GOP must keep its word or die, DeMint warns
Washington (CNN) – Republican Sen. Jim DeMint is sounding the alarm to the GOP, warning that unless the party can come together, it won't matter if Republicans regain control of Congress in November.
"If we get the majority again, even if it's just in the House, and we don't do what we say, I think the Republican Party is dead," DeMint told CNN's Candy Crowley, host of State of the Union and CNN's Chief Political Correspondent.
"The urgency for me here is the Democrat Party - and I know this sounds partisan but - are completely dysfunctional. They're the left of Europe," DeMint added, in an interview that will air Sunday on CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crowley.
A number of establishment-backed Republican candidates lost primary battles to conservative political newcomers this election cycle, as a wave of anti-Washington sentiment swept across the country. The movement has created a rift within the GOP that some predict will make governing more difficult, even if the Republicans have a majority.
DeMint has also incensed some within the Republican Party by backing conservative candidates rather than the GOP establishment's picks. He most recently endorsed Delaware Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell, who easily beat long-time Rep. Mike Castle in Tuesday's primary.
Frustration with DeMint in Republican circles boiled over following O'Donnell's win Tuesday night. One unnamed senior GOP aide told CNN's Dana Bash Tuesday night: "I wonder who Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer are calling first tonight – Chris Coons for becoming the next Senator from Delaware or Jim DeMint for helping to make it happen."
But DeMint -who has been mentioned as a 2012 presidential candidate– is taking a more conciliatory tone, telling Crowley that Republicans must unite around common causes in order to take back control.
"The Republicans are the only one who can carry the banner of what I think millions of Americans are saying - not just Republicans, Independents and Democrats - stop the spending, stop the borrowing, stop the debt, stop the takeovers. This is kind of uniting America," DeMint said.
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DeMint is such a typical politician. He is exactly why the GOP is in trouble. How many times have we heard the "us versus them" story?
Hard fact: The Republicans cannot revive the economy any faster than the Dems. Republicans would like to turn America into one large Baptist church.
How CAN they come together? It's a potpourri of selfish super-rich people, misguided christians, uneducated wannabe 'patriots', and demented lemmings. The combination can NOT make a party, only, possibly, a cesspool.
Talk about being overly dramatic......Fear not. As long as there is a democratic party determined to destroy the U.S. and everything it stands for, the American people will be sure to keep its "lesser evil" (the republican party) alive and well.
What Demint SHOULD have said is that if the career politicians who like to CALL THEMSELVES republicans don't start GOVERNING like repubicans, they'll be replaced by REAL republicans. (Do you hear me, Senator McCain and Senator Grahamnesty?)
Tell me Mr DeMint how come the so called tea party were not foaming at the mouth with GW Bush and his out of controlled spending? It just goes to show you that your party can't win an election without beating The White Flight Drum and driving that message home even harder becuase we have a Black Man in the White House?
It's the DemocratIC party, Jim. You just keep trying to scare people by screaming "leftist" and we'll see you in November.
I can't believe DeMint is crazy enough to say and believe that "This is kind of uniting America". That has to be the single most delusional thing I have heard a Republican candidate say. It basically hints that the right knows they are tearing this country apart with catchy half-truth hot-button accusations and sometimes outright lies designed to polarize this country. Republicans need leadership who is not radical.
deminted is still stupid as ever,you have two different fractions of the republican party,the wing and the wing nuts,there is no way they can work together only agains't one another.I hope they get their way and take contol of the house and let boehner become speaker,Obama will be a shoe in ,in 2012.
the democratic party is dysfunctional???????? i think its the other way around deminted. you keep saying that you need to keep your promise to the people when you gain back your house/seats – well i still haven't heard any promises coming from your party of NO.
They said the same thing in '94 and did nothing they promised. Gingrich and the gang he rode into town with set about raping the coffers and preaching responsibility to the rest of us, while they threatened to shut down the government. As I recall, it was a dismal failure, which was only the first of many. Of course, DeMint is right about thier need to keep their word, whatever that is (they've offered no solutions, just criticism), but it will never happen. Once Republicans start running the show, they begin preaching about taking care of small business, while only favoring corporate contributors and getting kickbacks for their time.
