Can Republicans debate issues without the religious standards they toss around?

Matthew 27:3
When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

Here is one for you. Maybe it will help Republicans make that leap to sincerely wonderful souls.

2 Corinthians 4:1-2

4 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have the renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distrot the world of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 

Every child of God deserves love and praise.

What does the media think it's doing?

If it isn't a scandal about "The Clinton Foundation" it is "Donald Trumps' Gaming the Media." 

I can't count the number of times "The Clinton Foundation" has been supposedly caught up in a scandal. 

So, what!

It is no different than that extravagant review of the Trump jets. What is the point? Trump will purchase used jets for the US Air Force? The Air Force is already doing that.

Corrupt Wall Street CEOs go down hard, I guess.

Our military is completely compromised by fighting two wars over a decade long and the USA Air Force is doing more with less, while the F35 is a piece of junk. The American people are tired of the baloney life is handing them. I think the media's priorities need a very strong ethics overhaul.

And leave Donald Trump's youngest son alone!!!!!!!!

President Obama issued the guidance for Transgender children because there was a need in the country for it.

May 13, 2016
Fannin County Board of Education (click here) held a three and one-half hour meeting on Thursday night, May 12^th.  Two and a half hours were public comments about transgender bathrooms in Fannin County Schools.
It was standing-room only in the high school cafeteria.  Even more people were in the gymnasium.  Fannin Rebel TV, the high school television station, broadcast the meeting live to the people in the gym.  Around forty people gave comments about transgender bathrooms and people who do not fit traditional male/female gender identity. Except for attorney Ken Fletcher, everyone who spoke lives in Fannin county, has children in the school system or went through the school system themselves.  By the amount of people at the School Board meeting, Fannin County sent a loud and clear message to the School Board that they don’t want transgender bathrooms in Fannin schools. There were no counter-protesters outside the School Board meeting or along the walk from the First Baptist Church to the Fannin County High School cafeteria....

There have been multiple lawsuits in the country over that past few years regarding children and transgender.

13 May 2016
By David Ferguson

...“Shame on you!” (click here) says Jo. “Shame on you, Governor McCrory, for spreading hate and fear when you could be doing the opposite! A true leader would recognize that transgender individuals deserve all the love and respect that is deserved by all. Our transgender son is a sweet, loving young man who has displayed more courage than anyone else I know. Stop being a bully and leave our child and others like him alone!” Her husband Jon called McCrory and his Religious Right cronies haters and bullies, and says that sometimes he struggles to hold back his anger.

A decade ago, Jo and Jon Ivester struggled to describe their teenage daughter—a tomboy who played football with the guys in both 7th and 8th grades. They had no language to define their child, save the language of love. Today they understand their son Jeremy to be transgender; and by telling their story, and his, they hope to help other families on a similar journey.

The baby Jo and Jon named Emily was their third of four, and they knew from the toddler years that Emily didn’t fit the typical girlie-girl pattern—preferring hand-me-downs from her brother and stereotypical boy toys over the other clothes and activities on offer. But it would take two decades and a bridesmaid dress before the family—Emily included—realized that “tomboy” really meant “boy”—that Emily was transgender and needed a name and identity that fit....

Japan is looking forward to President Obama's visit to Hiroshima.

13 May 2016

By Justin McCurry 

The school uniform (click here)s Nobuko Oshita made for herself looks like it would turn to dust at the slightest touch. One sleeve of what is left of her stained summer blouse is missing. A metal badge bearing the name of First Hiroshima Prefectural girls’ high school is still attached to the lapel.

The 13-year-old was helping with demolition work when the US B-29 bomber Enola Gay released its atomic payload over Hiroshima on the morning of 6 August 1945. Rescue workers found Oshita, barely alive, amid the rubble and took her to her parents’ home, where she died that night.... 

12 May 2016
By Inga Vesper

Countries that forbid (click here) and punish abortions have higher termination rates than countries that permit and support these procedures, a study has found.

Research published today in The Lancet shows that abortion rates have dropped significantly in developed countries where abortions are allowed. But rates have remained static in developing countries where the procedure is criminalised and often undertaken in illicit, unsafe environments.

