GOP Shifts Further Right After Cantor Defeat

The death wish of the GOP over the longer term continues as the party shifts further right after Eric Cantor's primary defeat - even as the nation as a whole fails to move in that direction.  Indeed, the GOP's fixation on appeasing a shrinking base of angry white voters has not let up.  Never mind the surging Hispanic population and the younger generation's revulsion towards the far right social issues that are dejure with the insane, Christofascist dominated GOP base.  A piece in Talking Points Memo looks at this continued GOP slide toward becoming the crazy party.  Here are excerpts:

If anyone doubted that the Republican Party would become more conservative after the ousting of Eric Cantor, his successor put those doubts to rest over the weekend.

In an interview with Fox News, incoming House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) revealed leadership's first significant policy shift: opposition to reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank when its current charter expires on Sept. 30, a move that would shutter the credit agency.

"One of the problems with government is it's going to take hard earned money so others do things that the private sector can do. That's what Ex-Im Bank does," he said. "I think Ex-Im Bank is one that government does not have to be involved in. The private sector can do it."

The Ex-Im Bank, first established in 1934, is tasked with boosting the exports of American goods and services through loans and guarantees. In fiscal year 2013, the Ex-Im bank supported $37.4 billion in U.S. exports and 205,000 export-related American jobs, the agency estimated.

One of the most avowed opponents of the Ex-Im Bank is Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)  . . . . Hensarling is no ordinary conservative troublemaker. The six-term congressman is respected by Republicans and beloved by the activist right, which has been pushing him to mount a dark-horse bid to unseat John Boehner as Speaker next year.

McCarthy also shifted his tone on the issue of immigration reform. In January, the Californian, who hails from a district that is 35 percent Hispanic, championed "legal status that will allow [people living in the U.S. illegally] to work and pay taxes."

On Sunday McCarthy was singing a different tune, telling Fox News that the House should do "nothing about immigration until we secure the borders." He added: "The borders are not secure." He didn't specify what would constitute a secure border, leaving enough room to oppose immigration reform no matter what happens at the border.