Repya’s ‘Contract With Minnesota’
Posted by Andy on May 22nd, 2007
Here’s Joe Repya’s latest.
May 22, 2007
Fellow Republican:
During my travels around the state I have had many of our grassroots activists ask me how we can convince the voters of Minnesota that we are committed to making a difference in public policy by electing strong candidates that support our Party, our values and our ideals. Many activists feel we need to renew our Party’s commitment by pledging to a Contract with Minnesota.
To build momentum for the Road to Victory in 2008, we need a clear game plan that will set our candidates apart from the opposition. As your Chairman, I will support a Contract with Minnesota for our Republican candidates. The Contract is anchored by the following:
· Support of the Constitutions of the United States and Minnesota
· Support of the six core principles of the Minnesota Republican Party
· Support of a Personal Code of EthicsThe support of the Constitutions of the United States and Minnesota are necessary and the bedrock of any candidate wishing to serve the people of Minnesota.
Likewise, support of the six core principles of the Minnesota Republican Party is essential:
Less Government Lower Taxes
Personal Responsibility Individual Freedom
Stronger Families A Strong National DefenseFinally, in an era of rampant political scandal and corruption, many feel it is time for Republican candidates to regain the moral high ground by embodying moral fortitude and high ethical standards through a Personal Code of Ethics. Republican candidates must demonstrate that election laws matter, rules are relevant, and the values and ideals of our Party can not be compromised. For too long Republicans in America have tolerated candidates and office holders who frequently sacrifice our values or routinely display poor ethical or moral judgment – and it has cost us elections. I will demand more from our leaders and our candidates.
As the original 1994 Contract with America highlighted: To restore accountability to politics and end the cycle of scandal and disgrace, we must take bold action to make the electorate proud again of the way free people govern themselves.
Let me know what your thoughts are on how we can improve our image and accountability. Please contact me through my Web-site, www.gopjoe.org, or at 651-890-5237.
Respectfully,
Joe Repya
Our few remaining elected officials have stood tall in the Legislature and given Republicans something to be proud of. Even with the skeleton minorities that they had, they managed to keep the DFL from destroying this great state with oppressive tax and spending increases.
But the Republican party needs to be able to capitalize on that. The DFL will try to spin Republicans as obstructionists, and the party needs to be capable of showing voters statewide the stark difference between the dupicitous DFlers who ran on one thing and did another. Who stifled debate and railroaded bills through. Who abused their power and increased the burden of Government, or tried to, on every single Minnesotan.
Much like how Congressional Republicans were wrongly painted as part of a culture of corruption, Republicans in the state, in my opinion, were painted as not standing for anything. Too many caved on core principles. They didn’t give voters a reason to show up, resulting in the 59% turnout, the lowest in 12 years.
it is time for a fresh perspective and new leadership in the MNGOP. Someone who understand it isn’t about quotas and defense, but rather converting people to think and vote like us, and put the DFl on defense by having them explain why they hate taxpayers so much.
Voters need to be able to trust Republicans to be the party of limited Government and responsible spending, lower taxes, and better performance.
That person, in my opinion, is Joe Repya for Party Chair.
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May 23rd, 2007 at 8:37 am
I still hear silence from Joe on the key issue facing Republicans right now - The McCain Amnesty bill.
Is Joe silence because he is still the McCain chair in MN, just trying to do it as the MN GOP chair.
He is more than willing to call out other Republican’s for their failing, why not now.
If he can not stand up on this issue, how is he different.
As someone else pointed out, he is silent on McCain but very loud on criticizing the “rich”.
AAA was there to tells us Pawlenty was his man and now Joe - What do they both have in common -
They are the main McCain backers in MN.
So if you like McCain Republicanism then Joe is you man.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:46 am
I haven’t heard anything from Mr. Carey about his opinion on the McCain/Kennedy/Bush amnesty bill; I know Carey helped Pawlenty get re-elected. So he too must be in favor of “McCain Republicanism”.
Do I have your logic correct?
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:05 am
Nope Mattma -
Joe is not a McCain Republican because he is silent.
He is a McCain man because he accepted the position to be a McCain chair in MN.
He then a short time later decided he would rather run for GOP Chair.
So Joe was McCain man but now says he will speak out against those evil RINOs.
It is easy to say that, but now he has a chance to one - show that he will really do it and two - show that he is not just running to make sure the party support his man.
Joe was/is a McCain man and has done nothing to show he is not still one.
That was the point. Not his silence but his actions.
He behaved one way (McCain chair),
says another thing now (True Conservative)
so now is a chance to show that his actions match his words.
