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This is an opinion column.

Youve met him before, my Reasonable Republican friend. Ive mentioned him in previous columns, shared his insights, his perspectives on some of the hot buttons out here making folks apoplectic.

Sometimes we agree. Quite often, in fact.

Sometimeswell, our friendship matters more.

Weve known each other since high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Weve laughed and shared and debated for decades, so many we no longer calculate. Decades as we navigated the evolution of our respective lives. As he became a doctor, an OBGYN in Texas. As he obtained a Theology Masters. All while feeding his passion for sailing.

Most of all, weve respected each other at every juncture of the journey, through every back and forth.

We treasure what we have in common far beyond anything upon which we may differ.

Like me, hes a Christian, so our views are shaped and guided by our faith. By the greatest commandment. By Love thy neighbor. Period.

Politically, he describes himself as a fiscally conservative social liberal.

As I scratched my head, he explained: One who believes in less government regulation of trade, lower taxes, but advocates coordinated private assistance to those in need and seeks to be neither judgmental nor, worse, prejudicial.

Sounds reasonable.

Yet my RR friend grew frustrated as his party abandoned large swathes of policiespolicies that may be nuanced or complicated, or perhaps beyond the comprehension (or interest) of the average voter. Like trade. Like pursuing for their region the millions of federal dollars allocated each year to build and rebuild outdated roads, bridges, stormwater systems, and the like, no matter who occupies the Oval Office.

Hes exasperated with Republican lawmakers who hold their noses at any position or policy that might actually enhance lives. Like, in our state, Medicaid expansion. Or providing rural residents in places such as the Black Belt with systems that dont spit raw sewage, not their yard.

Hes even more agitated at the Republicans gluttony for red-meat social hot buttons. For Boogiemen.

Like eradicating a womans personal choice before shes likely to even know shes pregnant.

Like suppressing Black voters under a Trump-fueled delusion of fraud.

Like flailing on about critical race theory when most of them cant define it.

Like whatever they were mad at Judge (soon to be Supreme Court Associate Justice) Ketanji Brown Jackson about during confirmation hearings. Whatever made them act with ignorant petulance.

UNITED STATES - MARCH 24: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., left, questions witnesses as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, looks on, on the fourth day of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Bidens nominee for Associate Justice to the Supreme Court, in Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, on Thursday, March 24, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag

Texas should uniformly be embarrassed by [Sen.] Ted Cruz, my RR said after the Republican senators histrionics with a childrens book. As a Black man, I hope you dont think the Cruzes and [Sen. Lindsey] Grahams in any way speak for white America (Oh, did I mention my RR friend is white?)only twisted, perverse, self-serving, vocal judgmental white America.

Alright then. No, I told him, I dont broad-brush all whites with the pitiable, commandment-defying antics of white Republican lawmakersnationally or in our own blood-red state.

Our Republicans aimed their ignorance and fear at transgender youth just trying to live just as Bull Connor aimed firehoses at children just trying to live free almost 60 years ago.

Their new all-but unenforceable, big-government laws are embarrassing intrusions into the lives of trans youth (like where they can handle natural body functions), their families, and their physicians. They dont protect children, as Republicans lamely claim, but bully and demean them.

Stupid laws, my RR friend asserts. Born of fear and misunderstanding by people who think transgenders are people who are somehow perverted rather than simply people whose genetic makeup has misaligned their psyche with their physical form. Fear that they are also somehow sexual predators.

The transgender population makes up what, 0.4%?, he says. One-point-four million out of 350 million. It shouldnt even be an issue.

Yet another point of agreement.

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Of his party, my RR friend went right to Scriptureto Romans 1: 21:

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became future and their foolish hearts were darkened.

There is no moderate wing of either party, as far as I can tell, he texted recently (not one of the points upon which we wholly agree, though I digress). But there is no more embarrassing position than the far-right yuck. Its really a shame. People used to be able to be Republicans without being embarrassed about it. Lately, I find them on the wrong side of every single issue I care about. Theres no safe space anymore for a fiscally conservative social liberal.

