GOP Civil War Begins

The morning after the election has brought an opening salvo in what could become a contentious battle of recriminations for the GOP, as various factions lay blame and beg for immunity in what has been, since 2004, a slow disintegration of their power in Washington. Just after noon, House Republicans feathers began to ruffle, as it was reported that Minority Leader John Boehner released a letter to his colleagues, officially asking to retain his job:

I'm deeply disappointed by the outcome of Tuesday's election. But I'm equally committed to building a lasting majority on the reform principles that define us and inspire our citizens. For this reason, I'm writing today to announce my candidacy for Republican Leader in the 111th Congress, and to request the honor of your vote.

As your Leader, I've worked tirelessly for our team, and tried to lead by example. I'll always be straight with you, and I'll always be open to your ideas. You deserve nothing less. I can't ask for the best from you unless I'm willing to give it myself.

Winning the majority and rebuilding our party will require the best from all of us. But this is not unfamiliar territory. We've faced and overcome these challenges before, and working together as a bold, unified, and energetic team, we'll do it again.

I'm ready to get started today. I'm confident you are too. I look forward to speaking with you in person and outlining our plans for the future. It's time for the losing to stop. And my commitment to you is that it will.

I humbly ask for your support and the privilege of serving as House Republican Leader in the next Congress.

It's probably no coincidence that around the same time, word got out that Virginia Representative Eric Cantor was gunning to replace Roy Blunt as House Whip. Honestly, it's hard to see how any of the GOP leadership in the House survives -- these were the people who went schizo on the bailout bill, pinning their lack of support to the 5,437th instance of Nancy Pelosi criticizing George Bush, after all. And, who can forget their brilliant plan to center their re-election hopes around a slogan stolen from an anti-depressant?

But if there's a real crisis in the House right now for the Republican Party, it's the gradually diminishing voice of moderation. Virginia's Tom Davis famously criticized his cohorts earlier this year, saying that "the Republican brand is in the trash can...if we were dog food, they would take us off the shelf." This morning, Davis can take comfort in the fact that he read the political landscape correctly. Unfortunately for the GOP, he'll also be retiring -- one more non-shrill voice who won't be participating in the process. This morning, Davis took a shot at the Club For Growth, an anti-tax zealotry outfit who've taken great pains to increase the fringe faction in the GOP side: "We call it the Club for Democratic Growth," Davis told WAMU Public Radio today.

And the fact is, the GOP appears set to double down on a rightward tilt, putting the moderates that Davis leaves behind in increasing isolation. Boehner, in his letter, makes this pretty clear:

America remains a center-right country. Democrats should not make the mistake of viewing Tuesday's results as a repudiation of conservatism or a validation of big government. Neither should we. Instead of throwing in the towel, as our opponents demand, we must redouble our efforts to develop forward-looking solutions to the challenges Americans face - solutions rooted in the enduring principles of reform that define us as a party. We need to focus on winning the issues, one by one, and presenting principled, superior alternatives that reflect the center-right priorities of the American people, rather than the self-serving priorities of Washington.

Center-right cheerleading? GOP versions of "forward-looking" solutions? A paean to somebody's idea of "reform"? And one last shot at "Washington?" It seems to me that these are the ingredients of the casserole of bad thinking that America just summarily rejected at the polls. Rather than naively asserting a center-rightness that doesn't exist -- after all, it can now be definitively said that widely-supported ideas such as Iraq withdrawal and universal health care are mainstream positions -- the GOP needs to find the new center, and blaze the sort of path suggested by authors Reihan Salaam and Ross Douthat in Grand New Party, which imagines a less zombie-like Republican party that seeks to win with a working-class coalition.

But John Boehner says, "It ain't gonna happen. It must not happen." And indeed, this is the party that's leaning toward running Mitt Romney or Sarah Palin in 2012. If Boehner gets things his way, maybe he'll be joining Davis on the golf course sooner than he'd like.

