RNC convention spending alarms party veterans

WaPo ^ | 11.27.10 | Dan Balz

[paudio]

Heavy spending for the 2008 national convention did not start until the summer and fall of 2007. By end of September 2006, the party had spent $35,500 on convention arrangements. That compares with the more than $636,000 spent to date. The total spent on preparations prior to July 2007 was $411,000. The arrangements committee is on pace to spend $2 million to $3 million by summer. "They're hamstringing the next presidential nominee," said an official familiar with past convention arrangements.

He said money spent now cannot be replaced, potentially limiting the choices the next nominee will have in staging the convention. But another official said the host committee could simply raise even more to make up for any excess spending now.

What's unusual, said Republicans knowledgeable about past conventions, is that the spending has taken place in the absence of a designated convention manager or a chairman of the Committee on Arrangements.

[Diogenesis]

Once again, all roads for the GOP's destruction
lead to Mitt Romney and George Soros and their dirty tricks.

"RNC convention spending alarms party veterans
Heavy spending for the 2008 national convention did not start
until the summer and fall of 2007.
"They're hamstringing the next presidential nominee,"
said an official familiar with past convention arrangements. ...
The Committee on Arrangements has neither a chairman nor broad membership.
The only member is Louis M. Pope, the Republican National committeeman
from Maryland, whom Steele appointed last summer as treasurer. "

---

FLASHBACK:

"Reluctantly, some Mitt Romney backers rally behind John McCain
February 10, 2008 - "I've said all along I'll support the party nominee
-- obviously not with the same enthusiasm... It's frustrating,"
said Louis M. Pope, Romney's Maryland campaign chairman"

---

The Palmetto Scoop reported:
"The sources said nearly 80 percent of Romney's former staff was absorbed by McCain and these individuals were responsible for what amounts to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."
that Palin would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016, which made her a threat to another presidential quest by Romney.

"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This will just guarantee Sarah's nomination.

She can raise more money than the RNC.

Lots more.

[COBOL2Java]

The many mishaps of Michael Steele:

1. Feb. 19, 2009: The political world got its first taste of what a Steele-led RNC would sound like when the new chairman told the Washington Times that the GOP was in need of a "hip-hop makeover."
2. Feb. 24, 2009: When asked by radio host Mike Gallagher if he, like many Republicans, favors civil unions as an alternative to gay marriage, Steele responded, "What are you, crazy?"
3. Feb. 25, 2009: Steele offered Indian-American Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal some "slum love," a reference to the Mumbai-based film "Slumdog Millionaire," on Curtis Sliwa's radio program.
4. March 2, 2009: Two days after calling Rush Limbaugh a mere "entertainer" with an "incendiary" talk show, Steele apologized and acknowledged the radio commentator as a "national conservative leader."
5. March 11, 2009: During an interview with GQ, Steele raised conservative eyebrows when he said that abortion was "an individual choice... absolutely." Later in the same interview he clarified that he meant it was an individual choice for states to decide.
6. Oct. 13, 2009: The RNC launched a redesigned GOP.com website that was not quite ready for prime time. A page devoted to future Republican leaders was empty and the last GOP accomplishment listed was from 2004. Steele became the butt of many jokes due to the name of his blog, "What up?"
   Read more at the site.

[Elsie]