Posted on 04/29/2009 10:53:24 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
WASHINGTON — A fundamental debate broke out among Republicans on Wednesday over how to rebuild the party in the wake of Senator Arlen Specter’s departure: Should it purge moderate voices like Mr. Specter and embrace its conservative roots or seek to broaden its appeal to regain a competitive position against Democrats?
With consensus growing among Republicans that the party is in its worst political position in recent memory, some conservatives applauded Mr. Specter’s departure. They said it cleared the way for the party to distance itself from its record of expanding government during the Bush years and to re-emphasize the calls for tax cuts and reduced federal spending that have dominated Republican thought for more than 30 years.
“We strayed from our principles of limited government, individual responsibility and economic freedom,” said Chris Chocola, a former Indiana congressman who is head of Club for Growth, a group that has financed primary challenges against Republicans it considers insufficiently conservative. “We have to adhere to those principles to rebuild the party. Those are the brand of the Republican Party, and people feel that we betrayed the brand.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
So the question is now, shall we drink the Kool-Aid or the Chocola?
I take it the moderates are scared that us conservatives have had it with them and will no longer support them down the road to rat-lite.
We should have this debate, but it must not distract us from the upcoming midterm elections. Let the rats debates the ins and outs of the big tent republican party, we must focus on regaining the House and Senate to stop the downward spiral towards socialism or communism.
Chocola is right. Its really quite simple.
Oh, I much prefer that beverage too.
With our party infested with rats, the spiral will continue. Throw the rats overboard! They will jump ship at the least opportune moment anyway!
Rush today: (after the 4th ‘Break Trascript’)
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042909/content/01125106.guest.html
“By the way, the Club for Growth is being besmirched today all across the conservative spectrum. There are some so-called conservatives who think the Club for Growth is ruining the Republican Party because of demand for “purity.” All the Club for Growth is... I mean Pat Toomey was heading up, Steve Moore, a great guy, used to head it up. Pat Toomey heads it up. He ran in the primary against Specter, he comes out of the Club for Growth. They just believe in private sector capitalism, which is what the Republican Party used to believe in! It’s not demanding purity. It’s remaining true to principles. Go to their website, check ‘em out: Club for Growth. They’re you! They’re just a great bunch of guys.”
Specter:
“I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate.”
I’m pretty sure this makes him the first Democrat that actually states openly, that he’s operating in his own self-interest, rather than altruistically proclaiming it’s for the “American Public” or for “the greater good”. Which means also that he’s the first ‘Honest Democrat’. I’ll give him that ;-) ... but that’s all I’ll give him. Adios Arlen.
Juan McCain is scared. He sent me an email late last night saying he is “fighting for me.” Yeah right. His slutty daughter and campaign manager are admitted Democrats.
If you think we need to be more RINO-ish look at Specter and McCain. Specter fled because he knew he would lose in the primary. McCain lost in 2008 because he is a back stabber and a RINO.
Being a RINO did not work out too well for specter and McCain.
Steve Moore is an open=borders, pro-illegal alien pr*ck. I stopped giving to the Club for Growth for that reason.
Is he still using the fight line. What a crock. I don’t recall him fighting during the presidential campaign. In fact the only one fighting was Sarah, and she had both arms tied behind her back.
Although I have advocated voting for rinos to deny rats an additional seat, I also support starving the rinos from any resources by us in the base. We have hit rock bottom, its time to climb up without having the moderates in the bandwagon.
If Arlen Spector is a moderate, he’s going to piss Dems off 50% of the time (like he did conservatives).
If Arlen Spector is a lib, then he belongs in the Dem party.
Either way, it’s no real loss.
The best way to broaden the party is for it return to it’s principles of limited government.
BZZZT! True to form, the NYT dishonestly casts the question.
Purging wishy-washy old self-serving politicians like Specter that call for amnesty and global warming taxes/regulation will broaden the appeal to disgusted citizens who don't bother to vote for any of the charlatans in D.C. Throw all the bums out.
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 has a 100% rating by FAIR (who opposes amnesty).
Let the idiots on the sideline decide if they want to join us, let us not compromise conservative principles to make ourselves "attractive" to them.
Pure is the only option. Compromise on this issue is not really possible - you are a conservative, or you are not. Most americans are conservatives. We know our own, and will elect them.
All others are liberals, with just varying shades of traitor in there genes.
Let’s see if I understand the RINO logic -
Ronald Reagan ran as a conservative and he won in two landslides; therefore, we need to run moderates who will appeal to everyone.
Exactly! I want to see morning-for-America-type messages from the Republican Party, re-affirming that we are a resilient, caring, can-do people who have built this country on our Constitution’s principles of limited government and economic freedom; that we are facing challenging times, which is when it is most important to remember who we are and what we stand for.
I want that to be the message from our party chairman, through image advertising, on down to our flood of new, local candidates. Our focus should not be on purging our party or watering down our message: that’s a false dichotomy that offers the wrong path in either route.
“G.O.P. Debate: A Broader Party or a Purer One? [NYT alert] [RINOs vs. real conservatives]”
How about one where the members vote with the party 80% of the time? What was Snalin’ Arlens’ stats, 40%....less?
“Let the rats debates the ins and outs of the big tent republican party, we must focus on regaining the House and Senate to stop the downward spiral towards socialism or communism.”
If “we” win back the House and Senate with liberal Repukes, what is really the difference other than the leter following the ass&oles’ name?
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