From Politico.com:
House GOP seeks comeback strategy
By: Jake Sherman and Patrick O'Connor
January 29, 2010 04:49 AM EST
Republicans couldn’t ask for a better political environment.
But the momentum from Massachusetts and a meltdown in the Democrats’ agenda haven’t exactly translated to better poll numbers for the GOP.
House Republicans left for their annual retreat in Baltimore on Thursday searching for ways to shed the “party of no” label and convince voters they’re ready to lead.
“Listen, they’re not enamored with us, except that right now they’re ready to take a chance on us because they’ve seen what the other team can produce,” House Minority Leader John Boehner told reporters Thursday before leaving for Baltimore.
Part of the problem is that the Republicans’ 12-year run in the majority is still fresh in voters’ minds.
“In 1994, nobody had any memory of Republicans in power,” said Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake, an outspoken small-government conservative whose crusade against earmarks has put him at odds with party leaders over the years. “Now they do, and it wasn’t pretty. And so we have something to overcome that we really didn’t in 1994.”
A question moving forward is whether Republicans should work with President Barack Obama to look productive or stay unified against him to prevent Democrats from any election-year wins.
Obama addresses the conference Friday afternoon. His first visit with Republicans last year was a cordial affair, but eventually resulted in acrimony after GOP lawmakers unanimously opposed his economic stimulus package. The relationship has proved testy ever since.
In his State of the Union address, Obama told Republicans he wants to work with them and said that he’d like to meet with party leaders more frequently.
The Republican leader isn’t showing much appetite for deal making heading into a critical midterm election. As Boehner told reporters: “I know who I am, I know what my principles are. I know what the principles of my members are, and I’m not going to sacrifice my principles just by sitting down and negotiating.”
But he’s clearly aware that the “party of no” label is casting a cloud over the GOP. According to excerpts of remarks to his colleagues Thursday evening, Boehner said, “Yes, we could conceivably win by simply opposing everything and standing for nothing. But could we govern that way? I think we all know the answer is ‘no.’”
“While it is true majorities typically beat themselves, it is critically important for the minority party to demonstrate that it’s ready with ideas and an agenda to take power,” said Arizona Rep. John Shadegg, another outspoken conservative who recently announced his retirement from the House.
The Republican retreat, then, will offer a flashback to 1994 as the party tries to figure out whether it can create a sort of Contract With America 2.0.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Majority Leader Dick Armey, who is the nominal head of the tea party movement, will address the gathering. And onetime chief of staff Barry Jackson, who oversaw the Contract, has returned to Boehner’s staff after the sudden death of the minority leader’s top aide.
Boehner has told his rank and file to embrace the so-called tea party movement “because it will be critical as we proceed,” according to excerpts from his remarks.
Boehner’s hands-off style on his conference, however, will make it harder for the party to coalesce around a single set of principles like the Contract With America. This was a problem for the GOP in the health care debate and could prove troublesome on the campaign trail.
There’s no shortage of ideas flowing from Republican ranks right now.
This past week, Rep. Paul Ryan, a popular conservative from Wisconsin, unveiled “A Roadmap for America’s Future,” his vision for where the party should go. The plan would increase access to health care by restructuring the tax code. He also raises the retirement age to protect Social Security and eliminates the estate tax, and taxes on capital gains or dividends. Other members are expected to unveil their own visions.
Republicans understand the optics of retreating to an upscale resort, so they scaled back their retreat this year, choosing a hotel in downtown Baltimore rather than the opulence of The Homestead or The Greenbrier, two sprawling luxury resorts nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains that have been the site of recent getaways.
But The Congressional Institute, whose board is composed of influential lobbyists, still picks up most of the tab for the three-day retreat, giving Democrats a chance to reprise the “Culture of Corruption” label that plagued Republicans in 2006 during their grueling yearlong descent from power.
“While hardworking Americans are struggling to make ends meet, House Republicans are at a resort plotting strategy behind closed doors with lobbyists who picked up the tab,” said Ryan Rudominer, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman.
Republicans still contend they have the populist surge on their side in this election cycle.
