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

[JenMI]

GOP ... feel free to fight your way into oblivion.

[JPE33180]

We left too many of the GOP old guard behind. A few years ago they insisted that we blindly support our President while blaming Congressional Democrats of obstructionism. Now that we have a President-elect that truely has some political capital behind him will the Congressional Republicans become the obstructionist? Of course they will, we have already seen their intended act played out since 2006. They have no shame and do not really have the "country first" in mind. Today would be the best time to begin to identify candidates to run against this remaining old guard in 2010 to further support our President-elect - a man that has the intellect and demeanor that has been missing in the White House for 8 years - a man who should be a role model for all our representatives in DC.

[AxelDC]

Prior to 1992, Vermont was a Republican redoubt in the Electoral College. In 2008, it was the first state called for Obama.

Republicans cannot win the White House on a regular basis with California, Illinois and New York already lost. Until Republicans can figure out how to win the voter rich East and West coasts of the US, they are doomed to become the party of a shrinking rural base.

The most important statistics of this race: Obama won college educated voters. This used to be the heart of the GOP, and if Republicans can't win those who understand government and give money to partipate in the process, they are going to see themselves outspent and outvoted in the suburbs. McCain lost Bucks County and Montgomery County, PA, which is why PA was called so quickly for Obama.

[libsarepinheads]

Oh my, the end of the Republicans? Guys you beat a 72 yr old moderate with no clear message. You are really kidding yourself if you think they are gone.

They will go back to ideas of small government. These ideas will surface when BO tries to introduce socialized medicine, card check, etc.

[BLinCincinnati]

"They will go back to ideas of small government."

Back to? They've never BEEN small government. It was always talk to snow over supporters. Reagan, Bush, and Bush massively increased the government. Reagan, who all of you worship as some kind of god, took the national debt from $0.6 Trillion to over $3 Trillion. That's an increase of over 500%. At least Shrub only doubled it.

But hey, you guys keep insisting that you weren't conservative enough, that you didn't run someone far enough to the right. I BEG you to run someone like Palin in 2012.

[KYZipster]

Small government? The voters have fallen for that myth one too many times. They will come back of course, my prediction is that we will see some new Republican faces campaigning as "Obama Republicans", like the "Reagan Democrats" of the Clinton years. They will have to offer some alternative to health care for all if Obama and the Dem Congress do not pull it off in two years. Of course it will be mostly a huge tax giveaway to the insurance lobby but it will something.

I suggest that you run the old John McCain in 2012, lol!

“There’s one big difference between me and the others—I won’t take every last dime of the surplus and spend it on tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy. I’ll use the bulk of the surplus to secure Social Security far into the future to keep our promise to the greatest generation.” John McCain 2000

[noamjunior]

anyone who supports Palin should think twice before calling anyone a derogatory name for low intelligence

[candyc]

I grew up in a democratic family the 50s and 60s. I remember my mother stuffing envelopes for our neighborhood's Anti-McCarthy campaign. But, in general, Republicans were wealthy, well educated
and "all business". They were the parents of my friends.
The 2008 version of the Republican brand is a cartoon of what they once were.

I always thought that because of the huge differences between them, McCain and Obama could have run a serious, hate-free campaign for the presidency. John McCain , because of bad choices that he made, shot his own campaign in the foot by employing the standard GOP lie, exaggerate, slander, frighten campaign.

If anything good is going to come out of the last 3 months, I hope that it's the fact that those tactics no longer work. The Republicans need to stand FOR something positive. Until they do, they are doomed to the same fate as their poster child, Joe McCarthy

[normathumb]

The permanent Republican majority has done the way of the thousand year reich. If the old guard conservative Republican 'party of ideas' ever wants to be relevant, they need to stop walking around with the crackpot in the sandwich boards reading "The end is nigh". Theirs is an unholy marraige of convenience that has certainly run its course. The snake handlers have turned on the intellectual wing of the party, vilifying Noonan, Will and Brooks for having the temerity to point out the obvious regarding Palin. She may qualify as a cub scout den mother but shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the halls of power.

[mamacat]

It looks to me like a battle will be brewing between two radical right wingers in the GOP. Whatever happened to mild-mannered moderates like Eisenhower, Warren, and Rockefeller? I get the feeling that if Reagan could somehow come back under a disguise and see what the Republican Party has become, he would switch over to the Democratic Party as fast as he could fill out the paperwork.

[Nonamnesiac]

No, Reagan is responsible for the condition the Republicans are in today, including the circular firing squad. Because he was such a "know-nothing" the stupid, know-nothing, solely political wing of the Party were able to push voodoo economnics (Reaganomics) guaranteeing that they would personally be infinitely enriched while the American public would live on a sea of ever-increasing debt that would, one day destroy the economy because the regulatory protection scheme that protected against such a collapse had to be, and was, intentionally eliminated in order to guarantee that infinite enrichment. They launched voodoo economics during the microcomputer revolution when massive capital was being created and were able to sell Dems and a majority of the electorate on voodoo economics as a result -- and the clock kept ticking. Now it's collapsed and there is going to be plenty of pain resulting from this.

