« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

FRONT PAGE CONTRIBUTOR

NRSC Comms Shop Continues Its Time in the Spotlight

By: Leon H. Wolf (Diary)  |  December 18th, 2009 at 11:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

It is, ultimately, regrettable that this situation must continue to drag on. However, a few things remain to be said concerning NRSC Communications Director Brian Walsh’s non-responsive response to me from yesterday. First, Walsh seized upon the statement that the DeVore campaign “didn’t formally request a meeting until last week.” I have obtained a series of communications from the DeVore campaign (detailed below the fold) which show a series of efforts to reach out to cooperate and work with the NRSC dating back to May of this year.  I suppose it is technically true that none of them uses the words “formal request for a meeting” and therefore to that extent Walsh has a point.  Well played, Mr. Walsh.  However, to the extent that Mr. Walsh’s post intends to imply that DeVore’s attempts to seek aid from the NRSC are in fact a recent phenomenon… well, the evidence below the fold speaks for itself.

However, the larger point of this post is to illustrate further that Mr. Walsh continues to miss the point of my criticism entirely.  Walsh seized upon a parenthetical comment in my post that made a technically inaccurate assertion and wrote his entire response to it, somehow apparently missing the fact that the entire point of my post was Walsh’s tone towards the DeVore campaign, his own public injection into this story, and the NRSC’s willingness to badmouth a legitimate GOP Senate candidate on the record to the media.  I agree wholly with Quin Hillyer’s excellent analysis of the problem presented by Walsh’s continued public jihad against the DeVore campaign:

Again, another attack, as if the DeVore campaign is the political enemy, rather than a potential nominee.

This is an outrage. No campaign committee staffer should be publicly disparaging a campaign that may end up being that of his party’s nominee for a key Senate seat.

This is the time that a staffer should A) shut up; and B) arrange for another NRSC committee spokesman to say something along thse lines: “We are sorry that there appears to have been a misunderstanding with the DeVore campaign. It matters not how the misunderstanding occurred. We want to make sure the misunderstanding is solved. We welcome any inquiries from Mr. DeVore’s campaign, and will gladly set up a meeting between him and chairman John Cornyn if he wants one.”

Indeed.  If you work on opposite sides, there is a certain value in some situations to continue to drag out a controversy as long as possible.  However, as the NRSC is theoretically in the business of being on the same side as GOP Senate candidates, the time has come Walsh and those who work for him to be less concerned about putting DeVore campaign staffers in their place, and more concerned about figuring out how to give Chuck DeVore what he needs to defeat Barbara Boxer.

A detail of the DeVore campaign’s efforts to reach out to the NRSC is below the fold.

  • On May 17th, 2009, DeVore sent a letter to Sen. Cornyn updating him on the progress of his Senate campaign and asking for Cornyn’s formal endorsement. Obviously, that has not happened.
  • On August 19, 2009, the NRSC sent out notice for a bloggers’ conference call with Pat Toomey.  DeVore Communications Director Josh Trevino responded, requesting that the NRSC hold a similar call with Chuck DeVore.  The NRSC’s Vincent Harris demurred in response; to date no such call has been scheduled.
  • On October 21st, 2009, Carly Fiorina was quoted in a San Diego boasting that Sen. Cornyn had asked her to enter the race, “reaffirming [her] belief that Chuck DeVore cannot beat Barbara Boxer.”  Trevino emailed Walsh asking whether Fiorina was telling the truth that she had received the NRSC’s implicit endorsement; Walsh responded by calling this a mischaracterization and threatening DeVore with a withdrawal of NRSC’s help in the general if the DeVore campaign spread this eminently reasonable interpretation of Fiorina’s remarks.
  • On October 31, 2009, DeVore again personally sent a letter to John Cornyn updating him on the campaign’s progress, pointing out his polling strength against Boxer, and asking for Cornyn’s formal endorsement.
  • On Nov. 5th, the DeVore campaign learned that the NRSC was publicizing fundraising events for Carly Fiorina. DeVore campaign staff asked Lauren Griffin of the NRSC via email whether the NRSC could also publicize their fundraising events. 
  • On Dec. 8th, 2009, DeVore sent a fax to Sen. Cornyn (per his instructions) notifying Cornyn of an impending visit to DC and requesting a meeting with Sen. Cornyn.  As previously discussed, an NRSC staffere replied via email on Dec. 15th that DeVore would have to meet instead with an NRSC staffer.

