Iowa GOP replaces state party chairman

http://www.politico.com/ ^ | June 28, 2014 | JAMES HOHMANN

[Whenifhow]

The Iowa GOP central committee voted Saturday to fire the state party chairman and replace him with a fixture of the establishment. Danny Carroll, removed on a 14-2 no confidence vote, will be replaced by Jeff Kaufmann, formerly the Speaker Pro Tem of the state House.

The bloodless coup was widely expected after forces loyal to Gov. Terry Branstad officially seized control of the party’s governing body from close allies of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) at a state convention earlier this month. The former chairman, A.J. Spiker, stepped down this spring and became a senior adviser to RAND PAC. Carroll is a former lobbyist for the evangelical Family Leader and supported Branstad’s primary challenger in 2010. Chad Olsen, who stepped down as the party’s executive director in May 2012 after Paul’s forces took control, will get his old job back. Cody Hoefert, from conservative northwest Iowa, replaces the co-chair, who resigned before the meeting.

[Kansas58]

Admit it Norm.
You demanded that I list any Liberal Republicans under Reagan.
You seemed to be completely ignorant of the fact that such people existed.
You lost on that point and now you are trying to change the argument.

[Norm Lenhart]

You found what? A couple? Big win for you! I am shamed.

Now explain why every single GOP of today pushed hard for a gun grabbing, abortion funding, homosexual pushing ‘severe conservative. EVERY one of them.

Run the numbers on the Amnesty thing while you are at it. You will find a couple that backed it then too. Far less than the number today. So is that a win also?

Does not change reality. Reagans guys were far more conservative than the Insane Clown Posee of today.

[Kansas58]

Jan Myers, Congresswoman, Kansas 3rd District under Reagan. Big Pro-Abort.

There were dozens of them Norm, you demanded that I name ONE and you have been shamed.

Again, you do not have a clue what you are talking about.

The Republican Party is FAR more conservative today, than it was under Reagan.

[Kansas58]

Norm, REAGAN supported Amnesty, remember?

And of course we know that did not work well.

But again, MANY if not most Republicans in Congress went along with the Ronald Reagan AMNESTY!

Again Norm, you do not know what you are talking about.

(And JOHN MCCAIN served as a Senator under Reagan too, but at least McCain is OK on abortion)

[RitaOK]

iowamark took care of the question and my issue, if the ousting had nullified the vote of convention delegates. If you are counsel to the Iowa rules and procedures, that’s just cool as hell. I was not.

You have spoken for miles and couldn’t find the point. I suspect that’s why you are not in office today. Heady enough, for sure. Nite—

[Norm Lenhart]

Dozens! You sure it’s not hundreds? Name these dozens. Show their voting records. Show where they pushed for a gun grabbing, pro abortion, pro homosexual leadership. You keep avoiding that. But that’s the reality. Every GOP today pushed for a hard left ‘Republican’ whose record was the polar opposite of the party platform which they themselves ignored to do it.

Lets see it. Shame me more. Rub my nose in it but good!

[Norm Lenhart]

Read his Dairies. He called it the biggest mistake of his career. Did you forget that? And BTW, the GOP did not overwhelmingly bless that amnesty. They largely fought it. Which is the OPPOSITE of todays GOP.

And McCain? Really? You are going to trot out McCain as a champion of Pro life causes? The guy is pro whoever pays him enough.

Compare McCains old with the votes and actions recently and try convincing anyone he got more conservative as the years passed.

[Kansas58]

Gerald Ford was pro-abortion. Nixon picked him for VP and he was confirmed by the Senate I believe.

And then Reagan supported Ford in the General after Ford barely defeated Reagan in the Primary..

Again, the GOP is MORE conservative today, not less.

[Kansas58]

go pound sand Norm.

You demanded that I “name one”

I have named SEVERAL. YOU LOST!

You suck at debate. It is like “whack a mole” you just pop back up with something else.

You hate the Republican Party and you don’t ever want the Republican Party to win any election ever again.

I get it.

Go work for Hillary, she feels the same way I think.

[Norm Lenhart]

Nope They were more conservative under Reagan. Check that house number and try convincing someone They were a pack of libs.

