SHUTDOWN WOES: Government Turmoil May Affect 2014 Congress Races
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The Republican role in the federal government shutdown may hurt the reelection chances of three Michigan congressmen who have had Tea Party backing, according to political observers.
Polls show Republican Congressmen Tim Walberg, Kerry Bentivolio and Dan Benishek all trailing significantly behind a generic Democratic opponent, reports Steve Carmody of Michigan Radio.
Tea Party darling Benishek is not about to go quietly, generating about 3,500 "likes" on Facebook after announcing he would not take his salary until the shutdown is resolved and may donate it to charity.
Right Wing Watch of the People for the American Way named Walberg one of the "Ten Scariest Republicans Heading to Congress" in 2010. He has been called "the birthers' birther" for his doubts about President Obama's place of birth.
Bentivolio already is being "primaried" by an Oakland County lawyer with national political connections, David Trott, 52, of Birmingham.
Trott announced Sept. 4 in the Republican primary against Bentivolio, the former reindeer rancher and educator who was a dark horse winner last year.
Trott plans to enter the Republican primary next year to challenge Bentivolio, from Milford, who was thrust into front-runner status in 2012 after then-U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter stepped down amid a petition scandal.
Tom Jensen, an official of Public Policy Polling, the Democratic-leaning firm that conducted the voter survey, said it was commissioned by MoveOn.org.
Jensen says their data shows voter discontent over the shutdown may tip the balance in November 2014.
Poll results painted a gloomy picture for Benishek, with voter opinions linked to the government shutdown, according to results of the Public Policy Polling survey. Benishek drew a 54 percent negative job rating, with 33 percent approving and 13 percent not sure. Some 56 percent of those surveyed indicated they would vote for a Democratic opponent while 35 percent would re-elect the incumbent.
Columnist George Weeks, writing in the Traverse City Record-Eagle, noted: "Benishek's Democratic opponent undoubtedly will be Jerry Cannon, 65, former Kalkaska County sheriff (1987-2004) and retired Army National Guard major general (1977-2012) who announced last week, after having been recruited by Democratic State Chairman Lon Johnson (also a Kalkaska area guy) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee."
Sixty-four percent of those polled by PPP, the Raleigh, NC firm, opposed shutting down the government as a way to stop the health care law, with 29 percent supporting.
"Republicans have shot themselves in the foot and put themselves into a pretty bad position for next fall," Jensen told reporters.
Jensen says it's not too soon to be predicting the result of an election more than a year away.
"These were the sort of numbers we were starting to see in Democratic held districts at this time four years ago," says Jensen.
Democrats lost control of the U.S. House in 2010, as the rise of the Tea Party powered the Republicans to victory.
A spokeswoman for Rep. Walberg called the poll "unscientific," adding: "Rep Walberg is focused on building a healthy economy and working with colleagues to help hardworking taxpayers by making the government live within its means, improving education and workforce training, stopping both the IRS from abusing citizens and the government takeover from healthcare that that is raising costs and hurting families."
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