Election 2004: Republican Main Street Partnership

The Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP) PAC, an organization focused on promoting moderate conservative policies, is planning to spend over $2 million to support their candidates during the primary and general election this year.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick, executive director of the RMSP, discussed the group, their mission and the 2004 election.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

________________________________________________

Houston, Tex.: It seems like conservative groups like the Club for Growth have declared war on candidates your organization supports, and in at least Sen. Specter's case, nearly toppled an incumbent. How does your group deal with what seems like an increasingly hostile Republican party?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: First off, the Club for Growth is not representative of the Republican Party. Its President is a Libertarian and its donors give a great deal of money to the Libertarian Party and candidates. The Club has its own agenda that does not mirror that of the GOP, and its actions have angered Republican leaders in Congress and the White House.

Having said that, we are forced to deal with them and we raise money on a daily basis to defeat them. We also try to educate the voters on the issues. Let me remind you that the Club has NEVER ousted an incumbent moderate Republican in Congress, and a top goal of ours is to make sure it never does.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: What are you doing to try to recapture the Republican Party from the extremists who run it now? Is there ever a circumstance in which you would vote for a Democrat rather than, say, providing Tom DeLay another vote in the House? How can we convince both parties (but mostly the Republicans right now) that compromise can be a good thing and not a sell-out? It seems so hopeless for the vast middle of our political spectrum right now; please help!

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Our political action committee, RMSP PAC, has a good farm team of candidates we are helping elect to the 109th Congress. These candidates include Melissa Brown in Pennsylvania, Joe Schwarz in Michigan, Adam Taff in Kansas, and many more. We are also helping Rep. Nethercutt in his efforts to defeat Patty Murray in Washington State. We also have several state chapters coast to coast that are working to build grassroots support for moderate candidates and issues.

I can't speak for our members of Congress, but I highly doubt that any of them would ever vote for a Democrat over a Republican in a leadership election. Our members are Republicans first.

RMSP members work every day for more civility in Congress and to drive the agenda forward rather than obstructing it. I do agree, however, the bitter partisanship is a problem. We encourage the American people to let their lawmakers know they are pleased when actual legislation is passed.

_______________________

Larkspur, Calif.: What in the world is a moderate conservative? Are they moderate in the same way a compassionate conservative is compassionate? Are conservatives who are not moderate conservatives some form of radicals?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: RMSP describes itself as an organization of centrist Republicans who are fiscal conservatives who take a pragmatic, common-sense approach to social issues. The term "moderate conservative" isn't the term we use.

_______________________

Lakelandm, Fla.: There is much talk today about red and blue America. As a registered Independent, I wonder if the general population is really as polarized as our politicians are. Congress, especially the House, is very divided; a situation exacerbated by pernicious gerrymandering. I question whether this is really representative of the American people as a whole. Coming from the perspective of a more centrist Republican, what is your take on this, and what kind of response are you getting to your organization?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: You are absolutely correct. This country has proven over the last four years it is right in the center, and there are scores of opinion polls to back that up. One of our goals is to convince independent voters like yourself to register as Republicans - this is one of the major factors that elected Schwarzenegger, who is an RMSP member, governor of California.

Redistricting has made Congress more polarized, but another major problem is that centrists don't vote in primaries as often as conservatives or liberals do. This in turn produces more conservative/liberal candidates running on the general election ticket. Moderates would have more impact if they came to the polls in the primaries.

_______________________

Harrisburg, Pa.: What are your thoughts on the recent Pennsylvania primary between Arlen Specter and Pat Toomey? Do you think Arlen Specter's close victory was a signal there still is room for moderates within the Republican Party, or do you think the closeness indicates that conservatives will soon take over at least the Republican Party in Pennsylvania?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Specter's victory clearly indicated that there is still room for centrists within the GOP. As I pointed out in a previous answer, centrists don't vote as often in primaries as conservatives do - it was largely a conservative voter base that elected Specter.

_______________________

Harrisburg, Pa.: You state the President is a libertarian whose libertarian policies you oppose. On what specific policies do you disagree with President Bush, and what would you wish to see enacted instead?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: No, the president of the Club for Growth is a Libertarian, not President Bush, who is a loyal Republican. I apologize for any confusion.

_______________________

Greenbelt, Md.: "Centrist" Republicans? "Moderates"? Ha! I just don't see any balance in that party, is there another Republican party somewhere that I'm missing?

Folks always like to see themselves as politically moderate, just like everyone wants to think of themselves as middle class in economic terms. Moderates have no place in the Republican party, where theocracy and pirate capitalism rule the roost.

