BY JOHN FEEHERY
Reprinted from TheFeeheryTheory.com

Originally published in the Wall Street Journal

The Club for Growth, fresh from a humiliating loss in an Idaho House primary – incumbent Rep. Mike Simpson won despite the Club’s heavy spending for challenger Bryan Smith – endorsed a primary candidate in Georgia who said earlier this year that he would rather see another terrorist attack in the U.S. than have the Transportation Security Administration prod and probe U.S. citizens.

Intrigued by a tweet from the Club for Growth’s spokesman, Barney Keller, on Wednesday, I tweeted, “How bout that guy Bryan Smith you spent a million dollars on?”

To which he replied, “Can’t wait to do it again next cycle!”

Separately, ForAmerica, a tea-party-affiliated group, announced that it would make a six-figure buy in favor of Mississippi Senate candidate Chris McDaniel after it was reported that one of Mr. McDaniel’s supporters had broken into the nursing home of the ailing wife of Senator Thad Cochran and took her picture.

And Heritage Action scored a vote on final passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, urging House Republicans to join its opposition. Only four House Republicans heeded the call.

The connection is obvious: The more these groups endorse fundamentally flawed candidates, the less power they have over the members who actually do the legislating in Congress.

And that’s probably a good thing.

Editor’s Note: John Feehery worked for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Republicans in Congress. Feehery is president of Quinn Gillespie Communications. He is a contributor to The Hill’s Pundits Blog and blogs at thefeeherytheory.com.