Chairman Greer condemns RNC Chairman candidate Chip Saltsman

Charlie Crist has, in the wake of the election, cast himself as a leader of the modernizing, more diverse Republican Party and seems to be weighing in indirectly, via a statement from his state party chairman, Jim Greer, on the Saltsman flap:

"As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation’s most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we’ve seen over the past few days. I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior.

In Florida we have worked hard to reach out to ALL citizens to promote the Republican Party’s principles and values while ensuring that our commitment to African-Americans, Hispanics, and other minority communities is sincere and credible. Actions such as the distribution of this CD, regardless of intent, only serves to promote divisiveness and distracts us from our common goal of building our party.

Today, the GOP has an unprecedented opportunity to embrace change and inclusion, and we are either going to welcome this opportunity fully or watch it slip through our fingers. We can only achieve success if Republican leaders reject racial or any other acts that divide us and instead embrace what unites us as a nation."

Greer courts RNC members

From the Miami Herald

Check out the letter the RPOF chairman Jim Greer wrote to RNC members on the jump. He has not decided if he is running for RNC chair but says he'll have a decision soon.

Dear Fellow RNC Member:

First let me wish you and your family a Happy New Year, and I hope you
are enjoying the holidays and taking some well-deserved rest.

As the election for RNC Chairman approaches, I want to commend each of
you for your service to the Republican Party. I also want to thank those
of you who have called and sent notes of encouragement regarding my
potential candidacy for RNC Chair.

In deciding whether to seek the Chairmanship, I am considering many
factors, including my commitment to the Republican Party of Florida. I
am dedicated to working with the many staff, county leaders, and
volunteers who are working to build upon the many victories we have
accomplished in the Sunshine State. I am also focused on fostering an
open discussion on the future of the Republican Party.

While I continue to consider these factors, I will not make a decision
whether to seek the Chairmanship or support a candidate until we have
all had the chance to listen to the views of the current candidates at
the upcoming Americans for Tax Reform debate and hear their beliefs on
the direction our Party should take.

The Republican Party faces a tremendous opportunity in the coming days.
We cannot let this opportunity slip through our fingers. To be
successful, we must remain committed to our Party's values and
principles, while focusing on the issues discussed at family dinner
tables across the nation.

Friends, let us remember that every one of the candidates who seek the
RNC Chairmanship are remarkable Republican leaders who have served our
Party with distinction.

I look forward to seeing each of you soon and discussing the future of
our great Party.

Warmest Regards,
Jim Greer

RNC Resolution accuses President Bush of embracing bailout "socialism"

From the Washington Times

Republican Party officials say they will try next month to pass a resolution accusing President Bush and congressional Republican leaders of embracing "socialism," underscoring deep dissension within the party at the end of Mr. Bush's administration.

Those pushing the resolution, which will come before the Republican National Committee at its January meeting, say elected leaders need to be reminded of core principles. They said the RNC must take the dramatic step of wading into policy debates, which traditionally have been left to lawmakers.

"We can't be a party of small government, free markets and low taxes while supporting bailouts and nationalizing industries, which lead to big government, socialism and high taxes at the expense of individual liberty and freedoms," said Solomon Yue, an Oregon member and co-sponsor of a resolution that criticizes the U.S. government bailouts of the financial and auto industries. Republican National Committee Vice Chairman James Bopp Jr. wrote the resolution and asked the rest of the 168 voting members to sign it.

"The resolution also opposes President-elect Obama's proposed public works program and supports conservative alternatives," while encouraging the RNC "to engage in vigorous public policy debates consistent with our party platform," said Mr. Bopp, a leading attorney for pro-life groups who has also challenged the campaign finance legislation that Mr. Bush signed.

If enacted, the resolution would put the party on record opposing the $700 billion bailout of the financial sector, which passed Congress with Republican support and was signed by Mr. Bush, and opposing the bailout of the auto industry. The auto bailout bill was blocked by Senate Republicans, but Mr. Bush then reversed course and announced that he would use financial bailout money to aid the auto manufacturers.

The RNC usually plays a policy role only every four years when it frames the national party platform, which typically is forgotten quickly. More...

Obama gets Boyd "excited"

(Sometimes the jokes just write themselves-ed)

From the Tallahassee Democrat
(Does he ever talk to the News Herald, or what?-ed)

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has promised to go through the budget of each federal agency with a fine-tooth comb, and that gets fiscal conservatives like Rep. Allen Boyd excited.

In fact, pledges made by the incoming administration remind him of the last time a Democrat occupied the White House.

"The Clinton administration went in and cut every agency there was. Government spending actually declined. Most people have forgotten that, but the numbers speak for themselves," said Boyd, a Monticello Democrat. "When you cut spending, you gain the confidence of the American people that you've got an efficient government doing what it's supposed to be doing and doing it well."

Boyd expressed optimism that Obama will set a tone in Washington that will encourage cooperation and productivity from both parties in Congress.

"We didn't have that in the last two years, when we've had a divided government," he said, referring to the Republican White House and the Democrat-controlled Congress. That shows, he said.

Congress is wrapping up a year that will be most remembered for the numerous financial bailout packages and a dearth of any other type of bill.

Federal lawmakers began the year on an optimistic note, supporting legislation intended to stimulate the economy through rebate checks to taxpayers. However, recipients failed to spend the extra money as hoped, forcing Congress into rescue mode, first trying to save struggling homeowners, then the financial industry and finally, domestic automobile makers.

Although he considered the bill flawed, Boyd voted for a historic $700 billion measure to rescue the financial sector. However, he opposed a $14 billion loan package for the nation's top three automakers.

"You've got an industry getting waxed by competitors around the world, because their cost of production and what they're producing is different from what it should be. And the market's got to work that out for them, not the government," he said.

Although critics have described the congressional year as long on bailouts and short on any other type of bill, Boyd touted several House accomplishments that affected North Florida, including:

# $8.5 million in appropriations for various military-related research projects conducted by Florida State University.

# $12.4 million for similar national defense-related projects at Florida A&M University.

# $11.6 million for the construction of a new Air Control Squadron Operations Training Complex at Tyndall Air Force Base. (Wow. Panama City actually gets an earmark.-ed)

# $800,000 million for Tallahassee Community College to establish a Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center.

Boyd acknowledged Congress punted other big-ticket budget items such as health care and Social Security issues to the next year.

Also ahead: A decision on whether Boyd will run for the Senate seat that will be vacated by U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, an Orlando Republican.

Boyd said he enjoys being a congressman, particularly for a region where generations of his family grew up and where he represents "people I've known for all my life."

But he said he also feels compelled to pursue public service to a further level.

"That's a decision I have to make now — where is the best platform to do that," he said. "Is it to stay in the U.S. House of Representatives, where we have worked for 12 years . . . or do we go into the smaller body, with only 100 members, start all over in terms of pecking order and move up."

Boyd said he and his wife, Cissy, will use the holidays to make a decision. He expects to make an announcement in January.

Putting the people back in politics

By RPOF Chairman Jim Greer

Over the past 25 years I have had the opportunity to view the Republican Party wearing the hat of a small-town city councilman, political fundraiser, and now as chairman of the state party for the fourth largest state in the nation, during the most important presidential election in my lifetime.

Despite this tremendous opportunity, the role from which I have learned the most was not my last two years as chairman, but the years when, like the majority of Americans, I wore the hat of a small business owner, husband, and father of four. It is through the eyes of a businessman – not the party structure – that I became a Republican. I’ve learned that our party draws its strength not from the principles elected officials talk about, but from the values average Americans live by.

Refocusing on these values, putting partisan rhetoric aside, and putting the people back in politics, Republicans can regain our foundation and focus on serving the people. It’s what we do in Florida. It works for us here, and I believe it’s what we need to do in Washington and across the nation.

This election cycle marks the toughest political environment for Republicans since Watergate. Yet on Nov. 4, Florida emerged as a Republican stronghold in a nation swept by Democrat victories. Though Sen. John McCain was outspent in Florida by tens of millions, our Republican team’s impressive ground game made it possible to come within just two and a half points of winning Florida for McCain.

It was a perfect environment for Democrats in Florida. The nation wanted change. Florida Democrats were awash in cash and staff, with a never-before-seen-ground game. Yet the Florida Democrat Party defeated not one – not a single one – of our Republican incumbents in the Florida House and Senate. In Miami, an area Barack Obama carried, Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart both fended off credible, well-funded, DCCC-backed candidates. Republicans also picked up Congressional District 16 seat with Tom Rooney.

