Earlier this month I reported on some of the first skirmishes in the seemingly brewing civil war within the Republican Party. Cut forward now to less than two weeks before election day, and the internecine battle continues, much to the detriment of the GOP.
For starters, take a look at the ad that the National Senatorial Campaign Committee is running in North Carolina -- an ad that all but assumes a Barack Obama presidency:
John McCain is returning the favor -- and then some -- directing fire not only at George W. Bush, but also at congressional Republicans. The Washington Times has the story (h/t Jonathan Martin).
"I think, frankly, the problem was, with a Republican Congress, that the president was told by the speaker and majority leaders and others, 'Don't veto these bills, we need this pork, we need this excess spending, we need to grow these bureaucracies.' They all sponsor certain ones. And he didn't do what Ronald Reagan used to and say, 'No'; say, 'No. We're not going to do this.'"
Per Mike Allen, these types of attacks from McCain have prompted some within the GOP to ask why their current nominee couldn't act a little more like their 1996 nominee, Bob Dole -- yes, Republicans are telling the press they'd rather McCain be more like Dole (because at least Dole realized late in the game that he wasn't going to win, so he directed his energies towards helping out the party down-ballot rather than aiming his fire at his would-be supporters). When you have Republicans wishing you're more like the candidate who reeled in 159 electoral votes 12 years ago, you're doing something wrong -- and there are real divisions within the party.
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