Cornyn Recruiting RINOs

[Lunar]

But Cheney disagreez
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0509/Cheney_to_GOP_It_would_be_a_mistake_for_us_to_moderate.html


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22212.html

For many Republicans, including Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, the reaction to Sen. Arlen Specter’s party switch was unequivocal: good riddance.

Yet even as his jilted former party slams the door behind him, the GOP is quietly pursuing a 2010 strategy that relies heavily on candidates nearly identical to Specter. The party’s road to winning back a Senate majority, it seems, is paved with moderates whose records are sure to make conservatives blanch.

For the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s recruitment list for 2010 reads like a roster of some of the party’s best-known RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) and squishes — the derisive terms applied to centrists by movement conservatives.

The party’s top choice for Florida’s open Senate seat is popular Gov. Charlie Crist, who raised eyebrows earlier this year with his vigorous advocacy of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package — he even went so far as to appear with Obama at a Florida rally in February. In Connecticut, the national GOP has lobbied former Rep. Rob Simmons — who holds a higher lifetime rating from the liberal Americans for Democratic Action group than Specter does — to challenge Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd.

In Delaware, where there is widespread consensus that just one Republican — Rep. Michael Castle, the co-founder of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership — can win Joe Biden’s former seat, the push is on to get him to announce for the Senate. Castle, one of three Republicans who voted for all six bills on the Democrats’ “100 hour” agenda in 2007, was the only Republican standing alongside Obama when he signed an executive order in March allowing federal funds for stem cell research.

In the Midwest, there’s Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk, another leading centrist viewed as the GOP’s best hope of capturing a blue-state Senate seat — the one Obama vacated after he was elected president.

On the West Coast, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn of Texas is hoping to land self-proclaimed moderate businesswoman Carly Fiorina to run against Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) in a state that gave Obama 61 percent of the vote.

“I’m absolutely committed to recruiting candidates around the country that fit their states. Who would have thought we would be looking at states like Delaware, New York, Illinois and Connecticut for Republicans to run — and have a reasonably good shot at winning?” Cornyn told POLITICO. “It really is a recipe for permanent minority status and irrelevance if we don’t pay attention to the arithmetic and get back to a position so we can shape legislation.”

Specter himself might end up facing a Republican whose voting record will closely resemble his own. Amid speculation that national and state Republicans do not believe conservative former Rep. Pat Toomey can win statewide in Pennsylvania, two more moderates have surfaced as leading Senate prospects: Rep. Jim Gerlach and former Gov. Tom Ridge, whose chances of becoming John McCain’s running mate last year were hurt because of his support for abortion rights.

[Keystone Phil]

Coming from a RINO hunter - Ridge, Crist, Simmons and Castle are not RINOs. Kirk...eh.

[Lunar]

also from the article:

So far, the moderate lineup has met with little resistance from the right. For one thing, despite their centrist pedigree, most of the recruits have been fairly loyal party soldiers. Kirk gave other House Republican moderates political cover when he publicly released a memo detailing his opposition to the stimulus. Simmons has railed against the Democrats’ budget and called the new administration’s policies unfriendly to small businesses. Even Crist, who has been at odds with Florida conservatives, was one of John McCain’s most visible surrogates in the presidential race and has been a top fundraiser for the party.

“Their voting records are more moderate than the party as a whole, but I still think those candidates would hold Obama’s policies to a certain standard,” said Kaiser. “I don’t think they would be coming to Washington to see they make sure Obama got everything done he wants to do.”

Still, despite the focus on a moderate-rich recruiting class, it’s not a foregone conclusion that all of them will be on the ballot in November 2010. In Connecticut, Florida and Pennsylvania, viable conservative candidates are already running against the national party’s darlings.

In Connecticut, state Sen. Sam Caligiuri is running against Simmons and is expected to attack his moderate voting record in Congress. If Crist runs, he’ll have to defend his support of the stimulus against a more conservative opponent, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. And any Republican who jumps into the Pennsylvania race will have to get past Toomey, whom conservatives laud for forcing Specter out of the party.

“It’s ironic but not surprising that the Senate Republicans would see a path that would be blazed by moderates,” said Republican pollster Adam Geller. “There’s a chunk of GOP voters that won’t make the political calculation and rather would stand with their principles, even if it means they lose.”


...


“I voted against the stimulus. I thought it was a bad bill, spent too much and borrowed too much,” Cornyn said. “But I don’t think people who voted for it should be unwelcome in the Republican Party. In fact, I think the opposite.”

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I hate to see the word moderate so misused.

