How deep is the war within the Republican Party

[Arizona Freedom Alliance]

It seems to be everywhere.  Solid activist republicans in states around the country are jumping ship.  There are plenty of insiders trying to save the party by begging conservatives to stay, things will be different soon.

Our team had a long chat with Matt Schlapp during the recent National Federation of Republican Assemblies Convention about the state of the Republican party.  Not included in the discussion was any talk of leaving the party or starting a new party.  However, we were not comforted by the discussion.

Our team was discussing the sorry state of our AZGOP with Schlapp, the cheating and total disregard for anyone who has a difference with AZGOP.  We discussed the lapse in proper leadership of Robert Graham and Jonathan Lines.  We discussed the out-right fraudulent behavior of the Chairman of the Nevada Republican Party Chairman during the Presidential Primary Caucus in NV in 2016.  Stories from Idaho, Alaska and Utan claim similar fraud went down in those states.  The goal of those parties: to make sure Trump lost.  You may have read our articles from NV describing what happened to keep Trump from winning every electoral vote in NV.  It was the NV Chairman who set up the Caucuses and their locations.  It was the Chairman who pulled the trick of telling those who lived in Trump strong holds that there were no ballots "but wait an hour or so and we will get some."  A Trump supported later found there were plenty of ballots in a district chairman's car!  It was the chairman, Michael McDonald, who designed and executed the caucus for the Republican Party in NV. Read all about it here: [LINK]

This is the surprising thing about that discussion: Schlapp said he is aware of the problems with the GOP in Arizona.  It's his experience that this is common in most states.  We took that to mean Republican state chairmen across America are like McCain: self-serving, wrong-headed and outright corrupt if necessary to keep the "little people" in line.

So it was no surprise to read this article in MCRC Briefs this morning:

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12 resign from Mohave County Republican Central Committee

“They are allowing libertarians in. We’ve been trying to get the bylaws rewritten, which are so out of date, but there is a core group in the central committee who are PCs that don’t want to get this done. I don’t understand why.” Former State Senator Sue Donahue"  Read entire article here [LINK]

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Consider our recent reports on the drama going on in Navajo County.  Until recently, the libertarians had taken over the Republican party since 2013. They blind-sided Chairman Karen MacKean who lostby 4 votes in that election.  Since then, there seems to be over $20,000 missing from the district coffers.  That case has been turned over to authorities for investigation. Most recently, a brawl broke out when Senator Sylvia Allen insulted the guest speaker by calling her a Nazi and Allen's husband called her a "stupid bitch."  Rumor has it that Sen. Allen is working with AZGOP Chairman to have her new group put in place as the formal Navajo County Republican District Committee.  If true and and actually happens, that would be unprecedented.  There are other methods to take over a district committee without going to those lengths. Given the rash of violations of the Bylaws by former Chairman Robert Graham and current AZGOP Chairman Lines, anything is possible.

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In Yuma County, District Chairman Jonathan Lines refused to allow PCs to run for state committeemen, no nominations from the floor were allowed. Lines hand-selected the 17 people HE wanted to be state committee and moved to elect them all by acclamation. Many are his family members. Lines was running for state Chairman and was happy to cheat to any degree to help his campaign.  We would guess that every one of them voted for Lines for Chairman.  There were also 35-40 brand new PCs that showed up to vote for State Committeemen... and have not been seen since!

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In LD15, Robert Graham's district, on election night, hordes of unknown and previously unseen newly minted PCs to vote in an Executive Committee of people long time LD15 PCs had never laid eyes on before that night!  Graham didn't bother to hang around to hear the results of the election... he fixed it and know what the results would be!

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In the 2016 Arizona Senate election, a popular sitting Congressman from Arizona asked all candidates if they would drop out of the Senate race against McCain if he got in. It's well known that the only way to make a change in an elected seat held for years by the same person is to run only one, winnable candidate against the incumbent. This candidate has the name ID, the campaign experience and the money to win. Many people who knew about this felt that was the best thing to do in order to get rid of McCain.  Only Kelli Ward refused and lost to McCain as was expected.  The same thing is happening now in 2017.  Many have asked her to step aside for a more guaranteed winnable candidate.  She has no obligation to do that.  Except to get rid of McCain, which she couldn't do in 2016, and now Flake and then Sinema.  For us, it comes down to what matters and is best for our state and our country. Since that election, we discovered McCain has brain cancer and it may already be affecting his language and thinking skills based on recent votes and speeches.  He has said he will stay on the job.

