This weekend I received some troubling news regarding Mike Duncan’s potential continued chairmanship at the RNC.
To be sure, he is not involved and this is probably standard political chatter, but it is something to make note of.
This weekend individuals who will be involved in the election process for the next RNC Chairman told me of being cornered by two Senior Administration Officials trying to push votes toward Duncan. According to my sources, the White House guys said Duncan is their choice because he’s committed to the RNC leading a role in polishing the Bush legacy.
I emailed Anne Hathaway at the RNC about this. She said she was, “not sure where this is coming from and I’m not sure what this is about. Given all the charges and counter-charges in the last few days I am suspicious as to the credibility of this suggestion. I am not surprised that Mike’s opponents would try and tie him to the White House.”
And to be sure, this could be. But I do trust the source. That does not mean that perhaps the White House guys just want Duncan there because he was a Bush appointee and they think he’ll put Bush ahead of the overall GOP agenda, even when it must deviate from the Bush legacy. Duncan, in the RNC Chairman’s Debate, did noticeably deviate from the Bush position on Iraq.
It’s still troubling though that senior administration guys would take the time to pull someone aside to push them toward Duncan over legacy preservation concerns. It raises a question Duncan should answer — which takes priority: the Bush legacy or beginning again anew?
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The funny thing if it's true
bk (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 12:11PM EST (link)is that I suspect Bush is the type who couldn’t much give a flip about his legacy. It sounds more like some underlings trying to keep their future political job prospects more open.
Bush family control of the Party
Princeliberty Monday, January 19th at 12:22PM EST (link)The Bush family wants to continue to control the party.
The real choice of the future will come down to Palin vs. Jeb Bush.
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Duncan Needs To Go If...
rcov092 (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 12:33PM EST (link)we are to see the kind of “disruptive change” it is going to take to turn this around. It could be that the Bushes which to have a hand in guiding the party to keep Jeb’s options open. If Jeb wishes to run, let it be in a clean contest where he is selected because he is best suited to that run.
I have endorsed Saul Anuzis myself here and at my blog, http://www.the41stvote.org. I did this for very specific reasons related to the need to completely shake the organization up. The ironic thing, unless this were to happen, Jeb would not stand a chance to win the Presidency.
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RNC candidate
Princeliberty Monday, January 19th at 12:57PM EST (link)The only RNC candidates I am against are Duncan and Blackwell.
I suspect Blackwell is really a candidate put out by the establishment crowd to divide opposition.
Even though Blackwell conservative is ok, he has history of bowing way too much too the corrupt types in Ohio,
So if he did win, he probably would not have the personality to make needed changes.
My favorite is Steele, Anuzis seems the second best choice.
In fact what probably be have Steele head and media face of the party and
have Steele bring in Anuzis as the number 2 guy to do the reorganizing
and modernization of the party.
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I'm beginning to think this guy is a Moby.
Martin Knight (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 5:10PM EST (link)Let me get this straight; Blackwell – Ken Blackwell – “has a history of bowing too much too [sic] the corrupt types in Ohio” …?!
What planet are you from? Are they all this ignorant or stupid (do feel free to take your pick) where you come from?
Yes
Princeliberty Monday, January 19th at 9:36PM EST (link)While Blackwell was in Ohio he got along nicely with Taft and rest of the corrupt machine.
He never had the guts to challenge them. I am not in anyway saying he was corrupt. But he failed to challenge the corruption in the party.
And he running for the chairmanship of the RNC and he will need the guts to fight for change in party. Nothing in his record indicates he has it.
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Who cares about Bush?
Kayla Monday, January 19th at 12:36PM EST (link)The only priority now should be rebuilding the Repub party, not rebuilding Bush’s legacy. That’s his problem. Bush in some ways is like Carter. Just like Clinton had to rebuild the Dem party after Carter & Mondale and figure how to win again, we need to do the same thing after Bush. If you recall, Clinton did not even want Carter at the Dem convention in 1992. I think some Southern senators pressured him into inviting him. So the new RNC Chairman should be someone looking towards the future and trying to get the Repub party back on track, not going down memory lane.
Exactly
mikefisk (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:09PM EST (link)If the party seeks to look to the past, then that’s what it will become a thing of if they aren’t careful.
“Once within the maw of Leviathan, degree of digestion is irrelevant.” – Michael Fisk
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Too much of nothing
Robert A. Hahn (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 12:57PM EST (link)If Bush — and his entire Administration — had one cardinal failing, it was their complete inability to make a public case for the President and his policies. To the extent the RNC had a reponsibility to help with this, the RNC was every bit as bad. I cannot imagine why anyone in the Administration imagines that the RNC could now do something that they themselves could not, even when they held the bully pulpit.
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When out of power...
Lamplighter331 (Diary) Monday, January 19th at 1:32PM EST (link)If a Republican was being sworn in tomorrow, I’d have no problem with this, but when you get set out into the wilderness like we are now, you can’t dance with what brung ya.
I’m sure Mr. Duncan is a good soldier and a solid partisan, but we need to get back to basics and it starts with throwing the figurative bums out. I’m not sure that an Administration who refused to fight back and get into the real partisan fights is the group that should be helping to select the next chairman.
That would be like an NFL coach going 0-16 and picking the next GM of the team, while on his way out the door.
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