Chuck Muth: Invasion of the Gumby Republicans

Pardon me while I quote from the 2012 Nevada Republican Party Platform:

"We strongly support those in public office who resist higher taxes and fees, and seek to reduce the size, cost and scope of government at all levels. We believe the residents of the State of Nevada are not under-taxed and that state government is not under-funded, and our current budget crisis is the result of years of overspending. We oppose raising taxes or fees of any kind to fund the current budget shortfall."

Now, that's in the official GOP platform.

So when I criticize "Gumby" (ask your mom) Republican candidates for taking "flexible" positions contrary to the official GOP platform, don't shoot the conservative messenger; get mad at them, not me. And with that in mind...

Republican state Sen. Michael Roberson has gone from saying in 2011 that "It's the lazy legislator who says we can't balance the budget and need to raise taxes" to saying in 2012 that he now supports re-imposing $620 million worth of "temporary" tax hikes.

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

Las Vegas Sun reporter David McGrath Schwartz recently wrote that Republican state Sen. Greg Brower - who signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge last year while running in a GOP primary race for Congress, but has refused to sign it this year while running for re-election - has "promised not to cut education, even if that means raising taxes."

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

In a separate story, Schwartz also reports that Republican state senate candidate Mari Nakashima St. Martin said she was willing to extend "some or all of the ("temporary" tax hike) sunsets."

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas columnist Steve Sebelius notes that Republican state senate candidate Steve Kirk "went out of his way" in his debate with his Democrat opponent last week to tell everybody he was not against raising taxes. "If we determine that we need to raise taxes," Kirk said, "let's do our job."

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

Sebelius also noted that Republican state Senate candidate Mark Hutchison took a similar line in his own debate last week. "Am I willing to talk about revenues?" he said at one point. "Of course, I am."

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

Republican Assemblyman Scott Hammond voted for the $620 million "temporary" tax hike last year and is now running for the state Senate this year without telling voters how he'll vote on re-imposing those tax hikes again next year. But we all know in our hearts that in his heart he's a "yes" vote.

Despite what the official Republican Party Platform says.

And some still wonder why I left the GOP?

• Chuck Muth is president of CitizenOutreach.com.