The Republican civil war that began when Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) dropped out of the Republican gubernatorial race drew the attention of the state’s Republican Party chair Thursday. Bolling has threatened to run as an independent and publicly questioned the ability of likely Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli — a tea party star — to win a general election in the purple commonwealth.
Virginia Republican Party Chair Pat Mullins called on Bolling to get off the stage now that he’s no longer a Republican candidate for governor. Mullins’ statement, as posted by the conservative Virginia political blog Bearing Drift:
“I am disappointed by Lt. Governor Bolling’s remarks over the past 48 hours. Lt. Governor Bolling has a stellar record of public service, and has long been a strong voice for the conservative cause. Nowhere in his statements does he mention a policy disagreement with the Attorney General.
“The proper venue for challenging a fellow Republican is during a nomination contest. Lt. Governor Bolling chose to suspend his campaign. I hope he will take his own words to heart and work to bring our Party together.”