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:10 am
(The following is from Joe Repya himself)
Sam,
I think your posting is very partisan and a attempt to make something out of nothing. You and the current MNGOP Chair seem obsessed with painting me as a ardent McCain supporter. If that were really true, why I’m I not working for him now? The truth is, I was offered the position as the National Chairman for Veterans Outreach for McCain 2008 not State Chairman for McCain. I turned down the offer because of the despicable condition the Minnesota Party is in following a greatly mismanaged and poorly executed election in 2006. By the way, McCain 2008 offered to pay me much more money then what I’m willing to accept as MNGOP Chair by taking a 50% pay cut from the existing Chair’s $95,000+ compensation. I have also turned down similar high paying offers from other first tier Republican Presidential Candidates. These offers were presented because of the outstanding job I did for Veterans for Bush 2004. I chose instead to be a candidate for Chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party. As such, I can not endorse any Presidential candidate until the NRC in St Paul picks one. And unlike my competition for Party Chair, I will not attack the qualifications or integrity of any of the Republican Presidential candidates.
As many Republicans, I’m very saddened by the Immigration Bill that is working through the US Senate. I’m against amnesty for illegals no matter where they came from. Three of my grandparents were immigrants who came to America at the start of the 1900’s legally. They assimilated into American culture, learned to speak our language, started families, and one owned a small business and served in the US Army prior to World War I. Their sons and daughters would become part of the “Greatest Generation” serving in World War II and building our nation after that War. There are better ways of dealing with the immigration problem then the McCain - Kennedy - Bush Bill. Most Conservatives agree that a tamper proof national ID card, enforcement of our laws, stiffer fines to companies who hire illegals and a real border security program is the only answer to this reoccurring problem. As for proof of my Conservative credentials, lets just say that I doubt that most moderates or liberals would serve the nation in three wars. Maybe it is because I have served in combat that I’m willing to cut a little slack to those who also have. Tell me Sam, where have you served again and what makes you the Minnesota authority on Conservative thinking? Now that is my position. You can accept my position or whine about it as you most likely will.
Joe Repya
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:30 am
Joe,
First of course it is partisan - this is a partisan election - I assume you are a partisan (from your Funk and Wagnel - a fervent supporter of a party or cause)
Two - Your were planning to accept the position as National Chair for McCain - You turned it down not because you did not support McCain but found something else - So yes that would make you a ardent supported of McCain (or do you chair things you do not support ???)
Three - Some question your conservative values (other than National Defense) in that your opening line (and again here) is to mention that you think people are making too much (I hear from the convention your line about who here is making X number of dollars). Envy of the rich is not exactly a Republican position.
Fourth - Given the above and the statement I made before - your silence has led some to conclude that you were willing to speak ill of Party members but not the politicians who were causing the problems - You have begun to address that above.
Fifth - I am not the authority on Conservative thinking - but I can give examples of what it is not - John McCain is one such example.
Finally, I appreciate your and others who have served for out nation, but service does not make you a conservative (e.g. Murtha) and service should not give anyone a free pass (e.g. McCain/Murtha etc…)
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:41 pm
(More from Mr. Repya himself)
Sam,
Your comments about my decissions are pure speculation and without any fact or reason. Once again you are trying to find fault where none exists.
Sir Winston Churchill said it best about people like you: ” A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject”.
Have a nice day!
Joe Repya
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Now for my input.
re: 2nd: there are some very powerful people that are either elected officials at varying levels or used to be employed by the MNGOP that are supporting or paid staff for McCain. Does that make them unqualified?
re: 3rd: I am pretty sure the point about the salary is that the money saved with a Chairman Repya over Carey, is that there will be$50K or so to be used for field staff and other things. It won’t all be going into one person’s bank, but rather used to help pay for more people and what not.
re 4th: has Carey or any other person running for the offices spoke poorly or criticized the policies of the elected officials? You seem to imply that they are responsible for the losses, so by your logic here, we should also expect Carey and the Dep Chair candidates all to lash out, er criticize McCain too. One problem, all of them are supposed to remain neutral in the POTUS race.
And, if someone’s own personal conservative beliefs is the stand alone for Chairman qualifications, then why was 2006 so bad/ Seriously, Carey is a good conservative, and I have never said he wasn’t. So if one being a good conservative is enough, why wasn’t it?
My concerns with Carey are about leadership and decision making, not his stance on the issues. I hope any chair stands for the same things I do, but it is their agenda for their term as leaders that is the MOST important.
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Joe,
You were going to be McCain’s Veterans chair - fact.
