There has been some consternation among Republicans on what Christine O'Donnell's victory in the Deleware primary means. It's not often that we see the likes of the boys at PowerLine disagreeing with Rush Limbaugh.
Essentially, the PowerLiner's argument (at least Scott & Paul's) comes down to the fact that O'Donnell is a flawed candidate, and because of that she endangers the chances of the Republicans taking control of the Senate in November. Had Castle won, he would have been a less reliable conservative vote, but he would have been more reliable than the Democrat who will likely defeat the controversial O'Donnell in the race.
I want to throw my two cents in on this subject, as it is one I have struggled with as long as I have been politically aware. Now, I am firm in my belief that the O'Donnell win is a good thing for conservatives.
A lot of Republicans are sick of the spending that the Republicans in congress were happy to escalate when they were in control because they thought that the only problem with runaway spending was when the money wasn't going to their special interests.
I'd gladly see a more fiscally conservative and ideologically pure Republican party fail to take the Senate in 2010. The alternative is more of the same politics that I've seen my entire life, which would mean that in the immediate aftermath of November a slight Republican majority or small minority would thwart any major initiatives from the Obama administration. In the long term Republicans would likely retake power and continue to waste taxpayers money as they did under Bush.
I have come to the opinion that we need a fundamental change in Congress and no sacred cows can be off the table: repealing Obamacare, changes to social security, corporate and farm subsidies, military funding, and all other large budget items. We aren't going to get that with the people the mainstream Republican party was pushing.
An O'Donnell primary victory tells the Republican establishment to stop playing the same old politics and to get serious about budget reform. Such a focus will bode well for America's future, whether or not the Republicans end up with 51 Senate seats in the next congress.
