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The final day of the Washington State Republican Convention was a sometimes boisterous and argumentative day as we tried to move as one body to adopt a party platform and review sixty-plus resolutions that had been submitted. From my perspective - there were two reasons we did not finish on time:
1) The Paulies, of course, and their delay/disruption tactics. As the day grew longer, these tactics increased, and I will write more on that later. To be fair, it came to my attention that the McCain camp may have played some tactics in the end. I realize that this is politics and that we may have been responding to the Paulies by bringing the game to their level, but I still was disappointed to hear this.
2) Most delegates had not taken the time to read through the submitted resolutions before the day's activities started. Again, to be fair, those resolutions were not distributed until well into the proceedings today but when they were, very few delegates took the time to read through them. There were many amendments to the party platform submitted, argued and debated, and a great many of them had already been submitted as resolutions. Now, as resolutions are not posted on the Washington State Republican Party website, many of these amendments were made to have a special interest promoted for greater visibility, but some of it was ridiculous: changing the emphasis in one sentence, changing one word in one sentence, and the like. I did vote to amend some lines based on one word but there were cases where it bordered on the absurd.
Highlight of the day: To help McCain delegates vote "yay" or "nay" with the majority, there were team captains who would hold up large YES (green) or NO (red) signs when a vote was called. Though no one challenged the use of these signs yesterday, they were repeatedly challenged today. On one case, someone stood to speak in favor of banning the signs and a clever McCain delegate held up a huge red NO sign so that it totally blocked out the face of the speaker on the large, overhead screens. It was a great stress-reliever.
At another point, a delegate made a motion that we "adjourn for 20 minutes as tempers are rising and it would give us all a chance to cool off." That motion failed by a huge majority. Later, another delegate made the following motion: "As we are running ahead of schedule, I move that we break for lunch and resume following lunch." Kirby Wilbur (KVI Radio), the Chair, said, "Lunch is scheduled in five minutes. Your motion calls for five minutes of debate. Does anyone wish to speak for or against the motion on the floor, which is changing the agenda to break five minutes early for lunch." By then, we all were chuckling and heading for the door. :)
At lunch, I went to Azteca across the street and made some new friends. Throughout this entire conference, I've intentionally approached delegates from other areas and asked if I could join them at their table. I met some really great people. And, more often than not, I approached Paulies. By sharing a beer and a meal, I learned much about other delegates and learned about Ron Paul and his supporters. One, Matthew, apologized on behalf of the Paulies for the disruptions and stall tactics. "We have our fringe element," he said. "Please don't paint us all with that broad brush." (He was referring partly to one who constantly yelled out "WAR WAR WAR" whenever McCain's name was spoken from the platform.) Another Paulie, though very nice and articulate, didn't seem to have much of a clue about what was going on, and denied knowledge of any tactics. "We feel unfairly treated, that Ron Paul does not get the respect McCain, Thompson and others get. Ron Paul does have a delegate count and the media is ignoring that." I reminded him that Ron Paul's successes in most markets were single digit, and low single digit at that. I also told him that I'm a moderate Republican - the type of person who might be inclined to pay attention to Ron Paul. If they're not getting my attention, they are doing something wrong.
I have a lot of respect for Ron Paul. He has motivated the party at the grass roots level and brought hundreds if not thousands of new faces, mostly young faces, into the party. They are organized and they are getting involved. I would just caution them that if it's credibility they seek, then play by the rules. Delay and disruption may get you noticed, but it might not be the type of attention that will do you any good. As a point of illustration: there are good Pro-Life people, and their are Pro-Life people who blow up abortion clinics. To the Paulies - play within the bounds of the system, don't intentionally try to disrupt the system, be quietly persistent (but not overbearing) and give it time. You have an excellent chance to "make the bed" for the next go around. But from what I saw, their was little more than a lot of jumping on the bed and messing up the covers. We had a saying about the Paulies and their delay tactics and it had to do with how they "object to the objection which is the object of their next objection."
From the local caucus level on up to the convention, it seemed their tactic of choice was to disrupt, delay and drag things out to the point where everyone else left (either in frustration or exhaustion) so they could then have a larger presence and a quorum. This happened late today ... I had to fly out at 5 so I left the conference a bit early to get my bags and take a break. I told some lady vendor friends of mine that I would be across the street at Azteca's if needed. An hour later, I was summoned back. "The Paulies are calling for a quorum - we need all the seated delegates we can get." I rushed back to the conference, cast an important vote, and then had to leave for good.
