Texas GOP Do Si Dos to the Far, Far Right

Texas GOP Unveils Brand New, Far-Right Platform

By JAMELLE BOUIE 6/25/10 4:46 PM

The Texas Republican Party unveiled its new platform today and it contains some very far-right provisions, to say the least. Media Matters has the full details, but here are some of the more noteworthy measures:

We oppose the legalization of sodomy. We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. Constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy.

Further, we urge Congress to withhold Supreme Court jurisdiction in cases involving abortion, religious freedom, and the Bill of Rights.

We believe Congress should repeal the Federal Reserve Act of 1913.

We strongly believe that the United States of America must protect and defend its national sovereignty as given in the Constitution to the people and remain free of external control or influence and be governed independently of any foreign power, especially with regard to the formation of the North American Union/Community as proposed by the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR). We call upon the President, Senators and Representatives to defend our national sovereignty in accordance with their oaths of office.

Our policy [on Israel] is based on God’s biblical promise to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel and we further invite other nations and organizations to enjoy the benefits of that promise.

We oppose a one-world government in direct opposition to our basic principles and eroding our sovereignty. We oppose the implementation of one world currency.

We demand Congress stop funding the IMF and any other international financing agencies.

We believe it is in the best interest of the citizens of the United States that we immediately rescind our membership in, as well as all financial and military contributions to, the United Nations.

By most standards, the Texas wing of the Republican Party is on the far-right of the spectrum, and as far as the far-right goes, there isn’t anything new in this document; homophobia, xenophobia, opposition to international cooperation and fear of a “North American Union” are long-standing preoccupations. If there’s anything interesting about the Texas GOP’s platform is that it is one of the clearest examples of the Republican Party’s capture by right-wing extremists. It’s not just the conservative base either; Republican Senate candidates like Nevada’s Sharron Angle and Kentucky’s Rand Paul have clear and abiding ties to the far-right, and congressional Republicans regularly espouse radical views that would have been anathema to nearly everyone a few years ago.