Team of rivals: GOP base rips Cantor's new group

[RamboLiberal]

Social conservatives are blasting the National Council for a New America, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) nascent effort to rebrand the Republican Party, as a misguided and weak-kneed initiative that is out of touch with the GOP rank and file.

The council, unveiled last week by Cantor and Sen. John McCain, is designed to be a “forward-looking, grass-roots caucus” that formulates policy prescriptions and communicates with voters in a way that could expand the Republican ranks. In announcing the formation of the group, McCain said he hoped the group would attract moderates and “like-minded Democrats” to a series of public forums around the country.

But social conservatives couldn’t help but notice that the policy areas the group will focus on included no mention of same-sex marriage, immigration or abortion. And the roster of GOP luminaries who signed on to the effort was missing a few of the pols who are most popular with values voters.

“The moderates have been saying the same thing all these years, and now they’re just seeing a renewed opportunity to push their ideas,” said Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a leading opponent of gay marriage.

“It’s a losing proposition to try to divide social and economic conservatives,” Ken Blackwell, a one-time Ohio secretary of state and former candidate for Republican National Committee chairman, told POLITICO. “They will constantly find themselves backpedaling and apologizing and repositioning because the composition of that group does not reflect a basic reality, which is that social and economic conservatives complement one another.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22242.html

[FLAprogressive]

1. there is nothing remotely "grassroots" about anything GOP.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Except to the extent that dirt is at the base of both.

[county worker]

2. I love the smell of "GOP groups blasting each" other in the morning.

Will the last GOPer please turn off the lights.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. Actually it's sweet any time of day.

[underpants]

3. Hey morans, the "re-branding" *IS* not mentioning same-sex marriage, immigration or abortion

:eyes:

that is the whole POINT of their rebranding effort

[alsame]

4. Not crazy or hateful enough for the base. n/t

[TheKentuckian]

5. I'm lovin it!

Keep up the good work Republiwhigs!!!

[Ikonoklast]

6. I love how Blackwell is decrying the fragmentation of the Republics.

He will be left with a very small piece to call his own.

The Man Who Thinks He Will Be King.

[Arkana]

7. Ah, the religious right is realizing that the GOP is desperately trying to ditch them

without actually ditching them.