Republicans Love Competition -- New Moderate GOP Web Site Kicks Off
The goal of GOPProgress.com, according to one of its founders, is to provide a counterweight on the web to conservatives sites like RedState and serve as an online forum for moderate/centrist/mainstreet/mainstream/libertarian Republican candidates across the country.
Site editor Liz Mair today calls on RNC chairman Ken Mehlman to stop giving interviews to RedState because they're leading a crusade against MI GOPer Joe Schwarz, who faces a competitive challenge from a conservative.
Writes Mair:
"Mr. Mehlman needs to hear from Republicans--moderates, libertarians, conservatives and everyone else--that the Chairman of the RNC should not be undercutting the efforts of his President, and his party, by giving exclusive interviews to sites that appear hell-bent on bringing down a candidate endorsed by everyone from the President to the House Majority Leader to Newt Gingrich to the NRA."
The site includes with two "exclusive interviews" of Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Sen. Olympia Snowe. (R-MN).
And it inaugurates its Weekly Five -- quotations from "crazy conservative politicians." Mair calls it "entertainment for the moderate masses."
All this as RedState, under new management, prepares for a major redesign. It relaunches Monday. Mair, incidentally, has posted at RedState before. RedState's Erick Erickson, in an IM, tells us that "While RedState will remain the place on the net for Republicans across the political spectrum to participate, we welcome GOPProgress to the internet and are glad that liberal Republicans finally have a place besides Daily Kos where they can hang out full time."
GOPProgress.com kicks off a day after ABC PAC unveiled itself to be a counterweight to the Democrats' ACT Blue PAC, which has raised $7M for Democratic candidates. [MARC AMBINDER]
America needs a sensible third party choice. It seems most politicians are moving to the center anyway. So why don't we give them some ground to stand on...
A new political party has been formed to bring balance to the field of American politics by giving voters and politicians in the center, a strong foundation to express their views. The party was established to give the American political landscape a chance to break the stalemate between the left and right. Without a strong foundation in the center, any attempt at maturing the political environment would likely fall short, said the founder.
The party, to be known as the Centrist Party, was founded by John P. Reisman, who said, the party's motto is "Common Sense for America". America is already largely centrist; the idea just needs a home. The Centrist Party is by design, a solid foundation for centrist views. Without it, politicians can claim to be centrist and after they are elected, meander back to their special interest base, and the far left or right, where their funding comes from. Creating a centrist foundation significantly strengthens the integrity and ability of politicians to campaign on, and maintain a centrist political view."
"The nature of our two party system has brought America to a political impasse. While many Americans lean toward centrist views, there is no 'party' to represent these views. The Centrist Party provides a concrete foundation that allows people to develop a viable alternative to left/right politics," Reisman said.
"While we are getting started, the party will provide ideological support for centrist positions and candidates. As the party strengthens and we attain position on the state ballots, we can look at nominating candidates. We do not intend to nominate a candidate prior to viability. Support for the Centrist Party, viability and nominations will occur when the time is right in order th strengthen the political process and avoid weakening it. In the mean time we will work towards increasing understanding, and support Centrist candidates and ideals the country can benefit from. The striking difference for a Centrist candidate, is that one can stand for separate issues that originate from either side of the aisle. Centrists also tend to avoid extremes that are not considerate of short and long term thinking." It is the belief of Mr. Reisman that providing a centrist foundation may yield innovative answers that may not have been possible from the left or the right, due to the polarized character of their respective platforms. "With a centrist foundation the candidates won't be bound to the extremes and will be able to construct pragmatic solutions."
"Mainstream America is tired of watered down solutions and partisan politics. By empowering the middle with its own political party, we are giving the nation a chance to reduce partisan bickering. The Centrist Party is a natural step toward reducing the effects of special interests and one-sided agendas," Reisman said.
"In order for the political landscape in America to move forward and make a real difference, solutions must reach across the boundaries of partisan politics", he said. "We need answers that make sense for the nation. Our immediate goal is to provide support for centrist candidates and the ideology. Second is to work towards putting the Centrist Party on the ballot as soon as feasible. In the mean time we can support centrists on both sides of the aisle while efforts are directed at providing a viable third party choice for America where centrist candidates can stand firm without being pulled left and right."
Common Sense for America
Phone: 866-583-7142