The evidence indicates that access to good healthcare and modern contraception are the most important factors in reducing abortion rates, says Gilda Sedgh, the study's lead author and a researcher at the Guttmacher Institute, a US organisation that aims to advance sexual and reproductive rights.

"In developing countries, family planning services do not seem to be keeping up with the increasing desire for smaller families," Sedgh explains. "More than 80 per cent of unintended pregnancies are experienced by women with an unmet need for modern methods of contraception, and many unwanted pregnancies end in abortion."...

The Lancet (click here)

11 May 2016

Interpretation

Abortion rates have declined significantly since 1990 in the developed world but not in the developing world. Ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health care could help millions of women avoid unintended pregnancies and ensure access to safe abortion.

This has nothing to do with Boko Harem.

Ogum State is in southwest Nigeria and it's southern border is the the Atlantic Ocean. Ogum State has the largest city in Nigeria and the country's captial city,  Abeokuta.

Ogum State is also called, "Gateway to Nigeria."

13 May 2016

By Premium Times

A four-storey shopping complex (click here) constructed by the Ogun State Government has collapsed with many people feared dead.

The project at the popular Itoku market of Abeokuta caved in Friday morning, trapping several construction workers, witnesses said.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun has arrived at the scene and is coordinating the rescue effort.

A witness said the building collapsed at about 9.00am, as workers were busy at the site. Six people were rescued and immediately taken to the hospital thirty minutes later, the source said.

Rescue efforts have continued more than three hours later, as personnel of the Fire Service, Ogun State Emergency Management Agency, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, work to remove the debris to reach trapped victims....

Case in point regarding the UN Small Arms Treaty.

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on "Counter-terrorism Efforts in Sub-Sahara Africa" has revealed the sincere effect of increased military focus on this region of the world.

The military budget for this region of Africa increased from one half billion US dollars to one billion US dollars. At the same time the USAID US dollars for democracy and governance were cut.

Here are two results of increased military spending by the USA.

April 21, 2016

By Elsa Buchanan

Around sixty soldiers (click here) are still missing in Chad following the country's presidential elections on 9 and 10 April, despite opposition calls for an independent investigation into their disappearance.

Were they USA trained soldiers? Or did they simply pick up guns and wore a uniform? Were they terrorists with an opinion different than Idriss Deby? This is ridiculous. What makes any USA authority think more munitions is going to bring about stability, democracy and governance? 

The missing military are believed to have vanished after having voted against the incumbent president, Idriss Deby,  who is seeking a fifth term in office in the election contested by 13 candidates. Members of the armed forces voted on 9 April along with nomads, while the rest of the population voted on 10 April....

In Somalia children are used as spies. I suppose that is an improvement from being child soldiers.

May 7, 2016
By Kevin Sieff
Mogadishu, Somalia - For years (click here) they were children at war, boys given rifles and training by al-Qaeda-backed militants and sent to the front lines of this country’s bloody conflict. Many had been kidnapped from schools and soccer fields and forced to fight.
The United Nations pleaded for them to be removed from the battlefield. The United States denounced the Islamist militants for using children to plant bombs and carry out assassinations.
But when the boys were finally disarmed — some defecting and others apprehended — what awaited them was yet another dangerous role in the war. This time, the children say, they were forced to work for the Somali government.
The boys were used for years as informants by the country’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), according to interviews with the children and Somali and U.N. officials. They were marched through neighborhoods where al-Shabab insurgents were hiding and told to point out their former comrades. The faces of intelligence agents were covered, but the boys — some as young as 10 — were rarely concealed, according to the children. Several of them were killed. One tried to hang himself while in custody.
The Somali agency’s widespread use of child informants, which has not been previously documented, appears to be a flagrant violation of international law. It raises difficult questions for the U.S. government, which for years has provided substantial funding and training to the Somali agency through the CIA, according to current and former U.S. officials....

There are other incidents in Central Sub-Sahara Africa where American munitions is creating nightmares rather than safety, democracy, governance and peace. The USA has no reason to be in Sub-Sahara Africa if it cannot bring about a better quality of life for the people there. Giving munitions to African governments turns their leadership into tyrants and not a democracy. Where democracy is practiced there is government intervention to be sure the current leader is elected again, basically a tyrant. 