The Lee Atwaters and other lying, political, fearmongerers, racists and goons all prospered under Reagan. Despite Reagan's so-called 11th Commandment, it was clear that once voodoo economics collapsed, the Party would turn its attack on its own intellectuals -- all of whom embraced voodoo economics and are as responsible as the know-nothings for their fates. Reaganomics depended on activating the know-nothing based and even empowering them and Noonan, Brooks and Wills did so.

[realpolitic]

Typically, Republicans will say they have not been conservative enough and have abandoned small government,. That is the extent of their collective self-awareness. They are holding on to the idea that the country is center-right. Conservatives have no ideas about climate change or bringing the war to a close. They tend to address issues like climate change and global alliances by simply ignoring them. American has passed these calcified pretenders up and the Republicans are the last to realize it. They often won elections through disinformation campaigns, but no one believes them any longer.

[normathumb]

They don't worry about climate change because Jesus is coming soon.

[dimplesmile7]

GOP here are the people I will never miss:

Karl Rover
Rush Lumphead (Closet Junkie)
Tucker Bounds
Nancy Pfotenhauer
Rudy Guilani (Drag Queen)
Joe Lieberman (Trader)
Sarah Palin (Unqualified Loser)
Pat Buchanan
Bey Buchanan
Elizabeth Hassellbeck (Sh*t for Brains)
Hank Williams Jr. (Take that stupid GOP song with you!)

Go Away all of you! Feel free to add to the list.

[ondamony]

how about.......... George Bush???
Bill O LIE LY
Sean Hannity

[LemonMeringue]

Send Carly Fiorina away too.

[BryantG]

Ann Coulter
Michele Malken
Laura Ingram
The Entire Cast and Crew of Fox and Friends
Dennis Miller

[buster85]

Don't forget BillO , Shaun Hannity, and Dick Morris.

[buckfushlv]

i could not agree more

i will not miss
BUFFY
MUFFY
LOVI

now that we do not have to listen to PAILIN FINGER NAIL ON A BLACK BOARD VOICE

WE CAN ALL WORK HARD TO GO AFTER THE MOST ANNOYING MALE VOICE


BILLY MAYS------MUST BE A REPUBLICAN HE CAN ONLY SHOUT TO MAKE HIS POINT





N BILLY MAYS

[eichler1]

Rejoice the "end days" of the rethugs! May their end days go on for decades!

[lobear00]

Since 2000, when bush took office, everything this administration has done, was done by design. The republicans in the congress, both the house and senate, covered all acts bush had done, Investigations, hearings, were covered up and/or blocked by the republicans.

This is what the democrats have got to change, and bring to light every member of the republican clan that have been involved with the massive cover up. Those little bushes, who refused to answer the subpoenas need to be placed behind bars, along with the present attorney general .

[swisskid]

Uhh, wake-up call. The new demographics of this country are now Center-Left. And getting stronger each passing year. This election is a realignment that will only become more apparent each forthcoming election cycle. Young and diverse ethnically is the new America, not old, male, and white.
I see the RePugs veering further right in the future not unlike Custer's Last Stand. They are too arrogant and stupid to understand what is happening to them.

[StillAmused]

About six months into their civil war, the right wing of the GOP will announce a "surge". A good time will be had by all.

[eichler1]

LOL!

And they'll lie and say that thanks to the surge, they're "winning"

[Passenger57]

Like McCain,they'll claim to be "winning" the surge - just don't ask them why they needed a "surge" in the first place!

[NoMoreFreepers]

Methinks all that time spent in the tanning bed cooked Boehner's brain just a scosh.

[Nonamnesiac]

This kind of thinking (watching the Republican lemmings attack each other for marching over the cliff) is all fun, but Obama's got it right (although it's difficult not to smack this nasty group of backward, know-nothings hard.) We have to completely change direction and get a great deal accomplished, including the full scale investigation, prosecution and reversal of the massive unconstitutional and criminal behavior of the past administration as well as fixing an economy that has been so badly injured it requires real creativity and unity to correct and ending the wars rapidly and responsibly. In putting such plans together and implementing them, Obama is going to need assistance from many of these know-nothings, and the only way that happens is to concentrate on solutions instead of personalities (with a recognition that criminals will be prosecuted.)

[ObamanextPresident]

It's one thing for Faux News and Limbaugh to spew the illusion "we're a center-right country, Obama must fall in line for right wing demands." But tonite on 360, John King and AC were spewing the same thing back and forth. John was playing with his magic board showing red areas Obama had turned blue saying ...look here this is an area Bush won four years ago, if Obama tries to implement a "liberal" agenda he could run the chance of losing this area in the future. AC...yes there is a danger for Obama to rule to far to the left.

I cannot believe the spin from msm. There is not even one second of thought that people voted in 04 out of trumpeted fear and with genuine hope for change in 08. Not even a thought that people are actually choosing soundly everything the Democrats are offering, that they have finally realized (let alone having to live) the destruction BushCheneyRove have wrought. Not even a thought that a vast majority wants the high road for America. Enough, enough, enough of the low road of anger, fear, divisiveness.
.