RINOs Should Become an Endangered Species

The Republican Party is in need of cleaning house (or is that Houses). It is dominated with people who claim to be Republicans, but are so in name only (in other words, RINOs). These people have to go and they are becoming increasingly easy to identify.

For example, those "Republican" Senators who simply disregarded the interests of their constituents and the mandate to defend the Constitution can be found in the vote today for the $830 billion move towards socialism (also called a "recovery" or "bailout" package). This bill came 6 months after a similar measure, costing a similar amount, did absolutely nothing. In fact, it actually slowed down the recovery because companies that should have failed were not allowed to and the confusion in the Stock Market has been unprecedented as it has waited to capitulate.

Thirty six Senators voted against this disastrous bill that was geared towards creating pork rather than jobs and what I found interesting is that a fourth of them were actually Democrats. These Democrats may have showed more courage than three Republicans who sided with the President: Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania. Most Republicans who were foolish enough to vote for the bailout last September had enough sense to say "nay" this time. Not these three. They demonstrated their true colors and proved their credentials as being among those who are Republicans in name only. (This bill passed with only 61 votes, the one last Fall had 74 votes and several more of them were irresponsible Republicans).

The National Republican Trust PAC Director, Scott Wheeler, is placing people like Spector and company on notice: If they are going to vote like Democrats, expect a serious primary challenge. I completely agree. This Republican Party looks increasingly like the one that was on the scene back in the 1970s. This was back before the Republican Revolution led by Ronald Reagan (who had no problem acting like a Republican). Many of them served in Congress through the 1980s and foot soldiers of the Reagan Revolution (like myself, working for Senator Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire at the time) would call these "RINOs" members of the "get along gang." They were far more interested in congeniality than principles, which is why we struggled for decades for majority party status. If people have the choice between the "genuine article" (Democrats) and those who are a weak alternative (RINOs), they will always choose the former. Wheller and GOP PAC are right, RINOs are like a plague on the American political system. Either they need to go or the Republican Party will find itself as relevant as the Whigs were in the late 1850s. I encourage people to take the time to visit Wheeler's site and consider taking a stand for liberty and for the extinction of RINOs who are undermining that freedom.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media. Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.