A "Hardliner" Taking A Stand and Setting Himself Apart

A USA Today profile entitled The hardliners: Senators take a stand, set themselves apart, has recognized that South Carolina has a US Senator of which it can be proud in Senator Jim DeMint. The newspaper reports:

Entering his third year in the Senate, DeMint has achieved a rare distinction for a relative rookie: He has drawn the attention of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Reid’s deputy, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who have taken time on the Senate floor to criticize DeMint by name.

“I like it,” said DeMint, who notes the attacks serve to draw attention to his issues.

DeMint, 55, is a conservative purist who defied his home state’s powerful textile interests to support free trade. He broke with President Bush to help torpedo the immigration bill and went against the advice of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to block ethics legislation. DeMint was seeking stricter rules on the disclosure of pet projects that members of Congress tack onto spending bills.

He makes no apologies for his role as a one-man roadblock to several major pieces of legislation. “The Congress needs to accept the fact that we have very little credibility with the American people,” DeMint said. He recommends that the nation’s policymakers adopt less-ambitious agendas: “If we’re going to earn credibility, we need to do a few small things we can agree on.”

Let's hope that after next year, Jim, there is a junior Senator from South Carolina who can help with your good work!