“Richard Viguerie,” reports John Fund of Political Diary, “a direct mail expert who began his career after the Goldwater defeat of 1964, says Republicans have to understand the dual nature of a political opposition.”
Fund was talking about the recent dust-up between conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh and RNC Chairman Michael Steele. But he could have been discussing a similar and simmering skirmish between myself and Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio.
“There are people who hold elected positions in the Republican Party and Congress who have their own role to play,” Viguerie explained to Fund. “They do not have to be in competition with the outside leaders of the conservative movement who will use different strategies and tactics to galvanize the grass roots.”
“The bottom line is that Republican leaders need to pursue their own track in opposing (the Democrats’) policies,” Mr. Fund concluded, “and not feel that their political standing or reputation is dependent on how they react to outside figures such as Mr. Limbaugh.”
Or in Nevada, Mr. Muth.