If they want a war then they are gonna get a war:

NY TIMES – The biggest donors in the Republican Party are financing a new group to recruit seasoned candidates and protect Senate incumbents from challenges by far-right conservatives and Tea Party enthusiasts who Republican leaders worry could complicate the party’s efforts to win control of the Senate.

The group, the Conservative Victory Project, is intended to counter other organizations that have helped defeat establishment Republican candidates over the last two election cycles. It is the most robust attempt yet by Republicans to impose a new sense of discipline on the party, particularly in primary races.

“There is a broad concern about having blown a significant number of races because the wrong candidates were selected,” said Steven J. Law, the president of American Crossroads, the “super PAC” creating the new project. “We don’t view ourselves as being in the incumbent protection business, but we want to pick the most conservative candidate who can win.”

The effort would put a new twist on the Republican-vs.-Republican warfare that has consumed the party’s primary races in recent years. In effect, the establishment is taking steps to fight back against Tea Party groups and other conservative organizations that have wielded significant influence in backing candidates who ultimately lost seats to Democrats in the general election.

The first test of the group’s effort to influence primary races could come here in Iowa, where some Republicans are already worrying about who will run for the seat being vacated by Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat. It is the first open Senate seat in Iowa since 1974, and Republicans are fearful of squandering a rare opportunity.

The Conservative Victory Project, which is backed by Karl Rove and his allies who built American Crossroads into the largest Republican super PAC of the 2012 election cycle, will start by intensely vetting prospective contenders for Congressional races to try to weed out candidates who are seen as too flawed to win general elections.

The project is being waged with last year’s Senate contests in mind, particularly the one in Missouri, where Representative Todd Akin’s comment that “legitimate rape” rarely causes pregnancy rippled through races across the country. In Indiana, the Republican candidate, Richard E. Mourdock, lost a race after he said that when a woman became pregnant during a rape it was “something God intended.”

As Republicans rebuild from losing the White House race and seats in the House and Senate last year, party leaders and strategists are placing a heightened focus on taking control of the Senate next year. Republicans must pick up six seats to win a majority.

Representative Steve King, a six-term Iowa Republican, could be among the earliest targets of the Conservative Victory Project. He said he had not decided whether he would run for the Senate, but the leaders of the project in Washington are not waiting to try to steer him away from the race.

The group’s plans, which were outlined for the first time last week in an interview with Mr. Law, call for hard-edge campaign tactics, including television advertising, against candidates whom party leaders see as unelectable and a drag on the efforts to win the Senate. Mr. Law cited Iowa as an example and said Republicans could no longer be squeamish about intervening in primary fights.

“We’re concerned about Steve King’s Todd Akin problem,” Mr. Law said. “This is an example of candidate discipline and how it would play in a general election. All of the things he’s said are going to be hung around his neck.”

Mr. King has compiled a record of incendiary statements during his time in Congress, including comparing illegal immigrants to dogs and likening Capitol Hill maintenance workers to “Stasi troops” after they were ordered to install environmentally friendly light bulbs. But he rejected the suggestion that his voting record or previous remarks would keep him from winning if he decided to run for the Senate.

“This is a decision for Iowans to make and should not be guided by some political staffers in Washington,” Mr. King said in an interview, pointing out that he won his Congressional race last year even though President Obama easily defeated Mitt Romney in Iowa. “The last election, they said I couldn’t win that, either, and the entire machine was against me.”

CONTINUE READING…




Comment Policy: Please read our new comment policy before making a comment. In short, please be respectful of others and do not engage in personal attacks. Otherwise we will revoke your comment privileges.

330 comments
localpeon
localpeon

It is time to take the GOP over or start a third party, one that will appeal to both Tea Party supporters and Conservative Democrats. Karl Rove is only for himself and like consultants who FEED off the carcass of the RNC. He and his ilk generate millions of $$$ in fees and contracts to lose elections right and left. America does not need the "losing wisdom" of Karl Rove and others like him.

