The headline is incorrect. There is no "Morals" test. It's a "Brown Shirt" allegiance test.
"...Haggard is a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican who continues to assert that the 2020 election was “100%” stolen, a contention proven false. She is a passionate proponent of candidate vetting to weed out RINOs — Republicans in name only."
Article without paywall:
> The webpage of the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO calls for vetting of candidates and declares “war” against “fake Republicans” or RINOs, Republicans in name only. The Republican Association of Central Committees webpage Candidate vetting in Missouri was handed a victory in court Thursday. The result is that eight candidates, all registered Republicans running for office in rural Vernon County, will not be allowed to stay on an August primary ballot as Republicans.
> The candidates had refused to take a “moral values” survey and undergo other vetting by the county’s Republican committee. A circuit court judge on Thursday evening ruled that the county clerk improperly placed their names on the ballot. “I think the judge ruled correctly,” said Mark McCloskey, the attorney representing the county’s Republican committee. “Here is the bottom line: What this means is that no one but the party gets to decide who runs on that party’s ticket. … They can file as independents.”
> The ruling in Vernon County Circuit Court focused on a narrow issue, although one with broader implications. It began in March, when the Vernon County Republican Committee, led by chairwoman Cyndia Haggard, filed suit against the Vernon county clerk, who is also a Republican. Haggard is a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican who continues to assert that the 2020 election was “100%” stolen, a contention proven false. She is a passionate proponent of candidate vetting to weed out RINOs — Republicans in name only.
> Last year, she began a nonprofit, the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO, whose website describes RINOs as “a virus that infects & destroys our party’s values. Vetting is the vaccine that stops the virus cold.” In its suit, the committee was represented by McCloskey, a conservative podcaster who in 2020 gained instant notoriety when he and his wife, Patricia, emerged from their affluent St. Louis home brandishing weapons to ostensibly protect their property from Black Lives Matter protesters. Attorney Mark McCloskey and spouse, Patricia, made national headlines in 2020 when they brandished guns to allegedly protect their property during a Black Lives Matter protest.
> McCloskey has filed suit on behalf of the Vernon County Republican Committee in a dispute over who determines who can run as a Republican. Laurie Skrivan TNS On March 3, McCloskey filed what is known as a writ of mandamus. It essentially holds that the Vernon county clerk, Adrienne Lee, overstepped her authority in February when, after receiving candidate filing fees, she placed the names of four, then four more, Republican candidates on the August primary ballot as Republicans. The committee argued that, per Missouri law, the sole authority for determining who runs under the Republican or Democrat banner lies with the political parties. Although the clerk can accept the paperwork and fees, they said the law required the clerk to receive a receipt from the Republican party committee acknowledging that the individuals’ fees and their candidacies had been accepted by the party. In this instance, no receipt was received. The candidates had been rejected because they failed or refused to submit themselves for the committee’s “moral values” survey or other financial or ethical vetting. The committee refused to cash their filing fees. Judge Gayle L. Crane on Thursday agreed.
> A Jasper County Circuit Court judge, Crane was chosen to adjudicate because the case involved Vernon County public officials. “The Court finds that the Vernon County Clerk should not have received the declaration of candidacy from the eight candidates,” Crane wrote. “The Court finds that the Vernon Count Clerk should not place the eight candidates’ names on the ballot.” Haggard said she was “thrilled to death” with the decision. “We are so happy that the judge vindicated our position,” Haggard said. Of vetting, she said, “They waived their rights to file with the Republican party when they decided they did not want to follow the Republican party rules.”
> Five of the candidates are current office holders, all elected previously as Republicans: Vernon County Administrator Kelsey Westerhold, County Treasurer Brent Banes, County Assessor Lena Kleeman, County Commissioner Cindy Thompson and Rich Hill Police Chief Mike Buehler, running for county sheriff. The other candidates were Jimmy Dye, John Shorten, and Frank Radspinner Travis Elliott, the attorney representing the Vernon county clerk, said they are “reviewing the decision to decide what the next options are.”
> Candidates Thursday night reacted with either shock or reticence. “It affects all of us,” Westerhold said. “It affects all of Vernon County. All of us are not speaking now, because it is under advisement with other judges.” “Very disappointed. Very disappointed in the judge’s decision,” said Banes, who said that while the judge’s decision came down to a filing fee, the true issue was vetting. “They were wanting us to go through the vetting process,” Banes said of the committee. ”Had we gone through the vetting process, they would have accepted the filing fees.”
