Liz Cheney launches run for Senate
(CNN) - Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, will challenge three-term Republican Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming for his seat in next year's mid-term elections, she announced Tuesday in a web video.
"Today I am launching my candidacy for the United States Senate," she said.
Cheney dedicated part of her nearly six-minute long video to criticizing President Barack Obama, accusing him of announcing a war on Americans' freedoms of religion and speech.
Missing, however, was any personal attacks on her GOP opponent, Enzi.
In her announcement she said it was time for a "new generation of leaders to step up." She then made a call to action, saying, "every victorious movement in history has required the full participation of men and women of courage, conviction and principle...join me in this fight."
Cheney, who chairs a nonprofit on national security and education called Keep America Safe, has been rumored this year to be considering a U.S. Senate bid from Wyoming.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, however, says it stands firmly behind Enzi, the GOP incumbent.
"Our mission is to re-elect our incumbents and build a Republican majority," NRSC Communications Director Brad Dayspring told CNN.
Cheney sparked some speculation of a potential Senate bid in March when she cautioned her party against moving too far to the middle as the GOP began major rebranding efforts following last year's presidential loss.
"It is time for Republicans to get over their loss in 2012. We are all that stands between this president's policies and a damaged and diminished America," she wrote. "It is time to get back in the fight."
"And I do mean fight," she continued in the Wall Street Journal op-ed. "Republicans are being counseled to move the party to the left, but in my experience, those who advocate more liberal policies for the GOP are wrongheaded or Democrats, or both."
Wyoming is a reliably red state, with a Republican governor, Republican senators and a Republican for its at large representative. Enzi easily won re-election in 2008 with 76% of the vote.
Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney carried the state 69% of the vote in last year's election.
- CNN's Jake Tapper, Paul Steinhauser and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
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And they DO mean FIGHT. Never negotiate in good faith, through open minded debate and sound rationale. Turn it into a FIGHT, and be as obnoxious as Limbaugh. Don't just disagree – be disagreeable... Be a NEW Republican.
Isn't she gay or nuts.
Oh the pendulum is about to swing right once again.
What is so horrible about moving towards the middle of the political spectrum? The reason everything is so botched up is because the two party system is so polarized. Voting for the far left because the far right is too extreme, vis versa. So frustrating.
Oh joy. Another heaping helping of Cheney.
The fact that she is challenging a reliable Republican incumbent is proof that she is part of the element that wants the GOP to become even more extreme. Imagine how the direction she wants to take bipartisanship and compromise. The Senate already is in bad enough shape with gridlock without throwing people in whose objective is to make it worse.
So what is her qualifications? She hate Obama, he has billions of dollars that was paid to Haliburton to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, she hates Obama, she has more money that she could ever spend and wants to make sure she gets more, she hates Obama, she is one of the super privileged and is bored going to the all white country club her family owns, she hates Obama, and lastly and most important she hates Obama. PERFECT!
I wish it were Mary Cheney running. To elect an openly gay Republican and the redest of red states would show the nation that despite what the loudest voices (and MSNBC) say, the vast majority of the Republican Party has no problem with gay people, and gay marriage etc. Liz Cheney on the other hand, will simply be another mouthpiece and vote for the welfare-warfare state.
And here I thought I'd never hear the name again
"We are all that stands between this president's policies and a damaged and diminished America." She does realize that it was her dad and his "boss" that damaged and diminished this country to begin with, right? Of course not! She thinks he was a wonderful VP and Bush a great president. She has said so on many occasions. That's who you want representing you, Wyoming?
Liz, make sure you oppose gay marriage as part of you platform.
She is part of what is the problem with the delusional far right. They will win their local and gerrymandered elections, but will continue to fail in national elections. I don't see the GOP winning the presidency for a long, long time. That being said, there are sufficiently large and sufficiently numerous pockets of righty lunatics to make it difficult for any Democrat elected to the presidency to purge this country of the anti-middle class, anti-intellectual, anti-science, religious Neanderthals.
I would never vote for a Cheney, and anyone who does needs to have their head seriously examined. They Cheney's have been stealing from the American taxpayers for long enough.
Does Liz Chaney have a REAL job other than being daughter of former VP ? Guess not
Things go poorly when the GOP fights vigorously, no-holds-barred in a primary. If Liz Cheney wins the primary, then one option Michael Enzi has is to switch parties. That would get even uglier.
So, the GOP is going to battle about which candidate can be more extreme. They'll likely keep the seat either way, given Wyoming's history, but this is going to open some wounds in the state, and it certainly won't do anything positive for the Senate as a whole. We do not need more "I ain't gunna compromise about anything" folks in Congress. It could be real interesting to watch from the outside though.
Gag me with a spoon.
I would never vote for a Cheney, and anyone who does needs to have their head seriously examined. The Cheney's have been stealing from the American taxpayers for long enough.
She's just as bad of a obstructionist as the rest of them. Why on earth would we want anything like that when we already have it. Vote out anyone with 8 years as a politician. No more unlimited terms. 2 terms and your out. They'll never surrender power so it's up to us to give it to them.
I'm really awaiting a new breed of politicians, who aren't related to the Kennedy's, Bush's, Clintons. The current system that encourages dynasties, proved that it was flawed in China over a millennia ago.
so much for reformation of the party of NO. You can't get more white and out-of-touch than this mrs cheney
Oops. Here we go again with another major Hawk.
Woops, here we go again with another major right wing hawk. OMG
Spawn of a war criminal and just as bad.
OMG.....this country could not withstand another Cheney! That's as bad, if not worse than putting another Bush in office. Enough!