You know how Utah Senator Mike Lee (R-Teahadistan) doesn't want to take sides in fellow Utah Senator Orrin Hatch's (R-TARP) bid for renomination by the GOP? Well, it's obviously not because he think it's important to stay neutral in primary battles, because he's just made a Senate primary endorsement...in Texas:
Lee is backing former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz (R), who is actively courting Tea Party voters and competing with Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams (R) for support from the conservative end of the party.
"I am proud to enthusiastically endorse Ted Cruz for the U.S. Senate," said Lee in an email distributed by Cruz's campaign Monday. "The 2010 election showed that voters are looking for strong, principled conservatives in the Senate. Money and the establishment aren't what they used to be; principle and message -- real conviction and a proven record -- matter much more."
That stands at stark odds with Lee's declaration in his home state. "It's not my intention to support any candidate until the Democratic [sic] process has had a chance to play itself out in Utah," Lee told MSNBC when he announced he wouldn't support Hatch in the primary.
Of course the 'democratic' process in Utah involves getting nominated by the state Republican convention -- the same folks who ousted incumbent Senator Robert Bennett in 2010 because he was insufficiently versed in fundamental teahadism. And especially with Mike Lee standing on the sidelines, the same thing is going to happen to Orrin Hatch in 2012, no matter how many parties he tries to crash.