GUNS ARE NOT THE ANSWER TO ANYTHING!

The world has already witnessed the wrongful ways of the USA in an invasion into Iraq. Is the USA going to continue to destabilize the world and CREATE more danger for civilized governments? The political question frequently asked in the USA is "Are we safer today than before 911?" By this measure and the increasing military push by the USA military advisers in Sub-Sahara Africa; no the USA is not safer and neither are our allies, because the USA fuels the violence and does not eliminate it.

The military focus of the majority Republican Congress is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS to the USA, allies and third world countries.

George Zimmerman is becoming a multi-millionaire for shooting a young black man. Where is the law prohibiting this?

I consider this a human rights violation. It diminishes the value of life to monetary wealth. It is by far the most egregious expression of capitalism I've ever witnessed.

This is the result of anarchy. Gun laws that create vigilantism turn loose their worst fears and discrimination in life. The death of Trayvon Martin is a human's right violation as is the other wonderful young black men in the USA, including Tamir Rice. I think Tamir Rice is the youngest racist victim of gun violence in the USA to date. He is certainly the youngest since the global community began to learn of these inhumane conditions within the USA. 

March 13, 2016
By Jane Onyanga-Omar and Doug Stranglin

...The United Gun Group (click here) website began hosting the auction after another website, GunBroker.com, halted bidding. But United Gun Group briefly pulled the listing Thursday night, saying the auction was not in the organization's best interest.
“Our mission is to esteem the 2nd amendment and provide a safe and secure platform for firearms enthusiasts and law-abiding citizens; our association with Mr. Zimmerman does not help us achieve that objective," the organization wrote.
However, the auction was back up and running on the company’s website early Friday and the bid clock says it will be open for four more days.
GunBroker.com stopped the auction on its site Thursday and said Zimmerman never contacted anyone at the firm about the listing....

There are three of the five permanent members of the United Nation's Security Council in NATO.

Nuclear weapons (click here) are a core component of NATO’s overall capabilities for deterrence and defence alongside conventional and missile defence forces.... 

NATO is not about nuclear readiness for Europe, it is about the security of western civilization that is the focus.

NATO is mostly about conventional weapons and the size of any continental military force. The USA's nukes are needed in NATO, but, their conventional forces are important.

The formative years and privacy.

In the home environment gender is more or less invisible and on occasional play toy. Bothers play tricks on sisters and vice versa. If the home environment is healthy with a small measure of privacy for bathrooms, why can't school be a continuum? 

May 12, 2016
By Julia Hirschfeld Davis and Matt Apuzzo ...The move (click here) is certain to draw fresh criticism, particularly from Republicans, that the federal government is wading into local matters and imposing its own values on communities across the country that may not agree. It represents the latest example of the Obama administration using a combination of policies, lawsuits and public statements to change the civil rights landscape for gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people.After supporting the rights of gay people to marry, allowing them to serve openly in the military and prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against them, the administration is wading into the battle over bathrooms and siding with transgender people....

Quite possibly this is the first time in American education history the adults need to understand the definition of privacy to a child. Evidently, the sense of privacy begins about the age of two years old.

...Preschoolers (click here)

Why they need it: Now that they actually have a little independence, preschoolers can begin to manage some of the skills that come with it  -- like dressing themselves, pouring juice, or cutting with scissors  -- and they want to be alone while they're practicing them. "Preschoolers want to be like big kids, and it's harder to do that when Mom or Dad is hovering around wanting to help," says Smedley.

This is also the stage when kids' imaginations really take off. Pretending is how they work out conflicts, practice role-playing, and exert control in their lives  -- and they may get embarrassed if they know you're watching them playing pretend games.

How you'll know it: For many parents, the first sign that a child has truly grasped the concept of privacy comes when he closes the bathroom door. Where does this come from? Kids have seen their parents closing it all their lives-it's the most obvious act of privacy. They're not necessarily embarrassed about their bodies; they're just imitating grown-up behavior.

