Article published Nov 12, 2007
Inside the Beltway
November 12, 2007
John McCaslin - Turks vs. bulls
Outspoken former Rep. Dick Armey, Texas Republican, will be back in Washington
this week to urge a new crop of "young Turks" in the Republican Party to
challenge the "old bulls" and win back control of Capitol Hill.
"When Dick Armey talks about what went into building the Contract [with America]
and a winning coalition, he mentions three parts: an unpopular president Bill
Clinton, an unpopular plan [health care], and a positive alternative policy
agenda. Armey often mentions how it was up to the 'young Turks' in the party to
challenge the 'old bulls' to build the legislative agenda to regain the
majority," Adam Brandon, press secretary of FreedomWorks, explains to Inside the
Beltway.
So this Wednesday and Thursday, the popular Mr. Armey and former Republican
presidential candidate and publisher Steve Forbes, a member of the FreedomWorks
board, will gather with what are being described to us as the "current crop of
young Turks" — Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Tom Coburn and James M.
Inhofe, both of Oklahoma, and Reps. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, Mike Pence of
Indiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Jeb Hensarling of Texas, John Campbell
of California, Paul C. Broun of Georgia, Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Jeff
Flake and John Shadegg of Arizona, and Patrick T. McHenry, Robin Hayes and
Virginia Foxx of North Carolina.
The young Turks — former and current — will discuss policy positions like health
care, entitlement reform, taxes and spending, earmark reform and energy, "and
tactics to rebuild the conservative brand," Mr. Brandon says of the Omni
Shoreham gaggle. "Armey expects that the next limited-government majority will
come from this group."