66 G@E:?8 3682? @? $6AE] c H:E9 E96 >2:=:?8 @7 32==@ED E@ E96 ?62C=J d_[___ C6BF6DE:?8 E96>[ @A6?:?8 2 e`\52J H:?5@H E@ }@G] b] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?4D36]8@G^G@E:?8^FA4@>:?8\6=64E:@?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m~4E] h :D E96 G@E6C C68:DEC2E:@? 5625=:?6]k^DEC@?8mk^2mk^Am
kAmp3D6?E66 C6BF6DED 5@ ?@E C6BF:C6 2 C62D@?j 2?J@?6 42? 7:=6 H:E9 E96:C C6DA64E:G6 4@F?E:6D] %96 5625=:?6 7@C 2? 23D6?E66 32==@E :? E96 >2:= E@ 36 :? 2 4@F?EJ 6=64E:@? 3@2C5 @77:46 :D H96? E96 A@==D 4=@D6 2E fib_ A]>] @? }@G] bj E96 C6BF6DE 5625=:?6 :D d A]>] @? ~4E] a_]k^Am
kAmt2C=J :?\A6CD@? G@E:?8 :D ~4E] `d\b`[ 2?5 D2>6\52J C68:DEC2E:@? :D A6C>:EE65]k^Am