Now They Pay Attention

Senator Brownback can't seem to get any attention in his run for the Presidency, until the conservatives actually need his vote in the Senate:

Sen. Brownback told CNN on Friday, "I cannot support new paths to citizenship or amnesty." But Sen. Brownback has not stated his intention to vote "no" on cloture. If he votes "yes" tomorrow, he will have created a pathway for the bill—and for citizenship and amnesty. Needless to say conservative primary voters can be expected to remember what Brownback does tomorrow a long time.

If Brownback does vote "yes" tomorrow, he'll deserve the ire of conservatives, even if he does eventually vote "no" on the amnesty bill. When it comes to issues, not only of national security, but of maintaining our very Constitutional Republic, one need never take the slightest risk.

But doesn't this all seem a little hypocritical, or at least dishonest? The pundits over at NRO won't cover anyone beside the big four--Thompson, being "electable" has been a point of focus for them for a while now. And Brownback is supposed to care what Rich Lowry has to say?

Yes, voting "yes" will kill his chances at the Presidency, but his shot has already been decimated because no one will deign to carry his water. It's one thing if the "evil MSM" refuses to discuss anyone but the big four, but it's rather embarrassing that, aside from a handful of libertarians, no one with any clout has, to my knowledge, bothered to endorse a single minor candidate, candidates who, almost to a one, are far more conservative than those they trail in the always reliable polls.

In the coming days we will know if Brownback is a reliable conservative, at least when it comes to the immigration issue. But if he's not to be trusted, despite his record, which is better than the big four, would someone please explain why we should trust any of them? And if he chokes under pressure and caves on cloture, how, in the sacred name of Ronald Reagan, are we to trust those who have caved time and again during their political careers?

UPDATE: Brownback voted "No", thankfully. The folks at NRO will discuss him once again when they need his vote, but no sooner.