Republicans are abuzz after the Specter defection, some think it’s good, some think it’s bad, but the response of the GOP to this development may quickly determine the future of the Party. Washington leadership seems split on whether or not to support Pat Toomey, and other conservative Republicans like him, or to try and win elections across the country by running Republicans who may not agree with the party on several key issues, much like Specter.

NRSC Chairman John Cornyn told the New York Times that he is looking to Chuck Schumer for inspiration in running the organization tasked now with winning back enough seats to make any impact on Oabam Administration policy.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he would seek to recruit candidates who he thought could win in Democratic or swing states, even if it meant supporting candidates who might disagree with his own conservative views.

Mr. Cornyn said he was taking a page from Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the last head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, who led his party to big gains by embracing candidates who, for example, opposed abortion rights or gun control.

“If you think about it, Schumer has been very good at this; I complimented him this morning in the gym,” Mr. Cornyn said, adding, “Some conservatives would rather lose than be seen as compromising on what they regard as inviolable principles.”

Cornyn’s statement raises a key question for the GOP to consider. What principles do Republicans consider to be “inviolable”? What separates Republicans from Democrats? Pat Toomey belives Republicans stand for, “belief in limited government, freedom and personal responsibility,” and Senator John Ensign says, “fiscal responsibility, more personal responsibility, looking for a smaller, more effective government.” Those are important, and I would argue, conservative principles that must be considered when recruiting candidates. I don’t think this excludes the GOP from being a party grand in its size and diversity, but if party leadership is unable to keep its core values in mind when looking for candidates, Republicans should only expect to find themselves continually on the outside looking in.

Does Cornyn’s Schumer inspired philosophy mean that an NRSC backed moderate challenger in Pennsylvania is just around the corner? I guess we’ll see in the coming weeks which Republican principles Washington looks for in it’s preferred candidates.