GOP moderates should practice what they preach

Do as I say, not as I do?

For decades, moderate Republican officeholders and party officials -- encouraged by experts in the liberal commentariat -- lectured conservatives that the GOP had to be a "big tent," that in order to win elections, that the party's candidates had to "move to the center." For that reason, defeated conservatives were supposed to support winning moderates, especially in liberal Northeastern states. Failing to do so was "divisive," according to the experts. There was indeed wisdom in the principle, as articulated in William F. Buckley's maxim that conservatives should vote "for the conservative most able to win," and in President Reagan's famous 11th commandment - "thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican."

But some of the nation's most prominent moderate Republicans are singing different tunes now, especially when Republican primary voters turn them out of office. Sen. Arlen Specter -- long a leading moderate GOPer -- switched parties when it became clear he would lose his primary race against former Rep. Pat Toomey. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was touted as the clear favorite to win in the Senate GOP primary race. But when his standing in the polls dropped like a rock against the conservative choice, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, Crist opted to run as an independent rather than accept the voters' decision. Similarly, Sen. Lisa Murkowski lost the Republican primary in her state to insurgent Tea Party candidate Joe Miller. Now she's planning to run as a write-in candidate. In Delaware, Rep. Mike Castle lost his Senate primary to Tea Partier Christine O'Donnell and now refuses to endorse her against Democrat Chris Coons.

Read more at the Washington Examiner

And, I should add, Karl Rove's creation of anti-O'Donnell talking points is another example.