No safe space, it seems, for a Reasonable Republican.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. McConnell was critical of the federal budget put forward by President Joe Biden. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Getty Images

I dont want to believe that, honestly. I dont want to believe my friend is the last Reasonable Republican. I want to believe there are more out there like him. More Republicans who really believe in less government and more empathy.

More Republicans who love their neighborseven those different from themselves. Those whose choices they dont understand or embrace.

More Republicans who are guided by faith, not fear. By compassion, not condemnation.

More Republicans

My RR friend is so infuriated with his party right now that he shared this: You can even call me your Reasonable former Republican physician theologian sailing friend.

Reasonable Republicans, if there are any of yall left out there, please stand.

Reasonably soon.

More columns by Roy S. Johnson

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Roy S. Johnson is a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary and winner of 2021 Edward R. Morrow prize for podcasts: Unjustifiable, co-hosted with John Archibald. His column appears in The Birmingham News and AL.com, as well as the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Press-Register. Reach him at rjohnson@al.com, follow him at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj.

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Any reasonable, empathic Republicans left out there? If so, its time for you to stand - AL.com

In case you missed it: the Idaho Capital Suns coverage of the state of the Idaho Democratic Party

Because they have long held a supermajority and dominated Idaho politics, next months Republican primary elections are expected to be among the most competitive and influential races in a vital election year for Idaho.

Based on decades of political dominance in Idaho and Democrats not running candidates in most races, the May 17 Republican primary elections will answer the question of who controls the Republican Party and, therefore, sets the policy and political agenda for years to come.

With the closed primary, that has become basically the general election because Idaho is such a strong red state, said former Republican Speaker of the Idaho House Bruce Newcomb.

The 2022 elections are the most important elections in years. All 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature are up for election, and all statewide offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction are up as well.

History and electoral dynamics are certainly on the Republicans side. Although the Idaho Senate was split 21-21 in 1991 and 1992, the Republicans have controlled a majority in the Idaho Legislature since 1959, with the exception of those two years.

Republicans have also won every statewide office since 2002, when Democrat Marilyn Howard was re-elected superintendent of public instruction.

And even before a single vote in the 2022 elections is counted, Republicans know they will continue to enjoy a supermajority in 2023. Of the 105 legislative seats up for election this year, there are no Democrats running for 60 of the seats.

For the 2022 elections, the goals are clear, Idaho Republican Party Chairman Tom Luna told the Idaho Capital Sun. Republicans want to retain every statewide office and expand their supermajority in the Legislature. Theyre also looking to expand their political empire beyond the Statehouse.

Most recently we have been involved with what traditionally have been nonpartisan offices to get more conservative voices at the school board and city and county level, Luna said. That is the nature of success, keep what we have and expand what we have.

Supermajorities have interesting and complicated effects on elections and politics, said Jaclyn Kettler, associate professor of political science at Boise State University.

Republicans holding such a large majority in the state, whether you look at all the statewide offices or a supermajority in Legislature, actually provide some challenges to both parties, Kettler said. Republicans have internal division and Democrats face a few struggles, and one is perhaps even being able to recruit candidates to run.

Luna said the primaries are when Republicans hammer out their differences and decide which direction the party will head.

As I travel around the state, its still very clear to me Republicans agree on 80% of policy and 80% of values, but it is during the primary we debate the 20% we dont agree on.

Its pretty clear we have legislative candidates that represent different wings of the party, Luna added. As a state party, we dont get involved with supporting candidates in the primary. We let the voters decide.

But Idaho Democratic Party chair Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise, said division within the Republican Party isnt merely about debating policies about how to cut taxes and reduce government regulation. She said the Republican Party and the Idaho House have moved farther to the right and pushed divisive and extremism.

