What happened at the St. Charles County Caucus was a ridiculous fiasco. The “Conservative Values” Slate (Ron Paul) wanted to use Hemp as an alternative fuel source and accused public school teachers of performing medical diagnosis and shoving pills down student’s throats. The few things that I did agree with them was lost to their bizzarre radical rampage of words and action. They shut out the average voting citizen and now they know what it is liked to be shut out. Maybe next time they will work with the Republicans instead of against them on the issues that we have in common, or they can go back to their Libertarian Party.

And I was irritated because the 1st district didn’t end until around noon. I’ll bet it was a loooooong day in the 2nd. By the way, I’m pleased to report that in the 1st district, there were plenty of Ron Paul delegates, and there were no challenges of any kind. There was some brief drama at the start, as forces aligned with Dwight Billingsley attempted to get him elected to something … but once they figured out how to count yeas and nays accurately, everything went along well.

Missouri 2nd CD had the overwhelming numbers at their district, however the old guard tried to discredential the entire county of St. Charles which is nearly all of the 2nd congressional district. The Ron Paul leadership fought back and said that was illegal, (it was) and they moved that the convention was out of order and then called for a motion was made to adjorn the convention and move it to another location, then seconded and then voted on and passed by majority. They (Ron Paul Supporters) later elected 3 delegates and 3 alteranates to the National Convention as did those (old guard) that attended the illegal convention. Both sets of delegates will be challenged at the national convention.

Hiya Jo,

are there many “renegade” congressmen or is it only Paul?

And how many of the 150 contested delegates were “known or suspected” supporters of Senator McCain, who’s labeled a maverick?

How many recognized party regulars do you think actually support McCain? The feeble pulse of the Republican Party hasn’t been checked by most journalists/reporters. You’ve just added your name to that long list.

The party is in a bad way and its members know it. Its leadership knows it too - the letters and pleas for donations and support are becoming more desperate. This is country wide.

Where I live a few stalwarts welcomed the influx of new people, many of which were young and motivated. More reacted with fear and loathing, desperately following authoritarian familiarity. The “new blood” that could have invigorated and moved the party forward was turned away rather rudely.

Little wonder what’s resulted.

Comment by bspencervb — “wanted to use Hemp as an alternative fuel source ”

Leaving aside democrat/republican, this kind of comment shows that the old-guard is unwilling to allow market forces to find alternatives.

Let’s review the democrat/republican energy actions:
clinton/mccain vote for war in iraq to secure oil;
clinton/mccain/obama vote for funding war in iraq to secure oil;
dems/reps vote to subsidize corn ethanol by using taxpayer funds;
corn shortages lead to higher food prices;
continuing war in iraq to secure oil costs $$$, causing USA to print dollars and cause inflation;
inflation raises fuel prices and food prices.

Clinton/Obama/McCain are peas from the same liberal peapod.

Still don’t want to allow market forces to develop agricultural hemp? Why are you fake Republicans afraid of the free market?

I am new to the political scene and young. The SC Caucus was the 1st caucus that I have ever attended. The RP people in the back who proposed using hemp as an alternative fuel source was making gestures of smoking it for personal use instead of getting away from the dependency of oil. I am a Republican and not a Libertarian. If doing what is right is standing with the old guard; I stand there proudly.

Ron Paul was in front center stage for all to listen to his stance on issues. The majority of the people voted for someone else. My candidate did not win either, however McCain is closer to my views than any other that is running. Ron Paul lost so it is time to move forward. Quit being a sore loser and start focusing on the issues that we have in common. Time to stop being the problem and start working on problems that we can fix.

My acquaintance, tho not quite a friend but we’re cordial, the civil but misguided “I’ve never put people ahead of politics and have no intention of starting now” Mr. Akin, is going to be separated soon from power by a lot more than a few cafeteria tables -hundreds of miles and a congressiona office or two for starters - if I have anything to say about it, and I think I will.

Wow ! Somebody sounds extra confident . . . which is great!

