Posted on 06/04/2002 6:54:36 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
Some in GOP push for test of loyalty
Critics say plan will fracture strength of Republicans in state
06/04/2002
AUSTIN - Supporters of a political purity test plan to bear a distinctive logo at this week's state GOP convention aimed at ridding the party of what they call RINOs - Republicans in Name Only.
The logo featuring a slash through the word RINO will appear on signs, buttons and brochures to illustrate a demand that candidates pledge allegiance to the party platform as a requirement to be on the ballot.
"I am sick and tired of Texas Republicans going to Austin and Washington and not representing Texas Republican values as enunciated in the platform," said David Carter, a delegate from Nederland.
Robert X. Johnson of San Antonio, who is leading the effort, says the party should set a rigorous standard for candidates to keep moderates off the ticket.
Opponents warn that such a litmus test would hurt the party, noting that George W. Bush and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison didn't agree with everything in past state platforms.
Mr. Bush dismissed questions about the state party platform during his 1998 re-election race, saying he hadn't read it.
Delegates to the state GOP convention convening Friday in Dallas will consider a proposal to require all GOP candidates to accept the platform's "core principles" and put into writing whether they agree with each plank.
In the platform adopted two years ago, the party advocated returning to the gold standard, getting out of the United Nations, denying the custody of children to homosexuals and outlawing abortion without exceptions such as to save the life of the woman.
State Republican Party Chairman Susan Weddington called the effort "misguided" and said past attempts to impose an ideological litmus test on candidates have failed.
"I expect the same results with this effort," Mrs. Weddington said. "At the end of the day, the vast majority of Republicans believe strongly in candidates campaigning in an open process."
The proposal has sparked a vigorous debate among delegates, including a furious e-mail exchange among the party faithful over whether such a rule would be advisable or even legal.
"I'm 110 percent in favor of ridding the GOP of every single RINO," Mark Wallace of Austin wrote in an e-mail forum on the issue. "They have infiltrated our party over the years like Trojan horses."
David Astwood of San Antonio wrote that the requirement "will definitely discourage closet Democrats and liberals from leaving their losing party and empty causes and joining our party."
Other delegates who oppose the rule say the party should be more inclusive if it wants to grow.
"I know of no better way to make Republican candidates look less legitimate than by making them publicly display a laundry list of any disagreements within the party," said Kurt Hyde, a delegate from Denton County.
"For heaven sake," wrote Sue Karcher of Rockport, "why aren't you spending your time trying to make the Republican Party of Texas more inclusive and welcoming instead of trying to keep people out?"
Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said such intramural squabbling among the party faithful usually has little impact on regular voters.
"This is a debate about who's most faithful," Mr. Jillson said.
"Parties are for the purists, the people who care a lot and work hard," he said. "These are the sweat on the brow, 'I care to the depth of my soul about these issues' people. So they develop platforms that really can't stand public scrutiny and exposure."
Mrs. Weddington sought to play down the fight, saying the party was going into the convention united and optimistic that it would hold all 28 statewide offices, control the Legislature and win down-ballot contests.
"As often happens," she said, "it's the bad kids who get the most attention, and all the good kids get forgotten."
E-mail wslater@dallasnews.com
I understand what you're saying, that's why I agreed that ther are many grey areas.
I'm a social conservative, and my big 3 are pro-life, pro-gun, and pro-family. Some would care less where a candidate stood on any of those, as long as he was a conservative in the economics sense.
Do I vote for him if his opponent is a pro-gun Democrat, but liberal on economic issues? That's a tough one.
Where do we draw the line? I guess that's why I don't vote straight party tickets.
I would vote for Zell Miller over John McCain every time.
I wish I could believe that were true, but I can't.
Why is NCGOP and national Republicans alike ripping at the seams to push Giddy Dolt for the NC Senate, then. If that were fact, the lie that Dolt is a North Carolinian would never have a chance with state Republican leaders - the lie suits the moment because they believe she's all there is and they are otherwise left in a scramble. They now have to cover their butts because they neglected to lead the party of this state by failing to be prepared for Helms' retirement.
I guess for many, they deem it okay to be complicit to a lie when "the Party" needs them to be. If Dolt becomes the NC Senate nominee, which it seems it may be likely, it will speak more of the situational ethic values the "conservative" NC Republicans possess than signing or endorsing any party planks for celebratory namesake only. Just because the Democrats and Hillarious Clintoon did it in NY, does not give a green light for Republicans to wallow in the same mudhole...
It is a matter of do you want to get taken by your 'own kind' or the 'others. Either way, we are being had and (to quote our VP BIG TIME).
The attitude here seems to be just do nothing or keep doing what we are doing - neither will get us what we want and what this country needs.