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Social media has been alive with calls to drop the Republican party as a lost cause.  Political parties seem to have a life of about 50-60 years, plus or minus, before they start to fail.  Donald Trump is not a Republican in the truest sense of the word from times past.  Rather, he's a pragmatist and some say nationalist with a sneer on their lips. Whatever label he prefers to use, he is the first President since the 80's to actually put America First.

The point is, how much longer will America survive elected lawmakers like McCain, Ryan, McConnell and all those who are more concerned with the money they are taking under the table than their own country?  We remember that the Founding Fathers foresaw this situation and did not want political parties to get a toehold.  However, the first political party was actually formed in 1792 by advisors to George Washington over a split between supporters of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.  The name of the party?  Democratic-Republican!  That party splintered in about 1828, the Republican party became the Whig party, which eventually gave way to the Republican Party and given the moniker of GOP and was the anti-slavery party. Still is!  Our current government was eventually set up to be a two party system which is why Independents choose a party with which to caucus.  All told, America has undergone six political systems in her history.

What all of this means is that if history repeats, which if often does, it's about time for another shake-up in party politics.

[Tom Morrissey]

Circular Firing Squad is at it again.  I can't, for the life of me, understand why this mantra of "Kelli Ward needs to step aside and let somebody else run so we can win" has surfaced again. Who is the "someone else"?  Jeff DeWitt?   I talked with him a while back about the prospect of his running and he in no uncertain terms told me he was not interested? Who else? Robert Graham? You've got to be kidding.  Paul Gosar?  With out a doubt he would be formidable based on his performance and integrity as a congressman, but he has not indicated any interest in running. So form your circle and ready aim fire! Again.

[Jan Fielder-Smith]

Dear Mr. Morrissey. I do believe you have used that term frequently and "can't understand" why anyone would call for Ms. Ward to stand down.  Perhaps, Mr. Morrissey, I can help you understand, with all due respect.  You see, sir, the goal is to keep the seat in the hands of the Republicans and in the hands of true Republicans if at all possible.  I do know that you understand that.  But as I recall, you disagreed when AFA and others said on this site that if Mr. Arpaio ran for Sheriff again, he would lose.  I believe that you were quite sure that was not possible.  Maybe you used your circular firing squad analogy then also.  Mr. Morrissey, you also were quite convinced that the recall of the Lines Recall was a terrible thing. I recall you were most unpleasant about that. Maybe you were unaware of the number of loose strings hanging unattended to but most knew the chances of success were extremely precarious. I believe, and please correct me if I err, that you were disinterested in the outcome because making the effort is what mattered.  If I am correct on that, I believe putting every effort forward to assure success would be the right way for that to proceed. I applauded when the recall effort was thwarted although not in the way it was handled.  I do believe some felt there was no other way to make sure that Mr. Lines would be recalled or even was close to being recalled. In that case, good judgement prevailed and I don't believe even one person was happy about that.  AFA did a stellar job explaining the unintended deficiencies in the process but you rejected that explanation.

So many people on this site believe that good judgement must be brought to bear on matters of elections.  By removing the ideas of loyalty and friendship and ignorance of records and other matters surrounding any one candidate or issue, we can make better decisions in political matters.  There are times, don't you see, when that circular firing squad is necessary. 

On the matter of who else?  Of course, sir, like Congressman Schweikert, good people will not come forward or give any indication that they would, so long as there is already a candidate in the field. The matter is that when people jump on the bandwagon early in an election, long before others carefully do their due diligence before making a decision, it will discourage good people from getting in to a race.  In this case, Ms Ward filed while the 2016 elections were still going on, which, I believe, is unprecedented and at best, shows extraordinary egotism.  Most thoughtful people would have the courtesy not to distract from the current election.

There are always those who will not see. I don't know if you are one of those people, sir.  This is just my feeble attempt to help you understand that if we ever want decent government, we must take emotion out of the aggregation.

