Peter King Declares Civil War Against Southern Republicans

[struggle4progress]

Elspeth Reeve 4,867 Views Feb 28, 2013

Many people have noticed the GOP is increasingly becoming a southern party. So has New York Republican Peter King. The congressman is getting tired of his colleagues insulting his state and then begging it for money. On Thursday, he complained of two new slights: Sen. Marco Rubio raising money on Wall Street, and CPAC not inviting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to its big annual event. Republicans "are more and more taking on this anti-Northeast attitude," King told Politicker. "We say fine, if you want to be anti-Northeast, then the Northeast is going to be anti-them."

When House Republicans initially voted down an aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy in January, King said New Yorkers' campaign donations should dry up in return. "Anyone from New York or New Jersey who contributes one penny to congressional Republicans is out of their minds," King said. "Because what they did last night was put a knife in the back of New Yorkers and New Jerseyans." King has not forgiven them, and is reminding Rubio of that. The Florida senator, who's recently been on a presidential candidate-style tour meeting Middle Eastern leaders and Wall Street donors, voted against the Sandy bill. King named Rubio, and told Politicker, "It’s bad enough that these guys voted against it, that’s inexcusable enough. But to have the balls to come in and say, 'We screwed you now make us president?'"

As for the Conservative Political Action Conference, King told The Hill's Cameron Joseph he was clad Christie wasn't invited. "If Republicans had any brains they'd stay away from CPAC," King told The Hill. "The thought that he's being penalized because he sought to get the aid for Sandy relief is disgraceful regional bias. To hold that out against him shows a narrow-minded bigotry from the party." Still, CPAC's decision makes the GOP "look like a narrow regional party" ...

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/02/peter-king-declares-civil-war-against-southern-republicans/62637/