But don't be surprised if your preschooler orders you out of his room, too. Anna Gray Hart's 3-year-old daughter, Merrill, has taken to playing in the closet, carrying on elaborate conversations with a favorite stuffed animal. If Merrill catches her mom peeking, she says, "Go away, Mommy," and stops playing until she's alone again....

The real topic here is socialization and the sense of gender difference. I am sure Americans can identify the damage done to a transgender child that identifies with opposite gender than expressed by their physical gender. For the very young secondary sex characteristics are not developed and innocence is precious. Young children develop their sense of gender identity by their clothing and not their nudity. 

There are experts that can speak to the importance of gender identification and socialization.

"Duke Center for Child and Family Policy" (click here)

How qualified is qualified? Kenneth A. Dodge curriculum vitae (click here)

The United Nation's definition of child maltreatment (click here):

Child maltreatment refers to the physical and emotional mistreatment, sexual abuse, neglect and negligent treatment of children, as well as to their commercial or other exploitation. It occurs in many different settings. 

Gender identity is a powerful aspect of anyone's personality. A child should never be isolated in their perception of self in socialization growth. 

It is really amusing to think American parents might have problems in a new environment for transgender children. Americans simply don't know what to do with such ideas. That is unfortunate because parents are the strongest influence in a child's life. It is important every American child grow up happy and healthy in a society of acceptance. American parents have to shed the idea 'shame' is a good characteristic of a child's personality and behavior. 

To illustrate how clearly confusing this issue can be; when I was in High School I would occasionally where a "Lettered" (athletic letter) sweater or man's tie to school, sometimes both. My expression of masculine icons was not about gender identity is was about protests for gender equality. The idea outward expression alone is the key to gender identity can be a challenge. Even though cross dressing for me was a protest, it never moved me to attend a boys/man's bathroom. The transgender child will find identity with bathroom facilities and should be respected. This is the child's identity and not their protest.

It is my estimation that gender identity issues will manifest in schools rather than homes. Principals and teachers need to be ready to be a child's advocate.

Did Priebus and Trump have to get credentials in order to hold a political meeting at the US Capital?

I wasn't going to comment on this mess. But, I have an objection so here it is. I find it astounding a political meeting took place in the US Capital in the US Speaker's Office. This was completely outside the bounds of an organized and registered caucus within the US House. Caucus frequently use meeting rooms in the US Capital because it involves many elected officials with SECURITY CLEARANCES.

I realize Donald Trump as a Presidential Nominee must have a degree of security clearance. If Priebus has a national security clearance to the level that the US House Speaker has clearance I'll vehemently object.

What next, a convention?

May 12, 2016

By David Jackson 

Washington — Paul Ryan and Donald Trump (click here) pledged Thursday to work together to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the fall general election — though the Republican House speaker again stopped short of formally endorsing his party's presumptive presidential nominee.

"The United States cannot afford another four years of the Obama White House, which is what Hillary Clinton represents," Ryan and Trump said in a joint statement issued after their private meeting. "That is why it’s critical that Republicans unite around our shared principles, advance a conservative agenda, and do all we can to win this fall."

Ryan and Trump also said they were "honest about our few differences," and more discussions will be scheduled. They said they "remain confident there’s a great opportunity to unify our party and win this fall, and we are totally committed to working together to achieve that goal."...  

Expanding Medicare enrollment to age 55 is possible.

In 2008 a worrisome population in the USA lost their medical insurance and were denied COBRA. It took action by Washington, DC to open an agency to review the loss of medical benefits without a COBRA option. The population in the breach were Americans 55 and older. They lost jobs because of rapid economic contraction due to The Great Recession.

Recently we have learned the USA population of Caucasian men were at risk for illness while not having adequate health insurance.

"Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans, Study Finds" (click here)

This extension of Medicare benefits could help close the gap on necessary health care of all Americans age 55 to 65. It is a great idea and an important option for this population.