In addition to voting to maintain overwhelming Republican majorities in the state House and Senate, Floridians voted to cut taxes, define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and oppose tax increases for community colleges. Once again, voters here illustrated that Florida is still a red state where conservative values like growing the economy and cutting taxes are important to voters.

Why was Florida so successful when the majority of the nation fell into Democrat hands? The answer is simple: we’ve replaced divisive partisan rhetoric with common-sense solutions.

In Florida, Republican lawmakers have focused on conservative public policies that keep taxes low for families and businesses, fostering an economic environment that encourages companies to locate and expand here. We don’t get caught up on issues that are traditionally Republican or Democrat. Instead, Florida Republicans work in a bipartisan manner to create common-sense solutions to challenges facing our state, our nation, and even our world.

Under Republican leadership we have seen Florida’s high school graduation rate rise over 15 points in the last ten years, reaching the highest point ever this year – over 75 percent. Minority students have largely driven these gains, resulting in a dropout rate that continues to decline. Republicans have given parents more choice over what educational setting best meets their child’s needs, and we have held schools accountable for providing a first-class education for all Florida students.

On the health care front, Governor Charlie Crist recently signed the Cover Florida plan, providing health insurance options for nearly $4 million uninsured Floridians. The plan leverages competition by partnering with private insurance companies to create innovative health insurance products. Cover Florida is voluntary, with no mandates on individuals or on employers. This market-based approach will create greater opportunities for Floridians to access affordable health care. In a year of limited resources, these reforms maximize consumer choice with a minimal use of tax dollars.

Under Gov. Crist’s leadership, Florida Republicans have positioned the Sunshine State to be part of a national debate on global climate change by championing environmental policies that encourage innovation and promote green business development. Florida lawmakers recently adopted legislation that gives businesses flexibility in meeting standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, encouraging wind and solar energy. Republicans led the way in creating a comprehensive energy package that continues Florida’s leadership in increasing energy efficiency.

While Republicans have produced results for the people, we’ve also kept true to our pledge to reduce spending and return more tax dollars to the people, illustrated by the Cato Institute’s recent naming of Gov. Crist as the most fiscally conservative governor in the United States.

Our party’s future is bright, but we need a decisive vision. We need new energy, new ideas and an unwavering commitment to our party’s long-standing values and principles of less government, lower taxes and more freedom. We need leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up for what’s right with our Party and start a dialogue on what we can do to get it back to basics—back to the people.

We’ve done it right in Florida by putting the people back in politics, and that’s the only way we can re-energize the GOP on a national level. Ultimately, Americans don’t care if their leaders have an “R” or a “D” behind their name. Americans want more than a leader who represents conservative ideals…they want a leader who has something to show for it.

Ron Paul endorses Mark Cross for RPOF Chair

What a year this has been!

And what achievements we have had. This Revolution is permanent. It didn't end at the Republican convention. It didn't end on November 5. It will not end until we have won the great battle on which we have embarked. Not because of me, but because of you. Millions of Americans have dedicated themselves to the principles of liberty: Freedom, Peace, and Prosperity.

An important next step toward fighting for our ideas within the Republican Party is the establishment of principled party leadership. In Florida there will be an election for a new state chairman on January 10, 2009. Only the State Committee will vote and only members of the State Committee can run. The elected State Committeeman from Osceola County is Mark Cross.

Mark Cross served as my Florida Coordinator for the Presidential campaign and was at my side for every debate and event scheduled in the Sunshine State. Mark helped establish an informal network of support across the state and I know that he has the integrity, leadership, and resources that would ensure a successful term as Chairman.

If the Republican Party is going to once again flourish, it is imperative that we restore honesty, integrity, and commitment to Liberty in our party. We need principled leadership, and I believe Mark Cross is the candidate to provide that leadership.

That is why I am endorsing Mark Cross for Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Please join with me in helping Mark become the next Florida Republican Party Chairman by giving a generous donation to his campaign. I have personally made a donation and urge you to do the same. We need principled party leadership in Florida and Mark will make that happen. Thank you.

In liberty,

Ron Paul

Mark Cross Announces Run For Republican Party Of Florida Chairman

Kissimmee--- Osceola County State Committeeman Mark Cross announced his
candidacy today for the position of Chairman of the Republican Party
of Florida. During the coming weeks Cross will be traveling across
Florida to visit with members of the State Committee about the future
direction of the Republican Party. Cross is a traditional conservative
from the Ronald Reagan wing of the party in sharp contrast to the
current party leadership.

In announcing his candidacy, Cross called for a return to “principled
party leadership”. “We have to get back to the principles that made
this Republican Party grand...less taxation, less government spending,
fewer government regulations, and more personal responsibility. We
have to offer the voters more than just lip service. We have to deliver.”

Cross has promised to re-open the party to all Republicans. He pledged
to end the blatant discrimination and infighting that has recently
characterized the party. He recommended more financial assistance to
smaller counties, recommended giving the RECs and the grassroots more
local autonomy, and promised increased infrastructure for local
elections. He pledged greater funding of the party’s federal account
with better coordination and seamless integration for federal candidates.

He then challenged the other candidates to debate the issues. “Anyone
can talk about Republican Party successes and ignore the losses,”
Cross said, “but it takes “principled party leadership” to talk about
specific setbacks and make the necessary course corrections. Debate
denotes openness and self confidence and is a sign of health for the
party. When people are afraid of openness, we lose.”

Cross has an extensive Republican activist background. In Florida, he
served as a delegate to Presidency 3 under the Chairmanship of Tom
Slade. He served as Chairman of his local REC under RPOF Chairman Al
Cardenas and served on Chairman Carole Jean Jordan’s transition team.
During his last term as County Chair, he led his REC to 100%
Republican victory in a blue county. Cross is currently an enrolled
agent, licensed by the US Treasury Dept. He is also a real estate broker.

I have included a personal message from Mr. Cross here:

I am Mark Cross. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their hard work for the party during the recent election cycle. While traveling across the state, I have met many Republicans. Some of us have been working for the party for decades. Some of us have just gotten started. But all of us are motivated by the same reasons. Republicans genuinely care about the future of our country and local communities. Republicans want to make things a little better for our children and grandchildren. And most of all, we Republicans want to make a difference.

There are several principles that are inherent to Republicans. We believe that government is intrusive and the best type of government is the one that governs the least. We believe that job creation is better handled by the private sector rather than government. We believe that the best way to manage the economy is through free markets. Free markets will always succeed or fail in direct proportion to the amount of interference from taxation, government spending, or government regulation. That is why we Republicans have traditionally stood for fewer taxes, less government spending, and less regulation. But, you sure wouldn’t know it by what has happened in Washington the past several years under Republican leadership.

We used to campaign against those “tax and spend” Democrats. This year Obama and the Democrats were able to take the tax issue away from us because we became “tax and spend” Republicans. Since it was our party in power, it was difficult to confront our elected leaders. We knew some were wrong, but we did not rise to the challenge, so Republicans were perceived by voters as no different from Democrats. They told us so on Election Day. We have become two parties on the same big government road that will lead to loss of sovereignty and ultimate bankruptcy. The only difference between the Democrats and Republicans is the speed at which we are traveling. But when we know the ultimate destination, isn’t it time to get off the road? Republicans have to make a choice between liberal moderation and traditional conservatism. In January we will have an opportunity to decide which road to travel through the election of new party leadership.

The Republican Party of Florida faces a challenging future. It is very important to change direction and get off the big government road. We have to return to the Republican principles of Reagan and Goldwater that have made our country great. These principles include fewer taxes, less government spending, and less government regulation. American families have to have more personal responsibility to meet their needs with less reliance on government. We have to maintain a strong national defense by supporting our active military troops and our veterans. We have to protect our economy by limiting government interference and completely eliminate debt monetization. All we have to do is take the advice of our Founding Fathers and abide by the Constitution.

In January we will all have a choice to make. If we truly want change, we must first learn from our mistakes. How many times have you heard the phrase, “We have to do what is best for the Republican Party.”? I know that I have heard it too many times. If you think about it, all we need to do is to stop, change our focus, and realize what is best for our party is to promote what is best for America. John McCain’s campaign slogan was right. Country First! He just didn’t understand which road to travel. Freedom brings us together, melts away any differences, and makes America that Shining City on a Hill.

