“I think that what we are seeing is the takeover of the party by the Libertarians, who would rather kill off the Republican Party than see conservatives take control of the government.”
You couldn’t be more mistaken. What you ARE seeing is the GOP elite attacks on both the Libertarian and Conservative wing of the party. The Conservative and Libertarians have their difference, however they are very aligned in their desire to defeat the mushy moderate GOP that is entrenched in DC.
I am pretty sure that Cathy McMorris Rodgers is a Libertarian. The Libertarians are very strong in the Republican Party in WA State and her positions are very much in tune with the WA Libertarians.