GOP Leaders Warn Of Election Disaster

(The Politico)  This story was written by John Bresnahan.

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Shellshocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and present Tuesday: Your party's message isn't good enough to prevent disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC's money.

The double shot of bad news had one veteran Republican House member worrying aloud that the party's electoral woes - brought into sharp focus by Woody Jenkins' loss to Don Cazayoux in Louisiana on Saturday - have the House Republican Conference splitting apart in "everybody for himself" mode.

"There is an attitude that, 'I better watch out for myself, because nobody else is going to do it,'" the member said. "There are all these different factions out there, everyone is sniping at each other, and we have no real plan. We have a lot of people fighting to be the captain of the lifeboat instead of everybody pulling together."

In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans' onetime captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues that they face "real disaster" on Election Day unless they move immediately to "chart a bold course of real reform" for the country.

And in a closed-door session at the Capitol, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told members that the NRCC doesn't have enough cash to "save them" in November if they don't raise enough money or run strong campaigns themselves.
Although a top House Republican brushed aside Gingrich's broadside as "hype from a has-been who desperately wants to be a player but can't anymore," the harsh words from Cole were harder to ignore.

"It was a pretty stern line that he took with us," said one House Republican.

Cole, on the defensive in the wake of special election losses in Louisiana and Illinois, pointed his finger Tuesday at his Republican colleagues, telling them that they had been too stingy in helping fund party efforts. He also complained that the Republicans ran weak candidates in both Louisiana and Illinois - a charge Cole made despite the fact that, as NRCC chairman, he could have played a major role in choosing the party's candidates if he hadn't made the decision to stay out of GOP primaries.

In his meeting with members, Cole distributed a document showing that even former Republican political guru Karl Rove had badmouthed Jenkins, according to GOP sources. It's not clear whether Cole meant it as a criticism of Rove or of Jenkins.

But Cole's overall message was clear, said members who sat through the meeting: "If you're not out doing your own work, and you're waiting for the NRCC to come in at the last minute and save you, it ain't gonna happen." That's how one lawmaker characterized Cole's talk, adding that the NRCC is "not going to have the resources" to help all members "and Democrats will have a lot more money."

Republicans are suffering a crisis of confidence after the two special election losses. There's talk that House Minority Leader John A. Boehner and other GOP leaders could be ousted if the party suffers double-digit losses in November.

Gingrich's broadside did little to calm the GOP jitters.

While Gingrich softened his blow by circulating it privately to the GOP leadership on Monday - a day before it was publicly released - his language was still strong, and his message was seen as a broad attack on Boehner, Cole and the rest of the Republican leadership.

"The Republican loss in the special election for Louisiana's 6th Congressional District last Saturday should be a sharp wake-up call for Republicans," Gingrich wrote. "Either congressional Republicans are going to chart a bold course of real change or they are going to suffer decisive losses this November."
Gingrich said Republicans cannot rely on the popularity of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, to carry them to victory in November. And he warned that attacks on Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor, could backfire.

"The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Rev. Wright or, if Sen. Clinton wins, anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail," Gingrich said. "This model has already been tested with disastrous results."

The NRCC ran TV ads tying Cazayoux to national Democratic figures in the Louisiana special election, only to see Democrats grab control of a House seat that had been in the GOP column for more than three decades.

Gingrich, who was pushed out as speaker following GOP losses in the 1998 midterm elections, advocated "an emergency, members-only" meeting of House Republicans in order to hash out a new reform agenda before Memorial Day. He also called for a "complete overhaul" of the NRCC.

Gingrich said that if the GOP leadership would not go along with his plan, "then the minority who are activists should establish a parallel organization dedicated to real change." He offered nine policy proposals designed to achieve that goal, including repealing federal gas taxes, reforming the Census Bureau and declaring English as the official language of the United States.

Boehner tried to put the best face on Gingrich's message. His spokesman, Michael Steel, said that Boehner "certainly agrees - and has said repeatedly - that Republicans can only succeed this year by being agents of change and reform." Steel said Republicans have to convince voters that they can "fix" Washington and that, in the coming weeks, they will be "laying out Republican policies that embody the sort of changes we need."

But there is no question that Gingrich has identified a nervous undercurrent among House Republicans that could morph into full-fledged panic if the GOP loses a special election next Tuesday in Mississippi. Republican Greg Davis is squaring off against Democrat Travis Childers for the House seat held by former Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who was appointed to the Senate to replace retired Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.).

With internal polls from both parties showing the race as a tossup, the GOP is putting on a full-court press. The White House has dispatched Vice President Cheney to Mississippi to campaign on Davis' behalf. And Wicker, Lott, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will hold events for Davis this weekend and early next week, according to GOP sources.

House Republicans will hold a rally with President Bush on Wednesday morning, with all 199 members invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to show solidarity with the president, according to GOP sources.
By John Bresnahan

[trishab4]

GOP Leaders Warn Of Election Disaster
Politico: Sniping And Selfishness Decried As Wary Republicans Fear November Nosedive.

Republicans are suffering a crisis of confidence after the two special election losses. There%u2019s talk that House Minority Leader John A. Boehner and other GOP leaders could be ousted if the party suffers double-digit losses in November.

-WHY?

-Republicans have been infested with Biblicans bringing with them the filthy speech of closed-mindedness, making the Republican Party the Rebiblican party that broke America, or at least brought it to the brink of breaking into pieces.

