Posted on 08/27/2012 7:00:31 PM PDT by RichSr
Stacking the deckMonday, August 27, 2012 10:21 PMFrom: "Dudley Brown" Add sender to ContactsTo: "Richard Gregory" Richard,
As you may know, I am a Republican delegate from Colorado at the RNC in Tampa this week. I was selected by my peers to represent our delegation on the RNC's Rules Committee.
The actions I have witnessed from the Republican Party establishment (led by Washington, D.C. insider lawyer Ben Ginsberg) are nothing short of outrageous.
The party establishment rammed through new party rules designed to lessen the impact of gun owners, conservatives and Tea-Party-types of all kinds.
Tomorrow, I will be leading the fight to overturn these dangerous rules by making a motion on the convention floor on live television (C-SPAN).
I need you to do two things to help me overturn these rules:
1. Read the note below from Republican rules expert Morton Blackwell.
2. Call your state Republican Party right now and demand they encourage their delegation to adopt the Minority Reports on Rules and to call for a roll-call vote on all Rules-related votes.
Please CLICK HERE to get the phone number for your state Republican Party headquarters. If you do not get someone live on the phone, please leave a message and call back first-thing in the morning.
These rule changes are a move by the Republican Party establishment to silence you and other gun rights activists.
It's a Washington, D.C. power grab that could virtually eliminate the power of conservatives at national conventions in the future.
Please take action by making your call at once.
-- Dudley
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From: Morton C. Blackwell Sent: Monday, August 27, 2012 8:08 AM
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Dear fellow delegate,
On Tuesday of this week, as Republican National Convention delegates, you and I will be voting on rules changes that could fundamentally change our Republican Party -- and not for the better.
Over the years, I've served on the Louisiana and Virginia GOP Rules Committees. I currently serve on both the Republican National Committee's Standing Committee on Rules and on the National Convention's Committee on Rules and Order of Business.
I was Barry Goldwater's youngest elected delegate in 1964, I was honored to serve on President Ronald Reagan's White House Staff from 1981-1984, and I have attended every Republican National Convention Rules Committee meeting since 1972. My wife and I have contributed major donations to the Romney-Ryan campaign.
These rule changes are the most awful I've ever seen come before any National Convention.
I'm writing you today to urge you to join the growing effort to stop the worst-ever changes in this Rules Committee's Report and to vote in favor of amendments to Rules 12 and 15. The Minority Reports will restore important rights and protections which state parties and grassroots Republicans would lose under the Rules Committee Report as written.
These amendments to Rules 12 and 15 are contained in Minority Reports supported by at least 25% of the members of this convention's Committee on Rules and Order of Business.
It's rare for Minority Reports to come before our national convention, but the issues involved here are vital to the future of our party.
I must tell you there is tremendous arm-twisting now to peel signers off of the Minority Reports.
Finally, whether on Minority Reports or on voting down the Rules, it will require at least six states' delegations to insist upon a roll call vote.
I will not pretend that the deck is not stacked against us.
But many state leaders, liberty-minded activists, and grass-roots conservatives are up-in-arms as word of this power grab spreads.
Our convention will make this important decision Tuesday as some of our first work. Many folks skip these procedural sessions thinking nothing of importance occurs.
This year, that is far from the truth.
If the Rules Committee Report were to pass without adoption of the Minority Reports, it would amount to a power grab by Washington, D.C. party insiders and consultants designed to silence the voice of state party activists and Republican grassroots by: *** Handing national party officials the power to change national party rules adopted by state and grassroots leaders at the Republican National Convention. For generations, the prohibition of manipulated changes in the national Rules of the Republican Party between national conventions has served as one of the crown jewels of our party. It's a power grab which opens the door to many future power grabs.
*** Stripping state parties in all states with binding primaries of the power of choosing who will represent their states as national delegates and alternate delegates. This outrageous change would empower presidential campaigns to disapprove and remove delegates and alternate delegates selected by rules adopted by state Republican parties. Rather than grassroots activists who won delegate and alternate delegate slots by following state party rules, a large majority of positions would be handed to top donors of the winning campaign.
*** Gutting the great and successful reform adopted in the current election cycle to stop the dangerous trend to front-load the selection of national convention delegates. Our party would move again toward a national primary which would deny grassroots Republicans the opportunity to vet presidential candidates in a nomination contest of reasonable length. This reform must not be abandoned.
