Posted on 11/14/2006 7:57:36 PM PST by STARWISE
Sen. Mel Martinez, who will become the new general chairman of the Republican Party after it lost control of Congress, said on Tuesday he would not be an "attack dog" in the 2008 White House race.
President Bush gave Martinez his blessing at a meeting in the Oval Office, calling the Cuban-born senator an American success story.
"He's going to be an excellent spokesman for the Republican Party," Bush said. "He'll be a person who'll be able to carry our message as we go into an important year in 2008."
Martinez will keep his U.S. Senate seat representing Florida and be the voice of the Republican Party going into the presidential election campaign season.
The day-to-day operations will be run by Mike Duncan, who will be chairman. Both have to be formally elected by the Republican National Committee in January.
Martinez said the contest should be about "a battle of ideas" and not partisanship. He said there was an agreement not to show preferences for any candidate in the 2008 presidential campaign before the party's nominee was chosen, allowing the field to sort itself out.
"One of the things that I made clear as I discussed this job role with the president is I was not going to be an attack dog, and I don't intend to, and I wasn't asked to be one," he told reporters at the White House.
"It's not an easy time for our party. It's time for us to come together and pick ourselves up and look to the future and be the party of hope and opportunity that we've been in the past," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...
EXACTLY. Why did they sit back & let the MSM frame the debate? Why did they sit back & let the MSM put them on the defensive - instead of being on the offensive from the git-go? Were we the party in power - or not?
I play chess with my 10 year old nephew & he plays a lot better than these losers.
Then he's the WRONG man - AGAIN!!
Who makes these lousy choices???? The Bush bunch????
When we do attack we get demonized as Newt was.
Martinez is a token hispanic, not an attack dog.
Guess what? When we DON'T attack - we STILL get demonized.
we get demonized by the MSM anyway - who cares.
what has the "new tone" gotten Bush? nothing. zero. he goes into press conferences and meetings last week, making "nice" to Pelosi/Reid/Durbin - they hate his guts, doesn't he realize that?
I think I know why...but, I am going to not say anymore.
I hope that we don't NEED Martinez to get us the win...there should be enough angst among the conservatives by then...after watching 2 years of impeachment hearings...and the dems throwing their power around...to have them RUNNING to the voting booth to vote Republican.
Oh, and he was the "great communitcator" and had such rosy cheeks, too.
Martinez sees himself as a hero of Latin causes. A uniter.
Bush does, too.
Big mistake. Latins of various countries hate latins,
Puerto Ricans hate Dominicans.
Cubans hate Puerto Ricans.
They all hate Mexicans, except Jamaicans.
Latins are amazingly against other latins.
And Martinez is a fool.
Attacking our own .. before they're even on the job?
Why bother, some people won't listen....
The only reason President Bush was making nice with the dems last week....was so when the pulled what they have already started pulling in the Senate...
HE can come back and show with video and words that HE was the one that gave them the rope that they use to hang themselves....LOL
God forbid we run a decent humorous attack ad. Pass the milk toast and Bob Dole please.
"There you go again...."
Classic
***He said there was an agreement not to show preferences for any candidate in the 2008 presidential campaign before the party's nominee was chosen, allowing the field to sort itself out.***
If Martinez sticks to this...
...and the RNC/Bush doesn't throw support behind any candidate in the primary
...and they allow the field to sort itself out
then I can support Martinez's nomination. Though I am disappointed that it can't be someone who is more experienced in what the job calls for.
yes, we think that works.
but the truth is - Bush had an opportunity last week, the media was focused on what he had to say - covering the press conferences, the meetings. the sheeple were listening - and instead of dishing up some realities about the new Dem majority, he legitimized them, he handed them Rumsfeld head on a stick. in january, when the Dems start dismanting CIA interrogations and NSA wiretaps - that will get ZERO media attention.
I HOPE that Duncan is an "attack dog
LOL!! I am trying to find the thread with info on him and pic. He is worse than Martinez.
Meaning, both are not the kind to go toe to toe with the dem head. These guys show up on Meet the Press, and other talking head programs also interviews.
They may be nice guys but not the type we need for that position.
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