More stories in the ongoing slow-motion implosion of the Grand Old Party.
From Florida:
Florida GOPers look to Specter for inspiration
conservative Republicans in Florida are speaking out against Crist and hoping his apostasy on the federal stimulus will open the door for a conservative to take him down.
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There isn’t yet a chorus of anti-Crist voices in the Florida Republican Party — in fact, polling has him remaining very popular among his base — but Crist’s detractors say they can change that. And now they have their change instrument, in former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.
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Unlike with Specter, though, anti-Crist voices are few and far between at this point. And the biggest potential anti-Crist voice, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), is keeping quiet.
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Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), talking to a local TV reporter this weekend, said that “diehard Republicans are still mad at Charlie.”
Ros-Lehtinen, who, like Rubio, is a Cuban-American from the Miami area, also suggested Bush could get behind Rubio.
“If Jeb says to Marco, ‘I will bring the dollars with me,’ then I’d say maybe Marco will run against Charlie,” Ros-Lehtinen told WTVJ-TV before Rubio’s announcement.
It looks like support of the stimulus package is the litmus test for Republicans. The base is definitely feeling frisky now! There’s also opposition stirring to Ridge in Pennsylvania.
Everyone’s favorite RNC Chairman got a bit of a demotion as well:
Steele has agreed to restore “good governance” rules for contracts and other expenditures, which were instituted after 2004 and were scrapped after the 2008 primary season. In addition, he has agreed to bring in former long-time RNC financial officer Jay Banning — who was fired by Steele last month — to serve as an on-call adviser to the treasurer. Other staffers are also being kept on either payroll or retainer, as well.
I’m sure it’s all part of Steele’s master plan somehow. Remember, Steele was the best candidate they had for RNC Chair.
You have to say one thing for the GOP – when they crack up, they do it in a spectacular manner.