Inside Politics

Shadegg’s bid

Conservative Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona announced yesterday that he is seeking the chairmanship of the House Republican Policy Committee, the fifth-ranking post in the party’s elected leadership.

By late yesterday, Mr. Shadegg had accumulated more than 115 signatures on a ” ‘Dear Colleague’ letter supporting him for the post,” an aide told reporter Ralph Z. Hallow of The Washington Times.

That would be more than enough votes to ensure Mr. Shadegg’s election.

“Shadegg rated an ‘A’ from us for his voting record last year and in 2002,” said Paul J.Gessing, director of government affairs at the National Taxpayers Union.

Mr. Shadegg would succeed Rep. Christopher Cox, California Republican, who left the policy committee chairmanship to lead the new Homeland Security Committee. The policy committee post ranks after House speaker, majority leader, majority whip and Republican conference chairman.

Noonan’s advice

“No one wants to be head of the Democratic National Committee. This is bad but understandable,” Peggy Noonan writes at www.OpinionJournal.com.

“A fractious party has been further fractured by a hard year. What you need for DNC chairman is a man or woman of some stature who can make the case for your party day in and day out in big media. Fund-raising expertise is secondary — hire someone to do it. So is organizational skill — hire organizers. You need someone who makes the Democratic Party look nonsleazy, nonmanipulative and nonweak on TV. He doesn’t have to be nationally known, but he must be — how to put this? — good-natured, moderate in manner, and normal-seeming. That would mean not Howard Dean,” Mrs. Noonan said.

“There is much to build on. You hold 44 Senate seats, 202 House seats and 22 governorships. You have been on a losing strain for a while, but you can turn that into opportunity. Now, in the depths — or what you frankly hope are the depths — you can move for change within the party. Nothing sobers like defeat. Use the new sobriety to shake off the mad left. This is the best chance you’ve had all century. Seriously, this is the best chance you’ve had in a long time. …

“The Groups — all the left-wing outfits from the abortion people to the enviros — didn’t deliver in the last election, and not because they didn’t try. They worked their hearts out. But they had no one to deliver. They had only money. The secret: Nobody likes them. Nobody. No matter how you feel about abortion, no one likes pro-abortion fanatics; no one likes mad scientists who cook environmental data. Or rather only rich and creepy people like them. Stand up to the Groups — make your policies more moderate, more nuanced, less knee-jerk.”

Dangerous issue

“No issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration,” David Frum writes in National Review.

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