“I personally believe the American people are deeply offended with the way Washington does business,” Shadegg said. “They want to know that we get it; the Congress should not self-deal. Agreements that get a member’s vote by getting him something may not be bribery, but it doesn’t look good. If we send that message, I think the American people will say, ‘Maybe they are ready to govern.’”
14 comments:
They still don't get it and are still wandering in the wilderness which is where they belong when they make these type statements- Work w/Odama to look productive? How 'bout just doing what's right and what the Constitution says you should do/not do? The Reps have no soul and are in it for the power, $$, and prestige. Otherwise what to do is really simple. It's only when you have no rudder that it's difficult to find your way. It they win w/no vision to restore some of our lost freedoms, it'll be a short stay in power.
SameNoKami
III
The Dead Elephants will do what they have always done; take the opportunity to get themselves into a better position from which to make them and their corporate/banker friends richer, even if they have to start a war to do it, then they will take a whipping and resume begging scraps from the Jackass Club's table. No one who is a part of the establishment can be trusted, because they are not conservatives, they only talk like they are, but they are really the same corrupt, criminal scum as the Jackass Club in the end.
Politics-from the Latin...
poli- - - meaning many, and
tics- - - meaning bloodsuckers
I've had my last go 'round with these two-faced clowns, and I ain't gonna give them the sweat off my *****. If they ever decide to stop being self-serving squishes, and show some guts and RESULTS, maybe we can talk. Their dithering and lack of intestinal fortitude has brought us to the brink of disaster, and I'm supposed to trust them now?
I notice in the Republican statement, it was all about the people -- which is not necessarily a bad thing. But I saw nothing there about Big Gub'ment -- such as, reducing and returning to the Constitution. Which would mean shedding over 3/4 of all Federal Departments.
Too bad. They can continue to wander in the wilderness. No Moses to lead them, and I think it's going to be longer then 40 years before the RINOs come to their conservative senses (that is, if they have any left to come back to).
B Woodman
III-per
They are counting on us continuing to vote for the lesser of two evils, but we simply can not do that any longer. Time to clean house. Socialism is Socialism no matter if how you dress it up. The lipstick does not fool me! Starve the stinking monkeys.
Governing means telling people, "No".
Consider the people of Israel and their charter--the Ten Commandments, which is comprised wholly of negative sanctions: NO idolatry, NO murder, NO theft, etc.
The Bill of Rights is similar: "Congress shall make NO law..."
Sean is right, the Republicans are squishy. They yearn to be the "kinder and gentler" party but my favorite Republican is Ron Paul, AKA "Dr No".
John Boehner is no Ron Paul and the Republicans are merely a different gang of thieves.
Take a tip from Nancy Reagan, you Republican Nancy-boys. Just say "No".
MALTHUS
I don't see anyone trying to make the GOP change. This is done at the grass roots level and making politicians realize they will not get support from the 9/12ers or Tea Baggers or anyone else that demands Constitutional governance. Pissing and moaning might make us all feel good to relieve the tensions and frustrations of the past .... but it does nothing to solve the problem.
Truth is that if we don't take back the Republican party and hold it to Conservative principles .... we will have Obama and gang back for round two.
I heard Palin say that the GOP and the TEA Party movement should merge, yesterday. What she doesn't get is that we are against BOTH parties, because BOTH parties are traitors to the Constitution. Show mw a GOP leader who is not for some form of heathcare reform for proof.
If there is to be a merger, it will be with individuals who honor their Oaths, not with a party. Let the GOP members who would do that, reject the GOP Party, proclaim their past sins and beg forgiveness. Otherwise, the GOP can go straight to the same hell reserved for the traitors in the Democrat Party.
Wrong plan. The Tea Party crowd needs to think in terms of taking the GOP party over.
Had the Libertarians operated as the Libertarian faction of either of the parties they would have had even more effective.
At the lowest level it is easy to put your people in place. But it is a slow slog. Not glamorous but safe little risk of harm to you.
The GOP is the party of maybe, not the party of, "No." And that's the heart of the problem.
While the Democommies are on the Left, Republicrats are in the aisle itself leaving the Right largely unoccupied. So who's really holding down the Right?
No one.
