What is the Republican Party actively doing to discourage racism in their party?

The same thing that society is general is doing: ostracizing those would evince racist attitudes.

By “minority rights,” what do you mean, specifically? Can you give me an example of minority right that the Democrats fight for and the Republicans oppose, or are less enthusiastic about?

A seat at the table with the grown-ups.
I do note however the somewhat mixed message from some Republicans in the first story.

Okay, to deal with the side issue, the Democrats have dealt with racism by nominating a black Presidential candidate and a substantial number of other black candidates.

So let’s get back to the OP’s question, what are the Republicans doing to discourage racism in their party?

Well, I think I’ve made it perfectly clear that this isn’t that type of question. Can we move on now?

“Shhh. Don’t say that out loud in public.” doesn’t count.

Can we just stick to the OP, at least for the first page or so?

Who has been ostracized, in what way, and how effective has it been?

In Texas and Arizona, they have taken bigotry as far as wishing death on a US Senator:

Could you please take stuff like this to the Republican BBQ Pit thread? This is not, I repeat not, a “dump on Republicans” thread.

Moved to Elections from Great Debates. While there’s nothing wrong with commenting on how these issues relate to Democrats, I’ll issue a general suggesting that posters focus on the original question before expanding to comments about other parties and/or general snark.

Actual examples I can think of:
John McCain correcting crazy old lady at campaign rally who thought Obama was an Arab.

John McCain and John Boehner calling out Michele Bachmann for her anti-Muslim attack against a State Dept employee.

If you go too far off the rails, some of the more reasonable Republicans will admonish you. Other than that, it’s hard to see where they’ve tried and even harder to see where it’s in their interest to do so.

A better answer would be that they have supported civil rights legislation for decades to the point that members who were against those types of laws left the party. The fact that they’ve nominated greater numbers of black and other minority candidates that the Republicans have is a function of that stance.

At least some other Republicans (Newt Gingrich) have backed Bachmann in this bizarre argument, but yes, most seem to have agreed that Bachmann is crackers.

Is there a official Republican Party response to Bachmann’s antics?

Clean air and clean water? Basically, most of what the EPA does. The poor (and minorities) are disproportionately affected by pollution because the more affluent citizens have the money and the contacts to win the NIMBY fight.

Please remember that the OP is asking what the Republican Party is actively doing to discourage racism in their party. Not just individual after-the-fact reactions to specific instances of racism by individual Republicans, but also official preemptive(and effective) strikes against racism in general.

Why do they need to do this?

Seriously, does any party let it “be known” that “x” type of people are not welcome? I’m sure I can find statements from senior members of the GOP denouncing racism. Do they need to put a big banner headline on their official web page?

What do you think they should do that they aren’t doing and why?

Republicans are encouraging racism. It’s a large part of their base, and has been for 40+ years. The Democratic party discouraged racism big time in the 50s, and the racist wing of that party started switching to the Republican party. If the Republicans start to discourage racism, they will cease to exist as the major opposition to the Democrats. The grossly irresponsible actions of the GOP in the first decade of this century has come close to doing that already.

What would qualify as an “official” response, beyond what is in the platform of the Republican Party? Individual Republicans apparently don’t speak for the party. Would it have to come from the RNC?

How about responses from the highest ranking members of the Party? Are they pretty much unified in their negative opinion of her antics?