Some folks on the right have taken the initiative to found The Victory Caucus, whose mission, in part, is to defeat those Republican Congressmen who voted for the resolution expressing the Congress's dissatisfaction with the president's troop surge.  Comparing themselves to MoveOn.org, the group explains that these Republicans, dubbed "White Flag Republicans," are ripe for defeat.

Here at IMP-PAC, we took a look at the American Conservative Union ratings of the 17 Republicans who voted against the surge.  Does the right wing really want to defeat these guys?

Ric Keller (FL) - 96%
John Duncan (TN) - 92%
Phil English (PA) - 88%
Howard Coble (NC) - 84%
Bob Inglis (SC) - 84%
Walter Jones (NC) - 80%
Fred Upton (MI) - 80%
Ron Paul (TX) - 76%
Tom Petri (WI) - 72%
Steve LaTourette (OH) - 71%

All other members registered below 65%.

The Weekly Standard has an interesting (and light hearted) piece called The Rise of the Metro Republican which explains how the GOP presidential field is currently dominated by urban, somewhat moderate Republicans.

Here's a paragraph from the article:

So there they all are--a hawkish war hero who holds Goldwater's seat but who charms independents; a Mormon from Michigan who will run his campaign from North Boston; and a pro-choice New Yorker who thrills southern social conservatives--all trying to be Reagan's heir. And let us recall that Reagan himself was a complex enough figure: a man who was divorced and remarried (as are McCain and Giuliani), a former film star and a recovering Democrat, from Illinois by way of Hollywood, who signed a liberal abortion bill while governor of California, was comfortable with gays in his film making milieu, and once even backed the New Deal.

Here's a link to the full article.

An important lesson from the 2006 election is that the Republican Party has a lot of work to do in New England states.  This region of our country is too important to simply write it off to the Democrats.  Just yesterday the American Research Group took a poll gauging how the Republican candidates for president are doing in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut.  Here are the results:

In case you thought it was only far-right Republicans that demanded total ideological purity – think again.  The Hotline reports that far-left activists are coming together to form a new group called They Work For Us.  The purpose of the group is to raise funds for far-left candidates who will challenge moderate, Democratic incumbents.

According to the group’s director, “no bad vote will go unpunished.”

By labeling moderation in the Democratic Party as “bad” this new group is off to a shaky start.  No activist can expect total, ideological allegiance from any elected official and working to do so is both dangerous and undemocratic.

Looks like the far reaches of both parties are sharing some of the same strategies.

In New York City , Mayor Bloomberg will be announcing his plan to cut property taxes by 5% and permanently eliminate the tax on clothing.  Keeping taxes low is an important article of faith for Republicans across the spectrum and a smart move economically.  New Yorkers deserve this tax cut, which will not only allow them to save more of their own, but will also continue to fuel the New York City economy. Bloomberg and leaders before him are examples of how Republicans can work across the aisle to achieve fiscally conservative goals that are vital for our economies – a vital skill in today’s political climate.

If you live in the Tri-State region, don't miss Mayor Bloomberg's address to the City Council.  You can read more about his tax cut plans from this New York Times article.

One of the recurring problems Republicans faced while in the majority on Capitol Hill was the tactics of their leadership – symbolized by Tom DeLay – who were more conservative than many in their caucus and the voters who elected them.  With the strength of his leadership pac and the powers of the Majority Leader,DeLay was able to force through legislation and, could count on nearly unanimous support within the Republican caucus for any given bill.

Now that Republicans are in the minority in both the House and Senate, there has been a major discovery – moderates still do exist in the Republican caucus, and in great numbers!  Without their leverage as the majority, the Republican leadership can no longer control the caucus on all votes.  This means that the rank and file of the party in Congress are free to vote their conscience or the wishes of their constituents.  As a result, we see 37 House Republicans voting for additional stem cell research, 82 House Republicans voting to increase the minimum wage, and Republicans generally more free to represent the wishes of their constituents.

The Washington Post explains this new phenomenon and breaks down additional House votes. You can read the full article by clicking here.

Here's the audio from Governor Whitman's appearance on WINA's Charlottesville - Right Now.