Gloves Off: GOP Establishment Goes After Tea Party

[txradioguy]

The National Republican Senate Committee, the GOP campaign arm responsible for Senate elections, has decided to use its political power to block consulting firm Jamestown Associates from receiving political work from GOP candidates or incumbents.
 
Jamestown's "sin" is working with the Senate Conservative Fund, an organization that supports conservative candidates for the US Senate.
 
NRSC communications staffer Brad Dayspring, a former spokesman for House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), told The New York Times on Friday, “We’re not going to do business with people who profit off of attacking Republicans. Purity for profit is a disease that threatens the Republican Party.”
 
Jamestown Associates has done work with the Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF), a conservative group largely responsible for the elections of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rand Paul (R-KY), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Ron Johnson (R-WI), among others. Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who left the U.S. Senate last year to become the president of the Heritage Foundation, founded SCF.
 
"In a warning shot to outside conservative groups, the National Republican Senatorial Committee this week informed a prominent Republican advertising firm that it would not receive any contracts with the campaign committee because of its work with a group that targets incumbent Senate Republicans," the Times wrote.
 
"Even more striking," the Times continued, "a senior official at the committee called individual Republican Senate campaigns and other party organizations this week and urged them not to hire the firm, Jamestown Associates, in an effort to punish them for working for the Senate Conservatives Fund, a group founded by Jim DeMint, then a South Carolina senator, that is trying to unseat Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, and some other incumbents up for re-election next year whom it finds insufficiently conservative."
 
The Times notes that a large part of the reason why SCF has drawn the ire of the GOP establishment is its endorsement of McConnell’s primary challenger, businessman Matt Bevin. McConnell’s chief of staff Josh Holmes, who is now working for the NRSC through the election, told the Times that McConnell plans to beat up SCF for being conservative like he would if it were a bar fight. “S.C.F. has been wandering around the country destroying the Republican Party like a drunk who tears up every bar they walk into,” Holmes said. “The difference this cycle is that they strolled into Mitch McConnell’s bar and he doesn’t throw you out, he locks the door.”
 
Brian Walsh, former NRSC communications director and currently lobbyist for the bipartisan firm Singer-Bonjean, has aggressively tweeted his support for this new campaign against conservatives’ work prospects.
 
“Important stand by the @NRSC - Republicans who profit off of attacking other Republicans will not get their business,” Walsh tweeted as the Times published its piece. Walsh, who works for former top Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) aide Phil Singer at Singer-Bonjean, attempted to frame the NRSC’s attack on Jamestown Associates as an effort to clean up the GOP from conservatives that he says are “professional operatives profiting off of attacking Republicans.”
 
Some conservatives are pushing back at the NRSC. Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC), a conservative who won his comeback election with no establishment support, has offered up his public support of Jamestown Associates.
 
“When some in DC stepped away from our race Jamestown Assoc. stood with us and fought,” Sanford tweeted in response to the Times article. “What a few in DC think won't change that.”
 
John Drogin, the state director for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)—a conservative who also employs Jamestown Associates—similarly tweeted out support for the firm. “Jamestown is good firm, doing good work for conservatives, including @tedcruz,” Drogin tweeted.
 
A Republican strategist told Breitbart News he believed the NRSC action was designed to send a warning shot across the bow of other GOP consulting firms. "The NRSC action against Jamestown is designed to send a message to the other political firms. If they work with conservative challengers, [the NRSC] will block you from working with other candidates or incumbents."


http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/11/02/GOP-establishment-attempts-to-cut-off-business-to-conservatives-in-latest-shot-at-Tea-Party

[wasp69]

I believe your headline to be misleading.  Shouldn't it instead say "GOP establishment seeks to isolate base, commits political suicide"?

[JohnnyReb]

I believe your headline to be misleading.  Shouldn't it instead say "GOP establishment seeks to isolate base, commits political suicide"?

WORKS FOR ME! Their driving a wedge up my ass.....and I don't like it.