John Smith
John Smith

Our war should be with Obama and the communist/progressive/leftist supporters of him who are actively destroying our country. Mitt Romney is not our Pres. today because at least 5 MILLION conservatives and MODERATES refused to vote for him - mostly because he is a Mormon, partly because they believed the demonization of Obama's sleazy campaign of personal destruction and class warfare.

Obama wants to destroy the Republican Party - AND the Tea Party movement, people !

This article is from the NY Times - It is serving Obama's purpose by sowing seeds of hatred and discontent among conservatives and Republicans.

Don't buy into their propaganda . . . STAND against Obama and his thugs !

Billie Bertan
Billie Bertan

all I want in our leaders of any paty are men and women who serve us and, do not have contempt for us, and know the price of peas,that is are not so insular in their lives that they have no idea of our daily lives and needs.itis easy to fool constituencies not because we are stupid but because most of us do not lie,work hard,keep our commitments.what really makes me sad is how politicians among others encourage us to hate and dis miss one another,we are better than that

bobemakk
bobemakk

This is the reason why our republican party is crumbling.

etribusunum
etribusunum

"HOPE OF THE WICKED" by Ted Flynn should be mandatory reading for those who want a real handle on the world today, especially US politics. As Franklin Roosevelt once stated, there are no accidents in US politics. Everything is allowed to happen, "everything is going as planned." Every High ranking politician is part of the plan to incrementally subvert the United States into "serfdom." Like railroad tracks, the "two party system" is bilateral, but connected in direction by the "head" of the "New World Order." Both Parties are packs of wolves, with one pack smelling blood and honing in on the kill while the other, fearful of the "sheeple" waking up to the direction they are heading, would slow the process down so the "sheeple" can return to Fantasy Land and be lulled into unawareness again. ("Into the boxcar, please. We are taking you to safety.") There is one plan, and it is being carried out. Obama knows, Rove knows. Read "HOPE OF THE WICKED," or watch "THE GRINDING DOWN OF AMERICA." Both illustrate the illusion of "We the People" being in control by electing our politicians, when in fact, the majority of politicians are subdued by the power, money and prestige of office. These people are no more than "useful idiots" and when their usefulness is over.... “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

V the K
V the K

IIRC, the Establishment GOP candidates ... George Allen, Pete Hoekstra, Denny Rehberg, Rick Berg, Scott Brown, Tommy Thompson ... didn't exactly rack up a string of victories in 2012 either.

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

The NY Times: that's where I go to find out what's what with the GOP and conservatism.

K-Bob
K-Bob

I'm kind of glad to see this. Pretty much anyone stupid enough to get on board Rove's Wagon Train to Nowhere will be painting themselves with a laser for targeting.

Note to the left: that's marketing terminology. I know that you lefties favor having the government take things from us at the point of a gun, but real prosperity involves marketing. You should try it sometime.

Jay
Jay

Interesting. As a brand new Iowegan (I just immigrated from the Pepole's Republik of Illinois) I need to start brushing up on the local politics.

JohnCraven
JohnCraven

I think the TEA Party should form an alternative conservative party and field its own candidates regardless of what the GOP Big Whigs do. Iowa would be a great place to start. The Big Whigs in the GOP are interested not in truly conservative candidates winning but in keeping Big Government and its largesse flowing into their pockets whether their candidate wins or loses. I believe that when given a choice between a genuine conservative TEA Party candidate and a Marxist Democrat the Big Whigs in the GOP will be more than happy to lose to the Marxist especially if the Marxist promises them a big payday down the road.

I think Romney lost primarily because he threw the fight as the Big Whigs in the GOP wanted him to do.

Recently Bobby Jindal has taken to task, and rightly so, "conservative" candidates who say stupid things that can be used to wreck their campaigns but I don't think he is part of this Karl Rove cabal. I think he was simply speaking about us doing stupid things.

But then again if he is trying to woo the favor of the likes of Karl Rove then I would be very diappointed in him, especially since I voted for him twice.

I think Jindal should woo the Tea Paryers who won the house for the GOP despite Karl Rove and Boner who wouldn't be speaker if not for the grassroots rising up in 2010.

