TPM Cafe: John Danforth, moderate R's, trying to revive the centrist Republican Leadership Council

[flpoljunkie]

Interesting...

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Moderate Republicans look to 2008 elections

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Moderate Republicans said Tuesday they are reviving a group aimed at winning over the political center that deserted the GOP in the 2006 midterm elections.

The Republican Leadership Council was founded in 1993 to expand the party's base, but has not been very involved in campaigns since 2003. It's now attempting to recruit candidates that are fiscally conservative, but moderate on social issues.

Former Gov. Christie Whitman of New Jersey, former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri and former Maryland lieutenant governor Michael Steele want to revitalize the RLC, which has a counterpart in the centrist Democratic Leadership Council. The RLC is being combined with Whitman's political action committee IMP-PAC -- It's My Party, Too.

"After the losses in 2006, the reaction was overwhelming that we need to get the Republican Party back to its fiscally conservative roots," Whitman said, adding that the GOP needs to be "a little less judgmental."

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/03/moderate-republicans-look-to-2008.html

[Botany]

1. Whitman should look to the firefighters for support

Her "center values" allowed her to tell everybody that the air @ ground zero
was fine when she was @ the EPA. More rescue workers have chronic breathing
problems now then people who died in NYC on 9/11.

[saltpoint]

2. It seems odd now but Danforth was on the very short list with Cheney

for Dubya's veep pick in 2000.

Who knows if this group can inspire Republicans do be more moderate, or draw old moderates in again since the party was overrun by Falwell and Dobson and that bunch?

I think it's an uphill climb, but I'll take anything that moves power away from the fundamentalist nutcases currently controlling events in the GOP.

And whether they succeed or not, I'm still voting Democratic.

[Greeby]

3. If they want, they can take the DLC and just rename it nt

[flpoljunkie]

5. Sounds about right--"fiscally conservative, but moderate on social issues"

[Fabio]

4. Jack Danforth is a good man...

and I have always been impressed with Steele and Whitman, despite watchung them carry the water for this administration. I wish the policy arguments was between moderates these days.

[Joe Bacon]

6. Danforth gave us Clarence Thomas.

That alone shows what a sleazy and evil two-faced liar he is.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Good; the Republicans had gone totally nuts lately

Better to at least have a non-Fascist version of the party; and if the Reps move a bit to the left, maybe the Dems will too.