GOP Leaders Warn Of Election Disaster Politico: Sniping And Selfishness Decried As Wary Republicans Fear November Nosedive
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In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans’ onetime captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues that they face “real disaster” on Election Day unless they move immediately to “chart a bold course of real reform” for the country. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
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(The Politico) This story was written by John Bresnahan. Shellshocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and present Tuesday: Your party’s message isn’t good enough to prevent disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC’s money.
The double shot of bad news had one veteran Republican House member worrying aloud that the party’s electoral woes - brought into sharp focus by Woody Jenkins’ loss to Don Cazayoux in Louisiana on Saturday - have the House Republican Conference splitting apart in “everybody for himself” mode.
“There is an attitude that, ‘I better watch out for myself, because nobody else is going to do it,’” the member said. “There are all these different factions out there, everyone is sniping at each other, and we have no real plan. We have a lot of people fighting to be the captain of the lifeboat instead of everybody pulling together.”
In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans’ onetime captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues that they face “real disaster” on Election Day unless they move immediately to “chart a bold course of real reform” for the country.
And in a closed-door session at the Capitol, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told members that the NRCC doesn’t have enough cash to “save them” in November if they don’t raise enough money or run strong campaigns themselves. Although a top House Republican brushed aside Gingrich’s broadside as “hype from a has-been who desperately wants to be a player but can’t anymore,” the harsh words from Cole were harder to ignore.
“It was a pretty stern line that he took with us,” said one House Republican.
Cole, on the defensive in the wake of special election losses in Louisiana and Illinois, pointed his finger Tuesday at his Republican colleagues, telling them that they had been too stingy in helping fund party efforts. He also complained that the Republicans ran weak candidates in both Louisiana and Illinois - a charge Cole made despite the fact that, as NRCC chairman, he could have played a major role in choosing the party’s candidates if he hadn’t made the decision to stay out of GOP primaries.
In his meeting with members, Cole distributed a document showing that even former Republican political guru Karl Rove had badmouthed Jenkins, according to GOP sources. It’s not clear whether Cole meant it as a criticism of Rove or of Jenkins.
But Cole’s overall message was clear, said members who sat through the meeting: “If you’re not out doing your own work, and you’re waiting for the NRCC to come in at the last minute and save you, it ain’t gonna happen.” That’s how one lawmaker characterized Cole’s talk, adding that the NRCC is “not going to have the resources” to help all members “and Democrats will have a lot more money.”
Republicans are suffering a crisis of confidence after the two special election losses. There’s talk that House Minority Leader John A. Boehner and other GOP leaders could be ousted if the party suffers double-digit losses in November.
Gingrich’s broadside did little to calm the GOP jitters.
While Gingrich softened his blow by circulating it privately to the GOP leadership on Monday - a day before it was publicly released - his language was still strong, and his message was seen as a broad attack on Boehner, Cole and the rest of the Republican leadership.
“The Republican loss in the special election for Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District last Saturday should be a sharp wake-up call for Republicans,” Gingrich wrote. “Either congressional Republicans are going to chart a bold course of real change or they are going to suffer decisive losses this November.” Gingrich said Republicans cannot rely on the popularity of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, to carry them to victory in November. And he warned that attacks on Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s former pastor, could backfire.
“The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Rev. Wright or, if Sen. Clinton wins, anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail,” Gingrich said. “This model has already been tested with disastrous results.”
The NRCC ran TV ads tying Cazayoux to national Democratic figures in the Louisiana special election, only to see Democrats grab control of a House seat that had been in the GOP column for more than three decades.
Gingrich, who was pushed out as speaker following GOP losses in the 1998 midterm elections, advocated “an emergency, members-only” meeting of House Republicans in order to hash out a new reform agenda before Memorial Day. He also called for a “complete overhaul” of the NRCC.
Gingrich said that if the GOP leadership would not go along with his plan, “then the minority who are activists should establish a parallel organization dedicated to real change.” He offered nine policy proposals designed to achieve that goal, including repealing federal gas taxes, reforming the Census Bureau and declaring English as the official language of the United States.
Boehner tried to put the best face on Gingrich’s message. His spokesman, Michael Steel, said that Boehner “certainly agrees - and has said repeatedly - that Republicans can only succeed this year by being agents of change and reform.” Steel said Republicans have to convince voters that they can “fix” Washington and that, in the coming weeks, they will be “laying out Republican policies that embody the sort of changes we need.”
But there is no question that Gingrich has identified a nervous undercurrent among House Republicans that could morph into full- fledged panic if the GOP loses a special election next Tuesday in Mississippi. Republican Greg Davis is squaring off against Democrat Travis Childers for the House seat held by former Rep. Roger Wicker (R- Miss.), who was appointed to the Senate to replace retired Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.).
With internal polls from both parties showing the race as a tossup, the GOP is putting on a full-court press. The White House has dispatched Vice President Cheney to Mississippi to campaign on Davis’ behalf. And Wicker, Lott, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will hold events for Davis this weekend and early next week, according to GOP sources.
