I’m going to be in and out today so I don’t have a lot of time to devote to the blog. I still plan on posting about the RPI chair race either later today or first thing Friday. That subject deserves a little more attention in light of my friend Grant’s scoop on a Gopal/Sporer ticket.
In the short time I have before I need to run out I want to discuss the other hot button topic that will be discussed on Saturday, the Kim Lehman fiasco. Now most of you know I advocated for Sandy Greiner before the convention, and called out Lehman for her actions in opposition to Miller-Meeks. I still think what Lehman did was wrong and stupid, and all she ended up doing is widening the divide that currently exists in our Party while confirming the argument used against her at the state convention, that she’s incapable of wearing the hats of IRTL, and National Committeewoman for the Republican Party of Iowa.
So by now we all know that a throng of people from the 2nd CD will attend the State Central Committee to demand her removal or encourage her to resign her position with the Party. With the economy in the shape its in those people might want to save the money and time it will take them to get to Des Moines because at the end of the day Kim Lehman will still be the National Committeewoman.
What many people have overlooked in this matter, including myself, is the simple fact that the SCC has no authority to ask for her removal. In fact I don’t think the constitution and bylaws that govern the State Party have anything to do with the National Committee people because they are technically members of the RNC.
I couldn’t find the Iowa GOP’s bylaws on line, but I did look at the RNC rules which can be found here. From reading it over it seems the only reason a National Committeeman or Committeewoman can be removed from office is if they do not support the Republican nominee for President or Vice President.
So while I don’t have any problem with people being upset with Lehman, they need to voice their opinions one last time and move on. Additionally, Kim has a lot of work to do to clean up her image. I think the larger task at hand for the SCC is finding a new Chair.
More on that later today or first thing tomorrow.
Now that I think about it, Abe Lincoln had the same problem with the civil war. Ineffective generals who didn't have the support of their troops and lacked the courage to do the right thing.
ReplyDeleteThen, from the ranks emerges Grant, certainly the "dark horse" candidate to lead the war but Abe learned Grant had a bias for taking action, instead of talking about grand plans and then sitting out the fight because conditions weren't "perfect" based on their plan. Grant attacked anyway and his results are in the history books. When the war cabinet discovered Abe was thinking of appointing Grant to lead the war, they komplained bitterly, calling Grant a drunkard! Abe, ever wise and ready with a reply, says,
"I should endeavor to know what kind of whiskey he drinks, that I might send him a case!"
Folks, the kandidates and konditions will never be perfect for RPI; so whomever we select from the once smoked filled room, let it be someone who can get the troops behind him/her and busy at the task of building precincts in 99 counties. (Many counties don't have a CC - just a treasurer so they can technically file reports showing no activity!) Another failure on a large scale and RPI will have it's own un-civil war to deal with!
why don't the SCC focused on what is going on in their own leadership rather than trying to kick out KL. GOD put KL where she is ( protecting the unborn ).
ReplyDeleteI would wager that most of the SCC has already moved on from the Lehman issue. They have no power to remove her, they know it and now (thanks to Krusty and D-Chung) we know it. I havent heard any of my SCC members even mention Kim Lehman so I'll bet they've known about this for a long time.
ReplyDeleteTibby,
ReplyDeleteWe've been having failures on a large scale now for quite a few years.. We've havent elected a GOP governor since Branstad and we've lost both houses of the Legislature.
The first point I'll make is this..
1. We shouldn't be picking someone from a "smoke filled room". The election of our next Chair should be open and activists DESERVE to know what the vote was for chair.
2. Our next Chair needs to be someone who not only can "get the troops behind them"..but also someone who has actually WON elections. Someone who actually has experience in building a winning organization.
We don't need a Chair who's merely going to be a sycophant for particular individuals and their special interests.
So if the national comitteeman and woman are members of the RNC and not the SCC, when then do they have a vote on who the chairman should be?
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like they should not be able to vote on state GOP matters.
So your suggestion is that we just sit back and allow our National Committeewoman to publicly chastise a congressional candidate without suffering any ramifications?
ReplyDeleteKrusty's advice is: "We can't do anything about it so move on."
With the Dems in control, we can't do anything about abortion right now, either, so let's just dissove IRTL. Does that logic make sense?
