Why Josh Hawley’s move could endanger Senate Republicans

“#It’s the height of selfishness to subject nearly all his colleagues to a backlash from conservatives just so he can kickstart his presidential campaign,” one #Republican aide said. “#Reminds me of the brilliant ‘shut down the government to defund #Obamacare’ strategy.’ #This will turn out the same way and he knows it.”

#Republican #Sen. #Susan #Collins of #Maine had this to say: “I do not think that he will prevail in his quest. #And I question why he is doing it when the courts have unanimously thrown out the suits that the #President’s team have filed for lack of credible evidence.”

#And overnight, #Sen. #Ben #Sasse, a #Republican from #Nebraska, took to #Facebook to post why he thought the entire exercise was the #President and his allies “playing with fire.”

“#Every public official has a responsibility to tell the truth,” #Sasse said. “#All the clever arguments and rhetorical gymnastics in the world won’t change the fact that this #January 6th effort is designed to disenfranchise millions of #Americans simply because they voted for someone in a different party. #We ought to be better than that. #If we normalize this, we’re going to turn #American politics into a #Hatfields and #McCoys endless blood feud — a house hopelessly divided.”

#Some big picture perspective

There are 21 #Republican #Senate seats to defend in 2022. There are 13 #Democratic ones. #It’s going to be a heavy lift next cycle already for #Republicans and no one is looking to recreate the intra-party primary fights that plagued the party between 2010 and 2014 and ultimately ended in #Republicans losing races they thought they had locked down.

These are the members up for reelection in 2022 and worth watching next week:

#Hawley was asked on #Wednesday if he was worried about what his colleagues would think of his maneuver, and if it would make him less popular: “#More than I already am?” he quipped back.

#Other senators to watch

#Hawley is the first senator to say he plans to object to the #Electoral #College results from at least one state. #But, he may not be the last. #Johnson said on #Wednesday night that he wouldn’t object to any states, but that he did support #Hawley.

#Johnson, a #Republican who chaired a hearing on allegations of election fraud earlier this month, told reporters that there was “no reason for more people to object. #All it takes is one.”

CNN’s #Ali #Zaslav pulled together a list of GOP senators and senators-elect to watch:

#Also worth keeping an eye on two other 2024 contenders: #Republican #Sens. #Ted #Cruz of #Texas and #Tom #Cotton of #Arkansas.

#On the schedule #Thursday: The #Senate will convene at 12 p.m. ET, but no votes are planned. There will be another procedural vote #Friday afternoon on the NDAA.