NRSC: Conservative Foes Of Crist Want “Pure” Senators With “Litmus Test”
Updated below.
NRSC spokesperson Brian Walsh sends over a response to the news that a top conservative blogger is calling for folks to stop giving money to the NRSC over its endorsement of moderate Charlie Crist in the Florida GOP primary:
“The Republican Party is a big tent party that welcomes different points of view. Obviously there is a small group of folks who would prefer to see 30 ‘pure’ Republican Senators with a litmus test for candidates. They’re certainly welcome to that viewpoint. We’re focused on rebuilding the party, winning elections and ultimately regaining the Majority so that bills like card check never see the light of day.”
The statement is noteworthy, and not just because of its apparent slap at the desire for “pure” Senators. It seems to come down firmly in favor of the idea that ideological diversity, and not an uncompromising adherence to core conservative values, is the only way for the GOP to mount a comeback.
That notion risks alienating some conservatives further, of course, so it’s interesting that the NRSC appears to have now placed its chips on it.
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Update: Reader sgwhiteinfla points out that the phrase “30 pure Republican Senators” could be a direct slap at Senator Jim DeMint’s recent claim that he’d rather the GOP have a minority of 30 conservatives in the Senate than an impure majority of 60.
Update: NRSC spox Brian Walsh emails to say that the number 30 was one he’d seen in a number of places and “absolutely was not meant as a criticism” of Senator DeMint. “We have a very good relationship with Senator DeMint and his office,” Walsh says.
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Greg
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That note is also a pretty obvious slap at wingnut Republican Senator Jim DeMint who recently said:
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20090502/pl_cq_politics/politics3108567
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Don’t think that reference to “30″ in the statement is just a coincidence.
Somebody pinch me – am I really awake an still alive? Are the Repugs trying to sabotage themselves? Could this get any better? Every day I think they’ve bottomed out and every day they prove me wrong – spectacularly!
great catch as always, SG, thanks.
Has there been any polling of Republicans in FL putting Crist against Rubio? It would be interesting to see those results.
Imagine if the pull out of all wars without consideration, stop all domestic fuel production immediately and abolish hunting live animals groups controlled the Democratic party.
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The hellbent on ideology group has temporarily taken over control of the Republican party.
“so bills like cardcheck never see the light of day”…Huh?
That’ll bring the masses into the Party…
“That notion risks alienating some conservatives further, of course, so it’s interesting that the NRSC appears to have now placed its chips on it.”
I’ll be very surprised if the notion doesn’t get totally torn up and the pieces burnt by the party’s leader: Rush Limbaugh.
Could sgwhiteinfla be a more accurate or pithy observer of American government and political life? I think not.
It doesn’t matter if Crist is a moderate. Once he gets to D.C. he’ll have to fall in line and vote with the conservatives.
Waiting to see if Rush gets the Crist thing figured out today. He has a red-meat role but he’s inextricably tied into the party establishment as well.
Yglesias gives a peak into a bit of internal turmoil on Rush over at the NRO and makes the bright point that the conservatives themselves are proving Carville/Begala’s thesis after claiming the whole idea false and a creation of C and B… http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/05/rush-rules-their-world.php
Pure Republican ( white male ) . Being from S.C. I’ve never had the opportunity to vote against Jim DeMinted however , I always vote for Graham’s opponent , always .
NRSC spox Brian Walsh emails to say that the number 30 was one he’d seen in a number of places and “absolutely was not meant as a criticism” of Senator DeMint. “We have a very good relationship with Senator DeMint and his office,” Walsh says.
In other words, “Any number of idiots have thrown out the number 30. We in no way intended to single out Sen. DeMint among them.”
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