The Establishment is Coming! (To Rescue Dave Brat)

SHOT:

“The machine said, ‘no you can’t run for that seat.’ And I said ‘I don’t understand this machine thing.” – Rep. Dave Brat, PhD.

CHASER:

To avoid a competitive race, Davis said Brat would have to mend fences with establishment Republicans in his district four years after defeating Cantor.

[…] Nationally, Brat has built bridges – Speaker Paul Ryan’s PAC maxed out a $5,000 donation to his campaign last year, along with those of more than a hundred other incumbents, and Rep. Steve Scalise, the Republican whip, is headlining an annual breakfast fundraiser for Brat next month.

[…] “Do I think that Brat is vulnerable? Yes. But Brat will be saved from electoral defeat because national Republicans will save the seat,” said the national strategist familiar with Virginia, who requested anonymity to speak frankly. “It won’t be anything that he’s done or will do because he’s not really putting himself in a position to win.”

LIME:

One national Republican strategist familiar with the commonwealth put it more bluntly: “Brat is walking around Washington with a sign that says ‘target me.’”