Comments

[Sarahmay99]

Time for some soul-searching, boys. Your policy of exclusion has not served you well.

[Pdubya]

neocons have no soul. ask a ron paul supporter.

for that matter, i can't for the likes of me understand how democrats support frank, pelosi or reid either.

its the centrist crooks that need to be dealt with. we need more ron paul's and dennis kucinichs.

hell, mckinney, paul, barr, nader and baldwin agreed on four american principles....why can't congress? because it won't make them RICH.

[saxmaniac]

Why do Republican's hate America?

[grizhead63]

"Conservatives are close-minded, shallow, superficial people that live in a fantasy world where everything is black and white and there are NO shades of gray." author unknown

[jojojo]

I actually think most Republicans do not hate America. It's no more fair to say that than when some of them say stuff like "Democrats are socialists."

In his gracious, patriotic speech, John McCain put country first in calling on us to "reach across the aisle" and leave behind contentiousness and bitterness. America NEEDS our next president to be great. McCain knows this, and knows that ALL Americans need to help Obama become that great president.

We on the winning side need to be as gracious as McCain was in his speech.

[armstp]

Gracious speech, as he trashed Obama for 6 months calling him a terrorist, a black radical, a communist, a marxist, unpatriotic, etc. etc. It was more than just politics. It took it to a new low.

John McCain can go to hell. His campaign lost him any respect he once had. His negative viscious campaign, picking an unqualified VP and going back on all his principals have shot down his character just like he was shot down in Vietnam. Go retire in the desert.

[donniebnyc]

How sad that John McCain was not gracious, or honorable, or even truthful in his campaign.

I agree that they do not hate America. But they have shown themselves to be all too willing to subvert the principles and ideals on which this country was founded. John McCain chose to give himself over to these people.Had McCain been elected he would undoubtedly have learned that the "old, honorable" McCain of 2000 was a loser.

I am certain a victory on election day would have made permanent his transformation into the hateful man we saw on the campaign trail.

[outofhere]

The GOP might want to listen to talk (hate) radio and rethink its devotion to Sean, Rush, Savage, Beck, etc. These hate mongers aren't really helping the GOP cause; they just agitate the fringe element.

[littlebuddylouie]

The Republicans really crippled themselves when they sold out to the extreme religious right. That may have served them well for a time, but it has also robbed them of any flexibility to adapt to changing social conditions. The demographics are working against them, and they are basically powerless to do anything about it because of their rigid adherence to ideology.
When they created that alliance, they basically became the "with us or against us" party, and they have to find a way to move beyond that. It's laughable now to hear Republicans even talk about serious change because it's the very thing they have set themselves up against.

[armstp]

I 100% agree. I would add that the majority of their vote is now from white religious evangelicals. There are supposively 60 million evangelicals in this country. I bet that way more than half the +50 million that voted for the Republicans fit in this category.

I also think the Republicans are also just a party of angry white men. They are angry that they are losing their relative power in this country and they are becoming increasingly racist or anti-minority or anti-immigrant.

A very small tent indeed.

And although they got +50 million votes, which is still a lot, it is a voting base that is not really growing.

There is also really no traditional conservative ideology on economics left. Their no tax platform is broken and does not work. People do not care about taxes. It was very low down on the voting issues in the exit poles. The Republicans are also the party of big spending. They can call liberals tax and spend, but they are the party of no-tax and spend, which is far worse.

[jazzdad51]

It is correct to think that "they still just don't get it" but UNDERSTAND THIS: Obama won the electoral vote in a landslide. However, the national popular vote was much closer. There is still 47% of Americans who "still don't get it". We should not gloat and become as arrogant as the republicans are lest we be humbled in 2012. Our elected leaders must remain focused yet willing to work with the conservatives. Not all conservative ideas are bad.

