This is really a must read article from Marc Thiessen on Jim DeMint.With the election in Indiana today, the AP, Washington Post, and others are cheering the expected defeat of Jim DeMint and tea partiers in a fight with the establishment.But Indiana is only one state and DeMint and us have already won in Florida and Pennsylvania. And we’re going to win in places like Colorado, Kentucky, and other states too. Hopefully, today will also bring a victory in Indiana with Marlin Stutzman.DeMint initially seemed to be a lone warrior. More and more though, it is clear DeMint represents the heart and soul of the party.

Critics say DeMint is hurting the party’s chances in November by backing ideologically pure candidates when moderates would stand a better chance of winning. But virtually all of DeMint’s conservatives are leading their Democratic opponents in the polls. In Florida, Rubio is running ahead of both Crist and Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek in a three-way race. In Pennsylvania, Toomey is a solid 10 points ahead of Specter. In Colorado, Buck leads Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, and in Indiana Stutzman is running ahead of Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsworth. Even in California, where the race is an uphill battle for all the Republicans, DeVore runs better against Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer than the NRSC’s anointed candidate, Carly Fiorina. While DeMint is willing to take risks, he is not interested in kamikaze missions. His goal is not to purify the GOP; it is to elect conservatives who will work with him for change in the Senate. “I don’t pick anyone who doesn’t have a chance in the general election,” he told me.