Idahoans in all walks of life are seeing extremism play out in the Idaho Legislature and are deeply concerned about the future of our state, Necochea said. Examples she gave included reducing funding for higher education and the library commission, GOP efforts to remove a statute that protects librarians from imprisonment, passing a Texas-style abortion law and the Republicans focus on so-called indoctrination and critical race theory in school.

Newcomb, a Republican who held the Houses top leadership position from 1999 through 2006, said he is worried about how the closed Republican primary election, which is only open to voters affiliated with the Republican Party, politicizes the party.

The big thing is we have become much more partisan, particularly the Republican Party and factions in dissent within the party, Newcomb said. If you look at Take Back Idaho, which includes (former state Republican officials) Ben Ysursa, Jim Jones, myself and Bob Geddes, we are concerned about the state Legislature in terms of addressing policy rather than conspiracy theories. There are factions (in the GOP) where we have CRT, critical race theory and those people buying into those stuff. Basically, in the beginning, hardly anybody could define it and no matter how much you shoot at it, it just keeps rising up. Now it is present in a lot of peoples campaigns and it shouldnt be.

Since helping launch the Take Back Idaho PAC and saying he wants to push for the removal of extremists from the Legislature, Newcomb has been called a RINO, or Republican in Name Only.

Newcomb said the name-calling and meanness is illustrative of the partys shift and problems.

The other thing is campaigns have become so ugly and dissident that good people are reluctant to get involved.

Newcomb said Republicans deserve the blame for the division and extremism that has crept into the party and for underestimating the sophistication of divisive social media content.

A lot of it is people, like myself, were kind of asleep at the switch and thinking this will correct itself but it just keeps gaining momentum, Newcomb said.

Political scientist David Adler, the president of the nonprofit Alturas Institute in Idaho Falls, said the party has shifted so far to the right he doesnt see much distinction between Idaho Republicans, particularly in the Idaho House of Representatives. If there are differences, Adler said they should be measurable such as differences in voting records or by elected officials who stand up and denounce policies such as cutting funding for libraries and education or pursuing a bill that critics worried could lead to jailing libraries for material harmful to minors.

Adler points to two bills over the past two years that he says are illustrative of the state of the Republican Party in Idaho. One is this years abortion law, Senate Bill 1309. Every Republican but Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, voted for it and GOP Gov. Brad Little signed it into law. (Wood is retiring and will not return to the Idaho Legislature next year).

The other is the so-called anti indoctrination, anti critical race theory bill from 2021. The only Republican to vote against House Bill 377 was Sen. Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston.

Its one thing to say you represent a more moderate wing of the Republican Party and offer a distinctive voice than that offered by the far right, Adler said. But if in fact your voting record mirrors the far right, then essentially there is no moderate conservative wing in the Republican Party.

Adler thinks the move to the right could eventually be damaging to the Idaho Republican Party, but it will take Idahoans deciding GOP policies dont work for regular Idaho families and launching a sustained move to attract independent and moderate voters to reshape the Democratic Party.

It would marginalize the far right in Idaho; it would place them on an island, Adler said.

For his part, Luna disagreed with Adler, Newcomb and Necochea.

We have a physiological difference on the proper role of government, Luna said. You have one side that really believes the answer is bigger government and more programs, right, more government programs. On the other side, Republicans insist on less government and know you need strong families. So everything we do should be building strong families, whatever your definition of families. We dont need big government where families are weak and not able to function as a unit and rely more and more on government programs. It is a different approach, where we want to strengthen families and strengthen the support system.

Luna said Republicans resisted extremism and anti-government activist Ammon Bundy, an independent candidate who originally announced he would run for governor as a Republican before going independent.

You saw that play out in its natural course, Luna said. He was not a Republican, he had never voted as a Republican and he realized he didnt have a place in the Republican Party and became the poster child of a RINO.

Luna said Republicans get criticized for their beliefs and infighting and but dont get enough credit for their accomplishments.