"They're the left of Europe," said Jim DeMint.
*sigh* The modern US Republican party: to the right of stupid.
Smells like it already died. Palin, calling the shots, with limbaugh, Gingrich and Rove as the reluctant pom-pom girls for the cheering section. Then there's the newly elected dimwit from Delaware, speaking for the anti-masterbation section in the bleechers, where no smiling faces can be found. What a wonderful election season we'll all have.
If establishment politicians don't follow the rules of their own party, why would they follow the rule of law in their governance? Such politician will destroy the GOP since they and this congress are pushing aside the will of the people to cram their own interest down the people's throat or up our ...
There are incumbents that have lost the primaries. They are now running as write-in candidates and independents. Apparently they don't follow the rules that are inconvenient to themselves.
Too many of us have believed that entitlement referred only to the recipients of government programs among the populace. Apparently too many establishment politicians believe that they are entitled to the government program called congress.
Now if we could just get rid of the Democratic party, we could start again and maybe get it right this time! Vote 'em in. Vote 'em out.
Our government ABOLUTELY had to spend to keep the economy from becoming a great fepression. The second Great Depression was averted and we are slowly climbing out of the almost fatal nosedive.
Now we have fools like Demint who think we forgot about the unnecessary spending of the GOP : ten billion a month for years to engage in nation building . Well, Hamid Karzai and the Taliban are enjoying the fruits of US taxes , as well as the corporate welfare doled out by the Republicans ( tax subsidies for BIG OIL) .
The hypocrisy of the GOP is worse than nauseating , and I cast my first vote as a Democrat at age 54 .
democrats unite. Vote all the blue dog democrats out and send in your 2 and 3 dollars to support your party. If we get these tea baggers or repos in office we will never turn this economy around. Middle class unite. The repos are only interested in the wealty. We will be paying the bulk of the taxes like the bush tax cuts. remember them How about our health care. How many of you can now keep your grown children on your insurance now? These repos want to take your rights away and run this country by their rules only. No religious freedome for them. wake up people.
Say it as loud as you want, won't make it true. Republicans who contributed to unpaid for tax cuts, borrowed heavily, and squandered our freedom with patriot act, are in no higher moral ground than democrats to carry any banner. Tea party is going to push republicans to the shadows and become the major opponent to the democratic party. If all fails, the republican party can become the center where maybe most of America will relate to. I think I like this new three party system.
The Libertarian and Constitution parties by far respect our Constitution better than the Democratic or Republican parties do, with a few individual exceptions like congressman Ron Paul, but we've been so thoroughly brainwashed into thinking that anything other than a vote for a D or an R is a wasted vote, it will take the total collapse of the dollar and civil rebellion – which is on the way- before the two major parties are exposed as the Constitution- shredding charletans that they are. We are all going to suffer for our short-sightedness.
There was a beverage around in my youth called Constant Comment Tea. This is more like No Comment Tea.
What a load of bunk. It was the wars, unchecked corporate greed, and mismanaged government that got here in the first place. All during a conservative administration. America forgets too easily.
It is a fact, if republican is back you will see in your eye the destruction of America.
All I hear from the tea party and Republicans is cut spendin, small goverment, no health care and yes to the unfunded wars...I think these are the must important elections of this nation in history.
those who love america and want the country to prosper again, understand that republicans would devide and bankrupt our nation...let's keep our sanity in senate and keep the hate and division out.
"Theyre the left of Europe,
They're still on that silliness? Really? If this was even close to true, he wouldn't even know what to do. The Dems are harder to herd than cats. You can't speak of them as dysfunctional in one breath (which they are), and then in the very next breath speak of them as some cohesive, united European-styled left.
As they's say in Jim's home state "bless his little heart."
Luntic and all of you that backed are just as responsible for every action he commits. Forever