RNC Fallout 'Ashamed' major donor closes checkbook

[Perky]

A prominent Evangelical figure and Republican donor says he will end his contributions to the organized Republican Party in reaction to the leaked fundraising presentation that advised using "fear" to solicit contributions and displayed an image of President Obama as the Joker from Batman.

Mark DeMoss, who heads a major Christian public relations firm in Atlanta and served as a liaison to the Evangelical community for Mitt Romney in 2008, wrote Chairman Michael Steele yesterday that he was "ashamed" of the presentation, calling depictions of Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Majority Leader Harry Reid "shameful, immature and uncivil, at best."

"I’m afraid the presentation is representative of a culture and mindset within the Republican National Committee," DeMoss, a past member of the RNC's "Eagle" program for top donors who gave the party $15,000 in 2008, wrote in the letter to Steele, which he shared with POLITICO. "Consequently, I will no longer contribute to any fundraising entity of our Party—but will contribute only to individual candidates I choose to support."

The letter was copied to House and Senate Republican leaders, whose campaign committees DeMoss said he'd also stop supporting.

DeMoss, whose causes include a project devoted to civility and who is the scion of a major Evangelical family, concluded:

"Mr. Chairman, I love giving money to candidates at every level who I believe in and want to see elected. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to consider making a contribution to the Party itself. The sort of behavior displayed in Boca Grande only contributes to the widespread cynicism of politics in general and our Party in particular. It is, in my opinion, indefensible and destructive."

His full letter http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0310/RNC_Fallout_Ashamed_donor_says_he_wont_give.html?showall

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My first thought:

A Republican with a conscience.

There are far too few of them.

I applaud his actions.

[Perky]

3. This is actuallly part of a larger battle over the heart and soul of the party

the LimbaughBeck wing cersus the grownups.

[w4rma]

11. The big business wing vs. the puritanical church wing. (nt)

[Posteritatis]

24. A split between the social and economic conservatives would probably be healthy for the right

While I wouldn't mind it for other reasons, such as "obliterating the right's effectiveness for several years," on a more civic level it would probably be a good thing if people who had wildly divergent views on social and economic aspects in politics could actually get to vote their conscience without holding their nose too tightly. In the event of a split I could certainly live with neither side winning that big in federal elections for awhile, but I think voters in general deserve as good a chance as possible to vote their conscience. It'd probably diffuse some of the more alarming forms of crazy as well.

While the free-market-big-business-rah-rah-rah types and the regulate-your-bedroom-and-library types often do coexist lately, they probably aren't as tied at the hip as we often think. There's been substantial tension there for awhile and they probably should go their seperate ways. That tension exists in both parties in the US - there's no shortage of social conservatives on DU in some forms, and a few in the economic sense though that's a little harder to get away with lately - but as a non-US observer to both it seems much, much more strained at times in the Republican party.

[WCGreen]

4. He's going to give Evangelicals a bad name...

[Cirque du So-What]

14. My first thought as well

I'm surprised to see Politico carrying this story, and I doubt it will be carried in the so-called 'liberal media,' but it's gratifying to see at least one repug listen to his conscience.

[johnaries]

20. I don't think so. He works for a Christian PR firm. It was a PR move.

Nothing more.

[noise]

2. Absurd

This sort of fearmongering and contempt for the public has been the party line since 9/12/01.

[WCGreen]

5. That would be the 18th century 01, I suppose...

[Perky]

6. You got your dates wrong

November 4, 1992

[noise]

7. Fair enough

Who on earth does this guy think he has been supporting all this time?

[Cha]

8. Glad somebody who

doesn't support the President sees what a freakin' low class asshole piece of work the repubs are for ..putting out this FEAR TACTIC.:scared::scared:

[babylonsister]

9. Wow, and the Dems didn't have to lift a finger. Go, rethugs! nt

[Frustratedlady]

10. I hope this gets some coverage by the MSM

Payback time and I'm out of popcorn.

[On the Road]

12. For Anyone Who Thought Obama's Outreach to Evangelicals Was Useless,

this probably wouldn't happened without an effort like that.

[LiberalCatholic]

13. about freakin' time

someone from the R. party stood up to these idiots. It would be nice to have two sane parties....

[Arugula Latte]

15. So NOW he notices they're evil and immoral?

Jesus, what took him so long? Wasn't it pretty apparent for years and years?

[Jennicut]

18. That is my thought exactly. They weren't sick bastards before?

[old mark]

22. I guess they weren't sick enough, but the good ol' GOP managed

to cross the line.


Give them enough rope.....


mark

[qazplm]

16. they will make up for it

through individual donors from folks who might be small timers but are Tea Partiers who think "Finally!"

[JoePhilly]

17. The Tea Party folks are generally broke They have roughly ZERO ...

disposable income .... and roughly zero sense.

[DCKit]

19. Dear Mr. Demoss,

I'm sorry if you were offended.

However, we are the party of no, especially when it comes to ideas. What else could we do? We've got nothing.

Please send $$$$$ so we can get back to looting the treasury without interference.

Sincerely,

M. Steele

[grasswire]

21. DeMoss is a big donor to Chuck Colson's nonprofit.

They are thick as thieves.

[pinto]

23. Got to give him kudos for speaking up to the juvenile antics and outright bigotry of his party.