Daily News Round-Up for June 16, 2009

The Hill (Washington, DC)
Congressional Republicans pushed back immediately against the Obama administration's healthcare promotion on Monday, warning of solid opposition to any plan that includes a government role.

New York Daily News (New York, NY)
The White House dangled the ambassadorship to Ireland in front of GOP Rep. Pete King, even before that coveted post went to the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Daily News has learned.

Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO)
Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh dropped out of the 2010 race for governor Monday, saying he just couldn't compete with fellow Republican and U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback.

Politico (Washington, DC)
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that he hopes his "old friend," CIA Director Leon Panetta, was "misquoted" in a magazine story suggesting that Cheney seems to be wishing for the United States to suffer a new terrorist attack just to prove that Cheney is right about the United States being less secure under the Obama administration.

Real Clear Politics (USA)
Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio will be joined in Washington tomorrow by a leading right-wing voice in the Senate, Jim DeMint of South Carolina.

Will the Real Republican Please Stand Up?

Over the past few weeks, the Republican Party has been less concerned with the fact that its popularity is dwindling and more so with the debate of who is the real Republican—Cheney or Powell? Instead of trying to unite the Party and move forward using the original big-tent philosophy of the GOP, key members of the Party have set out to divide, with the only consequence being the ultimate demise of the once majority-holding GOP.

Last night, however, Newt Gingrich offered a new message, one of inclusion. Gingrich and other Party leaders are finally responding to the mainstream majority in the GOP who know that the promotion of a true big-tent is the only way our Party will ever win elections. Gingrich said, “History teaches us that there is a road back to the majority, if we are prepared to be inclusive and not exclusive. I am happy that Dick Cheney is a Republican. I am also happy Colin Powell is a Republican." He reminded members at the annual GOP fundraiser that within a majority-holding party there would always be debate about he direction of the Party, but it is only with the support of conservatives, moderates, and even Democrats that the GOP will have a chance of defeating their opponents.

We at RRM have long championed the return of the Party to its core big-tent beliefs and hope that Party leaders have finally joined us in supporting this call. Please let us know what you thought of Newt Gingrich’s speech and other statements made at last night’s fundraiser.

For full audio version of Newt Gingrich’s speech please visit this link.

Daily News Round-Up for June2, 2009

Newsweek (USA)
The GOP needs to move to a neutral or big-tent approach on most social issues, the way Democrats did with gun control and the death penalty.

Bloomberg News (New York, NY)
New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine will begin his re-election campaign tonight, seeking to grab the spotlight from Republicans who will simultaneously decide who will oppose the first-term incumbent in the GOP Primaries today.

Politico (Washington, DC)
Senate conservatives have a bill. House moderates have a bill. The House GOP study group is looking at writing one. So is a group of physicians in the House. Then on Monday, New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg put in his own plan.

San Francisco Gate (San Francisco, CA)
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina is armed with money and the support of well-placed Republicans for a possible run against Democratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer next year. But she's also got something that has dogged other wealthy political neophytes - a spotty voting record.

Cheney Backtracks on Powell Remarks

Former VP Dick Cheney is scaling back his remarks on General Colin Powell, stating that he misunderstood Powell’s Party affiliation. This comes after a bitter week of back and forth between Cheney, Powell, and extremist talk radio host Rush Limbaugh on whether or not moderate Republicans like Powell belong in the GOP. Cheney’s previous comments made it sound as if the former VP was advocating purging General Powell from the Party. Powell fired back, saying that he is indeed a Republican and that there is a large group of Republicans like him- real Republicans who are interested in fiscal conservatism and solutions, NOT social extremism- waiting to take over the Party. RRM was following this story closely, and we are pleased to see the former Vice President now making common sense statements of inclusion, such as the following:
"We're in the mode where we welcome everybody to the party.”

However, while making these comments on MSNB Cheney did warn not to back away from traditional “Republican” principles. RRM knows that the true, founding tenets of the GOP are fiscal conservatism, limited government, personal freedoms, and a strong national security. We hope that this is something the Vice President would agree with us.

