Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is endorsing Washington Senate candidate Dino Rossi, citing Rossi's focus on balancing the federal budget. Coburn's is the second recent endorsement from a conservative Senate Republican that Rossi's camp hopes will lift him with grassroots conservative voters ahead of the GOP primary on Aug. 17. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has also endorsed Rossi. Former vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin endorsed Rossi's GOP rival, former NFL tight end Clint Didier. "Dino Rossi has my endorsement because he understands that our country is on the edge of a fiscal cliff," Coburn said in a statement. "He knows that we can't keep borrowing money and stealing from our children, and expect America to be the great and unique country it's always been." Rather than selecting a nominee from each party, Washington's primary allows the top two vote-getters to face off in November. The winner of the Republican primary will take on Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., in November. Murray faces only token opposition in the Democratic primary.
This article appeared in the Saturday, August 14, 2010 edition of National Journal Daily.
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