[[File:Kel-rino.jpg|thumb|250px|Sergeant [[Jesse Kelly]] runs for Congress in Arizona in 2009 and attacks the RINOs in the GOP]]
A '''RINO''' ('''R'''epublican '''i'''n '''N'''ame '''O'''nly), describes politicians who claim to be [[Republican Party|Republican]] but are in fact [[liberal]], and therefore generally debase the winning conservative coalition base of the Republican Party. The term is used to characterize an officeholder or candidate who is a member of the [[Republican Party]], but holds views outside the mainstream Republican Party such as support for raising taxes, [[abortion]] as [[Pro-choice|a right]], [[gay rights]] and [[gun control]]. RINOs and Reform Democrats typically come from [[New England]] or West Coast states. A less-used term is '''[[cafeteria conservative]]''', for a person who picks and chooses which [[conservative]] principles to believe, as a person might choose foods in a cafeteria instead of ordering the full-course ''menu'' selected by the chef at high-class restaurants.<ref>[http://www.manp.org/association-spotlight/archives/james-carville-mary-matalin-he-said-she-said James Carville & Mary Matalin: He Said, She Said]</ref> In contrast to RINO's and cafeteria conservatives, [[movement conservative]]s understand that since conservative philosophy is a coherent whole, it is untenable to discard part of it without discarding all of it.

The targets of attack argue they follow middle of the road policies and are not liberals; they claim they get results, and insist that without them the [[United States Congress|Congress]] would be totally controlled by liberal [[Democratic Party|Democrats]] and Republicans would rarely have any success. Conservatives respond that in the heyday of "Rockefeller liberalism" in the GOP the Democrats always controlled Congress, and the GOP only took power when [[Newt Gingrich]] launched a national conservative "Contract with America" in 1994, ending 40 years of Democratic control of the [[United States House of Representatives|House]].

In recent Republican [[Primary election|primaries]], voters have been rejecting establishment RINOs in favor of those with stronger conservative principles. Their commitment to self and not party is evident in their refusal to endorse the candidate that beats them. In some instances, they refuse the will of the voters and their party by running for office on an [[Independent candidate|independent ticket]].

== RINOs ==
*Senator [[Olympia J. Snowe]] of [[Maine]]

*Senator [[Susan Collins]] of [[Maine]]

*Senator [[Lindsey Graham]] of [[South Carolina]]

*Senator [[Scott Brown]] of [[Massachusetts]]

*Senator [[Lisa Murkowski]] of [[Alaska]]

*Senator [[Mark Kirk]] of [[Illinois]]

*Senator [[Richard Lugar]] of [[Indiana]]

*Senator [[John McCain]] of [[Arizona]]

*Governor [[Mitch Daniels]] of [[Indiana]]

*Former Senator [[George Voinovich]] of [[Ohio]]

*Former Senator [[Gordon Smith]] of [[Oregon]]

*Former Senator [[Charles Mathias]] of [[Maryland]]

*Former Senator [[Bob Bennett]] of [[Utah]]

*Former Senator [[Chuck Hagel]] of [[Nebraska]]

*Former Vice-President and Senator [[Nelson Rockefeller]] of [[New York]]

*Former Congressman [[Christopher Shays]] of [[Connecticut]]

*Former Congressman [[Tom Campbell]] of [[California]]

*Former Congressman [[Michael Castle]] of [[Delaware]]

*Former Congressman [[Joseph Cao]] of [[Louisiana]]

*Former Congressman [[Joe Scarborough]] of [[Florida]]

*Former Governor [[Jon Huntsman, Jr.]] of [[Utah]]

*Former Governor [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] of [[California]]

*Former Governor [[Linda Lingle]] of [[Hawaii]]

*Former Governor [[George Pataki]] of [[New York]]

*Former Governor and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator [[Christine Todd Whitman]] of [[New Jersey]]

*Former Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]]

*Former Secretary of [[Homeland Security]] [[Tom Ridge]].

