The New York Times loves State Rep. Chris Kannady and for good reason. The New York Times is perhaps the most liberal and biased newspaper in the nation and is completely out of step with the values and politics of Oklahoma.

Kannady is a natural hero for the Times because he wants to purge the Republican Party of Oklahoma of conservative politicians.

The Times recently wrote a glowing story about Kannady’s attack on member of the Republican Platform Caucus in this year’s elections. When you are an elected official, it is nearly impossible to win a libel suit. Kannady and his pals were successful in running ads accusing genuine conservatives of wanting to expand Obamacare, of opposing teacher pay raises, and of being “liberals.”

These were out-and-out lies.

As a result of an influx of out-of-state funding, these ads helped defeat stalwart conservatives like Rep. George Faught, Rep. Chuck Strohm, Rep. Travis Dunlap and Rep. Dr. Mike Ritze.

The Times called Kannady the “ringleader” of the “purge” of Republican conservatives whom he labeled as “cancer.”

Kannady is the cancer. He needs to be kicked out of the Republican Party and shunned by conservatives. Instead of working to reform state government, he has tried to transform the Republican Party so that it is not distinguishable from the Democrats.

The Oklahoma Republican Party is partially to blame for this rebellion. Gov. Mary Fallin abandoned the party platform and campaigned for higher taxes and bigger government. The GOP leadership in the House and Senate bullied their way to the largest tax increase in state history.

At least now the battle lines are drawn. The conservatives who survived the “purge” need to rally around leaders who are loyal to the conservative principles that built the GOP.

And voters need to remember what Kannady has done to dilute the Republican Party.