House Republicans will hold a rally with President Bush on Wednesday morning, with all 199 members invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to show solidarity with the president, according to GOP sources.
monkey_cart...@yahoo.com wrote: > In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans’ onetime > captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues > that they face “real disaster” on Election Day unless they move > immediately to “chart a bold course of real reform” for the country.
> GOP Leaders Warn Of Election Disaster > Politico: Sniping And Selfishness Decried As Wary Republicans Fear > November Nosedive
> May 7, 2008 > Send this story via emailE-Mail Story
> View a Printer-friendly version of this storyPrint Story
> Read related blogs & articles about this storySphere
> Share
> Text Size: A A A
> In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans’ onetime > captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues > that they face “real disaster” on Election Day unless they move > immediately to “chart a bold course of real reform” for the country. > (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
> Related > Campaign 2008 > Interactive
> Campaign 2008
> Profiles of the candidates, television ads, a calendar, fund-raising > stats and more.
> Stories
> * McCain Promises Judges Like Roberts, Alito
> * Clinton Aides Doubtful About Future
> Answers.com
> (The Politico) This story was written by John Bresnahan. > Shellshocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and > present Tuesday: Your party’s message isn’t good enough to prevent > disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC’s money.
> The double shot of bad news had one veteran Republican House member > worrying aloud that the party’s electoral woes - brought into sharp > focus by Woody Jenkins’ loss to Don Cazayoux in Louisiana on Saturday > - have the House Republican Conference splitting apart in “everybody > for himself” mode.
> “There is an attitude that, ‘I better watch out for myself, because > nobody else is going to do it,’” the member said. “There are all these > different factions out there, everyone is sniping at each other, and > we have no real plan. We have a lot of people fighting to be the > captain of the lifeboat instead of everybody pulling together.”
> In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans’ onetime > captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues > that they face “real disaster” on Election Day unless they move > immediately to “chart a bold course of real reform” for the country.
> And in a closed-door session at the Capitol, National Republican > Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told members that > the NRCC doesn’t have enough cash to “save them” in November if they > don’t raise enough money or run strong campaigns themselves. > Although a top House Republican brushed aside Gingrich’s broadside as > “hype from a has-been who desperately wants to be a player but can’t > anymore,” the harsh words from Cole were harder to ignore.
> “It was a pretty stern line that he took with us,” said one House > Republican.
> Cole, on the defensive in the wake of special election losses in > Louisiana and Illinois, pointed his finger Tuesday at his Republican > colleagues, telling them that they had been too stingy in helping fund > party efforts. He also complained that the Republicans ran weak > candidates in both Louisiana and Illinois - a charge Cole made despite > the fact that, as NRCC chairman, he could have played a major role in > choosing the party’s candidates if he hadn’t made the decision to stay > out of GOP primaries.
> In his meeting with members, Cole distributed a document showing that > even former Republican political guru Karl Rove had badmouthed > Jenkins, according to GOP sources. It’s not clear whether Cole meant > it as a criticism of Rove or of Jenkins.
> But Cole’s overall message was clear, said members who sat through the > meeting: “If you’re not out doing your own work, and you’re waiting > for the NRCC to come in at the last minute and save you, it ain’t > gonna happen.” That’s how one lawmaker characterized Cole’s talk, > adding that the NRCC is “not going to have the resources” to help all > members “and Democrats will have a lot more money.”
> Republicans are suffering a crisis of confidence after the two special > election losses. There’s talk that House Minority Leader John A. > Boehner and other GOP leaders could be ousted if the party suffers > double-digit losses in November.
> Gingrich’s broadside did little to calm the GOP jitters.
> While Gingrich softened his blow by circulating it privately to the > GOP leadership on Monday - a day before it was publicly released - his > language was still strong, and his message was seen as a broad attack > on Boehner, Cole and the rest of the Republican leadership.
> “The Republican loss in the special election for Louisiana’s 6th > Congressional District last Saturday should be a sharp wake-up call > for Republicans,” Gingrich wrote. “Either congressional Republicans > are going to chart a bold course of real change or they are going to > suffer decisive losses this November.” > Gingrich said Republicans cannot rely on the popularity of Sen. John > McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, to carry > them to victory in November. And he warned that attacks on Sens. > Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and on the > Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s former pastor, could backfire.
> “The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans > try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Rev. Wright or, if Sen. Clinton wins, > anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail,” Gingrich said. > “This model has already been tested with disastrous results.”
> The NRCC ran TV ads tying Cazayoux to national Democratic figures in > the Louisiana special election, only to see Democrats grab control of > a House seat that had been in the GOP column for more than three > decades.
> Gingrich, who was pushed out as speaker following GOP losses in the > 1998 midterm elections, advocated “an emergency, members-only” meeting > of House Republicans in order to hash out a new reform agenda before > Memorial Day. He also called for a “complete overhaul” of the NRCC.
> Gingrich said that if the GOP leadership would not go along with his > plan, “then the minority who are activists should establish a parallel > organization dedicated to real change.” He offered nine policy > proposals designed to achieve that goal, including repealing federal > gas taxes, reforming the Census Bureau and declaring English as the > official language of the United States.
