Ron Paul supporters have their day in court, er, armory
Here’s the scene: About 45 Ron Paul supporters, most of them from Republican hotbeds Greene County or St. Charles, are gathering in the gymnasium of the Jefferson City armory awaiting their fate as challenged delegates to the Republican state convention.
There’s an 80-year-old man who made the jaunt on a Monday at 10 a.m. There is Curtis Abbott, one of the Greene County ringleaders. There’s a group holding a prayer circle as the first delegate is led upstairs.
And over on the floor playing with his 3-and-a-half-year-old son Andy is Brent Stafford of St. Charles. Stafford was chairman of the St. Charles County Conference, which elected 137 delegates to the state convention, nearly all of them supporters of the failed presidential candidate, Paul.
Stafford and others believe the state party is ignoring it’s “open door” platform by challenging delegates without a reason. All of the challenged delegates in the Armory received a letter from Richard C. Peerson, the chairman of the Republican convention credentials committee. The letter did not state any reasons for the challenge.
“At least they’re giving us the illusion of due process,” Stafford said. He was referring to the 2nd Congressional District convention in which all the St. Charles delegates were unceremoniously tossed out.
The first to be called before the credentials committee today was Barry Pulley of St. Peters. Pully tried to bring Peggy Young with him. Young is an expert in parliamentary procedure who agreed to represent the challenged delegates in their secret meetings, but she was not allowed to join Pulley.
“Effectively, they were saying I was there because the entire group (of Paul delegates) was challenged,” Pulley said. He stated his case and the meeting ended. He said he still plans to attend the state convention.
Republican Party Executive Director Jared Craighead could not be reached for comment. He was in the closed-door meetings upstairs at the Armory, according to one of the Republican Party officials running the meeting.
Nick,
Everything you said above Obama would do, McCain would do. Especially the raising of taxes, attacks on private industry and attacks on free speech (especially conservative talk radio - which he hates) and you also failed to mention that McCain will bring on Universal Health Care in a bipartisan measure. Even though he’s a vertean he does not support the troops. Not once did he speak out in support of our soldiers who were accused of murder. He voted against better veterans benefits this year. Nor did he support the pardoning of the border gaurds. He a liberal and hes in the wrong party. This general election will be democratic primary.
A vote for McCain makes you a sellout in my book! Vote Republican Vote for Ron Paul.