Here in Indiana back in 2006 the blue dog Ellsworth beat John Hostettler a real conservative. And I mean Hostettler was slaughtered. He was honest and true to his conservative principles and he still got beat. And this district is not a liberal district. My county went over 75% Republican in the last two elections.

Yup, that was my district in Indiana, too. The “run a ‘real conservative’ and everybody will vote for him” line is every bit as simple-minded as “build it and they will come.” Note that Murtha is still in Congress, and nobody is a principled, honorable, conservative if Bill Russell isn’t.

If Toomey can brand himself as a fiscal conservative and keep the media from branding him a social conservative, he has a chance. If he gets branded as another “Help! Fag marriage!” candidate, he’s going down like Hostettler did.

So you are saying that the Republican (political) Party should be above umm…politics?

ronsfi on June 30, 2009 at 4:32 PM

Not above politics, but commited to principles. The current crop of Republican leadership is nakedly commited to holding office, not conservative principles, those are secondary to winning elections.

I could have been more clear, that for the critique.

I like to think that perhaps sending the GOP back their “surevey/request for funds” filled out in it’s entirety, sans check, with a hand written explanation as to WHY they’re not getting any money from me in the forseeable future had something, at least in some small way, to do with this.

NOT. ONE. PENNY.

SuperCool on June 30, 2009 at 2:22 PM

Too late. Mine’s already in the trash. I’ll donate directly to the (conservative) candidates.

Now that the Obama administration and the Democrats have embarked on what can only be called Extreme Government Spending, the GOP has belatedly awakened to its best opportunity: to find reliable, trustworthy fiscal conservatives to rebuild its credibility and provide a brake to massive irresponsibility on Capitol Hill.

Sadly, I suspect the GOP only considers this a politically expedient tactic rather than a principle worth adhering to on its own merit. Should they return to power, the GOP would return to the spending habits which lost them Congress in the first place.

You are not alone. CFG FTW.

eading the Senate Republicans boldly on an agenda that is free of political influence
Theworldisnotenough on June 30, 2009 at 2:35 PM

.
So you are saying that the Republican (political) Party should be above umm…politics?

Let’s hope they’ve begun to get the message that 2010 will be about the economy, the deficit, and insane levels of spending.about stopping the socialist powergrab of our executive offices, our industry, our banks, our homes, our 401K’s, our freedoms!

While I don’t disagree with the original, think this is even more pressing! Get to a tea party on July 4!

Michael Steele…. still asleep at the wheel…..

ultracon on June 30, 2009 at 3:23 PM

driving Miss Daisy

the article and ensuing comments are the very reason I donate to SarahPAC and NOT the RNC.

Onager on June 30, 2009 at 3:37 PM

amen

GOP rallying to Toomey?

Final-effing-ly.

Looks like Franken is going to be certified. It can only go up from here?

msmveritas on June 30, 2009 at 2:22 PM

It could always be worse.

If President Kool & The Gang nationalize the election with their hijinks, then it will matter less whether or not Toomey can be branded a carpetbagger or poor constituency server or whatever else makes you feel free to offer characterizations of his cojones. Maybe Pennsylvanians are obscenely parochial and will reject a prodigal son in favor of a thing like Specter, or maybe not. What good does it do you or us to continually emphasize the odds against Toomey, and plan out the future as though it’s eternally 2006? Like I said, if it’s always 2006 forever and ever, then the Republican Party is over anyway.

Better late than never. Now someone get the message to Colin Powell.

Right. Good luck with that.

…at the Republican establishment party

Therein lies a majority of our problems. We let the Establishment choose our major candidates. Thus we get useless old twits like Dole and McCoot ‘who’s turn it is’ to be our candidates. Toss these rascals out along with RINO’s and traitors like the 8 Reps who voted for cap-n’-trade. If we can’t win, we can at least honestly stand for something!