Richard Tafel (formerly executive director of Log Cabin Republicans) proposes—why don't moderates primary extremists for once?
Here are the four steps we can take to make get Americans their government back:
Step 1. Make Extremism Uncool: Identify the 20 most extreme Members of Congress from both parties who have refused to compromise on important issues. Begin with the Govtrack.us list that's been tracking the most extreme members of Congress since 2004.
Step 2. Money: To take on our broken system, we need to raise the funds to win by its rules. We need to create a grassroots campaign of donors who will give money to challengers of the most extreme Members in their primaries. We also need to recruit business leaders with the resources to turn the heat up on the extremists.
Step 3. Awareness: Run ads in extreme Member's districts saying "Did You Know You Are Electing an Extreme Member of Congress?" national ad campaign that identifies the most extreme members of Congress as threats to national security, our economy and our children's future.
Step 4. Recruit: Support public service-minded candidates to run against the targeted list in their primaries. Get their pledge to work across the aisle in the next Congress. Help them raise money and provide training.
Use the 2012 election cycle to educate and support a few races. Plan on having a roster of candidates ready for 2014. For the first time in 20 years, we can pressure our political class to put our country before their extreme ideologies.
