With a flood of freshman members and a new GOP majority in town, 2011 had all the makings of a banner year for the Republican Study Committee, a group comprised of Republican members of Congress tasked with generating conservative policy ideas and moving House Republicans in a more conservative direction overall. Yet the group has found itself at the center of ongoing controversy.

Today, the Politico’s Marin Cogan and Jake Sherman offered the latest contribution to the “RSC in turmoil” genre of Hill journalism. Based on dozens of interviews, the authors report that the organization has lost three members and stands to lose more, due to mounting frustration with the group’s tactics, clashes with Republican leadership and infighting. The article described a growing feeling that decisions on important policies were being imposed from the top down, without adequate input from members. In an interview with the Examiner earlier this morning, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, responded to some of the issues raised in the article, and spoke about the role of the RSC in shaping policy during the battles in the upcoming months.