Dierdre Scozzafava is a RINO.
That doesn't mean she is a large gray mammal with a horn on her nose. That's a rhino. The New York assemblywoman is a Republican In Name Only, meaning she claims to be a Republican but votes like a Democrat.
The Republican Party too often has supported RINOs like Scozzafava based on the theory that it's better for a wishy-washy Republican to win an election than a true Republican to lose it.
Unfortunately, that kind of thinking has led to trillion-dollar deficits and ever-expanding government. Moreover, it's proven to be a bad electoral strategy. Not surprisingly, voters often decide that, if they have a choice between a Republican who grows government hypocritically and a Democrat who does it enthusiastically, the result is the same and they might as well vote for the one who's sincere about it.
Thankfully, that's not the case with the Club for Growth. Founded in1999 by the brilliant free market economist, Stephen Moore, the Club lets other organizations argue divisive social issues and focuses on something most (taxpaying) Americans can agree upon — the need for lower taxes and less government.
The club supports candidates who believe in economic freedom regardless of party — Republicans most of the time, of course, but others willing to hold the line on taxes and spending.
Case in point: the recent 23rd Congressional District race in which the Club for Growth opposed Scozzafava and instead favored Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman. Unlike Scozzafava, the seat is reliably Republican, and had she won, she would have been one more big government congressperson who just happened to have an "R" beside her name. Thankfully, the club held firm in its principles and threw its support, and $1 million, behind Hoffman, the true conservative in the race. Scozzafava withdrew. Following the club when it should have been leading, the Republican National Committee threw its support behind Hoffman, and he almost won.
Future wishy-washy Republicans beware: The club has only begun to fight. In Florida, it's supporting House Speaker Marco Rubio, the true conservative, in his GOP Senate primary race against the party's establishment (and more liberal) candidate, Gov. Charlie Crist. And in Pennsylvania, it's supporting conservative Republican and former club Executive Director Pat Toomey in his race to unseat the incumbent, Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter.
The two Pennsylvanians have a history. Toomey challenged Specter in 2004, and as too often happens, the party establishment closed ranks behind Specter, the RINO they thought would win. After his re-election, Specter voted as a liberal and then switched parties.
Check out the Club's web site, http://www.clubforgrowth.org . It provides a wealth of information and plenty of ammunition for any American who cares about limited government and economic freedom. In addition to hard-hitting opinion posts, it provides timely information regarding key votes in Congress and links to roll call tallies listing each senator's and representative's votes. There voters can see who really believes in less government and who only pretends to.
Ronald Reagan famously commanded, "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican." Unfortunately, some of today's Republicans might as well be Democrats. True Republicans who believe in less government and lower taxes have a choice: Support any member of their party regardless of their beliefs, or stand up for the conservative principles that create wealth and jobs.
The Club for Growth has made its choice: No RINOs.
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