Whitman book hits Bush, Rove

Washington Times ^ | 1/05/05 | Ralph Z. Hallow

[kattracks]

The Republican Party is being "dictated to by a coalition of ideological extremists," a former Bush administration Cabinet official says in a new book that blames President Bush and his top political strategist for failing to bring more "blue states" into the Republican column in November.
    Christie Whitman, the former Republican governor of New Jersey who resigned her post as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in May 2003, says Mr. Bush and adviser Karl Rove were wrong in their strategy of boosting turnout among the party's voting base of political "extremists" on the right, including evangelical Christians.

In her new book, "It's My Party Too: The Battle for the Heart of the GOP and the Future of America" — due in bookstores Jan. 31 — Mrs. Whitman says the Republican Party has failed to reach out to "moderates" like herself.
    The Republican Party "at the national level is allowing itself to be dictated to by a coalition of ideological extremists — I call them social fundamentalists — groups that have claimed the mantle of conservatism and show no inclination to seek bipartisan consensus on anything," Mrs. Whitman writes in the book.

[snip]

 Fellow Republicans reacted sharply to the arguments Mrs. Whitman makes in advance copies of her book.
    The Republican Party is winning elections by "sticking to our principles of trusting free people and free enterprise," said Sen. George Allen of Virginia, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
    "I take issue with her prescription," said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Republican. "Our winning the White House again and increasing our majorities in the House and Senate show that most of the American public agrees with our philosophy of government."

[KoRn]

"says Mr. Bush and adviser Karl Rove were wrong in their strategy of boosting turnout among the party's voting base of political "extremists" on the right, including evangelical Christians."

Well, what were they supposed to do? Send Bush on bus tours though college campuses? I this 'book' will be about as full of logic as a 'football bat'.

[Torie]

Well it is clear Whitman does not know how to break bread with Evangelicals. Her life experience, and her imagination, is just too circumscribed and narrow. She needs to have long and liquid dinner with me, who in some ways, has the same leitmotif as I do. I think I could help her. My skills have been honed right here at FR in fact.

OK, she is just trying to sell some books. Whatever.

[Texas Eagle]

Mrs. Whitman says the Republican Party has failed to reach out to "moderates" like herself.

Who do we look like? Diana Ross?

[TFine80]

So either the majority of Americans are 'extremists' or only Whitman is smart enough to recognize their essential control.

I've never understood why Bush is considered a right-wing or extremist politician. What federal program has he eliminated? What has he really changed in social issues?

Being against the Kyoto treaty does not make one an extremist.

[srm913]

Christie Todd Whitman obviously has a lot of air between her ears.

[sinkspur]

Bush's second term strategy is correct: put absolute loyalists in the cabinet.

These jerkweeds like Whitman and O'Neill were poor administrators, and back-stabbers once they left.

Bush is too good a man to have to put up with this bullshit.

[jveritas]

Christie:

We , the Conservative Republicans are the majority in this country and that why we control all three government branches.

Be silent and join the losers in the Democrat party if you wish.

PS: Bush Won.

[Texas_Jarhead]

"Mrs. Whitman says the Republican Party has failed to reach out to "moderates" like herself."

IMO - "...political "extremists" on the right, including evangelical Christians..." should reach out to "moderates" exactly as "moderates" reach out to right wing "extremists".

[Texas Eagle]

Help yourselves everyone.

[Better Dead Than Red]

How does she explain Bush boosting his percentage among blacks, latinos, and jews.

[BoBToMatoE]

Funny there was nothing wrong with sKerry appealing to the extremist in HIS base (socialist, communist, antiamerican folk)..

[Torie]

Alas, Whitman I think is just another pretty face - the null set. Sad. She embarrasses me, personally. She lives just too close to home as it were.

[mwfsu84]

She blames W/Rove for not bringing in more Blue States?

Actually, Bush increased his number of votes in the Blue States over 2000 - and brought in two of them in Iowa and New Mexico.

I suppose he could have won Pennsylavania, if not for all those voters in Philly cemeteries casting ballots for Kerry.

[Clemenza]

Ping!

[KoRn]

That's the first thing that came to my mind. Anyone remember Moore sitting beside Jimmah in the presidential box at the DIM convention? Christine needs to STFU! After what Bush had thrown at him he doesn't need some thoughtless 'moderate' bitching about extremism.

[Noachian]

It's obvious that Whitman doesn't know diddly-squat about how to win an election, but she seems to know how to lose one.

[Ramius]

I think I know what happened here:

I'll bet money that she wrote this book last year, believing that Bush was going to lose the election. This book would then be among the new realeases trying to "explain" why Republicans lost.

Only... it didn't work out that way... and the book was already in the hopper so she's trying surf it as well as she can, even though none of it makes any sense. Funny how its actually the democrats that need a book entitled "It's my party too".

Maybe that's what this really is.

Hmm...

[Ramius]

Ack. realeases = releases. [sip]

there. fixed. [sip]

[garyhope]

Do I smell RINO here?