During the past several years, I have watched my party move away from the small government issues I have championed all my life. After my election as State Committeeman I have been asked by supporters across the state to run for Republican Party Chairman. After consideration, I have decided to accept the challenge. During the next few weeks I will be traveling across Florida to visit with the State Committee about the future direction of the Republican Party. I would like your input on our challenge for the future and Republican challenges within your own communities. I would like to partner with you to restore RPOF to its conservative roots through principled party leadership. Together we can build upon the successes of the past to create a bright and shining future. Please take a minute to email me your thoughts. I appreciate your time, consideration, and ultimately your support. Thank you.

Mark Cross
State Committeeman
Osceola County

How the GOP Should Prepare for a Comeback

By Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal

What a difference a month makes. Since November's election, the GOP is three wins, no losses.

The first win came in Georgia, where Sen. Saxby Chambliss crushed his Democratic opponent by 15 points in a run-off election on Dec. 2. The other wins came in Louisiana congressional races on Saturday. One was in a Republican-leaning district in the state's northwest corner. Democrats outspent the GOP three to two and still lost. In the other, Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao defeated nine-term Democrat William Jefferson in a district where John McCain received 24% of the vote.


These victories have boosted Republican spirits. So has Sen. Norm Coleman maintaining a narrow lead in the Minnesota recount, leadership elections that injected new blood into the GOP congressional hierarchies, and a positive race (so far) for Republican National Committee chairman. Republican governors emerged from meeting in Miami energized, optimistic and eager for the 38 gubernatorial races in the next two years.

But many challenges lie ahead. Much of the GOP's work is away from Capitol Hill, governor's offices and party committees. In recent years, Democrats have done a much better job of tending the networks, initiatives and institutions important to political success. There are at least seven important functions, communications channels or institutions the GOP must launch or strengthen.

First, Republicans need something similar to Democracy Corps, a James Carville and Stan Greenberg creation that uses polls that are made public to help party leaders pick themes likely to resonate with voters and draw attention to the Democratic narrative on issues.

Second, while it's the responsibility of all, someone must take the lead on training candidates and party leaders and nurturing their focus on ideas. Under its founder, Newt Gingrich, GOPAC once did this. It needs to be revitalized or its original mission taken up by a fresh group.

Third, more than one out of five Americans eligible to vote is unregistered, meaning there are millions of unregistered Republicans. The RNC once used sophisticated "micro-targeting" to develop a list of 291,000 unregistered Texans who voted in the GOP primary or were registered Republicans in the state or community where they last lived. There were 1.3 million more likely Texas Republicans with no primary voting history. The GOP needs to take this nationwide. New ways must be found to encourage party organizations and independent efforts to focus on registration.

Unions and third-party groups spent $194 million on independent ads for Democrats over the past two years, giving them a five-to-two advantage over similar third-party assistance to GOP candidates. This doesn't include hundreds of millions in unreported expenditures by unions.

So fourth, GOP fund-raisers and allies must create cost-effective independent expenditure groups for House and Senate races, or Republicans will sink under the weight of negative ads, mail, calls and canvassing.

Fifth, there must be a special focus on state legislative races. Legislators elected in 2009 and 2010 will redistrict Congress and themselves in 2011. Today, there are 25 state Senates where either party's majority is smaller than 10 seats and 21 state Houses where the majority is less than 20 seats. In eight states, legislative control is divided, with one party controlling the Senate and the other the House. State parties and congressional delegations have a vital stake in recruiting, training and funding effective legislative campaigns over the next two years.

Sixth, new media require attention. Younger voters are increasingly getting their information from the Web -- twice as many 18-24 year olds get their news online than from newspapers. Political Web 1.0 was about faster and easier communications and Republicans had the advantage. Political Web 2.0 is about networking and Democrats grabbed the lead. The party that figures out where Web 3.0 goes will grab the decisive high ground in high-tech warfare.

Finally, ideas are always the most important currency of politics and never more so than after a party loses. The relationship between GOP policymakers and conservative policy thinkers should be strengthened.

It's not just conservative think tanks. There are independent scholars, academics, staff in governor's offices and state legislatures, and knowledgeable people throughout the country who can help make the party's conservative principles relevant today.

To do this effectively, candidates and party leaders must remember who they need to reach -- young voters who tilt Democratic; Hispanics and Catholics; and suburban and exurban families who were bedrock Republicans, but who have become disenchanted with both parties.

The GOP has the right principles to become the majority party again. What it must have are fresh, energetic voices who apply those principles to meeting the needs of American families. And it must put in place the infrastructure that will take that message and amplify it.

Those are challenging tasks -- but the last month has reminded us that the GOP remains formidable. The age of Obama may have begun, but so, perhaps, has the GOP comeback.

Mr. Rove is the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.

December 10th message from Governor Charlie Crist

Dear Friends,

Today, Floridians are one step closer to having the affordable, quality health insurance options they deserve. This morning, six insurers signed contracts with the State of Florida and became authorized to begin selling Cover Florida benefit options in less than one month. Beginning January 5, 2009, Floridians who have been looking for health coverage will have the opportunity to purchase a Cover Florida plan.

For 3.8 million uninsured Floridians, the number-one barrier to accessing health care is lack of health insurance. If you are one of these Floridians – or if you know someone who is – I encourage you to learn more about Cover Florida. If you have gone without health insurance, then you know what it means to worry that an illness or accident could run up costly doctor and hospital bills. You know what it means to not see a doctor, even when you suspect a health problem, only to find yourself in an emergency room later with a serious medical crisis and an expensive bill.

If you are uninsured, Cover Florida gives you the opportunity to take charge of your own health care by getting regular medical check-ups as well as peace of mind. Cover Florida insurers offer innovative health insurance products to Florida applicants who have been without insurance for at least six months. They are affordable, and they are guaranteed – even if you have pre-existing health conditions. If you have recently lost your employer-sponsored insurance because of job loss or another reason, you can still qualify – and you can take your coverage with you if you change jobs.

All Cover Florida benefit plan options include a robust set of benefits, such as coverage for preventive services, screenings, and office visits, as well as office surgery, urgent care, prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, and diabetic supplies. The costs of plans vary, depending on your age, gender and whether you choose preventive coverage or catastrophic and hospital coverage. Typically, the Cover Florida option is considerably less expensive than the insurer’s standard insurance product.

No tax dollars are required to create the Cover Florida health insurance plans. Instead, six private insurance companies have partnered with the State of Florida to offer 25 health insurance products. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and United Health Care will be available in all 67 Florida counties. In addition, four counties will have further options. Residents of Broward County can also choose Medica Health Plan of Florida and Total Health Choice. Miami-Dade County also will have Medica Health Plan of Florida, Total Health Choice and JMH Health Plan. Flagler and Volusia counties will have one additional carrier, Florida Health Care Plans.

I am grateful to the 2008 Legislature for their unanimous approval of the Cover Florida Health Care Access Program. If you do not have health insurance and think you may qualify, I encourage you to learn more about Cover Florida by visiting www.CoverFloridaHealthCare.com. It just might be the health insurance you have been looking for.

May God bless you and keep you healthy.

Governor Charlie Crist

Florida lawmakers considering hike in cigarette taxes

Florida is the latest state set on wringing more money out of the already overburdened smoker population as lawmakers consider a plan to raise excise taxes on cigarettes by $1 putting the cost per pack well over $5. This seems to be an issue where politicians just never learn. Despite the fact that cigarette tax hikes are unfair and historically haven’t brought in the revenue officials want so badly, Florida is about to try anyway.

A lot of legislators tend to look at cigarette tax hikes as quick cash, without looking at all the facts. For starters, cigarette taxes are regressive and burden one small portion of the population. Those with lower incomes will be shouldering much more of the tax load than those with more disposable income.

Just like almost any other tax hike, cigarette taxes harm small local businesses the most. Often, people buy their cigarettes across state lines, on the Internet, or on the black market – further draining the local economy. Convenience stores get approximately 34% of their in-store income from cigarette sales, and those profits will soon plummet.

Cigarette tax hikes aren’t a golden goose, the funds won’t be there and it’s the poorest populations and small business owners that end up bearing the brunt of these schemes.

Real growth comes from rolling back government regulations and cutting taxes, not imposing more costs. During these uncertain economic times, the last thing Florida needs is another tax.

