Report: Cornyn gives $5K to Toomey

Tucked in a Washington Times story today on National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) is a nice little nugget about the Pennsylvania Senate race.

Cornyn has been under some fire for not backing former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), the only major GOP candidate in the Keystone State’s Senate race, more enthusiastically. But the Times reports that, last week, Cornyn’s political action committee sent $5,000 Toomey’s way:

There was similar criticism in party ranks when Mr. Cornyn did not endorse conservative anti-tax advocate Pat Toomey, a former congressman who will be the likely Republican nominee in Pennsylvania after Sen. Arlen Specter’s decision to defect to the Democrats. But last week, Mr. Cornyn quietly sent a $5,000 contribution to the Toomey campaign from his own political action committee.

“I certainly haven’t taken an early endorsement off the table but want to talk to leaders in Pennsylvania first. It’s certainly an option, and I won’t foreclose it, that I would endorse him early,” Mr. Cornyn said.

The $5,000 seems like Cornyn throwing Toomey a bit of a bone without completely jumping on board. But it’s something.

Let’s see if Toomey tries to come to the middle a little bit more, thereby making it easier for the national party to get on board.