GOP Continues to Ignore Their Real Problem as Nikki Haley Elevates Tim Scott

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The Republican Party continues in an effort to prove that it’s more than a party of old white men. The latest attempt comes in the person of Tim Scott, Nikki Haley’s choice to replace Jim DeMint in the Senate. DeMint resigned from the Senate to head The Heritage Foundation – a conservative think tank. (please excuse the oxymoron.) If you were hoping for someone sane, or less extreme than Jim DeMint, Haley’s choice will be a major disappointment.

Jenny Beth Martin, (President of the Tea Party Patriots) called Scott’s appointment: a “victory for conservative values”

Tim Scott has taken our core values seriously in the House, and we have every reason to expect similar principled behavior in the Senate.

The usual right wing suspects, like Freedomworks , are delighted by Haley’s decision which comes as no surprise after a review of his policy positions. Scott’s goals read like a what’s what from the Tea Party manual of delusion.

He shares the Tea Party belief that if the President invokes the 14^th Amendment on the debt limit then he should be impeached because it’s so much better to welch on bills for loans on money that was already spent.

Scott conforms to the ideological but logically tortured Tea Party positions on marriage and a woman’s right to choose.

“I cosponsored two pro-life bills which have now passed the House of Representatives, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Protect Life Act. I also supported legislation, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, to repeal part of the national health care reform law that violates the freedom of religion granted to us by the First Amendment. Government is already overreaching into our homes and businesses; it can’t be allowed to do the same with our faith.

I also support traditional marriage, and spoke out against the President’s decision to no longer allow the Department of Justice to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. I absolutely believe in keeping the institution of marriage as one solely between a man and woman. We must not allow the government to distort the meaning of marriage and instead, focus on building stronger families across America.”

He thinks families should be denied food stamps if the family’s income is reduced because one member of the family goes on strike but enthusiastically endorses giving our tax dollars to big oil.

Scott is a fervent support of so called “right to work” laws under which the only rights belong to employers.

His views on the Second Amendment, as reflected in a statement on his congressional website will undoubtedly please the NRA’s leadership.

“The Constitution grants all law-abiding Americans the right to bear arms, regardless of what some would lead you to believe. Our Second Amendment right is a fundamental freedom and a cornerstone of our democracy.

As Americans, we have the right to defend ourselves, our families and our property, and the federal government should never interfere with this right. I’ve cosponsored more than half a dozen bills protecting the rights of gun owners, including the Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act and the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act.

I remain steadfast in my commitment to uphold our Second Amendment rights.”

By elevating Tim Scott with an appointment to the Senate, the Republican Party continues to overlook it’s bigger problem: namely the party’s policies which continue to reflect a narrow, extreme and archaic vision of America. Once again, the problem is the message – no matter who the messenger is.

Image from Muckrack