New website highlights Republican extremism

Today the DSCC issued this press release:

As Joe Miller of Alaska remains poised to be become the sixth extremist candidate to win his party’s nomination for the United States Senate, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released “Tea Party Set,” a new interactive website highlighting the six Republican tea party candidates and their extreme, dangerous agenda. Tea party candidates Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sharron Angle of Nevada, Ken Buck of Colorado, Marco Rubio of Florida, Joe Miller of Alaska and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are all far outside the mainstream of their states, and all have put forth agendas which would devastate middle class families across the country.

“The extremist tea party candidates running for Senate want to end Social Security and Medicare – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. “These right-wing insurgents are all dangerously outside the mainstream of their states and their beliefs would wreak havoc on middle class families. They are all more intent on imposing their risky social doctrine than on creating jobs and growing the economy, and it’s why they just aren’t our cup of tea.”

Before clicking over to “Tea Party Set,” learn a little more about the extreme tea party candidates below.

• Rand Paul of Kentucky has spent months walking away from his record and who he really is. A month after saying the Civil Rights Act shouldn’t apply to private business and refusing to say he would have voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act, Paul backtracked on his positions, saying the federal government was right to impose civil rights on private business. Paul committed the same politically expedient move after he defended BP after the oil spill, calling criticism of the company “Un-American.” Under fire for his remarks, Paul went back on his comments, saying government regulations of offshore drilling were not adequate. Paul has also gone into hiding with the media, refusing to conduct interviews and forcing journalists to submit all questions in writing despite “offering detailed answers on just about any topic during his primary campaign.” Paul recently held a fundraiser in Washington DC with the same establishment Republicans he railed against on the campaign trail and has said the drug problem in eastern Kentucky is “not a real pressing issue.”


• Sharron Angle of Nevada won the Republican nomination by appealing to the most fringe elements of her party. Angle would phase-out Social Security and Medicare, would eliminate the Department of Education, and supports bringing nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain and even turning the site into a nuclear processing plant. She has been voted Nevada’s worst legislator—twice. She believes that abortion should be illegal, even in the cases of rape and incest, and thinks that Congress houses “domestic enemies.” She also believes that unemployed Nevadans are spoiled.


• Ken Buck of Colorado is far outside the Colorado mainstream. In addition to proposing repeal of the 17th Amendment, extremist Buck has embraced the radical Tea Party agenda in nearly every way, supporting "birther" legislation, calling for federal student loan programs to be phased out and suggesting the unconstitutionality of Social Security. Buck is also open to returning to the gold standard, eliminating the Departments of Education and Energy, imposing a national sales tax on Coloradans, doesn’t believe in global warming, and opposes the principle of separation between church and state. Buck also faces ethical questions regarding his tenure as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.


• Marco Rubio of Florida is the ultimate tea party candidate. Rubio has fully subscribed to Congressman Ryan’s plan to privatize Social Security, raise the retirement age, and gut Medicare and Medicaid. Rubio also wants to drill for oil off the coast of Florida and doesn’t believe in climate change.


• Joe Miller of Alaska would like to “transition out” of Social Security, doesn’t think federal unemployment insurance is “constitutionally authorized,” and told the Anchorage Daily News that he would like to “phase-out” Medicare. If extremist Joe Miller had his way, Social Security as we know it would be gone for 75,000 Alaskans, seniors would no longer be able to rely on Medicare, and Alaskans struggling in this still recovering economy would no longer get assistance as they continue to look for jobs.


• Ron Johnson of Wisconsin believes that Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme,” and under his proposal to privatize Social Security, Wisconsin senior citizens would be left to fend for themselves in their golden years. Johnson is open to abolishing the federal reserve, and thinks criticism of British Petroleum is an “assault,” while being open to drilling for oil in Lake Michigan. Recent reports show that Johnson also owns over $100,000 in BP stock. Johnson also is in favor of completely repealing health care reform, which would reopen the Medicare donut hole, bring back denial of coverage based on preexisting conditions, and throw thousands of Wisconsinites off of health insurance.