McCain, GOP secretly courting another Dem to switch

Spencer Collins · #1 (**permalink**) 12-25-2009, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Republicans are stepping up their efforts to persuade more House Democrats to switch parties and are zeroing in on a second-term Pennsylvanian who acknowledged the efforts but said he has "no plans" to do so.

Democratic Rep. Chris Carney received a phone call Wednesday from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) asking him to consider becoming a Republican, a top GOP official told POLITICO.

Carney's office at first did not comment other than to acknowledge the call, but Carney released a statement Wednesday night saying, in part, "I appreciate the Republican Party's outreach, but I have no plans to change parties."

DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen spoke to Carney Wednesday and received assurance that the Pennsylvanian was not switching, according to a senior Democratic aide.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi's aides talked to Carney staffers, as well, and received the same assurance.

In a brief interview, McCain declined to offer details about his conversation with Carney.

“I just said, ‘Whatever you do, I know that you’ll make the right decision for the country,’” said the Arizonan.

A source familiar with the call said that Republicans thought Carney might be susceptible to McCain’s entreaty because, like the senator, the 50-year-old House member served in the Navy .

McCain’s call to Carney comes one day after freshman Alabama Democrat Parker Griffith announced that he was uncomfortable with his party’s direction and was becoming a Republican.

In his statement Wedneday, Carney also said: "I am flattered by the overtures of Sen. McCain and other Republican Party officials and consider their outreach a sure sign that I have worked in a truly bipartisan manner. I always put my district above political party and have maintained an independent voice. I have enjoyed widespread Republican support throughout my district and will continue to work closely with Democrats, Republicans and independents alike."

That House Republicans would deploy their party’s 2008 presidential standard-bearer to reach out to Carney underscores the sense of opportunity the GOP feels with the Griffith switch, along with polls showing voters turning sharply away from Democratic policies. So party officials are moving quickly to capitalize on the trend with other Democrats from conservative-leaning districts in hopes of creating a snowball effect.

“Politics is a momentum sport,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

A senior Republican said that the Senate GOP is expected to receive a list of party-switching targets.

But persuading colleagues to change sides is a delicate matter, often handled at the member level and with great discretion. The hope is to bag the quarry without being seen or heard trying to do so.

A top House Republican aide, wanting to avoid revealing a poaching patrol, downplayed the effort.

“You’ve got to have a willing partner; you don’t just hunt these guys down,” said the Republican. “They have to nudge you first.”

McCain, GOP secretly courting another Dem to switch - - POLITICO.com

Out with the old RINO's and In with the new RINO's?...

Oh well...they must figure even a RINO is better than a Democrat but what happened to that GOP party purity test???

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saltwn · #2 (**permalink**) 12-25-2009, 04:11 PM

So I wonder who and what persuaded Griffith to switch.

cnredd · #3 (**permalink**) 12-25-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spencer Collins

Out with the old RINO's and In with the new RINO's?...

Oh well...they must figure even a RINO is better than a Democrat but what happened to that GOP party purity test???

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First, the headline itself is dumb...It's pretty tough to be "secretly" doing anything when you're reading a friggin' public article on it...

Second, if this is the one they know about (which makes it NOT a secret), how many instances of this are happening across the board, and on how many levels?...

From just recently...

Quote:

Capitol Hill sources tell NBC News there had been active discussion between senior Democratic leadership and Arlen Specter for about three weeks.

Spencer Collins · #4 (**permalink**) 12-25-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

First, the headline itself is dumb...It's pretty tough to be "secretly" doing anything when you're reading a friggin' public article on it...

Second, if this is the one they know about (which makes it NOT a secret), how many instances of this are happening across the board, and on how many levels?...

From just recently...

Agreed..the title they used is dumb but why do they purge old RINO's only to recruit new RINO's ? I thought they had this party "purity" thing going on..

Some day they will learn that a short term strategy for gain does not always translate to a long term benefit for the party. The D's are learning that painful lesson as we speak!...

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cnredd · #5 (**permalink**) 12-25-2009, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spencer Collins

Agreed..the title they used is dumb but why do they purge old RINO's only to recruit new RINO's ? I thought they had this party "purity" thing going on..

"The party" does NOT have this "purity" thing going on...

The GOP purity test is nothing more than a resolution some Right-to-Life committee guy wants to push on the RNC during their January meetings...

That's IT...The RNC has not responded to it...They did not pass it...They did not push it...

The MEDIA has reframed it to where the whole damn committee endorses it as some sort of established Republican law...

...and it's nothing of the sort...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spencer Collins

Some day they will learn that a short term strategy for gain does not always translate to a long term benefit for the party. The D's are learning that painful lesson as we speak!...

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It CAN be both...

I'm sure the Republicans would let this guy claim the Republican mantle (short-term) until an actual Republican comes in and replaces him (long-term)...

I don't doubt that's the same route the Dems would take either....

Spencer Collins · #6 (**permalink**) 12-25-2009, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

It CAN be both...

I'm sure the Republicans would let this guy claim the Republican mantle (short-term) until an actual Republican comes in and replaces him (long-term)...

I don't doubt that's the same route the Dems would take either....

Sure it can be both but it seems like this type of strategy has a price and the D's and R's have paid that price many times over.It can hamper legislation and even destroy it for their "own" party! One has to weigh the trade-offs of remaining in power but less effective... against losing power because the trade-offs were too high a price. In the end...remaining in power is key and DINO's and RINO's are sometimes...necessary evils.

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