Posted on 05/17/2009 9:20:34 PM PDT by reaganaut1
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party underscores the clout of Club For Growth, a conservative group that targets Republicans it brands insufficiently committed to low taxes and small government.
The move also has inflamed a debate within the party: Are the group's tactics good or bad for Republicans? [welcome to the club]
Mr. Specter fingered Club For Growth as the key factor behind his decision, saying he would have lost the Republican primary to a Club-backed rival. His decision has prompted some Republicans to turn on the organization, saying it backs those who are so conservative that they then lose to Democrats.
"If their goal is to increase the Democrats' numbers in Congress, they're doing a very good job," said Rep. Steven LaTourette (R., Ohio), a moderate who won his seat in 1994. "Do they want a permanent minority of 140 people as pure as Caesar's wife, or a Republican majority that can get them 70% of the issues that are important to them?" (Republicans hold 178 of the 435 House seats and 40 of 100 Senate seats.)
The group's leaders insist its actions only help the party.
"The Club focuses on issues that are the Republican brand -- economic-freedom issues," said Chris Chocola, a former Republican congressman from Indiana who now heads the organization. "I don't think we lost the majority because we stuck to those issues. We lost the majority because we strayed from those issues."
Pat Toomey, the previous Club president, jumped into the Pennsylvania Senate race after Mr. Specter became one of only three Republicans in Congress to vote for President Barack Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus plan.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I suport the Club for Growth. Specter was a traitor and just not very swift in general. We are a better party without so many “nice old men”.
Club for growth wears on most rinos.Fixed
BUMP
Yeah...NO one likes low taxes or limited power in government...
Amerika, what were you thinking?
The only Republicans complaining are the RINOs. But their whining is a good thing, as it makes them easier to find and target for electoral abortion.
BINGO!!!!
Regardless what anyone thinks about the Club for Growth - they are a pro-fiscal conservative group (something that the RINOs claim to be) so precisely what is the problem?
Either RINOs aren't really "fiscal conservatives" (like they also aren't "social conservatives")-- or they are liberal, in which case, they belong to the DemocRAT Party.
End of subject - good bye!
Specter is scum. I used to contribute to Club for Growth until Steve Moore started writing pro-illegal immigration editorials in the WSJ.
No, Mr. LaTourette, it is the ineptitude of your type that has hurt the GOP brand. For goodness sakes, if we can't even agree that smart economic policies and limited government are worthy causes, then conservatives and moderates will never agree on anything. What the CFG champions is hardly controversial if you are an American that believes in the free market system that made this country great. But now people like that are extremists, apparently.
Proud member. Good riddance to bad repubs. If we had ANYTHING to do with Specter becoming the (har har,) junior dem on all his committees, well that is just icing.
Economic issues are never what the GOP loses on. It's really secondary issues like stem-cell research, Terri Schiavo, teaching creationism, and being painted as poor stewards of the environment that sink the GOP.
Yes, there are a few loons that get elected to the local school board then try and teach the book of Genesis in high school science class. That should not be what defines the GOP and those nuts should be repudiated.
Isn’t laTourette a syndrome?
The Congressman obviously fails to understand why the Dems' numbers increased, and it has nothing to do with the CFG. Why would conservatives want to support tax-and-spend Republicans?
Between Bush and McLame agreeing with the 'Rats who needs enemies. The big tent RINOs doom the GOP and the economy. They deserve to be fired. Socialism fails every time it's tried. If you don't believe in the free market and small govenment then you are a Democrat. End of discussion.
More like how the GOP lost the will to fight and rolled over to line their pockets like Democrats do.
Thing is, the CFG does not even address social issues like abortion, guns, marriage, etc., which are supposedly the issues on which Republicans are “out of touch with voters” on.
Technically, a “moderate” could be liberal to his heart’s content on social issues and still win the CFG’s endorsement.
My point is that if a Republican can’t be principled on issues like spending and the growth of government, then what could he possibly be principled about? There’s nothing left.
