What is this, Latvia?

The Minnesota Republican Party Central Committee has barred 18 prominent Republicans who backed Independence Party candidate Tom Horner from GOP activities for two years.

The Republican Party wraps itself in the U.S. flag and touts free speech — then this, an act condemning people for expressing their views.

Americans don’t kick people out of their political parties. Political parties in general want members, particularly high-profile ones. The decision seems to be against the party’s own future interests.

The vote is further evidence of a national trend of shunning moderates. Too many Republicans are in a contest to see who is more Republican than the next guy.

Al Arends, co-chairman of the Freeborn County Republican Party, didn’t like the central committee’s vote either.

“There should never be a litmus test to make everyone think like every other person,” Arends told the Tribune.

The vote was narrow — 59-55 — so it is clear that many Republicans did not favor taking these measures against the likes of former Gov. Al Quie, former Gov. Arne Carlson and former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger.

No one from the Freeborn County Republican Party could attend the meeting last Saturday, Arends said, but he was disappointed when he heard the news.

“We can’t expect everybody to be in lockstep in philosophy with everybody else,” he said.

The Republican Party had some big wins in November, gaining majorities in the Minnesota House and Senate. The party should act like it has been here before, even though it has been quite some time.