RNC won't distance itself from WND

The RNC IS the fringe. That is all that is left of the reich.

Goldwater lost this fight:

"However, on religious issues there can be little or no compromise. There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.'

Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of 'conservatism.' "

Barry Goldwater Source: Congressional Record, September 16, 1981

How far right has the Republican Party gone to become a party that kicks Goldwater in shins? Let's use the Barry Barometer and take a look.

Let's go back to 1960.

Here you can find an audio file titled: "The First Hundred Days" (Barry Goldwater and others) - April 30, 1961" (scroll down for "Past Programs" it is the 5th link down which will launch your real player)

It is audio of a Q&A held after Goldwater had given a talk on Kennedy's first 100 days, so it starts out with liberal critics making statements about his presentation. Goldwater is fun to listen to because even if you disagree with him, you know he isn't blowing smoke. He has looked at the issues and made up his mind and the latest lobbyist coming through his office didn't make the decision for him. He didn't give a hoot what people thought of him, he did what he thought was right. Easily the last Republican statesman - they haven't had one since.

If you slide the time bar to 33:00 there is an exchange in which Goldwater says he is "having a terrible time" getting his fellow Republican's to call themselves "conservatives." He says Republicans refused to do it and they wanted to be called "liberals, middle of the roaders, moderns or progressives." He says the country knew them as conservatives, but they didn't want to be known as such.

Shortly after that exchange a Republican asks a question trying to get Goldwater to take a dig at Kennedy over the Bay of Pigs and he told the guy to go jump in the lake and defended Kennedy, "he's just as loyal as I am."

Eventually the Republicans went way, way right of Goldwater as shown in these opinions he had about the new reality-free right:

Goldwater had won support of abortion opponents in his 1980 U.S. Senate re-election campaign, but in his final term, he voted consistently to uphold the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion. Later in life, he was honored by Planned Parenthood.

In 1981, Goldwater assailed the founder of the Moral Majority, the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Responding to Falwell's statement that all good Christians should be concerned about the Supreme Court nomination of Arizonan Sandra Day O'Connor, he said, "I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass."

In 1987, Goldwater, who had described then Gov. Evan Mecham as "hardheaded," called on the Republican maverick to resign.

In 1989, Goldwater said the Republican Party had been taken over by a "bunch of kooks," a reference to forces supporting TV evangelist Pat Robertson and Mecham.

In 1992, he endorsed Democrat Karan English for Congress over Republican Doug Wead.

In June 1993, Goldwater declared that the military should lift its ban on gays in the military. He also railed against discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace.

The Republican Party might see reality again, in say, 40 years. They don't have any leaders now who will stand up to Rush and the gang because they know they would never get past a primary. Henke may be a well meaning soul but he is wasting his time, still have to commend him for trying.