I will allow you all to draw your own conclusions from the evidence thus presented.

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • Steve Summers

    This election season, and from now on, I’m donating my money to particular individuals I believe best represent my views. The formal republican party fund raising people might as well take me out of their databases. As far as I’m concerned, donating to them is a waste of money, that will simply help get more obnoxious RINOs elected, so they can undermine my positions by associating their “liberal-lite” idiocy with actual conservatism.

    I hope all the rest of you with similar political views join me, so people like Walsh are stripped of power and forced to go get a REAL job.

    • ceili_dancer

      I’ll fill out the “in depth” surveys sent to me, but I’m saving my hard earnned cash(what littles left) to individuals.

      • RedBeard

        He’s quite good with the 8 basic Crayola colors.

    • drfredc

      At one time I mostly split my donations between the NFIB and various RNC groups.

      When it became more and more obvious that the RINOs controlled the RNC groups, I tossed them over board in a private tea party sometime in the mid to late 90s, probably related to Doleism…

      The NFIB (via Safe Trust) is a good process in concept, especially for small business. However, it has a failing in how it refuses to distinguish between porkers and non-porkers in who Safe Trust supports. IMHO, this makes them part of the problem, not solution. Your $$$ could go to porking RINOs. If they had a box to check for your Safe Trust support to only go to professed non porkers, I’d pick Safe Trust back up.

      Which leaves my evolution to Club for Growth and individual choice… Club for Growth seems like the counter to Move On… They appear try to pick conservative winners as much as possible. If there is any weakness in the Club is they don’t do as much as they probably could in emphasizing the importance of putting INDIVIDUALLY driven Social Marketplaces in front of ‘small government’.

      IMHO, the bottomline in picking successful conservative candidates is to get conservative out of the notion that ‘small government’ is the solution… Small government is the RESULT of promoting vibrant INDIVIDUALLY driven social marketplaces. Small governments without individually driven social marketplaces are a general population non-starter.

      It’s like putting the cart in front of the horse…

      • audax

        …Has regular meetings for ANY Club For Growth memeber (membership is free) to attend and listen to candidates discuss themselves and their platform if elected to Congress. Have attended these in Texas and candidates from all over US attend who want support from CFG. John Fund of WSJ also attends some and writes about the candidates and their views for Political Journal. Contact Club For Growth for meeting schedules.

  • proudgop

    Why do you guys feel the need to attack a guy who works day and night to help elect more Republicans?

    I worked at NRSC for while and these people work hard for the better of party

    • Leon H. Wolf

      Note that I’m not one of the people who says we should burn them to the ground; the problem is that the organization is not being well-served by its employees.

      • proudgop

        how is he not doing his job??

        • Aaron Gardner
        • Leon H. Wolf

          That a communications director attacking his own potential candidate isn’t doing his job, but apparently that needs to be explained (repeatedly) to some people.

        • AceInTX

          his head should be on a pike right now!

    • Streiff

      if they were working to elect Republicans they would stay out of the way until a candidate is selected.

      You can’t come here and claim that the NRSC’s behavior in Crist-Rubio, Fiorina-DeVore, Specter-Toomey, etc., is indicative of people who are working to make the party better.

      • proudgop

        I have zero problem with the NRCC and NRSC following what the Dems have done to their benefit in backing candidates in the primary

        The job of both of these organizations is to elect Republicans not the most Conservative in each race

        • Aaron Gardner
        • Streiff

          with the NRSC backing losers.

          You also seem to be more that a little unclear on the role of the NRSC, which speaks to a lot of the problems Walsh is having.