[leeman79]

Well put. You're exactly right. We must attempt to bridge the gap with the Republicans who are willing to do so. We must prove to the nation that we can reestablish bipartisanship, when possible. There are still moderates in the republican party with ideas, who are willing to meet in the middle.

[Harinama]

"Not all conservative ideas are bad.", only the neocons who "call" themselves conservatives (they are actually full blown neo-liberals) ideas are bad.

The republican party of the 21st century is not conservative, it is racist, classist, sexist, myopic, imper.ial.ist, hegemonic, dictatorial, divisive, ignorant, and bought and paid for my lobbyists.­..basicall­y evil

Show me REAL conservatism in the repug party, and then, just MAYBE i'll change my view.

[arvay]

Boehner is precisely the kind of smug, arrogant spokesman for privilege who needs to be removed. If the intellectu­ally-alive section of the Republicans triumphs over the Dittoheads and rubes, they will get rid of people like this and we'll have a real "loyal opposition" to work with.

The Democrats have also produced people like this, and they helped Reagan to win an the Republicans to gain control of Congress. Remember Rostenkowski? Obama I hope is "inoculated" by the peoples' contributions from that kind of influence.

[exhale09]

If Republicans are to ever be taken seriously again, they will need to stop making excuses for their own mistakes. Stop blaming their own demise on "the economy" which THEY CHAMPIONED with their own positions and VOTED FOR as if it is somehow APART from their responsibility.

You are also blaming GW Bush. Well HE was YOUR guy...for TWO elections. We DEMOCRATS have been TRYING to tell you.

Republicans, you want to move even farther to the RIGHT then you have already been? Go ahead, continue to listen to Boehner. Ignore the PEOPLE/VOTERS who have spoken loudly to you with our votes for the last two elections.
Do some serious soul searching so you can bring your Party back from the strategy of WINNING at any cost, choosing candidates based on STRATEGY instead of excellance and abilities...and muster some respect for the people of this country...ALL the people.

You can't call for bi-partisanship at the same time you are insulting half of us, and shutting us out, by saying you are speaking to the PRO-AMERICAN "parts" of the country....and expect us to feel like listening to you.

You lost this election because of YOUR ATTITUDE and your incompetence, for the last eight years.

Have you not even noticed that the more you lie about, and insult Patriotic Democratic Americans, our intentions, and our candidates, the more determined we are to defeat you and your divisive arrogant Politics of personal destruction?

Heal thyself.

[rjmiller]

I love when established senators rail about the "problems with Washington" and "reform." Guess what guys? You are Washington.

[Pere]

This is all fantastic news. I would hope all decent Americans would join their elected president in rebuilding our nation. But, failing that, I hope the republicants are committed to maintaining their party platform- they'll just continue to be increasingly irrelevant! Go for it!!

[IssyWise]

Ideological purity sounds principled, but unfortunately one must govern in the real world.

For over a hundred and fifty years various regimes have tried Herbert Spencer's laissez-faire economics. Generally speaking, regulation is stifling to markets, but at this late historical date there is no doubt that regulation is necessary to protect competition itself--as unregulated markets run to oligopoly and centralization of economic power, to protect stable and important markets (like home mortgage and home ownership) from the predations of more speculative markets (like debt securities) and to assure that the captains of recklessness are held accountable for their dangerous depredations.

Even Alan Greenspan admits that we cannot safely rely on the impulses of unfettered self-interested greed to produce and protect our economic well being.

If the Republicans take McCain's loss as proof that more Herbert Spencer purity was needed, they will thereby render themselves the minority party for a long time to come. In the end, the Democrats might rescue them by ignoring history's instruction that regulators force markets to serve their personal convenience rather than competition.

The cycle with repeat itself unless one or the other party recognizes the lessons of economic history and places such swing one and for all behind us.

[Chavez08]

Revenge of the Bankers

[BluePrideSMW]

The LAST good republican was Lincoln... This republican party has become the Know Nothings.

