Republicans = Insane

No, I'm not talking about the shmoe reading this who may or may not have voted Republican a few times in his life. I'm not talking about the mainstream rank-and-file Republicans who are in it mainly because they like the idea of smaller government, less gov't intrusion, balanced budgets and lower taxes.

(hang on a minute -- why are those people still Republican in light of the evidence that the Party no longer has any interest at all in those goals? Is there really no place else for those people to go?)

I'm talking about the Republican Party as embodied by the RNC and their candidates and elected officials. Most of them are certifiably insane.

Don't believe me? Jump over to Calpundit and have a look at the Texas Republican Platform of 2000, which is reprinted there (the 2002 version is almost identical, btw).

Note that it calls for, among other things:
1. Abortion to be outlawed in all circumstances.
2. Homosexuality to be outlawed in all circumstances. Further, homosexuals would not have the right to associate in any fashion with children -- even their own.
3. Social Security to be abolished.
4. The Federal Reserve and the federal income tax to be abolished.
5. Christianity (and exclusively Christianity) to be taught in our public schools.
6. The Supreme Court should be barred from deciding anything about religion, abortion, or anything else regarding the Bill of Rights. Congress should be free to make any law it wishes on those topics.
7. The minimum wage should be abolished.
8. We should invade Panama and take back the canal by force.
9. The United States should leave the United Nations.
10. All Republican candidates must swear a loyalty oath to this set of principles.

Then come back here and use the comments and try to make the case that the wingnut branch of the party a) hasn't taken over and b) aren't mentally ill. I dare ya.

I've decided on my Halloween costume. I'm going to wear a tinfoil hat, stuff a cigar in my mouth and a pillow down my shirt and go out as The Inevitable Republican Majority. I will tell people to shut up, imprison those that disagree with me and steal candy while explaining that I'm "fair and balanced."

That should scare the bejeezus out of everybody.