[Tom Morrissey]

Mrs Feilder-Smith: With all due respect if we are ever to exact change in this party it will never come unless we stand against those who would put their interests above those of this country.  When we begin the task of taking this party back it is imperative that we do not leave the battlefield before the battle is won. What happened with the Lines recall was not surprising to me because I've been down this path before and experienced the circular firing squad in all its glory.  As far as Sheriff Joe goes, he deserved far better than what he got in support from those who cheered him on when he was the only one enforcing the immigration laws he swore to uphold. The fact that he was deserted by those he had the courage to serve was despicable, but again, not surprising.  Maybe what is missing these days is SPINE. It will take more than carping on blogs and other forms of networking to effect change.  I wonder how long it will be before our president experiences the same abandonment as Andrew Thomas, Russell Pearce and Joe Arpaio. 

[Jan Fielder-Smith]

Thank you, Mr. Morrissey, for your thoughts.  Of course, we all know you were an embattled Chairman as you have said so many times before.  I do believe that comes with the territory in any elected position, does it not?  Even as a state committeeman, I came under fire.  I believe this article points out this very thing.  Sometimes, it seems to me, and I have been around far too long, fire is the best method.

Please do allow me to answer your first two questions.  First, "unless we stand against those who would put their interests above those of this country."  Thank you for making my point.  That is exactly what Ms. Ward refused to do in 2016. Her ego or stubbornness or what ever name one might attach to her motivation gave us more years of Sen. McCain who voted against the health care bill due to his emotional antipathy toward our President and hurt the country as a result.  She is well down the road to doing it again. You cannot blame voters for they do what they have always done.  Better to understand voters, I believe. You can blame them for their ignorance and it will always be so. There is not one of them who will sit down to mark their ballot on who they think best deserves to be elected.  As I think on that, we would have few elected officials if that is how people voted, now would we?

Your battlefield analogy is very correct but people seemed more interested in winning the war and keeping the organizer of this effort from embarrassment for herself and all the State Committeemen who know Lines is just another reprobate in a long line of them. She has been widely applauded for taking on the venture. The battle was started with the right idea but like Neville Chamberlain, poorly fought and if one is going into battle, one should have laid out the entire plans and had generals there to carry them out.

Oh, it is a shame about the good Sheriff.  What he deserved never comes into elections. Reality does and we lose because we don't want to face reality. One cannot argue reality in this instance because the outcome has settled that.  The reality is that the voters were tired of the bad news and most don't have the time to go on fact-finding missions. There were viable candidates standing in the wings of that race. Few are like those of us who breathe politics. He was not deserted by his friends, but friends cannot make up an entire election. What happened, happens in all elections.  The Sheriff and those close enough to him to have influence did him and all of Maricopa a disservice by not factoring in reality and dissuading him from another run.  Now, we are stuck with Mr. Penzone welcoming illegal "guests" into Arizona. That is the reality.

What we need in this country is not "spine," sir.  Spine is what built this country. It's facts they need to fully face. It's a winning strategy like the one President Trump displayed.  You say the Sheriff was deserted.  President Trump had everyone against him: the media, the Republicans, the Democrats, elected officials with public bully horns.  Look at Mr. Roy Moore in Alabama.  He had all that against him, too.  Both of them faced facts and turned them to their advantage. 

Good day, sir.  It has been nice sparring with you.

[Tom Morrissey]

And SPINE, Mrs Fielder Smith, is what President Trump exemplifies. Take a long look at him and what he has accomplished because he doesn't fold the tents and leave the battlefield until the battle is won. Who knows?  You just might learn something from that.  I know I sure did.

[Walter Myers]

Perhaps it is time to accept that the Republican Party is but another wing of the Socialist bird. If we want change should we not clearly identify what it is we want and let the Party's accept or deny our request. This would destroy their smoke and mirrors game. As for me, a few of my "wants" are cited in http://thecnc.org/Documents/DeclarationOfDemands.htm.

[Francine R]

This is absolutely fascinating as there are those of us PCs who are wanting to do a 'replacement' of the GOP.  I personally do not like the word 'party'.  When people talk of The Party, or refer to The Party, make reference to The Party, it makes me think of The Communist Party.  It was always referred to and they referred to each other as 'The Party'.  Been coming up with possibilities of The Coalition, The Association, actual name being something like The Great American Coalition, or America The Coalition, The Americas Organization, something of that nature would be more appropriate.  

Talk about cleaning the Swamp.  We here in Arizona and other states have only to look inward to their own State Party (there's that word 'party' again) to find corruption, fraud, misuse of funds, fake PCs, lies, deception, etc. How are We the People supposed to help President Trump clean the swamp and Make America Great Again, when our own state political party with the 'R' is a farce full of corruption.  Don't think the majority of PCs actually know what the Constitution is.  What it means and what is Constitutional and what is not.  Just look at the bills being brought up, what ends up on the floor for discussion, what gets passed and what gets dumped.  

