Local GOP Resists Take-Over (Weigh-In)

In today's Sunday paper, coverage was FINALLY given to the exclusionary tactics of our local Republican Executive Committee. The article is fair and gives the Ron Paul Movement / Republican Liberty Caucus some favorable coverage.

Please do me a favor in weigh-in with your comments. We would really like to show the community that there is overwhelming support for what we are doing.

h ttp://staugustine.com/stories/062908/news_062908_002.shtml

Background

Many of us in the Ron Paul movement have been blocked from joining the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee solely because of who we supported in the primary. Rules were changed, information was withheld, meeting times and locations were altered at the last minute etc.

On June 20th State Law allowed Republicans to submit applications to become Precinct Commitee People for the next term commencing after the November election. If the position was open and you filled out the necessary paperwork, then you will automatically become a part of the REC. We recruited like crazy and it looks like in December the RON PAUL REPUBLICANS will have a significant voice in the Party.

This is how The R[evol]ution can continue and gain strength.

The Article
THE ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD
Local GOP resists 'takeover'

New conservative caucus challenges party's stance

By PETER GUINTA | More by this reporter | [email]peter.guinta@staugustine.com[/email] | Posted: Sunday, June 29, 2008 ; Updated: 2:57 AM on Sunday, June 29, 2008

Bob Veit, chairman of the county's Republican Executive Committee, said last week that The Republican Liberty Caucus, a national organization of libertarian-minded Republicans, has formed a new St. John County chapter that seems to be seeking control of the committee.

Veit said the Caucus wasn't doing anything illegal, but it wants to put supporters into vacant precinct leader positions and thereby influence the composition of the Executive Committee to press its agenda.

"(The Caucus is) attempting a hostile takeover," Veit said. "It's a threat. What happens to all the centrist and less-conservative Republicans who don't agree with them?"

He called Caucus members "ultra-conservatives."

William G. Pitts of St. Johns, a successful builder and a founder of the local Caucus chapter, disagrees with Veit.

Pitts said his members aren't planning a takeover or coup. They are applying for the vacant precinct slots because the Executive Committee was "effectively blocking" them from serving due to their political beliefs. The committee had passed restrictive new rules, changed the requirements of membership and delayed or tabled applications from Caucus members to keep them off, Pitts said.

"We're puzzled why, in a time when the Republican Party faces serious problems, they want to become a party of exclusion," Pitts said. "(The Caucus doesn't) want to exclude people. We represent traditional Republican Party values of low taxes, individual responsibility, states rights and the Constitution. I believe most people in St. Johns County believe in these principles."

The new group

The Caucus calls itself a "grassroots, statewide organization working within the Republican Party."

Its mission, stated on its Web site, is straightforward: to "promote individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party, identifying and supporting candidates sympathetic with these ideals and promoting Caucus membership among Republican Party registrants, officials, and officeholders."

The local chapter has about 60 members and is three months old.

On May 26, Pitts wrote the Executive Committee to accuse Veit of impeding the party's growth, lowering the morale of the activist base and arbitrarily evicting groups of registered Republicans from meetings.

He asked the committee to dump Veit as chairman.

Pitts also wrote Jim Greer, head of the Republican Party of Florida, to ask the state party to unify Republicans.

"Have we reduced the entire Republican Party platform to a Middle East foreign policy?" Pitts wrote to Greer. "Is anyone thinking or reading anything more than main-stream media sound bites? If my own local party refuses to allow me to join because of what I believe, how can I support the party?"

Greer was not available, though, Katie Gordon, spokeswoman for the Republican Party of Florida, said this issue is a "very internal and localized" problem. "There's no benefit to the party for the chairman to take a side between different factions, unless there is a major issue and (the local chairman is) unable to deal with it. Our mission is to get Sen. McCain elected."

The Caucus position, however, appears opposing McCain's. The support a non-interventionist foreign policy, elimination of many federal agencies and giving the states power to regulate themselves, for example.

Pitts said, "We don't need the federal government to tell us how to educate our school children or what is illegal or legal. That determination should be left to the states."

He addressed Veit's accusation that the caucus seeks to control the party.

"Republicans can't 'take over' the Republican Party. The Republican Party in St. Johns County belongs to all Republicans," he said.