John Craven

New Orleans

WordsFailMe
WordsFailMe

The trouble is that most of us tea partiers are actually traditional Democrats and liberals of the late fifties and sixties who detest big government and big business.- each is equally dis-tasteful to us.

The National Socialist Republicans party knows this and will never incorporate individual- minded people.

You must protect yourself at all times against the moronic rabble and and the racisits and traitors to America and that is the only truth worth mentioning

Tracy Mitchell
Tracy Mitchell

I believe that the real problem in the CONSERVATIVE movement is the amount of division there is. The real problems are things like "old" class Republicans (McCain e.g.) that have been in office for so long that they are corrupted by the power they have and are really just liberals with a "R" after their name. All of us Conservatives, to a point, are to blame for the division as is the Divider-In-Chief. He plays the right like a guitar and laughs.

Look at all the people that voted for Ron Paul to "make a point", or Santorum because "he really won Iowa" or "just can't vote for Romney because he's a Mormon"

Obama has worked very hard to split as many groups as he possibly can just look at these few examples:

The rich vs. the poor

The blacks vs. the whites

Religion vs. Religion

Republican leaders in Congress vs. THEMSELVES

Pro-guns vs. Anti-guns

Obama is literally ripping the country apart single-handedly and the very people that sing his praises will be the first to suffer from Obama's agenda. Obama's advantage is is the 90% of the voting liberals are COMPLETELY on with his agenda and root him on. "Republicans" can't even get behind a single candidate.

I recently listened to Paul Harvey's "If I Were The Devil" I have the link here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaGVCO6CByQ

If you have not heard this, take 3 minutes of your time to hear something someone knew would work 50 YEARS AGO. If that doesn't make you think, then nothing will.

TMZ2
TMZ2

There is a big problem between people who like Ron Paul, who can for the purposes of discussion be termed libertarians and/or paleoconservatives versus true conservatives who are a mix of social and fiscal conservatism and liked Allen West, Rick Santorum, and Michelle Bachmann to name a few.

I understand people are not always lock and step on the right and as such they vary with opinions on candidates and are on various locations on the right spectrum. But the libertarians who embrace the tea party have a differing opinion on major issues to the conservative base who embrace tea party philosophy and there lies the current conflict between those who oppose Obama and the left as well as establishment republicans.

There is a annual debate between the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, which Rush Limbaugh promotes a lot, and the libertarian think tank Cato Institute, which people like Freedom Work's Matt Kibbe have supported. It highlights the current situation..

http://studentsforliberty.org/news/video-libertarianism-v-conservatism-debate/

Tracy Mitchell
Tracy Mitchell

The point that I was trying to make is that many people on the right are allowing Obama to split them apart, while over 90% his base supports him. He plays the Republicans like an instrument and they allow it, not even seeing the manipulation. True conservative people should be really concerned, and I don't think it will be long before we see a modern day version of the "Night of Long Knives". If this continues much longer, we'll see a full scale assault on the American people. The founders had it right over 200 years ago -UNITED WE STAND: DIVIDED WE FALL

Alex
Alex

This is disgusting. Rove needs to be given the boot immediately.

Jean in TN
Jean in TN

The two candidates mentioned in the article each made a stupid statement after they had won their primaries and became the party's nominated candidates. When they apologized for their remarks, the party should have continued to support those campaigns - at least quietly, by providing money for ads, etc. These guys may have still have won their elections if the establishment hadn't thrown them under the bus. It was too late to get new candidates; the GOP should have done their best with what they had.

humptydumpty
humptydumpty

I can't help but to wonder how much Obama is paying Rove to divide the Republican Party? With Rove attacking the very people who want to hold their Party to a higher standard, Obama won't have to do anything in order to crush his nemisis.

Divide and conquer. Rove's doing the dividing while Obama does the conquering.........

Thanks for nothing Mr Rove!

Conniption Fitz
Conniption Fitz

DISGUSTING - and - revealing.

It would seem that GOP really stands for...

Greedy

Oligarchy

Politician

johnos2112
johnos2112

Hey Sean Hannity keep this imbecile off your network please!

JRD1
JRD1

Mark Levin had the best advise for Tokyo Rove,

"Get the hell off the stage already, will you Pal?"

