First up the "real" story, then a purity test that is a little more truthful, and funnier.
Read the whole memo at the bottom of the page.A GOP purity test?
Posted: Monday, November 23, 2009 1:42 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: RepublicansFrom NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
First Read has obtained a resolution being e-mailed around to Republican National Committee members for comments that proposes a conservative litmus test of sorts.
This comes on the heels of a rift in the party that was exposed in the once-obscure special election in Upstate New York's 23rd Congressional District, in which national conservative leaders, including Sarah Palin, clashed with national establishment Republicans. The so-called GOP civil war threatens to derail moderate Republican candidacies in heated 2010 Republican primaries already underway. Florida's Senate race is perhaps the best and most prominent example.
The "Resolution on Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates" outlines 10 conservative principles the group of signees wants potential candidates to abide by. The principles include support for:
(1) Smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s “stimulus” bill
(2) Market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run healthcare;
(3) Market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;
(4) Workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check
(5) Legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;
(6) Victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;
(7) Containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat
(8) Retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;
(9) Protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and
(10) The right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership"President Ronald Reagan believed, as a result, that someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent," the resolution states.
But if a candidate disagrees with three of the above, then the group wants the RNC to withhold financial assistance and an endorsement from that candidate.
It's not yet clear that the resoultion will actually be formally introduced.
RNC Committeeman Jim Bopp, Jr., is the author of this resolution and general counsel to the National Right to Life.
He confirmed that he and others are considering proposing this resolution at the winter RNC meeting, which will take place in late January.
"The goal of the resolution is to take a position ... towards reclaiming the Republican Party's conservative bona fides," Bopp said, adding that there are some Republicans who favor the bailouts, spending, etc.
Another goal is to "demonstrate that we are open to diverse views," he said, "but you have to agree with us most of the time."
When asked if Ronald Reagan -- who raised taxes and increased the deficit during his presidency -- would be considered a conservative nowadays, Bopp responded, "I don't know any conservative who doesn't think that Reagan's presidency was a conservative presidency."
For some perspective, it's likely that Olympia Snowe (R-ME) would meet just seven of the 10 criteria, if she ends up voting for health care. The three exceptions: health care, immigration, and the stimulus.
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) meets eight of 10. The two exceptions: cap-and-trade, immigration.
It didn't take long for a parody version of this list to make into the internets, courtesy of IMAO.
Republican Purity Test
Some people at the RNC had the idea to make a list of ten Republican principles and you won’t receive RNC funding if you disagree with three or more of them. That sounds like a neat idea, and it’s not a litmus test, as you can pick any two you want to be a squish on.
In fact, it’s such a neat idea I’m coming up with a list of my own ten Republican principles:
(1) Punching hippies is a legal form of expression.
(2) The moon should be declared hostile and nuked.
(3) The average American should be armed like Neo from the lobby scene at all times.
(4) Nachos are awesome.
(5) The federal government needs to stop wasteful spending. Also, researching giant war robots and dinosaurs with rocket launchers on them is not wasteful.
(6) America owns Antarctica.
(7) It’s not good diplomacy unless the foreign leaders are kneeling before us.
(8) Vampires shouldn’t sparkle.
(9) The fact that we torture terrorists isn’t horrific and is actually kind of funny.
(10) Biggest problem facing our nation: Too many sissies.
If you disagree with one of them, the punishment is for everyone to look at you and yell, “What’s wrong with you!” If you disagree with two of them, you get beaten up after RNC meetings. If you disagree with three, you lose RNC funding. And if you disagree with four or more, Fred Thompson punches you in the face such that your head explodes.
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