The division deepens

St. Johns County has 127,697 registered voters -- 67,372 Republicans, 35,259 Democrats and 25,000 independents or other parties.

Veit, representing about half the county's voters, believes Caucus members want the party to follow the libertarian views of 10-term Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, whose ideas generally align with Caucus planks.

In the Republican presidential primary, Paul got 42 delegates, but 1,191 were needed to win. He won no states.

He officially dropped out June 12 and then donated $4.7 million of his campaign contributions to a new organization, Campaign For Liberty. Its web site said the group's objectives include "(gaining) a foothold in political life at every level of government by expanding our precinct leader program."

Veit said that's precisely what the Caucus is doing.

A memo issued by the Caucus stamped "Confidential" asks local conservatives to apply for precinct leader slots.

It said, "We are doing this because if small government, liberty-minded conservatives become the majority of precinct committee persons, then (we) can get elected to the boards of county Republican Executive Committees, write platforms and change the rules. In short, we can return the Republican Party to its principles: pro-Constitution, pro gun, pro veteran, pro low tax, pro liberty, pro limited government, pro individual responsibility, pro states' rights!"

Battle of words

Veit e-mailed local Republicans May 23, clarifying the Executive Committee's stance toward the Caucus.

"I did not support Pitts and (John Charles) Stevens (another Caucus founder) for membership in the St. Johns County REC because their often-stated intentions were to gain control of the Republican Party apparatus and turn it into a campaign committee for either a political candidate or a narrow political philosophy that has limited appeal to Republican voters, much less all voters."

The following day, an angry Stevens wrote Veit and denied making those statements. He also asked for a retraction.

"Smearing the name of good Republicans by making false accusations to the county REC leadership and the (Republican Party of Florida) is totally unacceptable," Stevens wrote. "(We) are well aware that the role of the REC is to promote and support Republican candidates to office."

No retraction was forthcoming.

Caucus members had already filled 44 of the 105 filled precinct slots, with another 105 slots still vacant,Veit said.

Precinct leaders are tasked with getting voters to the polls in their districts. They also are the electorate for Executive Committee positions. The Caucus has apparently taken advantage of Florida law, which says applicants seeking precinct slots and who attract no opposition are immediately installed.

The application process closed June 19. Contested races go to Republican voters in the Aug. 26 primary.

Veit believes the Caucus wants to take over the party by those tactics, not only here but also in other counties.

"(Republicans) don't mind people having libertarian views," he said. "But we do mind being hijacked by supporters of a particular candidate or another political party."

Ideological standoff

Pitts said the Caucus would maintain its ideals of liberty and limited government, despite the obstacles.

"(Incumbent) committee members will fight desperately to maintain the positions they now have," he said. "They say we 'have narrow views that don't represent the people of St. Johns County.' But if we don't become a party of principles, we'll never beat the Democrats, because we can't out-promise them."

Veit said the Caucus may really have more precinct leaders than he's counted because, he said, at the moment he has no way of telling which precinct candidate was a caucus member or not.

"We're still sorting them all out," Veit said. "Their approach is brilliant. If I were going to try to take over an organization, that's what I'd do."

Contested races: Each precinct gets one male and one female precinct leader per 1,000 voters.

The candidates are:

* State Committeeman: Incumbent Jon Woodard of St. Augustine faces caucus leader John Charles Stevens of St. Johns.

* State Committeewoman: Incumbent Rebecca Reichenberg faces caucus member Wynona R. Mayer, both of St. Johns.

* Precinct 104: (vote for five) Bill Cosnotti, Brian A. Iannucci, Dale H. McKnight, David Reichenberg, John P. Safar, Henry K. Stevenson, David VanDerZee and Neil R. Woida, all of St. Johns.

* Precinct 108: (vote for three) Gayle Chappell, Wynona R. Mayer, Etta R. Raines and Vanessa M. Warner.

* Precinct 110: (vote for four) Stepan Kira, Michael Lee, Phillip W. Milliken, William G. Pitts, James VanDerZee III and Kerry Williams, all of St. Johns.

* Precinct 201: (vote for three) Wesley L. Bunce, Harlan Mason, Ken Neikirk and Anthony Pacetti, all of St. Augustine.

* Precinct 503: (vote for two) Douglas A. Conolly, Robert Federer, Donald Heine, Gary McMahon and Martin Barry Miller (all of St. Augustine).[/quote]