Medaton
Medaton

Karl Rove is the worst problem that the GOP has ever had. He is responsible for losing the Senate the last two elections. RINO's follow him like the Piped Piper and he leads them right into the water to drown! These RINO's want to run candidates like Tommy Thompson. How did he do, KARL??? The establishment ruined Todd Akin. He was a good man. He was too conservative for the RINO's. He had an excellent voting record in the House of Representatives. Murdock was, also, a good man. Lugar was the one that was no longer conservative. He had not been for a long time.

VirusX
VirusX

This is why I left the GOP, this year.

capelady
capelady

Ironic that the GOP establishment/RINOs who have no conservative convictions are coming up with a Conservative Victory Program...? Do they realize they cannot win elections without the truly CONSERVATIVE base? Not to mention the fact that the rising starts of the Republican Party - Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz - are ALL TEA Party people???

What a bunch of idiots... self-centered dinosaurs who are more concerned with their own job security and political ambitions than doing what is best for the country! If they are so concerned about retaining current seats and gaining more, why didn't they support Michele Bachmann in the last election? The actively worked against some of the TEA Party candidates!

Sure some of the TEA Party candidates lose.... but Scott Brown lost too and nobody is more moderate than him! Those TEA Party candidates who lost might have won if the RNC had thrown their weight behind them!

It looks to me like they oppose the TEA Party more than they oppose the Democrats!

Medaton
Medaton

The Tea Party was the reason Scott Brown won the first time. When he got into office he abandoned the Tea Party, SO... the Tea Party abandoned him the second time around. He failed in the old quote, "You dance with them what brung you!”

capelady
capelady

I know... my sister and I campaigned for Scott Brown in an attempt to block Obamacare. And you are right, he betrayed the TEA Party and was co-opted by John Kerry when he reached the Senate. But I have my doubts that the TEA Party could have gotten him re-elected anyway. It was the issue of Obamacare that provided the support he needed for the first election... that issue was a moot point by 2012.

notsofastthere
notsofastthere

For them to think that pandering to the Left of center, illegal voting aliens, and voting for tanks and planes to Egypt, will give them job security, shows just how bad their thinking is.

capelady
capelady

Exactly right. They are as responsible as the Democrats for the mess we are in. Newt left us with a balanced budget, massive welfare reform, and a start on paying down the debt. He tried to get term limits and the REPUBLICANS blocked him! All of his conservative reforms were squandered by John Boenher and the RINOs who remained in office! Imagine if the GOP had cooperated and passed term limits.... we could be living in a very different America right now!

sjmom
sjmom

Nothing like fighting a war you will lose. Time for the third party and we the people to send the establishment packing.

JRD1
JRD1

Rove's motto is "Better a Democrat than someone who is not one of us.!" Rove would rather see the Democrat win.

Insanity is having the same behavior and expecting a different outcome.

Until you adopt Rove's motto for your own the corrupt Bush crime family will continue to win because you back down and enable them. And, they already know you will back down because like they told you so in 2012, "You have nowhere else to go!"

Couple that with the fact that once the conservative does win the corrupt gopE attempts to buy them off. You want examples? The Bush crime family told Rubio to wait his turn in Florida. He didn't listen. They bought him off. The same thing happened with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.

We Floridians detested Senator Bill Nelson for years. But right here in Jebbie Bush's state we told him to go to hell and refused to vote for Connie Mack because yes, "Better a Democrat then someone who is not one of us!" Bush politics is ruining the conservative brand because there is nothing conservative about them. They are Big Government and corrupt through and through.

c4pfan
c4pfan

The next time that someone mentions that we should be getting along, I will point out that it's obvious that the moderates HATE conservatives just as much as a liberal does.

nibblesyble
nibblesyble

Ugh, if you could see the look of scorn on my face right now! Rove? Why am I not surprised....pssssttt...

Sonnyjelly1
Sonnyjelly1

This is why the republicans lost the last two presidential elections. We need more conservative republicans. We don't need the same old people.

Richard
Richard

Conservative Republicans is an oxymoron.