On the flight home, I met MORE wonderful people, including a delightful young lady named Jessica and her husband (whose name escapes me ... regrettably ...). We had a very good, enlightened discussion about Ron Paul, as they are Ron Paul supporters (as opposed to Paulies - the term reserved for the jibber-jabber fringe side of that movement). They told me that while I was out, McCain captains with microphones and headsets were having entired groups of delegates (Thurston County) leave the room, only to have to call them back later (at about the same time I was called back in.) If this is true I was sorry to hear about it but also realize that this is politics and if your opponent wants to play in the muck, you got to get down into it, too.
I referred to the Ron Paul camps as the "opponent." And that's what was very sad and regrettable about this conference. It reminded me of being in the seventh grade. There were insults, barely averted fist fights, people escorted away by police, scare tactics and games. And there was enough division to almost make our party look like the current state of the Democratic party.
We all are on the same bus, and we need to keep moving in that direction. Realistically, Ron Paul will not be President this time around. Realistically, McCain might not be either if we don't get our act together and work as a team. Realistically, Ron Paul may be sworn in as Commander-in-Chief in the future. Just remember this: we have long memories. Years from now, we will remember how neatly you made that bed, or how you just threw it all together and then jumped all over it in a tantrum.
I had a wonderful time. I met great people from both camps, McCain and Ron Paul. We really CAN do this. So now that the convention is over ... can't we all just get along?
(Sorry, I know. Weak ending. But I'm tired and it works. :)
I just, again, watched a favorite movie - "The Killing Fields." This was in the theaters back in 1982 (or so) - and in Arizona, showed with "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as a double feature. I went and saw both at least ten times. Probalby more like 18 times.
Now, as I've grown, I hardly ever watch "Raiders," but I watch "The Killing Fields" all the time. Probably two times a year. It is an excellent movie, and was a huge influence on me in my formative years. Margo and I sang together, usually because I was motivated by the themes in this movie. But that bridge over troubled waters crumbled, and now I sit and watch the movie again and again, and stare across to the other bank, hoping that all worked out well over there.
Blog author Jim W. Coleman and his new-found friend, Shannon, pose for a picture with Gov. Dino Rossi (Washington State). Dino was very accomodating when I told him that it would make my daughter's day to have a picture of us together. I fully support Dino in his re-election bid. Click below for larger picture, and to see Stephen Barrett together with Dino Rossi!
Stephen Barrett with Dino Rossi at the Spokane Doubletree Hotel.
I wrote earlier on the blog that my favorite dignitary (politician) at the Convention is Rob McKenna. I have lived in Washington State since 1991 and I am convinced that so far as my interests are concerned, Rob McKenna has done more good for the State of Washington than anyone else. I was honored to have met him. The honor, he said, was all his - and he urged me to say hello to my daughters, and to encourage them as they mature into responsible adults. I hope they become as active politically as I've been all my life, and maybe they can do so with a bit more balance (wink :)
This is a live blog from the Washington State Republican Convention in Spokane, Washington. It has been a very moving, yet tense and occasionally disruptive, conference. Here are the events of the first half of the second day of the Convention:
Friday May 30, 2008
There were long lines to get into the Convention and lots of security. Everyone had to show a photo ID along with their Convention credentials to get into the Convention, even if leaving to use the restroom or to attend to personal business. The Ron Paul supporters (e.g., "Paulies") have a huge presence here and wear "Dino" stickers and buttons as a way of identification. Rumors are that there will be a staged upset during today's Convention and it will have to do with trying to disqualify delegates from one or more counties.
While in line to get into the Convention, some in the running for public office handed out materials and asked for votes. We were, at that point, a captive audience. Terry Bergeson, Washington Superindendent of Public Instruction, approached me to shake my hand and ask for my vote. Preempting her, I said: "I think you have done a bad job, Terry. I will not be voting for you." And I moved on.
The convention kicked off about a half hour late. Candidates and politicians introduced themselves and had five to ten minutes each to address the Convention delegates and alternates. Here are some notable points they made:
Cathy McMorris Rogers (Congress)
(Some of the) Top 10 Great Reasons to be a Republican in 2008:
10) We believe that Federal Judges should follow the rule of the law
9) With regard to change: Be careful what you wish for
7) Compared to Democrats, we look like fiscal conservatives
6) Unlike Democrats, we don't have to worry what our presidential candidate is doing at 3 a.m.
1) We are the only group that Governor Christine Gregoire can't unionize!
Doc Hastings (Congress)
Doc asked how many were attending the Republican State Convention for the first time. There was a great show of hands, to which Doc said: "That goes to show we are continuously bringing new people into the party."
