GOP Must Regroup With Balance, Relevance

Many Republicans think the party is on a losing streak because it’s gotten too “squishy,” but that’s a dangerous mistake to make, a former aide to Tom DeLay writes on Politico. John Feehery, who pleads guilty to being a “squish” (as "right-wing wackos" deride GOP moderates), says voters "want us to be more relevant to their lives and to do better at the job of governing."

The GOP’s real problem is that it became a regional party, urging even northern candidates to move rightward. “What plays in Texas doesn’t necessarily go over so well in New York,” he writes. Republicans need “to hammer out a philosophy … that works in all 50 states.” They should listen to voters, and go back to what works: fixing the government. (More conservatives stories.)