The RNC Purity Test

Filed in National by on November 23, 2009

The RNC is trying to make the purity purges official by adopting a resolution on 10 principles Republican candidates must agree with in order to receive funding from the RNC (this is serious, apparently):

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee identifies ten (10) key public policy positions for the 2010 election cycle, which the Republican National Committee expects its public officials and candidates to support:

(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 healthcare;

(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; and be further

RESOLVED, that a candidate who disagrees with three or more of the above stated public policy position of the Republican National Committee, as identified by the voting record, public statements and/or signed questionnaire of the candidate, shall not be eligible for financial support and endorsement by the Republican National Committee.

When they controlled the government (1) was a thrown out the window, (2) was something they never addressed, (3) was completely ignored, (4) LOL!, (5) need to add …by conflating legal and illegal immigration and bashing immigrants, (6) unless Rumsfeld says no and forces Gen. Shinseki to resign AND after we screwed up the war for 7 years, (7) that’s why nothing was ever done on this subject, (8) well, they do hate same sex marriage, (9) that’s why nothing was done while the system fell apart and people died because they had no insurance and (10) yes, they like guns.

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Comments (30)

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  1. cassandra_m says:

    So they are asking people to pledge to uphold the same old crapola that they’ve been lying about since the Contract On America.

    One day someone will tell these guys that no one even wants to TIVO these reruns.

  2. anon says:

    The most interesting thing is there’s a pro-choice loophole; abortions are OK as long as you aren’t for government paying for it. For a lot of wingnuts that is a single-issue disqualifier. A crack in the facade?

  3. cassandra_m says:

    Probably not. Republicans enjoy their war on poor people — especially their war on poor women and this is part of that.

  4. timefortruth says:

    Purge, baby, purge !

  5. nemski says:

    You know who else had a purity test . . . Hitler.

  6. Brooke says:

    I like how they need subtitles on long words like “ten.”

  7. A. price says:

    OOO! Nemski with the nazi comparison. Easy buddy, its only monday.
    *imagines sarah palin in nazi-esqu para military RNC costume ….. *becomes violently ill

  8. wikwox says:

    Nice pre-holiday gift!

  9. It is called being a political party. In Europe and Canada, they toss you out of the party. This is very mild. It is about prioritizing where the money is spent not purging people from the party. There is only so much money. It should go to those who will support the agenda the party is pushing. Otherwise, the RNC won’t have much money because it will dry up if we have another Dede the Commie Lib.

    The truth is that I can hardly imagine a serious Republican disagreeing with more than one of these points. Most in Congress with 9 or 10 exceptions out of well over 200 in both houses, agree with all 10. When we find the crazy liberal in the attic, we don’t need to fund them.

  10. A. price says:

    actually, mike castle walks that line doesn’t he? oh man, can you imagine if the RNC didn’t fund mike castle. can we look into that?

  11. Actually he does by that easy bar. He is what 80% at worse. These issues are not even controversial within Republican circles. Half of them should not be among Democrat circles.

    Do you favor defeat in Afghanistan and Iraq? Do you favor illegal immigration? Do you favor tax money for abortion? Do you favor overriding the explicit will of 45 states and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act? Who believes that N. K. and Iran shouldn’t be contained?

    Yes there are elements of the Democrat party that do not share these beliefs, but how far out of the mainstream do you have to be? Rasmussen showed that only 13% of America favored tax funded abortion. These issues for the most part if taken one by one have over 60% support if you poll them and some 80 to 85%. If Republicans can’t agree there, we just need another party.

  12. jason330 says:

    “…unless Rumsfeld says no and forces Gen. Shinseki to resign AND after we screwed up the war for 7 years,”

    Nailed it!

  13. nemski says:

    Republican David asked, “. . . how far out of the mainstream do you have to be?”

    You’re so far out of the mainstream you’re in the desert.

  14. Brooke says:

    Actually, Ronald Reagan would be out, by my count.

    Supported the Brady Bill. That’s 10.

    Supported Medicare, (eventually) that’s 2.

    Supported union use of non-union member fees… the closest thing to card check during his administration. 4

    Opposed the Briggs Initiative, which would have legalized discrimination against gay teachers in California. 8

    Signed the Theraputic Abortion bill, as governor of California. That’s 9.

    Off the top of my head. How many would you like?

    Oh, and imposed the biggest tax increase in California history, teabaggers. 😀

    I sure hope the RNC signs and acts on this one.

  15. anon says:

    Oh, and imposed the biggest tax increase in California history, teabaggers.

    Actually President Reagan’s 1982 tax increase still holds the record as the biggest tax ncrease in history.

    Remember that? That was the first time we started taxing Social Security benefits and unemployment benefits. You know, after the big 1981 tax cuts for the rich. Good times.

  16. We must purge Zombie Reagan from the GOP since he’s a RINO.

  17. Another Mike says:

    Under Reagan, the national debt grew to record levels. No. 1 on your list, No. 1 in your hearts.

