“We plan to do political and policy news,” says Lysaught, “not with a conservative bent, but just true, straight-down-the-middle journalism. The site aims to rectify the conservative perception that mainstream news slants to the left. “We came to the realization that the mainstream media had really abdicated the responsibility to do the news and do it well,” says Geoffrey Lysaught, vice president of strategic communications at the Heritage Foundation, who will also serve as publisher. The team is committed to truth and unmatched in knowledge of Washington’s. On June 3 it will begin publishing the Daily Signal, a new digital news site whose primary focus will be straight reporting. The Daily Signal delivers investigative and feature reporting and the most important political news and commentary. Now Heritage has a new plan to exert its influence and, its leaders hope, win converts to the cause. That led to a government shutdown, a collapse of conservative will, and plenty of angry recriminations from fellow Republicans. DeMint forced a showdown because he wanted Republicans to unify around his vision of an unapologetic hardline conservatism-a vision he thinks most Americans will support if given the chance.

Over the summer, the conservative think tank’s president, former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, teamed up with Texas Senator Ted Cruz and other lawmakers on a cross-country tour to convince party activists, and eventually GOP leaders, that they could stop Obamacare by refusing to fund it.

Last year the conservative Heritage Foundation had more influence on the direction of the Republican Party than just about anyone else-and not necessarily for the better.

The daily signal