“Economic issues are never what the GOP loses on.”
WoW... Ever hear the phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid?”
Agreed, always a Liberal, Spector just changed the letter following his name. Thankfully, the Dims toshed him, fair warning to other faint hearted Pubbies.
Keep up the good work Club for Growth!! Look at what the Republican Party is trying to feed us now, they want Charlie Crist (FL) who backed porkulus, Mark Kirk (IL) who is more with Pelosi than most conservatives, don’t want to support Pat Toomey.
You have to keep their feet to the fire at election time.
If Spekter signaled out the Club for Growth as a big factor in his decision, then they must be doing something right.
Club for Growth is one of my favorites! Limited Government should be the #1 tenet of the Republican party.
So I guess that the big tent doesn’t include the conservative side and those opinions.
Which make sense since being the Demo-lite is working out so well for the Republicans.
Another Washingtonian who forgot the address of his hometown in Ohio a long time ago.
rightrightright
The CFG pretty much sucks, like most republican organizations.
The Republican Revolution was ended by the Republicans, bunch of incompetent boobs that they are.
Run u ba$tard RUN!!!.........someone will ease your misery with a bullet in your back
If you want an entrenched Washington controlled party that doesn’t need to answer to the people who put them there, don’t support what the Club for Growth is doing. Incumbency good. Democracy bad.
If Club for Growth supports illegal immigration, that may be why they dissed Duncan Hunter in his bid for the nomination.
Well, that’s disappointing to hear.
Am I remembering correctly, pissant, didn’t club for growth shaft Duncan Hunter?
That turned me off on the CFG also. It does look like they gave support to Lamborn though, and he is quite hawkish on borders. So apparently they’re not 100% ideological on their stance.
It could have been Hunter’s tough talk on China trade as well now that I think of it. At any rate, Duncan Hunter was a pure conservative running for president and should have been supported by a so-called conservative group.
“If their goal is to increase the Democrats’ numbers in Congress, they’re doing a very good job,” said Rep. Steven LaTourette (R., Ohio), a moderate who won his seat in 1994.”
How blind can this guy be. McCain WAS your candidate. So was Dole and Bush 1 vs. Clinton. All losers and ‘compromisers’ with no gain for our side. Democrats won big in ‘06 and ‘08 BECAUSE most Republicans acted like Democrats from 2000 to 2006, not because they ‘stuck to the principles of CFG and conservatism.
THE 40 R’s VOTING FOR SCHIP EXPANSION
Listed alphabetically, by state, and by last name within each state
Don Young (AK)
Mike Rogers (AL-3)
Mary Bono Mack (CA-45)
Michael Castle (DE)
Vern Buchanan (FL-13)
Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18)
Bill Young (FL-10)
Mike Simpson (ID-2)
Mark Kirk (IL-10)
Jerry Moran (KS-1)
Joseph Cao (LA-2)
Vernon Ehlers (MI-3)
Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11)
Candice Miller (MI-10)
Fred Upton (MI-6)
Erik Paulsen (MN-3)
Jo Ann Emerson (MO-8)
Dennis Rehberg (MT)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11)
Leonard Lance (NJ-7)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2)
Chris Smith (NJ-4)
Pete King (NY-3)
Christopher Lee (NY-26)
John McHugh (NY-23)
Steve Austria (OH-7)
****Steven LaTourette (OH-14)
Pat Tiberi (OH-12)
Michael Turner (OH-3)
Charles Dent (PA-15)
Jim Gerlach (PA-6)
Tim Murphy (PA-18)
Todd Platts (PA-19)
Glenn Thompson (PA-5)
Frank Wolf (VA-10)
David Reichert (WA-8)
Thomas Petri (WI-6)
Shelley Moore Capito (WV-2)
The Davis-Bacon RINOs
Below are the 37 RINO Republicans who sent a letter to President Bush urging him to re-instate the Davis-Bacon Act, which he subsequently did.
