Conservative columnist and author Ann Coulter called out several big-name Republicans Monday as “running off the Republican Party for their own self-aggrandizement, for their own egos, to make money.”
Coulter was discussing her new book, “Never Trust a Liberal over 3 — Especially a Republican,” on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity.”
Candidates like Wyoming Senate hopeful Liz Cheney, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, former Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin and South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford did not have the good of the party in mind when running for office, a problem that needs to be dealt with if the GOP wants win the Senate and presidency.
“So part of the point of my chapter one is to get out that have paradigm of tea party versus establishment,” Coulter said. “We’ve lost a lot of Senate elections. According to the Cook Report, there were 10 contested elections in 2012. Republicans lost 12 of them. In 2010 there were seven contested elections six months out, Republicans lost five of them.”
“This is not a party that seems overly concerned with winning elections,” she continued. “Look, some of these elections to the United States Senate were lost by what you might call the tea party, some by the establishment, a lot by Republican consultants. My argument is that, in chapter one here, is the problem is we have hucksters, shysters, people running off the Republican Party for their own self-aggrandizement, for their own egos, to make money. I would put Todd Akin, Newt Gingrich, Liz Cheney, Mark Sanford all in the same boat. Oh, and the consultants who persuaded Linda McMahon and John Raese to run …”
Host Sean Hannity questioned Coulter’s characterization of Cheney and Gingrich as “shysters,” and pointed out she hoped New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie would run for president in 2012.
HANNITY: Why are you attacking Liz Cheney and Newt?
COULTER: Why, because Newt was never, I’m already all-in, but he ran for president. And look, I made mistakes like this in the past, too, supporting congressmen, supporting inspirational leaders.
HANNITY: You biggest mistake was Christie?
COULTER: Perhaps it was. My point is, and please Republicans looking ahead — I’m talking mostly about Senate and House elections — in 2016 we are not going to be nominating a congressman, an inspirational leader, a businessman. Only look at governors and senators.
HANNITY: Let me ask this question.
COULTER: These are people who are looking for TV shows, who are looking to make money. And I love Liz Cheney, but why should we have a primary against a good Republican senator other than for Liz Cheney’s ego?
HANNITY: I don’t think it’s about that. I think she’s more conservative.
COULTER: No, she isn’t.
HANNITY: I think she is. I don’t want get into specifics.
COULTER: But that’s the point. There are a lot of problems. We are not concentrating on winning. We are allowing shysters to take advantage of the Republican Party.
HANNITY: She’s not a shyster. Let’s be clear. Here’s the question, because you’re right. You’ve got to win to have power, but there also needs to be principle driving things.