There are some things that have been said here that are not accurate. In an effort of disclosure, I am one of the delegates that were contested. That being said, the people on the other side of the divider outnumbered the people on our side, not by much, but by enough. That combined with the “party faithful” that were contested along with the others, there was in no way shape or form ever anywhere close to a majority of dissenting views in that room. By party rules, seeing how this is a party function rather than a government one, contested delegates have no power, no vote, and no right to even be acknowledged until they are voted on (which they cannot participate in.) Since the vote of the none challenged delegates was to not allow the St. Charles or Queeney Township delegates to join the caucus, all the votes and motions made by contested delegates were out of order. None of this was illegal, and all of this was done by a blatant abuse of party rules. All thoughts that this was a legally tenuous move, and that the second meeting held outside in the commons area was anything but a waste of time are really nothing more than delusions of grandeur.

P.S. St. Charles County can send up to 115 delegates to the convention that can have up to 308 delegates. This is far more than any other source, but no where close to a majority of the delegates (55 St. Charles delegates showed up today, at the very least 8 of them were from the Central Committee.)

Hey bspencervb,

Your accusations of Ron Paul supporters behaving in such a manner are unfounded and ridiculous. Yes, we introduced an amendment to use HEMP as an alternative fuel and HEMP cannot be smoked to get high. So, if someone was making gestures as if to indicate they were smoking marijuana the joke would be on them since you cannot get high off of hemp w/o dying from asphyxiation in the process. You may want to educate yourself on hemp as a source of energy before speaking as if it’s a bad thing.

http://www.senate.mo.gov/97info/bills/SB079.htm

Hemp as a Crop for MO Farmers
http://www.naihc.org/hemp_information/content/millerhemp.html

http://www.hemp4fuel.com/

“accused public school teachers of performing medical diagnosis and shoving pills down student’s throats”

LOL We accused no one of anything. Are you the guy that took this matter personally and stormed out because you couldn’t wrap your head around the fact we weren’t accusing you or any teacher in MO of such acts? That was put forth as a preventative measure since in other states the schools are involved/getting involved in medical/psychological diagnosis AND treatment. Since this was explained ad nauseum that we were not accusing any teachers in MO of this, are you saying you support the State mandating medical treatment on children in school?

http://www.edwatch.org/updates05/070505-mhs.htm

“The few things that I did agree with them was lost to their bizzarre radical rampage of words and action”

What are you even talking about? The only people having any rampages were the people NOT on the Conservative Values slate acting like children and storming out of the room.

With a Party Platform that is inviting to so many people (save before the neocons molested it) with different views on different things all the while being Republican and, with party dynamics in general, the fact that there are liberal, moderate, and conservative Republicans; that a certain group of those people should try and claim the ultimate authority on whom or what is Republican is not only arrogant, it’s downright disrespectful to other Republicans - some of whom have been voting Republican since you and I were in diapers, bspencervb.

“Maybe next time they will work with the Republicans instead of against them on the issues that we have in common, or they can go back to their Libertarian Party”

You should speak the same of yourself. We tried working with you since last December when Mr. Bennet would not inform us on how to participate in the caucuses. We then sat in on a St. Charles Central Committee meeting in which all they talked about was getting the chair so they could win and shut us out. Is that what you call a warm welcome into the process?

How can we return to a Party to which we were never part? Maybe you should form your own party since you don’t like anyone that isn’t exactly like you and doesn’t share your exact set of beliefs.

Have fun standing with the old guard, supporting your presumptive Democratic nominee John McCain and his buddy Joe Liebermann. The Republican Party is no longer a party of conservative values and you have yourself and your cronies who are only interested in protecting the Party name and not the Party principles. Without conservative principles, you may as well be a Dem.

H E M P was in the 1800’s the number one cash crop in Missouri and Heroin (not alcohol) was the biggest addiction. I can not see where legalization of Marijuania is such a big deal by the way it has more sponsers for a bill this year than last year. Many products are made and sold in Missouri today from Hemp. It seems to me alternative fuel sources are badly needed unless you are for big oil profitters that have plundged us into a quagmire war in Iraq of which they have Billons in the bank while we owe China and others money and their oil minister thinks we should pay for its inability to control its own soveintry… Gesh let’s see a progressive change in this country and face the fuel crisis for the future. As for the caucus well it was Republican and we see what their leadership has done to Missouri and this country. St.Charles is turning Democratic and thank God Almighty for that one so let’s just turn Missouri Blue in November.

