Cal Berkeley Democrats

The GOP’s “Purity” Resolution

I thought the GOP couldn’t get any crazier. How wrong I was.

This January, the Republican National Committee will consider a “purity” resolution for candidates. It would have ten planks, and candidates who violate three or more would be denied the party’s endorsement or funds:

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s “stimulus” bill;

(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;

(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;

(4) We support workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check;

(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;

(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;

(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;

(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and

(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership.

I have two things to say about this. First, this guarantees the GOP will be a haven for lunatics and lunatics only. Typically, after getting trashed two election cycles in a row, parties widen their tents. Now, it seems the GOP is determined to do the opposite.*

Second, this provides yet more evidence that the GOP is the Party of NO! Count how many times you see the word “oppose” in that list. It’s heavy on “opposition” and light on innovative ideas…surprise, surprise.

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* I have plenty of respect for principled conservatives. But, the national GOP has completely gone over the edge.