          The organization shouldn’t be in the position of taking potshots at candidates who might very well win the nomination and the NRSC will have to support in the general.

          If you can’t understand even that much you’re too dangerous to be in this business.

        • AceInTX

          when the NRSC is backing liberal Republicans to our detriment

    • Darin_H

      what will Brian Walsh have done to help elect him in the general?

      • proudgop

        yeah but DeVore will be pleading from money from the NRSC when they don’t want to spend any in California why else u think they support Carly

        • Darin_H

          No, that’s an obfuscation.

          Try again. Or are you just trolling?

        • ceili_dancer

          Why spend any money in CA. Also if Carly is going to self fund, then what does that say about her business acumen? Wasting money on a lost cause is not the best allocation of scarce resources. If she’s going to spend NRSC money, then what’s the difference between her and Devore?

    • RedBeard

      Leon, in two well-written and detailed posts, laid out specific facts for consideration, facts that answer clearly why Walsh is being called on the carpet.

    • JoeG

      The best thing they could do is go work for the DNC where they can sandbag them instead of us.

  • http://erickbrockway.wordpress.com/ Erick Brockway
  • RedBeard

    …until Walsh is able to post his response, and engage this group in meaningful and thoughtful dialogue, something he has expressed a desire to do.

    Will he do so, or will he do another drive-by posting?

  • Darin_H

    There are 3 things a national committee can do

    1. Undercut
    2. Nothing
    3. Help

    Walsh did 1.

    We’re just asking that at the least to just do 2.

    The DeVore campaign is asking for the same level of 3 that they are giving Fiorina.

    • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

      …. we’d be happy with 2 at this point.

      • RedBeard

        In terms of Congress, #2 actually IS #3.

  • brianwalsh

    Greetings ?

    I see Leon has been hard at work attacking me again. Fortunately we live in a great country where everyone has the right to free speech. However, as the old saying goes, while everyone is entitled to their own opinion, they?re not entitled to their own facts.

    A few quick points before I delve into things though. First of all, I?d like to thank Erick for agreeing to post my response yesterday — http://www.redstate.com/brian_walsh/2009/12/17/setting-the-record-straight/. I realize there have been a few points where we?ve disagreed over the last year but I do appreciate his commitment to an open dialogue and giving me an opportunity to respond.

    I will say though that I regret the delay in replying to the comments, as well as to this post above, but I was having trouble posting a comment within the 24 hour window. It?s also been incredibly busy here with the health care debate going on as we work to hold the Democrats accountable. If some of you haven?t seen this story yet it appears the NRSC got under Senator Landrieu?s skin in particular this week – http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30783.html

    I have to say though I found it interesting that soon after my item posted, Leon Wolf tweeted that I had gone ?to war? with him. I thought that was a remarkable, and disappointing, bit of hyperbole.

    I would make two points to that ? first, any fair-minded person reading my post would note that my tone was civil, I did not engage in any personal attacks as some have chosen to do, and I simply laid out the facts. I realize facts can be difficult things for some but they are what they are. Second, I?ve often seen comments posted on RedState citing frustration from folks that they don?t believe party committees or officials in Washington ever listen to them or engage. So I found it ironic that when I did engage and laid out a series of facts, including statements from Mr. DeVore himself, Leon accuses me of going to war with him and I find myself the subject of yet another personal attack post that, like the first post, appears to have been ghost-written by DeVore spokesman Josh Trevino. Leon, are you so threatened by the facts and the temerity I apparently displayed in your view by responding to your post that you seek to kill the messenger instead of the message? Why is it so offensive to have a fair, open, and I would hope civil, dialogue without accusing someone of going ?to war? with you?

    Leon aside, I appreciate JoeG?s comment to my post yesterday and what you said is definitely noted. While I can?t promise we?ll engage in every misleading attack or criticism, I?ll certainly give you my word to strengthening communication on our end between the readers here and the NRSC ? and not just engaging in ?drive-by? postings as it sounds from other comments often happens. Again, I don?t expect everyone here to agree with a particular decision made by the NRSC but I have to say, I?ve been struck by the degree of misinformation that too often gets posted. And that?s why I thought it was important to respond to Leon?s post.

