[Minority Leader] Boehner tells GOP to get off 'dead asses' [and start raising money for NRCC]

Politico ^ | 2-27-08 | Patrick O'Connor

[GraniteStateConservative]

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) challenged Republicans on Tuesday to get off their “dead asses” and start raising money for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

And the Republican leader wasn’t the only lawmaker berating his GOP colleagues to raise more money for the committee’s March 12 fundraising dinner: According to sources in the room, NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) also used a closed-door session at the Capitol Hill Club on Tuesday to challenge Republicans to raise more campaign cash.

The normally upbeat Cole told Republicans that if they don’t start raising more money for the committee, they should get used to life in the minority. Blunt told his colleagues that Sen. John McCain’s spot atop the ballot should give Republicans the opening they need to regain their majority.

California Rep. Darrell Issa, who has been tapped as chairman of the annual fundraising dinner, set a goal of raising $7.5 million for the event. He even pledged some of his own campaign cash if members failed to clear a recent hurdle. But House Republicans are falling well short in that goal.

According to numbers read during the Tuesday morning meeting, only 15 Republicans have met their pledged fundraising goal for the dinner. Among them are Texas Reps. Mike Conaway and Pete Sessions and South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, a source familiar with the fundraising totals said. Another 42 have set a pledged target but failed to contribute the bulk of that money. And an astonishing 142 members — almost three-fourths of the Republicans in the House — have failed even to set a fundraising target.

Boehner kept his remarks brief Tuesday — back trouble has limited his activity recently — but members and aides present said the Republican leader was clearly frustrated.

The party has struggled to emerge from its devastating losses in 2006 as senior members head for the exits and traditional donors buck the GOP in favor of the new Democratic majority. Some of those defections have sapped Republicans of their most powerful fundraisers, and remaining members have failed to fill that void as GOP lawmakers still grapple with life in the minority.

The NRCC was starting to turn things around at the end of 2007, closing the year with more cash than debt for the first time since the crippling 2006 election. But 2008 began with a fresh crop of retirements and revelations that a former NRCC bookkeeper allegedly forged an internal audit sent to the committee’s principal lender.

Then last Friday, federal prosecutors indicted Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi on 35 criminal counts that include conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and official extortion stemming from a land swap with a former business partner. Shortly afterward, Boehner called on the Arizona Republican, who had already announced his plans not to seek reelection, to “seriously consider” stepping down early. But Renzi has since issued a statement that he has no plans to resign, putting increased pressure on GOP leaders to force his ouster.

The NRCC outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee by a very narrow margin in January, outpacing its Democratic counterpart for the first time since the Republicans lost power. But the DCCC maintains a sizable fundraising advantage, closing the month with nearly $35.5 million, compared with the NRCC’s $6.4 million.

Cole has stayed positive despite all the problems, but he delivered a stern message Tuesday. In an effort to keep members more engaged, Blunt challenged lawmakers to take more responsibility for regaining power, then took a shot at the punditry for writing off Republicans this election cycle.

“We can do this,” he said.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Blunt told his colleagues that Sen. John McCain’s spot atop the ballot should give Republicans the opening they need to regain their majority.

Good luck with that one, Blunt! Not one red cent from me to the RNC.

[Roccus]

***“We can do this,” he said.***

Good luck with that.

[TLI]

I have a few pesos I could send...

[zerosix]

Note to Rep. Boehner,

I have experienced any number of requests for my "normal" contributions this time of the election cycle. I always politely respond with, "I'll only be donating on a person-to-person basis for the non-RINO's that have not jumped on the "Pork Barrel" spending or voting to pass other unconstitutional and anti-American "laws."

Don't bother with more calls, I will NOT be changing my mind. RINO's must go and they'll never again be receiving any of my hard-earned monies.

Sign me,

A Pro-America Conservative

[Nat Turner]

NO DIMES FOR R(H)INOS!!!

[padre35]

That is life in the minority, Boehner has done a fine job, but when the soul of fundraising is “pay to play” the minority party has a tough time of it.

[Always Right]

The moderates got their candidate, let them donate the money. The GOP sold out their base, and the base ain’t gonna bail them out.

[Piquaboy]

First though! They better get off their dead ass and stop letting the rats step all over them.

[ameribbean expat]

No dough for the Pubbies this cycle. The RNC is responsible for handing us McCain, so fekkem.

I’m registered to vote in Floriduh. My home state tried to move up its primary and got hammered to the tune of losing 1/2 of its delegates at the national convention. New Hampshire and other early states have “open” primaries where the people voting aren’t necessarily GOP registered voters, yet no similar punitive action was taken by the RNC.

You know someday a schmuck moderate with the backing of dinosaur media and support of “independent” voters is going to figure out how to create the illusion of internal party support and parlay that into some real momentum going into the nominating convention. One day it might just happen.

Until the RNC does a little brand management and gets its house in order by guaranteeing that being a registered Republican means something, screw them.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

If the entire Republican Party actually became a conservative party in both ideas and actions from now on, then the money would truly start flowing in! How about successfully adopting Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with Conservatives” for starters? Wake up, Republican Party!

[Vigilanteman]

Yep. The base will continue to contribute directly to our candidates, what's left of them. The John McCains can go fundraise among the moderates, independents and RINOs.

[Spiff]

Here's your donation, idiots...

In the 2006 GOP congressional primary in Arizona's 6th district we had a conservative, pro-life, pro-border security candidate and a RINO running against each other for a seat being vacated by openly gay RINO Jim Kolbe. The conservative was making way too much headway and the NRCC actually interfered IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION and gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in support and advertising to the rich RINO candidate. The RINO lost anyway, thank goodness, but the damage done by the lying, cheating, smear artist RINO against the conservative candidate was done and he went on to lose against the liberal ACLU democrat in the general election. This flipped the seat from a Republican held seat to a Democrat. Thank you NRCC. I know this because I live in the AZ 6th congressional district and I was on the conservative candidate's campaign staff.

You don't deserve a dime. You deserve only our undying derision and disdain.

[pgyanke]

Here's my donation...

[Always Right]

20 seconds late.

[The Citizen Soldier]

Blunt told his colleagues that Sen. John McCain’s spot atop the ballot should give Republicans the opening they need to regain their majority.

All credibility lost with this single comment.

After decades of contributing to the Republican party, I will not do so again.

I will contribute to individual candidates who represent my values, for as long as they consistently do so. For example, if Tom McClintock officially announces he is candidade for the 4th Congressional District in California, (looks like he will do so today), a check will be in the mail. It will not be sent to the RNC, but directly to the candidate.

[pgyanke]

You beat me by 20 seconds... Good job.

[Thermalseeker]

The GOP sold out their base, and the base ain’t gonna bail them out.

Yep. The country clubber's will get exactly what they deserve from me: NOTHING. I might donate some funds to individual candidates, assuming the 'Pubbies actually field a non-RINO candidate in my Congressional district this year, but the RNC will not get one thin dime from me.......

[pas]

John,

Get off your dead arses and cut federal spending, get rid of obsolete and ineficient programs and we will think about it.

[SouthernBoyupNorth]

lemme see.... they are hurting fo money, ignore the base of the party, put a political leftist hack like McCain up for the Republican nomination, and wonder why those of us they sneer at close our wallets and tell them to go to hell.... They really are that stupid.