Yesterday, Ken Mehlman gave his last speech as Chair of the Republican National Committee. We need to thank him for all his hard work in the 2006 cycle. He helped bring us many new Democratic Governors, control of state legislatures, Democratic majorities in the House and Senate -- there's so much he did:
Ken Mehlman, the departing chairman of the Republican National Committee, warned on Thursday that his party would suffer even more devastating losses in 2008 than it did in 2006 if it did not reach out to minorities and address voter concerns about ethics.Of course, Ken missed the point. The unfavorable factor for the GOP was his boss, George Bush.
In his farewell speech after two years as chairman, Mr. Mehlman said that the 2006 elections, in which Republicans lost control of both houses of Congress, was not a fluke that could be attributed to the calendar, a few scandal-tainted candidates and the tough going in Iraq.
“Each of these factors combined to create an environment that was unfavorable for Republicans,” said Mr. Mehlman, one of the chief architects of President Bush’s two national election victories. “But, folks, these factors cannot be an excuse.”
