DOMA Included in GOP "Purity Test"

A so-called purity test of conservative principles being circulated for consideration among Republican National Committee members includes a commitment to retain the Defense of Marriage Act.

The proposed test, reported by MSNBC’s First Read, outlines 10 conservatives principles, such as opposition to “Obama-style government run healthcare” and federal funding for abortion, a rejection of cap-and-trade legislation, and the retention of DOMA. Candidates would have to abide by at least eight of the 10, or face the withdrawal of endorsements and financial support by the RNC.

According to First Read, it remains unclear whether the document, called the “Resolution on Reagan’s Unity Principle for Support of Candidates,” will be formally introduced at the RNC’s winter meeting in Hawaii in January. The stringent proposal arrives shortly after internal GOP rifts were exposed by a congressional race in New York’s upstate 23rd district, where grassroots conservatives ousted a socially moderate Republican from the contest, but a Democrat ultimately won.

RNC committee member Jim Bopp Jr., the author of the resolution and general counsel to National Right to Life, told First Read that the purpose of the resolution was to reclaim “conservative bona fides."

Bopp Jr. added that the resolution aims to demonstrate that the party is open to diverse views — “but you have to agree with us most of the time,” he said.



GOP Leaders Circulate 'Purity Resolution' with DOMA Support

Adam Nagourney reports on a resolution being passed around by top RNC members meant to solidify conservative tenets of the party:

"According to the resolution, any Republican candidate who broke with the party on three or more of these issues– in votes cast, public statements made or answering a questionnaire – would be penalized by being denied party funds or the party endorsement. The proposed resolution was signed by 10 Republican national committee members and was distributed on Monday morning. They are asking for the resolution to be debated when Republicans gather for their winter meeting."

Here is the resolution’s list:
(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 health care;
(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.