Posted on 01/24/2010 10:09:25 AM PST by Cheap_Hessian
HONOLULU (AP) - A high-tax, big-government Democratic bastion for five decades and President Barack Obama's birthplace, Hawaii would seem a curious place for the Republican National Committee to hold its winter meeting.
But riding high after Republican Scott Brown's surprise victory in last week's Senate race in another Democratic stronghold, Massachusetts, 168 RNC delegates are arriving Wednesday unconcerned about this isolated island state's past political proclivities.
On the heels of Massachusetts plus GOP triumphs in New Jersey and Virginia governor's races last fall, Republicans are invigorated after national elections that saw them lose control of Congress and then the White House. Yet the party faces deep internal divisions and other problems at the opening of the 2010 election season
Just like in Massachusetts, Virginia and New Jersey, the GOP has tasted success in recent years in Hawaii in gubernatorial elections. In 2002, Hawaii elected Linda Lingle its first Republican governor since William Quinn in 1959, when statehood was granted. Lingle was re-elected by an almost 2-to-1 margin in 2006.
The gathering at one of Waikiki's most prominent beachfront resorts will be a first for the RNC, which for years sidestepped requests by its Hawaii members to bring its winter meeting to a warm climate. "The concern was appearances," said Travis Thompson of Maui, an RNC member from 2000 to 2008.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Unreal.
WTF! Maybe go get his fake BC you cowards. Country is headed towards a depression and they are in HI - a state that refuses demands for his BC after that vouched for it. This meant by HI law they had to release it.
Looks like the GOp learned nothing.
into the belly of the beastie.....maybe they can go to the hall of records and look at various birth certificates...oh wait...that is not a Republican issue...it is an issue of psychotic reactionaries....(sarc)
Enjoy the beach, you idiots.
Who’s there—I’m hoping Newt, McCain, Graham stay far away. And why shouldn’t they go to Hawaii? It’s a convention state.
Who are they using to advise them? Martha Coakley?
If they had one shred of decency or common sense they’d be in Detroit working on a jobs program.
They just don’t get it!
Tone Deaf Elitists. Keep filling the tank of the TP movement. With all due respect to Mark Levin, these morons only keep making the case against his defense of the party.
It’s for the RNC and Michael Steele chose the locale !!!!!
Hey GOP. Do you ever think about how this looks to the voters when done at a time of economic distress? The best discipline is self-discipline. You make me glad I changed my registration to Independent.
"Do I want voters to think that Republicans do nothing but go to beach resorts in January? No," said Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 House Republican. He clashed with Steele after the chairman said during his book tour that Republicans wouldn't win control of the House this fall, a remark Steele quickly took back.
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Steele defended his decision to hold the meeting in Hawaii. He said he wanted to recognize the hard work of committee members from Hawaii and from U.S. territories who frequently travel to the mainland for party events. He said he also wanted to celebrate Lingle, an ally who is in the last year of her second term.
"People are trying to poison that and make it look like it's some nefarious payback and all this other stupid silly stuff. It's not any of that," Steele said.
Asked if he was concerned about the optics of the RNC gathering in a tropical place given the recession, Steele said: "No. Hawaii's going through a recession, too. So we're going to help the economy a little bit."
What a tone deaf jerk. RNC member contributions are being used for this fabulous vacation. Does Steele really think this is what voters want? I know he doesn't care.
” Steele’s choice of Hawaii for the meeting has also upset some Republicans.”
Michael Steele is a moron.
He demonstrates that time and time again and still, he remains the head of the RNC.
I continue to throw their fundraising pleas in the trash and
last time they called -I told them to remove my name from their list.
“and President Barack Obama’s birthplace”
REALLY!?!?
The GOP shouldn't get cocky. Scott Brown ran as an independent with a microscopic R after his name.
How about meeting at one of the many rooms in WASHINGTON, DC?
There better not be a single solitary politician there!
What would one expect with Steele as head.
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