THE CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY OFFICE

GOP group plans RINO hunt (Richard Hanners, Hungry Horse News, 5/13/04)

There's a new political organization in Montana this election cycle--the Republican Assemblies, a conservative watchdog group that targets liberal Republicans and RINOs (Republicans in name only). . . .

"Concerns started about finding principled candidates that keep their word to do in office what they said while running for office," said Dale Williams, chairman of the state Republican Assemblies. "I find it abhorrent that we have parties that adopt the values of their opponent. We need to choose candidates based on their personal values." . . .

Billing themselves as the "Republican wing of the Republican Party," the National Federation of Republican Assemblies believes in what they call free-market capitalism, traditional family values, right-to-life, state sovereignty and that all human rights are God-given. According to beliefs and principles posted on their Web site:

• "The Constitution was written by wise men under the inspiration of God."

• "Our country is a sovereign nation. We must never compromise our national sovereignty to other nations, the United Nations, or any other world organization."

• "We will not abide usurpation of state sovereignty by federal mandate or economic extortion."

• "Taxes should serve only to pay for the enumerated Constitutional duties of government. It is not the role of government to penalize financial success, nor protect from financial failure."

• "Parents must be free to discipline their children in love and direct their education without government intrusion.... When truth was taught in schools, our nation prospered. As we have abandoned the teaching of absolutes to relativism, our children have lost the potential to achieve greatness."