March 14, 2013 12:31 PM UTC

The More Things Change...Why Change?

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• by: Colorado Pols

It seems like we've written variations on this theme a thousand times, but while the faces change, the story doesn't. Conservative Republicans and their Tea Party brethren just will not accept any answer other than the same answer. Again. And Again. And Again. As NBC News reports:

The Republican Party’s internal struggle over how to expand its reach will play out in stark relief at this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference, with activists locked in a near-civil war over the basic question of who should be part of the movement – and who should not.

This year’s meeting has already made news with its exclusion of notable names from the invite list: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. 

There will be plenty of conservative stars, like Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky, along with 2012 vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan (among other potential 2016 presidential candidates). And attendees will have a chance to reacquaint themselves with familiar names and faces from the not-so-distant past such as Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and the ubiquitous Donald Trump.

The CPAC folks aren't the only group to continue to insist that the only way back for Republicans is to "get more conservative." The anti-tax Club for Growth is growling still about what makes up a "real" conservative. From Reuters:

The combative Club is preparing to spend millions of dollars next year on its latest round of primary challenges to Republican lawmakers who it believes have violated its conservative economic principles.

The confrontational strategy flies in the face of post-election Republican efforts to become a more accommodating and less ideological party, and is certain to deepen the rift between the party's conservative warriors and more pragmatic establishment wing…

…"Our job is not to elect Republicans, that's not what we do," said Chris Chocola, a former Republican congressman who now heads the Club. [Pols emphasis]

They say it's good to set goals. If (and when) ultra-conservative Republicans lose more seats come November 2014, at least there will be no confusion about what happened.