Elizabeth Crum

There was only one threat to close down yesterday’s meeting, says an attendee, but otherwise the Nye County GOP convention went down pretty much the way Ron Paulers are crowing in the following press release.

If you think the Nevada GOP convention is not in jeopardy of an epic battle (or total chaos, depending on your point of view) you’re just not paying attention.

…

HENDERSON, Nevada – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul swept all state delegates from Nye County and a strong majority of state delegates from Douglas County in these areas’ respective GOP county conventions held Saturday.  Yesterday’s success story from Nye County is especially notable because the county party establishment leadership attempted to break the rules in order to win, and ironically this effort destroyed their ability to send any representation to the state convention.

Nye County Republican Party leadership attempted to fill empty precinct delegate slots with people who failed to be elected or even participate in the February 4^th caucus precinct meetings.  Ron Paul supporters, however, worked tirelessly to ensure that the Republican Party rules were upheld and that Nevada State statutes were complied with.  The 12-term Congressman from Texas’ supporters refused to allow the convening of a convention with unelected delegates.  This delay in starting the convention ultimately frustrated the less-dedicated establishment attendees who refused to play by the rules.

After a tiring circle of threats from the chair to shut down the convention unless attendees would turn a blind eye to the cheating, Paul supporters elected a chair determined to conduct the proceedings in a fair manner.  When this blow was dealt to the current Nye County Republican Party leadership, they all departed – forfeiting any intention to represent or lead their county to the state convention.  The end result in Nye County was a fair, compliant election of a slate of delegates and alternate delegates to the state convention, all backing Dr. Paul.

Farther west in Douglas County, Ron Paul supporters locked down more than half of the 108 state delegates and many alternate delegate positions.  Fortunately, Douglas County citizens were able to make their voice heard loud and clear without having to circumvent the obstacle of an establishment determined to override the people.

Reflecting on the powerful impact the Paul conservative movement has in Nevada, Ron Paul 2012 Nevada State Chairman Carl Bunce said, “Supporters of Dr. Paul are reshaping Republican politics in Nevada.  They have the stamina and determination to bring the party back to its limited government roots, county by county.”

“Beltway insiders might dismiss it, some in the media may choose to overlook it, and establishment party hacks will at times cheat, but nothing can stop the Ron Paul-influenced reawakening of the conservative movement in America.  Voters are smarter than the representation they’re getting and the empty rhetoric of fake conservatives and serial hypocrites,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton.

“Republicans understand Ron Paul is the only candidate who can challenge status quo candidate Mitt Romney, defeat Obama, and Restore America Now.  Proof of this is ordinary citizens including first-time political activists investing their time to become the delegates required to win Dr. Paul the GOP nomination,” added Mr. Benton.

The Nye and Douglas successes add to a decisive victory in Clark County, the populous county encompassing Las Vegas.  In Clark, Paul secured approximately 60 percent of the delegates heading to the state convention, and won a supermajority of the Clark County Republican Executive Board.  Progress and momentum such as in these examples is hardly limited to Nevada.  It has occurred in other states including Washington and Missouri.

Is the county-level battle over how to fill delegate vacancies yet another reason to expect that the NV GOP state convention will be contentious?

I asked Jesse Law, political activist and Ron Paul supporter, for his two cents on that and yesterday’s goings-on in Nye. He sent this statement via email:

The fight in Tonopah was over the chairwoman’s decision to fill vacancies with appointments.  The membership’s argument was that an appointment to fill a vacancy in a precinct for a convention delegate is only valid if there were no election for delegates at the precinct. There will be a fight at the state convention but the rules are clear, and I expect the ruling from the state party to be met with confirmation at the state convention.

Yep, sounds like the state convention will be a popcorn-worthy event.

And:  If you attended the GOP meetings in either Douglas or Nye counties yesterday, feel free to drop your comments below.

Here are event details on the state gathering should you wish to attend:

I was unable to attend, but Chuck Muth gives us the details of the special meeting of the Clark County Republican Central Committee last night.  We agreed in advance it would probably be a circus.  But Chuck says it was all business:  ”serious, thoughtful and orderly.”

The main purpose of the controversial meeting was to consider and vote on a resolution censuring the Republican state legislators who voted for this session’s higher taxes. Here’s the text of the resolution:

Whereas, Clark County, Nevada is already burdened with high unemployment and a sagging business economy; and,

Whereas, the platform of the Clark County Republican Party is clear in its opposition to new taxes; and,

Whereas, raising taxes is extremely poor public policy for Nevada’s people and it’s economy; and,

Whereas, the Nevada Republican Party as a whole, and every Chairman of every Nevada County Central Committee has signed a resolution urging it’s elected legislators to vote against raising new taxes; and,

Whereas, the political damage caused to the Republican Party brand name from Republican officeholders who support higher taxes is tremendous; and,

Whereas the Clark County, Nevada Republican Party has a responsibility to make it clear that individual legislators who are registered as Republicans who voted for tax increases did so in disregard for and in opposition to their own political party; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Clark County, Nevada Republican Party that for their votes in support of raising taxes in SB 429, we censure the following registered Republican legislators:

Republican Senators:
Dennis Nolan
Warren Hardy
William Raggio
Dean Rhoads
Randolph Townsend

Republican Assemblymen:
John Carpenter

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the members of the Clark County Nevada Republican Party urge the Republican Party Central Committee, or any other official party entity from giving any assistance of any kind to those legislators listed above.