Unless they've got the guts to walk away from the Stupid Party "conservative" Republicans are serving to assuage the base so the leadership can continue selling us out.

I guarantee Ted Cruz will either be turned or he'll be undercut in Texas like COL West.

If you want change you've got to abandon the GOP. Let it rot.

proudhispanicconservative
proudhispanicconservative

The Bush clan, Rove, and the establishment has destroyed our party, and meanwhile Obama is laughing his a.ss off. It all started when Reagan nominated Bush the first for Vice President, Bush a guy that fought Reagan all the way, and then used Reagan to get into power, I blame the Bush clan for having Obama being elected twice.

As far as Rove he is nothing more then a democrat who has infiltrated our party, and the results are outstanding, lets look at the results: Obama got reelected with 23 million people out of work, gas prices doubled what they were when he got elected the first time, a guy that signed into law Obama Care, a guy that has disrespected our constitutional government, a guy that in 3 and a half years has added 6 trillion dollars to our debt, and I could go on, and on.......During the last elections Rove wasted 300 million dollars and got one candidate elected, while he mentions that some Tea Party members lost, he fails to mention that all the liberal candidates he supported lost as well.

Dear Rove

You said that if "they want a war, they are going to get one"

Mr Rove my response to that is bring it on.

TickedWhiteDude
TickedWhiteDude

2013- We can't be associated with that extreme right wing Tea Party.

2014- What just happened?

carmtom13
carmtom13

It is my opinion that this is in response to Governor Palin's decision not to sign with fox again and her reasons why. Rove is in no way a common sense constitutional conservative and neither are these donors all they want is to control. Rove has been the mouth piece for the GOP elites in DC and the Bush clan. They are all responsible for BHO getting 4 more years. Their candidate, you know the only person who could win LOST! Ailes of fox hired Rove because he is part of the GOP establishment. Ailes did not sign Governor Palin to be on fox Rupert Murdock did and impersonally think Ailes was not to happy that his boss did that. This is not about getting conservatives to run this is all about Governor Palin's not signing with fox and free to say the TRUTH about what is going on in DC and the GOP elite establishment. Mark America said in his article Sarah Palin will STAND and he went on to say he will STAND with her. There are millions of common sense constitutional conservatives and Tea Party people who will STAND with Governor Palin. Rove you want a war? You will get one as Breitbart said we are no longer going to sit down and shut up. Message to Rove and his pac of donors "GAME ON!"

Guest1776rcp
Guest1776rcp

They are all responsible for BHO getting 4 more years.

Lets not forget the GOPe establishment is also responsible for Obama getting the first four too.

Cynthia Howard
Cynthia Howard

It is the message of individual rights, limited government, accountability, and personal responsibility that creates a stir among some members of the GOP, but it is a message whose time has come.

Nitnyline
Nitnyline

Their "establishment" candidate, ie most electable in their eyes was a loser. They conveniently forget that little factoid. Rove and his ilk as well as all of the other former Bush people need to relinquish their hold on our party. We have outgrown them and their "go along to get along" political philosophy that makes the Republican Party weak and feeble.

BS61
BS61

Perhaps it's Ron Paul saying that we are hated because we occupy their land in the middle east, when reality - history shows Thomas Jefferson fought against us because we are infidels who didn't worship Allah!

graywolf4life
graywolf4life

And in the meantime O is laughing at his republican enemies as they try to destroy each other.......

If we keep this up it really will be the death of the republic.

Mark Steele
Mark Steele

They can't win without us, and we can't win without them. Homosexual marriage, Abortion, Atheism, the country has come under God's judgment. That's why 0bama is president. Dan 4:17 ....the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

BeyondPolls
BeyondPolls

They just don't get it.

c4pfan
c4pfan

Oh, they get it. We don't get it.

BeyondPolls
BeyondPolls

They don't get that Mourdock was undermined by the Republican establishment.

WEL2
WEL2

The Republican establishment is encouraging the creation of a powerful (conservative) third party hat will eventually replace the GOP.

BS61
BS61

I'm guessing that Rove wants an even lower GOP voter turnout?! Idiot!