Philosophical split for GOP (Colorado)

[CShine]

The 2004 General Assembly has faced a growing number of bills from conservative Republicans designed to expand government's reach into courts, classrooms, college campuses and more. As the legislative session heads into the final 10 days, bills to censor left-leaning college professors, limit teachings on homosexuality, require waiting periods for abortions, loosen gun controls and restrict racial preferences in college admissions have been squelched by moderate Republicans with the help of Democrats. On Friday, a bid to support a federal anti-gay marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution and a measure proposing that state employees help round up illegal aliens were defeated.

"Colorado is not an extreme state. We just are not," said Rep. Mark Larson, a moderate Republican who has led the opposition to much of the conservative agenda. "Citizens of this state are reasoned, educated the majority of the time on issues. I'm pleased to see that representative government does work."

Still, with a May 5 adjournment looming, conservatives are pressing forward with efforts to impeach a sitting judge for ordering a Denver woman to shield her adopted daughter from anti-homosexual religious teachings and rid the courts of "activist judges."

"What you have is extreme Christian conservatives ... using government to try to place into statute matters having to do with their religious beliefs and lifestyles," said Colorado State University professor John Straayer, author of books on Colorado politics.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~64~2108382,00.html

[BadGimp]

1. Take that you Christo Fascists

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: SMACK DOWN!! :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I pray for a "backlash" against the right, in Colo., and the U.S. --

From the article:

"The rash of legislation has led moderates and others to wonder about the growing power of the right wing, whose members now make up half of the 37 Republican House members in the Colorado legislature. Some predict that the November election could be a bellwether for the short-term course of state politics. If conservatives gain seats in both chambers, they would be in a position to pass their failed legislation.

A backlash, however, could catapult Democrats back into control of at least the Senate, where they need just one more seat to regain the majority."

[dusty64]

3. Me too, the pendulum

has swung so far to the right in so many places I fear it may have snapped off. WTF will it take for these people to come to their senses and see what these extremists are doing?

[ithacan]

4. Colorado GOP has strong religious right influence

and once the "religious right" has strong influence in a state party organization, they start their purges of moderates, people who are not "christian" or conservative enough.

This is a great wedge issue for us.

Someone needs publicly, at a press conference for example, to ask Bush, "Do you believe in the separation of church and state".

No matter how he answers it, he'll piss of a large number of republicans.

For info on the religious right's influence in the GOP check out http://www.TheocracyWatch.org