Tom Cole To Get Increased Supervision At NRCC
Rep. Tom Cole's authority as head of the House GOP's campaign committee is being curtailed in the wake of three defeats in red House districts, defeats which threatened his job security as NRCC chair.
A Republican source tells Election Central that Cole and Minority Leader John Boehner announced to the House GOP Conference several changes in approach -- most notably that two auditors will be appointed to provide oversight over the committee.
Their identities haven't been finalized yet, but it's believed that they will be Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, a former NRCC chairman who has been very critical of the state of the House GOP, and Rep. Pat Tiberi of Ohio.
While Cole is not being ousted from his position, as some observers speculated might happen after the Mississippi loss last week, the appointment of the two auditors can hardly be taken as a vote of confidence in his performance by Boehner and the rest of the GOP.
Boehner spokesman Michael Steel downplayed the implication that this was a move against Cole. "Rep. Boehner and Rep. Cole are working together to figure out the best way to accomplish their shared goal of electing more Republicans to the House," Steel told Election Central in an e-mail.
Also, the leadership will now be taking sides in select primaries, a big change from the policy of committed neutrality practiced up until now by Cole.
The new efforts to take sides in the late-season Congressional primaries will have to be undertaken in a discreet fashion, with individual members doing fundraising as opposed to the committee helping out in name. "There's a very acute awareness of being careful of ever anointing a candidate as quote unquote 'Washington candidate,'" the source told us.
House Republicans were damaged by three defeats in once-solid districts: Former Speaker Dennis Hastert's Illinois district in March, former Rep. Richard Baker's Louisiana seat on May 3, and appointed Sen. Roger Wicker's old House seat in Mississippi last week.















It won't help.
May 21, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
You beat me, Jam - I was just going to say - Yeah, that's going make all the difference.
May 21, 2008 6:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
You never know. I mean consider the ideological hurdles this move had to overcome- oversight, regulation, and accountability? My mind is blown. I didn't think they'd be up to the task.
May 21, 2008 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like this election more with each passing day.
May 21, 2008 6:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Take sides? Send Dick Cheney again.
May 21, 2008 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I fully support Mr. Cheney for this position.
May 21, 2008 7:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Until the Republicans stop being obstructionists they are going to lose. Americans want change and they want action. The party of the same old ideas tied to the same old lobbyists and the same old industries is toast. They are viewed by most Americans as being as uncaring boobs advancing an out of touch agenda. Gas prices are going through the roof and people are hurting at the grocery store. This is not the time for the "magic" of the market crowd.
Obama is seen as a change candidate. Tying local Democrats to Obama is without doubt a loser for Republicans in most districts. In most districts they shouldn't even mention their candidate is a Republican.
May 21, 2008 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aye and indeed. A dear friend of mine shortly after the 2000 theft of election results said to me, "Now, Jiminy, let the GOP have their cake. They will try to destroy the country, and will end up destroying themselves, while getting all the things they do not want." In an former age, we would elevate him to Prophet.
The dem party is also being unmade before our eyes. A President Obama will preside over a rare era of idealized redesign. Unless he intends to enforce the full letter of the law, this time will have been squandered because America needs unpardonable (e.g. post Jan 2009) war crimes trials to cleanse its bloody hands.
Sens Obama and Clinton are validating the theory that if democrats actually came out and voted, the GOP would never rise again. They have no idea how fuckered they are for enabling this criminal enterprise posing as a presidency. This article rearranges the Titanic's deck chairs.
Pax,
M.
May 21, 2008 7:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
As if Cole is their problem...
May 21, 2008 7:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes we can!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuKqWEYzhEA&eurl=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/21/parrot-yells-obama-slogan_n_102949.html
May 21, 2008 7:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now they need babysitters?
May 21, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of war crimes.....any chance this is why the Dems have said "no" to impeachments, which are pardonable??? War crimes - there's no escaping them.
Shameful as hell for USA for its prez and vice prez to be charged with war crimes. But, as an American, I can deal with the shame so long as we re-demonstrate to the world that the USA is a good and just country, leader of the world and partner to the world.
May 21, 2008 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Impeachment is a political remedy to a political problem. It can only result in removal from office, however ghastly the crimes. Every word uttered by this criminal enterprise is now evidence.
War crimes are the remedy in this case, and impeachment is not required for trials to proceed. Indictments need only wait until Feb 2009 to be filed in a post-pardon era.
There will be no escape.
Pax,
M,
May 21, 2008 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rumsfeld can not travel to (I believe) a total of five European countries at this time . . .
May 21, 2008 10:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
This makes me happier to know than you might ever know - thank you :)
May 22, 2008 12:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Marioth, who brings the war crimes indictments? USA? World Court? Who actually starts the ball rolling on a war crimes investigation & indictment? Think the US Government (President Obama) will cooperate in this investigation?
May 21, 2008 8:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tecnically speaking, it's any person or entity that can demonstrate standing.
As a practical matter, it will be up to the DoJ of the next president.
And if a constitutional lawyer cannot see the dire importance of restoring the rule of law by bringing its full weight to bear when he becomes President, then, well, who indeed?
IMHO, Obama has nothing to lose. We are going to have a situation where an ex-president and his cohorts cannot visit the state of Vermont, much less an incresing number of foreign countries without being arrested at the airport. This is intolerable and sends the exact wrong message to our citizens and the world.
The next DoJ will need to face this. We need to call on them to face it.
Until we are hoarse.
Pax,
M.
May 21, 2008 9:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gotta say I agree with that. Don't think It'll happen though. I think we're far past the point of getting back into the world's good graces. Too much damage to our national rep. The good ol' U S of A she ain't what she used to be. Now the world will watch each and every election for any sign of a return to the dark side. Sad.
May 21, 2008 9:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's never too late so long as the citizenry holds the power. This cycle's grass-roots explosion demonstrates the People aren't broken.
But their govt sure is, and this shock wave is going to be impacting this broken system this summer. One symptom will be Sen Clinton's court case against, well, herself, though the indictment will read "The Democratic Party."
It will be up to us.
Pax,
M.
May 21, 2008 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
But Tom Cole is doing a 'heckuva' job . . . He should have earned a Medal of Freedom by now. I think the DLCC should hire him.
May 21, 2008 9:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
this is great news for tom cole!!!
May 21, 2008 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
you KNOW that the titanic would have stayed afloat if only the deck chairs had been arranged correctly, don't you ???
so why are you laughing at the repuglitards ???
their deck chair arrangment is under serious review
that oughta save them
May 22, 2008 2:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Stephen Colbert pointed out the Republicans are more Hindenberg than Titanic a couple o' years ago . . .
May 22, 2008 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
at last some republican oversight
May 22, 2008 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink