Current Congressman and now candidate for Georgia’s open Senate seat, Rep. Doug Collins, continues his attacks on incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). Rep. Collins’ bid for Senate came as a bit of a surprise, given the immense need for GOP unity in such a crucial election year. Collins was immediately hit with backlash from many in the GOP establishment, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).
NRSC not holding back on Doug Collins
— Adam Wollner (@AdamWollner) January 29, 2020
"All he has done is put two senate seats, multiple house seats, and Georgia’s 16 electoral votes in play." pic.twitter.com/cFNDMT06b1
Collins responded to the attacks by calling the NRSC, the official Senate arm of the GOP, a "Washington-based group:"
Don't be ridiculous, this is FAKE NEWS coming from the head of a Washington-based group whose bylaws require him to support all incumbents, even unelected ones. https://t.co/azpS3PzaCJ
— Doug Collins (@CollinsforGA) January 29, 2020
Rep. Collins released an ad this morning slamming Sen. Loeffler’s (R-GA) support of Club for Growth, a highly-influential, free-enterprise advocacy group.
The original Never Trump, anti-agriculture group throws its support behind Kelly Loeffler and attacks the votes of GA Republicans. You can tell a lot about a person by their friends, eh @kloeffler? #gapol pic.twitter.com/yDBNZ7fKbs
— Doug Collins (@CollinsforGA) February 3, 2020
Rep. Collins slams the renowned conservative group as “anti-agriculture” in an attempt to knock Sen. Loeffler’s credibility among conservatives. Collins forgot to delete social media evidence of his previous support of Club for Growth, and his touting of their support:
Oops.
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) February 3, 2020
Doug Collins in 2016:
Panel Question: Conservative Review has given you a 57%. Do you have any ratings that you can attribute that are higher than that?
Collins: Oh ya, Freedomworks, Club for Growth, Heritage… pic.twitter.com/F4CF0jyb9s
Doug Collins still has social media posts up touting his scorecard with the Club for Growth. Now he calls them "rotten." DC Doug can't make up his mind! #gapol #gasen https://t.co/ZiWjSmAxwQ https://t.co/tShPuqAOsq
— Jack Pandol (@jackpandol) February 3, 2020
Most ironically, Rep. Collins admitted that “fighting ourselves” is a bad strategy, when he is doing exactly that by running against Sen. Loeffler:
Republican voters in Georgia should choose their candidate — not one politician or a Super PAC in Washington.
— Doug Collins (@CollinsforGA) January 29, 2020
The time for that contest is now so we can unite well before November.
Fighting ourselves and the left at the same time is a bad strategy. #gapol
Rep. Collins bid for the Senate is off to a rocky start, to say the least. The GOP establishment is working to defend Sen. Loeffler, in support of unity in 2020; President Trump even expressed his support for Sen. Loeffler’s hard work in the upper chamber.
Editor's Note: This post has been updated to note that Club for Growth has not officially endorsed Sen. Loeffler.