The Republicans could offer concrete, foundational, Constitutional ideas and proposals to expand freedom, liberty, and real prosperity (not just more credit). Instead the strategy seems to be to pitch tents for a while and delay for as long as possible, an endless march to the left.
Eric
...and I'm all out of bubble gum.
Shadegg said. “They want to know that we get it; the Congress should not self-deal. Agreements that get a member’s vote by getting him something may not be bribery, but it doesn’t look good."
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO CALL IT BUT BRIBERY. IT'S NOT EASTER EGGS OR PUNCH BOWLS.
But he’s clearly aware that the “party of no” label is casting a cloud over the GOP. According to excerpts of remarks to his colleagues Thursday evening, Boehner said, “Yes, we could conceivably win by simply opposing everything and standing for nothing. But could we govern that way? I think we all know the answer is ‘no.’”
This, sadly, is an admission that the people on Planet DC see the governance of every aspect of your life as a right and a duty, and that they have no intention of changing--they're not even aware that it's possible to change.
This explains why the GOP is trying to sell their own version of the illegal, hostile takeover of the medical industry.
Folks, adding more laws--regardless of the fact that they're aimed at federal employees--isn't going to fix anything. That's asking Congress to fix itself. The culture in the swamp is such that its inhabitants simply lack the perspective to understand the country outside.
I am now convinced that the only way to fix it is to cut off the money supply. Accountability from the outside is impossible. If the money is reduced, the leeches will shrivel and fall off, and the rest will eventually rediscover priorities. It's less painful to do it now that to wait for an unimaginably massive debt explosion to crater the economy.
Well there is no doubt that the Tea Parties are indeed a force in American politics. The democrats called it a fluke when they lost the governorships in New Jersey and Virginia. The loss at Massachusetts flipped them on their collective ears. So what do we do now? I say lets roll on even harder while we have the momentum. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels and wait and see what Sarah Palin and Scott Brown do now.
We need to be very watchful of our gains as we are now in a very dangerous time. The beast in Washington DC is awake and wounded by this ground swell of the people saying NO! It is not something that they are accustomed to hearing. The ruling elite of both parties are seeing a real threat to their base. We still have to push for the candidates that we want in 2010 by the march 2nd primaries. That is a real short time to work on replacing ALL the incumbents that are up for re-election. We also must watch those politicians that claim to support us.
Sarah Palin claims to be a rogue outsider of the GOP. She decided not to go to GOPAC this year but instead will be a keynote speaker at the Tea Party Convention this year. One big atta boy for that! She then comes out and endorses Rick Perry for governor of Texas! One big aw s#!+ for that. Rick Perry IS a politician. His speciality is seeing which way the wind is blowing and going with it. If we could harness the power in his flip flops we could do without a whole lot of wind farms. This is the guy who brought us the Trans-Texas corridor, to be built and toll operated by a spanish contractor, until public outrage killed it. Now he was against it all along. Note to Sarah, we are going against all incumbents. You might consider Debra Medina for your endorsement as she is a maverick like you and not an incumbent from Texas or Washington DC.
Scott Brown owes his seat directly to the effort of Tea Parties all across this nation. They really pulled it together to help him win. Who was the recipient of his first endorsement? John McCain! Are you kidding me? This is the RINO loser who lost to Obama. This is the guy who brought us McCain-Feingold act. Just recently Mr. Brown told the GOP leadership that he would not necessarily follow their leadership. Note to the Tea Parties, this guy is a moderate at best. He needs to be watched like a hawk over the next couple of months.
Obama has proven to be the Tea Parties Best friend. At the State of the Union address he made it clear that it's full speed ahead. Health care, Cap and Trade, Immigration reform are still alive and will be pushed by the democrats for all that they are worth. The biggest crack that we can exploit was Obama's diss to the Supreme Court. With issues like his birth certificate and the constitutionality of these bills it is unwise to piss off those who will decide on them.
We need to keep up if not increase the pressure against the beast of Washington DC. Lets start considering some national strikes. Push the states on nullification legislation. Change your withholding to limit the taxes going in to feed the beast. Support new and fresh candidates for office. We want to un-elect ALL incumbents. Lastly we need to consider becoming a full political party and a force to be reckoned with.
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