Our CD9 caucus went OK. The chairman was a bit overbearing, but not totally unfair. The RP group did not have majority, so no delegates were selected, one of the platforms from St. Charles county concerning the war was brought up for debate and rejected, all others were passed to the state convention.

Regarding the question of hemp. Sure continue to support the corn/ethanol subsidy if you enjoy $3.99 for ground beef (and not the good stuff) and $4.99 for a gallon of milk.

From the Congressional Research Service’s 2007 Update on Hemp:
“The United States is the only developed nation in which the production of industrial hemp is not permitted.” That’s according to the U.S. Congress’s research arm which reported favorably on industrial hemp in a Jan. 2005 report and then issued an even more favorable updated report March 23, 2007. Click here to read the complete 2007 report. http://naihc.org/CRS_RL32725.pdf

So we are either the smartest country in the world, or not so smart. I’ll let our 9.5 trillion (and growing) deficit speak to our leaders intellect.

The Republican have been hijacked by the neo-conservative Democrats including Gingrich, McCain, Liebermann. The best issue is to file suit like California and New Hampshire and demand a constitutional change to “natural born”. I pray for my kids that the country comes to it’s senses. Don’t expect the main stream media to be supportive. Look at the coverage of Obama’s preacher Wright received compared to McCain actively seeking Hagee. These people are not true republicans but warmonger corporatist bent on trying to hold up an empire that is bankrupt. The talk is Iran what is next China? See the web site posted and draft the law suits accordingly. It is really sad that all the issues the good doctor spoke of are happening. My big question is what kind of ballot access would Paul-Ventura ticket have? Money would not be a problem.

Re; (7) Wow Bill, still blogging instead of camaigning? You’re not going to win THAT way…..

Thanks Brandon \”b\”

I thank you for moving me from being interested into politics to becoming more active in politics.

I understand that you are frustrated much like I was at the SC Caucus. I know that you have worked hard for your group. I am sure that the things that we agree on, we will work good together and other things that we disagree, we will continue to butt heads.

Until next time…

It’s very interesting that the Maryland Heights delegation (which included the Akins) was seated, even though the challenge to their delegate status was probably the only legitimate challenge at the District 2 convention, save challenges due to proper voter registration.

The Maryland Heights delegation was challenged because it received only 11 combined votes from the 24 registered voters from BOTH congressional districts signed in at the Maryland Heights caucus.

The Maryland Heights township caucus had voters from the 1st and 2nd Congressional District. Only voters from the 2nd Congressional District could vote on the slate the Akins were on, but voters from BOTH Congressional Districts voted. Not only that…the slate didn’t receive a majority of the vote. The chairman at the 1st Congressional District was also on this slate, approved by BOTH Districts. He didn’t even bring up the challenge submitted to the Maryland Heights delegation during the credential report at the 1st District Convention.

Two problems: non-eligible voters approved the slate and it didn’t even receive enough votes to win

Moreover, the official Republican Call to Convention was followed at the meeting AND Roberts Rules of order was ignored at the Maryland Heights caucus.

It’s too bad the Akins were pulled into this fight for law and order, as they were not present at the Maryland Heights caucus and probably have no idea what took place for their names to be unfairly submitted as delegates.

Bill,
You can still blog. I enjoy your posts and looks as though other participants from yesterday are blogging likewise. Keep up the good work!

bspencervb: Read a book.

You can’t get high hemp. It has an almost unmeasurably low amount of TCH. Any “druggy libertarian” could tell you that.

The people you stand with are scum, btw. The old guard is destroying the party. Look at what the party supports: Authoritarianism, central economic planning, pre-emptive war, and complete disregard for the constitution.

I too am a young republican. I was a republican before I heard about Ron Paul. Have been since I was about 15.

I urge you to read the constitution. I am sure you did once in grade school, as did I. But if you re-read it now I think you will have a better appreciation for it and what it represents. You also might be able to relate to Ron Paul supporters more. If you ultimately decide to reject the constitution, very well. But you would no longer be American.

That doesn’t mean that if you reject Ron Paul you aren’t american. But if you reject the constitution, you aren’t.