“The Reagan Amnesty”

Passed the Senate on September 19, 1985 (69–30)
Passed the House on October 9, 1986 (voice vote after incorporating H.R. 3810, passed 230–166)

EVERY PUB OPPOSED AT THIS STAGE

Reported by the joint conference committee on October 14, 1986; agreed to by the House on October 15, 1986 (238–173) and by the Senate on October 17, 1986 (63–24)

There were 166 Republicans in the house

There were 53 Republicans in the Senate

Do the math.

[Norm Lenhart]

Nope. You won one point and ignored the rest.

Nighty night woogums. Go pretend you won a victory for great and mighty justice. Oh and good luck on the 86 Amnesty numbers. ;)

[stevie_d_64]

I woke up at 3am this morning in San Antonio, while on a weekend trip with the wife...

I saw this and I am floored by this move by the republican party leadership...Not surprised, but I am more and more convinced that this obviously is not the start or the end of this political bullying...

(That’s politics though)

Ok, with that said, I will be clear...

I do not agree with Rand Paul and his libertarian leanings...His positions on some issues and incidents and mine do NOT agree, but that is ok, it is a principled disagreement...Nothing personal, so to the Paul crowd, just let it go...

What disturbs me the most and frustrates me to no end that it is clear the republican leadership, THEIR FACTION, across this entire country is to quell other factions gaining ground in the areas of message and outreach, by eliminating people, and therefore keeping their power and position(s) in the party and in elected offices around the country...To hell with anyone who even breathes questioning their “authority”!!!

This is just another shining example of how the division, politically, socially and economically this country and its politics have become, and it will have (obviously) a direct effect on this next election...

Right now, I can see it coming to a head with events happening in other states that may not be gaining any media attention...ahem...cough, gag...spit...

IF this doesn’t get the ball rolling on an alternative for conservatives, true grassroots conservatives to get it going on an apparatus that is credible, a political force to be physically dealt with, for people to affiliate with in an official capacity and not be a BUZZ word to be bantered around as a “fringe”, unorganized hodge-podge of local and loosely knits state groups...

I just do not know what else will...

I know forming a political party is something of a push button issue with valid arguments, for and against it, but seriously???

Where I used to believe we could, like another FReeper posted earlier in this discussion mentioned, make things change “within”??? I do not believe this is possible anymore...And I can safely be accused (and accept) of being a part of the “establishment” myself here in Texas...

My theory for years of attempting to change the “tone” from our level in the GOP, it has not been as widely accepted, and been fraught with a lot more challenges than a lot of people realize, much to the expense of a lot of political capitol...Some of us are not alone in these efforts...

Additionally, if it were to ever birth itself, I do believe a ton of existing elected officials (local, state and national) would jump ship, and sail with the new, more conservative party, and affiliate with it rather quickly...

But this new apparatus needs to be officially organized, and unfortunately (for lack of a better term), some form of leadership needs to get this accomplished and organized at the state level as well...

The mechanisms of party organization, fundraising, meeting legal requirements and other regulations will have to be met as this matures...

The days of self-anointed “leaders”, or even dually elected local groups, large and small, are over...

If you want to be a viable political force to give substance over an unrecognized, disrespected term by the media, and political organizations such as the two established political parties, you know those dems and repubs, then this has to mature and develop, and rather quickly...

Someone(s), a viable, but unfortunately, a damaged, politically ostracized, person who can be a lighting rod for getting this ball rolling will have to be coerced into taking up this challenge...

A lot of people, like myself would rally and do what we can to help at our level of involvement, influence and capabilities...

This country has in the past survived political divisiveness, and this is not an un-natural or un-achievable need, like some still believe...

When “faction” becomes a viable political entity, then that actually helps the “system”, it gives clear definitions, positions and does not allow for the establishment to undermine and diffuse the message...And the people who affiliate with such a political force...

Now, given that last statement, do you believe, or could you believe that it might be the time to get comfortable with the idea???

Those folks that have always believed in Tea Party type principles are given the chance to organize and draw existing conservatives with the message and fervor some are already espousing in our political hemisphere???

I believe and have said a lot of them would jump ship and hang a new “letter” at the end of their names...

The brand “Tea Party” can certainly remain, but a retooling of the moniker might bode well for getting this show on the road...

Sorry for the 3am rant, I should know better, the old “pajama” part of me just had to get this out...