Kim still fails to see how she damanged a congressional campaign. This stubborn arrogance is the problem. Kim needs to go or she will be completely irrelevant in the 2nd District. Is that really what we want?
Please Kim, for the good of the party, step down.
I thought that picture was Kim Gordon. No?
ReplyDeleteKim Lehman violated one of the sacrosanct principles laid out by one of our greatest leaders, Ronald Reagan.
ReplyDeleteRemember his 11th Commandment--
"Thou Shall Not Speak Ill of Thy Fellow Republican"
There are certain things that as a Republican leader you DO NOT do 20 days out from an election...
In Lehman's case..she publically attacked the 2nd District Republican nominee running for Congress--Marianette Miller-Meeks with false and misleading statements.
She tried to claim that she didnt write the statements..that a "staffer" wrote the article..that she wasnt involved etc..even though as the head of the organization..she would have to approve of all public statements.
Never mind that Lehman publically attacked Miller-Meeks even before the primary. Going so far as to call her a "wolf in sheep's clothing"
So, for Lehman to claim that she didn't know about the statements about Miller-Meeks is hard to believe.
Lehman stated CLEARLY at the State Convention that she would support ALL Republican candidates and work for their election..
Well..guess what..her actions not only showed that to be completely false, but it also completely shredded whatever credability Lehman has as a Republican leader in this state
Where I come from, a person's word is their bond. Violate that trust..and you NEVER can get it back.
Now..people say..well the SCC can't force Lehman to resign. Ok...so Lehman should do the HONORABLE thing and resign.
She's clearly proven that she can't wear both hats...she's not able to support all Republican candidates. If she can't do that..then she can't represent ALL Republicans in this state on the RNC.
The SCC should show some courage here. A vote of no-confidence in Lehman would show very clearly that we expect our Republican leaders to stand behind our candidates.
If they can't do that..then sit down and let someone else step up to the plate.
Maybe the SCC can't remove her from the role of National Committeewoman with the RNC, but could they revoke her voting privileges on state party matters?
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:20
ReplyDeleteTo komment on your 2 points.
1) When SCC conducts an election for SCC-Chair and then votes unanimously to "hide the results" of the vote, you indeed have a "smoke filled room" my friend!
I lived in Chicago for 8 years and got involved long enough to know what a "rat" smells like and I find no plausible reason for our elected SCC members to hide their support. Imagine our democracy if our legislators, senators, etc were able to govern without "daylight" shed on their votes?
Dist 2 SCC Member David Chung has a refreshing pledge on his site this morning:
"As long as I am an SCC member, there will be an honest reporting of votes for chair/co-chair. Since it take a unanimous vote to hide the results, I will always dissent. When we next elect a chair and co-chair for our party — I will report the results and the vote count on this blog."
(HawkeyeGOP.com)
2) I don't think the "winning record" litmus test is 100% valid, but I do want to reinforce your point based on the fact that winning kandidates do build teams and more importantly; THEY EXPECT TO WIN!
Sounds like we're both tired of a diet of lame excuses and justifications from folks that quite simply didn't perform their duties at the peak level that winners do!
I think Krusty quits too soon. If the SCC decides to censure Lehman, they should explicitly use the word "disqualify" or "disqualification."
ReplyDeleteRule 4, subsection (c) of the RNC bylaws allows removal of RNC members for "disqualification," but it doesn't define what the terms means. It's possible (although unlikely without a sustained lobbying effort) that sympathetic RNC officials could use this method to remove Lehman.
The section is as follows [emphasis added]:
(c) In the event of the death, resignation, disqualification, or disability of any officer of the
Republican National Committee or member of a committee of the Republican National Committee, such
vacancy shall be filled by the same body and in the same manner as provided herein for the election of such officer or officers or committee members in the first
instance. In the case of a vacancy in the office of either secretary or treasurer of the Republican National Committee, the chairman shall appoint an acting secretary or acting treasurer until the next meeting of the Republican National Committee, when an election to fill such vacancy shall occur.
I emailed the SCC members in my district yesterday and they have been most helpful. For those who have concerns about the SCC--the meeting is open to the public on Saturday. So, if you want to get up from behind your computers and do something then go and try to actually do something about the state of the party.
