Will Wicker face Tea Party blitz like Cochran?
Sen. Roger Wicker must be anxiously watching the Tea Party blitz against fellow Sen. Thad Cochran. The two senators have much in common.
For example, until they were banned by House Republicans, Wicker’s record for delivering earmarks was second only to Cochran’s. The Tea Party claims earmarks were a major factor in escalating deficits. They weren’t, but the claim is pervasive.
Wicker has been a recent champion of bipartisan deal-making. In July he called for concessions by both parties to avoid the “nuclear option” rules change Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid had proposed to thwart Republican filibusters. Additionally, as a member of the Senator Budget Committee and, thus, a participant on the House-Senate conference committee charged with recommending a compromise budget by mid-December, Wicker told The Clarion-Ledger:
“The public expects us to show that we are problem-solvers, and they want a result. And, I hope that is something we can deliver on in a bipartisan fashion.”
Bill Crawford
10/30/13
Magnolia Tribune
