Annals Of The Republican Civil War: Nevada And Ohio

You may have already read that the Nevada state Republican Party is turning over a new leaf-- at least in terms of the party-sanctioned gay-bashing and anti-Choice mania. I'm not sure how extremists like Sharron Angle are taking this, but over the weekend, Nevada Republicans drastically changed their official party platform. There was a "raucous debate," of course, but in the end the delegates voted to remove the party's opposition to marriage equality and their opposition to abortions.

By a show of hands, convention-goers adopted the platform as proposed by a separate committee without the two planks on marriage and abortion, following the Clark County GOP’s lead in removing hot-button social issues from the party’s statement of its principles. Some 520 delegates attended the convention, but less than half were present when the platform was adopted at about 7:30 p.m. Little debate preceded the vote, a far contrast to earlier in day.

State party Chairman Michael McDonald said it was a successful convention at the end of the day.

“I think it was about inclusion, not exclusion,” McDonald said, referring to the platform. “This is where the party is going.”

Republicans who sat on the platform committee said they decided not to deal with social issues this year because the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts have weighed in and it doesn’t make sense for the party of “personal freedom” to have the government or the political party get involved in people’s personal lives.

“The issue was how can we back out of people’s personal lives,” said Dave Hockaday of Lyon County, who sat on the platform committee. “We need to focus on issues where we can have an impact.”

Previously, the state party platform defined marriage as “between a man and a woman,” as does the Nevada Constitution. The past document also described the party as “pro-life,” or against abortion, a stance most Republicans still agree with.

GOP extremists are screaming their heads off, of course, and trying to organize a boycott of Las Vegas conventions and vacations. The party fringe is already demanding that the RNC remove Las Vegas from the short list of cities the GOP was considering for the 2016 national convention. Don Nelson of Nevada Right to Life is going insane: "On Saturday the Nevada Republican party decided to drop its pro-life plank and party chairman Mike McDonald said that abortion is a small issue. It’s not small now. It’s being reported all over Nevada and McDonald and the Nevada Republicans just told pro-lifers all over the state that their issue and the killing of 56 million preborn children, does not matter to him and his party and that the Nevada Republicans will take our vote, but that we can’t count on them… The fact is that over 70% of Republicans are pro-life and a many of them hold their nose and vote for Republicans because they have [been] the pro-life party. Events like this do nothing but further depress the Nevada Republican vote."

Meanwhile, halfway across the country, the Tea Party primary against John Boehner is heating up. Up top is the fabulous new J.D. Winteregg ad, Electile Dysfunction (When The Moment Is Right).

"Other signs of electile dysfunction may include extreme skin discoloration, the inability to punch oneself out of a wet paper bag, or maintain a spine in the face of liberal opposition. If you have a Boehner lasting longer than 23 years, seek immediate medical attention."

Winteregg is not seen as a viable opponent against Boehner in the primary and, once again, the DCCC has moved to protect him from Democratic challengers, as they have consistently done in past cycles.