How Does Dave Reichert Fare on GOP's New Purity Test?

Bonus points awarded for American flag back-drop.

​The purging of moderates has been the hot topic of conversation recently around Republican water coolers. Now a member of the party's national committee has taken that talk and turned it into a standardized test.

Conservative attorney Jim Bopp, Jr. has just introduced a Ronald Reagan-inspired litmus test designed to weed out moderates from the Republican Party. Bopp, author of the similarly constructive effort to rename the Democratic Party the "Democrat Socialist Party," has come up with a 10-question quiz that represents what he thinks represent the party's core values.

Invoking Reagan -- who said that "someone who agreed with him 8 out of 10 times was his friend, not his opponent" -- Bopp and his backers argue that if a Republican candidate scores less than 80% he or she should be denied party funds or an endorsement. Which got us wondering: Is Bellevue Republican Dave Reichert friend or foe?

Here is Bopp's test. Below each question is our best guess as to how Reichert would answer, since his people have yet to return our e-mails.

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama's "stimulus" bill;

Reichert joined 177 other Republicans in voting against the March stimulus bill. He is now 10% pure.

(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;

Reichert also voted against the House health care reform bill. He is now 20% pure.

(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;

Reichert drew the ire of Republicans by being one of only eight to vote in favor of cap and trade. He remains 20% pure.

(4) We support workers' right to secret ballot by opposing card check;

Card check has yet to come up for a vote. And Nexis doesn't show Reichert leaning one way or the other. But based on his party-line-bucking vote in favor of letting discriminated workers sue for punitive damages, let's just assume Reichert is a wild-card on this one and call it even. He is now 25% pure.

(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

Reichert has voted in favor of amnesty in the past. He remains 25% pure and is now guaranteed a failing grade.

(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;

Mostly supported the first surge. Unsure about second. He is now 35% pure.

(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;

Voted in favor of Iranian sanctions. And who isn't in favor of keeping nukes away from North Korea? Reichert is now 45% pure.

(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;

So does Dave! 55% and getting purer all the time.

(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and

Already covered this. Oh so close, yet oh so far away at 65%.

(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership.

So does the former Sheriff.

So where does that leave Reichert? Stuck at 75% pure. Technically not clean enough for Bopp and his kind, but damn near close to a friend of Reagan's.