Chuck said a few people spoke against the resolution, on the grounds that it would hurt the party to appear fractured. But those speaking in favor pointed out that the harm done to the party by Republican legislators voting for this tax hike was far more harmful - and that something had to be said about it.

The resolution passed OVERWHELMINGLY. Says Chuck:  “The “yeas” were thunderous; the “nays” were barely audible whispers.”

And so it is that the party folks in Clark County took a major step toward reclaiming the GOP from the ”moderate” legislative leadership.

May all Nevada’s other counties follow suit.  So let it be written, so let it be done.

Not sure if you’ve heard that Tax Day Tea Party organizer and DontGo Movement leader Eric Odom said “thanks, but no thanks” to RNC chair Michael Steele’s request to speak at the Chicago Tea Party event?  Instead, Eric invited chairman Steele to come and mingle and LISTEN.  Which I thought was well-played and a great idea.

Now it seems the grassroots Tea Party effort is being portrayed as a project of the GOP.  Here is Eric’s response - which, as a volunteer Tea Party organizer here in NV, and an associate and friend of Eric’s, I can verify as true and genuine:

This story out of TN has cheered me up considerably.

Apparently Representative Kent Williams sold out conservative Tennessee voters and his own party when he  stole the House Speaker’s chair at the last minute – with the help of Democrats with whom he has been secretly conspiring.  And apparently the TN GOP decided not to take it lying down.  From a resolution of their Executive Committee:

Whereas the supporters, voters and donors of the Tennessee Republican Party have a right to expect that, having collectively campaigned for and won a majority in the state House for the first time since 1868, both houses of the legislature would be lead by loyal Republican leadership; and

Whereas the evidence shows that Representative Kent Williams had been planning his betrayal for eight weeks and conspiring with Democrats to crown him Speaker in exchange for betraying his fellow Republican caucus members; and

Whereas Representative Kent Williams rewarded his Democratic allies with committee chairmanships, putting at risk the Republican agenda the majority of Tennessee voters voted for; and

Whereas Kent Williams’ actions and words provide indefensible evidence to the 30 written challenges questioning the Bona Fide status as a Republican; and is entitled to its constitutional right of Freedom of Association; and

Whereas the Tennessee Republican Party seeks to disassociate with Representative Kent Williams;

BE IT RESOLVED:

1. That state Representative Kent Williams of Carter County, Tennessee, be forever barred from seeking elective office in Tennessee on a Republican ballot; and

2. That the Tennessee Republican Party immediately request all media outlets in Tennessee to cease referring to Representative Kent Williams as a Republican.

3. That Kent Williams receive no support, endorsements, or financial backing by those affiliates of the Tennessee Republican Party.

Can they DO that?

Yes.  As the resolution notes, the Republican Party enjoys the constitutionally protected right of Freedom of Association.

Hmmm…

Have the state parties in Pennsylvania and Maine – home to RINO (Republican In Name Only) sell-out Sens. Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins – heard about this pithy little resolution out of Tennessee?

Maybe the GOP in every state should start disassociating themselves from Republican legislators who sell out conservative values, the voters, and the party that got them elected.

I can think of one state, in particular, in which at least one prominent Republican seems to be conspiring with Democrats to give “bi-partisan” support for tax hikes in the middle of a huge recession.

I’ll give you one guess which state – and which Senator – it is.

In the midst of all the in-fighting over whether social conservatives and the religious right have ”ruined” the Republican party, the American Conservative Union has re-published an interesting piece by Randall Hoven (originally printed at American Thinker).

I don’t talk much about my faith here on E!!  but as a Christian conservative with a libertarian streak, I am always interested in these kinds of debates.  Generally speaking I’m a social and cultural conservative, but I am cautious about state-mandated morality (because it can cut both ways) and often find myself defending freedom itself as an important right and virtue.

This is because I believe that (1) God grants us freedom and free will, (2) God grants us free will for a reason, and (3) Jesus Christ was not an Authoritarian. 

Free will is meaningless if people aren’t free to choose wrong as well as right, evil as well as good.  (Please don’t interpret this to mean I support anarchy; I don’t.)  We can and should legislate behavior to keep people from unduly harming one another, but we really can’t legislate matters of morality and conscience and spirit.  A man’s heart and mind cannot be taken by force; he must give it freely.

Jesus never strong-armed or forced anyone into listening to him, following him, or believing in him.  He spoke the truth with grace, closed his remarks with something pithy like “go and sin no more,” and that was basically it.  You were either touched and moved by what he said or not – but he didn’t chase you down the street, and he didn’t appeal to Rome to turn the Beautitudes into the law of the land. 

Anyway, check out Hoven’s piece and let me know what you think about his views.  I’d be interested to hear from so-cons as well as libertarians.

 Leslie Carbone has a very moving post up over at dontgomovement.com.  I like her passion.

Just received a press release from the California Republican Party (CRP) that they have filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against Barack Obama, Obama for America, Obama Victory Fund, and others citing a pattern of misconduct. 

Specific complaints include the fact that the Obama campaign provided Project Vote a copy of its donor list while hiding the fact that they did so, that Obama flew to Hawaii to visit his grandmother on $100,000 worth of campaign funds (instead of paying for it personally), and that Obama has been promised (and has accepted) “pro bono” legal representation by a law firm that has told its attorneys it will compensate and reward them for helping Obama.  All of these things are either in violation of federal election law or formal FEC opinion.

We’ll see what the FEC does, if anything.