[MeekOneGOP]

Well, what about it? "No RINO Zone" or not?

[hauerf]

D*** right, no RINOS! Since Texas is the state that coughed up RINO-in-conservative-cloth GW Bush, I really do hope they can get their party under control.

[Rodney King]

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.

I think there is a difference between a moderate Republican and a RINO.

For example, here in CT we have Nancy Johnson and Chris Shays. They both have the same liberal voting record. Johnson is a moderate Republican, that's what she believes, it is what she always has beleived, and it is what she was elected on. Although her votes annoy me sometimes, she support the leadership and the party. She does not go to the press to blast the party. She is welcome in the party in my opinion.

Shays, on the other hand, is a RINO. He hates the party, he hates the leadership. He feeds off of the press he gets from the NY Times when he bucks the party. He is a RINO who harms our party and should not be welcome in it.

[lone star annie]

These types of narrow minded people turn me off. Reminds me of some churches that set a bar that you must meet to be considered a Christian. Intolerance is not attractive and is what makes the GOP easy to be tarred as "mean spirited."

[Psalm 73]

"I'm 110 percent in favor of ridding the GOP of every single RINO,"

How come I can count the DINO's on one finger (Zell Miller), but there are scores of RINO's?
Why don't they just run as Dems in the first darned place?
I guess we should give out annual "Jumpin' Jeffords" awards, but we'd run out of awards pretty quick.

[Spiff]

We've got a group within the Republican Party here in Arizona that wants to start an organization called Root Out All RINOs - ROAR - and they mean it.

[ex-snook]

"Mr. Bush dismissed questions about the state party platform during his 1998 re-election race, saying he hadn't read it. "

Echos of Bobdole - so much for 'working within the system'. The elephant has morphed into a RINO. Find a third party that responds to the grassroots and help it grow. It's the only way for your voice to be heard.

[MissAmericanPie]

I love the idea, stop fraud within the Republican Party. I wish these guys all the luck. I wonder what an individual like me can do to support them?

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I'm all for this IF I get to pick the core values.

Are we for or against term limits? Are we for or against straight party voting? Are we for or against mandatory sentences? How do we feel about aid to business including the multi-nationals, the UN, and my Congressman taking trips with lobbyist? Where are we on trade with the Arabs, student visas, home schoolers allowed to compete in sports with local high schoolers without regard to where they live?

While we are at it how about the guys who say one thing and do another? How about my state rep who SWORE he would only run for 4 terms and is now in his fifth race? BTW He is the most conservative member of the Texas House.

Problem is we can't agree on very many core issues and the party in Texas looks very little like the people who attend conventions. If you hold everyone to the platform that's fine, you will get the 20% of the vote that agrees with everything you write.

This will be fine with that segment of the party who loves to lose while not giving an inch on anything. My Baptist city councilman told me at lunch Monday that most of our problems were centered in the Catholic and Methodist Church. He will be a fine member of the 20% ...........

[Red Jones]

I've read repeatedly that in the last 7-8 years whenever a conservative runs against a liberal in a republican primary that the RNC provides financial support to the liberal and discourages other people from supporting the conservative. So, obviously an ideological litimus test already exists. It is simply not described in that manner.

[AAABEST]

This is how I see it.

I've held my nose and pulled the lever many times. I didnt hold my nose with Bush, I really thought he'd make a great president but he's turned out to do more to devolve conservatism than any RAT could have.

After holding your nose enough times you reach the point of diminishing returns. It's gotten to the point where what used to be my "party" is becoming part of the problem instead of part of the solution. I'd swear over the last year or so the bastards are working for the other side.

It's like in war. If your vehicles or supplies are going to fall into the hands you destroy them. If the GOP is here to give us a larger, more intrusive government that ignores the constitution and brings us more quasi (or real) socialism BURN IT DOWN

But that's just me.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I guess these purity litmus tests would depend on how they are used. For example say that a candidate agrees with 85 of 100 points in a party platform. A wise man would weigh that in how he votes. A fool would disqualify him for not agreeing with 100 of the 100. An idiot would consider only the 15 in disagreement, ignoring the rest.

Lots of fools and idiots babbling these days.

[pgkdan]

I'm all in favor of ridding the GOP of RINO's too, but what do we do with President Bush? Make him join the democratic Party? Make it official?

[Flyer]

Not agreeing 100% with the platform does not make a RINO. If this standard is followed there will never be a Republican majority in Congress.

[Paul Ross]

Bump!

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...

[anymouse]

Let's remember this is the "The Dallas Morning News," which like most big city newspapers is staffed with leftists, who just love to paint conservatives/GOP in as bad of a light as possible. Lies and distortion are their stock and trade.

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."

[Redbob]

"....past attempts to impose an ideological litmus test on candidates have failed. "

And past campaigns have given us candidates like Kay Bailey.

Wearing the "No RINO's" sticker at the Convention - at this moment!
- R