ReplyDeleteWhat time does the meeting start?
ReplyDelete9:00 at RPI
ReplyDeleteWow.
ReplyDeleteI find Gopal's brand of "Democrat Lite" the worst in a what seems to be a very wide spread of Liberal leaning Republicans and appeasers.
If Gopal is the chair of the RPI I walk away forever. Labeling yourself a Republican doesnt make you a Republican, and acting like a democrat, under the the label of Republican puts you below liberals in my list. At least liberals are honest about ruining the country.
Gee, will they also have their pitchforks too? Can the 2nd district get any nuttier? This is how they spend their time? Kim has done more for republican causes than any of these nutbags complaining combined. MMM didn't lose because of lehman. That's must misplaced anger. What a bunch of temper tantrum throwing babies.
ReplyDeleteCould Linn County just work on fixing their own flawed county central committee, ya know the log in their own eye, before they worry about the entire world, ya know the splinter in the eye of RPI? How many grudgematches has it been now?
Is it the water that turns them into pitchfork bearing freaks all the time?
What a bunch of babies.
the really ridiculous thing about all this catterwalling and foot stomping is that the SCC doesn't do anything anyway so who freakin cares?
ReplyDeleteTo me, SCC stands for Student Council Committee. The biggest thing they do is vote on meeting minutes wherein they simply rubber stamp whatever the staff tells them to rubberstamp.
They don't do anything at all. What a tempest in an empty teapot.
Krusty,
ReplyDeleteI'll make no bones about it: Kim Lehman's attack on MMM had NOTHING to do with abortion. Absolutely nothing.
The whole MMM was 'the great pretender on abortion' crap was all a smokescreen for Ms. Lehman's true intentions: to knock MMM out in '08 so Peter Teahen the Pathological Liar could run again in '10.
Ms. Lehman was actively involved in Teahen's campaign and you can tell, because the reference to the Burlington Hawkeye article about MMM's quotes on abstinence and abortion used in the newsletter was the very same that was used in Teahen's mailer in the primary that attacked MMM on abortion and abstinence.
That's how I know the attack on MMM came directly from her with her knowledge. And I think that's 10X worse than just bashing MMM in a newsletter, because MMM was our nominee, and for Kim as National Committeewoman to sabotage MMM because Kim's pathologically lying candidate lost is reprehensible beyond words.
It is without honor, and Kim's disgusting hypocrisy mocks everything Christianity is, and those who support her are perpetuating that. GOD did NOT put her there, we did, and we need to take her out.
I don't know if we can get Lehman or not at the SCC level. Maybe we can disqualify her and take her out at the RNC. Maybe we need to start withholding our money to the RPI until we get results.
I do know one thing, and if you're reading this Kim, if Peter Teahen tries a second run: there will be no mercy. We will expose him and we will play dirty. You're going to get schooled as to just how rough we can play down in these union Dem counties.
Linn county has small mans disease. they will never be bigger than Polk and that makes their penis shrink. the anti polk thing is so counterproductive. we will never win anything unless we can win polk county. yet, the other 98 counties want to discount that fact of life because their ego's get in the way.
ReplyDeletePride goeth before a fall. Pride is what has caused our party to fall. The 2nd district is proving this point every day.
Andy Cable and gang should be the ones drummed out of the party by letting their pride and ego's dictate their actions. Removing Lehman does not advance their cause at all. They just increase our laughing stock status, which doesn't help anyone or anything. Most importantly, it doesn't win elections.
It's pathetic. FOr those that say they are leaving for good - great. We don't need your brand of venom. It's poison.
The 2nd district gang that intends to invade the meeting are no better than those Code Pink freaks from the democrat party.
Matt - are you the one that is supplying the pitchforks? Getting your tar and feathers out too? Maybe just a flogging device?
ReplyDeleteDo you have a job or is vomiting and hurling poison the chief use of your time?
Somehow I think, if you are married, your wife hates you.
"We will expose him and we will play dirty" - Matt Small Penis said.
ReplyDeletePlease Mr. SmallPenis, please explain how this rhetoric of yours is different than what you accuse Ms. Lehman of doing? I find it worse. You are making actual threats to people.
