Ron Gidwitz blows up, blasts GOP conservative bloc for 'destroying any chance ... party has in 2014'

Some of the possible candidates for the Illinois GOP chairman job include (top row) Joe Walsh, Lori Yokoyama, Ron Sandack, (bottom row) Don Tracy, Tim Schneider, Mark Shaw.

**(Updated with Ron Gidwitz and Jim Oberweis)**

A livid Ron Gidwitz called out the conservative faction of the party’s central committee on Thursday, telling the Sun-Times its ousting of Illinois Republican Party Chairman and lack of preparation to deal with the fallout has put a poor face on the party, “destroying” the embattled GOP’s chances in next year’s election.

“The state central committee — a faction of the state central committee — is destroying any chance that the Republican party has in 2014,” an angered Gidwitz told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday. “I mean, how stupid is this! The lack of thoughtful, leadership … The state central committee is responsible for the leadership of our party. To push out the party chairman with no plan for a replacement — it is absurd. And with no thought to the consequences of their behavior.

They all know how I feel because I told them.”