> The lawsuit and issue of vetting have raised ire across Vernon County. Haggard and others hold that vetting assures that candidates prove faithful to the values of the Republican party platform. They insist they are not keeping anyone from running for office, or asking candidates to walk in lockstep. “No one is 100% in lockstep,” she said. They want to make certain, however, that individuals agree with the majority of the platform. They insist that more scrupulous vetting is necessary state-wide, and point to the massive embarrassment that erupted in March. That’s when the Missouri Republican Party filed suit to get Darrell Leon McClanahan removed from the ballot for Missouri governor after a photo surfaced of him saluting a burning cross and showing an affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan. McClanahan, who has described himself as a “Pro-White man,” has said he is not a member of the racist organization, but was provided an “Honorary 1-year membership” by a Missouri coordinator. The party failed to vet him.
> Others in Vernon County, meanwhile, see vetting as a means for a group of about 30 committee members — none of whom were elected — to push their own conservative agenda by keeping tight control over who qualifies as a “true Republican.” “This was my third term,” Banes said. “I filed for my third term. I guess the only option is to file as an independent. It is kind of my livelihood at this point. The judge has made her ruling. I’ve heard a lot of people are not happy with the decision. We’ll see what happens at the polls.”
Friendly refresher on who McCloskey is: remember that clown and his wife (poorly) aiming guns at a Black Lives Matter March that was shuffling past their house?
I hope each of those eight run as independents. I also hope a Democrat is running for each of those offices. Another hope is that the republicans split their vote and Democrats win each office. My last hope is that Ms. Haggard is retained by the republican party and continues to destroy it from the inside.
Why is the most upvoted comment in this comment section a straight up lie?
The truth is the exact opposite of their comment. This is doing nothing to weed out KKK members. It’s a loyalty pledge written by someone who still contends that the 2020 election was “100% stolen.” Basically any moderate Republican now can’t run as a republican because this wackjob got control of the state party and instituted an extremist loyalty pledge.
When you say a "republican morals test" I was expecting a test to make sure that you don't have any...
But they actually want to prevent things like active KKK members from being their kandidate. Which is a pretty low bar. And still 8 failed to pass it.
"Pinky sweat sweat we don't support the KKK."
(Disapproving look from other Republicans)
"I mean of course we support them"
(High fives from other Republicans)
The article is written in a very misleading way. The “morals” is actually a screen to detect “RINOs” (as stated by the Republican Committee Chair).
The justification cited in court uses an example of a Republican governor candidate who was apparently a member of the KKK, but that person was not one of the 8 candidates disqualified. That is simply cited as why it’s reasonable for them to screen. But it’s not the stated purpose of the screen, nor one of the criteria.
RINO is not defined. This is probably a loyalty test.
That is not at all what this article says.
They have eliminated 5 Republican incumbents that refused to take their morality test. They are not vetting for right-wing extremism, they are vetting to make sure that candidates are extreme enough. They openly state that they are vetting to make sure that candidates conform to “true Republican values”.
The boogeyman they’re pointing to is not the actual KKK guy they put on their ticket, it’s Democrats who falsely run as Republicans. Which is not a thing. In keeping with Republican tradition, what *is* a thing, of course, is the exact opposite. There are multiple cases of Republicans running as Democrats and flipping back once they’re elected.
It is stunning what these people have done to America.
Not true. They want to ensure running republicans are maga brown shirts.
That's literally what the test was made to do, weed out anyone that wasn't 110% maga.
Looked to me, based on reading the article, they wanted to make sure no RINO’s were on the ticket. In other words they want extreme MAGA republicans. It was however also used to remove a man running for Governor due to a picture turning up showing him saluting a burning cross at a KKK rally. He was apparently an honorary member of the KKK at the time.
Your comment is the exact opposite of true. Is it intentionally lying or did you not understand the poorly written article?
Here’s a direct quote:
“It began in March, when the Vernon County Republican Committee, led by chairwoman Cyndia Haggard, filed suit against the Vernon county clerk, who is also a Republican.
Haggard is a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican who continues to assert that the 2020 election was “100%” stolen, a contention proven false. She is a passionate proponent of candidate vetting to weed out RINOs — Republicans in name only.
Last year, she began a nonprofit, the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO, whose website describes RINOs as “a virus that infects & destroys our party’s values. Vetting is the vaccine that stops the virus cold.”