Do you think that makes you look like a stable person capable of mature decision making and possessing sound judgement skills?
Kim Lehman looks far better by comparison to you.
Do something productive and help Linn County become a credible county party again. Help them be bigger and better than Polk. After all, we must guarantee that Polk never wins, so I guess that leaves it to Linn and their collection of very small heads to solve all the states problems.
That's a big project Mr. SmallPenis. Can you get it up for that?
Or do you just chase people with pitchforks and scream at them?
Wow, look at you! Clever with a Clinton smirk. Do you always post replies that look like they were cut and pasted from the Daily Kos?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately this is the real world and I'm no armchair poster. I'll go right after Teahen in the papers with name attached, no problem whatsoever. Not to mention the hundreds of doors I'll walk too. I'm not tolerating this joker and his vile, cutthroat lies, nor the lies of his stooges any more.
"You're going to get schooled as to just how rough we can play down in these union Dem counties." Mr. MATTurity said.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think we've seen this before. It's called thuggery. The democrats do that all the time. Are you democrat lite since you use union thug tactics to force people to your point of view?
I'd like to hear more about those thuggary tactics that the Lee County Republicans use to great benefit.
School us all, why don't you? By the way, did you learn those grammar skills in Lee County Screwels? Is that a verb you are using? I thought school was a noun. Oh well, what do I know. I'm a product of NEA/ISEA union school systems.
Mr. Lee, Mr Lee - do something useful and work on Lee County becoming Red and work to destroy those thug union shops. Try Schooling some democrats. Be productive, Mr. Lee.
Oh yeah and you forget, when Kim sent out that newsletter MMM was polling only 3 points behind Loebsack at the time. No one would have predicted at the time that the margin would have been as wide as it was.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly - Kim Lehman didn't know that either. She thought it would be close too. And that's why she sent that letter out, and why she sent it as her little petty October surprise: to shave a few percentage points off MMM's tally and make her lose.
If Kim didn't want a dirt fight she shouldn't have started one. Now it's on. So spare me the lawyer speak, self righteousness, and armchair psychological analysis, if The Liar runs again I see no reason to play nice.
And by the way, why would any honest person who calls themselves Christian have a problem exposing a pathological liar and his hacks?
ReplyDeleteI never read the Daily Kos. I've never read the Daily Kos. I work on productive things rather than try to destroy people, which I find is unproductive.
ReplyDeleteI don't read the Daily Kos because it's my understanding that it's all people who sound like you, but claim to be liberals.
I find it unproductive to use my time that way. I guess I'm not suprised that you are quite familiar with it. Do you read it to get energized for the battles you wage with your own party brothers - fellow republicans?
Who was accusing Ms Lehman of violating Reagans 11th commandment? You seem to be more guilty of that than Ms.Lehman.
I read these blogs to find beneficial information that might move us forward. Krusty has had lots of great content lately on that subject.
Then, someone like you comes along and you force us to watch you writhe and twist in rage and jealousy and then I feel ripped off on my reading time.
You are self centered and expose yourself to ridicule with these public displays of temper tantruming.
Be productive. You and your ilk are the problem, not Ms. Lehman.
Did you mother beat you as a child? You have a lot of misplaced anger. Perhaps you should see a therapist for that.
Or, you could avoid the therapist by not indulging yourself in your own emotional feelings and putting it all on public display.
Being constructive each day keeps the therapist away.
oh please matt. you claim to be a chirstian? Really? Dear Gawd.
ReplyDeleteSo, you also have the self-rightous thing going.
I was wrong about you. It's not simple immaturity. You have full blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Well guys, I think you've made my point. I just wish you could have as much anger for what Kim did as you did at me for threatening to tell the truth about her and particularly her pathologically lying candidate, because I doubt I can reach as many people as she did.
ReplyDeleteInstead you give me a full dose of self-righteous hypocrisy, word twisting, dimestore psychoanalysis, grammar critique, and psychological projection. I sometimes don't know how you and their so-called 'Christian' supporters live with their hypocrisy.
But you now know what pisses off alot of us three legged conservatives in the party. We feel like we're stuck in the middle between fiscal RINO's on one side and screechy robe-wearing, finger pointing theocrats on the other.
