On Saturday, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) discussed the direction of the GOP in an address to the Republican Northeast Conference in Newport, RI. McCotter, who serves as the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee in the House, chided conservative “ideologues” for controlling the party. McCotter explained that these individuals want to “purge” opponents “all the time…because they’re nuts.” He then clarified that his remarks were directed at radical conservatives like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC):

MCCOTTER: If the Republican Party wants to become its own antithesis, which is an ideological party, we’re going to continue to have these problems. Remember, ideologues, there’s a reason why they purge all the time — it’s because they’re nuts. Hope the ideologues weren’t listening. If, however, as I said before, we understand that we represent constituencies and America is a vast country full of a variety of opinions and peoples, way of life, then we will get where we need to go. As for the attitude of the Senator from South Carolina that it is better to have fewer friends than more, that’s easier to say in South Carolina than Detroit.

Watch it:

Before Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) left the Republican Party, DeMint told a blogger that Specter “cut our knees from under us” and informed Specter personally that he would be supporting his far-right primary opponent. DeMint also told the same right-wing blogger that conservatives in the Senate need to aggressively “go after” other GOP moderates Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.

Despite his state’s unemployment rate topping 15 percent, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter’s (R-MI) highest priority right now isn’t the economy. On Friday, the Michigan Republican announced he will introduce a bill calling on President Obama to formally apologize to Sgt. James Crowley, the Cambridge Police officer who arrested Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates. McCotter said he would introduce the resolution unless Obama issues a public apology — a transparent attempt “to keep the Gates controversy alive”:

“He has said he will introduce the legislation if the President does not retract and apologize for his comments,” said Jameson Cunningham, press secretary for McCotter, when asked if Obama had already addressed his concerns. “As of now, no apology has been issued.”

On Friday, Obama called the arresting officer an “outstanding police officer” and said he should have “calibrated” his words differently. A statement by the Cambridge police said, “It is clear to us…that the president respects police officers and the often difficult and dangerous situations we face on a daily basis.”