GOP Leadership Worried About Damage To Party's Reputation From Base

POLITICO:

"I would point out that the greatest anxiety about the president's policies tends to come from independents," he said.

Long before the tea parties or Wilson's outburst, Boehner and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had struggled to moderate the rhetorical excesses of House conservatives hammering away on Obama's birth certificate, decrying the creation of "death panels" and ferreting out signs of creeping socialism.

Read the whole story: POLITICO

Comments

[Rob Horton]

I wouldn't give Michelle Bachmann too much credit... It's not like she's acting alone, there's plenty of crazy to go around on that side of the aisle.

[chomedey]

I agree and I don't think she never had any

[balancedsolution]

she's not hurting the party....she's just exposing them for the uninformed christian zealots that could care less about others that they really are!

[wildedge]

Politico seems to run a story lik this about ever 3 weeks and I just wonder aout their motives - are thy truggling to retain middle-of-the-road credentials for themselves? or for the Republicans?
At ay rate, if the Democrats woul only celebrate their majority instead o ignoring it, this moment could well mean the end of the Republican Party. Loons like Bachman have no righful place in politics, they have no sense of decency.

[lobo1939]

Loons like Backman give insane people a bad image. I see truely insane people on public transportation frequently who are talking loudly, rocking back and forth and sucking their thumbs that have more sense of decency than Backman.

[6bd]

the GOP leadership, and the rise of the uninformed are hurting the party.

[Davonne Rushing]

This is awesome! It took them this long to realize that Bachmann is hurting the Republican Party?

[fr33d0mhawk]

Bachmann is just like most republicans hurling the same lies and red herring rhetoric. The leadership of the GOP is not in Washington, its in FOX News and right wing radio. Wilson said sorry, until Limbaugh told him not too, now Wilson has all but retracted his apology. Limbaugh and Hannity constantly ripped on Tom Daschle until the Antrhax terrorist sent anthrax to Daschles office. Even Cheney follows Limbaugh's lead, and probably consults Limbaugh before Cheney puts on his pants in the morning. This right wing media trap is so effective, it has completely usurped the GOP. Now, if any republican politician were to act in a dignified manner and focus on substance over form, Limbaugh and Hannity would rip them apart with carrion-eating abandon. This means that every repubilcan congressman has to walk a fine line of what is acceptable behavior in Limbaugh, Hannity land. This means that every GOP congressman needs to believe that Obama was born in Kenya, that Obama's healthcare plan is designed to round up millions of jews and execute them, that they only way to talk to a liberal is with a baseball bat. The GOP can have concerns, but until their base divorces themselves from Limbaughlian histrionics, the GOP will all continue to act like Bachmann.

[fireW]

“There is a certain portion of the conference that believes the worst about the president and needs to express that” In other words, these psychotic nut cases have a need to invent lies & are then compelled to tell them ad nauseum whether any sane person actually wants to hear them or not. This passes for rational behavior. Right.

[swellsoire]

Bachmann/Palin Overdrive 2012! Glenn Beck as the White House Press Secretary. John McCain as the Secretary of State. Orly Taitz as the head of the Department of Justice. Pat Buchanan as the head of the Department of Education. We could all just kick back and wait for the first wave of incoming ICBMs to begin exploding over the major population centers.

[MighteeAphrodite]

She may want to stop using hair dye with formaldehyde and coal tar. Hatters weren't mad fer nothin'.

[Angiefranci]

Boehner sure has got his work cut out for him. He's going to need quite a few straight jackets to get it done, too.

[1differentdrummer]

Yea, Michelle! Keep it up, girl.

[citizen of the universe]

Nice John, blame the handicap!

[vascopyjama]

It's a bit late to be worried about you reputation boys.

[joemike127]

In its simplest form, Leadership is to lead, set the agenda, take charge etc. This is the new GOP reality. A Rep member of the house of representatives had previosly conceived and had added to another bill, voluntary Living Will consultation. On the radio a talking head and his guest miraculously re-defined that literal statement into, mandatory Death Panels, that is now a mainstay talking point among the GOP. We all rember one of the de-facto leaders Rush, having elected members of the GOP call into his show, and on live radio profusely apologising. Another de-facto leader, Beck attacks Acorn, the GOP elected members follow suit, and are all attacking Acorn. Town Hall attendee's who believe their right to be heard, outweighs the rights of others in attendance, yell, scream, demand Obama's birth certificate etc, are hailed by the GOP as passionate and well informed citizens. Conservative Radio, TV, and they who yell the loudest, with the most bizarre statements are setting the agenda for the GOP. Bachmann is in that group. McConnel, Boehner, have willingly ceded their power. They are not embarassed by her, they are jealous.

[lungfish]

Guess nobody told the GOP that one finger points at the one they blame while three others point back at them....