I seems that they don’t have a problem exposing liars and hacks. That’s why they are calling out Miller-Meeks. The woman is a snake. Plain and simple. I saw the Teahen mailer, it looked like a compilation of a bunch of her own comments to me. Face it, she’s a liar and a sleaze-bag. What more proof do you need? She claims she was only down by 3 when that mail piece hit? I call bullshit. That poll was a fabrication and anyone with any common sense can see it. There is no way that Iowa Right to Life has enough pull in the 2nd District to account for 10% of the general electorate. No way what so ever. Had Miller Meeks lost by 2% I can see how you may have a point but she didn’t lose, she got slaughtered. Get over it! Move on with your life. If Miller-Meeks runs again, go help her. If Teahen runs again (and I’ll give you 10-1 odds that he wont) go out and work against him. That’s your choice, but screaming at the wind and yelling to a bunch of other people who have moved on with their lives and no longer care makes you look stupid.
ReplyDeleteThat post speaks for itself. Nothing for me to add here.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteFirst off..why dont you have some GUTS and sign off on your posts instead of posting anon.
You're trying to tell us here with a straight face that Kim Lehman "has done more for Republican causes"... Really?
Where? By attacking our party's nominees? By making false and misleading statements?
By promising that she "would support ALL Republican candidates"....then stabbing them in the back the next day?
People have criticized Steve Scheffler..but I'll give him this..since he's been elected as National Committeeman..he's come to Republican events across the state and actively supported our candidates running for office...no questions asked.
We haven't hide nor hair of Kim Lehman in Eastern Iowa since the State Convention!
And yes..I was the one that stated that Ms. Lehman violated Reagan's 11th Commandment
Apparently you must think its appropriate for someone who was elected to represent ALL Republicans in this state to the RNC to publically attack our party's NOMINEE for office with false and misleading attacks.
Do you call that type behavior "moving us forward"? If so..I pity you.
If our party is to rebuild and WIN elections again..we have to be seen as CREDIBLE people who are willing to hold our own accountable for their actions.
If we can't even do that..there's no way we're going to regain the trust of the electorate.
Lehman's credibility as a leader in our party is GONE. She stated that she would support all Republican candidates as National Committeewoman...She failed to do so.
You can not be a leader in our party and attack the candidates that our activists nominate to run for office.
If you think that's appropriate to do so..well..your world view is seriously misguided.
1. MMM is not a sleazebag. She is a wonderful, intelligent, dynamic woman who has a lot more energy than I have. We are blessed to have her in the party. I somewhat hope that now that she has raised her name recognition in the state that she will perhaps seek a state office. I don't know that a GOP candidate can win the 2nd district.
ReplyDeleteWe start the election about 60,000 votes down. That doesn't mean we should stop trying. I don't think Democrats are enamored with Loebsack. I think he can thank the Obama surge for his winning margin this year as much as any damage Lehman might have done.
2. I don't know Teahen well enough to make any judgement, although I'm skeptical he's a sleazebag either. He's not a bad candidate, but I don't think he's as well-spoken or charismatic as MMM. The other issue with Peter that troubled me is that he converted to the GOP for the purpose of running for office. If Leach had won in '06, Teahen would have remained a Democrat and ran. I prefer my candidates to have a solid background of supporting the GOP platform.
3. I don't see the math for Teahen in 2010. The nomination was his to lose in '08 and he lost it. MMM outworked him.
4.
Kim Lehman has a pretty mouth.
ReplyDeletethe linn county people are so eager to " kick out " Lehman, yet they can't take care of their own mess. I agree with anon 12:11 pm
ReplyDeleteWell, here we have another case of anonymous attacks and not much in the way of intelligent reasoned arguments for getting rid of Lehman.
ReplyDeleteI did not support Lehman, so let's make that clear from the outset. Also, I am from Linn County and the 2nd District, and while we are dysfuntional, we are trying to build something over here, and by the measure of election outcomes all over the state and things I read on the blogs, our dysfunction probably isn't that much different from anywhere else (just more public).