Speculation:
Either:
a) You were/are an ardent McCain supporter but though you were needed elsewhere
b) You were not a McCain supporter but though it would be a good political move.
And no being a good conservative does not make you a good leader for GOP party,
but being a moderate supporter would.
and Carey does need to lash out officials to be elected - The point I made earlier is that Joe was already doing that, so his silence on McCain was cause for question - which he answered above.
But that still does not answer the speculation I made above.
I only know the fact - and the speculation I made is based on that and until there is something to replace that one can only assume that it as least partially true.
This issue has been of concern for many since Joe announced and the only responses I have seen are that this is something brought up by those against him - probably true, but so what.
I have not seen Joe address it.
He was willing to support McCain, was it because he thought: McCain was the best candidate? McCain had the best chance of winning? just because McCain was a veteran?
All of those are things which would concern me about someone wanting to lead our party because it is that sort of thinking that has lead us to where we are now.
So it is not if he is a conservative or not, but the judgment.
Joe has very little track record as a political party leader, so this is the most recent event in that arena and it raises concerns.
And finally to Andy question above (2nd), anyone who wants to work now for McCain can do it, but there support of core Republican domestic principals should be questioned and I would question someone jumping from an active campaign for one candidate who then wants to take a leadership position in the party, going the other way (from party to candidate) is to be expected.
Or to put it in local terms for Andy - if two years ago Phil Krinkie’s campaign chair (or even Bachmann’s) had left that position to run to be CD6 chair, I think some people would question that move.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:20 pm
I visited Joe Repya’s site for Minnesota chairman to learn more about him. I was surprised to find video of him talking about Reagan’s 11th Commandement.
“Eric, you know my style, I don’t come out complaining about people. I believe strongly in Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment ‘Thou shall not speak evil of a fellow Republican’”.
But Repya has broken his word and attack chairman Carey in his comments on this site. Just read his comments and you’ll find a few attacks on Carey and other Republicans. I really liked Joe Repya, but I’ve come to realize he will say and do anything to get elected.
If you don’t believe me, visit Joe’s site and watch the video. I’m really confused as to why he would talk about Reagan’s 11th and then attack Republicans.
Joe, can you explain?
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Wow, went through the trouble to set up the email and everything.
Do you really think people will believe I am a RINO?
Have you read RF at all?
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Oh and Sam,
Has anyone running to be the POTUS ever asked Carey to work for them in such a high profile position? ….
…. Because a few people *have* reached out to Mr. Repya. Oh, and it just so happens that the current POTUS asked him to work for him too on his campaigns.
And so did Gov. Pawlenty.
As i understand it, Carey supported both Bush and Pawlenty for reelection.
Are their policies as RINO as McCains?
And, since this is such a big deal, who is Carey supporting? He told the Blaine Townhall meeting that he had made up his mind.
If who the Chairman supports is such a big deal, eventhough they have to remain neutral, Who is Ron Carey supporting for President?
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Ask is not the issue, lots of people are asked -
Joe accepted and was planning to be the McCain chair.
I don’t think the McCain way is the way the party needs to be led.
I think someone who want to lead the party but right before he chose to run was going to be the McCain chair is of concern (as I stated above):
“He was willing to support McCain, was it because he thought: McCain was the best candidate? McCain had the best chance of winning? just because McCain was a veteran?
All of those are things which would concern me about someone wanting to lead our party because it is that sort of thinking that has lead us to where we are now.”
And yes the chairman should remain neutral so who Carey supports is unimportant, but someone who the week before he decides to be chair was telling people he was going to be McCain chair is of concern.
So again it is not that people asked Joe to be chair, it is the fact that he accepted and was planning to be a McCain chair is one of the concerns.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Well, I guess we;ll have to see if the Delegates share your litmus test for party chair.
And no it is not irrelevant who Carey supports. He is supposed to remain neutral as party chair, but told a room full of Republican activists he had made up his mind. If you are going to judge Repya for who he was going to (key words GOINg to, past tense), we have to know who Carey supports.
There are scores of Delegates who oppose the front runners for our nomination. if you make it an automatic DQ for supporting McCain, we have the right to decide if Carey;s support for whoever is our DQ. I think that all the major candidates have policy flaws that sit about as well with Delegates as McCain does.
So?
or is it just that you are a Carey loyalists?
Or maybe a “Pawlenty goon”?
Did you know Pawlenty is a national co-chair for McCain, not just for the veterans coalition?
Oh and Repya worked for both Pawlenty and Bush?
And to be a jerk, I have to just say it.