Read ‘em and weep:
Rodney Alexander (LA)
Mark Kirk (IL)
Don Sherwood (PA)
Sherry Boehlert (NY)
Randy Kuhl (NY)
John Shimkus (IL)
Jo Ann Emerson (MO)
Ray LaHood (IL)
Rob Simmons (CT)
Phil English (PA)
***Steven LaTourette (OH)
Christopher Smith (NJ)
Mike Ferguson (NJ)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ)
John Sweeney (NY)
Mike Fitzpatrick (PA)
John McHugh (NY)
Michael Turner (OH)
Vito Fossella (NY)
Candice Miller (MI)
James Walsh (NY)
Melissa Hart (PA)
Timothy Murphy (PA)
Greg Walden (OR)
Jim Gerlach (PA)
Bob Ney (OH)
Curt Weldon (PA)
Nancy Johnson (CT)
Todd Platts (PA)
Jerry Weller (IL)
Tim Johnson (IL)
Jim Saxton (NJ)
Don Young (AK)
Sue Kelly (NY)
Chris Shays (CT)
Peter King (NY)
Joe Schwarz (MI)
Just because Clinton said it and the media played him up as a savior on a white horse doesn't mean that was the reason GHW Bush lost. GHW Bush came across as detached and not able to relate to regular people when the economy was going through a downturn. The country had been through 12 years of GOP administration and fatigue was setting in. Fatigue set in after 8 years of Clinton. It's too simplistic to say that trite phrase is what got Clinton elected. For whatever else he was, Slick Willie was an outstanding politician and great campaigner.
The country mostly agrees with the GOP on low taxes and limited government.
From another thread. Obviously, Frantzie isn’t going to change his/her mind, but one should do some search on what Moore actually said and while he headed CFG at one point, his immigration stance is not CFG’s and one would have to look at each candidates views on that. Toomey, who took over for Moore had an opposite view:
Frantzie:
“Steve Moore is an open=borders, pro-illegal alien pr*ck. I stopped giving to the Club for Growth for that reason.”
Me:
“Moore was basically kicked out of Club for Growth and while he has outlined some myths about ‘illegal aliens’ - he’s for ‘pro-_legal_ immigration’. Pat Toomey who replaced Moore had a 100% rating by FAIR (who opposes amnesty).
GHB said “Read my lips. No new taxes.”
He raised taxes.
Clinton exploited it. Called for a “middle-class” tax cut.
Had the biggest tax increase and federal land grab in the country’s history...and got re-elected.
The GOP ran a tired dog in that race. But Jack Kemp knew the economy. They lost.
GWB lowered taxes and was pro-life, pro-death penalty, had two wars going, tried to save Terri Schiavo, stopped federal funding of emryonic stem cell research, was publicly religious, and got re-elected.
2nd term, he reverted to a freakin’ liberal on too many issues, and finally the economy.
John McCain was Obama in whiteface except for abortion.
Obama promised a “middle-class” tax cut. Obama promised to lower the oceans.
Good Lord. Race and uncommon stupidity got Obama nominated. But it was the meltdown in the economy, (hailed by the democrats who caused it as the Bush Meltdown,) that got him elected.
It IS the economy that both won and lost for Republicans.
The Club for Growth and the candidates it supports are EXACTLY what this country needs more of, and anybody who disagrees is probably a center-left Redumblican who got burned by them.
Anybody who understood economics and history would be in favor of fairly liberal immigration laws, as I am, but that doesn’t mean you are in favor of ignoring the rule of law. I don’t know exactly what Moore said but it could be that you misunderstood him.
Perfectly stated.
The congressman who doesn’t like the club was elected in 1994 (I bet he signed the contract for america). Which states alot of things the club for growth stands for (less gov’t). As for Gilcrest in Md he should have been a Democrat(he voted with them more than he did the GOP). As for his district 2006-2008 was tough years for the GOP. Why? They spent to much which caused the Club for Growth to come out against them.
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