http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/07/gop_candidate_b.phpThe GOP's efforts to involve ordinary citizens in building a new version of the Contract with America is an abdication of leadership, one of the party's own Congressional candidates.
Speaking to the Idaho Press-Tribune, state Rep. Raul Labrador (R) said he is not impressed by America Speaking Out, a project of the House GOP Conference aimed at soliciting ideas from the general public that can then morph into a campaign platform.
"I was excited. I was like -- 'cause I loved the Contract with America. I thought what Newt Gingrich did was fantastic," Labrador said of a Fox News interview with Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who heads America Speaking Out. "And this guy looks into the TV and he says, 'What we are going to do is we are going to go online and we are going to let people tell us their ideas about what we should be doing and than we are going to make a list of the top ten. And than that's going to be our new contract.' I'm probably exaggerating here a little bit, but it was so underwhelming."
"This is your new contract with America? You're going to let the people say what their thoughts and their ideas are?" Labrador asked.
"Now I have no problem with the people saying their things, but you have to show leadership. You have to look at what the problems are in America and say, 'These are the problems that are facing America and these are thing things that I would do as a party or as a candidate to fix those problems.'"
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