Good Morning AB, ALL:
I must share my interesting story about my last meeting with the Sussex county Republican Women Council. Sussex county is in Delaware and this was my second attendance to their monthly luncheon. I'd written a blurb a few weeks ago about how disappointed I was in the first meeting which was a tad boring and vapid, or so went my synopsis.
Not so this second meeting and I'll post it here on this public forum and perhaps risk someone in the Delaware GOP reading it. They do read Blogs and such. Once when I was at the GOP headquarters in Georgetown they had Little Green Footballs up on that computer so somebody who witnessed what happened might read this. But so what?
THIS particular meeting of the SCRWC was much more interesting in that it was post-election and the head of the Sussex county GOP was there. He was a nice fellow, affable and straightforward, and his father had run for Governor of Delaware a few years ago as I understand it. Burris was his last name.
Well he got up and gave us a rousing pep talk. He said the usual...many Democrats won because they posed as Conservatives, the stats on mid-year congressional turnover such as the 2006 generally have a major shift in control of congress, the Republicans need to return to their Republican agenda...yada, yada. It was a fine pep talk and Burris went on to tell us that we will win in 2008 and the Sussex County Republican Women was the most influential GOP group in the state.
Then he took questions.
Well I'd listened to this pep talk and while I agreed with most of his assessments, let me state right now that I have some BIG issues with Delaware's one and only representative to the House, Mr. Mike Castle. If you didn't know, Mike Castle last year started a group called the Main Street Republicans. Scuttlebutt is that he got a large donation from George Soros but I have no proof of that. Castle then proceeded to thwart a vote for drilling in ANWR.
Folks, drilling for oil in our own land is a non-brainer to the American people because hey, why should we keep kissing those Arabs' butt for oil when we can drill our own? I was furious when I heard what Mike Castle did. Rush Limbaugh covered this flap for a few days. In my fury, I called up the head of the Delaware GOP, a Mr. Terry Strine. Strine called me back on a Sunday afternoon. I'd told him I am a Delaware Blogger and want to know what the hell my Delaware GOP rep was doing voting against ANWR when I was damn sure the citizens of Delaware would have no problem with drilling down through frozen ice, the enviro-wackos notwithstanding.
"Mr. Burris," I said, after raising my hand quite obviously at his request for questions. "Is Mike Castle running again?"
"All I can tell you at this time is that we have campaign buttons for Mike Castle 2008," he responded.
"Well why is the Delaware GOP supporting this man when he obviously spit in the faces of, at the least his Republican constituents, at the most ALL of our Delaware citizens? Didn't you just give us a lecture about the GOP's need to return to our conservative principles?" Somebody really needs to put duct tape over my mouth because all my fury over Mr. Castle and his betrayal would not be quelled and here I had a Delaware GOP guru to whom I could complain. "Terry Strine told me the Delaware GOP had no idea Mike Castle was going to this," I ended my first question.
Burris' face reddened and he said, softly, "Well, Terry String DID know Castle was going to do that," Burris responded.
Now I am to understand I was lied to by the head of the Delaware GOP, that they KNEW about Castle's betrayal BEFORE it happened?
"Aren't you talking out of both sides of your mouth when you give us a lecture about returning to so-called GOP values yet are supporting Castle to run again as Delaware's rep?"
Burris then launched into some confusing narrative about changing the infrastructure of the Delaware GOP, that Mike Castle does WIN...heh.
Oh, I see. So if we have a GOP congress critter who WINS, well then to hell with conservative values even if the guy spits on the face of us voters and my granddaughter who may someday have to wear a burqa?
All hell broke loose. Like I said, I need duct tape put over my big mouth but truth be told, those GOP ladies who lunch probably never had such a great time. They just needed a bit of truth is all.
One lady raised her hand and said that Castle voted for Gay marriage and others said he did this and that and my goodness, why had they all been following lockstop for Mike Castle when they were damn angry their own selves.
Burris dodged and mumbled and answered the questions but it was obvious that on some level, bright light shone upon these fine ladies and they were not at all happy. Later Burris approached me and told me softly that the Delaware GOP only needed Castle to run one more time. I told him I was a Blogger and he told me he knew who I was, they had my card up at the GOP headquarters, and that he too was a Blogger.
My assessment of Burris is that he damn well knew he was spoonfeeding this group of women; women who worked their butt off for Delaware GOP and raised more money for GOP candidates than any other women's group in the state. And frankly I think he felt guilty.
After the meeting and even as I drove my Jeep out of the lot, the ladies were coming up to me and telling me how so very happy they were that someone was finally telling the truth. Well heh, truth is cheap. It's living with LIES that's expensive.
Frankly I'm not sure if they love or hate me now but it's no mind. I intend to continue to get in their face and expose the lies, yes, EVEN the REPUBLICAN lies.
They keep peeing upon our feet and telling us it's raining, folks, even our own damn side.
That's my story of the week and it's all true. Oh, and I joined the Chorus of the GOP, heh, and will be singing at all major GOP events so they'll just have to throw me out on my ear. Tell you what though, they KNOW who I am.
Heh.
Great read, Fishtalk. It sure would be nice to see more of this happening across the country. Let us know when they string you up for blasphemy.
Absolutely perfect, Fishtalk!
You are doing what I've been arguing we all must do if we want to affect real change and have the right kind of impact. Casting a protest vote to punish the Republicans is fine, except when it winds up putting a Dhimmicrat in the seat in the RINO's place. Replacing a RINO with a viable conservative alternative during the primaries or even earlier in the process is the way to go.
Now, you're lined up to run for a local or state office, correct? Why not put your hat into the ring for Mike Castle's seat? Start floating the idea with the ladies at SCRWC and see how they react. It sounds like you've got the ideas and issues that this group wants to hear about, and Burns did say they were the most influential GOP group in the state...
I'm giving you a post-flu weakened cheer aloud here, but inside I am shouting HURRAH, HURRAH for Fishtalk.
What a great report. And how terrific that the other attendees were spurred on to speak out.
Congratulations. Don't let them co-opt you by giving you some title so that they can ignore you in the future.
Snugs, what is the "Blue Rinse Brigade" doing about Cameron's "me-too-ism-only-moreso"?
I'm following your elections in the Mail.
Thank you, Fishtalk for standing up and speaking out.
Pat, I think you ought to run against Castle in the primary. I really do, and think you could trounce him, too!