[Bad Dog]

I'm glad the mask has fallen from these smarmy turds.  Let's get it on.  This country is going over the cliff no matter which party is in charge of the House and Senate.  Conservatives need to be ready to pick up the pieces.

[wasp69]

I'm glad the mask has fallen from these smarmy turds.

I think we can call this the "Cruz Dividend".

[NHSparky]

I believe your headline to be misleading.  Shouldn't it instead say "GOP establishment seeks to isolate base, commits political suicide"?

Yup.  Consider that Reagan would be too conservative by RNC standards, and too liberal by the 100 percenter standards.

FML.

[thundley4]

When is the GOP going to change their name to reflect truth in advertising laws? The New Democrat Lite Party, more in common with Democratics than with Conservatives.

[Dori]

When is the GOP going to change their name to reflect truth in advertising laws? The New Democrat Lite Party, more in common with Democratics than with Conservatives.

Every conservative website I visit, has nothing good to say about the GOP.  Makes you wonder who they are listening to and who they think will support them.

 

[wasp69]

For what it's worth:

Angry Tea Party leaders go 'RINO' hunting for would-be Republicans

Tea Party leaders Monday announced plans to hunt down the 87 House Republicans who recently voted to reopen the government, fund Obamacare and raise the debt ceiling, and demand they return donations from conservatives.

The same group recently launched PrimaryTraitors.com to rally support for primaries against the 87.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/angry-tea-party-leaders-go-rino-hunting-for-would-be-republicans/article/2538416

[Splashdown]

Christie is going to win overwhelmingly in New Jersey tomorrow New Jersey is a blue state. Cuccinelli is probably going to get beat in Virginia, even with the Obamacare fiasco out there. Virginia should be red.

I have no freaking idea what to think anymore. I've talked myself into voting for Romney (not just against Obama, if you know what I mean). I hated it, but I voted for McCain.

I remain a social conservative. We need to get as many of these fights as we cann (marriage, etc.) on the local level. Because federally, things are going to suck for a while.

[wasp69]

Christie is going to win overwhelmingly in New Jersey tomorrow New Jersey is a blue state. Cuccinelli is probably going to get beat in Virginia, even with the Obamacare fiasco out there. Virginia should be red.

No guarantees about Virginia, and no surprises about New Jersey.  Wait until tomorrow when all of the votes are counted.

I have no freaking idea what to think anymore. I've talked myself into voting for Romney (not just against Obama, if you know what I mean). I hated it, but I voted for McCain.

I voted for both of them as well.  However, if the establishment puts up another shithead RINO/Dem-Lite, I will leave the President slot blank.

I remain a social conservative. We need to get as many of these fights as we cann (marriage, etc.) on the local level. Because federally, things are going to suck for a while.

This is where politics matter the most and from which everything else flows.  Get involved at the local level and push upwards towards State and Federal.  Right now, the local and state levels are where conservatives are winning biggest.

[Ptarmigan]

No guarantees about Virginia, and no surprises about New Jersey.  Wait until tomorrow when all of the votes are counted.

I voted for both of them as well.  However, if the establishment puts up another shithead RINO/Dem-Lite, I will leave the President slot blank.

This is where politics matter the most and from which everything else flows.  Get involved at the local level and push upwards towards State and Federal.  Right now, the local and state levels are where conservatives are winning biggest.

I have wondered why conservatives fare well in local and state, but not so at federal.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Yup.  Consider that Reagan would be too conservative by RNC standards, and too liberal by the 100 percenter standards.

FML.

I for one am getting fairly sick of BOTH the 100%ers AND the RINOs (I.e. the GOP party leadership), each is more concerned about itself in the primaries than about the DemonRats in the general elections.

[Lacarnut]

I have wondered why conservatives fare well in local and state, but not so at federal.

Well, liberals and RINO's have muti-billion dollar mouth pieces in the form of print media and TV that distort conservative views and get a twinkling up their legs supporting socialistic policies/views. That in itself puts a conservative at a big disadvantage in congressional elections.  

