Faced with the likelihood of unprecedented November losses and piss-poor fundraising, the NRCC has been forced to make some very hard choices lately, including ones to cut the plug on GOP Reps. like Marilyn Musgrave, Tom Feeney, Michele Bachmann, and Joe Knollenberg. Understandably, though, some major GOP allies are furious with NRCC Chair Tom Cole for abandoning some staunch social conservatives without so much as a life preserver.
From The Hill:
The Family Research Council’s (FRC) political arm ripped Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) Thursday for withdrawing ad spending on behalf of two endangered Republican candidates.
FRC President Tony Perkins said in a letter to Cole, chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC), that the committee “is abandoning social conservative candidates” by pulling ads from the reelection races of Reps. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) and Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.). […]
Perkins, an influential conservative leader, said in his letter that he believes Cole, whose committee has been hemorrhaging money in an uphill battle against Democratic congressional candidates, “made a grave error in judgment” by pulling ads from Musgrave’s and Bachmann’s districts.
“The left is attacking both of these outstanding women because they are true conservatives,” Perkins said. “They vote pro-life and pro-family.”
Perkins wrote that both candidates are in “winnable districts,” and that “pulling funds from their campaigns sends the wrong message to their supporters and gives their opponents a chance to produce headlines that the NRCC has undermined these campaigns.”
“This is no time to cut and run from a fight,” Perkins wrote.
He added that he will “urge supporters” of the FRC to stop contributing to the NRCC “until it starts supporting and fighting for conservative candidates in close races.”
Time’s almost up, Mr. Cole.
They heed his advice…
The GOP neocons use evangelicals like prostitutes. Once they get what they want (money and votes, in this case…) they kick ’em to the curb.
It’s all about money and power. The fat cats have it and middle class evangelicals are the ones who get..
well, you know.
In exchange for TOKEN lip service on a handful of litmus test wedge issues, the GOP gets their votes and money and then screws these people over.
I’d like to see the FRC dump some money into these races, especially Musgrave and Markey is going to wipe the floor with her.
The less money the NRCC gets in this late hour, the better our chances become.
I personally suggest that any of you who have races that you feel the DCCC has neglected, like Segall, Carter and Doherty, send an e-mail to the DCCC and point them out. I think they will find they have money to spare just as they entered the race for Ketner, Trauner, and Barth yesterday.
The one Republican to come out of my alma matter. Still, he deserves to twist in the wind…
I’m a BIG Tom Cole supporter and hope to see him get a second try in 2010. And hopefully a third try in 2012 as well! These are difficult times and he deserves at least one more go at the job.
blah blah blah pro-life blah blah blah death list blah blah blah Tom Cole?