Posted on 10/24/2013 9:47:14 AM PDT by Bigtigermike
It took a tea party insurrection that disabled the federal government and wrecked the Republican brand, but after months of handwringing, establishment Republicans are preparing to attack ultra-conservative ideologues across red America.
From Alabama to Alaska, the center-right, business-oriented wing of the Republican Party is gearing up for a series of skirmishes that it hopes can prevent the 2014 mid-term election from turning into another missed opportunity. But this will not be a coordinated operation. It will be messy, ugly, and prone to backfiring. And if the comeback succeeds, it will be in fits and starts, most likely culminating in the selection of a presidential nominee in 2016.
"Hopefully we'll go into eight to 10 races and beat the snot out of them," said former Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio, whose new political group, Defending Main Street, aims to raise $8 million to fend off tea party challenges against more mainstream Republican incumbents.
[...]
Tactics being discussed among Republican strategists, donors, and party leaders include running attack ads against tea party candidates for Congress; overthrowing Ron Paul's libertarian acolytes dominating the Iowa and Minnesota state parties; promoting open primaries over nominating conventions, like the ones that produced Republican hardliners like Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli and shutdown-instigator Mike Lee of Utah; and countering political juggernauts Heritage Action, the Club for Growth, and FreedomWorks
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
NR is losing their way. The Democrats shutdown the government (partial shutdown for show) and the RINOs wrecked the Republican “brand”.
You mean like 2010 was ...
The keep saying that as if it is fact and not conjecture on their part (or wishful thinking)
Morons. They ran an Establishment candidate for Pres in 2008 and 2012 and lost. When the Tea Party got fired up in 2010, the GOP took back the House. Do they want a repeat of 2012, with the Tea Party (aka Conservatives) staying home? Do they want to guarantee a Dem victory in 2014?
Morons.
The message of 2010 is lost on them. 100% completely lost.
Always remember: the less partisan the name, the more partisan the organization. "Defending Main Street", who can argue with that, what are you, some kind of Wall Street banker?
Bring it!
It is profoundly interesting to me that they seem more exercised against the Tea Party than they have EVER been against their dem opponent...but that’s OK, I will be more adamantly opposed to them than I will be to the dems.
They are no different than dems, it is power they seek, not right, not liberty, not justice - but power.
The GOPe wants to vanish in 2014
Numbers may not be enough unless we empty our wallets. They will have K street dollars o’plenty pouring in to their side. We MUST support Tea Party candidates financially or we’re screwed.
Ha! More like Defending BIG Biz/US Chamber of Commerce, who've joined ranks with progressives, everywhere.
GOPe who stand for nothing but “I can get elected if I work with the liberals” wrecked the Republican brand. Their “wing” of the party stands for exactly the same thing the Democrats do:
- Pro Amnesty
- Pro Obamacare
- Anti Individual liberty
And on...and on...and on...
So Steve, how do you expect your sturmtrupen tactics to translate into actual votes for the GOP-E?
And Steve, if somebody gets in my face, then he'll be hauled away on a stretcher. I guarantee you that!
What do moderate Republicans have to offer? Capitulation and compromise with the collectivists? That goes over well.
My former congressman is mad bout everything after 2010 so he is waging war within the party. Typical.
Folks...look....I wrote an entire book on the evils of the GOP estabs...but why why why do we take the bait of lib publications like National Journal or Politico or Huff Po to just have basiclally a self flagellation thread on this.....don’t you see they are playing you for suckers????
Just doing the job the demonrats can’t do.
On Thursday, March 17, 2011 LaTourette became one of only seven Republicans who voted “NO” on a measure introduced in the US House of Representatives to strip all government funding from NPR.
In a meeting with transit advocates, LaTourette disparaged fellow legislators, referring to them as “knuckledraggers that came in in the last election that hate taxes,” due to their reluctance to even consider revenue as part of a compromise to extend the debt ceiling.
On June 28, 2012, LaTourette was one of only two Republicans (along with Scott Rigell of Virginia) who voted against a motion to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in criminal contempt of Congress, though he did vote to bring civil charges against Holder, for his handling of the Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_LaTourette
******
Steven C. “Steve” LaTourette (born July 22, 1954) was the U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 19th congressional district and then Ohio’s 14th congressional district, serving from 1995-2013. In the House, LaTourette was a member of the Appropriations Committee and previously served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He was an active Co-Chair of the bipartisan Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition. LaTourette is the President and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, and Chairs the Board of the Northeast-Midwest Institute, a Washington-based, private, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research organization dedicated to economic vitality, environmental quality, and regional equity for Northeast and Midwest states.
Main Street Advocacy
http://0.tqn.com/d/cleveland/1/0/j/d/-/-/Stevelatourette.jpg
Welcome to something refreshing on the Republican landscape! It’s unity instead of division, pragmatism instead of social dogma. It’s what our party has traditionally stood for – and we take pride in that heritage. It was Republicans that led the fight for civil rights – first in abolishing slavery, then in expanding equal rights for women, and then in fighting to end racial inequality. Republicans busted up the big trusts and fought against corporate monopolies. Republicans fought for environmental protection and against political patronage. Republicans ended the Vietnam War and won the Cold War without firing a shot.
Our party must rebuild a governing coalition – a coalition that puts results ahead of politics – committed to making Washington work again. We must reach out to independents, disaffected Democrats, centrists, suburbanites and young voters, offering pragmatic, common sense solutions to the complex challenges facing our country today.
Our mission is to bring together those who care about this country and this party after decades of hyper-partisanship and dysfunction in Washington.
Our goal is unity instead of division, a commitment to governing with core principles, and a party with a proud past and an optimistic future.
THAT’S Main Street Advocacy!
http://www.mainstreetadvocacy.com/about/
Detroit News: Tables Turn on the Michigan Tea Party
September 26, 2013
From the Detroit News: The tables are turning on the tea party, at least in Michigan. For the past two election cycles, tea party candidates have unseated congressional incumbents of both parties: Democrats who backed Obamacare and other big spending programs and Republicans who didn’t hew close enough to conservative ideology. Now, two of those […]
LaTourette on Who is to Blame for Dysfunction in Washington
September 21, 2013
From the Washington Post: There has been a lot of talk in both Democratic and Republican circles about whetherHouse Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) can lead his caucus. Incidents such as the defeat of the farm bill on the House floor have been cited to support this narrative. But much of the blame for Washington failures has been mislaid. […]
Main Street Advocacy’s Steve LaTourette on MSNBC
September 18, 2013
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-last-word/53037950
Centrist Group Pledges to Defend Members of Congress Who Vote for a “Grand Bargain”
November 27, 2012
Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) – “The most important pledge a member of Congress takes is their pledge to do what is in the best interests of the men and women who elected them.” (Washington, DC) – Today, Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH), released the following statement on behalf of the Main Street Advocacy Fund: “Over the […]
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