It seems to me that your group is either sincere and needs to get out of that loony bin, or you should just admit that you like the jackals and get over it. These are seriously bad people who are a danger to the country.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: We are the traditional Republican Party, and without our 64 congressional members from across the nation, the GOP would be a minority party in both the House and Senate.

I strongly disagree with your characterization of GOP as pirate capitalists. We, as Republicans, believe in personal responsibility and limited government. Republicans are good people who have a different philosophy of governing than do Democrats, but this different philosophy does not make us bad people.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Ms. Resnick,
I'm a centrist Democrat, I live in Virgnia's heavily-Democratic 8th District, and I can't stand my Congressman, Rep. Jim Moran. If he defeats challenger Andy Rosenberg in the upcoming June 8 primary, I will have to choose between Moran and Lisa Marie Cheney, a somewhat conservative Republican. If the local GOP ran a moderate Republican, they'd have a great chance of pulling lots of Democratic voters away from Moran and winning the race. What's their logic here?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: I agree a moderate could do well in that district, but we would need to find a centrist candidate willing to run.

_______________________

Indianapolis, Ind.: How long has the RMSP been in existence?
Is Sen. McCain a member and when did he join?
And would you describe the support RMSP recieves from GOP leadership on the issues as grudging at best?
Do you have a Web site?

washingtonpost.com: Republican Main Street Partnership Web site

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: RMSP was founded by Rep. Amo Houghton (R-NY) in 1998. Yes, Sen. McCain is a member of RMSP and has been since it was founded.

RMSP's members don't always see eye-to-eye with the GOP leadership, but we have worked with them to pass several major pieces of legislation, including the Medicare-Rx bill, Trade Promotion Authority and several education bills.

RMSP's website is www.republicanmainstreet.org and the RMSP PAC site is www.mainstreetpac.com

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: I've heard tell that there exists such a thing as a moderate Republican but as near as I can tell none of them are in leadership positions. What leading Republicans are members of your group?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: RMSP has several members in leadership positions, including Rep. Deborah Pryce, chairman of the House Republican Conference. Rep. Tom Davis, who is a Board Member, used to be chairman of the NRCC and is now Government Reform Chairman. We have several other committee chairmen, including both Rep. Porter Goss and Sen. Pat Roberts, the chairmen of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I'm an aware, news-following voter in my late 20s who is turned off by partisan politics. Taking into consideration my views issue by issue, I am not comfortable declaring myself either Republican or Democrat. However, I consider myself a conservative individual. What would your organization have to say to an individual like me who feels lost in the middle of the parties? I think there are many people who feel similar to me.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Since you said your views lean conservative, I would seriously consider joining the GOP. You will have a lot more influence as a primary voter then you will if you simply find you don't like either of the candidates in the general election.

_______________________

Minneapolis, Minn.: Republican moderates seem too nice. They always give in for the sake of the party or simply leave the party. Moderates need to realize that they have real muscle and can fight and win. Do you see any signs of new aggressiveness in the Republican middle?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Moderate Republicans are beginning to get our voices heard, and we need people like you to help support us, especially when our members take difficult stands. We also need moderates to be vocal in their support of us when our members are attacked from extremists who claim to be within our own party.

_______________________

Moscow, Russia: I am a moderate, registered Republican living in Moscow. Are there any moderate Republican groups active in Russia?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: None that I know of, sorry.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Considering that most of the Congressional Members are more conservative and the moderate wing is dwindling with retirements, have you all looked at, or are cultivating, the "farm team" out there for potentially new moderates to run for office? I am guessing that it is somewhat difficult considering the redistricting that has occurred resulting in safer seats for present (and more conservative) Members.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: There are plenty of good centrist candidates out there. In Pennsylvania, Charlie Dent and Melissa Brown both won their primaries to go on to the general election. Adam Taff in Kansas and Joe Schwarz in Michigan are another two excellent examples. There are also several strong candidates in New York State as well.

While a number of senior moderates, such as Houghton, Quinn and Ose, are retiring at the end of the year, new centrists have been elected in recent years, such as Reps. Kirk and Simmons.

_______________________

Great Crossing, Ky.: What has happened to the moderate, balanced budget, small government Republicans? The group that runs the show on The Hill seems to be interested only in pandering to their campaign contributors and handing out corporate welfare. Is there any hope that the Goldwater/Rockefeller Republicans of yore might someday regain control of the party that they have, quite obviously, lost?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: RMSP would like to see the GOP return to its roots. Our members of Congress are pushing for these ideals in Congress, and our state chapters are looking for good candidates to deliver this message on the state level.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: What does it mean to be a moderate? That you hold no strong convictions about anything?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Moderates are fiscally conservative and open on social issues. We want you to have control over your bank account but don't want to interfere with people's personal lives. However, being a moderate is also a style of legislating - our members work for compromise instead of taking the "my way or the highway" approach.

