Frustrated Republicans Vent after Senate Vote

National Review Online ^ | September 27, 2013 5:32 PM | Betsy Woodruff

[Hojczyk]

One Senate aide blamed Corker’s spotlight-grabbing role as Cruz’s foil on weak Republican leadership. “Because our leadership has not led for a number of months because of electoral politics, Senator McCain and Senator Graham and Senator Corker have sort of emerged as sort of de facto leaders in a leadership vacuum,” he says. “I like Senator Cornyn, I like Senator McConnell, I respect them, I know their colleagues respect them, but in fairness there just has not been a whole lot of direction, there’s really been no strategy.”

“It might not work,” he adds of Cruz and Lee’s efforts (we spoke a few minutes before the vote), “but what’s the alternative that leadership or anyone else is offering? What’s Bob Corker’s plan?”

It’s messy, and there’s plenty of tension to go around. When asked about the level of frustration directed at his boss, an aide for a senator involved in the defund efforts says, laughing, that “it’s about as high as I’ve ever seen it.”

“I wouldn’t want to test it to see if it could go much higher,” he adds. “Change is hard. People don’t like changes.”

They also don’t like being targeted by members of their own party. Senator Lindsey Graham reiterated to me his frustration with some of his fellow Senate Republicans. “My fate is in my hands, not theirs, and they said some things about our colleagues that I just think are really out of line,” he adds of Cruz et al. “At the end of the day,” he continues, “they’ve got to decide what kind of role they want to play, I’ve got to decide what kind of role I want to play to grow the Republican party and to save the country.”

[Pietro]

McCain, Graham and Corker are the vacuum.

The are exactly the reason the gop is in its current leadership cunumbrum.

I'd through rove is as well.

[Travis McGee]

[Repeal The 17th]

“...Time for a third party...”
-
Which would accomplish...
...what was that again?
I can’t remember.

[sport]

They decided they wanted Lindsey Graham.

[Count of Monte Fisto]

One Senate aide blamed Corker’s spotlight-grabbing role as Cruz’s foil on weak Republican leadership. “Because our leadership has not led for a number of months because of electoral politics, Senator McCain and Senator Graham and Senator Corker have sort of emerged as sort of de facto leaders in a leadership vacuum,” he says.

Is this McLame's aide spouting this BS. If anyone has emerged as leaders in the Senate it has been Cruz, Paul, and Lee not these other doddering, feckless clowns.

[freekitty]

Says it all.

[Hostage]

Oh? Did the 2014 election already happen?

[JRandomFreeper]

Graham is going to get his ass handed to him this election.

/johnny

[LostInBayport]

Time for a third party ?????

No. The Republican Party is a broken down, rat infested house with a yard full of weeds and trash. The Tea Party should do what is necessary to secure ownership of the property, kill the weeds, take out the trash, drown the rats and spruce the place up to make it look attractive to everyone else in the neighborhood. In fact, invite them over for a tour once the cleanup work is done. Perhaps the neighbors will visit more often once they realize decent people have moved in.

[dps.inspect]

it must take a lot of balls to keep hanging onto the Republican “dream”...

[grimalkin]

I understand the third party sentiment. I really do. However, I would rather clean house in the Republican Party first. It’s been stolen from us and we need to get it back.

[rockrr]

“I wouldn’t want to test it to see if it could go much higher,” he adds. “Failure is hard. People don’t like failure.”

Fixed it.

[Lancey Howard]

If the GOP nominates Christie in 2016 I may stay home.

LOL!
"May"?
I vow here and now, and may God strike me down if I lie, I will never vote for Pork Porkie or Jeb Bush.

Bookmarked.

[tnwalker]

Re your #20, You are absolutely correct.

[dps.inspect]

Ya but sometimes you just have to condemn the property and move to a new neighborhood... you stay and clean the rat feces, I’ve moved on...

[Rapscallion]

America has a leadership deficiency and here we are in an economic depression that makes 1939 look like a picnic. The economy is on its a$$ and the clown in the White House wants more taxes for healthcare. Sheesh.

The only thing we have to fear is more tax collections by obama and the democrats.

[wmfights]

We have a law that was passed without any input from any Pubs. We have a law that was pushed through even though the 40th vote against it was elected in a special election. We have a law that fundamentally alters our status from being free citizens to serfs of the state.

The only reason I can think of that the Pubs don't fight at every turn is they have exempted themselves and think of themselves as the ruling class over the serfs.

[celmak]

"Time for a third party ?????

ABSOLUTELY NOT !!!

The Tea Party is gaining steam in the Republican Party; why would it want to lose this momentum and lose Republican votes?

[chris37]

No, Ted Cruz is the leader.

That’s all no one else.

Outside of Mike lee, the rest of the GOP is useless panty waste, and it is time to take out the trash.

[celmak]

"Or clean out and reorganize the Republican Party. I'm disgusted with McCain and Graham"

Correct! The Tea Party within the Republican Party can possibly primary these two fools; outside the Republican, Party the, the chances are much slimmer.