Civil war in the GOP?

>>> months now we've been watching the growing gap between the establishment republican party and the tea party wings of that party . the tea party types are now the party 's dominant force, of course. they have little use for establishment republicans who preach moderation and compromise. well, here is what david brooks wrote in "the new york times" today. quote, it's probably futile to try to change current republicans . it's smoorter to build a new wing of the republican party , one that can compete in the northeast and mid-atlantic states, in the upper midwest along the west coast as well. it could be filled with people who recoiled at president obama 's second inaugural address because of its excessive faith in centralized power, but who don't share the absolute anti-government story of the current gop . what a coastal and midwestern gop sit easily with the southern and western one? no, but majority parties are usually coalitions of the income patible. this is really the only chance republicans have. the only way to build a second gop . my two guests are most excellent. michael steele , now an msnbc contributor, and bob costa, washington editor for the national review . the democratic party for years was an unbelievably absurd coalition, northern liberals, minorities, southern seg agree gathsists and they put together for people like adlai stevenson and roosevelt and harry truman and wilson. can the republican party rebuild itself to get a majority by building a coalition where they don't all agree with each other, where you have the rural people plus the more, if you will, this will drive people crazy, sow fis at this kated suburbanites.

>> i think they can and for going back to my days as a county chairman to being national chairman, i preached that same thing. northeastern republicans are not southern republicans aren't midwestern republicans aren't western republicans . they all wear a different hat. but they wear them in their own style.

>> all politics is local.

>> all politics is local, and the more the party recognize s that this is not about a national republican party but a coalition of independent, you know, minded individuals who happen to be republican in some cases --

>> what about all those moderates that are told they could join the party and be part of the coalition? you know, that's nice, bob, but if they're not pro life , if they're not against gay marriage , if they don't buckle to the rural republican party , the tea party point of view, they aren't every going to be on the national ticket. why would they join a party that wouldn't join them as a member?

>> it's a fair question. something the republicans are going to have to grapple with over the next few years.

>> how do you grapple with it.

>> we both grew up in the philadelphia suburbs. my big question is will the party elevate leaders from the northeast. is a chris christie going to be able to be a true national voice or is it just going to be republicans from other parts of the country, the dean jsh --

>> i know the answer because we had governors like tom ridge , war veteran , combat veteran, worked through harvard, admirable person. he wasn't right on abortion rights . didn't go anywhere nationally because cheney zapped him. you name me a guy -- christie is okay because he's pro-life supposedly but all the other guys in the northeast aren't. so they're not eligible.

>> it's a fair point.

>> i know, i keep making fair points. you have to answer them.

>> they had a big summit over the week nend in washington. pro choice people, pro-life people, social issues, economic issues, republicans are grap grappling with all these issues. are republicans going to be open on gay marriage and abortion?

>> what's the answer?

>> the answer is unsure.

>> here is bobby jindal . he took on his own party last week at an rnc meeting when he said it was time for the stupid party -- for the stupid party talk to end.

>> we've got to stop being the stupid party . i'm serious, it's time for a new republican party that talks like adults. it's time for us to articulate our plans and visions for america in real terms. it's no secret we had a number of republicans that damaged the brand this year with offensive and bizarre comments. i'm here to say we've had enough of that.

>> myrrh you can do and akin. last night karl rove who is now an umpire, he agreed and said republicans must have more than an anti-obama message. let's listen to the oracle, the architect.

>> i think he's right. he was talking about todd akin of missouri and richard mourdock of indiana and their terrible comments on abortion. the republican can't be in mindless opposition to president obama . it has to offer a vision of the future that is attractive and compelling for americans to associate with.

>> the problems is that the vision jindal and rove are talking about hasn't changed. only their messaging has. while jindal talks a good game paul krugman pointed out yesterday jindal is proposing eliminating louisiana's incomes tax which is paid primarily by the wealthy and replace it with a sales tax designed to hit the middle class and working class . you're doing the same old hoover stuff, tax the people that get hit the hardest by economic recession and exempt the top penal who make incomes, big incomes.

>> but that's not necessarily been born out in states like texas and new hampshire and elsewhere that don't have a state income tax , that do have a higher sales tax . so, you know, i get --

>> if you have a lot of tourism.

>> i get the partisan line and i think louisiana has a bit of tourism. so the fact of the matter is, you know, bobby jindal represents i think as susana martinez does and others this next generation of republican leaders out there who are doing it.

>> jindals --

>> they're creating the laboratory in the states which is why i go back to my point which this is not about national messaging. this is finding and accepting republicans where they are.

>> you buy this as an intellectual who writes for the national review . you buy the fact that the republican party can become a coalition party , not a homogeneous right wing party ?

>> i think --

>> can you answer that question yes or no?

>> yes. i think the republican party can succeed but if you listen to bobby jindal 's speech he's asking a big question. too often he says the party is becoming fiscal conservative party . he's saying republicans aren't going to back away on their position on taxes, talk more about growth, more about tax cuts , less about austerity.

>> one way to kill prosperity is to tax people for what they spend. that's the dumbest thing in the world. raise the sales tax so if you save your little money, keep it in your pocketbook, you have more money. if you tax spending you're bringing down consumption. here is ginned cal and chris christie and marco rubio who are thinking about bringing the party together and then look at glenn beck dressed as a doctor pronouncing the republican establishment dead.

>> here is what the media and the president still don't understand. we're celebrating the death of the establishment gop right along with them. yeah. i have got a cake and hats and like party streamers and everything today because they're dead. the gop hasn't stuck to its guns or its policies or its principles in i don't know how long. all they are is about winning. who should be in the tent? we need a bigger tent. that's the wrong angle. while the elephant may be dying and it's not dying, it's dead, what isn't dying in america is personal responsibility.

>> is he part of your crowd? glenn beck ? is he part of the republican big tent , that guy? that train wreck?

>> if he -- look, see, i'm not going to make a judgment on what brings and motivates people to join the party --

>> he in or out?

>> i don't know. i don't get to make that judgment. he gets to make that decision for himself. if he wants to pronounce the party as dead, that's fine for him.

>> you're hear this from a lot of conservatives.

>> do you like him?

>> not like glen beck but they want --

>> i don't like him. i don't know how to make an answer work. no, i don't like --

>> but that's your --

>> but you won't answer the question.

>> i did answer the question.

>> is he part of your party or not?

>> what is his party registration.

>> he seems like he doesn't want to be a part of republican.

>> who did he vote for? mitt romney or obama?

>> i think he voted for mitt romney . michael steele --

>> preet good guess.

>> robert costa .

>> who is cruz to criticize