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
Editor
- The Political Consultant
- Panama City, Florida, United States
- Bay County Republican: the truth about what is going on in GOP local politics
Friday, 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.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
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.”
Monday, December 1, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
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
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
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