    Now to the issue at hand?.Let me first say that we?re not going to continue engaging every day in a back and forth with Mr. DeVore?s campaign. I honestly do not pretend to understand Josh Trevino?s strategy of posting a constant stream of twitter attacks against the NRSC and making an effort to spread misinformation. However, if that?s how he wants to spend his time — instead of going after Barbara Boxer — that is certainly his prerogative.

    I will point out a few things though to once again set the record straight because in his comments yesterday Josh attempts to make the distinction that when Mr. DeVore made his comment to CNN about having no desire to meet with the NRSC, he was only talking about the NRSC?s staff, and not Senator Cornyn.

    I find his effort to make that distinction interesting to say the least. Now setting aside the oddity of distinguishing that meeting with Sen. Cornyn, who is the Chairman of the NRSC, is somehow different than meeting with ?NRSC officials,? let me point something out that I did not cite it in my original post, but I?m happy to cite here.

    Here is what the Washington Times reported as far back as August 13th ? ?When asked whether he had any plans to meet with the NRSC while in Washington Mr. DeVore replied, “I don’t see the point when Sen. Cornyn has made it clear what his wishes are.” Here is the link – http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/hot-button-40559692/

    In other words, just as he did when he spoke with CNN, and just as we all read in The Hill newspaper yesterday — http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/72675-outsider-senate-candidates-decline-partys-offer — the DeVore campaign has had no serious interest in meeting with Senator Cornyn or the NRSC. I would put an emphasis on the word ?serious.?

    And you know what ? that is perfectly fine. If their decision is that they have no interest in working with us and instead want to use the NRSC as a foil to attack us in an effort to boost their anti-establishment credentials, that is entirely their prerogative. Again though, I?m confused as to why Trevino continues to reiterate that they?ve made a serious effort to set up a meeting with the Senator when his own candidate said three months ago that he didn?t see the point in a meeting with him.

    But let?s even set that second on the record statement by Mr. DeVore aside. If he wanted a meeting with Senator Cornyn to discuss an endorsement and to discuss his political campaign, why would he send a fax to the Senator?s government office ? as Trevino has stated they did — and not the Senator?s office at the NRSC?

    Every other candidate ? in every race across the country ? and Senator Cornyn and his staff have met with literally dozens of candidates and potential candidates this year ? picked up the phone, sent an email, or sent a letter to Senator Cornyn?s attention at the NRSC. The vast majority took a few minutes and picked up the telephone. Trevino should know that it?s against the ethics rules of the Senate to set up and hold political/campaign-related meetings in a government office paid for by the taxpayers.

    Yet only Mr. DeVore?s campaign would have everyone believe that we were unresponsive to them on purpose? Our staff has met with over 60 candidates and potential candidates this year ? a number of whom are sitting officeholders as Mr. DeVore is — and yet Trevino would have us all believe that out of all of them, we ignored Chuck DeVore on purpose? I?m sorry, but that does not even begin the pass the smell test.

    The reality was the same then, as it is now ? if Mr. DeVore would like to meet with the NRSC to discuss his campaign and ways we can work together to defeat Barbara Boxer next year, we would be happy to do it. That has been the case from day one. Let me give you one example and it?s something Leon cited above ? it is true that on November 5th the DeVore campaign emailed the NRSC (note that when they actually want something they do know how to email the NRSC directly, and do not send a fax to the official office which receives hundreds of faxes from Senator Cornyn?s constituents in Texas every day) and asked if we would similarly publicize their fundraising events, as we had been doing for Carly. Now the natural question would be why had we not been doing that earlier. The answer is simple ? the DeVore campaign had 1) never asked us to publicize their events before, 2) more importantly, they had never sent us their events before. We?re not able to publicize something if we don?t know about it. However, once they asked us, as the Fiorina campaign had done earlier, we did just that.

