Conservative rebellion against Washington GOP establishment heating up
By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
05/27/09 1:39 PM EDT
An internecine war is heating up between the professional political consultants who run the Washington GOP establishment and insurgent conservatives beyond the Washington Beltway, who are fed up with seeing their money go to anti-life, big-spending, tax-hiking people like Arlen Specter and Lincoln Chaffee.
Spotlighting this conflict are the attempts in recent weeks by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) to recruit a liberal GOPer to oppose former congressman Pat Toomey - a solid and articulate conservative with support from such party moderates as former Lt. Gov Bill Scranton - in the race to succeed Specter. Specter switched to the Democrats last month when it became clear Toomey would clean his clock in the upcoming Pennsylvania GOP senatorial primary.
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was the NRSC favorite to replace Specter in the Stop-Toomey effort, but he declined, apparently after seeing the same numbers that persuaded Specter the days of Republicans-In-Name-Only (RINO) being nominated by the Pennsylvania party are coming to an end, for better or worse.
Things really came to a a head when the NRSC's chairman, Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, endorsed Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to succeed the retiring Sen. Mel Martinez. Crist actively supported President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package, and has signed multiple tax hikes. Cornyn's endorsement came despite the well-known plans of popular conservative Marco Rubio, the dynamic young speaker of the Florida House, to seek the Martinez seat.
The fact that just doesn't register with Washington GOP establishmentarians is that the Tea Party Protests seen around the country in April were aimed as much against them as they were against the tax and spending policies of Obama and the Democratic Congress.
For more information on the NCCF, go here.
If the NCCF effort succeeds in raising a significant amount of funding and is able to make a difference in upcoming primaries like the Crist-Rubio contest, even as the Tea Party Protests expand, then the infrastructural heart of a new GOP could be in place.
This struggle is among the most important political stories of 2009 because upon its outcome depends in great part whether there will be a genuinely effective opposition to Obama and the Democrats in the years ahead. Those who doubt this need only read the following passage from a letter being circulated this week by RedState's Erick Erickson, who is one of the major insurgent leaders:
Dear Friend:
I'm Erick Erickson, editor-in-chief of Red.State.com, an Eagle Publishing division. I hope you'll take a moment to read my message and take action.
The Republican Party establishment is making it clear that conservatives should give them money and then shut up.
Remember in 2006, when the GOP establishment spent millions to help Republican-in-name-only Sen. Lincoln Chafee (RI) turn back his conservative primary challenger – only to have Chafee lose in the fall (and then, like Arlen Specter, abandon the Republican Party)?
Don't forget last year, when the National Republican Congressional Committee canceled critically needed ad buys on behalf of some of the best conservatives in Congress, such as Reps. Tom Feeney (FL) and Marilyn Musgrave (CO), possibly costing them re-election.
And this year, the Republican Party gave Arlen Specter its full-throated support against conservative Pat Toomey until Specter jumped ship. Then, instead of supporting Toomey, the Republican party ran out to find a Specter clone – ignoring the conservative.
Friends, the Republican establishment's favoritism toward liberal candidates continues.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee just officially endorsed tax-hiking, affirmative action-loving liberal Florida Gov. Charlie Crist over conservative rising star Marco Rubio. Meanwhile, rumors are flying that the NRSC might soon do likewise in several other states.
I am sick and tired of the GOP taking my money and telling me to shut up while they spend my money on pro-abortion, big-spending tax hikers.
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