Posted on 06/18/2011 3:04:40 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
It wasn't long ago that the conservative, free-market Club for Growth was viewed by a swath of Republicans as a furtive, well-heeled enemy whose efforts to purge moderates from the GOP had to be thwarted. The club and its agenda are "not representative of the Republican Party," the director of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group of moderate GOP congressional members, once said, adding: "We raise money on a daily basis to defeat them."
When asked this week about the Republican animus the group faced in the recent past, Club for Growth executive director David Keating replied: "That sounds so yesterday, doesn't it?"
Indeed.
The aggressive 12-year-old club, and its pro-growth, low-tax, limited-government philosophy, now define a Republican Party where moderates have become increasingly unwelcome.
(snip)
The club, which has spent a decade waging expensive primary and ad wars on "RINOs" — Republicans in Name Only — has also inserted itself in 2012 contests.
(snip)
In those intervening years, Holman says, the organization and its money have played a significant role in driving moderate Republicans from office and replacing them with "very ideologically conservative party members."
For that, it has drawn the enmity of Republicans who would prefer a more "big tent" approach to party building.
GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona is among those who said the club cost Republicans a majority in the U.S. Senate when it helped finance a debilitating primary challenge to moderate Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) in 2005.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
No, McLame, you cost us much more than you’ll ever understand under this current admin.
I
Despise
John
McCain
The NPR spin as expressed in the article is that the Club for Growth is practically subversive by 'going after' allegedly 'moderate' Republican (RINO) politicians. Translation: the Club For Growth is determinedly conservative and successful in weeding out people like John McCain from the Republican party and it's hierarchy - and the left is worried. Good.
Add Romney, Newt, Perry, and Trump.
This is getting tiresome.
It is a complete disgrace that McCain was EVER a Republican presidential candidate. He is the POSTER CHILD for getting rid of open Republican primaries in any state where they are allowed.
Tea Partiers need to work to get those open primaries eliminated.
Do you know if Democrats and Independents are allowed to vote in the Republican primary in Arizona?
Doh!
Even more disgraceful: the number of open, unapologetic RINOs in the party champing at the proverbial bit to make the same mistake AGAIN.
Why does he do this?
Unfortunately, because he can.
FUJM!
He wears Depends. Actually I don’t know that but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Screw off, McCain.
John McCain was a shill put up to ensure the election of the trash we now have.
- John McCain, 2008
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