Manassas, Virginia--Richard A. Viguerie, author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big-Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books, 2006), issued the following statement regarding the losses suffered by the Virginia Republican Party in the November 2007 elections:

“Following the loss of the Governorship in 2005 and the U.S. Senate seat in 2006, the Virginia Republican Party continued its meltdown with the net loss of at least four seats in the State Senate and three seats in the State House of Delegates.

“In light of the 2005, 2006, and 2007 elections, it is crystal clear that new legislative leaders are desperately necessary. The present Republican team in Richmond has failed, especially in the Senate. Grassroots activists and donors should demand these leaders be replaced for their failures.

“No one should be surprised at the election results. This is a direct result of the Republican in Name Only (RINO) legislative leadership. These RINO legislators have openly collaborated with the liberals in the General Assembly and with Democratic governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to massively increase spending and taxes.

“As a result, the Virginia Republican Party—like the national Republican Party—has lost its brand as the party of fiscal responsibility. And the predictable election results have been the same on both the state and national levels. Liberal voters who want higher spending and higher taxes predominantly vote Democratic, while conservatives, having been betrayed by Republicans, lose heart and interest in voting.

“Interestingly, the leader of the RINOs has been John Chichester, the recently retired State Senator from Fredericksburg. And now that he is retired, he revealed his true colors through endorsements of several Democrats.

“The Virginia Republican Party—which dominated the state just a few years ago—has placed the raw pursuit of power over its principles, and in the process has lost both power and principles. It will not return to power until it returns to principled conservatism. Until then, the Party will continue to spiral downward.”

Richard A. Viguerie pioneered ideological and political direct mail and has been called “the funding father of the conservative movement” for his role in helping build dozens of conservative organizations. He is the author of Conservatives Betrayed—How George W. Bush and Other Big-Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause (Bonus Books, 2006).