NRSC endorses Ron Johnson

From Politico

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) finally agree on something: Ron Johnson is the best-equipped Republican to take on Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold in Wisconsin.

POLITICO has learned that Johnson, a 55-year-old Oshkosh plastics manufacturer, will receive DeMint’s formal endorsement Wednesday.

A Republican with knowledge of the pending announcement said the South Carolina conservative made the decision to get behind the candidacy of Johnson after hearing him speak before the Senate GOP policy luncheon on Capitol Hill prior to the summer recess.

Accompanied by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the GOP Senate campaign committee, Johnson stood up and quoted DeMint to outline his reason for running, according to an aide familiar with the exchange.

“I don’t want to be part of the club, I want to be part of the fight,” Johnson reportedly said.

The GOP aide said, “This guy’s not just coming off the bench, he’s coming off the bleachers. And he just ripped the cover off the ball."

DeMint’s decision to back Johnson marks an infrequent instance where he’s backing a candidate who is also the favorite of the NRSC.

The first-term conservative, who once claimed he’d rather have “30 Republicans in the Senate who believe in the principles of freedom than 60 who don’t believe in anything,” has ruffled the feathers of the Washington GOP establishment by backing long-shot candidates — such as Ken Buck in Colorado, Sharron Angle in Nevada, Rand Paul in Kentucky and even Marco Rubio in Florida — most of whom challenged NRSC-preferred candidates.

DeMint has also taken some risks with his endorsements: He lost with Chuck DeVore in California, who was washed away by Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, and Marlin Stutzman, who fell to former Sen. Dan Coats by 10 percentage points in the Indiana Senate primary.

“He’s not supporting people just to oppose leadership. He’s supporting good people,” the GOP source explained.

In a statement that will be released Wednesday by the Senate Conservatives Fund, DeMint will credit Johnson for jumping into the race against Feingold after President Barack Obama signed health care legislation into law.

“It was just too much for him to stay on the sidelines. Ron explained that he is running to join the fight for our nation's freedoms, not to join the Senate club. That's exactly the kind of leader people in Wisconsin and all across America want in Washington. Ron is a common sense conservative who can win. He's in an uphill fight against an entrenched incumbent, but I believe he's the right man with the right ideas at the right time,” DeMint says in the prepared statement.

"The Senate Conservatives Fund will do everything it can to help Ron Johnson win this race,” he adds.

Despite being a political novice and having little name recognition, polls have shown Johnson in a dead heat with Feingold, who is unexpectedly feeling the effects of the anti-incumbent environment.

Johnson has cleared the GOP primary field of all but one opponent, captured the state GOP’s endorsement and weathered an onslaught of Democratic attacks.

Another bonus for the party: He appears willing to self-finance his bid, freeing up more funds for the party to spend in other battleground states.

While the GOP aide said DeMint has made no decisions on future endorsements, there are plenty of Republican primary contests left where he can leave an imprint — including Washington state, Alaska, Delaware and New Hampshire.

Ron Johnson for US Senate!