Moderate have been causing the Republican Party quite a bit of trouble in the past few weeks, particularly since the November 8 elections in which the Democrats won in both "blue" states and "red" states.

In the Senate, Olympia Snowe (R-ME) forced Finance Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to drastically scale back tax cuts, and in the House, a group of moderate Republicans forced the party leadership to strip a provision that would have allowed oil companies to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve.

Now, as the Manchester Union Leader reports, a leading moderate Republican Congressman is calling for new leadership elections in the House.

Five-term Republican Rep. Charles Bass said this week his party’s leaders in the House of Representatives are more concerned about their own pet projects than the GOP’s "fundamental principles."

Bass, co-chair of a group of about 35 moderate House Republicans called the "Tuesday Group," is calling for new elections in leadership next year "so we have a fresh slate of officers outside of the speaker for the next session of the Congress."

[...]

"I’m not starting a movement. I’m not leading a revolution," Bass said. "I’m just stating an opinion."

Although Bass might say that he's neither "starting a movement" nor "leading a revolution," his actions speak otherwise. The Republican Party has been able to govern with a relatively small majority in both Houses because partisan unity has trumped the priorities of individual members. But when GOP Congressmen begin to undercut the party leadership, both through legislative acts (like ANWR) or caucus activities (like calling for new leadership elections), party unity is greatly threatened. And then, all of the sudden, it becomes much more difficult to govern.