-Even NEWWWWWWTTTT says it.

[ov442]

If you''re a GOP politician, and you''re not one of the sick, twisted, anti poor and anti minority, and anti constitution Republicans running our country, I suggest you stand alone and run your own campaign because otherwise, youre part of a party of evil and you deserve everything your party gets from siding against consumers by killing their families, wiping out their jobs, and forcing them into bankruptcy and homelessness with your hsit policies.

[taotxzen]

Watch What They Do, Not What They Say:

Senate Kills "deal Breaker" Proposal On Housing Bill
By Martin Kady II
Apr 3, 2008

(The Politico) The Senate has killed a housing proposal that would have provided the most direct aid to homeowners facing foreclosure, keeping alive a delicate compromise on a sweeping housing bill.

The provision, backed by consumer groups and leading Democrats, would have allowed bankruptcy judges to restructure mortgages %u2014 lowering principal and interest payments %u2014 for people facing foreclosure on their homes. Advocates said this would help as many as 500,000 people who will lose their houses, but Republicans were worried the proposal would be perceived as a "bailout" for people who got in over their heads with home loans.

[taotxzen]

FOUR MORE YEARS?

Housing aid bills face vetoes by President Bush

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 35 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Strapped homeowners could refinance into government-backed mortgages and states would get money to deal with foreclosed property under Democrats'' housing aid plan.

The measures, slated for votes Thursday, constitute the most significant action Congress has taken to date to address the housing crisis that''s at the center of the nation''s economic woes.

President Bush has threatened to veto both measures, which he says reward lenders and speculators. Democrats counter that the bills will head off hundreds of thousands of foreclosures, stabilize the shaky housing market, and prevent neighborhood blight.

[taotxzen]

Republicans still voting against McCain
Email|Link|Comments (7) Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor May 7, 2008 10:41 AM

It''s not clear yet whether the results are a real cause for concern for John McCain, but the presumptive Republican nominee still isn''t exactly sweeping the primaries.

In Indiana on Tuesday, McCain won 78 percent of the vote, while Mike Huckabee won 10 percent, Ron Paul won 8 percent, and Mitt Romney 5 percent. In that state''s open primary, about 11 percent of voters in the Democratic primary were self-identified Republicans who crossed over.

In North Carolina, the anti-McCain vote was ever higher. McCain drew 74 percent, Huckabee 12 percent, Paul 8 percent, and Alan Keyes 3 percent. Four percent of voters went to the polls and picked "no preference."

In Pennsylvania two weeks ago, McCain also only won 73 percent of the vote. He effectively clinched the nomination after the March 4 primaries, which forced Huckabee from the race.

There is historical precedent: The same scenario played out for George W. Bush in 2000, the most recent contested Republican primaries.

Still, for someone still striving to unite the Republican Party, higher numbers would be more comforting.

[Gary Kempf]

RowdyTexan2 at 08:33 AM : May 08, 2008

I take it, they are admitting that by the screw American working class policies for the last seven years. A light might have come on to the Republican Party "Oh Sh*T" , We have Scr*wed ourselves!

Then you may still be right, it''s not like Republicans have a stong thought pattern.....

[mcvet]

It appears as though you guys will be stuck with Obama as your candidate this year. That being the case, I can''''''''t wait to see the dirt that the Conservatives have on him that hasn''''''''t been made public yet. You can be rest assured that McCains people have a little can with all of that dirt stashed away on a shelf somewhere with a sticker that reads, "Do not open till election time" and the contents of that can will seal Obama''''''''s fate!


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Posted by LeFeaoux at 10:38 PM : May 07, 2008
+ report abuse

Stuck?? Now with the MILLION''s and MILLION''s of people who have stood in line and voted in this Primary... With the MASSIVE excitement this has brought to states and towns who have been completely left out of the process to this point, I really doubt you will sell that line Sparky!! ROFLMAO Now if we were left with a Tired Old Man who is there because there WAS no one else... Well yes we''d be stuck!! Now let the fuhrer hear you... you want him to KNOW you''re out here licking those boots this morning don''t you??? SIEG HEIL BUSH!!

[mcvet]

What the Republican''s need is ANOTHER Wedge issue like the Marriage Amendment or Swift Boat Vets. That''s the ONLY way the can win. The problem, as they found out, you can''t govern when you do things like that. After you trash a substantual part of the nation, you can''t then step out and say "let''s be friends". These people are fascist people... there''s NO OTHER way to put it. They believe anyone who does NOT agree with the Party, salute the Confederate Flag and want to invade other people for oil are not American''s. Sieg Heil Bush

[stn_sage]

Here''s one time WE---as a nation---better hope that Newt Gingrich is correct about what he says! As, RepubliCONS have done a fantastic job of messing up America, it remains to be seen whether or not Democrats will get OFF THEIR REARENDS, and fix all the problems the R''s have made!

[mndem]

It appears as though you guys will be stuck with Obama as your candidate this year. That being the case, I can''''t wait to see the dirt that the Conservatives have on him that hasn''''t been made public yet. You can be rest assured that McCains people have a little can with all of that dirt stashed away on a shelf somewhere with a sticker that reads, "Do not open till election time" and the contents of that can will seal Obama''''s fate!


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Posted by LeFeaoux at 10:38 PM : May 07, 2008
+ report abuse


Go ahead and think that if it makes you sleep better at night! We''ve got our own can of worms which includes things like this:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/mccain/cindy.asp