Dave Reichert (Congress)
Dave asked: "What is change?" And, he also questioned our own Washington State Republican Party slogan: "Change you deserve." What is that? What does that mean?
Dino Rossi (Governor)
Dino was great. At one point, he said: "I have two words for Olympia."
"So do I," I muttered under my breath.
"Control Spending," Dino continued. "Control spending." Dino pointed out a lot of differences between himself and Gov. Gregoire and gave some good illustrations to back his points. I could not write fast enough to get them all, but one that did stick in my mind was this: Gregoire raised taxes by $500 million. Part of that was the death tax. "How cruel is that?" Dino asked. "We need to eliminate the death tax." He also pointed out that Gregoire favors the State Income Tax. "Get rid of her!" someone in the audience called out. "We're working on that," Dino quipped, without missing a beat.
Dino mentioned Barack Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope." Pointing out Gregoire's "Can't Do" attitude, he speculated that if she were to ever write a book, in should be called: "The Audacity of Nope." Nope, can't do.
"This election is not about Gov. Gregoire," Dino said. "It's not about me. It's about changing the culture and direction of state government for a whole generation."
Rob McKenna - Attorney General
"Our country was founded on the revolutionary preceptf that we can govern ourselves. We will decide. It will be one of us who leads our country into the future." Addressing the McCain and Ron Paul camps both, he encouraged everyone to "stay involved in this election" - regardless of who the presidential nominee is. Stay involved.
As anticipated, the Paulies came out of the closet during the reading of the Credentials Report, read by Suellen Roche, who gave a county by county list of automatic delegates, seated elected delegates and how many alternates (if any) were to be promoted. The list, though not final, was totalled as such:
110 automatically seated delegates
1079 elected delegates
134 promoted alternate delegates
1323 total delegates
The Revenge of the Paulies
The Paulies took the microphone from the floor, asking that Skagit County delegates be unseated and escorted from the Convention room due to alleged violation of rules at the County Convention level.
A standing vote defeated the motion but for the next hour, there were repeated challenges, including many frivolous motions from the floor. At one point, Chairman Luke Esser was verbally attacked, but he shut that down quickly. The highlight of the day was when Chairman Esser invoked a Supreme Court ruling about State and Federal rules regarding voting on rules adoption. A very vocal Paulie took the microphone and challenged Esser: "Mr. Chairman, can you read for us that exact Supreme Court challenge?" Without missing a beat, Chairman Esser directed the audio/visual people to: "Please put slide number 8 up so we can read that ruling." The whistles and applause were deafening as delegates exchanged high-fives and celebrated. The Paulies, of course, were subdued at this point, though not for long. Finally, and at long last, the motion to adopt proposed rules passed.
Kirby Wilbur, morning talk show host from Seattle Fox News affiliate KVI Radio, was easily nominated as Permanent Chair, giving Luke Esser a much-needed break. Kirby Wilbur then introduced John Carlson, another KVI Radio personality (and former nominee for Washington State Governor) as the keynote speaker.
Though I personally don't care for John Carlson, he did give a good speech. Last night, over dinner, I explained it as such: John Carlson and Ken Schramm (KOMO television) both host a radio program called "The Commentators." While I do not like Schramm's liberal politics, I do like Ken Schramm. And while I like John Carlson's politics, I do not like John Carlson. I have blogged about this before, so I don't want to beat that dead horse.
Speaking of beating dead horses ...
The Paulies returned in force during Congressional Caucusing.
While working to elect delegates and alternate delegates to the national convention, the Paulies made motion after motion to disrupt the proceedings. Despite having two police officers stationed at the door, they were worried that people were sneaking in and out, getting more than one ballot. Another told the Chair that he could vote twice if he wanted to. It was just one thing after another and, as in the main convention, it seemed the Paulies insisted in actual counts rather than standing votes, and offered different interpretations of "Robert's Rules of Order."
At one point, a Paulie addressed the chair about the possibility of duplicate votes. At which point someone else said: "I'm sure there are more than enough Ron Paul supporters in this group to make sure that the McCain people play by the rules."
Someone else stood up and with a very angry tone accused that person of attempting to smear or discredit McCainn supporters. At which point the other person yelled, "Sit your ass down!" From there, things happened fast. It became a verbal sparring match at which point the person who had been offended started across the room with his fists clenched. After being subdued by others, the Chair told him that he would be removed if there were more outbursts. That alone triggered another outburst and the man was warned again. Finally, things calmed down.
