Today, Senate Republicans held an internal election to choose a Vice Chairman for the Senate Republican Conference. Conservative organizations and tea party groups rallied to Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI). Senator Roy Blunt (MO) won the leadership contest 25 votes to 22 votes. It is worth noting the number of Senators who came out publicly for Senator Ron Johnson and the number who refused to publicly support Senator Blunt.Senator Blunt is a fine guy, but he is decidedly on the side of the old guard that has shown a lack of initiative and ideas.The election is a trust testament to the need to support Senator Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund and I hope is a strong signal to Senator DeMint and each of you that our work is not done and we must continue challenging incumbent Republican Senators in primaries.The downside to this election is the GOP’s refusal to move past the narrative about party greed and corruption from K Street, which is as relevant now as it was in the Bridge to Nowhere controversy.

One former Blunt aide said: “While both are freshman senators, Sen. Blunt’s experience in these types of races gives him an edge.” If he’s successful this afternoon it is expected to be a strong sign of the Missouri Republican moving upward in GOP leadership as soon as next year. If he wins, “it gets him in the queue to be considered for other posts,” another former Blunt aide told PI.K Street certainly has big ties to Blunt, the former House majority whip. Former aides include: Gregg Hartley of Cassidy & Associates; Joe Wall of Goldman Sachs; Sam Geduldig of Clark, Lytle Geduldig & Cranston; Brian Gaston of Glover Park Group; Amos Snead of Story Partners; Jay Perron of IFA; and Samantha Cook of SMC Consulting.

On the bright side, I suspect Mitch McConnell and the old guard just created a new super hero conservative in Senator Ron Johnson who will be a thorn in their side.