Who is giving the GOP its marching orders?

Jules Witcover's column about Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander's decision drop out of the GOP's Senate leadership to pursue a more independent course raises more questions than it answers ("A GOP leader goes his own way," Sept. 26).

First, if the Republican Party believes that all its members should march in lock step, who is giving the marching orders?

If marching in lock step is Republicans' strategy for winning the next election, is the party intentionally sabotaging the economy to deepen the recession and assure President Obama's defeat?

And if a deeper recession is the GOP's goal, who stands to lose the least? Do any of the Republican candidates have a better plan than Obama to get the country going again?

David Ingalls, Severna Park