[Bad Dog]

I for one am getting fairly sick of BOTH the 100%ers AND the RINOs (I.e. the GOP party leadership), each is more concerned about itself in the primaries than about the DemonRats in the general elections.

You have said this a couple of times.  I'm very interested in what you consider a 100%er to be.  Would Senator Ted Cruz meet your definition?

[Dori]

Your never going to get a perfect candidate.  Both parties have swings in their supporters.  There is no way you can please everyone. 

But I do think this next election will come down to people voting their wallets. 

[Ptarmigan]

The Old Guard Republicans are no better than the Democrats. I call them OGRES = Old Guard Republicans.

[jctejas]

game on Washington generals the rinos could get schooled by a middle school team.  barracks globe trotters spin the ball and you keep looking lost.  whats that barrys globe trotters scored another 2 trillion on you?  if I am a betting man the gop will be the new version of the Houston oilers always pretending never contending.

jctejas

[J P Sousa]

I for one am getting fairly sick of BOTH the 100%ers AND the RINOs (I.e. the GOP party leadership), each is more concerned about itself in the primaries than about the DemonRats in the general elections.

I may be a 100%'er if you mean; I vote for people who tell the truth and not just SAY they are conservative then vote with democrats most of the time on BIG issues.


.

[FlaGator]

As of this moment my voting policy will be, if I have a tea party candidate to vote for then I will vote for him or her. If I have a establishment RINO to vote for then I will vote for the democrat. If I can't vote for a candidate who will try to fix this country then I will vote for the candidate who will bring it down the quickest. A vote for a RINO is a vote for a democrat and I have no plans on humoring a RINO by letting him or her think I support them. If the old guard cannot support the new guard then I will do my part to disenfranchise the old guard.

[DumbAss Tanker]

You have said this a couple of times.  I'm very interested in what you consider a 100%er to be.  Would Senator Ted Cruz meet your definition?

I respect what Cruz did, and although the outcome was a foregone conclusion, I think he made an important statement.  Of course he knew it was a purely symbolic act, and it would not succeed in forcing a default or keeping the government shut down, and a serious shot at doing either of those is not something I would respect.

Really what I'm talking about is more about the voters than the candidates, since you and JP are so interested in definitions on this.  A voter who will refuse to vote for a candidate who always lines up with the other side, and sells his own party out on a regular basis, say, like McCain?  That I can understand.  A voter who refuses to show at all or goes for some third party dipshit who couldn't get more than 3% of the vote even if he were allowed to use his whole campaign fund for bribes, all because the party's candidate actually voted for something the party wanted him to, like a budget deal?  No. 

I can understand particular do-or-die issues like abortion or RKBA keeping someone from voting for the candidate of the party otherwise-closest to the voter's own views, after all, what's the point of voting to cut your OWN throat on an issue that is critical to you?  Some things are just deal breakers.  But, applying that same level of fall-on-your-sword importance to anything that is necessarily going to involve compromise and negotiation, like the budget, when your own favored position doesn't have anywhere remotely near the vote total necessary to prevail, and then carrying a grudge about the fact that reality sucks against the party over it into the next general election, is just a ticket to Loserville and making yourself the even-worse-party's permanent bitch.  Seriously, there is going to be a budget, and there are going to be taxes to fund it, and any position on that fact of life that falls short of support by a veto-proof majority in both House and Senate is going to involve negotiation and compromise...and the farther you are from that kind of majority, the more of a beating your own position or party faction is going to take in that process.

We had a three-way race for the R Senate candidate here not that long ago, none of them the RINO everyone fears and raises up as a bogeyman (Or strawman).  The hardest-right one was the least-electable for a variety of reasons, including the fact he was a dope, if certainly the 'Purest.'  Either one of the other two would have been fine Senators representing somewhat broader Conservative bandwidth, and would likely have beat the incumbent because of that.  But, the D incumbent knew that guy was the one least likely to beat her, and so she was a very big contributor to his primary campaign, which he won with a lot of help from her well-invested advertising dollars.  He proceeded to shoot himself in the foot irretrievably after winning the primary, but being a dope, was convinced he was on a mission from God (Really) and so ignored the pleas of everyone who wanted to see the seat change from D to R, because in his magical thinking world, God was going to make him a winner.  God didn't see it that way apparently, because we still have the crooked witch of an Obamabot for a Senator now, and it wasn't even close. 