Take Action and tell your leaders Florida needs to live within its means and not reach into smokers’ pockets for a quick fix

Dick Armey
Chairman, Freedom Works

Former RPOF Chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan endorses Jim Greer

By Michael C. Bender, Palm Beach Post

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer received an endorsement this morning from Carole Jean Jordan, the last RPOF chairman under Gov. Jeb Bush. Jordan, who challenged Greer for his chairmanship in 2006, sent out a letter supporting the incumbent in his upcoming election against Martin County Republican Eric Miller.

Greer can add endorsements to the nods he’s received from Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and House Speaker Ray Sansom, R-Destin.

Continue reading for the full text of the letter.

My Fellow Republicans:

I am writing to you in support of Jim Greer for re-election as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Since Jim’s election he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to building our party and providing support to our grassroots volunteers along with our County REC’s. In addition, Jim’s extensive travel throughout the state meeting with county leaders, volunteers, donors, and elected officials has enhanced our party’s influence and contributed to Republican victories statewide.

Jim’s leadership in the area of minority outreach has been recognized not only in Florida but on the national level and his fundraising abilities has also been a tremendous asset to the party.

In this challenging environment, we stemmed the tide in Florida by maintaining our strong majorities in both Chambers of the Florida Legislature, returned Congressional District 16 back to the Republican side of the aisle with Tom Rooney’s victory over incumbent Democrat Congressman Tim Mahoney and won an overwhelming majority of our local Republican races across the State.

As the Republican Party looks to the future, I believe the re-election of Chairman Greer is an important part of our state party’s continued success and I ask you to join me in supporting the re-election of Jim Greer as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Sincerely,

Carole Jean Jordan, Past Chairman, Republican Party of Florida

Commentary: Republicans must work better together in Florida

Posted on Red County and State of Sunshine

I am in a unique position to report on the development of the post-Bush Republican Party in Northwest Florida, one of the most conservative parts of the nation. There is a strong military presence here. McCain won here, with over 56,600 votes to Obama’s 23,600, despite no real monetary support($5,000) from RPOF (Republican Party of Florida) and McCain national providing much support. We were a Level 1 county in 2004 and “demoted” to a Level 2 in 2008, yet we exceed our own expectations for turnout and nearly met RPOF’s unrealistic expectations.(It turns out that the RNC was responsible for the Level 2 designation.)

Former Chairman Ted Haney, State Rep. Jimmy Patronis, GOP SCW Melissa Hagan and volunteer coordinators Teresa Eaton, Vickie Doolittle and Glenn Leirer really stepped up when the party needed them to. There was not strong support for McCain until Gov. Palin was named as the VP candidate. In the primary January 29 Mitt Romney won Bay County by a slim margin, and in the elections December 1st we elected a pretty conservative Executive Committee board.

Our new Chairman and former Vice-Chairman John Salak ran for county commissioner this summer in the GOP primary pledging to not raise taxes whatsoever and cited Barry Goldwater in his speeches. Dennis Dillenschneider was elected Vice-Chairman and will bring a lot to the table with his technological expertise. Janice Grant was re-elected Treasurer, and I was elected Secretary. The fact that I was elected as a former Ron Paul supporter exemplifies a willingness to work together with different elements of the party that is not visible in other parts of Florida and the nation.

There have been attempts to exclude Ron Paul supporters from Republican Executive Committees in Orange County and St. John’s County. The fight in Orange County was especially divisive, with Chairman Lew Oliver winning re-election with ONE vote.

There is a divide between the conservatives on the board and our FL Governor Crist and his support of controversial RPOF Chairman Jim Greer.There were members here that supported Gallagher for Governor. There is the matter as well of the Governor paying out $5 million in damages to the family of a young man who died in custody at a boot camp in Panama City before the case was decided in court. That was not popular locally and when the Governor made an appearance with Sen. McCain August 1st, he was booed.

I personally did not vote for Gallagher in the 2006 primary and was not involved at all in his campaign. I interviewed RPOF candidate Eric Miller, posted here below, and sent questions to the current Chairman, but Mr. Greer did not answer my questions. It would have been helpful to our State Committee members for him to at least respond, but his failure to acknowledge us whatsoever is discouraging.

I’m a pragmatic person by nature, and despite what your personal stereotype of the typical inflexible Ron Paul supporter may be, I am willing to work will all elements of the GOP to promote party unity. That means working with moderates like Gov. Crist and Chairman Greer. I’d like to arrange a meeting for our leadership to discuss these issues directly with them or with their staff. I understand that Florida is a diverse state. I understand that the Governor must win in more liberal South Florida, and I understand that politics is truly the art of the possible. We are not going to agree about every issue, and with no national leadership some splintering among Republicans is inevitable in the wake of our defeat at the Federal level.

There is an issue that is crucial in my opinion. We were allocated no money in our Congressional District by RPOF to assist our Congressional candidate in defeating a corrupt yet powerful incumbent Democrat, Rep. Allen Boyd, who allocated 1.2 million dollars in subsidies to his own farm. (Full disclosure: I was the Communications Director for his opponent.)

For us to move forward these issues must be addressed and not allowed to fester.

We here in Bay County deserve the respect of our State Chairman and Governor. I truly wish Gov. Crist well in his upcoming marriage, and to win in 2010 we need to work as a team. There will be an open Senate seat as well as the Governor’s re-election. Many of us were unhappy with the choice of McCain, yet we put our personal feelings aside to work as hard as possible for him. It’s called being a team player.

We have our own beliefs about how our state and nation should be governed, and we want a voice within our own party, and as the duly elected representatives of all Bay County Republicans, we deserve one.

Eric Wall named to staff of Red County

We are proud to introduce Bay County, Florida to the Red County readership. Bay County is in the heart of the Florida panhandle and this new site will be covering Bay County political issues, from a center-right perspective.

Eric Wall has been selected as editor of the Bay County site. Eric was a member of the Bay County Young Republicans and attended Florida State University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and has worked on a number of local and statewide political campaigns. He has experience in field operations, outreach, market research, polling, analysis, and political strategy. He was a Regional Field Coordinator for Ron Paul in 2008 and responsible for 8 counties.

Mr. Wall is an elected member of the board of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida. He was the Communications Director for the Mark Mulligan for U.S. Congress and currently serves as the Secretary for the Bay County Florida Republican Executive Committee. He is the creator and editor of the Bay County Republican Executive Committee blog and provides them with a presence on social networks such as Facebook and Myspace.

Red County is very happy to have Eric on the Red County team. We look forward to his insight and analysis of Bay County politics and his perspective on political issues that influence the Sunshine State.

FSU loses to the Gators again, and now this...

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: William Ayers, a Chicago professor who was a leader of the radical Weather Underground in the 1960s and a flashpoint in the presidential campaign, has been invited to speak at Florida State University.

Ayers was asked to campus by a student organization, the Institute for Liberal Studies, that is paying for and handling all aspects of his visit, FSU officials said. Ayers is scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Oglesby Union Ballroom.

(At least our tax dollars didn't pay for this.-ed)
Posted by Alex Leary on tampabay.com at 1:33:40 PM on December 5, 2008

RPOF had surplus after election

By Adam Smith, Tampabay.com

The new post-election state GOP filing for its federal election account, shows the RPOF had $1,375,963 on hand as of Nov. 24, after spending $9.5-million in the period between Oct. 14 to Nov. 24. There are about $432,000 in debts outstanding

It's a drop in the bucket compared to the money Barack Obama spent to win Florida's 27 electoral votes, but we recall state GOP chairman Jim Greer telling us the party would spend "every dime" on the '08 election and not carry any money forward after the election.

Some Republicans may be wondering how much another nearly $1-million might have helped John McCain overcome Obama's 236,000-vote win in Florida. The RPOF notes that it actually had less on hand after this election than it did in '04.

"No, the RPOF absolutely did not hold back on the McCain campaign...We spent every dime the RNC and the campaign asked us to spend,'' said spokeswoman Erin VanSickle.

The federal report for the Florida Democratic party shows it spent $11.5-million in that same period and had about $128,000 on hand after the election.