    Now, all of this aside, what I do not understand though are all of these silly games and distortions that Trevino, Leon and others continue to engage in. Gentlemen, do you understand that right now the Democrats are in complete control of Washington DC? Do you recognize that with 60 Senate seats Harry Reid has a super-majority and has the ability to ram thru any bill that he would like? So if the answers to both those questions are ?yes? why then spend all of this time attacking fellow Republicans? It honestly makes no sense to me because it seems utterly self-defeating.

    Regardless, so everyone here understands what we?re spending our time doing though ? we are focused 100% on winning back Senate seats in 2010. Republicans are currently ahead in the polls in 6 seats currently held by Democrats. I hope one day soon we can add a 7th to that list ? California. But we do that by focusing our time and energy on holding Barbara Boxer accountable ? not fighting amongst ourselves.

    In closing, I fully expect ? judging by some comments already posted ? that I?ll continue to be criticized and that?s ok. As I said at the beginning, we live in a great country with the right to free speech. I just hope we can all keep it civil and ultimately keep our eye on the goal of winning the Senate race in California next year.

    And Josh ? as I said to you via Twitter the other day, if you ever want to bury the hatchet, put this wasteful use of time and energy aside, and sit down at the NRSC or even grab a beer next time you?re in DC, I?d be happy to do it.

    Regards,
    Brian

    • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

      For example, let the Florida grass roots Republicans decide if they want to select conservative Marco Rubio rather than RINO Charlie Crist. Quit making endorsements, as you did for Crist, and then, when called on it, come up with a lame excuse, like Cornyn’s, along the lines of, “Well, golly gee whiz, Crist asked us for the endorsement. What were we supposed to do? We didn’t REALLY mean to meddle.”

      Get outside the Beltway once in a while.

      Not one red cent for the NRSC until it stops meddling in the primaries.

      Thank you.
      ColdWarrior

      • RedBeard
      • proudgop

        thank you Brian for all your hard work and everyone at NRSC for working to elect more Republicans

        keep plugging away

        • janis

          If not, then you surely have missed the whole discussion as to what Brian Walsh has been doing. Which is it?

      • bs
      • http://www.the41stvote.org rcov092

        n/t

        • SteveLA

          I’m happy with all outside groups staying out of primaries, how’s that? By outside, not living in the state or district being competed.

          • RedBeard

            I’ll even go so far as promising I won’t vote in the California general election, either.

            I call upon everyone else not living in California to do the same.

          • http://erickbrockway.wordpress.com/ Erick Brockway
    • RedBeard

      Brian, instead of spending all this energy trying to nuance your way out of the whole “meeting” thing, how about addressing Leon’s very important point about the way you publicly attacked the DeVore campaign, providing critical ammunition for the Boxer people to use if DeVore winds up being the nominee?

      This seems to be the most serious and certainly indisputable charge lodged against you, and is worthy of a direct response from you.

    • AceInTX

      Do you recognize that with 60 Senate seats Harry Reid has a super-majority and has the ability to ram thru any bill that he would like? So if the answers to both those questions are ?yes? why then spend all of this time attacking fellow Republicans? It honestly makes no sense to me because it seems utterly self-defeating.

      If so…I would suggest a little introspection in the mirror is in order after the bracketed comment from you

      • AceInTX

        and I would encourage you to do it more

    • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

      In case it’s not obvious, I’m not just the guy ghostwriting every mean thing said about Brian Walsh — I’m also Chuck DeVore’s communications director. Unlike Mr Walsh, I’m not in the habit of making myself the story, so I’ll stick with responding to a few points in the above. In order:

      Here is what the Washington Times reported as far back as August 13th ? ?When asked whether he had any plans to meet with the NRSC while in Washington Mr. DeVore replied, ?I don?t see the point when Sen. Cornyn has made it clear what his wishes are.?

      This is true. It is also true that Assemblyman DeVore followed that with no fewer than four attempts to reach out to Senator Cornyn. To imply that three of those attempts were ignored, and the fourth rebuffed, over that Washington Times quote, itself implies a remarkable pettiness on the part of those surrounding the Senator.

