Sarah Palin endorses Flake in GOP primary

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has endorsed U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake in Arizona?s bitterly contested Republican Senate primary.

Palin, a part-time Arizona resident and the 2008 GOP vice-presidential nominee, praised Flake as ?a proven conservative crusader? who is ?not afraid to ?go rogue? against his own party and its leadership.?

Palin?s endorsement, announced Monday, comes more than a week after GOP Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain threw their political support to Flake, a six-term congressman under heavy fire from Republican Senate rival Wil Cardon, a Mesa investor who so far has loaned $7.5 million of his own money to his campaign.

Although Flake has long been known for his fight against congressional earmarks and is backed by fiscally conservative organizations such as the Club for Growth, the National Taxpayers Union and FreedomWorks for America, Cardon has been attacking his reputation through a series of TV commercials. One Cardon ad in heavy rotation recently says Flake is ?not honest on conservative issues.?

Palin noted that Flake is ?credited by many as the leading anti-earmark crusader in the House? and often clashed with fellow Republicans over wasteful spending.

?I?ve spoken often about the need for sudden and relentless reform of government,? Palin said in her letter to Flake that announced her support for him. ?Jeff is just the sort of ?relentless reformer? we need in the Senate. He will bring his fight against our crippling debt, reckless spending, and wasteful earmarks to the Senate.?

Alyssa Pivirotto, Cardon?s campaign spokeswoman, on Monday said Arizona voters, not national politicians such as Palin, will decide the Aug. 28 primary.

?Today?s endorsement from Sarah Palin, on the heels of her former running mate John McCain, is not a surprise but rather further proof of politicians rallying around their friend, career politician Jeff Flake, in an attempt to help him keep his job,? Pivirotto said. ?Arizona voters know business as usual has not worked and will not be fooled by political insiders sticking together.?

Palin?s endorsement can be effective in GOP primaries. Earlier this year, Palin, a ?tea party? favorite, backed underdog Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer, the upset winner of the Cornhusker State?s Senate primary. Palin helped McCain, her 2008 running mate, beat back a intraparty challenge from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz. in 2010.

For his part, Flake, who broke the news of Palin?s endorsement Monday on Twitter, said he was gratified by her support.

?Governor Palin is a passionate conservative who has inspired many in the cause to reform Washington,? Flake said in a written statement. ?I have always shared her healthy aversion to wasteful spending and out-of-control bureaucracy.?

This entry was posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2012 at 9:55 am and is filed under Arizona Republic News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com/arizona-news/2012/07/23/sarah-palin-endorses-flake-in-gop-primary/

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