Repya was serving this country in uniform for 30 some years, that’s why he hasn’t met the litmus test for being involved in politics that some seem to think makes you qualified. I hardly think it is wise to hold serving the country against some one.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:24 pm
huh.
http://www.residualforces.com/2006/06/24/what-would-jeffers-do/#comment-18906
And you’re supporting Carey? The Pawlenty endorsed candidate.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:31 pm
Andy,
I’ve posted very serious questions to Joe and rather than have Joe answer my questions, you’ve chosen to block my home IP address within minutes of my previous post, causing me to find a new location to post on your blog.
I think the question is fair, and within reasonable political bounds and you have stooped to a new all-time low by resorting to these shameful tactics. So much for Reagan’s 11th Commandment.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:56 pm
You do know how ridiculous it is for you to be preaching 11th Commandment when you yourself are insulting Republicans by setting up an email and using an anonymous name to post here with “rinos” in it?
Oh as for Mr. Repya answering the questions, well, he does have an email, and his phone number is available on his website.
have you called him to ask those questions yourself before recklessly posting your anonymous comments here with the sole intent of discrediting him? Did you try to seek out your answers before you posted your anonymous comments?
And can you give credit where credit is due?
He’s worked to reelect Pawlenty and Bush, was that bad?
Oh, and it is MY blog. That’s all! my blog! Not Repya’s. Not the MNGOPs or any affiliate of the party. My blog.
Deal with it, or go start your own.
http://www.blogger.com. It is free, and you can even be anonymous. Give it a try. And spread your anonymous anti-Republican message over there.
(that’s my advice for anyone who doesn’t like what appears on this blog. )
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Andy, it is relevant to talk about the 11th commandment.
You are someone who has said Ron Carey had blood on his hands, and the Repya campaign and you through this site have been completely unable to keep this campaign free of attacks to Chairman Carey. And it boils down to the fact that you are desperate in this campaign.
If you practiced as you preached, then you would be conducting yourself differently than the goon that you are!
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:39 pm
THIS IS MY BLOG.
Period.
I don’t believe the 11th Commandment is an insulator from one’s own record or criticism, if it was, you wouldn’t be attacking Repya here.
I, and once again, this is me, I will t y p e s l o w l y for you, this is my blog. The words here, unless attributed to some one else, are mine and mine alone.
So you can not like me for what I say here on RF, but don’t mislead people into thinking this is Repya’s blog.
He sent me 2 statements this morning, and I posted them from him. I have posted emails from him.
Other than that, you and the rest of the Carey loyalists will have to stop misleading people into thinking that this is Repya’s site.
(As for the blood on hands reference, had people read the entire comment, their undies wouldn’t have been in a bunch.
I will hurt some people’s feelings here and confirm that powerbrokers in the GOP did decide to cut off resources to certain candidates, and have no intentions of supporting districts (if they are still influential) unless Reagan is reincarnated in them. Sorry, folks, you want to get personal. Fine.
Districts and or candidates were cut off last cycle. I have had it confirmed to me in person. hence, electoral blood is on someone’s hands. )
Would Reagan have told people running as Republicans that they are not good enough?
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Andy, with all due respect, I must press the issue.
Joe Repya is running to be the chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party.
His credibility is at stake when he says at a press conference that “I believe strongly in Ronald Reagan¹s 11th Commandment
“Thou shall not speak evil of a fellow Republican”, yet he attacks chairman Carey and other Republicans in a post on your site.
This isn’t about the 2006 elections, or his support of John McCain. The issue is about Repya’s credibility. He said on April 11, “I believe strongly in Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment “Thou shall not speak evil of a fellow Republican”, yet he attacks chairman Carey and other Republicans in a post on your site.
This is well within the bounds of political discourse and if Repya can use your site to attack Republicans, he should have the courage to answer a question.
May 24th, 2007 at 6:20 am
There is only one sentence that even comes close to Carey, and it is a statement of fact.
Repya is running for Chair because of the performance of the 2006 election. It was dismal at best.
I must push the issue that he didn’t attack Carey in that comment. He stated fact. the 2006 elections were terrible. If facts are off the table, well, what;’s the point of even having the GOP election? Let’s just crown Carey as Chair for ever as no one will ever be allowed to question his record.
Now, I certainly hope you get some cajones and use your real email and name, because i will state again that “rinos” is an attack on Republicans.
Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
May 24th, 2007 at 7:37 am
Since I was not at the CC meeting nor involved in the last chair election. How was Chairman Carey chosen?
Was it because he spoke well of the former chairman or because he broke Reagan’s 11th Commandment and spoke to the failings of his opponent as chairman?