Republican Liberty Caucus helps to put Chambliss over the top in Georgia

by Dave Nalle

from Libertarian Republican

Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss is an unlikely hero for the Republican party, with a record which has just enough questionable votes on key issues to make religious conservatives nervous, but not enough strong positions on civil liberties issues to make libertarian Republicans entirely happy with him. He’s often dismissed unfairly as a moderate, despite a record of fiscal and social issue conservatism. All of that was forgotten, when a very close election in Georgia put Chambliss in a runoff for what could have been the 60th Senate seat which would have given Democrats a filibuster-proof majority, reducing Senate Republicans to near-irrelevance.

Chambliss ended up in a runoff largely because of Libertarian candidate Allen Buckley who drew 3.41% of the vote, more than enough to push Chambliss from 49.75% to well over 50% and victory. Chambliss sought support from the Libertarian Party of Georgia in the runoff, but when it was not forthcoming he was able to get backing from libertarian Republican groups to win over libertarians and libertarian Republican voters. Although he did not get their endorsement in the original election, the combination of his fiscally conservative record and the importance of keeping total control of the House out of the hands of Democrats helped convince the Republican Liberty Caucus of Georgia to endorse Chambliss, and when he agreed to sign their Liberty Compact, the national RLC threw their support behind Chambliss as well.

That extra bit of support from the RLC won over many libertarians, and their votes along with some votes from independents who had previously voted for Chambliss’ oponnent Jim Martin, were enough to give Chambliss a comfortable 57% to 43% win in the runoff election on Tuesday, sending him back to Washington with a strong reminder that a lot of voters in Georgia and around the nation would like to see him focus more on fiscal conservatism and defending civil liberties in his next term.

The Chambliss victory prevents a Democratic super-majority in the Senate, but it still remains to be seen what the final breakdown of seats will be, as the disposition of the Minnesota seat held by Norm Coleman remains unresolved. Coleman’s apparent victory on election day is being whittled away by challenges and demands for precinct by precinct recounts from the campaign of comedian Al Franken who has brought in election strategist Mark Elias to mastermind what the Wall Street Journal has described as a blatant campaign to “steal the election if they can get away with it.” Coleman’s initial lead has been reduced to only about 200 votes through the machinations of Democratic operatives on election commissions and techniques like recounting so-called “undervotes” on the dubious theory that ballots with votes for Obama and no vote in the Senate race must have been meant to be Franken votes.

In the end the Minnesota Senate seat will probably be assigned by the courts - likely the Supreme Court itself - and their selection won’t be known until after the holidays. The comparison between these two elections, where third-party candidates made a clear majority impossible, shows the appeal of runoff systems. If the Minnesota vote had been followed by a runoff with the 15% of the vote which went to Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley up for grabs, the opportunities for fraud and manipulation would be reduced, the result would almost certainly not have been as close and they would not be struggling over which candidate who got less than 40% of the total votes to send to the Senate.

For now battered and bruised Republicans can rest a little bit easier knowing that with the Chambliss victory they will have at least some voice in the Senate if they have the backbone and stamina to filibuster on important votes.

Dave Nalle serves on the National Board of the Republican Liberty Caucus

Should Mitt Romney be the next RNC Chairman?

By Michael Goldfarb, The Weekly Standard


The next chairman, or any chairman, of the Republican National Committee must possess three skills: management ability, fundraising prowess, and press savvy. Given the current disarray of the party, it would seem obvious that management ability would be the most important of these three qualities. Unfortunately, the selection process -- a vote by members of the committee -- makes any assumption extremely dangerous. What one needs to keep in mind above all else in handicapping this race is that members of the committee tend to trust their own -- and that this election will make a Republican primary look like a vote by the United Nations General Assembly.

Those following the race closely have some confidence that the nature of the selection process will tilt things toward current Chairman Mike Duncan if he seeks reelection, as he seems likely to do. Duncan was a very successful fundraiser and a fine party manager. He would not provide a break with the past, and he would remain a weak advocate for the party with few television appearances, but there are those who believe that money is the key to future success, and Duncan can bring home the bacon.

The current field also includes two other committee members, South Carolina Chair Katon Dawson and Michigan Chair Saul Anuzis. Both are real contenders, and both have demonstrated a competency in management, but neither is a fundraising or media superstar. Michael Steele is the one guy currently in the race who is a media superstar, but he has other drawbacks. Steele is one of the best communicators the party has -- intelligent, patient, and principled in his conservatism. He will be a star either way this election shakes out, but there are worries about whether he would be a good fit as RNC chair. Steele was a lackluster fundraiser in Maryland, and he made no secret of the fact that he didn't enjoy that part of his job as Lt. Governor. Steele also claimed the endorsement of Newt Gingrich, a claim that Gingrich's people subsequently knocked down. This was a major miscue, and may have been the death of Steele's candidacy.

Which brings us to Mitt Romney. Romney has not expressed any desire to do the job, and the committee members have expressed no desire to see him run. Because of those two small problems, the odds that we see Romney as RNC chair are slim to none. Still, humor me. If the Republican party were a business, it would be General Motors, or maybe Ford if one were feeling more charitable. Like Ford, the Republican party is a failing business that could, with good management, a lot of money, and some new products, once again become profitable. There is no one in America who has a better record than Mitt Romney at turning around failing enterprises, there is no Republican who can better deliver a message, and there is no Republican (except Palin perhaps) who can raise as much money.

It strikes me that one of Romney's biggest problems in the 2008 primary, perhaps second only to having to contend with the McCain biography, was that it wasn't clear what he had ever done for Republican voters. He hadn't fought on the front lines in any of the party's major battles, he hadn't contributed anything to the party's philosophy. He seemed to be asking a lot of Republicans without having paid his dues. That's not true anymore, but Romney could earn a tremendous amount of good will were he to reform the party and help put together a successful 2010 election. And with Republicans having no other real power base, Romney would have the spotlight largely to himself in a time of economic crisis.

For Romney to win this election would be no easy feat, but if he pulled it off he just might save the party.

Posted by Michael Goldfarb on December 4, 2008 12:58 PM

Senate President Atwater and Speaker Sansom back Greer

By William March, Tampa Bay Online

Florida state Senate President Jeff Atwater and state House Speaker Ray Sansom have announced they support the re-election of state Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, who has been criticized by some in the party over spending of party funds.

Greer faces a challenge from dissident candidate Eric Miller, a Martin County businessman, when the party elects its officers in January, but Miller doesn’t appear so far to have built up much traction for his bid. Miller represents the conservative side of the party, some of whom have been critical of Greer and his chief backer, Gov. Charlie Crist, who are considered moderates.

Crist, who chose Greer as his favored candidate for chairman after becoming governor in 2006, also supports Greer’s re-election.

Party dissidents have criticized use of funds for private jet travel, expensive hotel accommodations and other expenditures. Greer and his backers say some of the spending he’s being criticized for was necessary, and some was done by elected officials who have access to party funds.

Charles T. Canady formally invested as Florida Supreme Court Justice

Governor Charlie Crist praises Canady’s dedication to justice, restraint

Governor Charlie Crist today celebrated the investiture of jurist Charles T. Canady to the Florida Supreme Court. Canady, 54, was Governor Crist’s first appointment to the seven-member high court and has been serving since September 6, 2008.

“Justice Canady has already proven to be a wonderful addition to Florida’s highest court,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “Today we celebrate his accomplishment and recognize his commitment to the Florida Constitution and our justice system.”

Before being appointed to the Supreme Court, Justice Canady has enjoyed an extensive career in both public and private practice. Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court, he served as a judge on the Second District Court of Appeal, starting in 2002.

“I am committed to serving in this important post,” said Justice Canady, who was joined in Tallahassee today by his wife and two children. “I am grateful to have the confidence and support of Governor Charlie Crist.”

Justice Canady filled the vacancy left by Justice Raoul G. Cantero III, who served on the Florida Supreme Court from 2002 to 2008.

