Tea Party Nation president Judson Phillips has written a plea to Sarah Palin and supporters Monday, urging the former Alaska governor to mount a bid to take over for the floundering Michael Steele as chair of the Republican National Committee.
Here's how he described the stakes and the need for Palin to combat "Obama and the socialists" and ensure the conservative direction of the RNC:
We are in a fight for the survival of our country. [...]
We need you as Chairman of the RNC. You have shown in the past no hesitation to take on the establishment. You did it in Alaska. If we end up with establishment control of the GOP and their support for an establishment candidate in 2012, Obama and the socialists will have won. An establishment candidate will not work to repeal Obamacare and the other programs Obama, Pelosi and Reid have put in place. We need someone who will put conservatives in control of the party apparatus, not RINOs. [...]
Finally, you are a superstar. You have an unbelievable ability to light up a crowd and to raise money. Both of which the Republican Party needs. Something is really wrong with the GOP when the RNC cannot fund a get out the vote campaign for mid-term elections. The GOP needs a conservative who can raise money and energize the troops. You are the only one out there with these unique talents.
The suggestion that Palin use her popularity for the direct benefit of the GOP is not a new one, but it is somewhat surprising coming from one of the nation's largest Tea Party groups, a faction that comprises a large chunk of her support.
While most of the news has been focused on Sarah Palin's increasing talk of a potential presidential bid and suggestions that she is seriously eyeing a run for the nation's highest office, it appears that the Tea Party Nation would prefer her to be at the helm of the RNC in order to channel energy to a different presidential candidate going into the 2012 election.
Sarah Palin, however, doesn't agree -- at least with the contention that she'd make the best "fundraiser-in-chief" atop the RNC. Here's her statement on the matter.
"I respect the desire to have someone in charge of the RNC who understands the wishes of the conservative grassroots and understands that power resides with the people and not the vested interests in DC. However, the primary role of the RNC chair seems be that of fundraiser-in-chief, and there are others who would probably be much more comfortable asking people for money than I would be, and they would definitely enjoy it more."
Even without a Palin entry into the competition, the battle for a new GOP leader is already heating up. Saul Anuzis, former GOP chairman of Michigan, and former Luxembourg ambassador Ann Wagner have already announced their plans to to take on Steele for control of the debt-ridden RNC, if he decides to run again. And more challengers are still expected to throw their hats into the ring in the lead-up to the mid-January selection process. Reince Preibus stepped down as general counsel of the RNC over the weekend, making way for his entry into the race Monday.