Need Logo Feedback!

Hey Guys! I'm getting kinda stuck on this logo. It's for a company called New Republic. They want a modern American feel, kind of mid-century inspired.

I'm trying (but not yet succeeding) to blend the 'N' and 'R' into one graphic... These are the most successful of all my comps, but now, I'm also seeing an 'M', which I definitely don't want. Maybe I should remove the right vertical line of the N like I did on the last comp? What do you guys think?

Also, these comps are rough, and ignore the colors... it was just a way to bring out the different shapes.