In an unprecedented move, the Republican National Committee on Friday unanimously called on its chairman,Michael S. Steele, to "carefully screen" candidates for their adherence to conservative values before granting them RNC financial help.
The resolution specifically calls on the national chairman to take into account the voting records and statements of all GOP candidates for evidence that they support the "core principles and positions" of the party's national platform, widely regarded as a highly conservative document.
"The brilliant part of the resolution is that it is tied to the party platform ... that has been thought out, debated and passed unanimously at our national convention," North Dakota GOP Chairman Gary Emineth told The Washington Times after he and his fellow RNC members passed the resolution.
There has been intense infighting for more than a month over the wording and the desirability of the resolution, even though it has no legally binding effect on Mr. Steele or on the chairmen of the GOP House and Senate campaign committees. But it does stipulate that candidates who fail the screening should not receive money and other campaign support from the RNC or its sister committees.
The resolution also calls on Mr. Steele and leaders of the House and Senate GOP campaign committees to deny financial and other support support to "candidates who clearly do not support the core principles and positions" of the national platform as adopted at the 2008 Republican National Convention.
"The importance of resolution's passage now is that it shows we have taken steps not only to welcome tea-party activists and other independent, small-government champions but also to solve problems within the GOP that caused many of them to abandon the Republican Party," said Morton Blackwell, a veteran RNC member from Virginia.
The resolution's passage represents the first time in memory that a philosophically conservative faction has not been crushed by the national party leadership. "Heretofore there hasn't been any instruction to the national chairmen as to how to allocate their committees' resources-- that's the big difference," said Mr. Blackwell.
More here.
6 comments:
Great! this should help us Dems win yet again since it will only serve to polarize the Republicans by chasing the more moderate candidates to our side-
or even better- your more moderate republicans will run as an independent resulting in a spit support for the two conservatives. This has happened time and time again... it always results in the Dems winning!
Good luck with that ! The only time the Republicans don't win is when they try to have a big tent and move away from their conservative beliefs . The up coming elections will follow the trend that we have seen in VA. NJ. and Massachusetts the people don't want the Socialist country that the democrat party has in store for us .
But it was ok to send money to Scott Brown a pro-choice candidate.
Republicans don't have to walk in lock step like the Democrat / Socialist party does !
About time.
Every time there is a key piece of legislation that hinges on a few votes we loose because of some idiot like Snow, or McCain, and in the past Spector.
Kick em out, put the country first!
Only vote for those that will up hold the Constitution !
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