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Exhibit B
Posted on 07/08/2009 6:55:10 AM PDT by flattorney
As a military officer for 30 years, I came to recognize the necessity of good leadership. When I retired from the military in 1998, I became active politically in the Republican Party. Since that time, I've been elected to two National Republican Conventions, acted as a military spokesperson for the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2004, and served as national veterans coordinator for Fred Thompson's presidential run. In 2007, I ran for Minnesota GOP party chair as a reform candidate, and lost. Over the years I have raised tens of thousands of dollars for GOP coffers, donated many thousands of dollars to local and national GOP candidates, worked many hours at the grass-roots level and been asked repeatedly to run for state or federal office by Minnesota GOP officeholders.
So why on Earth have I decided to leave the Minnesota GOP?
Simple: When a political party becomes so dysfunctional that it no longer can operate without tyrannical domination over the grass-roots, it is time to stop enabling bad behavior from that party. I have come to the conclusion that a majority of Minnesotans and many Republicans no longer trust the message of the Minnesota GOP. After years of ineffective party leadership resulting in a record number of defeats, lack of transparency in party dealings, alleged financial impropriety by former party employees, and numerous Federal Election Commission problems, can you really blame the electorate for abandoning the Minnesota GOP?
On June 13, the party continued its death spiral by electing the same failed leadership that has lost the last two elections. The "old guard" network of the GOP State Central Delegates continued to imitate lemmings gleefully following each other over the cliff to the political abyss below. Possibly the last chance to reform and re-energize the Minnesota GOP before the 2010 governor's race has been lost. For me, it was the last straw. I refuse to enable poor performance any longer. In my opinion, the new party leaders are rabid, power-hungry ideologues and the former attack dogs of the previous party chairman. They will not provide a message of inclusiveness or willingness to discuss contrary opinions. Honest, open and transparent party operations will not exist. The party is increasingly controlled by a small group of major financial donors and lobbyists who demand that their hand-picked people maintain the leadership positions. Most elected GOP politicians don't dare support reform out of fear of retribution. When lobbyist and corporate money has this type of stranglehold on a political party, fresh ideas and quality leadership fail to rise to the top.
The Minnesota GOP is no longer capable of competing. If you need further evidence, you only need to look at these two examples: the decision of Gov. Tim Pawlenty not to seek a third term and the decision of businessman Brian Sullivan, long thought to be the party's hand-picked successor to Pawlenty, of declining to run. I'm convinced both men, after watching the abandonment of Sen. Norm Coleman by principled conservatives and the debacle at last year's state GOP convention, where Ron Paul supporters were attacked and shouted down, have read the party tea leaves and decided the Minnesota GOP is so divided it is in no condition to contend in 2010.
After June 13, I came to the conclusion that the Minnesota GOP is no longer capable of being saved. My detractors will attack me, anonymously, or claim that I have hard feelings or that I'm just taking my ball and going home. Wrong — I'm only doing what thousands of Minnesota Republican voters have done over the last two elections; it just took me longer to pull the plug. Somewhere is a political party that is inclusive and wanting of seasoned political grass-roots talent. Somewhere there is a political party that will stand on principle, not radical partisanship. Somewhere there is a political party that isn't bought and paid for by large financial donors or special interests. There must be a party in need of fiscally conservative, principled individuals who will work for the people of Minnesota and not for the blind political ambition of a few. I encourage like-minded Republican voters to join me. I'm sure we'll find that new home.
Lt. Col. Joe Repya, of Eagan, is retired from the U.S. Army after 30 years of service that included Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
MAR
Well, there you go.
Joe - come join the CONSERVATIVE PARTY that Sarah will soon announce she is creating. Then you will be on the winning side in ‘12.
Is she really going to start a conservative party?
I agree with every word Joe said. But forget a new party. It will lose. Kick out the scum in the GOP, and revive it.
Sounds like a good and honorable man.
Geez! Change “Clark County, Washington” for “Minnesota” and this would fit out SW Washington Republicans to a tee. Our local Republicans are almost non-existent and the one left doesn’t do much to speak of anyway.
This is the typical wording of someone accusing the GOP of be too conservative. It's just one statement in the announcement, but it's leaving a seriously bad taste in my mouth.
That’s why I figure she quit in Alaska - we need to show her a groundswell of support.
Your tagline is my dream ticket, but a new party will fail.
We need to fix the one we have. Palin/Hunter would kick a$$!!
That assumes we stil have a party rather than a loose coalition willing to exploit our votes.
[When a political party becomes so dysfunctional that it no longer can operate without tyrannical domination over the grass-roots, it is time to stop enabling bad behavior from that party. I have come to the conclusion that a majority of Minnesotans and many Republicans no longer trust the message of the Minnesota GOP. After years of ineffective party leadership resulting in a record number of defeats, lack of transparency in party dealings, alleged financial impropriety by former party employees, and numerous Federal Election Commission problems, can you really blame the electorate for abandoning the Minnesota GOP?]
The whole GOP should be abandoned by conservatives and has become just another Northeast run liberal elitist feaful and weak liberal like political party and reminds me of the Kadima liberal party of Israel that has abandoned the conservative principles and joined with the leftist communist run communist owned labor party, in America known as the democrat party or the jackass party.
Quitter
The real problem is that RINOs have a deathgrip on control and money in the GOP.
As far as a Palin/Hunter or Hunter/Palin ticket is concerned. Oh hell yeah.
The thing that I rejoice in the most is how this move by SarahCuda has given us, for the first time decades, a simple and straightforward litmus test to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to those who call themselves Republicans or conservatives. The line behind her is full of the real McCoy, the other line is the chaff.
[It will lose. Kick out the scum in the GOP, and revive it.]
You never heard of the barrel of rotten apples story Christians teach their children, have you? You can not cleanse a corrupted vessel, it must be replaced.
The GOP is on it’s death bed. They need some competition in order to get themselves resuscitated.
Thank you. The framework is here. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. All one has to do is outnumber those you wish to defeat. It’s a heck of a lot easier to do that than to bolt and think you can develop a new party in sufficient numbers to win an election. The very idea is folly and shows lack of thought.
Ditto for The Republican Party of Florida # MAR
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
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