Sen. Pat Roberts’s (R-Kan.) primary challenger, radiologist Milton Wolf, picked up a national Tea Party endorsement on Thursday, an indication recent controversies haven’t sunk his campaign.
{mosads}The Tea Party Express became the latest national conservative group to throw its weight behind the candidate. He also has the support of the Senate Conservatives Fund and the Madison Project.
Wolf faced questions this week about graphic X-ray images he posted to Facebook with off-color comments, which have been deleted but were reported in local newspapers in Kansas. Critics and medical experts alike have called the posts inappropriate, and they became fodder for two attack ads by Roberts, including a radio spot that calls Wolf “creepy.”
But in their endorsement, Tea Party Express Chairwoman Amy Kremer acknowledges the controversy and says Wolf has handled it well.
“We were happy to see Milton Wolf stepping forward and apologizing for posting some X-rays on Facebook several years ago,” she said.
She goes on to say that the story is “what’s wrong with politics today.”
“Political consultants dredge up things from years ago and try to make a big deal out of something minor. They are so desperate to stay in power that they attempt to destroy every good person that tries to change the political culture in favor of solving problems and getting things done for the people,” she added.
Kremer also notes in her endorsement that Wolf’s medical background makes him well-suited to take on health care reform.
Wolf has made his medical background a central focus in his bid to unseat Roberts. He charges Roberts hasn’t done enough to prevent or dismantle ObamaCare, and that as a doctor he’d be in a better position to tackle healthcare reform.
But the Facebook posts, and recent news that the radiology company where Wolf works is embroiled in a lawsuit over alleged price-fixing, may start to undermine that advantage.
Still, Roberts is considered the most vulnerable he’s ever been because of recent revelations that he doesn’t live in the home he owns in Kansas, a fact Wolf and his allies are using to say Roberts is out of touch with the state.