'Moderate' is Now a Dirty Word For Some House Republicans
Tea Party-type conservatives have gained enough momentum to force their Republican rivals to rethink their once-proud branding.
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In the 1990s, Democrats abandoned the label of "liberal," which had been redefined by Republicans and their own centrist wing as code for big-government toadies. To replace it, they embraced the not-yet-politically-tarnished "progressive" title.
Now, some Republicans are trying to shed a different label, one that also has been so transformed by intraparty rivals so as to border on a slur: "moderates." The preferred alternative for those who don't mind bipartisan deals and getting big legislation done: "center-right House Republicans."