When I talk to the national press, I remind them we are the least regulated state and have one of the best economies in the country with two years in a row of massive tax cuts and rebates, Luna said. Its not an accident. Its the result of a robust and engaged Republican Party. When you write whats wrong with the Republican Party? or whats the future of the Republican Party? remind people it is that same Republican Party that created one of the fastest growing states, a state that is so attractive to others because of low regulations, reduced taxes and what I believe is a good education system for the money we spend.

Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: [emailprotected] Follow Idaho Capital Sun on Facebook and Twitter.

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Primary elections 2022: State of the Idaho Republican Party - Idaho EdNews

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is expanding his network with plans to campaign for his fellow Republicans in this years midterm elections.

Kristin Davison, senior adviser for Youngkins political activity, confirmed to The Hill on Thursday that the governor launched two organizations to support his work in politics that can accept contributions. There is no maximum donation size.

One of the groups is a 527 political action committee dubbed Spirit of Virginia, and the other is Americas Spirit, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. The latter will be required to disclose who is contributing funds, and there are some regulations regarding how the money is used.

Davison told Politico, which first reported on Youngkins plans for campaigning, that the two new organizations will expand on the themes Youngkin spoke about during his own campaign for the governor.

Looking to 2022, Gov. Youngkin will continue to grow that movement and help other candidates win, especially those that will turn blue states red, just as he did in Virginia last year, Davison said.

Spirit of Virginia has already started running advertisements, one of which focuses on passing a budget that helps all Virginians. The video specifically advocates for eliminating the grocery tax, cutting taxes for veterans and returning a tax surplus to Richmond lawmakers.

Youngkin won Virginias gubernatorial race in November, besting former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to become the first Republican to win a statewide election in the commonwealth since 2009.

He sought to campaign in a way that walked a fine line regarding former President Trump he said he was honored to be endorsed by the ex-president, but the two did not appear together on the trail.

His campaign focused largely on issues of education, especially parents influence over school boards, which some Republicans are looking to embrace going forward.

Thirty-six states will head to the polls this year to elect a new governor, though it remains unclear which contests Youngkin is going to campaign in.

Youngkin, who before winning the governorship was the CEO of a private equity firm, will only serve one term as chief of the Old Dominion because of the commonwealths constitution.

Asked during an interview with CNBCs Squawk Box last week if he has political ambitions greater than the governorship, Youngkin said Ive got a new job in Virginia and Im extremely excited to be doing it, according to WMAL.

Julia Manchester contributed to this report.

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Youngkin to campaign for Republicans in 2022 - The Hill

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chair of the House GOP conference, talks about inflation more than any other member of Congress more than once a day, according to new data compiled by Quorum.

Why it matters: Since Jan. 1, 2022, Republican lawmakers have mentioned inflation six times more than their Democratic counterparts. They're focusing on it as President Biden gets hammered in the polls and vulnerable Democrats fear getting sunk in the November midterms.

Driving the news: While digging through the data, Axios learned Republican lawmakers are using the historically high price hikes to attack Biden specifically, rather than Democrats as a whole.

What they're saying: "Joe Biden and House Democrats are woefully out of touch and have shredded any and all credibility on this issue when they embarrassingly claimed that inflation is 'transitory,' and now condescendingly attempt to convince the American people to blame Putin for Bidenflation," Stefanik told Axios in a statement.

Top 10 Republicans who discuss inflation the most:

Top 10 Democrats:

Inflation has not only become a major flashpoint in domestic politics but the biggest and most prominent line of attack from Republicans ahead of this fall's midterms. They've also leaned heavily on the monthly release of the Consumer Price Index to further fuel their inflationary messaging.

By the numbers: Since Jan. 1, Republicans have mentioned "inflation" on their official Twitter accounts and Facebook, through press releases, in floor statements and in newsletters to constituents 8,158 times, Quorum found.

Editors note: This story, first published on April 17, has been updated with new reporting showing the lawmakers that discuss inflation the most.

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Republicans shouting from the rooftops about inflation - Axios

A proposal by House Republicans to add term limits for committee chairs and ranking members to House rules if they win back control of the chamber is getting some enthusiastic support from GOP lawmakers with a side of hesitation.