      If he wanted a meeting with Senator Cornyn to discuss an endorsement and to discuss his political campaign, why would he send a fax to the Senator?s government office ? as Trevino has stated they did ? and not the Senator?s office at the NRSC?

      As you well know: because the Senator’s office instructed us to. We complied.

      Trevino should know that it?s against the ethics rules of the Senate to set up and hold political/campaign-related meetings in a government office paid for by the taxpayers.

      Walsh, from one communications professional to — well, to you — don’t invite FOIA requests on your boss like that. As it happens, Chuck DeVore has met with Senators including Inhofe and Isakson in their offices. How did we arrange those meetings? By contacting their offices directly.

      [I]t is true that on November 5th the DeVore campaign emailed the NRSC …. and asked if we would similarly publicize their fundraising events, as we had been doing for Carly … [O]nce they asked us, as the Fiorina campaign had done earlier, we did just that.

      Let me fix that last sentence for you: “[O]nce they asked us, and Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic cornered me about it, we did just that.”

      And Josh ? as I said to you via Twitter the other day, if you ever want to …. grab a beer next time you?re in DC, I?d be happy to do it.

      No.

      • SteveLA

        Hey Josh

        I am a California voter, with only one vote in the primary, but why should I vote for your guy if this is the sort of “stuff” that you and his campaign are concerned with instead of real issues?

        Seems like instead of strum and dang over what the NRSC is or is not doing to/for DeVore you could try to figure out what people in California care about, and it’s not this sort of “stuff”.

        Maybe the out of state posters here on RS are concerned about this sort of issue, but out here in CA we have a whole bunch of real issues confronting the state that Babs Boxer is helping to hose this state and this country over. You might think that your energy might be better spent on figuring out how to BEAT BABS.

        Real issues, like how to deal with illegal immigration in a significant way, or deal with water issues in the state, or spending like drunken sailors by Obama and the idiots in Congress, or any other number of real issues that people who live in California might actually care about. This other “stuff”, not so much.

        • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

          If I may, Steve:

          http://chuckdevore.com/issues/

          If I may as well: This latest contretemps with the NRSC, I must remind you, began this past Monday when Emily Cadei at Congressional Quarterly broke the news of its joint fundraising with the Fiorina campaign. The NRSC then riposted with this meeting nonsense, which we must respond to.

          Accusing the DeVore campaign of choosing this fight is to reverse cause and effect. Rest assured that the day we may ignore the NRSC’s shenanigans entirely will be welcome indeed.

          Oh, and this –

          You might think that your energy might be better spent on figuring out how to BEAT BABS.

          – there’s a primary first, you know. We don’t get to beat Babs till we beat Carly Fiorina. And that — a hotly contested primary — is a good thing for Republicans and conservatives.

          • SteveLA

            Well Josh

            Seems there’s two sides of this fight. Brian Walsh has had his say and you’ve had yours. I’ll scan the Bee and see what the buzz is over the coming week to see how the Sacramento crowd has to say on this topic. I’m of the opinion that I wish the NRSC would stay out of all primaries, but I’d also like to see all outsiders stay out of primaries too.

            Far as how this helps tempest in a teapot beat Babs, or for that matter lays out a case on the issues that Californians care about and why DeVore is better than Fironia, not so much.

          • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

            Far as how this helps tempest in a teapot beat Babs, or for that matter lays out a case on the issues that Californians care about and why DeVore is better than Fironia, not so much.

            You’re the only one here saying it is purported to do any of these things.

            This is, unfortunately, about the NRSC’s institutional imperatives, not the DeVore campaign’s ambitions for itself or for California. I share your opinion that “the NRSC [sh]ould stay out of all primaries.”

