Conservative groups’ attacks on Republicans upset Haley Barbour
Former Republican national chairman fearful…of Republicans
Former national Republican Chairman Haley Barbour sees a significant threat to Republican success in this year’s elections: Republicans.
More specifically, GOP donors who pour money into outside groups that often bloody up other Republicans.
“Our donors are giving huge amounts of money to these political consultants who are getting rich attacking Republicans,” the former Mississippi governor told The Dispatch today before giving the keynote address to 850 people at the Ohio GOP’s state dinner at the Renaissance Hotel Downtown.
“We can name seat after seat in the Senate that we lost because of it. I hope this year that these outside groups will wear out their welcome with our donors, because our donors mostly want to use their money to elect Republicans over Democrats.”
Citing a Washington Post story, Barbour said independent conservative organizations have spent $9.7 million this year in the primary season attacking Republicans but only $3.6 million pounding on Democrats.
The veteran of the Reagan administration says he still believes the former president’s adage that someone who agrees with you 80 percent of the time “is not a 20 percent traitor.” And Republicans will have to realize that, should Ohio Sen. Rob Portman seek the presidency in 2016, he said.
Columbus Dispatch
5/11/14
Magnolia Tribune