Just know what is in your heart, and get past the personality differences, and see if this starts to percolate in the coffee pot later this morning...

;-)

[stevie_d_64]

“...the GOP is MORE conservative today, not less.”

I’m not going to get in the middle of that thing you got going with Norm...But...

Would you agree or disagree (I’ll make it simple)...

That it is the GOP base, those loosely affiliated Tea Party elements within the republican party the more conservative (you mention)???

Or would you agree or disagree that it is the GOP leadership, those unbending “elites/establishment” types that are more conservative these days???

We can go from there...

I just want to be sure where you view the faction side of this part of the issue...

[mosesdapoet]

Your pix. Who are those people ? I don’t know why it is when FR’s post a pix of some individual or group they never identify (caption) who they are and assume the readers who are world wide do .

[DisorderOnBorder]

You are correct...the GOP of the Reagan era were more Conservative than today’s GOP. Even a large number of Dems were as Conservative as today’s GOP.

Tip O’Neill was liberal...but no flake job like Nancy Pelosi. Reagan could never have any sort of working relationship with Nutsy Nancy if she were speaker at that time

[Kansas58]

In the days of Reagan, very few State Central Committees were dominated by grassroots activists.
Phyllis Schlafly and her “Eagle Forum” along with the Moral Majority and later the Christian Coalition began the long, hard practice of recruiting precinct candidates, nationwide, precisely because of this problem.
It is only natural, but the County level Party structure was often dominated by County level politicians and the road construction and vending and other commercial interests, as well as some true Republican activists, but often very few true conservatives.
The State Party was dominated by these people and a mix of Municipal Bond underwriters and other financial people, as well as a mix of elected officials and officers that rose from the County and Congressional District ranks of the Party organization.
When I first got involved in taking over the Kansas GOP, abortionist George Tiller was a contributor to the County GOP and to the Kansas GOP.
From my perspective, the Party Leadership is FAR more conservative today than under Reagan. This is actually true in most States.
Also, I think you have a very small number of outspoken liberal Republicans today, who are in office.
That was not the case under Reagan.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Washington, DC, 1854:

Daniel Webster, a leader of the Whig Party, released the following statement today regarding the upstart political party attempting to siphon members and votes into a new political movement:

“We believe the new Republican Party has no realistic possibility of supplanting the Whigs as the main uniting force against the Democratic Party. Only through an established, unified opposition can policies beneficial to the Republic at this troubled time in its history be promoted and enacted. The Republican Party will amount to nothing.”

In other words, it’s been done before, with a united electorate. It is clear that the modern Republican Party cannot be infiltrated, much less taken over, by its base.

It’s time for new. Yes, it will take effort. Lots of it. Yet, the Republican Party went from an idea to the Presidency in six years.

And if enough conservatives join in so that history can in fact repeat itself, the result might just be a better America. Who doesn’t want that?

[Free Vulcan]

I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of the Iowa platform Johnny because it changes every two years at convention, and the tin-foilers like to stack their stuff in it. That said, this years platform is a statement principles mostly and far more practical in terms of usefulness. It actually says what we believe in a way that is easily understood and not convoluted and full of side shows.

I know most of the people on the SCC. Almost all of them run conservative, some very much so like the co-chair Cody Hoefert. I’ve known the chair Kaufmann for years and he’s a bat swinger at the Dems. He gets called radical and Establishment all in the same day depending on who’s talking and what their agenda is, but when he was in the legislature he voted very strongly right wing.

One thing I know is that they will recruit conservative candidates. We need a couple of seats in the state senate and we will have the gov and the legislature and a very forward moving conservative agenda gets launched. They are just chomping at the bit at the opportunity. We just need a good organized state party to help bring that to reality.

[Free Vulcan]

Trust me, Jeff isn’t. He loves to crack Dem and union skulls, and he voted very well when he was in the legislature. Cody is even more conservative than him.

Understand some of those here in Iowa who throw around that term like to do so at anyone not in their little club kissing their little ring. The Paulies and SoCons can be very insiderish, which is ironic because that’s the very thing they claim to hate.

I think the leadership is in good hands. We shall see in November.

[Norm Lenhart]

Well, here’s to hoping. But my faith has reason to be weak on this type of situation.