Republican Senate Task Force Survey

It is obvious that the Republican National Committee has not understood my post of February 21--"Should I 'Renew My Membership in the GOP"?, in which I explained why I could not accept their generous invitation to renew membership in a political party to which I have never belonged. I know this because I have just recently received a copy of the "Republican Senate Task Force Survey Questionnaire," an "official project of the RNC." It is "registered and must be accounted for during tabulation," and should be "signed and returned, using the postage-paid envelope provided," regardless of whether or not I agree to represent my district "in this official Senate Task Force survey." It even has its own "Registration Number," which I do prefer not to reveal, because I want to continue to receive the innermost secrets of the RNC.

Question 1 asks me to rank, from "Very Important" to "Not Important," the "importance of having citizens in my state have leaders in Washington address the following issues": strengthening border security, reducing federal spending, keeping taxes low," keeping our military well trained, equipped and prepared, repealing and replacing ObamaCare, expanding domestic exploration for oil and gas, stimulating job creation in the private sector [emphasis mine], fully investigate the Obama Administration's oversight of the IRS, and "block expansion of the federal debt ceiling unless equal reductions to federal spending are made." Question 2 asks whether I believe that "President Obama's policies and leadership have helped make the economy better, had no impact on the economy, or made the economy worse."

The remaining 28 questions ask for a Yes or No response:
3. Do you want the individuals responsible for the IRS targeting conservative and Tea Party groups
          for harassment to be criminally prosecuted?
4. Are you comfortable having the same IRS officials who led the unit that targeted conservative
          groups now in charge of implementing the IRS collection of ObamaCare taxes?
5. Do you believe President Obama and the Democrats in the U.S. Senate have made creating jobs
          and helping our economic growth their number-one priority?
6. Are you in favor of raising tax rates or imposing a "millionaire's surtax" on financially successful
          individuals and families?
7. Do you believe that the Second Amendment guarantees the right of every law-abiding citizen to
          own firearms?
8. Are you concerned that rising inflation will undercut your savings, devalue your home and increase
         your cost of living?
9. Do you believe that the big government policies and tax increases being pushed by President
        Obama will help create jobs and improve the economy in your area?
10.  Do you support another round of "stimulus" spending by Democrats that adds to the federal debt 
          and provides hundreds of millions of tax dollars for special interest spending projects?
11. Should putting our federal government on a pathway to a balanced budget be a goal of the
         U.S. House and Senate?
12. Would you support a phased-in increase for Social Security benefits that would not affect anyone
         over the age of 55?
13. Should retirees be exempt from property increases on their primary residences?
14. Has the Obama Administration done enough to stop Iran's drive to build nuclear weapons?
15. Should the U.S. expand funding and deployment of our missile defense system?
16. Should Republicans demand that the federal government strengthen border security and reduce
              the immigration laws we have on the books before we pass any new measures?
17. Do you believe Obama's strategy of treating all countries as equals strengthened our security and
              weakened the resolve of our enemies?
18. Do you support efforts to repeal and replace ObamaCare?
19. Are you satisfied that the administration has told the full truth about the terrorist attack in
              Benghazi, Libya?
20. Has the government and news media provided information to ensure that our citizens hav a good
             understanding of the requirements, impact and costs of ObamaCare?
21. Are you concerned that ObamaCare eventually lead to the creation of a single-payer government-
             run health insurance and healthcare system?
22. Do you believe that you can receive the same quality of health care and accessibility through a
             government-run health care system?
23. Do you support Obama's unprecedented decision to stop enforcing and defending the Defense of
             Marriage Act?
24, Do you support overturning Roe v. Wade to allow states to regulate/restrict abortion?
25. Should church-run hospitals and schools be required to pay for birth control and abortion services
              for their employees?
26. Should federal funds be provided to non-profit clinics whose primary function is providing
              abortions?
27. Should the minority in the senate have the power to filibuster to block confirmation of judges and
             cabinet members that embrace radical left-wing views?
28. Do you support allowing parents to use government vouchers to send children to the school of
             their choice?
29. Are you satisfied that Republicans are effectively communicating our reasons for opposing
             President Obama's liberal agenda?  

Several of these questions are of the "when did you stop beating your wife" variety. Most remind me of a questionnaire that I had to fill out for a summer sales job when I was a penurious grad student. The "correct" answers were blatantly obvious and diametrically opposed to my own convictions. Suffice it to say, I did not get the job. These questions are similarly loaded with Republican "buzz words": targeting conservative groups, taxing financially successful individuals and families, special interest groups, radical left-wing views, and Democrat's liberal agenda. are we doing enough to prevent inflation?, (when the economy has been stagnating for years)  Several questions demonstrate their all-consuming obsession with the ACA and their determination to repeal it and replace it. (So far, the score is Repeal 37-Replace 0). Their fixation on abortion and birth control is equally obsessive and just as absurd. The one question which gave me pause was whether the GOP is "effectively communicating our reasons for opposing Obama and the Democrats."? They had better hope that they are not. Anyway, I made the same mistake that I made with that job questionnaire so many years ago. I went with my convictions. I can hardly wait to see my test score.

JDB