Some things to note. According to the national party rules, there are only 3 things that qualify a Good republican voter 1. Be registered to vote 2. Have voted in the Primary on the Republican ticket 3. Have not voted on another ticket in the Primary

Any other rules, regulations and so on that the state wants to include to test the true Republicans, must be printed and published by September the year before the convention is to be held. Missouri did not do that. So, any little pledges that people were asked to sign, break the National Rules of the Party. In our district, the credentials committee acknowledged this and withdrew their contests.

Second, there were no standing rules for the district convention, therefore the governing rules were Robert’s Rules of Order. Any of the rules that they disregard is therefore breaking the governing rules. This is a travesty when it occurs, because the Robert’s Rules of order are based on common law. Which makes sure that the minority’s rights are still protected, and it allows for discussion to take place so that common ground may be reached between the majority and the minority protecting both parties rights. When the voice of the minority is silenced, then it is no longer Common law. When the rules are not upheld, it is not longer Republican at all, but Oppressive, and very much Democratic. In a Republic, the individual is protected by the law, and the law rules, therefore, the highest law at the district convention before the assembly choose their laws is Robert’s Rules, or the common law. So, if Robert’s Rules are broken, so is the republic.

A democratic assembly is that the majority rules, and the minority loses its voice. We have just witnessed that the Republican way of doing things in the State of Missouri, is to break their own governing rules in order to force their will upon the minority.

In Greene County Missouri, the Conservative slate had the majority, but they heard the minority, and gave them 1/3 of the delegates to district and state. When at the district the tables were turned, they did not reciprocate. They have made it clear that they either do not understand what a Republic is, or that they do not care to live by the true Republican Ideals.

I was a day of both sadness and victory for our district. Victory that we informed them of the rules and what was right and just according to Robert’s rules. A victory that we retained a majority of our delegates because they upheld the national rules, but a failure for the majority, when they silenced the minority and refused to allow them to discuss, and when they passed the rules without the 2/3 required to do so.

And if I understand it correctly, they also set these rules as being standing rule for the next district convention in four years, binding the future voters to the positions of the people 4 years ago, 8 year at that time, and unable to set the rules to govern themselves. (that is if they are not informed enough to seek for common law and have the numbers to do so).

What was the basis for the challenges?
Mrs. Davis explains a lot in her first few paragraphs (though I am disturbed by her big “D” and “R” instead of democratic vs republican) and don’t understand any challenges from there.

Were these folks not registered to vote?
Did they not vote in the primary?
In reality, there is no record of ballot chosen (Republican, Democratic, or Libertarian) on Feb 5, so even challenging on point 2 of the qualifications would be tenuous.

The article in today’s paper said that the rules were changed between the County and the Congressional caucuses. What was changed?

The whole thing is eyebrow raising. Aren’t the Republicans going to need these guys to vote in November? Disenfranchising them from the get go, isn’t helping their cause–from McCain on down the ticket.

Hear Hear, B. Anyone who thinks that supporters of liberty should not be allowed to participate in the political process of any party much less one that claims to be “the party of the open door”(RNC, 2004) is in my opinion doing a great disservice to those who have fought and died to defend this republic. I know many of these “contested delegates” and for what it is worth, I can personally vouch for the fact that they showed up to help and not to hurt. Is there anyone that seriously beleives that these people showed up on a Saturday morning just to be a nuisance? That seems pretty unlikely to me.
Thank God cooler heads prevailed in the 3rd CD and self-destructive blocking of qualified delegates did not happen, and I want to personally extend my gratitude to the fair people that facilitated our convention(too many to name here), may those in the 2nd learn from the example they set forth.

Jo: I’ve have a coupleof items/thougts:

Jo: incomplete reporting job! In your article, you identified Don Griffon as a conservative republican. I’ve known Don for several years, and would still like to call/consider him as a friend.
But a few years ago, he left the GOP and joined his forces with the Constitution party, and ran for the US Senate on their ticket. Therefore not a loyal and faithful Republican by the rules of the MRP and not eligible to be a delegate to any GOP caucus or convention! My source as to Don running: Mo State elections records! Perhaps you could have tried Google to get your info.

Now if anyone else had been identified as Libertarians, Constitution Party, Democracts, etc, using the Blue Book, county election records, or other public records as non-GOP types, it’s right that they should have no voice in running this party. They should first try to clean their own homes before they try to invaid my house and give cleaning orders!