Andy Palmer named Director of House Campaigns

TALLAHASSEE – Chairman Dean Cannon released the following statement today regarding the new director of House Campaigns for the Republican Party of Florida:
“Despite a challenging national environment for Republicans, Floridians once again elected 76 Republicans to the Florida House of Representatives. We are grateful for their trust and we will honor that trust by fighting to make our state safer, healthier and more prosperous. I commend Speaker Sansom for his tremendous work in carrying our House Republican message to the voters and for a fantastic result.
As we move forward, House Campaigns must evolve to meet the challenges of a new cycle. We must bring to our political organization the characteristics that mark our most successful Florida businesses: a strong work ethic, a willingness to innovate and a disciplined and responsible approach to managing our resources.
We must also find the most talented and qualified people to join our organization. To that end, I have asked Andy Palmer to serve as the next Director of House Campaigns. An experienced manager who understands Florida politics, Andy has the integrity, professionalism and skill to successfully manage our 2010 reelection campaign efforts.”
Andy is a former Executive Director of the Republican Party of Florida. In 2004, he served as the 72 Hour Director for the Republican National Committee overseeing Florida’s hugely successful get-out-the-vote effort. Most recently, Andy served as a senior consultant to Congressman-elect Tom Rooney and helped him win a hotly contested primary election and go on to unseat incumbent Democrat Congressman Tim Mahoney. Andy also has extensive experience working on House campaigns in Florida.
House Campaigns is the division of the Republican Party of Florida focused on the election of State House candidates. The House member chosen by the House Republican Conference as the next Speaker-designate oversees the operation of House Campaigns. Representative Dean Cannon (R- Winter Park) will assume responsibility for House Campaigns in January 2009.

Belinda Ortiz named RPOF Deputy Director of Outreach

Tallahassee–Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer today announced his appointment of Belinda Ortiz to serve as Director of Hispanic Outreach and Deputy Director of the Minority Outreach and Coalitions Department for the Republican Party of Florida.

“Hispanic voters in Florida are an important part of our party’s future success and the appointment of Belinda Ortiz demonstrates that gaining the confidence and ultimately the Hispanic vote is a top priority,” said Chairman Greer. “Our emphasis over the last two years in promoting minority outreach has provided great benefit, and I am honored that Belinda is committed to serving our party as we continue this vital mission.”

Belinda Ortiz most recently served as president and chief executive officer for Zitro of Orlando, Inc., a public relations and business development firm in Central Florida. She previously served as director of public policy for the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association (CFHLA) – the world’s largest regional hotel association. At CFHLA, Ortiz was responsible for all public relations functions related to the association, including work with the CFHLA Political Action Committee that required her to coordinate the logistics of hotel voter registration drives and voter absentee ballot request campaigns.

Ortiz also worked as a senior contract administrator for the Orange County Business Development Division. In this position, she participated in extensive community outreach and business networking functions to further the organization’s visibility.

“Belinda has a tremendous amount of experience in community outreach and organization within the Hispanic Community and throughout Florida. I am looking forward to working with her to better spread the Republican message to the Hispanic Community and to demonstrate that as Republicans, we aren’t going to expect their vote – we are going to earn it,” continued Greer.

“This appointment is part of the Republican Party of Florida’s strategic plan to build the party with energy and new ideas, a focus on minority outreach and technology advancement, and an unwavering commitment to our Party’s long standing values and principles of less government, less taxes and more freedom,” concluded Greer.

Ortiz earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Central Florida and a Masters in Public Administration from Troy State University. Additionally, Ortiz is a nationally certified Economic Development Finance Professional.She has served on the Orange County School Superintendent’s Hispanic Advisory Council, the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, Metro Orlando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Professional Women’s Association.

RPOF Chairman Jim Greer created the Republican Party of Florida’s Minority Outreach Department shortly after his election in January 2007. John Davis serves as the director of minority outreach, overseeing the operations of the RPOF’s African American, Hispanic, Jewish and Women’s Leadership Councils. As the deputy director of minority outreach, Ortiz will work with Davis and the RPOF Leadership Councils to provide a continuing presence in communities across the state.

New BCREC Officers elected

Here is your new Bay County Republican Executive Committee board joining our State Committeeman Johnathan Hayes and State Committeewoman Melissa Hagan:

Chairman John Salak

Vice-Chairman Dennis Dillenschneider

Secretary Eric Wall

Treasurer Janice Grant(re-elected)

Sen. Martinez won’t run for re-election in 2010

By Aaron Blake, The Hill

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in 2010, passing on what looked to be one of the most difficult reelection battles in the country.

Martinez, 62, has been saying for weeks that he intended to run again but would wait until January to make an announcement. Instead, he announced less than a month after the 2008 elections that he is passing on another term.

Martinez did not indicate whether he will serve out his term in Congress, but said that the early announcement came so that candidates would have ample time to rally support for their campaigns.

The senator stated that he never wanted to be in public office throughout his career, adding that he thought during his campaign for Orange County mayor in 1998 that he would spend four-to-eight years in politics.

During his Senate tenure, the former Housing and Urban Development secretary had a brief and unsuccessful stint as co-chairman of the Republican National Committee – a position he vacated after less than a year.

“The next eight years would have been two of candidacy and six of serving – I just wanted to go a different direction with my life,” Martinez said.

Democrats are searching for a candidate in the race. Among those being mentioned at this early stage are Reps. Allen Boyd, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ron Klein, Robert Wexler and Kathy Castor, as well as state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.

from the Palm Beach Post:

Gov. Charlie Crist released this statement on U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez’ decision to not seek re-election in 2010.

“I am of course very disappointed that my good friend Mel Martinez has decided not to run for re-election. The state of Florida is losing a great advocate in the U.S. Senate. Mel has fought tirelessly on Florida’s behalf to protect our tourism economy, promote free trade, restore our nation’s Everglades, keep taxes low for Florida’s families and ensure Florida’s fair share of federal resources.

“While I would have loved for Mel to be making a different announcement today, I know that he has to be looking forward to spending more time in the Sunshine State with his family. I know that they have sacrificed having their husband and dad in Washington for the last several years, and Florida thanks them for allowing Mel to represent our great state so ably in the United States Senate.

“I’m proud to call Mel Martinez my friend and look forward to continuing to work together on behalf of the people of our state.”

John Fund reviews the Mike Huckabee book

Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who won the Iowa presidential caucuses and became a mini-media sensation earlier this year, has a popular new book out (it's ranked No. 5 on next week's New York Times bestseller list) laying out his philosophy and settling some scores from the campaign.

As for philosophy, Mr. Huckabee was clearly stung by attacks on him as being insufficiently conservative during his ten years running the Arkansas state government from 1996 to 2006. He declares he was the genuine conservative in this year's presidential race and warns about coming economic hard times. He bitterly recalls "getting laughed at by the Wall Street Journal and pilloried by the National Review. They were just dicin' and slicin' me for not following the company line."

Mr. Huckabee thinks the "company line" is a combination of rigid fiscal conservatism and a refusal to use government to help people in times of distress. His book includes a chapter called "Faux-Cons: Worse than Liberalism" In it, he says the "real threat" to the Republican Party is a hidden "libertarianism masked as conservatism....[I]t threatens to not only split the Republican Party, but render it as irrelevant as the Whig Party."

Of course, Mr. Huckabee ignores exit polls from both the 2006 and 2008 elections that show many Republicans stayed home because the party had strayed from its fiscally conservative roots.

He also neglects to mention that the great hero of Republicans, Ronald Reagan, explicitly called for all wings of the Republican Party to stay united and raise "a banner of bold colors, rather than pale pastels." In a famous interview with Reason magazine, the Gipper noted: "If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism....The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is. . . . I think that libertarianism and conservatism are traveling the same path."

Mr. Huckabee takes other shots in his book, including one that dismisses a Mitt Romney proposal to encourage more investment in the stock market as a Marie Antoinette approach to the economy: "Let them eat stocks!"

In interviews promoting his book, Mr. Huckabee also admits to some puzzlement about the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running-mate, a job he thought himself in line for. "She's wonderful, but the only difference was she looks better in stilettos than I do, and she has better hair," he told the New Yorker magazine. "It wasn't so much a gender issue, but it was like they suddenly decided that everything they disliked about me was O.K....She was given a pass by some of the very people who said I wasn't prepared."

Perhaps one reason why Mr. Huckabee's critics weren't enthusiastic about him joining the GOP ticket was his attitude. Rather than attack free-market groups like the Club for Growth as "the Club for Greed," Mrs. Palin assembled a broad coalition to win the Alaska governor's race in 2008 and maintained warm relations with both free-marketers and social conservatives. That's a page from the Reagan playbook that Mr. Huckabee seems not to have mastered, and indeed seems intent on ripping up.

BCREC Election Update

I am sure everyone has read Ted's letter regarding the BCREC Election tomorrow. I have received several phone calls regarding the content of the letter and I want to add a couple of clarifying thoughts regarding the situation and future BC REC operations.

