Posted on 08/28/2012 5:17:51 AM PDT by xzins
Fresh from the 2010 Tea Party wave that brought millions of new conservative voters into the Republican ranks and restored the GOP to control of the House of Representatives, Washington’s Republican political class is wasting no time in ensuring that the same grassroots conservative voters who have brought them to the threshold of capturing all three branches of government are permanently frozen out of influence in the Republican Party apparatus.
In response, grassroots conservatives have launched an unprecedented Rules fight that threatens to up-end the carefully choreographed coronation of Mitt Romney.
The Rules Committee report, which is set to be adopted Tuesday, includes Rules changes that shift the balance of power away from state and local Republican committees, who elect delegates to the National Convention every four years, in favor of DC’s permanent political class.
The Rules changes would:
Principled conservative Republican Party leaders Morton Blackwell of Virginia and Jim Bopp of Indiana are spearheading the drive to gather the votes necessary to adopt a Minority Rules Report and defeat the proposed rules changes on the floor during Tuesday’s procedural sessions.
To read Morton Blackwell’s letter to Republican National Convention delegates go here http://mranalogblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Morton-RNC-Letter.pdf
To read Jim Bopp’s email to Republican National Convention delegates go here:
http://www.conservativehq.com/article/9513-james-bopp-jr-letter
Indiana’s National Committeeman, James Bopp, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in an email to delegates, “This is the biggest power grab in the history of the Republican Party because it shifts the power to select delegates from the state party to the candidate. And it would make the Republican Party a top down, not bottom up party.”
Virginia’s Morton Blackwell, a member of the Republican National Committee’s Standing Committee on Rules and on the National Convention's Committee on Rules and Order of Business said these are “rules changes that could fundamentally change our Republican Party -- and not for the better.”
Blackwell noted that DC election lawyer Ben Ginsberg brought these proposals to the Rules Committee where “he represented himself as the leader on the Committee for the Romney Campaign.”
Ginsberg, Blackwell observed, had earlier this year worked for conservative Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign, “is unencumbered by principle.” “After working for Bachmann’s grassroots campaign he is advocating Rules that would centralize power, restrain and eliminate grassroots influence and create a top-down, rather than bottom-up Party – the very antithesis of what allowed a candidate like Michele Bachmann to run,” said Blackwell.
RNC Vice Chairman Bopp dismissed any notion that the Rules changes had an ideological motivation, noting that they represent “a threat to both moderates and conservatives who could be purged, depending on who is the Republican Presidential nominee” and that to preserve the bottom-up nature of the Party the issues raised should be taken care of by changes to state laws and state GOP rules governing the selection of their state’s delegates to the national convention.
To oppose this power grab by Washington’s permanent political class grassroots GOP activists must shine the light of day on this behind the scenes power grab; call your Republican National Convention delegates, blog about, email it to your friends and contacts, post it on your Facebook page and social media sites and call your local and national conservative talk radio programs.
Like that really means something to someone who stands for something.
The GOPe have put forth this POS Romney.
I frankly am tired of having to eat that crap sandwich that the GOP feeds everyone. Never again, there is no difference between the two parties, and if you believe there is, then be happy and vote for whom ever.
I just choose to use MY vote for the candidate of MY choice. instead of pissing it away on what who will lead the country down farther the path we are on now, perhaps slower than what we are on now.
But inevitability the same path same tyranny.
You should knock this veal off or join the obama campaign.
if there is something wrong with the Oregon rules, the Oregon GOP should fix them. National should not dictate this.
Mr. RomneyCARE has the soul of Ted Kennedy
and broaches absolutely NO discussion of conservative
issues. Mr. RomneyCARE is not in this to WIN,
but to only make money, again.
The rules they wanted to be in place are listed above in 3 bullets in the main article.
Yes, there was independence for delegates. The reason for the rules change is that Paul’s tactic apparently was correct. He COULD have delegates vote for their choice. It is the national election in which they were pledged.
The compromise is just that: a requirement to vote for whom pledged. I think in a primary campaign to nominate the best candidate that such a rule is very short-sighted. The whole point of a primary is to discover who the candidates are. If something comes out on one of them right at the end of the process, then delegates need not to be pledged but free to vote the best decision.
I think the independence of delegates is very important at the nominating level.
That’s a dangerous precedent as well. Say it was Palin or some real conservative that won the primary. Then comes to convention and then Romney pulls a coup and delegates go for him. You happy with that?
secret agent man
they’ve given you a number
and taken ‘way your name.
Did Ron Paul give up half of his delegates to Romney so that he would have a place at the convention....a speech I guess.
Yes, I’m comfortable with broadly spread, independent delegates rather than tightly controlled, Washington Gop-E selected delegates.
Up until now they have been independent, so having a Romney try to buy them all is harder than simply allowing Romney to appoint them all.
The notion of independent delegates is actually a reflection of the “elector” idea of the Founders.
Yep
So why bother? If you want to 'grow' this Party Right; then we have four more years of working from 'within'; as opposed to be cut off; altogether; 'en toto'; finis; per Election 2016.
A vote for any 'other' alternative; rather than Party nominee; is a 'give away' vote for Obama. And for some of you; that is just fine. Given the stakes, however; believe the 'too late smart' will be a damning watershed for America. Left to Obama dictates; we will be unrecognizable; by 2016.
Great. Thanks. Now I’ll have that song in my head all day :)
Do you think it’s funny that Mitt treats democrats better than he treats delegates to his own party convention?
I posted the item last night (second item in ‘Breaking News’). It is in the article.
I don’t think it matters in pure red states or blue states. But in swing states, it does and can. There’s not only this person out there. My understanding is there are many people doing the organize support for Gary Johnson knowing it’s a back door vote for Obama.
There is an antidote:
Jesus loves me
this I know,
For the Bible....
Meantime; Paul slipping notes underneath doors of delegates; asking them to change their votes, to him; of course. Oh well; up close and personal; and ugly.
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