Credit Where Credit is Due, That’s Not Carey
Posted by Andy on May 29th, 2007
There’s a movement growing in Minnesota, it is rock solid conservative one in the Minnesota Legislature. Someone is trying to ….
This is in response to an email Ron Carey sent out on the GOP Newline list on Friday. (I will post Carey’s email below the fold)
Dear Republican Activists,
Republican activists should not let Ron Carey take the credit for the last minute luck we had this session. This success we have exhibited comes from of conservative activists wanting true conservative choices and demanding that of their lawmakers. The party has done almost nothing to pressure or encourage our members to stick together. Had it not been the outside conservative responses to liberal democrats riding the environmental tax trolley out to San Francisco, we would not have been able to muster the support we needed to hold the line.
This last month Carey was been on Jason Lewis talk radio program defending the moderate republicans that had they not been for pressure from the right would have voted to override the governor’s veto. While each BPOU bears a certain degree of independence, we do have a party platform that ought to bear some meaning to the candidates who get our backing. Groups like the taxpayers league and radio hosts like Jason Lewis have done far more for the movement this year than the party ever did. No longer can the party take a back seat in the process. We need to transform it into a focal point for these groups and venues and form a coalition out of conservative leaders and grassroots supporters who desperately want stronger leadership at the state level.
The choice for chairman is clear. We need a leader who is not going to sit back and wait for the democrats to screw up to win an election as our past two administration have done. We need someone who has a gung-ho attitude who will be out there on TV and Radio leading the party and the movement. I think Joe Repya will be a credible force to work with the conservative movement, not against it. That’s the kind of party chairman we need. If the current mediocre leadership continues to run this party, than we are likely to wake up to a veto proof democratic majority next November. In our states divided political structure, we need to stay united around our core conservative values. Joe Repya will do just that as our new chairman.
Sincerely,
Ryan Fluagur
Senate District 38 Republicans
Deputy Chair
Here’s the GOP Newsline email from last week.
Sphere: Related ContentDear Republican Friend:
With the legislature now likely out of session until next year, taxpayers here in Minnesota can finally breathe a sigh of relief. By standing strong against the Democrats’ insatiable desire for tax increases and reckless government spending, Minnesotans have much to cheer.
Governor Pawlenty deserves great credit for the strong fiscal leadership he has demonstrated for our state. Representative Marty Seifert and Senator David Senjem did a great job, and the fact that they held their caucuses together strengthened the Governor’s hand.
Let’s briefly review some of the key GOP hard earned victories this legislative session:
Held the line against over $5 billion in new job-killing tax increases.
Protected taxpayers by opposing proposals to hike the gasoline tax by up to 48 cents over 10 years.
Blocked a proposal to give us the highest marginal income tax rate in the nation.
Prevented increases in the state sales tax, vehicle tax and many more.
Demanded that the state live within its means with a responsible increase in state spending.
Stopped the so called “Dream Act” from becoming law. This bill will would have provided in-state education benefits for illegal immigrants.Made certain taxpayers did not have to pay for domestic partner benefits.
Precluded the Democrats from overriding the Governor on any bill.
Governor Pawlenty and Republican leaders have done much to make us proud. I am honored to have worked with Governor Pawlenty and the House and Senate caucuses to help advance their pro-taxpayer agenda.At the Republican Party of Minnesota, we worked hand in hand with the caucus leaders and the Governor to advocate the conservative position. In the press, we aggressively attacked the DFL’s tax proposals and even produced a web video which garnered a good deal of attention. DONATE HERE TO HELP
By rallying constituents to let their legislators know how they felt about the DFL’s tax bills, we helped Minnesotans learn the facts through BPOU leader updates, the Newsline, and targeted phone calling. DONATE HERE TO HELP
Sincerely,
Ron Carey
Chairman, Republican Party of Minnesota
May 29th, 2007 at 7:40 am
I wonder if this letter is going to backfire on the chairman at all. Obviously I am not the only one to feel(http://www.ladieslogic.com/2007/05/giving-credit-where-credit-is-due.html)this way. Will it help or hurt on June 9? I suspect hurt……
LL
May 29th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
The letter from Flugar I think will hurt Repya more than it will Carey. A letter of support from the LA for a (non-republican) House member, thats accused of beating his wife, is not a shining endorsement. Wasn’t it Flugar also that tried to get kids to send in reports of “liberal teachers” to Michelle Bachman, that caused a little, embarassing media flap? He is right though the Taxpayers League, and Phil Krinkie deserve a pat on the back. Putting the blame on others is not the way to get the job done, it takes hard work and dedication. Mr. Flugar, is it Ron Careys fault for the losses in the rest of the country?
May 29th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
I think this will just be another reminder of politics in SD38.
Let us not forget that this is the same BPOU that the original Autism Center Board allegations came from.
It was not the evil DFL, but a republican from SD38 who is linked with floated the allegations during the last election cycle.
May 30th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Dear Republican Activists,
I would like to offer a disclaimer to my previous letter critical of state party leadership. It has come to my attention that some members of the executive board were uncomfortable with the placement of my title as deputy chair of the Senate District 38 Republicans in the signatory spot. Out of respect to the board of that organization and to those who may view the board, I offer this clarification:
This letter critical of party leadership, particularly Chairman Carey was sent out on behalf of me, Ryan Flugaur as an individual member of the Senate District 38 Republicans, and by no means reflects the opinion of the executive committee or the body of that organization.
Furthermore, while I remain critical of the leadership we have exhibited this legislative session and past biennium, the letter is not intended to be an attack of our party as a whole. The Republican Party of Minnesota is a fine institution. To all of us affiliated with it, and both the current and future leaders of it, I hope the passion of our principals continues to motivate us to make the party of Reagan, better tomorrow than it is today.
Sincerely
Ryan J. Flugaur
May 30th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Southmetrogop - Ron Carey’s responsibility is to the Minnesota Republican Party. The only thing “national” that helped lead to the disaster last fall was the fact that we let our Republican elected officials drift leftward. It was that leftward drift that caused hundreds of thousands of our fellow Republicans to say home in November. The sooner that the State and National Parties (and their apologists) see that the better off we will all be. Ron Carey COULD have bucked the trend in Minnesota if he had offered up some help getting the word out on why we were different. He did not.
The American people do not want Democrats and Democrat Lite - they want a choice and that is something we did not give them.
LL
May 30th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Now - to post something in defense of the Chairman (something that I have yet to see supporters of the Chairman do)….
I was talking to an un-named Republican Representative in the Minnesota House, Ron Carey spent more time on the Capital building relationships with the Republican Caucus. Was that instrumental to the House Caucus developing a backbone? We don’t know for sure, but I can’t help but think that it doesn’t hurt!
LL
May 30th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
ryan,
I see someone got to you.
Don’t let them take away your position because of who you support for Chair. Other people get to use their tittle and position, that is, if it is in support of Carey. It is your right to have an opinion, and any one who thinks that your words speak for everyone, is just simply scared.
LL,
had Mr. Carey developed the relationship in 05 and 06 with the Caucus, (like I was lead to believe he would during his campaign and after his election) I am confident 2006’s election would not have been as bad as it was.
May 31st, 2007 at 7:21 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
June 2nd, 2007 at 10:02 am
rinos4repya;
I hope that you got Rory Koch permission to post his letter here on Residual Forces. Seeing that his letter is signed as the 4th District Chair.
I hope that Rory will also send out a disclaimer that these views are his alone, and does not reflect that of the 4th District.
June 3rd, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I got the email from Rory in the mail yesterday. I guess I’ll have to go to the 4th district meeting on Tuesday and ask him to send out a disclaimer.