Despite reduced debt, committee is still struggling
Despite reduced debt, committee is still struggling

WASHINGTON — When Rep. Tom Cole took over the National Republican Congressional Committee this year, it was demoralized and in debt.

"It was like a broken army after a lost war,” Cole, R-Moore, said last week.

Republicans had just lost control of the House, and the party was hurt by scandals and anger over the war in Iraq, immigration and government spending. President Bush's approval ratings were dismal.

Nine months later, Cole has retired much of the debt and recruited candidates across the country. And he said he is optimistic about gaining seats in 2008, maybe even enough for his party to regain control.

But instead of battling Democrats, the campaign committee chairman has been struggling recently against some of his colleagues.

According to reports in Politico and Congressional Quarterly, House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio and other GOP leaders have expressed frustration with Cole's committee staff and the pace of fundraising. One report said Cole threatened to quit if Boehner forced out two of the top staff members at the campaign committee.

In an interview last week, Cole denied that he talked about quitting.

At a closed door meeting of Republicans two weeks ago, Boehner and Cole sought to smooth things over, and Boehner told reporters he and Cole regularly have "candid” conversations.

"I respect Tom Cole,” Boehner said. "He's a valued member of this team.”

Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for Boehner, told The Oklahoman that, "Leader Boehner, Chairman Cole, and the entire Republican conference are focused on one collective goal — earning back our majority and putting Democrats back on the sidelines come November 2008.

As a result, he said, Cole and others trying to raise money for Republican candidates can't get the attention of supporters.

"They say it's always darkest just before dawn,” said Lucas, R-Cheyenne. "We're in that dark part of the morning. (Republican) retirements don't help. The president's national popularity numbers don't help.”

But Lucas predicted that fundraising will pick up "dramatically” early next year.

Asked about the conflicts over the Republican campaign committee's operation, Lucas said, "There's always tension within any leadership structure. That's just business as usual.

Cole was Lucas' political consultant in 1994. In the early 1990s, he was political director of the campaign committee of which he is now chairman. And in 2000, he was chief of staff of the Republican National Committee.

That resume helped Cole win the chairmanship of the campaign committee, even though he had only been in Congress two terms.

But that there's a difference between operating a single race and running an operation that's engaged in numerous states.

"One's a battlefield commander and the other's the Pentagon,” Cole said.

Cole had hoped he would have retired by now more than $14 million in debt left by his predecessor.

But the committee still owes about $4 million. He said the debt has been reduced every week.

Though not second-guessing the decisions made in the 2006 campaign cycle, he said the debt was the largest the committee ever accumulated.

But, he said, the committee is now focusing on the basics: retiring the debt, raising money for 2008 campaigns and recruiting candidates.

Though he said his best-case scenario is taking back the House, he didn't predict it.

Leave a Comment

News Photo Galleriesview all

LibertyFest Parade

View pictures from the July 4, 2009 parade in Edmond.

17 photos

Sally Kern: Thursday, July 2, 2009

Photos of State Rep. Sally Kern, who launched a proclamation for morality at a state Capitol rally Thursday morning.

12 photos

Daily Published Photos: July 2, 2009

View photos from The Oklahoman.

41 photos

Daily Published Photos: July 1, 2009.

View photos from The Oklahoman.

47 photos

Page 1 of 5

Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next