Punchbowl News reported Monday that the House GOP is considering such a change, which would block several senior Democrats from keeping their top committee spots next year and force other Democrats out of coveted top slots.

The House Republican Conference already has a longtime internal rule that prohibits members from serving more than three consecutive terms as a ranking member or chair of a committee, but the House Democratic Caucus does not limit how long a lawmaker may serve in those roles on a panel.

The proposal won praise from Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), who backs legislation to amend the Constitution to impose term limits on all members of Congress.

Putting term limits on committee leadership ensures were putting the best players in these powerful positions every single term, Burchett said. Republicans have been doing this for years, but Democrats have been content to hand these roles to whichever members have been in Washington the longest.

A GOP lawmaker who did not want to be identified heard about the proposal for the first time on Monday morning and said that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has not discussed the idea with the conference yet.

My own view, and I suspect the view of many rank-and-file members, is that it would be a very good idea. As a general premise, we (conservatives) believe in merit-based leadership appointments, and not seniority, the lawmaker said.

If adopted, such a rule would prompt a wave of committee leadership turnover among Democrats, some of whom have served as their partys top leaders on powerful panels for decades.

Rep. Nydia Velzquez (N.Y) has led Democrats on the House Small Business Committee since 1998, while House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) has held his partys top spot on that panel since 2005. Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.) rose to being the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee in 2005.

But some are not convinced that such a move is in the best interest of the GOP conference.

Its a good way to get back at bad actors like Bennie Thompson, who definitely earned it. But I dont see why wed want less stale and overbearing Democrat leadership. The rule mismatch is one reason GOP leaders are younger and more responsive, one House GOP aide told The Hill.

Younger and newer House Democrats have long expressed discontent about a lack of term limits for the partys top officials on committees, arguing that the current system provides few opportunities for advancement and prevents new ideas from being injected into policymaking.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in 2018 that she was sympathetic to those concerns.

Its a good rule. We dont want Democrats to have better rules, the GOP aide said.

A rule change could also be a way for Republicans to play hardball with Democrats in response to stripping Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) of their committee assignments.

Greene was kicked off the House Budget and Education and Labor committees over her past incendiary remarks and social media activity that appeared to endorse violence against Democrats that included liking a comment calling for Pelosis assassination.

Gosar was removed after he posted an animated video that depicted him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

When the Democrats voted to remove Republican members from committees, they pierced the veil and justified Republican members who want to make sure everybodys abiding by the same rules next year, Burchett said.

McCarthy has previously pledged to block some Democratic members from certain committee assignments as payback for Democrats removing the GOP members, including blocking Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from the House Intelligence Committee over being targeted by an alleged Chinese spy. McCarthy also has his eye on stripping Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) of her spot on the House Foreign Affairs Committee over remarks that were seen as antisemitic.

Top Republicans have had doubts in the past about the conferences three-term rule for chairs and ranking members. In the last congressional cycle, the GOPs term limit rule was seen as a factor that contributed to a wave of House Republican retirements from top committee members who would have been blocked from another term.

House Republicans should allow Chairs of Committees to remain for longer than 6 years, former President Trump tweeted in September 2019. It forces great people, and real leaders, to leave after serving. The Dems have unlimited terms. While that has its own problems, it is a better way to go. Fewer people, in the end, will leave!

Shortly after that, McCarthy reportedly floated the idea of easing the conferences term limit requirement, which might have included not counting a term as ranking member to the three-term limit. The change was ultimately not made.

Making such a change to House rules could also directly impact Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), who has reportedly been lobbying for a waiver to the term limit rule from House GOP leaders to stay the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee for a fourth term next year.

House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Kevin Brady (Texas), the only other Republican who would need a waiver to the rule to stay in his top committee slot next year, is retiring from Congress at the end of this year.

McCarthys office did not respond to a request for comment.

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Republicans hail proposal to impose committee term limits on both parties - The Hill