GOP ADOPTS MODIFIED LOYALTY OATH – AT 11:15 A.M. ET:  We've been following this.  There's a faction in the GOP that wanted the party to adopt a rigid, drive-voters-away loyalty oath for its candidates.  Sanity prevailed, and a modified structure has been adopted by the Republican National Committee, as the Washington Times reports:

In an unprecedented move, the Republican National Committee on Friday unanimously called on its chairman,Michael S. Steele, to "carefully screen" candidates for their adherence to conservative values before granting them RNC financial help.

The resolution specifically calls on the national chairman to take into account the voting records and statements of all GOP candidates for evidence that they support the "core principles and positions" of the party's national platform, widely regarded as a highly conservative document.

"The brilliant part of the resolution is that it is tied to the party platform ... that has been thought out, debated and passed unanimously at our national convention," North Dakota GOP Chairman Gary Emineth told The Washington Times after he and his fellow RNC members passed the resolution.

COMMENT:  Frankly, I wish they hadn't passed anything like this.  It's not necessary.  Leave the sorting out to primary voters in the several states. 

But, having taken the step, at least the GOP left plenty of loopholes.  Decisions will be up to the national chairman, who's not ideologically rigid, and state parties. 

The procedure might actually do some good if it screens out the small number of crackpots and hopelessly unqualified candidates who slip through each year.  It also reminds us that reasonable adherence to basic principles is necessary in a political party.  The term "core principles and positions" is important.  It doesn't require adherence to every comma and period. 

We'll have to see how this works out.  I'll be writing in coming days of two Republican aspirants for U.S. Senate seats who don't deserve party support.  They'll be test cases. 

January 30, 2010