Many Republicans [particularly those up for re-election next year] say privately they would appreciate the opportunity to move beyond the Bush administration, and that Cheney's outspokenness does not help their cause. But publicly, few are willing to kick Cheney to the curb.

“One of the things the media could do-- some of the media-- is to move the debate off Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh. This is probably not the future of the Republican Party."

Sunday's TV pundits laid out two very distinct visions of how the Republican Party can try to stop its slide into oblivion . Cheney, declaring that one of the last of the nationally respected members of his party, Colin Powell, isn't even a Republican anymore, opted for Door #1 : continuing to transform the GOP into the intolerant, small-minded, regionally-based party of Rush Limbaugh. The party's last presidential candidate weakly, almost apologetically, piped up that Republicans have to reach out to people beyond the base , "a handful of uber-wealthy patricians who want to protect their inherited privilege at any cost... and a big mass of pork-rind eating, truck nutz sporting, bitter sons of Jefferson Davis."Although most Republican Party elders have been pushing 3 younger right-wing extremists as "the future"-- Paul Ryan (R-WI), Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)-- the party is still seen as mired in the past and stuck with the Bush Regime albatross around its neck. Cheney has pushed himself forward as the party's leading voice, defending the previous administration and its failed policies, especially torture , and taking on the unseemly and unprecedented role of viciously attacking the new president.And then you've got the increasingly bloody knife fight between Romney, Huckabee, Gingrich and Palin, each vying to be the Republican nominee for 2012-- in case something goes terribly wrong and the party can stage a come-back. It must have been a tough day to get relevant guests today so John King dragged out Bill Bennett's carcass to pontificate on how Sarah Palin isn't the future of the GOP-- and neither is Limbaugh.He was pushing Ryan, Mike Pence, Pyush Jindal, Jon Kyl and David Petraeus. (Donna Brazile was pushing Meghan McCain: "She’s refreshing, she’s honest and she’s a face that could really help them galvanize young people and independents.”)

Labels: Republican image make-over