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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsInside the Messy but Moneyed Republican Plan to Neutralize the Tea Party
t took a tea-party insurrection that disabled the federal government and wrecked the Republican brand, but after months of handwringing, establishment Republicans are preparing to attack ultraconservative ideologues across red America.
From Alabama to Alaska, the center-right, business-oriented wing of the Republican Party is gearing up for a series of skirmishes that it hopes can prevent the 2014 midterm election from turning into another missed opportunity. This will not be a coordinated operation. It will be messy, ugly, and prone to backfiring. And if the comeback succeeds, it will be in fits and starts, most likely culminating in the selection of a presidential nominee in 2016.
"Hopefully we'll go into eight to 10 races and beat the snot out of them," said former Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio, whose new political group, Defending Main Street, aims to raise $8 million to fend off tea-party challenges against more mainstream Republican incumbents. "We're going to be very aggressive and we're going to get in their faces."
The caterwauling over the GOP brand ramped up after President Obama's reelection and a handful of setbacks in the Senate before hitting full screech as the country hurtled toward default. For some Republicans, the time for soul-searching is over. "This is a battle we have to fight," said GOP consultant John Feehery, who has advised top Republican leaders on Capitol Hill. "We can't just lie down and let this happen."
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http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/inside-the-messy-but-moneyed-republican-plan-to-neutralize-the-tea-party-20131024
B Calm
(28,762 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)"Tea Party" posters welcome the fight and believe they are actually helping to "restore" the Republican Party.
I'm going to need more popcorn.
-Laelth
BumRushDaShow
(127,312 posts)easily has more money combined than anything the Koch brothers might try to use to further their teabagger agenda.... So it boggles the mind that they waited so long other than obvious possibilities that include laziness (sit back and let someone "else" do it) and greed ("conservation" of their wealth).
Apparently their strategy to acheive a good ROI without any actual financial investment, has started to fail, because their "paying partners" went off on their own and are willing to let them hang.
Berlum
(7,044 posts)There you have it: Republicon 'thot' and Republicon 'values.'
Guy Whitey Corngood
(26,483 posts)did their best to derail the country even before the teabaggers showed up. They should all be at Lyndon Larouche status for all I care. Of course it won't happen because the oligarchs will save their sorry asses. Fuck them. Fuck them sideways!!!!........ OK now I'm going back to reading children their stories. .......
Bandit
(21,475 posts)Every single House Republican fell in line with everything they attempted and now it is someone else's fault that they have been humiliated. There is no such thing as a moderate Republican. Each and every one is a piece of work.