  18. a.price says:

    guys, guys, (gals)…. that was NOT Reagan’s fault. It was Carter… and FDR. (and Clinton)

  19. Truth Teller says:

    If I recall corrctly the contract with America had a section on TEARM LIMITS what ever happened to that pledge. Oh I remember after they got elected they were to important to leave

  20. Unbiased American says:

    How dare they insist that Republican candidates uphold Republican principles!

    On the other hand, those who supported Ned Lamont over Joe Lieberman were just principled patriots, right?

  21. jason330 says:

    Ha! Republican principles = Angry fringe nonsense.

    You are the new Ron Paul/Dennis Kucinich marginalized freaks. You are toxic and make people who associate with you unelectable. Have fun being laughed at by the main stream media. Once they’ve decided that you are looney birds they can’t talk about anything else. Trust me, I know from bitter experience.

  22. Geezer says:

    “those who supported Ned Lamont over Joe Lieberman were just principled patriots, right?”

    No, they just wanted more representation for Connecticut than Israel.

  23. Unbiased American says:

    “more representation for Connecticut than Israel”

    Ah, the old “dual loyalty” libel against another uppity Jew. I just love it when liberal anti-Semitism rears its ugly — and all too common — head!

  24. Unbiased American says:

    Jason330, could you point to a single one of those principles that a mainstream liberal could legitimately object to as “angry fringe nonsense”? After all, every single one of those points would be supported by at least 40% of Americans, if not a solid majority.

  25. TomS says:

    Republicans/Democrats all have the same principals-money & power. Only difference is where it comes from…

  26. A. price says:

    “Ah, the old “dual loyalty” libel against another uppity Jew. I just love it when liberal anti-Semitism rears its ugly — and all too common — head!”

    UA, you are most likely NOT Member of the Tribe. If you were, or knew ANYTHING about Israeli policy, you would know the war hawk stance….. especially the American War Hawk on Behalf of Israel stance that is SO popular with older (voting) American Jews, is not a popular one among the Israeli public.
    It is the conservatives who… arent ANTI semitic, but you sure think Israel is as simple as saying “we’ll kick anyone’s ass who looks at them the wrong way”. It is discriminatory in it’s own right, and conservatives do it all the time. (yet you complain about affirmative action) Not to mention the sad motives behind the evangelical community’s support of Israel. They need the Jews to rebuild the Temple so Jesus can come back and send them all to hell. guess what im saying is , you can take your politically based ill informed support of Israel and shove it.

  27. Unbiased American says:

    Odd, a.price, but you read a whole lot into my position. I’m simply pointing out that the dual loyalty canard is pulled out regularly against Jews who are supportive of a strong Israel.

    And be careful about assuming that Lieberman is out of step with most israelis. After all, he has significantly higher approval among Israeli Jews than does President Obama, who polls of Israeli public opinion show consistently has approval in the single digits.

  28. a.price says:

    Obama is not the president of Israel. last I checked, they dont vote in our elections. I noticed you played the same card conservatives usually play when they want to try an win an argument with a one-liner… “well, if you don’t like Israel you MUST hate Jews” of course ANY non war-hawk stance could be equated to not wanting to defend, therefor hating Israel.
    Israel’s current government is much more right wing than ours, and true they may not agree with the lack of the “Finger on The Nuke Em” button Obama has taken towards Iran. But, and i say this as a Jew with family in the IDF, America’s history of “we’ll kill anyone who messes with Israel, and anyone who says different loves Hitler” has done nothing to help us, or Israel.
    But i’ll tell ya. When elected people go on tv and tell the world that the US president will let Israel be wiped off the map, when they use that level of rhetoric, a country that faces CONSTANT threat will be inclined to believe it. It is of course not true, but our media, and theirs reports it as fact, as if Obama has already helped AmanaBeckAjad push the button. The hijacking of Israel by the right leaves no room for discussion of any tactic other than violence and death…. but its ok. It isnt Americans who are being killed right? just some brown people. no big deal, as long as it helps win elections 2000 miles away.

  29. U A that is what concerns them. All 10 of these are a majoritarian postion except the troop surge which is supported by a plurality of same, more, or fewer and since that is the postion of the Democrat President it has no political downside. They want to avoid discussing the issues and pretend that it is about something else.

    This is just Republicans saying that we won’t pick losers who can only get 5% anymore. No more Dede’s. I can understand why the DL crowd would want more Dede’s, but they don’t get to pick our candidates or spend our money.

  30. a.price says:

    please send more hoffmans! we DONT want electable republicans…. if memory serves, the republicans lost as seat you held for over 100 years because you refused to support a moderate…. i truly want Palin to be your nominee, than you can finally see that your arch conservative hate movement only exists in a few Confederate states and pockets of the rest of the country… not enough to even get 50 electoral votes.