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CNN's
New Day often features analyst John Avlon delivering a commentary they call "Reality Check." But reality took a beating on Thursday's edition, as he accused Republicans of "purging" moderates ever since Barry Goldwater ran for president in 1964.
Co-host Brianna Keilar set it up: "Republicans swerving hard to the right and then taking out anyone who doesn't swerve along with them is really nothing new. John Avlon has a 'Reality Check,' including a now prescient bit of what Liz Cheney's father once did to Colin Powell. John?"
Avlon began: "The purge of Liz Cheney for telling the truth and the Republican rationalizations for demonizing her dissent are part of a pattern of caving in to extremists for short-term political gain. And, at first, this might seem to be between conservatives and centrists, but, given that Liz Cheney is about as conservative as you get, we see this as about something more sinister and cynical."