Now for a personal editorial opinion: The Ron People as a whole, in my book are good Republican people! They have shown to be conservative and overall Republican! Several of the people on the St Louis County GOP Central Committee have supported Ron Paul. Though I don’t agree with them, I do support their right to think their way! But now that the caucus meetings are over, it’s time to unit as one party and prevent the ultra-left wing and their appointment of more judges who will legislate from the bench from moving into the White House!

All of this would be a non-issue if Mr. Paul would just be honest about what he is - a Libertarian. Instead of trying to hijack the republican party - why not use all the talent, intelligence, time and effort to build that party? It is a shame that your efforts are used in a malicious way, instead of trying to make our democracy broader by offering up a viable 3rd party. There seems to be enough of you, and you seem to have the ambition and energy. Just Leave MY Republican party alone! What happened to you yesterday should give you somewhat of a feeling of what we St. Charles folks felt in March. Those of us who backed other candidates originally are not trying to take over and change the results of what the people of MO said they wanted in Feb. Unfortunately, by your efforts, you have caused ill feelings, and disgust on both sides of the fence. We were angry last month, and you were angry this month. But note this - we did not behave as loudmouthed children a month ago. We had one person walk out angry, but we didn’t scream and yell, and accuse you of not following your rules - oh yeah - you NEVER adopted rules. How silly of me? I am very pleased that you got a dose of your own medicine - even if it meant that I was ousted from my own party for a period.

response to those various and sundry who responded to my post:
I dont campaign normally after dark; need to read what’s going on; responding sometime my down time; and like to try to stay on good side of PD, when I can find it.
Also, I’m really not that confident or over-confident; I’m going to beat Akin, of course, but expect it to be close.

Honesty, in Post #16 is completely wrong. I have known the Akins for over 20 years. If you had come to our MHT Caucuses in 2000 and 2004 you would have seen Todd and Lulli on our slate as Delegates each time even when Todd was our State Rep, running for Congress in the 2nd District. I stay in contact with Todd’s Exec Dir (Black Ldr) at least once a week.
Your protest and appeal of the MHT Caucus was NOT a legitimate challenge and the head of your RPG (Ron Paul Goofball) Group was sent a letter from the 1USC Credentials Committee Chairman, CTOC, which read:

“The Credentials Committee of the Republican First Congressional District Convention has received and reviewed your appeal and protest of the Maryland Heights Township Republican Caucus on March 15, 2008.
The Rules Committee of the MHT Caucus was appointed Thursday, March 13, 2008 by Maryland Heights
Committeeman, The Acting Chairman of the Township Caucus per the MRP Call to Convention and MRP State Convention Rules. The Rules Committee, President MHTR and MHTR VP- Membership came up with the Township Caucus Rules which unanimously approved at the publicly-held Quarterly meeting of MHTR. The Agenda Template for Township Caucuses is only a guide, as the Agenda Template has already been changed for the upcoming Congressional District Conventions.
The rules clearly stated that only full slates for the 1USC and 2USC Districts be considered with names, addresses and zip codes. The same was required of the slates of Delegates and Alternates for the MRP State Convention May 31, 2008.
Only one Slate met the Rules Standards for the Delegates and Alternates to Congressional Conventions and one Slate to the State Convention. Both slates passed unanimously with 11 votes. Since there was only 1 slate, only 1 vote was needed to approve.
Townships and Wards are the lowest form of Political Organization which consist of Precincts. Per the Call to Convention and the exemption rule for St. Louis County which was approved at the State Committee Meeting in February 2008, you can not separate the Townships into separate voting for different USC Districts.
The only vote which the Chairman may not participate in is his own election which was unanimous.”
The 2 USC Credentials Committee also found your protest of the MHT Caucus to be without merit on all points and was also rejected and our 9 delegates were seated.
Roberts Rules of Order come in to play only when no other rules are established.
The Call to Convention, MRP Rules, MRP State Convention Rules, RNC Rules and even Township Caucus Rules take precedent over Roberts Rules of Order.
As Nick Kasoff mentioned in Post #2, the 1 USC went a little smoother. As Chair of the 1 USC,
I did not challenge any of the Ron Paul Delegates and even appointed Ruth Carlson to the Platform Committee to make sure all of their 14 amendments to the MRP Platform will be heard at the State Platform Committee. Besides a little dust-up on the rules which failed 46-38-1 to remove the duplicate names on slates rule and being elected Chairman 59-26, things ran rather smoothly. All candidates were allowed to speak and the McCain Grassroots Slate was approved with over 60 votes.
As CTOC, Bob, Nick and bspencervb have stated, the MO Primary was 2/5/08 and John McCain won all 58 Delegates and 55 Alternates. Ron Paul received only 4-5% with a Libertarian platform. Ron Paul has only 14 National Delegates to John McCain who is well over the1,191 Delegates needed.

