Ron Paul backers tangle with state GOP over caucus reports
Debbie Hopper, national field director for U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas (and who is continuing his campaign for president), called Thursday to recount a contentious encounter that she had just had with Missouri Republican Party executive director Jared Craighead.
Hopper said that she had gone to the state party’s headquarters in Jefferson City on Thursday to look at the reports turned in by the various sites’ chairmen from last Saturday’s caucuses.
Craighead refused to allow Hopper to look at the reports. Hopper noted that next Tuesday is the deadline for challenging the reports’ content, or the proposed delegates approved at the caucuses and then OKed by the state party.
Hopper said she’s concerned that the state Republican Party is out to disenfranchise the Paul delegates selected at those caucuses, or that some of the caucus chairmen.
To briefly recap:
The Republican caucuses were held last Saturday around the state to select state delegates for the state GOP congressional caucuses in April and the state convention in May. (The state delegates help select the presidential delegates, and help shape the state party’s issues platform,)
As readers may be aware, Paul’s supporters came out in force. In sites where they were in the majority, the Paul contingents controlled the caucuses and elected their slates of delegates.
Hopper reaffirmed her side’s belief that the Paul supporters snagged about a third of the state delegates.
Click here to read the Post-Dispatch’s account, published Tuesday.
Friday morning, Craighead made the following reply. “Accusations of anything underhanded going on are ludicrous,” he said. “We have not received all of the information from the local caucuses. We’re in the process of cataloguing and compiling the information. We’re not in a position to share it with anyone.”
Will the state party have the information available before Tuesday?
“It is unclear,” Craighead said. He cited various roadblocks (including the Easter weekend). But among them: “It depends how fast the caucuses turn in their stuff.”
(47 votes, average: 4.96 out of 5)
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Jared Craighead should go. The State Party had advanced warning that this was going to happen, they should have been prepared. Since Governor Blunt announced his decision to not run again Jared has been worried about his future (new house, new baby) and not focused on his job. And any time he can we works on Kenny Hulshof’s campaign for Governor because Andy Blunt is working for him and whatever Andy says Jared does. Andy is getting a 100K win bonus. Anyone want to speculate on why ethical Kenny said legislators and Governor’s family could own ethanol subsidized stock? You need wonder no longer.
I bet there will be some explaining to do during the next state meeting. Questionable expenditures and taking sides in the primary will definately be on the agenda. Jared should focus on his job for awhile.