Republicans tied to the whipping post

A shaken and dispirited Republican party met this weekend at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, including most of the Presidential candidates pictured here. A few choice quotes:

"Let's just say this: the president's position on all of this is not all that clear." - Senator George Allen of Virgina (and Presidential contender).

"We are spending too much money," said Governor Mitt Romney "Our discretionary spending — taking out Iraq and mandatory spending — grew 49 percent in four years. Our debt has grown. Pork is always dispiriting. But pork being spent at a time of war is particularly dispiriting."

"There's a lot of frustration here — we've had a run of real bad luck," said Tom Rath, a New Hampshire Republican leader. "You've got such longevity in that White House team that they are tired. They need a break. They need a big piece of good luck. I don't know what it is."
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said "Executing has been a problem. Implementing has been a problem." Graham criticized the G.O.P. for allowing spending to increase "We're growing the government at a pace that makes Democrats look thrifty."

"We cannot afford big losses this year," said Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi,









"It's like we're the party worried about losing," he said. "We need to become the party focused on winning." - Senator Lindsay Graham
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