Blue Leader - Unfortunately, there are some who get involved in politics who can never accept an outcome as legitimate unless it complies entirely with their own preferences. This is the difference between people like Mr. Billingsley - who pressed firmly in his effort, but was not disruptive or unsportsmanlike when his effort failed - and some from the Ron Paul group, who felt the need to protest everything but the pledge of allegiance. Their ignorance was apparent to me, a long-time veteran of caucuses and conventions, and to my wife, who was attending her first.

As President Lincoln said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

Ref # 26: an accurate observation!

Now on to November and victory at the polls!

re (24) “Also, I’m really not that confident or over-confident; I’m going to beat Akin, of course, ”

No offense Bill, but you wanna bet?

There are MANY things over the years that I have agreed with you on. More in fact than you can imagine. I’m not saying Akin is going to win, but I am betting you WON”T make it past the primary. Take this as no reflection on your record or positions. I just have very little faith in those who would take a Democrat ballot in the August primary. The party has moved way to far to the left and you are a maverick. I’m afraid the odds are against you. but I DO want you to campaign hard because you have a more realistic platform. It will be a big job to take the Democratic party back to a more moderate position that respects freedom of ALL citizens instead of dreaming up new programs that we can’t afford while they make plans to retrict those freedoms.

Thanks Nick and CTOC for your accurate and positive comments. Kudos to Rich the 2 USC Chairman and his Team for holding the line and electing a Pro-McCain slate of Delegates and Alternates and Elector. Each USC District Convention had a Battleplan and each worked very well. Even the 5th USC which was over run with RPG’s, managed to elect 2 McCain Alternate Delegates to the RNC and most importantly, the Presidential Elector is McCain which will prevent games in December when the Electors cast their vote in the Electoral College for
President-elect John McCain!
For the first time since 1988 or earlier, the 1 USC will have a Republican Presidential Elector who is African-American. Willis joined CCTRO in 1946 and is the current President!
The word must be getting out Nick, don’t mess with Blue Leader, CTOC, Purple Leader, Coeur Leader and others!

I’m a registered Republican, and I’ll be voting for Ron Paul in tomorrow’s PA Republican Primary. I’m also a Korean War (you know that forgotten, but bloody, U.N. “Police Action”?). Come on you old Republicans from Missouri… get out from under the neocon war against our nation. Enough already! Its NOT patriotic to support our troops IF they are fighting for another nation — and our brave kids are.

Bob has no clue - Actually Bob appointing a Temp Chair at a Mass Meeting is illegal. The District 2 Caucus was a mass meeting, thats why it was posted in the Newspaper for all to see and attend. Central Committees only “fill in” between district conventions and they do not need to post anything when they have a meeting. They have no power at a district convention, their credential’s committee has no power and as a matter of fact you could grab people off the street and they would have as much power as the credentials committee from the 2nd had. But lets say they did for argument. During the 2nd Congressional Convention the Chairperson did not acknowledge any motions or even points of inquiry and let me tell you that is against the Rules of the State and National parties. The chair cannot ignore legal procedure, otherwise the meeting is illegal and therefore under Roberts Rules and the National Party Rules a meeting can be adjorned by the group following the rules and then restarted and thats what they did.

Completely legal and this has happened before many many times at the National Convention where both parties are challenged and nearly all the times when a chairman does not follow basic Roberts Rules of Order - the challeger has won. Look at the Republican National Convention archives and you will see. If what you stated prior were true, then there would be no reason to follow Roberts Rules of Order at all and there would be no reason to elect a chair, it could just be appointed and those in power would remain in power forever.

