Kemp’s “Unacceptable” “Fiasco” of a Senate Appointee “About to Step Into GOP Firestorm”

Political Mega-Donor’s Appointment “Has Torn a Rift” Among GOP, “Raised… Questions” & Sparked “Vocal Criticism From Anti-Abortion Leaders, Conservative Media Figures and Other Trump Allies”

POLITICO today reports that after buying herself a Georgia Senate seat, “political mega-donor” Kelly Loeffler is “about to step into [a] GOP firestorm.” Since learning of Loeffler’s expected appointment, conservative activists have been livid, slamming Loeffler as  “unacceptable,” “the wrong choice,” and “disqualified.” Read the story below and don’t miss the other highlights on the “fiasco” appointment.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

POLITICO: New Georgia senator about to step into GOP firestorm

Kelly Loeffler, expected to be tapped Wednesday by Gov. Brian Kemp, must unite Republicans before she can pivot to wooing suburban voters the party risks losing.

• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s months-long process to select a replacement for outgoing Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) has torn a rift in the Republican Party.

• By dragging the appointment on throughout the fall, Kemp has invited vocal opposition from skeptical conservatives who question the credentials of a choice allies hoped would expand the party’s base of support in a key battleground state.

• Now, the governor is set to announce Kelly Loeffler, a wealthy finance executive who… faces the challenging task of proving herself as a sufficiently conservative ally of President Donald Trump — a distraction for a candidate Republicans hope can win back some of the suburban voters who have fled the GOP in the Trump era.

• Instead, Loeffler and Kemp are confronting vocal criticism from anti-abortion leaders, conservative media figures and other Trump allies who wanted an attack dog for the president in the seat — particularly with a possible impeachment trial looming in the new senator’s first days.

• Loeffler’s ability to bridge the gap and avoid a conservative insurrection will be critical to Republicans maintaining their hold over Georgia, which is an emerging presidential battleground state and also has two Senate elections that could help determine control of the chamber in 2021.

• …support came after a sustained attack from conservatives, who preferred Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) for the nomination. Anti-abortion groups questioned Loeffler’s credentials, and conservative media, including Sean Hannity of Fox News, attacked Kemp and promoted Collins on TV and radio.

• …senior Republicans have been grumbling about Kemp’s selection process for weeks, convinced that it was unnecessarily drawn out since Isakson’s announcement in August that he would resign at the end of the year. Had the governor named a choice quickly, they contend, he would have avoided much of the second-guessing and criticism that has emerged in recent days from right-of-center groups who complain that Loeffler lacks conservative credentials.

• But [Kemp’s] preference for Loeffler — a Republican mega-donor who only applied hours before the portal closed — has only raised more questions.

• Some complain that Loeffler is too much of a blank slate and politically untested. Questions abound about her positions on key issues and her campaign skills — raising questions about whether she could survive a primary or a general election in a cycle when control of the Senate is at stake.

• Trump is among those who’ve raised concerns. During a tense White House meeting last month, Trump pointed out to Kemp that Georgia is full of well-known Republicans who’d demonstrated an ability to survive politically.

• Collins, notably, has declined to close the door on running if he didn’t get the nod from Kemp. And other Republicans could still decide to enter the race… 

Read the full story here.

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