Southern-Fried Republicans: I'm not a big fan of beating up on the South. My father hails from Louisiana and I still have many of my "peoples" there. I also love the Southern accent. Regardless, I think Michael Lind's article explains a lot about the state of the GOP today. It does tend to border on the conspiracy-theory, but other than that what we are seeing in the Republican Party is "southernification." I have started to see it here in Minnesota as well. Minnesota is in the midst of a budget crunch as most states are. Gov. Tim Pawlenty decided that this was a good time to put the government on a diet saying the state spends too much. The fiscal conservative in me might agree, until we see the cuts which are aimed at low and moderate income people. The suburban well to do are sparred the tough choices. The GOP and the governor are against any tax increase whatsoever.

Here in the North Country, we have come to expect high-quality governmental services. We don't see government doing everything, but Minnesotans knew that to have a good society, one needed a good and well funded government. The state GOPs plan evicerates that heritage, one that also included moderate Republicans.

It's one thing to control spending, it is another to hurt the weak to do it.

In my view it is time that the few moderates that have the courage to call themselves Republicans speak out and take back the party. The South is a wonderful place, but frankly, I don't want an entire country to look like Louisiana.