          • SteveLA

            Josh,

            You and a few of the front pagers are making quite a deal about the benign neglect at least, overt standing in the way of DeVore’s run by the “establishment”, but as a voter in CA, why do I care? That’s my point, does not help me one bit in figuring out who to vote for in the primary who can beat Babs. Simple as anything that does not work towards a Republican winning the general election and throwing Babs to the curb does not do much for me.

            So yes, I put the point on the table that in terms of the real goal, beating Babs, this is a tempest in a teapot, feel free to disagree.

          • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

            Just … wow.

            With respect, I submit that there’s quite a lot of info out there, unrelated to the NRSC fracas, to help “in figuring out who to vote for in the primary who can beat Babs.” And it’s not hard to find: I write and disseminate much of it. Happy to put you on the DeVore email list if you like — and if not, set up a Google News Alert, and start watching the press.

            All that said — there is much utility, if you’re interested in the health of the conservative movement and the Republican Party, in this little NRSC-related narrative. What’s going on between the NRSC and the DeVore campaign is a symptom of a larger problem with national repercussions.

          • itrytobenice

            You and a few of the front pagers are making quite a deal about the benign neglect at least, overt standing in the way of DeVore?s run by the ?establishment?, but as a voter in CA, why do I care?

            You should care any time a national ‘establishment’ that purportedly represents our party starts picking and choosing in the primaries.

            That is the time for the candidates and the voters to communicate and make their deals. It is not the time for the parties to come in and choose for us.

        • Aaron Gardner
          • SteveLA
          • Aaron Gardner

            140 characters on twitter, mass amount of posts, greater possibility of missing the part of the campaigned geared toward the local community rather than the national issues. Engaging activists.

            Campaign email, concise, highlights issues and local events, wrap up of in the news items. Engaging base voters.

            The functions of the two mediums is inherently different and a smart campaign recognizes that and uses it to it’s advantage.

          • SteveLA
      • audax

        have you contacted Club For Growth?? Chris Chocola 202-955-5500. Noticed Chuck DeVore is not on the CFG PAC Candidate List. Probably worth the dime….

        CFG member since 1998 or so….

        • audax

          phone number didn’t print out…two-zero two nine double five double five double zero

    • JoeG

      I don’t have much more to say other than I’m digesting what you said at this point.

      • JoeG

        I did make another post that was out of line on this diary and for that I apologize.

    • Streiff

      I’ve been in the business since 1991. I’ve never witnessed an employed spokesperson more poorly serve their client than you in the DeVore dust up. Really, you’re turned a request for a meeting, which should have been routinely granted, into a contretemps into a mud bath.

      And the contempt you’re showing us, usually referred to in the political lexicon as the “base” and “donors”, with this collection of evasions and non sequiturs is not exactly firing us up in a way that the NRSC should want.

      Why won’t you get your guy to do the honorable thing and meet with the guy who is probably going to be your nominee, and why don’t you do the honorable thing and stop creating opposition research for Barbara Boxer.

  • AceInTX

    Walsh responded by calling this a mischaracterization and threatening DeVore with a withdrawal of NRSC?s help in the general if the DeVore campaign spread this eminently reasonable interpretation of Fiorina?s remarks.

    So far, no one has read it but the gist of it is…if Walsh is on record threatening to withhold NRSC support for the Devore Campaign in a general election against Boxer…his job should be history! This is beyond an outrage and the NRSC and Cornyn need to hear from all of us!

    National Republican Senatorial Committee
    Ronald Reagan Republican Center
    425 2nd Street NE
    Washington, DC 20002
    Telephone: (202) 675-6000
    E-mail: info@nrsc.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

    Senator John Cornyn
    517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
    Washington, DC 20510
    Main: 202-224-2934
    Fax: 202-228-2856

    Here’s my diary from yesterday

    Brian Walsh Exposes Conservative?s Neglected Flank In The War For The Direction Of The GOP!

  • brianwalsh

    Allow me the address one last thing and that is to the question of whether or not I or anyone else at the NRSC “threaten[ed] DeVore with a withdrawal of NRSC?s help in the general if the DeVore campaign spread” — which Leon clearly accuses me of doing in his post above. And I should add that if Leon and Mr. Trevino were not working in concert to spread this absurd accusation, might someone ask Leon from where he obtained all of the information he outlined above in his post?

