Turning point for DC GOP?

For those of you who are interested in (what I see as the fight for) the heart and soul of the Republican Party, you may be interested to know that Sen. Trent Lott's resignation led to a Mississippi member of the House Appropriations Committee being appointed to fill his seat. In turn, there's an open seat on the Committee.

Now GOP Minority Leader John Boehner has to fill the seat. And according to Townhall.com, Boehner is likely to choose RSCC Chairman Rep. Tom Cole (R.-Okla.) to fill the position. “Cole argues the appropriations seat would help him raise money for the cash-strapped NRCC.” But fiscal conservatives are pushing for an alternative, Jeff Flake of Arizona.

I don't know much about Flake, but similar to Shadegg and Boehner... he's one of the few members of Congress who doesn't request earmarks. Flake not only says he's a fiscal conservative, he also votes that way.

For the sake of the GOP, I hope Boehner gives the seat to Flake.

Tim White