Daily News Round-Up for May 22,2009

Politico (Washington, DC)
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Thursday that he'd be "proud to appear with the vice president anywhere, anytime." But in the next breath, Cornyn said it would be up to individual GOP candidates to decide whether they want Cheney campaigning for them in 2010.

Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA)
With deficit forecasts growing darker by the day, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering a plan to slash California's safety net for the poor by eliminating the state's main welfare program, health insurance for low-income families and cash grants to college students.

Star Ledger (Trenton, NJ)
The ad wars in the New Jersey governor's race escalated yesterday, as national Democrats launched a television campaign targeting Republican frontrunner Chris Christie just a few weeks be fore the June 2 GOP primary.

Daily News Round-Up for May 21,2009

Boston Globe ( Boston , MA )
Former Secretary of State and Join Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.) commented on some criticisms of his party allegiance from other GOP stars last night before approximately 1,500 business leaders in Boston .

The Plum Line ( Washington , DC )
Dick Cheney's big national security speech at the American Enterprise Institute tomorrow is going to get wall-to-wall cable coverage - giving a major assist to those who hope that his speech will be seen as "dueling" with the one that Obama is planning to give on the same topic tomorrow.

Baltimore Sun ( Baltimore , MD )
The Republican National Committee approved a watered-down resolution Wednesday evening that called on President Barack Obama and the Democrats to stop "pushing our country towards socialism and government control."

Politico (Washington, D)
The House GOP is introducing a resolution calling for a bipartisan investigation into Pelosi's charges that the CIA misled her during a Sept. 2002 briefing on enhanced interrogation methods.

Daily News Round-Up for May 11, 2009

Politics Daily ( USA )

CNN reports that FL.Gov Charlie Crist is close to announcing a run for Senate, perhaps early next week.

Louisville Courier-Journal ( Louisville , KY )

If Republicans embrace the message from extremists - further reduce a shrinking party in the name of ideological purity - they may face a long stay in the political wilderness.

PA 2010 ( Harrisburg , PA )

Former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton's name has been bandied about a lot in recent days as Republicans have cast about for a new Senate candidate. But in an interview Scranton made it clear he's not interested.

Baltimore Sun ( Baltimore , MD )

As the RNC prepares to hold a rare, special meeting later this month in the same Maryland county where he began his political rise, Michael Steele's standing as a national leader may be on the line that could stop him from sliding into irrelevance and becoming little more than an object of ridicule for his enemies.

Political Hotsheet ( USA )

"Well, if I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh, I think," Former VP Dick Cheney said when asked who he sided with, Limbaugh or Colin Powell- who served in the Bush Administration with Cheney.

Moderates are needed to win

Former Vice President Dick Cheney took to the airwaves yesterday and spoke to talk show host Scott Hennen. Some people are seizing on Cheney’s statement that he does not believe the Party should moderate. However, Cheney was speaking about fiscal conservatism as the core tenet of the GOP and how this must be what Republicans rally around- and how the GOP cannot become the Party of big spending. Cheney also spoke about finding real Republicans who can win across America. RRM knows that this includes moderates who can win in centrist districts, and moderates who support common sense social initiatives- which includes them being pro-choice and pro-environment. We hope that what is really meant by the former VP is that these values are the one the Party must embrace, and that the real Republican tenets are what will win us elections. RRM will be working to ensure that this message continues to be heard loud and clear, and hopes that the moderate base of the GOP continues to keep speaking out: on the blogosphere, in the news, and by contacting the GOP yourselves and telling them that real Republican candidates need to be supported- and divisive and distracting litmus tests must not be used any longer to decide who merits the Republican name.

Read Cheney’s interview here.

Daily News Round-Up for March 24, 2009

The Hill (Washington, DC)

Congressional Republicans are telling Dick Cheney to go back to his undisclosed location and leave them alone to rebuild the Republican Party without his input.

Washington Post (Washington, DC)

President Obama will go to Capitol Hill this week to try to persuade skeptical Senate Democrats to support the administration's first budget request after an analysis showed that the spending plan would drive the nation deeply into debt over the next decade.

New York Times (New York, NY)

Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, the chairman of the D.N.C., announced Monday evening the formation of a 37-member commission to study the party's primary and caucus calendar for the next election.