Lehman should not be removed from the NCW position. Nothing she did or said before the June 3rd primary can be used against her, so those references to her are irrelevant. Any references to her organization and the positions the organization holds is irrelevant. The Iowa Right to Life organization is a separate legal entity with all the rights and privleges under the IRS code allowed it. I see nothing that she has done in her position as NCM that warrants removal. Additionally, there are no legal or rule based grounds for removal that I can find (and apparently the RNC agrees).
I don't agree with Lehman on a whole host of issues as it concerns where the party's public face should be. But she won the election fair and square. Removing her from her position is not the purview of 17 SCC members. If you have a problem with her, recruit more delegates to show up at the next state convention that she is on the ballot for NCM and beat her fair and square. Until that time, we have who the GOP delegate/activists want as NCM, for better or worse.
to all who is after Lehman . " May he has not sinned throw the first stone "
ReplyDeleteDo not over look Gwen Eilers from Clayton County.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it seems Kim Lehman could have shot MMM dead on the street in front of the entire town of Ottumwa and still wouldn't be able to be removed as NCW. We have a lapse in the bylaws at the RPI and RNC that needs to be addressed or at least better defined.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, integrity wise Kim Lehman has none. She has an inherent conflict of interest which has become blatently evident in this last election, and an honorable person would step down. A righteous cause doesn't justify the lies, hypocrisy, and betrayals.
Now that Kim has stooped to the level of our Democrat opposition, the simple thing is to disavow her and let her serve her term quietly, but neutralized as much as possible. Except Kim's ego is too big to go quietly, we all know she'll be back trying to influence the next election cycle. And as I said, we'll gladly chop her off at the knees.
Brent,
ReplyDeleteI'm EXTRAORDINARILY disappointed in your position.
Apparently, you feel its appropriate for our NATIONAL COMMITTEEEWOMAN to publically denigrate our congressional nominee 20 DAYS out from an election.
Lehman stated CLEARLY, Brent..CLEARLY that she would support all Republican candidates running on our ticket. She did NOT do so. She chose to use her organization to make false and misleading attacks about OUR candidate for Congress, Brent!
Why is that so difficult for you to understand or grasp?
She told people that she could "wear both hats" as head of IRTL and as National Committeewoman.....she's clearly proven that she can not do that.
There have even been board members of Iowa Right to Life that have come out PUBLICALLY and called for her resignation.
The excuse that you make for her saying that she can do whatever she wants with IRTL doesn't hold water.
Your own State Central Committee member from Linn County has called on Lehman to resign, Brent....
Multiple county central committees from here in the 2nd District have called on her to resign...
The REASON why Brent, is something that I'm shocked that you can't understand.
Our party has to have CREDIBILITY moving forward. When we have leaders in our party who represent ALL Republicans in this state, as Lehman does as National Committeewoman, publically denigrating our candidates--We LOSE credibility as a Party.
When you tell the ENTIRE State Convention that you're going to support all Republican candidates on our ticket..and then attack one them publically..do you REALLY think that puts our candidates or our party in a positive light?
Cmon Brent! Think about this rationally here.
As a nominated candidate yourself, I highly doubt you would have appreciated being falsely attacked as a nominee, by any of the elected leaders in our party.
I've served as an elected leader in our party. As such, I'm obligated to support and work for the election of Republican candidates.
I may not agree with everything that candidate espouses, but if I go out and publically make false attacks against them..not only do I damage that candidate..I damage the Party...and that's completely unacceptable.
Brent, you need to seriously re-evaluate your position. Because quite frankly, your take is extremely disappointing to me.
So, you think that "Andy and Company" have anything to do with the request to have Kim removed?
ReplyDeleteAre you insane?
Call or email Andy, I am sure he will tell you his position. It is very likely the same as many others.
What Kim did(was a party to) was wrong, and bad for our party. Holding both positions is a conflict of interest that she has created. She should resign, and that might help. Or she can learn from the mistake and maybe turn out to be a better person for it. Only God knows.
The SCC can only censure her, nothing else. Perhaps send a recommendation to the RNC that she be removed.
But, what good for our whole state party will all of this do? It has now become a public spectacle, and it is giving us bad PR. And it has turned into another petty fight.
The people calling for her ouster are angry, justifiably, but they have let their anger cloud their judgment. We need to turn things around in this state, not turn them inside out.
On the other hand, perhaps it will have to get MUCH worse for all of us who call ourselves Republicans to band together, no matter what our brand of republicanism is.
