This is funny.
Ed Martin, who has lost elections for Congress and Missouri Attorney General, and in fact has never won an election, decided that Missouri Republicans need a purge. Since he is head of the State Republcian Party, he sent out a mass e-mail. He wants to make the Missouri Republican Party more like Rand Paul.
News flash: the base of Missouri Republicans already is bat shit crazy. See, e.g., the nomination of Todd Akin for senate last year. Rural, ignorant, white racist and fundie voters.
But the money men, like Sam Fox and [Former 3 term US Senator and UN Ambassador] John Danforth, are not Tea Party Libertarians or fundies (Martin is an Opus Dei-like (if not actually belonging -- every sperm is sacred) right wing Catholic fundie who probably would be quite comfortable with an inquisition or two).
An email this week from Missouri Republican chairman Ed Martin chastising the GOP’s “old guard” for failing to embrace a recent U.S. Senate filibuster about drones has angered former Sen. John C. Danforth, a leader in the party for decades.
In an email sent to thousands of people, Martin wrote that he was disappointed with Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina for criticizing a 13-hour filibuster led last week by Sen. Rand Paul, a fellow Republican from Kentucky.
“The old guard of the GOP missed the significance of the event, which is a reminder that our party has a great deal yet to learn about leadership,” Martin wrote.
“My goal is for the MOGOP to be much more like Rand, and a lot less like McCain and Graham.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Monied Republicans did not like it:
Danforth didn’t hide his irritation in an email to Martin Thursday that also landed in the in-boxes of leading Missouri Republican officials and funders.
“I could not be more dismayed by the content and threatening tone of the attached newsletter about Senators Paul, McCain and Graham,” Danforth wrote.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Danforth asked. “This big tent Republican smells a purge in the air. Who else do you want to kick out of our party?”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Danforth and Kit Bond built the modern Republican Party in Missouri, making common cause with the religious and racial bigots in order to win elections. I see the chickens coming home to roost.
Danforth’s reaction suggests a further split in the party that began taking shape last year in the jockeying for a GOP Senate candidate. Danforth and other moderates were pressing late into the primary season to expand the Republican field of hopefuls out of fear that the party might be missing a prime opportunity to unseat Sen. Claire McCaskill.
McCaskill easily defeated Todd Akin, who prevailed in the GOP primary but stumbled badly in the general election campaign.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Pass out the popcorn. Will the Republican money men cut off the cash? Probably not, but we'll see. It's fun to watch.