AS to free trade, what about the monstrous farm bill, so much of which will go to corporate agribusiness, which is helping to destroy our country with all the illegals. President Fox himself could have written that bill. Some free trade just isn't so free.
Instead of worrying about RINOs, Republicans need to start playing hardball with congressional (mainly senatorial) "blue-dog" DINOs, who get a free pass. Republican leaders praise them when they vote the right way, and refuse to run vigorous campaigns with serious alternative candidates against them. If the Republicans had the seats currently held by the Mary Landrieus, Zell Millers, and John Breauxs of the world, they could afford to lay down the law on party unity to guys like Chris Shays.
Those things that you agree with are at the very basic core of what it means to be a Republican. It's what defines us. The media calls each and everyone of those positions "extremist", "Right-Wing" or "ultra-Conservative" and fete whatever Republican violates them as a wonderful "moderate".
James Jeffords had absolutely no Republican qualities whatsoever. He was for high taxes, quack environmentalism, against school choice, for partial birth abortion, gun confiscation, racial preferences, bigger government, etc. Yet the media called him a "moderate" and called the Republican Party "intolerant" and "mean-spirited" when he chose to leave (we didn't kick him out).
Do you honestly believe this same biased media would criticize the Democrats for similar intolerance if Zell Miller were to defect today?
It would be a far worse shame that we allow appearing "mean-spirited" and "intolerant" to force us to abandon the task of maintaining our party's institutional integrity.
Yep, that is exactly what the RINOs do out here NW of Chicago and they have been doing it for years. When I was actively involved in the GOP during the 80s I frequently came across these folks at party functions. More often than not they were pushing candidates that were way to the left of the GOP platform. And if you discussed politics with them you'd get this strange feeling that you were talking with a democrat.
But back then their left-leaning candidates often lost to the conservative candidates I was campaigning for. Much has changed since. In time they learned to how to infilitrate the party by hiding their agenda. RINOs today now have de-facto control of the party apparatus in many states including the RNC and are actively purging conservatives out of the ranks.
This is a major reason why so many Republicans are unwilling to stand up to the Democrats and are content to endlessly compromise with their leftist agenda. And if truth be told, at the end of the day, there is little to no difference between a typical RINO and your average democrat.
It's quite clear that the RINOs have to be rooted out of the party if the party is to again stand for limited government and the protection of Americas sovereignty as a nation.
Excellent Point. Cut away all the "big tent" rhetoric and you will find that the RINOs have their own litmus test.
That evening Squealer explained privately to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill. On the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning, and the plan which Snowball had drawn on the floor of the incubator shed had actually been stolen from among Napoleon's papers. The windmill was, in fact, Napoleon's own creation. Why, then, asked somebody, had he spoken so strongly against it? Here Squealer looked very sly. That, he said, was Comade Napoleon's cunning. He had seemed to oppose the windmill, simply as a manoeuvre to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad influence. Now that Snowball was out of the way, the plan could go forward without his interference. This, said Squealer, was something called tactics. He repeated a number of times, "Tactics, comrades, tactics!" skipping round and whisking his tail with a merry laugh. The animals were not certain what the word meant, but Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"
There must be some consequence to dereliction. Jeffords example needs to be made unprofitable for him, and any other RINO such as the usual suspects...
How about Simon for govenor of California? Did the party support
him or the RINO?
Surely you don't expect anyone to remember that stuff, do you?
Don't let the saloon doors hit you on the way out, partner. :)
The Texas GOP convention is coming to their backyard this week and on cue they are trying to stir up desention in the ranks (those of weak faith in those we elected to represent us.)
Victory belongs to those that march shoulder to shoulder into the blazing cannons, not those who cut and run at the first shot fired.
RINO's won't be the downfall of the GOP, but fair weather conservative voters might be. If every conservative voted and helped press out the vote, like the liberals do, we wouldn't need RINOs, and GOP cadidates wouldn't feel a need to reach out so far to the left of center.
As Rush says, only elected candidates make policy and pass legislation. Taking back the Senate and holding a sizable majority in the House is the critical victory, that let's us make up for a lost year of post-Jeffords Democrat legislation and appointment gridlock.
9/11 was a wake up call that we can't just run out the clock, we need a full court press to get the USG back in line with the Constitution. Let's put the "We" back in the "We the people."
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You mean like live a Christian life?
Gee, in any Church refused to set standards for salvation and condoned disobediance, adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, etc., than why would anybody want ot be in that Church in the first place. You might as well stay at home to live your sinful life without sitting through a boring sermon.
That being said, a political party IS NOT a Church.
And past campaigns have given us candidates like Kay Bailey.
Wearing the "No RINO's" sticker at the Convention - at this moment!
- R
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