Instead of building a Party with a sound platform, they built a playground for mega donors. Result – Donald Trump swept aside a feckless GOP establishment.
Back in the day, I knew these guys as a board member of the U. S. Youth Council, an assemblage of two dozen national organizations. In one of the first shots fired in our hyper-partisan era, these Young Republicans killed the USYC.
Venal
Jack Abramoff Guilty plea—confirmed corrupt lobbying practices & helped ruthless sweatshop industry in N. Mariana Islands/Saipan (Made in USA!)
Paul Manafort cover story in THE ATLANTIC: “The Plot Against America: Decades before he ran the Trump campaign [his] pursuit of foreign cash and shady deals laid the groundwork for the corruption of Washington”
Visionless
Grover Norquist he threatened politicians with his “Tax Pledge” – didn’t have much of an idea about governance beyond wanting to shrink the U.S. government down to a size he could drown in his bathtub.
Also tied up with “Casino Jack” duping Native Americans (laundering $ paid to Ralph Reed, Jr. frmr Christian Coalition exec dir)
Karl Rove “Bush’s brain” about says it all. He met W while running errands for Pres. GHW Bush. He was quite impressed, as he describes: “Swagger, cowboy boots, flight jacket, wonderful smile, just charisma—you know, wow.”
ballingerforcongress.com 