G.O.P. Considers ‘Purity’ Resolution for Candidates

[47of74]

Source: New York Times

Republican leaders are circulating a resolution listing 10 positions Republican candidates should support to demonstrate that they “espouse conservative principles and public policies” that are in opposition to “Obama’s socialist agenda.” According to the resolution, any Republican candidate who broke with the party on three or more of these issues– in votes cast, public statements made or answering a questionnaire – would be penalized by being denied party funds or the party endorsement.

The proposed resolution was signed by 10 Republican national committee members and was distributed on Monday morning. They are asking for the resolution to be debated when Republicans gather for their winter meeting.

The resolution invokes Ronald Reagan, and noted that Mr. Reagan had said the Republican Party should be devoted to conservative principles but also be open to diverse views. President Reagan believed, the resolution notes, “that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent.”

Hence the provision calling for cutting off Republicans who agree with the party on seven of 10 items. The resolution demands that Republicans support “smaller government, smaller national deficits and lower taxes,” denial of government funding for abortion, and “victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.” It calls on candidates to oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants and repealing of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/gop-consi...

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I'd say keep going GOP. Pretty soon the only people who will want to call themselves Republicans will be professional politicians, reich wing talk show hosts, and teabaggers!

[AlinPA]

1. We can now forget Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins an any votes.

[Tempest]

3. Snowe and Collins are unelectable if they move too far to the right

Maine is too moderate a state to accept a far right agenda.

[h9socialist]

14. Wait and see . . .

There are plenty of twists and turns to come. Besides, Olympia Snowe has already shown that she at least considers other points of view. That's communistic according to Glenn Beck!

[Odin2005]

2. GOP Epic Fail!

BWAHAHAHA!!!

[tanyev]

4. That should work about as well as the purity pledges fundie teenagers make,

but ya'll go right ahead!

[wilt the stilt]

6. Ensign, Craig, Sanford are signing up.

[47of74]

28. I dunno about Craig, after all he has a wide stance

[DCKit]

18. Sure, but now that sodomy is legal, they just have to further broaden the definition.

No silly pledge will slow them down.

[Fearless]

5. Tell me this will have to do with purity rings!

[KamaAina]

7. Call it "Anh's Law"

for Anh "Joseph" Cao, the lone repuke who (gasp!) voted for Obama's socialist* takeover of health care.

*-not really socialist at all; RW nutjobs just like saying "socialist".

[Demeter]

9. That's So Petty AND Self-Defeating

It's not like the GOP is the Catholic Church.

[Demeter]

8. GOP Purity Is an Oxymoron

[h9socialist]

16. You've never heard of "pure stupidity"?????????

How about "pure bullshit"??????

[wysimdnwyg]

10. Political Eugenics?

They're both solidifying and broadening their racist tendencies.

[immoderate]

11. I welcome our Republicanly pure rulers!!

For a moment there, I thought it was moral purity! Whew!

--imm

[chollybocker]

12. Wasn't there a Reich-wing party in 1930's Germany

that also demanded Purity Pledges?



(I didn't say Naz*)

[Taverner]

19. GODWIN! GODWIN! AAEEEEEIIIIEEE!!!! GODWIN!!!!!!!

Quick! Run amok! Someone said the N (no dipshit, the other one) word and now we have to freak out!!!!!!

[SpookyCat]

30. I don't have the energy to freak out or run, amok or otherwise.

Can I just scoff derisively?

(phh-AH!)

[Taverner]

33. Yes, but you have to settle for a lollipop...

[SpookyCat]

45. Nom nom...grin...mmmmm...Tootsie Pop!

[h9socialist]

13. Purity Oaths

I urge the Republicans to use more of them. They should kick out anyone to the Left of Rush Limbaugh! Make sure it's a club of Patricians and closed minded old white guys!

The problem here is that they already are!

[Bette Noir]

15. They keep calling Obama "socialist."

I do not think this word means what they think it means.

[harun]

46. They have never known what that word really means.

[47of74]

50. Yeah, if only

If only Obama and the Democrats were socialist then you'd see some real changes being shoved through for health care, gay rights, etc etc.

[Taverner]

17. They should change their name to the Whig Party

[Doctor_J]

20. But, hey! They're nothing like Nazis

[fascisthunter]

21. fascist

the Republican Party is more like a cult.

[TomCADem]

22. Whee, Just Like California's GOP's Anti-Tax Oaths, Look Where It Got Us...

Oh yeah, on the brink of bankruptcy.

Carry on.

[santamargarita]

23. Service oath for public servants

I swear: I will be faithful and obedient to Adolf Hitler (Ronald Reagan), leader of the German (American) state and people, to observe the law (Ha Ha), and to conscientiously fulfill my official duties, so help me God.

[AlbertCat]

24. When do they get a uniform?

Chickenhawks love a uniform!

