Posted on 11/27/2002 12:37:44 PM PST by AFA-Michigan
"I find it a little bit presumptuous that his first day in the church, (Rev. Keith Butler) wants to lead the choir," Patterson said. "Proposing a preacher to lead the party reinforces what I've said all along: The Taliban wing of our party would lead us to a one-issue position, and it'll be the demise of the Republican Party."
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PONTIAC -- A former Detroit city councilman has joined what could become a three-way race for control of the Republican Party.
Meanwhile, conservative Tom McMillin is circulating comments made by a political analyst criticizing the party leadership of L. Brooks Patterson.
A week after McMillin and conservatives scored a coup at the county Republican convention, replacing Patterson as convention chairman and electing a slate of conservative delegates, it's still unclear who will run the party. A separate faction conducted a convention and elected a different set of delegates.
Neither set has been presented to the county clerk's office for acceptance.
McMillin said Tuesday he'll step aside in favor of the Rev. Keith Butler, a minister and retired Detroit city councilman who lives in Troy, when the Republican executive committee meets in December to elect officers.
Butler announced his candidacy for party chairman Friday, citing a desire to "heal the rift caused by the conflict" going on inside the party.
Patterson and McMillin have been at odds since Patterson took over as party chairman two years ago with a goal of moving the party to the middle on issues, riling conservatives, who accuse him of abandoning conservative values.
"I've talked with him. I find him acceptable," McMillin said of Butler. "I'm convinced he will not attack the base of the party."
Patterson, who also plans to seek reelection as party chairman, said Butler is a "good guy" but hasn't been active in the party.
"I find it a little bit presumptuous that his first day in the church, he wants to lead the choir," Patterson said. "Proposing a preacher to lead the party reinforces what I've said all along: The Taliban wing of our party would lead us to a one-issue position, and it'll be the demise of the Republican Party."
Of McMillin, Patterson is dismissive.
"I'm not going to respond to McMillin. He needs to get a life," Patterson said.
Butler appears on the political talk show "Off The Record," which will air this weekend.
McMillin, meanwhile, sent out releases of remarks made by political analyst Bill Ballenger on the same show last weekend in which Ballenger is critical of Patterson's party leadership, referring to him as "an accident waiting to happen" and a "disaster as chairman."
Ballenger confirmed his remarks, saying a party chairman needs to work quietly behind the scenes to unify the party.
"I know Brooks, and I like Brooks," Ballenger said. "In my view, I don't think Patterson has been what you want in a chairman.
"I'm not saying that McMillin is the solution to Brooks Patterson," he added.
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As part of his brilliant "broaden the base" strategy, Brooks Patterson has now expanded his public attacks on fellow Republicans to include the African-American pastor of a 19,000-member mega-church, a conservative politically skillful enough to have been the only Republican elected to the Detroit City Council in 40 years!
As the week drags on, who else will Brooks announce isn't welcome in his big tent? Or does he just want them to come in through the back door?
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This past election showed that calling people names is no longer an effective campaign strategy. Hopefully, someone will explain this to Patterson.
You realize that the point you are making is purely academic. In order to make abortion a states rights matter, you need to overturn Roe v Wade. I don't think any of these self-styled moderates want to overturn Roe. At least, I haven't seen one. If you ask any moderate politician, he/she will affirm their allegiance to Roe. As such, your point is purely academic.
As far as fiscal conservatism is concerned, I think a lot of "moderate" Republicans who are liberal on social issues are also very bad in fiscal issues. The north-east Republicans who are pro-choice consistently vote for bigger government.
The result? His county went Democrat in 2000 and 2002, under his so-called "leadership."
And Patterson hasn't just taken the party left on social issues.
While county GOP chair, he also publicly opposed the state's new concealed carry bill, and he endorsed a regional arts tax increase AFTER it was rejected by county voters in 2000. Voters ignored his "leadership" in support of a tax increase and rejected it again this year.
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