GOP Revolting?

• At a time when Republicans should be unifying for a possible conservative takeover of the Senate during next year’s midterm elections, not to mention vetting viable candidates to make a 2016 presidential run, the GOP instead remains fractured by political infighting and cronyism. Although many AFP readers feel disillusioned with Obama’s phony “hope and change” rhetoric, a GOP in shambles offers little meaningful alternative at this moment.

Republicans Trying to Recraft Image and at Same Time Keep GOP Base

By Victor Thorn

While the Democratic Party is closing ranks on such issues as amnesty legislation for illegal aliens, the Republican Party appears to be on the verge of collapse as true conservatives, who seek reduced spending and smaller government, push back against the GOP “moderates” who parrot the Democrats on many issues and favor amnesty.

Former Alaska Governor, vice presidential candidate and neocon icon Sarah Palin is threatening to abandon the Republican Party, whereas Representative Justin Amash (R-Mich.) has outraged his surveillance state, warmongering colleagues by pushing to defund the National Security Agency for its rampant unconstitutional spying.

 
 
 

In the House, tea party loyalists vehemently oppose Democrats’ illegal alien amnesty legislation that, ironically, has garnered a great deal of support from key Republicans such as Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Representative Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

Meanwhile, Jewish insider and former George W. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer co-authored a report entitled “The Autopsy,” which predicts that the GOP will soon perish if they don’t start promoting more moderate policies, especially on social issues.

On the other hand, female conservatives such as Palin, Representative Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), provocative author Ann Coulter, radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and tea party commentator Dana Loesch openly mock and deride what they call RINOs, or “Republicans in Name Only.”

Amidst this brewing civil war in the ranks of the Republican Party, retiring Texas Governor and former Bilderberg attendee Rick Perry plans to make a prerequisite trip to Israel this October to float the possibility of another presidential bid. Earlier this year, Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) all flew to Israel and genuflected before Benjamin Netanyahu and his high priests of war.

New Jersey Governor and onetime GOP rising star Chris Christie has fallen from grace following a series of touchy-feely photo ops with President Barack Obama following Hurricane Sandy. Making matters worse, Democratic donors are filling Christie’s coffers with millions in campaign contributions. Among Christie’s liberal supporters is a George Soros-run hedge fund, along with Democratic kingmakers who helped elect Rahm Emanuel as Chicago’s mayor. As a sign of their displeasure with the rotund glad-hander, the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) refused to invite  Christie to speak at their annual convention a few months ago.

As career Republican politicians continue to mirror Obama’s push for larger and more intrusive government, Nathan Guttman, Washington bureau chief for the Israeli-based Forward newspaper, interviewed political operative Jeff Ballabon for an April 8 article. When asked about turmoil within the GOP, Ballabon responded, “I don’t feel very Republican these days. Who needs two Democratic parties?”

 

Marco Rubio’s Puppetmaster Exposed

By Victor Thorn

If the thought of another Cheney in Washington doesn’t send chills through grassroots conservatives, then the affiliations of Marco Rubio’s puppetmaster should trigger them into paroxysms.

Rubio’s chief of staff is Cesar Conda, an immigration lawyer, who cut his political teeth as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s domestic policy adviser. It’s no surprise then that Rubio endorsed amnesty for 20 million illegal aliens. Conda has not only devoted a significant amount of time to this issue since George H.W. Bush’s tenure in office, but he’s also a lobbyist for several corporate prisons that stand to earn millions from the incarceration of thousands of Mexicans that engage in illegal endeavors.

Conda has been involved with other unsavory establishment Republicans such as Newt Gingrich’s National Foundation for American Policy as well as the pro-amnesty sellout, Grover Norquist.

As Conda manipulates his protégé Rubio, negative feedback continues to blow back in his direction. Firebrand author Ann Coulter referred to Rubio’s suicidal mission as being akin to “the Jack Kevorkian of the Republican Party.”

In a June 12 column, Miss Coulter blasted spineless RINO (“Republican in Name Only”) legislators who support the Democrats’ immigration bill with the following headline: “If the GOP is this stupid, it deserves to die.”

Further tarnishing Rubio’s image is his partnership with fellow “Gang of Eight” colleague Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), who also advocates a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.

In a July 10 article, tea party organizer Joseph Pascarella snapped:

“McCain is not really a conservative. He doesn’t stand for anything. He’s Harry Reid on our side.”

 

Rank & File Speaking Out

• Genuine conservatives against war, bail outs, police state

In today’s political climate, the biggest enemy of establishment Republicans isn’t Barack Obama or the Democratic elite. Those they hold the most enmity toward are genuine conservatives who advocate limited government and constitutional governance.

On July 17, AFP spoke with Tom Gaitens, co-founder of the Tampa, Florida tea party and former state director of FreedomWorks, a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to lower taxes and less federal intrusion.