[BlueIdaho]

25. Republicans continue march to irrelevence - lets all cheer them on!

Let's here it for ideological purity everyone!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

26. to be fair, dont we wish we could do this?

[SpookyCat]

31. I would like to see the Democratic platform upheld by the voters,

not by some sort of Party Purity Pledge, and especially not something one must sign.

And yes, I do personally think there are planks in our platform that should not be sawed in half. That's a crap metaphor, but I'm powerful tired.

[rpannier]

27. In today's GOP Regan would be considered a RINO

[47of74]

53. And what of Barry Goldwater?

He'd be even more so in the eyes of the reich wing.

[Blue_Tires]

60. They would also see Nixon being to the left of Castro

[underpants]

29. The virgin Connie Swail for President!!!

[Blue_Tires]

61. i'd vote for her!

actually, Ms. Paul is pretty active in liberal/environmental causes....

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

32. Purity Of Essence

...not to mention our precious bodily fluids...

[Blue For You]

34. Typical GOP/fundie stupidity. One thing about it, their bullshit is pure,

grade-A bullshit.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

35. Lockstep on your collar. Shame on you.

When Loyalthy Oaths meet Purity Balls you know the end is near for these peole.

[agentS]

36. We should work this memo to all the Congress Rethugs

If they're gonna vote no on 7 out of 10 items anyway automatically to meet this ideological purity standard, then perhaps they should just put a heavy book on top of their no voting button and stay home.

Why bother showing up for debate and votes if your vote is automatically no on everything? You can have a robot or intern or homeless guy do that for you instead?

Should the Dems consider a similar pledge for candidates?

[Arkana]

37. Yeah, THIS isn't a way for them to stay a permanent minority.

[krabigirl]

38. Their purity test is stupid.

They don't even realize what a failure it is..increase troops, more wars, less taxes? borrow and spend like crazy for these wars. lol, is it 2002 again or what?

[struggle4progress]

39. "If you only agree with us 7 out of 10 times, you're our enemy!" This should be fun!

[KamaAina]

40. This from the party that objects to "litmus tests" for anti-choice candidates.

[AlinPA]

41. With perhaps the exception of Snowe and maybe Collins, they are already adhering

to the purity rules. No big deal except it will be written down in that 10 commandments form.

[pattmarty]

42. SIEG HEIL!!!!!!!!!!!

[harun]

48. Why don't they quit beating around the bush and call themselves the Fascist Party?

It would be the only honest thing they've done in the last 10 years.

[ThoughtCriminal]

43. Are they going to have "Purity Balls"?

Complete with prom dresses and pledge they will stay pure for Daddy (Haliburton, Exxon,...)?

[harun]

47. Your post cracked me up, lol.

[Crowman1979]

44. I guess they should start selling cocaine from Central America in order to espouse Reagan's values.

[harun]

49. Some of their items are mutually exclusive. For example if you want smaller

national deficits you can't afford to occupy Iraq and Afghanistan. So if anyone supports occupying those countries they are for bigger deficits.

[semillama]

51. Olbermann noted last night

That Reagan himself would only meet 4 of the ten qualifications.

[47of74]

52. Saint Ronald Reagan would be excommunicated

[Sub Atomic]

54. Why can't this be done to Lieberman?

Oh that's right. Harry Reid is a fucking pussy and traitor to the Democratic Party.

[LeftHander]

55. Purity of Essense...

"I like it!"

[depakid]

56. At least people know that Republican stand for something

unhinged as it is. The same isn't true about Democrats, who've never seen an issue or interest that some of them wouldn't sell out.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

57. Many here would like to see us do the same thing. n/t

[Thor_MN]

58. Typical Conservative Black/White thinking

Conservatives are boolean, it's true/false, no possible shades of gray. They oppose any solutions that do not solve 100% of a problem (unless they suggest them, they have no issues with hypocrisy).

Want to drive a conservative crazy? Refuse to answer 100% yes or no. Qualify your answers, giving cases where the answer may be different.

I'm hoping that the two nuts of the teabagger party (Palin and Bachmann) can siphon off enough off the loonies, diluting the GOP base and allowing them to return to a weakened, but not totally ridiculous, political party.

[indypaul]

59. And does the agenda for the "winter meeting"

also include scheduling a "night of the long knives"
after these responses are reviewed?

[Blue_Tires]

62. we can laugh and joke, and while I'm not saying this is a good thing to do,

at the end of the day we all know damn well when the GOP leadership cracks its whip, everyone from moderates to extremes get in line to take orders (which they carry out faithfully without doubt or negotiation)...

no matter as a minority or majority, the GOP's "us-against-the-world" bunker mentality has been a huge obstacle to overcome (especially since there are too many dems in congress who appease and enable it)...when given marching orders from up top, the GOP lackeys NEVER publicly ask "How will this play in my district?" or "We must include the other side of the aisle and other stakeholders in this decision", or "What do the most recent polls say?" or "What about the costs involved?" or most importantly, "What if we're wrong about this??"