*Former Press Secretary [[Scott McClellan]]

*Former [[New York City]] Mayor [[Rudy Giuliani]]

*Former New York Congressional Candidate [[Dede Scozzafava]]

*Transportation Secretary [[Ray Lahood]]

*Lawyer [[Ted Olson]] of [[California]]

*State Senator Allan Kittleman of [[Maryland]], for promoting homosexual [[special rights]]<ref>[http://voices.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2011/02/gop_senator_announces_support.html GOP senator announces support for Md. same-sex marriage bill]</ref>

*Commentator [[Meghan McCain]], daughter of John McCain

*Columnist [[David Frum]]

*Columnist [[David Brooks]]

*Actor [[Clint Eastwood]], for promoting homosexual special rights<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/clint-eastwood-supports-gay-marriage-sort-231410225.html Clint Eastwood on same-sex "marriage"]</ref>

*Presidential candidate [[Fred Karger]], for supporting the [[homosexual agenda]], abortion rights, and Marijuana legalization.<ref>[http://fredkarger.com/issues Fred Karger's campaign website]</ref>

==Former RINOs==

*Former Senator [[Arlen Specter]] of [[Pennsylvania]], who became a Democrat in 2009.

*Former Senator [[Lincoln Chafee]] of [[Rhode Island]], who became an Independent in 2007.

*Former Senator [[Lowell Weicker]] of [[Connecticut]], who left the party and formed his own local one in 1990, then became an Independent in 1995.

*[[New York City]] Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]], who became an Independent in 2007.

*Former Senator [[Jim Jeffords]] of [[Vermont]], who left the Party and became a Democrat in 2001, giving control of the [[United States Senate|Senate]] to the Democrats.

*Former Governor [[Charlie Crist]] of [[Florida]], who became an independent in 2010 after it was clear he would lose his Senate bid.

*Former Representative [[John Anderson]] of [[Illinois]], who became an Independent after losing his party's presidential primary in 1980.

==RINO McCain==

A majority of conservatives distrust RINO [[John McCain]] even though many of his policies are that of a true conservative. Key RINO principles rejected by McCain include support for [[gay rights]], support for [[abortion]], and support for [[earmark]]s. He has positioned his career as a bipartisan moderate, reaching across the aisle whenever possible. This is also his downfall. The era of reaching across the aisle passed -- when [[statist]], [[socialist]] Democrats became Senators. His major political blunders mostly came during the 21st century political period. He was against both the Reagan and Bush [[tax cuts]], and employed [[class warfare]] rhetoric in trying to stop the tax cuts from taking effect. His support for amnesty was the complete opposite of what conservatives wanted. He has always complained about [[enhanced interrogation techniques]], calling them "[[torture]]". In non-election years, he likes to trash conservative positions and icons in order to get the [[Mainstream media|media]]'s and Democrats' approval. However, during the election he refused to go after [[Barack Hussein Obama]]'s associations with [[Jeremiah Wright]]. He believes in the junk science known as [[global warming]], and has supported cap-and-trade programs. Another [[Middle East]] war, without a goal, without full commitment to win, without Congressional approval- McCain supports the President. It didn't stop there and in July 2011, he called the [[Tea Party]], the people that care about fiscal sanity in Washington, they are "hobbits".

The sacrifices he has made serving this country cannot be overlooked. John McCain has earned war hero status but also the status as a D.C. zero.

==External Links==
* [http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/05/1615233/in-senate-primary-california-republicans.html In Senate primary, California Republicans run away from RINO label]
* [http://www.commieblaster.com/RINO/index.html CommieBlaster RINO Index]

==See Also==
*[[PLINO]] - [[pro-life]] in name only
*[[XINO]] - [[Christian]] in name only
*[[Republican Party]]
*[[Moderate Republican]]
*[[Conservative Democrat]]
*[[Blue Dog Democrat]]
*[[Reagan Democrat]]
*[[Catholic in name only]]
*[[Liberal media conservative]]

{{Liberalism}}

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Conservative]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]