"The Center for Republican Renewal"

[Tab]

http://www.gop.com/republicanrenewal/

The Republican Party today must be even more aggressive and innovative and that is why we are announcing the creation of the Center for Republican Renewal, a new office dedicated to identifying the most innovative ideas and policies from across the nation. The goal of the Center will be to make the Republican Party more policy-driven and substantive. With the formation of the center, the Republican Party will reclaim the mantle as the “Party of ideas.”

We will look beyond the Beltway to America itself – to our governors and mayors and other state and local officials. We will listen to conservative think tanks and policy leaders from every corner of the country. We will work closely with our policy leaders on Capitol Hill, both to learn from their experiences and to make sure that the best ideas are reaching them for their consideration. When it comes to the sharing of ideas and policies, there can be no one-way streets, only eight-lane superhighways.

The Center for Republican Renewal will take four immediate steps in launching this new initiative. First, we will create the Republican Policy Office, to conduct policy research and produce reports that will be invaluable to Republican surrogates, RNC leadership, and the general public. The Policy Office will be an intensely focused group of Republicans who are dedicated to ensuring that our party’s political revival is grounded in ideas and substance. It will have a significant public profile and be a resource for Republicans everywhere.

The Center’s second step will be to create a new, separate idea-driven RNC website. In the past we have used the print medium and we published a magazine that featured articles by policy thinkers and prominent Republicans. In today’s world, we can combine the best of the past – the vigorous debates over ideas – with the opportunities presented by modern technology. And so this website will be devoted to the premise that the Republican Party welcomes and encourages debate and discussion, and that it is best to have policy discussions formally within the party.

The Center’s third step will be to reconstitute the RNC’s Policy Councils. We will create volunteer networks of former government officials from both the executive and legislative branches, think tank leaders and others. Historically, when an administration leaves town, the policy expertise scatters with it. I want to prevent that from happening, and, with the help of modern technology, our policy councils can keep us all engaged as we move forward with informed and expert policy debates.

Finally, the Center will encourage policy debate beyond the Beltway. The RNC will join with state parties and think tanks to encourage policy discussions aimed at generating new ideas and learning what is working at the state and local levels. We will bring together experts of various backgrounds and focus on serious discussion of the challenges facing the nation, rather than on the politics of policy.

Oh, and to keep them busy they have a new line of toys, including "pink elephants". If I remember my Disney correctly, a pink elephant is what you see when you're totally sotted.

[JeffR]

1. Pfffft

They haven't had a new idea since 1980, and they haven't had a good idea since Lincoln.

[Lint Head]

2. The Republican Party is dead. It's not pining for the fjords.

It's feet have been nailed to the swing in the cage.
:dem:

[Tab]

3. "I know a dead party when I see one!"

"And this, my good sir, is an ex-Party!"

Beautiful plumage, though.

[DJ13]

4. Heres what their HQ looks like

[ColbertWatcher]

5. I have started a new truthiness encycloptic page for everyone to add to ...

http://www.wikiality.com/Center_For_Republican_Renewal

I left some of the sections open for anyone's gut.

Have fun!

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Republican National Committee...unnnhh...can I help you?

[Tab]

7. That is an unnecessary visual

I'll be fighting that one all night.

[lonestarnot]

8. That's about the size of it.