I will venture a guess that it was the latter.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:00 am
To Sam and Rino,
Your attacks on Repya seem pretty weak. I see it this way. Carey got elected by attacking Ron E for his failure in the 2004 elections. So it is very fair for Repya to attack Carey and the Republican failure in the 2006 elections. Does it matter if Repya supported McCain? No, McCain is a fine American, he has strayed on some issues, but would still be a better President than Hillary or Obama. Carey supporter seem like they are scared. I would be if I were them. Ron Carey inspires no one to join the GOP, he inspires no one to give to the GOP and he inspires no GOP activists to work for the GOP. He is a tired, boring, old political hack, who somehow turned his hobby into a fulltime job. People like Ron Carey should stick to being delegates. Let the adults run the party again and you can play around at your BPOU conventions and CD conventions. I guess I would just be shocked if Ron Carey was elected again. It would be the most rediculous thing I have seen in along time. We lost everything under his watch. Sure TP and MB won, but they were going to win anyway. Everything else gone! I don’t understand how he can even run again, if I was chair and lost what we did, I would resign and be curled up in the fetal position for a good couple of years. That is all I have.
May 31st, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I received this interesting letter in my email today. Looks like someone sniffed out Joe “Reagan’s 11th Commandment” Repya for who he really is:
May 31, 2007
Dear Fellow Republican,
As the race for state party chairman begins to heat up, I feel compelled to urge a note of caution to the campaign of Joe Repya. Perhaps he and members of his campaign should remember our party’s history.
The year was 1966, and then candidate Ronald Reagan in a heated campaign for governor of California was coming under fire from his liberal Republican opponent. The California Republican Chairman Gaylord Parkinson realized it was crucial to prevent a repeat of the liberal Republican attacks on conservative Barry Goldwater. A mere two years before liberal Rockefeller Republicans branded the conservative Goldwater as an “extremist” who was unfit to hold office, harsh attacks that laid the foundation for Goldwater’s eventual defeat in the 1964 presidential election.
Chairman Parkinson therefore coined the term that is now known as Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” Advice as pertinent in 2007 as it was 41 years ago.
I was reminded of this recently when I read a comment by Mr. Repya where he made the following statement:
“I turned down the offer because of the despicable condition the Minnesota Party is in following a greatly mismanaged and poorly executed election in 2006.” (emphasis mine) - Joe Repya, May 23, 2007
Whipping out my handy dictionary/thesaurus I looked up the word “despicable” and found the definition of the word:
“despicable [dispikəbl] adjective contemptible, worthless and deserving to be despised”
Worthless, despised, contemptible? This is not the language ANY Republican should be using to describe a fellow Republican, and most certainly not the type of thing you would say about the entire Party.
Friends, you and I are the Republican Party, and our Party is not in a “despicable condition.”
The leaders of the Republican Party are not “despicable” The activists of the Republican Party are not “despicable”. And frankly I don’t believe anyone who wants to lead the Republican Party should call our party “despicable.”
Negativity, pessimism and these blatant violations of Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment do not represent the kind of vision and leadership our party needs. In fact, when Joe Repya announced his campaign for party chairman on April 11th I was pleased when he promised to abide by Reagan’s 11th Commandment:
“…you know my style, I don’t come out complaining about people. I believe strongly in Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment ‘Thou shall not speak evil of a fellow Republican’”.
Sadly it seems Mr. Repya has chosen to break his promise to by abide by Reagan’s 11th Commandment when he called the Republican Party of Minnesota “despicable”.
We had a tough year in 2006, but our party, you and me, are in good shape and are ready to take on the challenges of getting our majority back. We are optimistic, we are engaged and enthusiastic, and we are ready to fight together in 2008 and beyond.
I am afraid we can expect more negativity, pessimism and mud from the Repya campaign. Mr. Repya’s most recent letter to delegates talked a lot about morals and ethics and I’m afraid he is foreshadowing his next attack on our party. I hope I am wrong, and that in the final few week of this campaign we can stay out of the mud.
I’d ask that you keep in mind what has already come out from this campaign, and please take with a grain of salt and a skeptical eye whatever is sent out or worse yet, whatever half-truths or falsehoods are pushed to our “friends” in the media. This would be an 11th hour desperate attempt to change the direction of the chairman’s race in the last week leading up to State Central.
Those who know me well know I’m an optimist and so I will try to remain confident Mr. Repya will do the right thing and retract these attacks on the party that we hold dear. President Ronald Reagan and Chairman Gaylord Parkinson would be proud.
I look forward to moving forward together with hope and optimism towards more great victories in the upcoming elections.
Your Republican friend,
Rory Koch
4th District Republican Chairman