For those who are questioning what is going on, the RPOF rules require candidates for State Chairman of RPOF to be a voting officer of a county REC. That means the Chairman, State Committeeman, or State Committeewoman. Traditionally, State Chairman candidates who are not REC members typically ask one of those officers in their registered county's REC to step down to allow them to run in the interest of the state party. My understanding is that most RECs are accommodating in those efforts. In Mr. Harrison's case, the only two options are to be elected State Committeeman or Chairman if he is going to run for State Chairman. The broad consensus is that being as Jonathan Hayes just won a contested election to State Committeeman, it would not be right to ask him to step down. That leaves the BCREC Chairman as the only position open to make a run for State Chairman.

The issue for tomorrow's election is that Mr. Harrison is not eligible to run for the BCREC Chairman. To become eligible, he has to be voted on to the REC as a committeeman first, and that cannot happen until the new board is elected. If you wish more detail on the specific RPOF Rules of Procedure and County Model Constitution articles that apply, they will be available at the 1 Dec meeting. Ted has proposed that we essentially vote to temporarily continue the current board until the REC makes a decision on supporting Mr. Harrison's effort to run for State Chairman. As Ted stated, he will run for Chairman and I will support his effort. Hopefully, he will be unopposed and we can move on with a unanimous election for Chairman. Likewise, I will seek election to the position of Vice-Chairman, with the intention of resigning when Ted does for the next election. This should give all BCREC members ample time to consider what is going on and for a plan to be presented to the members regarding BCREC operations should Mr. Harrison be elected State Chairman.

Please be assured that Ted, myself, and the entire BCREC board are primarily interested in protecting the BCREC. All of you have put a lot of work in over the years, and especially in the past two years, to make the REC into an effective political operation. Given the success we had in 2008, and our goal for 2010, we want to make sure there is a strong leadership team in place to support your efforts.

Respectfully,
John Salak

Chairman's Update regarding the December 1st elections

Fellow REC Members:
The events of, and discussions before and after last Monday night’s meeting have produced a lot of confusion leading up to the important election that will be held Monday night. William
Harrison announced his intention of running against Jim Greer for the Chair of RPOF, and was elected as a Precinct Committeeman for his precinct, a first step to meeting the requirements to make that run. Because William is not otherwise eligible to run for BCREC Chairman at the 1 Dec election, a series of elections and resignations would have to follow, with the final result being to elect William as Chair of the BCREC prior to the Annual Meeting on January 10.

William’s reasons for mounting such an ambitious undertaking are based on his desire to see RPOF act as a strong influence to return Florida’s politics, which are controlled by our Party, to conservative principles of governing.
In discussions with William yesterday, he confirmed that the decision to seek the RPOF Chair is not firm at this time. He also confirmed his desire to be elected as Chair of the BCREC, regardless of the decision to run for Chair of RPOF. I am very concerned that the election Monday night might lead to misunderstandings and conflict within our ranks, since most of our members aren’t aware of what the issues are, and that’s not the way we do things. The election should be a time of celebration for what we’ve accomplished during the past cycle, and choosing
new leadership to go forward.

That’s a lot of verbiage to let you know that I will run for the Chair of the REC on Monday night, to serve for a short period. I have discussed this decision with John Salak and Dan Estes, who have announced their candidacy for Chair, as well as William. My purpose is to make sure that the election of the Chair of the BCREC will be held in the next couple of months, with every member being fully aware of the candidates and issues involved. There’s not time before Monday’s election to accomplish that goal.

I’m grateful for the trust you’ve given me in allowing me to serve you for the past two years. It’s time for new leadership, and my desire is that we make that decision based on full knowledge of the candidates and the circumstances. If William decides not to pursue the RPOF Chair, I’ll attend the RPOF Annual Meeting January 10 and be part of the delegation (with Jonathan and Melissa) to represent Bay County in the decisions to be made there. I’ll resign shortly after, in an orderly fashion, and announce an election date for the vacancy. If William does decide to run for Chair of RPOF, that decision would have to be made by mid-December. If the REC decides to support his candidacy, a second election will be required prior to the RPOF
meeting to elect him Chairman. As a 10 day meeting notice is required prior to the election, we have a very narrow window for the 2nd election meeting, especially with the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

I hope this decision will clear up any confusion about Monday’s election. The only other option that I could see was to postpone the election, and that creates other problems. My goal for the past two years has been to keep every member informed and run a transparent administration that involves every member. This action is intended to continue that practice.
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thank you for your service to the REC.

Ted Haney

Chip Saltsman running for RNC Chairman

By Michael Patrick Leahy

Tennessean Chip Saltsman, most recently the manager of Mike Huckabee's remarkably successful "up from nowhere" 2008 Presidential campaign, has thrown his hat in the ring as a candidate for the Republican National Committee Chairmanship position.

At forty, Saltsman is the youngest of the announced candidates and arguably has the most electoral success in his background. He helped the ignoble Don Sundquist win the Governorship in Tennessee back in 1994, and has been involved in several successful Tennessee campaigns, ranging from Bill Frist's Senate election to the glorious defeat of native son and Democrat Presidential candidate Al Gore in 2000. Without a Republican victory in Tennessee in 2000, all of the drama in Florida wouldn't have mattered, and Al Gore would have been elected President.

Saltsman's relationship with Sundquist, the ultimate RINO (Republican in name only) , has been problematic. When elected to his second term in 1998, Sundquist reversed his campaign promise to oppose the imposition of any state income tax in Tennessee and introduced a proposal to do just that.

To his everlasting credit, Saltsman, who by that time had become Chairman of the Tennessee State Republican Party, vigorously opposed his old mentor's proposal, and was an important part of the conservative coalition of Republicans and talk show hosts ( a big tip of the hat to Phil Valentine and Steve Gill for that) whose protests and opposition killed the income tax proposal. Today, Tennessee remains one of the few states that does not have a state income tax. Many would argue that is one of the key reasons why the state continues to grow economically, even in these tough economic times.

The devolution of former Governor Sundquist's conservative principles are perhaps a case study of why Republicans nationwide must stick to truly conservative principles, articulating them well, and building the party by attracting voters to those principles, rather than modifying those principles to accomodate "moderates." When Sundquist, the Republican without principles, slunk off into ignominious obscurity at the end of his second term in 2002, he left behind a sordid record of broken promises and cronyism capitalism so revolting to voters that they readily ushered in his Democratic successor, current Governor Phil Bredesen.

Despite his work against Sundquist on the income tax, one weakness of Saltsman's candidacy may be questions about the degree to which he is firmly committed to conservative principles. He's never worked for a candidate who would be considered a "classic" conservative, for instance, and his public comments of late about reaching out to all groups sounds more like the failed "Big Tent Accomadation" policies of moderate Republicans who brought us the McCain debacle in 2008.

The role of the Party Chairman, however, is not necessarily to "paint the vision and imagery of the future." Instead, it's to build the ground game of technology, networks, communication infrastructure, and tactics, upon which the candidates can build their campaigns.

With a ground game in place, it will then be up to that crowd of ambitious Presidential wannabes to build the imagery, vision, and mythical narrative for the future that will appeal to the critical 18 to 29 year old demographic in whose hands the balance of power lay in 2008. That same demographic group will be even more important in 2010 and 2012. Just as Ronald Reagan did in 1980, and Newt Gingrich did in 1994, one of these pretenders to the throne --Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindahl, or candidates to be named later--will emerge from the pack when and if they are able to build such a vision.

The 2012 horse race is not the race that matters now. Instead, it's the January 2009 horse race for the Chairmanship of the Republican National Committee that matters.

Saltsman is considered an underdog in the race, but is pursuing the position with great vigor. The "Big Three" announced candidates--former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele, current Michigan Republican State Chairman Saul Anuzis, and current South Carolina Republican State Chairman Katon Dawson-- have garnered more press, but Saltsman has hired a former Mitt Romney operative to help him communicate with the 168 Republican National Committee members who will select the new chairman in January, 2009.

The Romney move is a smart one for a politico so closely tied to Mike Huckabee. One of the objections to Saltsman is that he is merely a stalking horse for Huckabee's 2012 campaign.

Saltsman has made another smart move, by putting out a 10 page summary of his plan for victory, and publicly endorsing the "goals" of the Rebuild the Party wing of the party. That's a group of young turks headed up by the brilliant thirty year old Patrick Ruffini, which has laid out a very specific plan for reclaiming the internet for the Right.

