Iowa Rep. King scoffs at GOP rebranding

GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa is having none of his party's talk about rebranding.
In a fundraising pitch to supporters, the potential Senate candidate says the Republican establishment can change tactics, message and try to "out Democrat the Democrats" but "they will never, ever rebrand conservatives."


The Republican Party is undergoing a makeover, after a post-election "autopsy" found that Republicans need to be improve their tone and outreach if it wants to take back the Senate and White House.
While King's fundraising pitch does not specifically mention what he's running for, the six-term congressman is said to be considering a bid next year to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. The Iowa race is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country, and the outcome could help determine which party is in power.
Why is King fussing? He is known for his criticisms of President Obama and by his own admission likes to talk about the economy and hot-button issues like abortion and same-sex marriage in his campaigns.
Or as Steven Law, president of American Crossroads, put it a couple of months ago, King has a "Todd Akin problem." Akin is the Missouri candidate whose comments about "legitimate rape" last year helped sink his Senate campaign. And while King's fundraising pitch makes reference to "Washington insiders," it's a good bet he means American Crossroads co-founder Karl Rove and friends.