WHAT OR WHO IS A REPUBLICAN?

Or better, what or who is a conservative? Those are some of the questions I had after reading this article:

Kolbe faults Republican leadership
GOP priorities cited in loss of Congress
By Tony Davis
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona Published: 12.31.2006

The national Republican Party's emphasis on gay marriage, abortion, stem-cell research and other social issues helped cost it control of Congress, said Jim Kolbe on the eve of stepping down after 22 years as a GOP congressman.

Capping a career in which he often clashed with his party's social conservatives, Kolbe called the congressional leadership's handling of the most recent session "abysmal."

He said the American public got tired of watching the party neglect its basic principles, such as fiscal discipline, smaller government and a strong national defense.


One could also argue that pandering to social conservatives such as Dobson, Land and Falwell, also contributed to GOP electoral victories and that the recent defeats could be due to the Fundies finally realizing that the GOP won't be able to create a theocracy for them.

Crooks and Liars has a post which expands on this question and gives some good links.