Now that former Fox News contributor Liz Cheney has officially declared that she will be challenging Republican Sen. Mike Enzi for his Wyoming Senate seat, the network that employed her is throwing its weight behind her run.
Cheney's interest in Enzi's seat seemed poised to set up a possible conflict with her former Bush administration and Fox colleague Karl Rove. Rove's new political group, Conservative Victory Project, is designed in part to “protect Senate incumbents from challenges by far-right conservatives and Tea Party enthusiasts,” a definition that seemed to fit the Wyoming race.
Nonetheless, shortly after Cheney's announcement, Crossroads explained that they were going to sit out the race, labeling Enzi and Cheney “top notch candidates who would slam dunk a general election.”
With that possible hurdle out of the way, Cheney's run is getting early support from several of her former Fox colleagues.
When the New York Times first reported on Cheney taking serious steps towards mounting a run for Enzi's seat, Fox News contributors Katie Pavlich, Jedediah Bila, and Richard Grenell all spoke out in support of Cheney, with Grenell tweeting, “where do I send my Liz Cheney for Senate Check?”
The day Cheney made her announcement, Fox News contributor Erick Erickson tweeted that he is “pleased to endorse” her. Erickson followed up his tweet with a post at Redstate attacking Enzi, writing that the senator is “not putting points on the board for conservatives. We need more like Ted Cruz and less like . . . well . . . Mike Enzi.”
Radio host and Fox contributor Tammy Bruce also endorsed Cheney on Twitter, labeling her “exactly who we need in the Senate, representing a new beginning.”
Grenell tweeted today: “Imagine having a conservative media savvy expert on national security issues in the Senate willing to challenge the old guard. @Liz_Cheney" and “If Wyoming elects @Liz_Cheney then they guarantee themselves Senate leadership for decades."
On his radio program, Sean Hannity ripped Enzi for, among other things, working on health care reform (though Enzi voted against the Affordable Care Act). Echoing Erickson, Hannity said that Cheney “is like Ted Cruz” and “we need more Ted Cruzes.” According to Hannity, he is “voting for Liz -- or endorsing Liz. I can't because I don't live in Wyoming. If I did, I would.”
Cheney's campaign subsequently touted Hannity's endorsement on their YouTube page.
Praise for Cheney has also made it to Fox's airwaves. During an appearance on Special Report, Dick Cheney biographer Stephen Hayes heaped praise on Liz Cheney, saying she is “the kind of Republican that post 2012 the party has been saying it wants to run. She's tough. She's smart. She's articulate. She's dynamic.” Hayes also said Cheney, who is “conservative down the line,” would presumably be “a pretty good senator if you want bold change.”
During the same segment, Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer called Cheney “young and talented” and claimed the primary can be “healthy” as long as it doesn't turn nasty.
Cheney's campaign website makes use of her affiliation with Fox News. Her campaign biography states: “As a Fox News Contributor, Liz appeared numerous times as a guest-host for Sean Hannity and spoke out on a number of topics, including the intrusive practices of the Environmental Protection Agency, which recently released private information about thousands of ranchers and farmers.” Her media page also features video of Krauthammer's praise.