HOUSE DIVIDED

Factionalism Plagues RNC

Will Republicans unite in Tampa?

Will the Grand Old Party unite in Florida? That’s the question top Republican officials are asking themselves as the party goes in to its national convention in Tampa, where it will have to overcome factionalism if it plans to vote out President Obama in November. “The Republican Party needs to reestablish its philosophy of the big tent with principles,” said former Republican vice president Dan Quayle. “The philosophy you hear from time to time, which is unfortunate, is one of exclusion rather than inclusion.” Thousands of Ron Paul supporters, who propose radical changes to government, protested what they saw as more of the same in Tampa on Sunday.