Stand firm, my Constitutionalist friends. We are making progress and we will retore the Republican party to its former Grand Ol’ status once we have expelled all the neo-conservatives who have entrenched themselves like parasites. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen, rest assured. Do not relent. Freedom is worth the fight!

To CTOC: There is no rule in the Republican Party that says you cannot leave the party and come back to it. Don Griffin took the high road and left to run against a “liberal” Republican in Kit Bond. As a matter of fact, Ronald Reagan was a Democrat, John McCain had a meeting with John Kerry who offered him the VP slot before John Edwards, and also John McCain also considered running for the Reform Party Ticket with then Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura.

So the idea that someone can leave and not come back is absurd. The criteria with the National Party is that you cannot hold another party office like Treasurer or committee man.

Lets not spread incorrect information. However, McCain broke his own McCain/Feingold rules and is in hot water because of these election laws. He has not grassroots support and will end up losing like Bob Dole did. You are just wasting your time, money and energy on John McCain

In the 3rd district convention I have an example of two types of young Republican delegates.

One who was respectful to the process and alllowrf others to talk when given an opportunity and one who jeered and was disruptive when he disagreed with the messenger.

One was a Ron Paul follower. One fought in Iraq and received accolades that day. One is too young to run for state representative and one that is completing his term as state representative.

Guess who was the polite and respectful person and honored our democratic process, following Robert Rules of Order? If you quessed the young man who fought in Iraq and received accolades from the old guard that day ….. you guessed wrong!!!!!

bspencervb:

Your wish is granted! We ARE going to the Libertarian Party — and the statist Republicans are going to crash and burn this November!

Ron Paul is a “renegade” presidential candidate…? How did they come to that conclusion? Is Paul’s expectation that congress abide by the rule book the sign of a renegade…? I thought renegades were people who did NOT follow the rules….

His candidacy follows all the rules. He has not spent outside his budget whereas McCain is breaking the rules that he himself created — for the purpose of controlling others — like a typical politician.

Pretty hilarious.

I’m out of the Republican party. I’ll be voting for the Libertarian — and any Ron Paul Republicans that run for office. The rest can apparently do without my vote.

The Republican party is doomed if they don’t take accept the young Ron Paul people. They ARE DOOMED to fail. Oh yes they will have some young republicans join but they will only be the younger versions of the old guard, masked within a younger face. Standing in the shadows.

The young Ron Paul republicans don’t stand in anyone shadows, perhaps they stand within the flickering light left behind by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, etc.

Ref #33, Hey Joe

try leaving your wife, mess around with other women in public, get your picture taken, your name in the news for everyone to see, now see how fast you get welcomed back!

The MRP ruling was true and faithful Republicans, not someone who likes to mess around!

There seems to be a good bit of invective, bigotry, and prejudicial assertions written by posters here. I feel compelled to weigh-in with a few comments about what’s been said. First, about Akin. Although he says on his official website that he looks forward to meeting us, his constituents, while he was on our side of the Kirkwood barricade, he didn’t reach out to greet a single individual. Second, mischaracterizing Ron Paul supporters as young is disingenuous, the implication being that young people may not know enough yet to wisely choose their leaders. If you were at the Jefferson City armory on May 5, you’d have met contested delegates and alternates from throughout the state ranging in age from 80 to 20. I’d put the average at about 35. Third, to suggest that contested delegates and alternates are Ron Paul supporters maybe because John Magee is quoted in the Post as saying so, or perhaps for some other peculiar reason, demonstrates a hasty, uninformed view. I know many contested at Kirkwood and at the armory for the state convention who are firm McCain supporters. Fourth, if you voted for every Republican on every ticket since 1972, and never varied off your Republican party, would you question why participation in your county caucus and congressional convention was at issue? Fifth, if you really want to forget about all this and work toward uniting the party, then why don’t you write a letter to the Missouri State Republican Party saying so? According to the Missouri Republican State Committee 2008 Call to Convention, only the Missouri Republican State Committee can countermand the Credentials Committee, who will be the official Credentials Committee of the 2008 Missouri Republican State Convention, and will have full authority before that convention. In other words, if the Credentials Committee continues to honor the challenge to the St. Charles County caucus and other challenges, and you haven’t communicated your interest in seeing the party unite to party officials, then your words hold little value, and your party will not unite.