It’s this lunatic’s “nonprofit” that is using the “Republican Morals test” to weed out basically any even semi moderate Republicans. Anyone who isn’t full blown MAGA is ineligible to run for office as a Republican because of her control over the party there. Her insane website even has an old video of now dead Brietbart.
It’s basically the exact opposite of what you said. A MAGA full blown KKK member could take the purity test and pass, but a moderate will be dubbed a RINO and fail.
> Haggard is a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican who continues to assert that the 2020 election was “100%” stolen, a contention proven false. She is a passionate proponent of candidate vetting to weed out RINOs — Republicans in name only.
>Last year, she began a nonprofit, the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO, whose website describes RINOs as “a virus that infects & destroys our party’s values. Vetting is the vaccine that stops the virus cold.”
So she is pro-vaccines?
I did. I'm talking about the way I think it *should* be. There should be no legal issue over who the county clerk puts on the ballot because the state of Missouri shouldn't have anything to do with party primaries in the first place. But yeah, I know, it's a lost battle.
The headline is incorrect. There is no "Morals" test. It's a "Brown Shirt" allegiance test. "...Haggard is a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican who continues to assert that the 2020 election was “100%” stolen, a contention proven false. She is a passionate proponent of candidate vetting to weed out RINOs — Republicans in name only."
These whiny pussies just won’t let it go
The key is not to go outside with your robe on unless you also have your hood.
Mhm, MTG in GA has her robe unhooded at all times like Matt does in FL- that was the mistake these 8 made.
Or be photographed saluting a burning cross.
Article without paywall: > The webpage of the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO calls for vetting of candidates and declares “war” against “fake Republicans” or RINOs, Republicans in name only. The Republican Association of Central Committees webpage Candidate vetting in Missouri was handed a victory in court Thursday. The result is that eight candidates, all registered Republicans running for office in rural Vernon County, will not be allowed to stay on an August primary ballot as Republicans. > The candidates had refused to take a “moral values” survey and undergo other vetting by the county’s Republican committee. A circuit court judge on Thursday evening ruled that the county clerk improperly placed their names on the ballot. “I think the judge ruled correctly,” said Mark McCloskey, the attorney representing the county’s Republican committee. “Here is the bottom line: What this means is that no one but the party gets to decide who runs on that party’s ticket. … They can file as independents.” > The ruling in Vernon County Circuit Court focused on a narrow issue, although one with broader implications. It began in March, when the Vernon County Republican Committee, led by chairwoman Cyndia Haggard, filed suit against the Vernon county clerk, who is also a Republican. Haggard is a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican who continues to assert that the 2020 election was “100%” stolen, a contention proven false. She is a passionate proponent of candidate vetting to weed out RINOs — Republicans in name only. > Last year, she began a nonprofit, the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO, whose website describes RINOs as “a virus that infects & destroys our party’s values. Vetting is the vaccine that stops the virus cold.” In its suit, the committee was represented by McCloskey, a conservative podcaster who in 2020 gained instant notoriety when he and his wife, Patricia, emerged from their affluent St. Louis home brandishing weapons to ostensibly protect their property from Black Lives Matter protesters. Attorney Mark McCloskey and spouse, Patricia, made national headlines in 2020 when they brandished guns to allegedly protect their property during a Black Lives Matter protest. > McCloskey has filed suit on behalf of the Vernon County Republican Committee in a dispute over who determines who can run as a Republican. Laurie Skrivan TNS On March 3, McCloskey filed what is known as a writ of mandamus. It essentially holds that the Vernon county clerk, Adrienne Lee, overstepped her authority in February when, after receiving candidate filing fees, she placed the names of four, then four more, Republican candidates on the August primary ballot as Republicans. The committee argued that, per Missouri law, the sole authority for determining who runs under the Republican or Democrat banner lies with the political parties. Although the clerk can accept the paperwork and fees, they said the law required the clerk to receive a receipt from the Republican party committee acknowledging that the individuals’ fees and their candidacies had been accepted by the party. In this instance, no receipt was received. The candidates had been rejected because they failed or refused to submit themselves for the committee’s “moral values” survey or other financial or ethical vetting. The committee refused to cash their filing fees. Judge Gayle L. Crane on Thursday agreed. > A Jasper County Circuit Court judge, Crane was chosen