[TeePee4Prez]

Coming from a RINO hunter - Ridge, Crist, Simmons and Castle are not RINOs. Kirk...eh.

I will admit, you have shown a tolerance now and in the past for people some considered moderates or "RINOs" such as Melissa Brown, Tom Kean and even Dennis O'Brien who surprisingly has some economically liberal ratings.  Yet at the same time you attacked Specter (though I'm kinda with ya there).

[Zarn]

Coming from a RINO hunter - Ridge, Crist, Simmons and Castle are not RINOs. Kirk...eh.

I will admit, you have shown a tolerance now and in the past for people some considered moderates or "RINOs" such as Melissa Brown, Tom Kean and even Dennis O'Brien who surprisingly has some economically liberal ratings.  Yet at the same time you attacked Specter (though I'm kinda with ya there).

I can accept those others guys being players in the party, but not Specter. He thought he was untouchable.

[Torie]

Putting up "RINO's" in Senate elections in states estranged from the GOP overall. won't work very well if the party does not tack on a national basis. It might be more productive in individual House races. Senate races are just too high profile, and since the place is so partisan on key issues, not enough voters will switch and repose their trust in an (R) absent unusual circumstances.

[Keystone Phil]

Coming from a RINO hunter - Ridge, Crist, Simmons and Castle are not RINOs. Kirk...eh.

I will admit, you have shown a tolerance now and in the past for people some considered moderates or "RINOs" such as Melissa Brown, Tom Kean and even Dennis O'Brien who surprisingly has some economically liberal ratings.  Yet at the same time you attacked Specter (though I'm kinda with ya there).

I defend moderates. The people you mentioned are genuine moderates and/or have significant conservative views. Specter does not. Specter is a RINO. Specter's conservative views are greatly outweighed by his liberal views.

[Lunar]

Can we just call him an EINO

Everything in Name Only


The RINO in article thread title was used in jest, both by me, and by Politico's Ben Smith when linking to the article.  I find it amusing.  As I said in the follow-up post, unlike Specter, all of the people in the article are generally partisan when the chips are down.


Cornyn, by the way, does NOT represent the national party.   Hell, he might have less integrity than even Specter (debatable).  His current job, as he climbs through the party ranks, is to elect as many Republicans as possible, not pass good legislation or what have you. 


Phil, are you supporting Sam Caligiuri?

[Keystone Phil]

Phil, are you supporting Sam Caligiuri?

I made my support for Simmons known the second he floated the idea. I'm sticking with it even though I'm sure I'd like Caligiuri/agree with him more. When he first discussed running, I joked that I'd want him for other reasons (see the last name). 

[Lunar]

A 100% pro-choice guy over a fellow young, energetic Italian Catholic who has at least some ability to win Democratic votes?

What?  I've heard you hate all electable Republicans and non-Italians.

[Keystone Phil]

A 100% pro-choice guy over a fellow young, energetic Italian Catholic who has at least some ability to win Democratic votes?

What?  I've heard you hate all electable Republicans and non-Italians.

Ok, so he's "100%" Pro Choice. Unfortunate but that's not the only issue.

I obviously won't be extremely pissed off (like Don) if Simmons loses. I'll be disappointed because I think he's our best shot at the seat and he's an acceptable moderate. But, as I said, Caligiuri is probably closer to my ideology and, as you said, he at least has a history of winning over Dems so he won't be bad.

[Brittain33]

Putting up "RINO's" in Senate elections in states estranged from the GOP overall. won't work very well if the party does not tack on a national basis. It might be more productive in individual House races. Senate races are just too high profile, and since the place is so partisan on key issues, not enough voters will switch and repose their trust in an (R) absent unusual circumstances.

Yes, it's the Alex Sanders/Inez Tenenbaum strategy.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

As a whole I would say the whole moderate-conservative divide in the GOP has been blown out of proportion. However it has been made a going concern because of the actions of both liberals and conservatives. In my sig, I make clear my support for both Rob Simmons and Rob Portman cutting across the spectrum. Like Phil, I have opposed Arlen Specter, primarily for reasons of dishonesty and such. I supported and encouraged the retirement of George Voinovich b/c I thought he was going senile, not b/c he was a moderate, and at the same time I support either the retirement of primarying of Bunning for the same reason. I also support the primarying or defeat of all GOP members of the Alaska delegation, b/c they are all crooks.

Besides I thought Kirk said he was running for reelection to the House and not for Governor or Senate. 

[Lunar]

We don't know for sure yet on Kirk, but like Ridge, they're getting blanketed with phone calls from Cornyn [Ridge stepped out after the article was written, obv]