When questioned about the growing rift among GOP politicians, Gaitens observed:

“The Republican establishment loves to attack tea party members. Conversely, the tea party feels as much angst about Republicans as they do about Democrats because both of them feed the beast in Washington.”

Gaitens revealed a little-known fact about the genesis of this GOP chaos.

“Most people think the tea party began as a rebellion against Barack Obama,” he said. “But it really started with the passage of TARP [the Troubled Asset Relief Program], which was passed into law under President George W. Bush. Even before being called the tea party, we objected to government picking winners and losers. Also, in our earliest days, we strongly protested the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

When asked what most differentiates him from establishment Republicans, Gaitens replied:

“We want fiscal conservatism, states’ rights and the Constitution as the law of our land. If anyone, Republican or Democrat, fails to uphold these principles, we’ll oppose them. The GOP too often engages in Democrat-light policies, such as Bush passing the prescription drug bill. Today, there’s very little differentiating Beltway Democrats and Beltway Republicans. Each of them wants to control our lives.”

Particularly disturbed by outlandish spending by each side of the political aisle, Gaitens said:

“Most people understand fiscal conservatism because that’s how they lead their personal lives. But the federal government isn’t legally required to live within its means because there’s no balanced-budget amendment. Without any limits on spending, they’ll spend limitlessly.”

Being a Floridian, Gaitens addressed the trouble with Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

“Former Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.) once said, ‘Rubio talks real big about his tea party values. Just wait until we get a hold of him,’ ” he said. “The Beltway is a beast that chews up freethinking people.”

On July 17, AFP also spoke with Everett Wilkinson of the South Florida tea party, who reiterated Gaitens’s sentiments.

“There’s something about the drinking water in Washington, D.C. that leads to amnesia,” said Wilkinson. “It deteriorates certain things in the brain, and suddenly politicians forget what they originally stood for.”

Wilkinson broached the topic of a GOP turf war.

“The primary mission for establishment Republicans is power, control and influence,” said Wilkinson. “Beltway Republicans are like used car salesmen. They don’t care about quality or what their voters say. They simply want to make the sale and get reelected.”

“Whereas the establishment Republicans take shortcuts and water down the principles that made America great,” he continued, “we’re purists who want to restore the republic.”

Wilkinson’s organization hosted one of the first events at which Rubio spoke.

Wilkinson’s organization hosted one of the first events that Marco Rubio ever spoke at. In regard to the amnesty bill, Wilkinson stated:

“Rubio’s obviously getting bad advice from someone. Since he has ambitions for the White House, I’m sure someone told him, ‘You better be onboard to get the money and influence that will keep your donors happy.’ Plus, I’m sure he thinks it will help him with Hispanics.”

Addressing Hispanics directly, and the Republican Establishment’s desire to court them, Wilkinson added: “The Latino voting bloc for the GOP is amyth. Establishment Republicans are looking a lot like Democrats, and by doing so, they’re selling themselves short.”

 

Another Cheney Looking to Gain Political Power

Compounding deep divisions within the GOP that are associated with illegal immigration, surveillance, abortion, and fighting Israel’s wars around the world, another lightning rod has been added to the mix. On July 16, former vice president Dick Cheney’s daughter Liz announced that she intends to seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by fellow Republican Michael Enzi.

With a chorus of “no more Bushes, no more Cheneys” by those who still recall eight years under this regime, many within the party say they are displeased with Cheney’s decision. Jeered by Wyoming newspaper editors, it also appears that the National Republican Senatorial Committee,Wyoming GOP House member Cynthia Lummis and Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are all throwing their support to the incumbent.

Similar to Hillary Clinton’s 2000 congressional bid in New York, Ms. Cheney is being lambasted as a carpetbagger exploiting a sparsely populated state. Political analyst Chris Rothfull complained:

“Liz Cheney is running out of Wyoming rather than her home state of Virginia, because we’re basically seen as a much cheaper option in trying to obtain a Senate seat.”

Apart from the obvious baggage of her father, Ms. Cheney’s husband, Philip Perry, sports a long record of being a part of the pro-war Republican establishment. As a consummate K Street lobbyist who promoted comprehensive immigration reform, he also served as Department of Homeland Security general counsel under close friend and dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Michael Chertoff. Both of them worked at a Washington, D.C. law firm while belonging to a conservative legal think tank called the Federalist Society.

Perry’s deep Beltway roots extend to the positions at the Department of Justice and the Office of Management and Budget. Prior to the 2000 presidential election, Perry acted as the moderator at Dick Cheney’s pre-debate rehearsals.

Ms. Cheney herself is no stranger to rubbing elbows with arch neocons. In 2009 she formed a nonprofit organization called Keep America Safe with Weekly Standard editor and Project for the New American Century (PNAC) signatory William Kristol. 9-11 researchers are familiar with PNAC’s September 2000 report, wherein, in order to plunge America into future wars, the group voiced the need for a “catastrophic and catalyzing event––like a new Pearl Harbor.”