Ken Mehlman sent me an e-mail. Apparently I’m on a list. Anyway, normally it goes straight to el spamo and is then deleted when I delete that folder every evening, but today I read it since I happened to see it as it came in.
Now for those who don’t know, Mehlman is the head of the RNC. Here’s, in part, what he had to say (my comments in bold):
Over the last two years, you and millions of others from across our great nation banded together to support our Party. I am well aware how much each and every one of you dedicated yourselves to this cause, and I know that yesterday’s results included many disappointments. On behalf of the President and the Party, I thank you. You mean, thank you for letting us disappoing you.I want to tell you something I believe with all of my heart: you made an important difference. Our Party and our cause were worth the effort in 2006. Yes, worth every single thing I didn’t do.
Our messages of expanding freedom at home and defending freedom abroad persist as the right answers for our nation. Indeed, many of the Democrats who won yesterday embraced our platform and our values. Too bad we didn’t. Last night, however, the voters sent a message, and we need to make sure we receive that message loud and clear. We need to recommit ourselves to conservative reform. That would be a pleasant change; I won’t be holding my breath. Our leaders must work to provide bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing our country…. Yup, already dropped the whole “conservative reform” bit for this illusive idea of bipartisanship, which really means “doing whatever the Democrats tell us to do.”
[W]e faced an historic challenge - and we were not able to overcome it yesterday. But adversity is no excuse. Sure it is. But let’s look for reasons instead of excuses. Reason you lost: you abandoned your principals. Our party is built on ideas and values that transcend any one election. They transcend them so far that we haven’t even been able to find them since Reagan left office. The principles of Lincoln and Reagan were polar opposites and yet somehow remain alive and well in the policies of our President just like any other contradictory idea he’s held. Like, say, vetoing stem cell research while also funding it in already existing lines… Your commitment is about more than politics. It is about more than Party. Which is why I’m not in your party anymore. So please accept the thanks of a grateful President and a grateful party. It’s time to regroup. And then let’s get back to work. Back to work? How about starting to work?