Cedar Waxwing:
ReplyDeleteA good debate is always welcome. I am sorry that I have disappointed you, but let me address your points and clearly let you know where I am coming from. Let me be clear, this is about process and the facts. We must be precise. Let's review your points:
Cedar Waxwing:
"Apparently, you feel its appropriate for our NATIONAL COMMITTEEEWOMAN to publically denigrate our congressional nominee 20 DAYS out from an election."
No, I don't. Show me where Kim Lehman as an individual and in her capacity as NCW did such. There is no such instance.
Cedar Waxwing:
"Lehman stated CLEARLY, Brent..CLEARLY that she would support all Republican candidates running on our ticket. She did NOT do so. She chose to use her organization to make false and misleading attacks about OUR candidate for Congress, Brent!"
First, her organization can make any statement about any issue regarding any candidate that it wants. That is that organization's right. She happens to work for that organization. So what? Additionally, and just for the sake of argument, she does not need to SUPPORT every GOP candidate nominated. She just can't use her position as NCW to work AGAINST a duly nominated GOP candidate.
Cedar Waxwing:
"Why is that so difficult for you to understand or grasp?"
Because I believe in logic, facts, and objective measures for evaluation. I don't like dealing in the subjective or looking at the emotions of what people believe were her motives or actions behind the scences at IRL.
Cedar Waxwing:
"She told people that she could "wear both hats" as head of IRTL and as National Committeewoman.....she's clearly proven that she can not do that."
Actually the opposite is true. This event showcases that she in fact does where two hats and her organization will not always walk lockstep with her as NCW. It was her organization that failed here. Her organization should have put a disclaimer on the piece that it represented the views of the organization and not those of Kim Lehman as NCW. I think Kim would be wise to insist that disclaimer be put on future communiques.
Cedar Waxwing:
"The excuse that you make for her saying that she can do whatever she wants with IRTL doesn't hold water."
You need to check the IRS Code 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 because it actually does. There are other members of the SCC who do that very same thing (Steve Scheffler with ICA and Monte Shaw with the Renewable Fuels Association).
Cedar Waxwing:
"Your own State Central Committee member from Linn County has called on Lehman to resign, Brent...."
So. I think their wrong. As I have said repeatedly, there are no legal or rule based grounds for removing her, even should the allegations you make (which I dispute) were true.
Cedar Waxwing:
"When you tell the ENTIRE State Convention that you're going to support all Republican candidates on our ticket..and then attack one them publically..do you REALLY think that puts our candidates or our party in a positive light?"
If she did that as NCW I would agree with you. That is not the case though. My good friend Senator Mary Lundby and many other party leaders who don't 100% agree with the party platform suffer these slings and arrows all the time. Many of the barbs are not true. It is unfortunately part of the world in which we live. All I can say is fight back.
Cedar Waxwing:
"As a nominated candidate yourself, I highly doubt you would have appreciated being falsely attacked as a nominee, by any of the elected leaders in our party."
Please. I have been and probably will be in the future. Like I said, fight back.
Cedar Waxwing, you don't have to agree with me on these points, but it would be nice if you could respect my point of view as being one that I have deliberated over and hold with good faith. In a few years, there will be a chance to change NCM and NCW representatives. Recruit delegates to show up and throw 'em out if you feel strongly that Kim is not credible, truthful or right for the position. That is the only proper way to remove her, in my opinion.
No wonder Supertramp is such an apologist for unethical behavior.
ReplyDeleteYou can't just pick and choose what hat you choose to wear on a daily basis?!?! You wear both hats all the time, and if they are at odds you have a conflict of interest. That's ethics 101.
ReplyDeleteShe is not just ANY employee of the IRTL, she is it's PRESIDENT. She has the final word on what goes in the newsletter, she is their face, and their spokesperson. Just as any county chairperson or our state chairperson.
ReplyDeleteIf the article didn't have a disclaimer absolving her of involvement in it's printing, then it is if she said it herself.
In this position that she holds, she cannot set down one hat or the other. She wears them both at all times, and the are incompatible in this situation.
QCI is saying that they voted to censure her 8 to 7, two were unable to attend today.
ReplyDelete