> Boehner tried to put the best face on Gingrich’s message. His > spokesman, Michael Steel, said that Boehner “certainly agrees - and > has said repeatedly - that Republicans can only succeed this year by > being agents of change and reform.” Steel said Republicans have to > convince voters that they can “fix” Washington and that, in the coming > weeks, they will be “laying out Republican policies that embody the > sort of changes we need.”
> But there is no question that Gingrich has identified a nervous > undercurrent among House Republicans that could morph into full- > fledged panic if the GOP loses a special election next Tuesday in > Mississippi. Republican Greg Davis is squaring off against Democrat > Travis Childers for the House seat held by former Rep. Roger Wicker (R- > Miss.), who was appointed to the Senate to replace retired Sen. Trent > Lott (R-Miss.).
> With internal polls from both parties showing the race as a tossup, > the GOP is putting on a full-court press. The White House has > dispatched Vice President Cheney to Mississippi to campaign on Davis’ > behalf. And Wicker, Lott, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Mississippi > Gov. Haley Barbour will hold events for Davis this weekend and early > next week, according to GOP sources.
> House Republicans will hold a rally with President Bush on Wednesday > morning, with all 199 members invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to > show solidarity with the president, according to GOP sources.
> > In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans� onetime > > captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues > > that they face �real disaster� on Election Day unless they move > > immediately to �chart a bold course of real reform� for the country.
> Makes sense, you seem worried though....
I am, because this is a two party system and one cannot seem to pull it's collective heads out of their collective asses. Like one boss said, when I couldn't do an aspect of the job, he said to wait in the truck.
I would have been more of an asset if I could have done the job the way it was supposed to be done. The politics of Republicans are only to attack Democrats and serve big business, if that doesn't change the Republican party will continue to fail the people. Heck these right- wingers are to stupid to realize that the Republican party doesn't even represent them to make that change, even when they are told that by their power politicians.
I will accept them falling into complete irrelevance if thats what they continue to choose to do.
> Bas Mati wrote: >> monkey_cart...@yahoo.com wrote:
>>> In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans� onetime >>> captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues >>> that they face �real disaster� on Election Day unless they move >>> immediately to �chart a bold course of real reform� for the country. >> Makes sense, you seem worried though....
> I am, because this is a two party system and one cannot seem to pull > it's collective heads out of their collective asses. Like one boss > said, when I couldn't do an aspect of the job, he said to wait in the > truck.
Wise up, the two demographics showing growth of late are independents and republicans.
Only the Demo-leftists are losing voters.
> I would have been more of an asset if I could have done the job the > way it was supposed to be done. The politics of Republicans are only > to attack Democrats and serve big business, if that doesn't change the > Republican party will continue to fail the people.
Useless bullshit.
The politics of the Demo-marxists are to promote socialism and serve the guilt complex needs of old money rich fucks and nouveau riche guilty conscience Hollywierdos.
> Heck these right-
> wingers are to stupid to realize that the Republican party doesn't > even represent them to make that change, even when they are told that > by their power politicians.
Um....the reason McCain is up there is because many R's looked more to center.
We got sick of the RR contingent.
Deal.
> I will accept them falling into complete irrelevance if thats what > they continue to choose to do.
I submit is is the Ds that are far more in danger of becoming extinct.
Obambam's or Billary's absurd tax policies can only submarine this nation in the midst of an energy crisis.
Couple that with a pre-announced Iraq retreat and al Qaeda moving on Iraq's oil fields, you just have a recipe for a global oil war.
And YOU morons will have kicked it off, you fools....
I don't think you'll have any voters for a decade or more after that happens.
> Bas Mati wrote: > > monkey_cart...@yahoo.com wrote:
> > > In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans� onetime > > > captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues > > > that they face �real disaster� on Election Day unless they move > > > immediately to �chart a bold course of real reform� for the country.
> > Makes sense, you seem worried though....
> I am, because this is a two party system and one cannot seem to pull > it's collective heads out of their collective asses. Like one boss > said, when I couldn't do an aspect of the job, he said to wait in the > truck.
> I would have been more of an asset if I could have done the job the > way it was supposed to be done. The politics of Republicans are only > to attack Democrats and serve big business, if that doesn't change the > Republican party will continue to fail the people. Heck these right- > wingers are to stupid to realize that the Republican party doesn't > even represent them to make that change, even when they are told that > by their power politicians.
> I will accept them falling into complete irrelevance if thats what > they continue to choose to do.
After 40 years of being a Democrat and voting for the Party I switched. The Democrat went too far to the left for me. I don't think I was alone. "You can't win a the election with only egg-heads and African - Americans."-Paul "the forehead" Begala.
> > Wise up, the two demographics showing growth of late are independents and > > republicans.
> A third demo is the Dems. > This election cycle - across the board - people are getting more involved.
The pundits tell us that before every election. The last time it was called "Rock the Vote." There were numerous rock concerts where thousands of fans cheered and yelled. When it came time to vote; they forgot. This time it will be different. Yeah, sure.
