"With the Republican Party’s brand in shambles, it is important for the Party to showcase those leaders who are currently in office fighting to preserve the limited-government, free-market principles the GOP used to stand for.
In the Senate, Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint have waged a two-man war on wasteful spending. In the House of Representatives, conservative leaders like Jeff Flake (AZ-06), John Shadegg (AZ-03), Jeb Hensarling (TX-05), Mike Pence (IN-06), and Paul Ryan (WI-01) have never wavered in their commitment to free-market principles and have been major players in the Republican Study Committee. And of all the Republican governors in the country, Mark Sanford of South Carolina has the strongest record of fighting for limited government and economic freedom."
From Arnold to Cheney to Rudy -- it's hard to tell the difference between much of the '08 lineup and the '04 lineup. Of course, the goal is to present a diverse party to the public -- but this strategy does little to reinforce the message that this is a new up-and-coming GOP.
Conservatives, no doubt, will appreciate the inclusion of new leaders like Palin and Jindal -- but it does seem the Club has a point. ... Granted, the convention shouldn't become an RSC meeting, but a Flake, Pence, or Sanford might have been nice ...
The Club's press release closes with a quote from Club president Pat Toomey, who says: "We hope Senator McCain will broaden the list of speakers and demonstrate his commitment to reclaiming the mantle of fiscal conservatism for the GOP.”