Flake blames Trump for rise of Blankenship in West Virginia

[DonViejo]

By JOHN BRESNAHAN 05/07/2018 09:11 PM EDT

Arizona GOP Sen. Jeff Flake, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, blamed Trump on Monday for the rise of controversial Republican Senate candidate Don Blankenship in West Virginia.

Blankenship is using racist attacks about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — McConnell’s wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, is Chinese-American — as a centerpiece of his campaign. His efforts threaten to turn West Virginia into another Alabama-like debacle for the GOP, where a Democrat wins a Senate race in a heavily red state because Republicans nominate a candidate too toxic to win a general election.

Even Trump is aware of the danger of Blankenship’s candidacy, warning West Virginia Republican voters Sunday to “Remember Alabama.” Trump carried West Virginia by 42 points in November 2016, and Republicans had set their sights on defeating incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this November.

Yet according to Flake, Trump’s use of racially charged language and messages during the 2016 race for the White House —and his success in doing so — has inspired other GOP hopefuls to try to do the same, including Blankenship.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/07/flake-trump-blankenship-blame-573243

[OnDoutside]

1. And are you free from blame Jeff ?

[awesomerwb1]

2. These gop guys are something else

If Flake wasn't retiring he'd be marching lock and step with dump.

Cowards and hypocrites the whole lot of them.

[n2doc]

4. Exactly

And he still votes in lock-step with Drumpf. Even now. And will until his last day in office.

[JDC]

3. I blame Jeff Flake

[EffieBlack]

5. But he takes no responsibility for the rise of Trump?