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Republicans Play Blame Game Over Specter

Steele, Club for Growth in crosshairs

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 30, 2009 8:33 AM CDT

(Newser) – Arlen Specter’s departure has set off a wave of finger pointing within the Republican Party, Politico reports. Some blame Specter for not having the ideological purity to stick with the party. But others single out various Republicans they claim helped push Specter out the door, from Michael Steele, who once said he’d support a primary challenge to Specter, to the Club for Growth, the group that championed that challenger.

The Club for Growth is a particularly juicy target. “I wish they’d spend their money going after Democrats,” lamented one Republican. “In blue states, we’re not going to get conservative Republicans.” But the Club’s vice president counters that a “big tent” is overrated, yielding the ideologically muddled Bush presidency. “People like Specter destroyed the Republican brand.”

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (2)]

Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., sits on the Democratic side of the aisle during an emergency hearing on swine flu by the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry subcommittee, April 28, 2009 in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican National Chairman Michael Steele responds to a question during a news conference before the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner in Evansville, Ind., April 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Veteran Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania discusses his switch to the Democratic Party at the White House with President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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I would remind Mr. Steele and some of our party leaders: Theirs is a job of winning elections, not of forming some sort of party purity police. - John Weaver, GOP strategist

If Obama and the Democrats control not just the left side of the playing field but also the broad middle, then we are in for generations of irrelevancy. - John Weaver, GOP strategist

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 4 comments

woodyTX

Apr 30, 2009 3:41 AM CDT

The Bush White House coupled with the Tom Delay Congress often demonstrated the worst in us all.....arrogance (as in go it alone Iraq, as in axis of evil), disdain for the law (torture), disdain for the poor downtrodden & minorities (as in attempting to privatize social security, restrict school lunch programs, standing silently by while gays are opressed, creating but not funding "no child left behind"), greed (as in the K street crowd), underhandedness (as in the shameless gerrymandering of electoral districts by Delay and crowd), anti-rationalism /anti-secularism (as in supporting the rise of religion in the public square of our secular democracy. Religion is valid but has no place in the public square).....I could go on. A fresh wind is blowing now not only in the White House. I'm surprised it took Specter so long to jump and he won't be the last. One would think Republicans would be wise enough to re-evaluate their recent history and re-formulate their policy platform to re-invent themselves but so far it's more of the same.

LiberalJesus

Apr 30, 2009 2:32 AM CDT

These poor bastards are so out of touch with reality that as a hard core liberal I can do nothing but feel sorry for them. I feel even worse for the good moderates of the gop from years past. A good democracy requires at least 2 parties, 3 would be even better. As a hard core liberals Even though I am lovin the gop meltdown, I cant help but feel this isnt good for our country to have no moderate gop voice to counter the crazies of the gop.

2-bits

Apr 30, 2009 2:14 AM CDT

“People like Specter destroyed the Republican brand.” Yeah, because moderate conservatives are the most hated Bush-era politicians. Get real and take some responsibility. John Weaver's quote rings particularly true.

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Republicans Play Blame Game Over Specter