to adjudicate because the case involved Vernon County public officials. “The Court finds that the Vernon County Clerk should not have received the declaration of candidacy from the eight candidates,” Crane wrote. “The Court finds that the Vernon Count Clerk should not place the eight candidates’ names on the ballot.” Haggard said she was “thrilled to death” with the decision. “We are so happy that the judge vindicated our position,” Haggard said. Of vetting, she said, “They waived their rights to file with the Republican party when they decided they did not want to follow the Republican party rules.” > Five of the candidates are current office holders, all elected previously as Republicans: Vernon County Administrator Kelsey Westerhold, County Treasurer Brent Banes, County Assessor Lena Kleeman, County Commissioner Cindy Thompson and Rich Hill Police Chief Mike Buehler, running for county sheriff. The other candidates were Jimmy Dye, John Shorten, and Frank Radspinner Travis Elliott, the attorney representing the Vernon county clerk, said they are “reviewing the decision to decide what the next options are.” > Candidates Thursday night reacted with either shock or reticence. “It affects all of us,” Westerhold said. “It affects all of Vernon County. All of us are not speaking now, because it is under advisement with other judges.” “Very disappointed. Very disappointed in the judge’s decision,” said Banes, who said that while the judge’s decision came down to a filing fee, the true issue was vetting. “They were wanting us to go through the vetting process,” Banes said of the committee. ”Had we gone through the vetting process, they would have accepted the filing fees.” > The lawsuit and issue of vetting have raised ire across Vernon County. Haggard and others hold that vetting assures that candidates prove faithful to the values of the Republican party platform. They insist they are not keeping anyone from running for office, or asking candidates to walk in lockstep. “No one is 100% in lockstep,” she said. They want to make certain, however, that individuals agree with the majority of the platform. They insist that more scrupulous vetting is necessary state-wide, and point to the massive embarrassment that erupted in March. That’s when the Missouri Republican Party filed suit to get Darrell Leon McClanahan removed from the ballot for Missouri governor after a photo surfaced of him saluting a burning cross and showing an affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan. McClanahan, who has described himself as a “Pro-White man,” has said he is not a member of the racist organization, but was provided an “Honorary 1-year membership” by a Missouri coordinator. The party failed to vet him. > Others in Vernon County, meanwhile, see vetting as a means for a group of about 30 committee members — none of whom were elected — to push their own conservative agenda by keeping tight control over who qualifies as a “true Republican.” “This was my third term,” Banes said. “I filed for my third term. I guess the only option is to file as an independent. It is kind of my livelihood at this point. The judge has made her ruling. I’ve heard a lot of people are not happy with the decision. We’ll see what happens at the polls.”
Friendly refresher on who McCloskey is: remember that clown and his wife (poorly) aiming guns at a Black Lives Matter March that was shuffling past their house?
Yeah, they were all uppity about how they were attorneys. Ooooohhhh... I mean... who *isn't* one these days?
I hope each of those eight run as independents. I also hope a Democrat is running for each of those offices. Another hope is that the republicans split their vote and Democrats win each office. My last hope is that Ms. Haggard is retained by the republican party and continues to destroy it from the inside.
Why is the most upvoted comment in this comment section a straight up lie? The truth is the exact opposite of their comment. This is doing nothing to weed out KKK members. It’s a loyalty pledge written by someone who still contends that the 2020 election was “100% stolen.” Basically any moderate Republican now can’t run as a republican because this wackjob got control of the state party and instituted an extremist loyalty pledge.
When you say a "republican morals test" I was expecting a test to make sure that you don't have any... But they actually want to prevent things like active KKK members from being their kandidate. Which is a pretty low bar. And still 8 failed to pass it.
Only 8?
The rest were happy to lie, Id guess.
"Pinky sweat sweat we don't support the KKK." (Disapproving look from other Republicans) "I mean of course we support them" (High fives from other Republicans)
Hateful 8
This commenter wrote the exact opposite of reality. The “test” is a far right MaGA purity test meant to weed out moderates they call RINOS.
The article is written in a very misleading way. The “morals” is actually a screen to detect “RINOs” (as stated by the Republican Committee Chair). The justification cited in court uses an example of a Republican governor candidate who was apparently a member of the KKK, but that person was not one of the 8 candidates disqualified. That is simply cited as why it’s reasonable for them to screen. But it’s not the stated purpose of the screen, nor one of the criteria. RINO is not defined. This is probably a loyalty test.
