Full video from the Palmetto Freedom Forum hosted by Sen. Jim DeMint in Columbia, SC on Labor Day.

By Byron York

It’s possible, at least theoretically, to win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination without the support of South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. But nobody wants to risk it.

DeMint has emerged as a key power broker in the 2012 Republican contest. His clout extends far beyond his home state; through some carefully planned visits, he has now become a player in Iowa and New Hampshire. But it is in South Carolina, home of the first-in-the-South primary, that DeMint rules the political roost. [Read more →]

By Hannah Hill from inhenryswake.com

When Jim DeMint stated some time back that he would rather have a small core group of true conservatives that a majority of RINOs, he drew sharp criticism from the GOP establishment and raised concern  in the minds of others, many of whom considered him on an impossible Don Quixote-esque mission against impossible odds.

However, Jim DeMint didn’t listen. Not only has he been taking his case straight to the American people (angering the leadership of his own party by doing so – go figure), but he formed a PAC to support true-blue conservatives get elected. And what are the results?

According to a Bloomberg article,

Since then, DeMint’s money and manpower have upset Senate Republican nomination contests in Colorado, Utah, Kentucky, and Delaware. Of the 13 candidates he’s endorsed, only three have lost. Last year he raised $1.3 million. This year his PAC has pulled in more than $4 million, says spokesman Matt Hoskins.

According to this article, DeMint has “vaulted from backbencher to conservative kingmaker.”

Here’s more of the media buzz following his latest Delaware victory:

Once again, DeMint’s candidate prevailed over the candidate boosted by the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee.  He set out to transform the Republican party and it looks like he just might be pulling it off. (ABC News)

“Based on the number of Republicans DeMint has helped get elected this year, I would say he’s done quite a bit to elect a majority,” Hoskins told CNN. “Perhaps the real reason some unnamed leadership aides are upset is that these Republicans actually have principles.” (CNN)

DeMint, whose endorsement boosted O’Donnell late in her primary race, cited other tea party favorites who are doing well in polls, including Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio and Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul. Both defeated better-established Republicans in primaries. (MSNBC) [Read more →]

By Senator Jim DeMint

You’d think the Obama administration is busy enough controlling the banks, insurance companies and automakers, but thanks to whistleblowers at the Department of the Interior, we now learn they’re planning to increase their control over energy-rich land in the West.

A secret administration memo has surfaced revealing plans for the federal government to seize more than 10 million acres from Montana to New Mexico, halting job- creating activities like ranching, forestry, mining and energy development. Worse, this land grab would dry up tax revenue that’s essential for funding schools, firehouses and community centers.
[Read more →]