Like most of us delegates to this convention, I've spent years gladly battling in the trenches for our Republican Party.
And as the President of the Leadership Institute -- which specializes in training thousands of conservative activists, students, and leaders to fight for our country's future -- I can't tell you how disheartened I am to see these rules changes even considered.
These rule changes would give good folks like you less of a say over our Republican Party in favor of insiders and consultants in Washington, D.C.
At a time when Tea Party activists have re-invigorated our Republican Party -- leading to massive gains in the U.S. House, the Senate, and many state legislatures in the 2010 elections -- why would we want to discourage activism?
Thanks to their efforts, you and I have a new generation of exciting conservative leaders in Washington, D.C., who -- in many instances -- were elected despite the opposition of establishment-backed opponents.
Certainly this is not to say GOP leaders are always wrong.
But history shows that our Republican Party grows when we welcome newly active participants and treat them fairly.
Our Republican Party is strongest when we listen to the wishes of grassroots conservatives.
Instead of strengthening our party, these insider power grabs will weaken it.
For these reasons, I urge you to join the growing effort to adopt the Minority Reports when the Rules Committee Report comes up for consideration by the convention.
Cordially,
Morton Blackwell National Committeeman,Virginia
P.S. Some of the most important work of the convention will take place on Tuesday where you and I will be voting on rules that could fundamentally change our Republican Party for the worse.
New rules will be voted on that have been designed to silence state Republican parties and Republican grassroots in favor of party insiders and Washington, D.C.-based consultants.
The vote will take place at Tuesday's convention session, and I'm counting on you join the growing effort to defeat these new rules.
Please vote to adopt the Minority Reports on Rules and urge your delegation to call for a roll call vote on all Rules-related votes.
This fight is too important for us not to make a stand.
Please CLICK HERE to get the phone number for your state Republican Party headquarters. If you do not get someone live on the phone, please leave a message and call back first-thing in the morning.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The National Association for Gun Rights is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, single-purpose citizens' organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the Constitutionally protected right-to-keep-and-bear-arms through an aggressive program designed to mobilize public opposition to anti-gun legislation. The National Association for Gun Rights' mailing address is P.O. Box 7002, Fredericksburg, VA 22404. They can be contacted toll-free at 1-877-405-4570. Its web address is www.NationalGunRights.org/
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RINO’s Gone Wild.
They pretty much promised to move against conservatives
I saw virtually the same thing happen with the NRA. The existing power structure did not want to give up power to activists, so they cheated and lied and broke the law in order to keep their power and money.
After the grass roots dragged them screaming and kicking to victory, they pretended that they were the ones who orchestrated it all.
I would like to know why this is not laid at the feet of RINO Romney?
“I would like to know why this is not laid at the feet of RINO Romney?”
Lots of “stuff” seems to happen around Romney without it ever being stuck on him. A very clever behind-the-scenes type of guy.
There has been a compromise. They won’t be pulling this from the convention floor according to news that came out about ten minutes ago.
good question
This guy needs to take a course in clear thinking and concise writing. As I was reading, I kept waiting for him to list some valid points, such as some proposed rules being considered that were contrary to his viewpoints, etc.....
I’m sure his heart is in the right place but I’m a simple person. He needs to make a coherent case for his views.
Texas Delegates in Revolt over rules change. Even though Paulites made up a very small number of delegates, the delegation is unified in its opposition to these rules changes, and threatening a floor fight.
The desperation to get Obama out is still managing to put us in chains to government, to corruption and overlords. We are warming frogs now, that’s for sure.
“We are warming frogs now, that’s for sure.”
It looks sometimes like a vast conspiracy to make us choose between two types of progressives.
They can keep pushing this crap on us and soon they to will be speaking at the dems convention with Florida’s governor.
Its a replay of 1964 with another Romney at the center of it.
Someone posted this link to an old newspaper article of George Romney’s anti conservative tantrum. Its in the upper left. Very interesting how similar things are playing out.
“Its a replay of 1964 with another Romney at the center of it.”
And when George Romney lost the nomination, iirc he went all out to sink Goldwater.
Of course they would.
For some reason, many FReepers have the idea that the R party is their friend - as if it will come around eventually to their way of thinking. They hated Reagan. Were embarrassed he won the nomination. They despise the Tea Party. They will do everything they can - with RINOmney’s leadership - to enact much of the same agenda Zero would.
The GOP is not the conservative’s friend.
They take your vote for granted. Where else would you go, they ask?
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