_______________________

Clifton, N.J.: I'm a registered Republican who finds herself unable to vote for the head of my party. I'm a 'Republican for Kerry 2004.' What do you say to me?
Thanks.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: I would seriously urge you to reconsider voting for Bush in November. While you may not agree with Bush on all of the issues, do you really want to be paying more in taxes in 2005?

_______________________

Virginia: It really comes down to abortion, doesn't it? Are any of your members pro-life? Is it OK for a person to be moderate but believe that abortion is the taking of an innocent life?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: RMSP does not take a stance on abortion issues. In fact, several of our elected members are pro-life, including one of our Board Members, Fred Upton.

_______________________

Long Beach, Calif.: My former Congressman, Steve Horn, was a great moderate Republican, and as a result, he had his district remappped in a way that removed him from office as a payback by Tom Delay and associates. Tell us about Steve Horn, was he a member of your group? If so, then I'm impressed!

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Yes, Horn was a member of RMSP, and you are right, he was a great member of Congress. I never heard that he was removed as a payback to anyone.

_______________________

Manassas, Va.: Im a conservative to moderate Republican who is concerned about expanding our base to include more minorities into the GOP. Does your group plan to address this issue?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Yes, expanding the base of the GOP is important to us -- and to the future of our party. Our 14 state chapters are looking for minority voters. This is also a top priority of several our elected members, including Sen. McCain.

_______________________

Gambrills, Md.: What is your position on the budget deficit? Does your organization support a balanced budget? If so, why are you supporting Bush?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: RMSP members are deficit hawks who are concerned about the growing federal deficit. We support plans to curtail federal spending and budget process reform.

Yes, the budget deficit has increased over years, but he has had to grapple with a poor economy and the war on terrorism. We support Bush's reelection. Bush welcomes moderates into the White House to discuss these issues, whereas Kerry probably wouldn't.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: As a moderate Democrat, I would like to see groups like yours in the GOP foster a working dialogue with the moderate wing of the Democratic party so that issues important to both sides stand a chance of getting passed in Congress. With the polarized state of things, virtually nothing gets done because the extremes of both parties have created a state of gridlock that will not abate until moderates return to the top leadership positions.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: RMSP has tried on several occasions to conduct joint briefings and other events with the New Democrats and they have declined every time -- even as recently as three weeks ago. We find this disappointing as well.

_______________________

Kansas: You mentioned Adam Taff as a good candidate in Kansas and reading a lot about him after he lost in '02 for a Republican he's pretty good. The problem I have with him is that he's running in a gerrymandered district (The GOP cut the city of Lawrence in half to split Democratic votes) in hopes of eliminating any Democratic representation from the state of Kansas. Right now Dennis Moore is the lone Democrat from Kansas and he's pretty conservative. I think it's pretty slimy what the GOP is doing to rig elections (Texas, Colorado, Kansas, etc.)

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Taff didn't draw the map of the 3rd District, so I wouldn't hold that against him. If you think he is a good candidate, you should go out and vote for him, and encourage others to do so as well.

_______________________

Chicago, Ill.: No offense, but your response to Clifton illustrates precisely what's wrong with the Republican Party, moderate or not. How could any sane person honestly conclude that the November election comes down to some selfish personal issue like paying higher taxes? Bush's tax cuts were irresponsibly large, and need correcting. But regardless, am I supposed to just put aside any big picture issue (Iraq, terror, the environment, schools, the economy, disatrous foreign policy, etc.) just so I can theoretically save a couple hundred bucks next April? Are you kidding?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: This is not simply about a tax cut, and I did not mean to say this election is about a few hundred bucks.

In addition to reducing taxes, President Bush has shown a strong commitment to issues that affect middle-class America. For example, he has push for several bills to improve our children's education.

_______________________

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: We encourage you to consider joining the Republican Main Street Partnership, because you sound like a Main Street kind of Republican.

If the moderate wing of the party becomes stronger, then our voice within the party will become stronger, too.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: I think the unwillingness to engage in dialogue has more to do with the years of partisian rancor between the two parties. The Clinton impeachment, Gingrich, DeLay, Pelosi, Kennedy, Bush/Gore and now Bush/Kerry has created a poisonous atmosphere for constructive dialogue. I hope the moderate Democrats can look beyond the events of recent years and I hope the moderate Republicans can show the ability to speak their voice, even if it goes against the more right-leaning leadership of your party

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Our members work with the leadership when they agree, but sometimes do go against the leadership of the party.

