In their heart of hearts, this is what Republicans believe. Education is a privilege for the rich, just like healthcare.
David Brat says beating Eric Cantor is the “happiest moment, obviously, of my life.” He is a husband and a father.
A tea party House candidate in Oklahoma has endorsed stoning gays to death. Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) compared homosexuality to alcoholism during a visit to California.
The Texas Republican Party this month adopted a platform supporting access to ‘reparative therapy’ for gays and lesbians, a widely discredited process intended to change sexual orientation. In response to an audience question about it Wednesday night, Perry said he did not know whether the therapy worked.
Said Perry: “Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that. I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”
That rebranding continues apace.
“Ted Cruz is a total nihilist, shutting down the government. That and Rand Paul’s isolationism appeal to the lowest common denominator, which would make us a permanent minority in terms of presidential races.”
That’s GOP Rep. Pete King of New York, in a phone interview with me today, commenting on Tea Partyer David Brat’s surprise primary win over Eric Cantor. King says his worry is that Brat’s victory will enable “the Ted Cruz and Rand Paul wing to take over the party,” which “could make us a stronger party in many Congressional districts but it will prevent us from being a national party.”
NATIONAL–IMMIGRATION–Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution: 62% of Americans favor allowing illegal immigrants a way to become citizens… An additional 17% said in the new poll that illegal immigrants should be able to become legal residents but not full citizens. 19% said they should be deported.
Boy are the Republicans stupid.
SOUTH DAKOTA–SENATE–Rasmussen: Former Gov. Mike Rounds (R) 44, Rick Weiland (D) 29, Former Sen. Larry Pressler (I) 18.
MISSISSIPPI–SENATE–REPUBLICAN RUNOFF–Strategic National (R): Chris McDaniel (R) 52, Sen. Thad Cochran (R) 46.
MASSACHUSETTS–GOVERNOR–Boston Herald/Suffolk University Martha Coakley (D) 36, Charlie Baker (R) 29.
MARYLAND–GOVERNOR–Washington Post: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D) 51, Larry Hogan (R) 33.
FLORIDA–GOVERNOR–Public Policy Polling: Charlie Crist (D) 49, Gov. Rick Scott (R) 42.
FLORIDA–GOVERNOR–SurveyUSA: Crist (D) 44, Scott (R) 42