DeVore Battles NRSC Over Meetings
By Reid Wilson
Assemb. Chuck DeVore may be a GOPer, but he and the NRSC do not get along. Both camps are hurling invective back and forth as they battle over whether one side invited the other to meet -- and whether the NRSC is showing too much favoritism to another candidate.
DeVore was the first candidate in the race to face Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), but DC GOPers quickly coalesced behind ex-HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R). Now, DeVore says despite the NRSC's claim not to be playing favorites in the race, they won't even sit down and meet with him.
As proof, DeVore's camp produced 2 letters the candidate sent to Cornyn's official office, one sent May 17 and another Oct. 31. DeVore advisor Josh Trevino emailed a top NRSC aide in Aug., then followed up with 2 meeting requests faxed last week.
All they got, according to the DeVore camp: An offer to meet with NRSC exec. dir. Rob Jesmer after Cornyn was unavailable for a sit-down. DeVore would not take the meeting.
"As someone who is already an elected official who represents half a million people who is running for the Senate, I don't know about your read on protocol, but my read on protocol is that I meet with elected officials," DeVore said in an interview Wednesday. "I'm not going to meet with a staffer, especially given what they've been saying about me for the last year. What would it accomplish? I mean, they're already in the tank for Fiorina."
But sitting down with Jesmer instead of Cornyn is standard operating procedure, NRSC spokesperson Brian Walsh said. Jesmer and top political aide Randy Bumps have met with about 60 candidates, including those the committee clearly prefers and others the committee would rather not see on the ballot.
"Remarkably, every one of them knew how to set up a meeting with the exception of Chuck DeVore who apparently believed sending a fax to Senator Cornyn's official government office was the most direct route. That alone might demonstrate a lack of seriousness, or at least raise questions of competency, by a statewide Senate campaign," Walsh said in an email.
"[W]hen you compound it with the misinformation his campaign spokesman has deliberately spread through allies in the conservative blogosphere -- suggesting it's the NRSC who has rebuffed his efforts to meet -- it's hard to draw any conclusion other than that this is a campaign that likes to play games," Walsh added. "It's unfortunate, but if and when they'd like to stop this nonsense and work with us on defeating Barbara Boxer next year we look forward to meeting with them."
Meanwhile, NRSC chair Cornyn does appear to back Fiorina. He has attended fundraisers for her, contributed to her campaign and helped her deliver the weekly GOP radio address 2 weeks ago.
In an interview with Hotline OnCall today, Cornyn maintained the NRSC is keeping its doors open to everyone, and that the party will back the eventual winner of several primaries. As an example of the party's openness to several candidates in one race, he pointed to AR, where his staff has met with state Sen. Gilbert Baker (R), businessman Curtis Coleman (R) and ex-state Farm Bureau chief Stanley Reed (R).
For more from Cornyn's interview, check back with Hotline OnCall tomorrow.
UPDATED: This article was updated to clarify the circumstances under which DeVore hoped to meet Cornyn while in town this week.
You guys, the Kingmakers, have destroyed the Republican party as witnessed by the last two election cycles. As if you had not noticed, we as a nation are really pissed off and are through putting up with this. You had better have a real "Come to Jesus" moment in regards to the way you are doing business. If you have any questions talk to Jim De Mint.
Dr. Gary
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