The more support moderate Republicans get from the grassroots when we are attacked by the far right, the louder our voices will become.

_______________________

Chicago, Ill.: Six years ago, I would have agreed with your characterizaton of Republicans and Democrats as just good people with different theories of how to administer government. The impeachment and the Bush Administration, however, have really pulled the curtain back on what the GOP's true nature is. You write that you consider yourselves "Republicans first," and I have no doubt as to your sincerity in trying to mold the GOP into a moderate entity, but at what point do you become merely a showpiece, giving the illusion of inclusiveness or moderation where none in actuality exists? As the Republican Party increasingly identifies itself with right-wing, Christian-based rural conservatism, aren't you just another sad set piece like JC Watts or the Log Cabin Republicans? Thanks.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: The Republican Party is a big tent. While we are trying to grow the centrist party, we do acknowledge that there is also a place for Southern conservatives, too.

We are not merely a "showpiece"; GOP moderates have had influence in Congress in recent years on education and health care issues. And there are several Republican in your area who are centrists, such as Mark Kirk and Judy Biggert.

_______________________

Green Bay, Wis.: What is your group's take on the greater contemporary political climate where each side of the aisle seems embittered toward the other? Is there room for moderate voices in the midst of increasingly polarized factions? [I hope so.]

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: I certainly think there is room for centrists in both parties, and RMSP strongly opposes the actions of organizations that take on centrist candidates in primary elections. I do believe this polarization is a problem because it is making it much more difficult to get quality legislation passed. It also lowers voter turnout because most Americans are turned off by nasty rhetoric.

_______________________

Bethesda, Md.: It's been my impression since the outset of his tenure in office that President Bush has governed to the right of most people even in his party, not just of the moderates. On taxes, environmental controls and with the giveaways to the pharmaceutical companies he doesn't seem to be standing for middle class Republicans, at least. And people can't be too happy with the deep hole he dug us into in Iraq after entrusting our foreign policy decisions to a power-hungry, convicted embezzeler.

With Kerry drifting ever rightward, do you forsee many of your "political demographic" considering a shift in voting patterns for this election cycle?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Yes, and that concerns us. Keep in mind that Kerry has one of the most liberal voting records in the U.S. Senate. It will be an incredible leap to the right for him to make it to the center.

_______________________

Connecticut: I have heard you mention lots of information in this dialogue, but what I would like to know is what issue or issues are the focus of Republican Main Street Partnership this year?
Thanks.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Our top legislative priority for this year is encouraging the White House to expand its policy concerning embryonic stem cell research. Scientists believe stem cell research has the potential to save millions of lives every year, and we are pleased that Nancy Reagan has been a vocal advocate of this issue.

RMSP believes that the excess embryos created in fertility clinics that would be discarded should be donated to science instead of being thrown away. We do not support using cells from aborted fetuses, nor do we support cloning.

_______________________

Portland, Ore.: You can bet someone from the Club for Growth is here reading the exchange just as they apparently have someone permanently assigned to monitor McCain every movement. What do have the say to that person at this time?

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: If someone from the Club is reading this, we encourage them to stop dividing the party and join us in efforts in our fight to increase the Republican majority in the House and Senate. Instead of spending millions of dollars to try to defeat incumbent Republicans Specter, they should spend that money on GOP candidates like George Nethercutt in Washington State.

_______________________

Boston, Mass.: The Bush administration frequently touts its connections to the religious right, and offers them occasional red meat (ie gay marriage ban even though it is not going to get through the Senate anytime soon). Does the recent strong primary challenge of Senator Specter worry you and the rise of the religious right in politics and the way your party seems to be moving farther to the right especially on social issues? Especially with conservative groups calling for the Heads of Senator Chafee, McCain, and the two Senator from Maine for being too moderate.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: The only reason Specter's primary challenger had any chance was because his campaign received millions of dollars from an outside organization. I would also like to point out that President Bush and several conservative Republicans like Sen. Santorum were very supportive of Specter's candidacy.

We do see the party moving further to the right on social issues, which is why we are trying to grow the moderate wing of the party.

_______________________

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick: Thank you all for participating in today's chat. If you would like any more information on the Republican Main Street Partnership or the Republican Main Street Partnership PAC, visit www.republicanmainstreet.org or www.mainstreetpac.com.

_______________________