Saltsman's rival, Saul Anuzis of Michigan, has also endorsed the Rebuild the Party plan, and, unlike Saltsman, is also using the social media tools described in the plan (Twitter, Facebook, Ning networks, including the Rebuiild the Party Ning Social Network to connect with the conservative base of internet activists.

Surprisingly, neither Steele nor Dawson have endorsed the Rebuild the Party plan, leaving both of them currently exposed to charges that they represent the old "Brain Dead Luddite" faction of the Republican Party that let Howard Dean, Barack Obama, and a legion of inspired left wing netizens completely pummel the party in 2008.

Anuzis, in particular, has made great efforts to demonstrate that he is not a Brain Dead Luddite. He has been extraordinarily accessible to the conservative internet activists who make up the Rebuild the Party network. To use the terms of conservative icon Richard Viguerie, he is in practice demonstrating how to "re-engineer" the successful Democratic internet tactics and strategies.

Most observers are probably picking Michael Steele as the front runner for the Chairmanship. While that may be the case today, it would be unwise to count either Saltsman or Anuzis out until after the last vote is cast in January.

As that famous philosopher Yogi Berra once said, "It ain't over till it's over."

Thanksgiving message from Gov. Crist

Dear Friends,

This week we celebrate the many things we as Floridians – and Americans – have to be grateful for. God has bestowed many blessings upon our state, giving us opportunity and hope for the future.

Last week I had the pleasure of announcing $10 million in grants to repair and maintain 19 senior centers around the state, including funds for construction of new senior centers. Senior citizens contribute so much to our state and I am pleased our state is giving back to them by funding the centers that play an essential role in their overall health and community involvement. The grants will help the centers continue to provide the essential services that add to their independence and well-being.

I am proud to have announced this week that our state is continuously increasing the number of children in state care being placed in loving, permanent homes. I am grateful for the hard work and commitment of the adoption agencies and families that continue to make this possible. It is appropriate that during the National Month of Adoption we are observing a holiday that reminds us to be thankful for all that we have.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us remember we have countless opportunities to give back to our fellow Floridians. We should all work together in service to our communities, never taking for granted the many blessings that we hold dear.

May God bless each and every family and the great state of Florida.

NY Times interview with Karl Rove

Do you see the election results as a repudiation of your politics?
Our new president-elect won one and a half points more than George W. Bush won in 2004, and he did so, in great respect, by adopting the methods of the Bush campaign and conducting a vast army of persuasion to identify and get out the vote.

But what about your great dream of creating a permanent Republican governing majority in Washington?
I never said permanent. Durable.

Do you think John McCain attacked too much or not enough?
Dissecting the campaign that way is not helpful.

Have you met Barack Obama?
Yes, I know him. He was a member of the Senate while I was at the White House and we shared a mutual friend, Ken Mehlman, his law-school classmate. When Obama came to the White House, we would talk about our mutual friend.

Did you have lunch together? Talk in the hall?
We sat in the meeting room and chatted before the meeting. He had a habit of showing up early, which is a good courtesy.

Are you going to send him a little note congratulating him?
I already have. I sent it to his office. I sent him a handwritten note with funny stamps on the outside.

What kind of funny stamps?
Stamps.

Do you have any advice for him? You already criticized Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s new chief of staff, as a sharply partisan choice.
I raised a question as to whether this would be the best use of Rahm Emanuel’s talents. If you’re trying to work through a big legislative priority, it is sort of hard if you have a guy who has a reputation as a tough, hard, take-no-prisoners, head-in-your-face, scream-and-shout, send-them-a-dead-fish partisan.

What about you? You were always seen as very partisan.
I wasn’t the chief of staff. And you’d be surprised by the Democrats I actually met, got to know and worked with.

Do you like Joe Biden?
I think he has an odd combination of longevity and long-windedness that passes for wisdom in Washington.

Do you regret anything that happened in the White House during your tenure?
Sure.

You’ve been booed off stages recently.
No, I haven’t. I’ve been booed on stages. I’m a little bit tougher than to walk off a stage because someone says something ugly.

Do you think the era of negative politics is over?
No.

Do you see yourself as being associated with it in any way?
Look, in 1800 the sainted Thomas Jefferson arranged to hire a notorious slanderer named James Callender, who worked as a writer at a Republican newspaper in Richmond, Va. Read some of what he wrote about John Adams. This was a personal slander.

What did he say?
He said he lacked the spine of a man and the character of a woman. Negative politics have always been around.

Do you think you’re negative?
No.

You’ve never repudiated President Bush.
No. And I never will. He did the right things.

What about Iraq and the economy?
The world is a better place with Saddam Hussein gone.

Do you have any advice for him at this point?
With all due respect, I don’t need you to transmit what I want to say to my friend of 35 years.

Remember, attack politics are out. It’s a new age of civilized discourse.
You’re the one who hurt my feelings by saying you didn’t trust me.

Did I say that?
Yes, you did. I’ve got it on tape. I’m going to transcribe this and send it to you.

Steele: Reports of GOP death exaggerated

Sure, Republicans have had a hard couple of elections. But you’ll excuse me for suggesting that reports of our death have been more than a little exaggerated.

In fact, the electorate shifted only about 4 points from Republicans to Democrats since 2004. That year, George W. Bush took 48 percent of the vote against Barack Obama’s approximately 52 percent in this election. Now, don’t get me wrong, that 4-point shift produced the best vote tally for a national Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson.

But the admittedly major defeat for the home team that resulted from a mere 4-point shift need not send Republicans to the locker room just yet. The fact is that despite dire predictions to the contrary, turnout in 2008 was about the same as it was in 2004. The real problem was that Republican turn-out pitched down while Democrat turnout surged.

We can get those votes back and then some. But we have both strategic and tactical improvements to make.

Return to timeless Republican principles. And include a positive, optimistic message that envisions a new, stronger, more prosperous American future. Ronald Reagan spoke to our deepest longing as a people. He gave a voice to principles that are true for all people in all times. Retool our message, but base it on those proven conservative principles for which our party has always stood: Our freedom is from God, not government. Our prosperity comes from a free people in a free market, not overtaxing, free-spending bureaucrats. We celebrate and protect life, born and unborn. And our best hope for a brighter future is in the empowerment of individuals and families, not in the constraints imposed by a bloated bureaucracy.

Organize in every state. Our successes are mostly centered in Appalachia, the South and the Great Plains. We’ve been nearly completely shut out in New England, and we’re only slightly better off in the mid-Atlantic. Things don’t look any better in the Rust Belt or the West Coast either. Democrats have done a great job of outworking us in these areas. We need a new approach that assures Republicans play in every state; take nothing for granted. We may not win everywhere we play, but we certainly won’t win if we don’t play everywhere we can.

Appeal to the forgotten middle class. Obama beat us in the cities, suburbs and exurbs. We beat him in the rural areas. Our message of economic growth, lower taxes, more accountability in education, personal responsibility and fiscal restraint will appeal, but we have to refine it and do a lot better job of getting it out.

Build a broader coalition. Obama’s coalition consisted of a broad cross-section of Americans. Young voters went for Obama 68 percent to 30 percent. He beat us among Hispanics by a 2-1 ratio. He won the votes of Asians, women, African-Americans and seniors. This doesn’t have to be the case. We have the message, but we have to improve our credibility with these voters.

Stop the blame game. We have to stop trying to lay blame for our losses. It’s embarrassing to see what unnamed McCain aides are saying about Sarah Palin. Worse, it’s not fair, relevant or productive. Instead, we have to recognize we have all contributed to the problem and it will take us all — working together — to repair it.

Use new communication tools. Not only was our message stale, the means by which we’ve conveyed our message has been lackluster — at best. Television advertising is great, but it’s not enough in this new age of Facebook, YouTube, bloggers and Twitter. In addition to updating our message, we have to update the means by which we communicate it.

The Republican Party needs an overhaul not just an adjustment if we’re to create a new Republican majority. Once again, we need to speak directly to the hopes, concerns and aspirations of Americans. So let’s stop telling Americans what we’re against and instead articulate a compelling vision of what we’re for, how we’ll lead and where we want to go.

And we need to do it in a far more powerful, relevant and credible way. The result of this election gives us the chance to take a step back, reassess, re-engineer and figure out how to do that. And that’s good news.


(Michael Steele served as lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007 and is currently a candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee.)