    But to the question — short and clear answer — absolutely not. In fact, since I’m aware that Mr. Trevino has taken the liberty of sharing some of our past email correspondence with select friends on this site, let me share what exact response was to Josh on October 21st when he himself made the bizarre accusationt that I had “threatened” his campaign.

    This is my exact response to him on October 21st —

    Josh – what’s astonishing, and disappointing, is your decision to repeatedly twist words and distort the truth. I’m equally astonished as to why you’re so overly-antagonistic. There was no threat whatsoever – I simply asked how/why you feel it’s productive and helpful to your candidate to routinely attack and distort the positions of the very party organization whose support you would need if he were to be the nominee. An entirely fair question to raise when you are spending so much time and effort attacking fellow Republicans, and not Barbara Boxer. You declined to address that question and instead accused me of threatening you. It’s not just astonishing – it’s bizarre. Clearly – and unfortunately – you don’t have any desire to have a reasonable, productive and honest exchange so I’ll just end it there. Take care.

    In other words, there was no threat whatsoever. What I was doing was raising a legitimate question, and one that frankly, more supporters of Mr. DeVore should be asking themselves. Why as Mr. DeVore’s spokesman is Josh Trevino spending all of this time attacking fellow Republicans, and particularly an organization which would want to help his candidate if he were to be the nominee? It is simply bizarre, and in my view, an unfortunate waste of time and energy. You’ll also note my surprise in this email because I’ve never encountered anyone who would make such a bizarre allegation, and particularly from a fellow Republican.

    As I said the other day, if the DeVore campaign ever chooses to stop playing these games, set up a meeting with the NRSC and start working together on holding Barbabra Boxer accountable, we would be happy to do it. However, judging by his response above regarding the olive branch I extended in my earlier comment about sitting down, I unfortunately don’t have a great deal of confidence that Josh is serious about it.

    If that ever changes – and I hope it will one day – we would welcome an opportunity to sit down. Until then, as I said from the outset, I’m not going to engage in a daily back and forth with those who unfortunately appear to have no interest in an honest dialogue. I have no doubt Mr. Trevino or one of his surrogates will reply back to this with yet another bizarre and unfounded attack. They are welcome to continue to spend their time and energy doing just that. I have very clearly laid out the facts and our position on this matter.

    In the meantime, we’re going back to work holding the Democrats accountable every day – particularly Barbara Boxer. It’s my hope that the DeVore campaign will one day join us in that effort.

    Regards,
    Brian

    • AceInTX
    • eburke

      stay the hell out of primaries, all this energy could be saved to do exactly what you claim you want which is focus our resources and fire on Democrats *after* the primaries.

      If there was any evidence that you guys ever came down on the side of conservatism instead of liberalism/moderation, maybe us hayseed rubes wouldn’t be so suspicious (eg. Chafee, Specter, Crist, Fiorina, etc.)

      What you *have* done is, however, so eerily similar to what Libs do: you create a situation (by messing in primaries where you have no business inserting yourself), create a problem, and then accuse the other side of creating the problem.

      You want to show by your actions rather than just pious platitudes that you are ‘evenhanded’? Now that your boy, Charlie Crist, (who you promoted *only* because he was deemed to be the most electable,) is sinking in the polls like a stone in a pond and is now polling worse than Marco Rubio against Kendrick Meeks, I would expect you to be philisophically consistent and issue a mea culpa re: your ill-fated and ill-timed endorsement of Charlie and endorse Marco Rubio.

      I’ll be holding my breath.

    • RedBeard

      Did you, or did you not, accuse the DeVore camp of a lack of seriousness and question its competency? Yes or no, please.

      If the quotation attributed to you is false, please say so and put the issue to rest. If true, please admit it, and apologize to DeVore for doing something so amateurish and unprofessional as to take sides in a Republican vs. Republican primary contest.