May 12, 2016
By The New York Times Editorial Board

Health policy experts (click here) have long argued that Congress should let older Americans buy into Medicare before they become eligible for it at 65. Hillary Clinton said this week that she supports this option, which could help expand coverage and cut the cost of insurance for some people.Many lawmakers, as well as former President Bill Clinton, have said in the past that people between 55 and 65 should be allowed to buy into Medicare, which has lower administrative costs than private insurance because it pays lower reimbursement rates to doctors and hospitals and does not have to turn a profit. Congress even considered this provision when it was debating the Affordable Care Act, but did not include it in the law because of opposition from Republicans, conservative Democrats and former Senator Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut independent....     

There was not sufficient intelligence to deploy more Americans into Benghazi.

This has already been discussed by the military in their investigation. It was decided to not send anymore military into Benghazi because the extent of involvement and deployment was not known. Previous to September 11, 2012 and after the removal of Qaddafi from power in Libya the intelligence regarding a chronically shifting authority was only being compiled. The lawsuit under Freedom for Information Act is the tail waging the dog.

At the time of the attack in Beghazi there was a drone sent by the USA military as provided in testimony to evaluate the conditions on the ground. It was correct for the US military to be on alert and prepare for deployment. But, deployment and preparation for deployment are two very, very different events. The decision to stop any deployment into Benghazi was not about diplomacy. It was about saving lives and the fact a deployment would only place more lives at risk without adequate intelligence.

There is no other media organization reporting this as a political decision. The freedom of information lawsuit was not necessary. There was TESTIMONY provided to the multiple Benghazi committees. It was publicly stated. A closed session meeting was not necessary in reporting those facts.

May 12, 2016
By Adam Housley
His squadron got the alert: a “real world mission was going down.” (click here)
The team – at Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy – raced to the field and was briefed, as planes were armed and prepared to launch. Hundreds of miles away, fellow Americans were under attack in Benghazi.
"There were people everywhere,” said the witness, who was on the ground that night but wished to remain anonymous. “That flight line was full of people, and we were all ready to go” to Benghazi. 
Only they were waiting for the order. It never came.
“The whole night we were told that we are waiting on a call,” he told Fox News....

There are storm today, but, interestingly enough is the fact there are two fronts each spinning in opposite directions.

Wind (click here)

May 9, 2016

Nehawka, Neb. (AP) — The Latest on severe weather(click here)  in the Plains (all times local):

9:15 p.m.

Officials say a tornado that swept through a rural southeast Nebraska town destroyed a home, while the homeowner hung onto a tree outside.

May 11, 2016

By Michael King and Samatha Mohr

(WXIA) -- For a second straight day, (click here) tornadoes tore through the nation's midsection, with the focus moving eastward after Monday's violent storms in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.
Tuesday afternoon, tornadoes began to spin up in northern Kentucky and southern Illinois, with storms moving through the Owensboro and Elizabethtown areas.
In the western Kentucky community of Mayfield, near Paducah, a tornado pounded through a parking lot, and was caught on Facebook video by Randall Reed.
11Alive meteorologist Samantha Mohr says the Mayfield tornado is an excellent example of a "multi-vortex tornado." 

Recall the fact this event resulted in multiple fronts the following day.

May 11, 2016
By Jonathan Conder
Oklahoma City —Most tornadoes (click here) spin counter-clockwise, but during Monday's tornado outbreak, one tornado was spinning clockwise or backwards.
Anticyclonic tornadoes are very, very rare, but a tornado near Roff, Oklahoma, was on the ground for almost 13 miles.
An anticyclonic twister developed about 6 miles north-northwest of Sulphur and moved northeast. The tornado has been rated as an EF1 tornado with winds up to 110 mph.
The tornado was likely wrapped in precipitation and not very visible. At the same time, a larger EF-3 tornado was on the ground, moving to the east, about 6 miles to the west of the anticyclonic tornado. One could even consider this rare tornado as it satellite tornado to moved around the larger tornadic circulation.

The physics involved in a phenomena such as this is noted in fluid mechanics. Air is a form of fluid. The energy (heat) was so high a resultant multiple vortexes resulted.