[Eupher]

We had a three-way race for the R Senate candidate here not that long ago, none of them the RINO everyone fears and raises up as a bogeyman (Or strawman).  The hardest-right one was the least-electable for a variety of reasons, including the fact he was a dope, if certainly the 'Purest.'  Either one of the other two would have been fine Senators representing somewhat broader Conservative bandwidth, and would likely have beat the incumbent because of that.  But, the D incumbent knew that guy was the one least likely to beat her, and so she was a very big contributor to his primary campaign, which he won with a lot of help from her well-invested advertising dollars.  He proceeded to shoot himself in the foot irretrievably after winning the primary, but being a dope, was convinced he was on a mission from God (Really) and so ignored the pleas of everyone who wanted to see the seat change from D to R, because in his magical thinking world, God was going to make him a winner.  God didn't see it that way apparently, because we still have the crooked witch of an Obamabot for a Senator now, and it wasn't even close. 

Todd Akin never should have made it past the primary. He was a loser before the primary, he was a loser during the runup to the election, and Claire McCaskill knew she had it in the bag when Akin became the GOP candidate.

When the GOP can't even convince a loser like Akin to back the **** off and resign after making the dumbass statements he did, that convinced me that the GOP -- as a political force -- is not what it should be.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Todd Akin never should have made it past the primary. He was a loser before the primary, he was a loser during the runup to the election, and Claire McCaskill knew she had it in the bag when Akin became the GOP candidate.

When the GOP can't even convince a loser like Akin to back the **** off and resign after making the dumbass statements he did, that convinced me that the GOP -- as a political force -- is not what it should be.

Yeah, but the problem with trying to convince some nutbar that God really isn't telling him stay the course is that only God Himself can reel him back in.  The GOP pretty much played every card they had up until the withdrawal deadline, pulling his funding and getting damn' every senior statesman available to try to talk him down off the ledge, but the dumb SOB insisted on jumping.

[Eupher]

Yeah, but the problem with trying to convince some nutbar that God really isn't telling him stay the course is that only God Himself can reel him back in.  The GOP pretty much played every card they had up until the withdrawal deadline, pulling his funding and getting damn' every senior statesman available to try to talk him down off the ledge, but the dumb SOB insisted on jumping.

True 'nuff, but as an example of how the GOP won't play just as dirty as the Dems in a make-it-or-break-it situation, Akin never had a small little "accident" -- enough to pull him out of the election.

I say that sort of thing knowing that it's reprehensible, but then again, Slick Willie and Thunder Thighs never had a problem playing at that level.

A bit off-topic, but I'm wonderin' how Bill and Hillary's boy McAuliffe is doing in Virginia...

[Bad Dog]

I respect what Cruz did, and although the outcome was a foregone conclusion, I think he made an important statement.  Of course he knew it was a purely symbolic act, and it would not succeed in forcing a default or keeping the government shut down, and a serious shot at doing either of those is not something I would respect.

I really wish conservatives would stop using the false meme of forcing "default".  With $230 billion coming in every month and $30 billion debt service it wasn't going to happen.  Of course O'bamer could have violated the constitution and forced default.  I guess the threat of that should have put the most "pure" conservative on their knees.  Further,  polls show about 70% of the country didn't notice any effects of the 15-20% "shutdown" but, "good" conservatives went right along with the press crying about the stupid Tea Party shutdown.  

Perhaps you failed to notice the $600 billion we went further into debt just in October. That's OK "good" Republicans haven't mentioned it either.

The Tea Party has had a couple failures that were wildly celebrated  and, I could see that putting you off on the 100$ers.  I guess rather than try to get it right, we should just settle into the status of the minority loyal opposition.   I guess a good way to start might be for McConnel and Boner to jump in and help democrats make obungacare even better.