Our own governor has no clue to what the US Constitution is or the Arizona Constitution is of which I have a copy of both.  I need to bring my copy of the Az Constitution to our Tea Party meeting one of these times very soon.  Maybe that would be a  topic for discussion on one of our meeting nights.

While teachers are on the bottom rung of the ladder as well as State Employees, the Governors staff, about 112+ have just received huge raises handed to by our Az Gov. to the tune of $7,000 a year (on the low side) to upwards of $10-13,000 a year (on the high side).  That's over $1.2 mil a year in raises for the Governor's staff.  #1.  I didn't realize the Governor had that many 'staff.'  Did you.  #2.  I didn't know the State budget had over $1 mil to spend in raises for a select few.  #3, teachers have no raises; #4.  Believe State employee are getting a whopping 1% this year, Not 20%.  Something a little lopsided here?

So do we need a new Governor?  YES!  ONE that is honest, true to the state, the employees, and can be trusted.
Do we need a new 'group/organization/association/Coaltion' vs 'party' to replace the GOP?  YES!  It needs to be done quickly.  
Do we need to continue our investigations into all of it here in Az, Legislators and Senators? YES!
Do we need to go thru all bills already on the books to find the duplication, triplicate, and quadruplicate of bills on the books and start dumping and replacing bills/laws with good bills and laws?  YES!  
Do we need to make the bills/laws simpler to read and understand their absolute meaning vs guessing and high paid attorneys.  YES!

I agree it is about time for another shake-up in party politics!  Let's do it! 

[Jan Fielder-Smith]

Oh, Ms Francine. You have nailed it.  I was astonished to read in these pages that Senator Sylvia Allen, Chairman of the Education Committee, and part owner of a charter school, does not know the Constitution does not speak about our "inalienable rights."  That is so very distressing.  I do hear much talk that the Republican party is over, has run it's course, is deceased beyond salvation.  Our dear President is not a true aficionado of any Party. He is about America. Some suggested a new party or coalition or what one might want to name it to be America First Alliance.

[Arizona Freedom Alliance]

Another instance of the Republicans at war with themselves, in all states.  Sent in by an AFA member:

According to this story, "Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (REP) used his administrative assistant, Doug Smith, to try to intimidate some Republican County Committees, demanding they cancel a speaker who would draw a big crowd for the committees’ fundraisers, but who dared to criticize the Governor on an issue." Who is this banned speaker? The one and only Jan Morgan" (who was recently hosted at an event sponsored by the Pima County Republican Party). Jan posted the following on her Facebook page this yesterday (Monday): "Unacceptable: Documented calls, email, and face to face pressure from the Governor's office to Republican Party chairs to not have me speak at their events and even to cancel me as a speaker, is: 1) a pathetic reach to silence free speech, 2) destructive to county republican parties that make money when I pack the house , 3) transparent display of the desperation of a candidate with an egregious record he can't defend. If you are a Republican and govern like a Republican, then why would you not want people in county Republican Party meetings to hear a Republican speaker (Jan Morgan) who speaks and promotes the Republican Party Platform? Bullies are good at gaining power, but make terrible leaders. It's time to replace an establishment bully. Jan Morgan for Governor - 2017"

[Jaspersgoat]

I foolishly watched the press conference after the policy lunch the senate republicans had with Trump. One by one, they came to the mic as the others jockeyed for position to be seen by the camera.  My immediate thought was Tom M mentioning the circular firing squad. Yep, that would come in very handy in Congress.

[Tom Morrissey]

Kris and I were in Nevada working the phones for Donald Trump the week leading up to the caucus and were appalled by what the Nevada Republican State Chairman pulled on then Candidate, Donald Trump.  It was outrageous and so in your face I had trouble getting my arms around it.  Despite this, we call Donald Trump "Mr President" and that is because he was able to not only overcome Hillary Clinton but even more importantly, he overcame the Deep State Swamp Dwellers that permeate OUR Party throughout the country and especially here in Arizona.  It is our duty to do what is necessary to correct this great transgression.  I assure you that I am heavily involved in helping to get this done and will not rest until that is so.