The Obamas are Moving On UP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf3uGsMxsoQ

A sublime Moms Mabley version of Abraham, Martin & John:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge32xtm23rQ

[norkas]

Many Republicans ran from there party because of what it stands for today.

I find many republicans i know that loved the selection of Sarah Palin leaned towards a dictatorship.

The extreme right wing reared there ugly head with all there hatred and race issues. These people are perhaps the most un American group in this country today and very dangerous to our future.

The Republicans have to start a new party and run fast or let the extreme right know there party in not for them.

Barak Obama represents Compassion and Love for humanity and almost all the voters represent the same and are very tired of the selfishness and hatred that has lead this country in the last 8 years.

We are tired and entering a new age of sprituality that is very important to so many people globally and those politicians in the Republican party who do not wake up will be sleeping when the people are waking up and many have already for there love for humanity and compassion

[Ginger5]

The thought of a single minded religous sect or single ethnic homogeneous group dictating to the rest of the country and running this country into the ground are forever gone. Sorry Dobson, gingrich, limbaugh et alia.

[mcole]

this is the problem with republicans

instead of trying to identify what the majority of americans want, they are trying to figure out how to make the majority of americans accept THEIR ideals.

"we must redouble our efforts to develop forward-looking solutions to the challenges Americans face - solutions rooted in the enduring principles of reform that define us as a party"

also known as "we know whats best for you and we must convince you of that"

this is why republicans are in bigger trouble than they can imagine.

[leeman79]

As a center left democrat who has voted for republicans (in the past), let me spell it out for you guys one more time. MOVE YOUR PARTY TO THE MIDDLE. Remember the separation of church and state, and abandon the fringe elements now. For the last time, STOP IMMORTALIZING RONALD REAGAN. The divisive and reckless policies of the Reagan era are exactly what has destroyed this country. Trickle down economic policies caused the great depession, wiped out the savings and loan institution, and created this 8 year disaster that we're in now. It's always been democratic leadership in the aftermath that has had to clean up the mess, and repair the nation. Forget Ronald Reagan and go buy a biography on General/President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and begin studying it now.

[WoodyIV]

Like this post!!

[bob8788]

The republican party is dieing , they stuck in the past they still think it's 1950 or something, the party is closed off to too many different types of people, cultures and religioins, it's been hijacked by people like hannity and their kind that makes fun of blacks, hispanics , it's a freaking shame cause lincoln would be crying if he see what his party has become

http://www.barackobamacans.blogspot.com/

[DCinFrance]

The "Republican" party of today resembles nothing of what it's namesake was in the 60s.

[mandycat]

Can you imagine the reception Dwight D. Eisenhower would get in today's GOP? He'd be miles to the left of what remains of the party. Wadda a pinko, godless commie.

[DCinFrance]

Sorry...50s...but 60s as well.

[AxelDC]

Until Republicans learn to emphasize "center" over "right" in "center-right" party, they are going to find themselves further marginalized.

Because so many moderates lost in districts not gerrymandered to automatically produce GOP candidates, the more likely short-term outcome is a more ideologically orthodox GOP that does not know how to appeal to moderates and independents.

A quick glance at Obama's map shows that his sweep of the entire Northeast and the West Coast is worth 196 and 73 EVs, gave him half the Electoral College. Add in his gains in the Mountain West, and the Prairies and former Confederacy and you see that Democrats have not only seized 2 massive sections of the country, but they are making inroads into GOP territory.

Instead of bashing "SF Liberals", Republicans need to start considering how they can compete for California, New York and New England.

[BLinCincinnati]

That's the problem... they can't. They've created a "conservative only" party. They drove out all the liberal Republicans (Lincoln was a liberal), and many of the moderates. What has led the Dems to their dramatic come back is the big tent approach. There are liberal Dems, moderate Dems, and conservative Dems.

If the Republicans choose to go more conservative they'll relegate themselves to being in a permanent minority as the moderates, and some "intellectual conservatives", will move over to the Dem side.