That was an hour ago, and no progress has been made. I will update more later as we are awaiting the results of the first ballot count. This is going to be a long afternoon.
Here are some photos from today's happenings at the Washington State Republican Convention in Spokane, Washington. Click below for photos of Dino Rossi, Kirby Wilbur, Luke Esser ... and more!
Chairman Luke Esser did an outstanding job maintaining order at the Conference.
Kirby Wilbur shares a laugh with Luke Esser.
My personal favorite in Washington State politics, Attorney General Rob McKenna.
My second favorite in Washington State politics, Congressman Dave Reichert (of Green River Killer fame).
Another personal favorite, Dino Rossi.
Yours truly with delegates Surinder and Shannon. Sitting in the FRONT ROW of the conference, I might add. :)
Jack Hamilton contemplates throwing Adam Di Gleria out of the conference! (Actually not, I just told Adam that I would write that.) I sat beside Adam most of the second day and though I had met him before, it was fun getting to know him.
My new friend, Veronica, sells Dino shirts!
A casual photo of the crowd of delegates.
The secret caucusing room for Congressional District 6. Two police officers stood guard outside the door. Security was very tight.
Here, Jim W. Coleman shares a moment of fun with Vinton Linard, a delightful man who has good taste in ties! You have to know that it's all about the ties here ... :)
I am not religious, nor am I always right.
That's been my political motto as long as I can remember. I may have Biblical values but it's a very divisive, misunderstood, and misinterpreted book - one with tremendous relevance today, in different chapters, to different people. I think my values are more dependent on common sense and a good moral compass than anything else. Murder is murder, theft is theft, a stick in the eye does not necessarily deserve the turning of a good cheek. I'm about sick of seeing countries, communities and families torn apart by religion. So I don't come at politics from that angle. There you go - one cool Republican, as my wife would say.
That said, I'm very proud to be a Kitsap County delegate to the Washington State Republican Convention. I'll be updating you on the convention happenings AS they happen...
How cool a Republican? Well, look at the picture. It's the bar at the Spokane Doubletree, and it's the first place I headed to after landing. It was a nice place to deliver the necessary text messages, make the obligatory calls, and get myself together for this convention. I'm not going to bomb your abortion clinic because I happen to be pro-life. I'm not going to call you a "fag" if you're gay, even though I think that's not at all normal. I'm not going to basically disinherit you and bad-mouth you to my kids just because you have different beliefs, a different lifestyle or you don't want to let my personal choices invade your living space or potentially threaten your children. That's a damn cool Republican. I wish I knew more of them. Because a lot of these straight-and-narrow Republicans I see on television or at the mall or the family reunions kinda scare me.
Registration and Credentialing took an hour, and I was one of the first in line, so I'm glad I'm not one of those coming in later today, or tonight. After becoming an "official" delegate, I walked around down town for a bit and then came up to my room to update the blog. I've already run into many wonderful friends and associates of mine from Kitsap County, and I hope to run into a lot more.
I'll be updating you on the happenings from an almost AP-stylebook approach (haha, well, best of intentions!), but it will come, as usual, with personal anecdotes and observations.
I am a proud Republican but the "religious right" is an embarrassment to me, and I don't like that stigma. I had one lady approach me, trying to get my vote as a national delegate. She told me all the wonderful organizations she belonged to and I was impressed. But then she got into her church and positions she held there and this and that and my eyes sooooooooooo glossed over. Good for you, lady, but I don't want you carrying my torch all the way to City Hall, if you know what I mean.
Get a life. Let's work together to fix this country and get it back on track, restore its moral compass, and win back the respect not only of the world but of the people who LIVE in this country. Banging them over the head with the Bible isn't the answer. That kinda reminds me of what the radical Muslims do with THEIR particular brand of God's word ...
Ours would be a better party - a better country - if we practiced what we so freely preach. So take off the damn bumpersticker, take a break from the prayer chain letters, and start living it - start doing something about it rather than placating with the smooth suave of prayer and putting the silly little fish emblem on the back of the minivan. We can save ourselves, if only we can see past the end of our upturned noses.
God bless America. But He needs us all WORKING together to do it.
Note: I am a very spiritual person, just not a religious one. Wearing it on the sleeve accomplishes little and I, speaking for myself, have no use for the "trappings" of religion. Not into sacraments, chanting and rituals. It's the kindness and compassion you have when no one is looking that counts, not what is put on display for all to see. Fortunately, it's only a small percentage of the Republican party that makes the term "religious right" offensive to those of us who may be a bit more moderate, but still are loyal Republicans nonetheless. :)
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