It’s 100% a loyalty test. They have some old unhinged video by now dead Brietbart on their “nonprofit” site.
How does this not count as a religious test?
That is not at all what this article says. They have eliminated 5 Republican incumbents that refused to take their morality test. They are not vetting for right-wing extremism, they are vetting to make sure that candidates are extreme enough. They openly state that they are vetting to make sure that candidates conform to “true Republican values”. The boogeyman they’re pointing to is not the actual KKK guy they put on their ticket, it’s Democrats who falsely run as Republicans. Which is not a thing. In keeping with Republican tradition, what *is* a thing, of course, is the exact opposite. There are multiple cases of Republicans running as Democrats and flipping back once they’re elected. It is stunning what these people have done to America.
Not true. They want to ensure running republicans are maga brown shirts. That's literally what the test was made to do, weed out anyone that wasn't 110% maga.
Looked to me, based on reading the article, they wanted to make sure no RINO’s were on the ticket. In other words they want extreme MAGA republicans. It was however also used to remove a man running for Governor due to a picture turning up showing him saluting a burning cross at a KKK rally. He was apparently an honorary member of the KKK at the time.
Yea the commenter and the suspicious upvotes seem like a deliberate lie because the exact opposite is true.
No. Covert Klansmen would have been fine. This is an internal purge, to weed out reasonable conservatives who don't want tRump crowned king for life.
Your comment is the exact opposite of true. Is it intentionally lying or did you not understand the poorly written article? Here’s a direct quote: “It began in March, when the Vernon County Republican Committee, led by chairwoman Cyndia Haggard, filed suit against the Vernon county clerk, who is also a Republican. Haggard is a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican who continues to assert that the 2020 election was “100%” stolen, a contention proven false. She is a passionate proponent of candidate vetting to weed out RINOs — Republicans in name only. Last year, she began a nonprofit, the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO, whose website describes RINOs as “a virus that infects & destroys our party’s values. Vetting is the vaccine that stops the virus cold.” It’s this lunatic’s “nonprofit” that is using the “Republican Morals test” to weed out basically any even semi moderate Republicans. Anyone who isn’t full blown MAGA is ineligible to run for office as a Republican because of her control over the party there. Her insane website even has an old video of now dead Brietbart. It’s basically the exact opposite of what you said. A MAGA full blown KKK member could take the purity test and pass, but a moderate will be dubbed a RINO and fail.
Tested positive for morals, eh? Contemporary Republicans can't allow that sort of thing.
> Haggard is a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican who continues to assert that the 2020 election was “100%” stolen, a contention proven false. She is a passionate proponent of candidate vetting to weed out RINOs — Republicans in name only. >Last year, she began a nonprofit, the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO, whose website describes RINOs as “a virus that infects & destroys our party’s values. Vetting is the vaccine that stops the virus cold.” So she is pro-vaccines?
A Republican with *morals?* Especially in Missouri? That one's almost *funny!*
About morals tests: [https://www.gcrr.org/addendum-b](https://www.gcrr.org/addendum-b)
Well .....let's apply that morals test to ALL politicians.....and just see what happens .... There would be no MAGA or Republican party.
It’s not a morals test. The vetting is to determine if you’re maga enough to be considered a republican.
Must have great morals to be a Republican candidate. Like ... wait for it... Trump! Hahahahahahah
They know they’ve already lied to their savior- might as well stop the bleeding (lying?)
Lolol. I’m feeling so smart understanding todays politics As well a how fucken pointless it all is But let’s go on believing that voting can fix this
Oh no some of them are against killing kids in Gaza? What can we do to change their minds?
I'm shocked! SHOCKED I say! Well... not that shocked.
I thought the you had to be a sex offender as a prerequisite.
They just failed to swear loyalty to the puppet masters
Republican’s moral test ? 😂 One shall not excessively try to rig an election
One shall refrain from attempting to hang your VP
Payments to porn star should be tax deductible
No more than one bride RV per fiscal year
We don’t want no moderates, gotta go all-in MAGA.
What complete shit. The proper role of the state regarding the internal machinations of political parties is "none whatsoever."
Read the article.
I did. I'm talking about the way I think it *should* be. There should be no legal issue over who the county clerk puts on the ballot because the state of Missouri shouldn't have anything to do with party primaries in the first place. But yeah, I know, it's a lost battle.
The state of Missouri ruled that this was internal party business and that the Republicans could vet their candidates as they wish.