May 12, 2016
By Camila Domonoske

A second trial (click here) related to the death of Freddie Gray opens Thursday in Baltimore, where police Officer Edward Nero faces multiple misdemeanors in connection with the case.
Gray died April 19, 2015, after suffering a broken neck while in police custody — specifically, while being transported in a police van, medical examiners found. The following month, prosecutors announced charges against six police officers in connection with Gray's death.
Nero faces multiple misdemeanor charges, according to The Associated Press: second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.
NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that Nero is not being charged directly for Gray's death....

Elon Musk is championing the future, this time it is the homeland of Earth that is the focus.

May 12, 2016
By Marko della Cava

Las Vegas – The co-founders (click here) of a start-up aiming to upend earthbound transportation say they've had their Kitty Hawk moment.
Hyperloop One successfully demonstrated Wednesday one key part of how it plans to send people and cargo racing through cushioned tubes at nearly the speed of sound. This transportation alternative, its backers claim, could reduce the journey between Los Angeles and San Francisco to just 30 minutes.
“We are standing on hallowed ground for us,” said Shervin Pishevar, cofounder of Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One, which is among a few companies focused on the hyperloop technology.
What the gaggle of investors and journalists saw from metal risers planted in the desert north of Las Vegas was a lot more rudimentary than artists' rendering of the future, however.
Instead it was more a proof of concept, much like those first airborne moments shared by the Wright Brothers in their airplane.
A bare-metal sled — not a tube — rocketed down a track, with the sled elevated slightly by magnetic levitation technology. It accelerated at 2 g-force before hitting a patch of sand 100 yards down the line....

The Former First Laura Bush has written a book with her daughter Jenna to celebrate the USA's great national parks.

To help commemorate (click here) the one hundredth anniversary of the National Park Service, #1 New York Times bestselling authors former First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna Bush Hager have  created an exuberant picture book tribute to our national parks and the importance and fun of connecting with nature.

Our Great Big Backyard follows Jane, whose plans of spending the summer playing video games with her friends are dashed when her parents announce that her family is going on a road trip to national parks around the country. Yet somewhere between the Everglades and Big Bend National Park, things begin to change. Jane starts paying attention to the magnificent sights and spends less time looking at her screen. The stunning views open up her imagination as she and her brother see everything that nature has to offer. And the more Jane discovers, the more she realizes how much there is to love about the outdoors—whether she’s in a national park across the country or right in her own backyard.

The Former First Lady is also a new grandmother.

There is something a(click here) bout the bond between sisters that cannot be ignored.
For many years, Jenna Bush Hager has maintained a close relationship with her sibling Barbara Pierce Bush. And now, the Today show correspondent is witnessing the closeness between her own two daughters.
"The kids are great. One is three and the other one is nine months and they're really sweet together," Jenna shared with E! News when supporting her new book Our Great Big Backyard with mom and former First Lady Laura Bush. "They have the cutest bond as sisters."
She added, "I was telling my mom I think there's something in people's DNA to love their siblings."

May 12, 2016
By Jessica Hartogs

The gun used to kill Trayvon Martin, (click here) a young INNOCENT black teenager who was shot in Florida, is being auctioned at a starting bid of $5,000.
George Zimmerman, the man accused of killing Martin in 2012, has listed the Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm on a gun broker website.
"The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012," says Zimmerman, in the description.
The Trayvon Martin case sparked outrage nationwide when Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot and killed 17-year-old Martin in Sanford, FL....

Paul Ryan is defending the crony policies of the PAST. Donald Trump is a different type of candidate and the RNC needs to get rid of their corruption.

The RNC primaries are over. They have their candidate. The RNC needs to ready themselves for the national elections.

In 2008 the Republican White House and policies caused the global economic collapse called "The Great Recession". It was only short of The Great Depression. The American people have witnessed the corruption that caused the global economic collapse, AGAIN. The corruption manifested this time in an amendment attached to a brinkmanship national budget that was to remove regulations of the very instruments that crashed the financial markets in the first place in 2008. The corruption of the RNC is completely obvious.

The RNC should be embracing change. Below is a poverty map of the USA.(click here) There are only three states with below 11 percent averages, New Hampshire, Maryland and Connecticut. There is not one southern Red State below 17 percent. There needs to be radical change in the Republican Party.