We beg to differ, Mr. Chairman …
We’re just rolling back in to Haymaker HQ after a long relaxing, enjoyable Independence Day weekend. Over the weekend, we noticed that NCGOP chairman Claude Pope commented on our post regarding the Craven County GOP’s latest attempt at censuring state House speaker Thom Tillis. They may be a little late, but here are OUR two cents.
We commend Mr. Pope for daring to step out and join the discussion. Unfortunately, his words did little to address our concerns that he — the admitted hand-picked choice of Gov. Pat — will be little more than a shill for the Tillis-McCrory “Me-Too” Republican clique HQ’ed in Mecklenburg County.
The censure letter an endorsement of Tillis Senate primary opponent(s)? Mr. Pope raised this idea in his post on our site. Read the censure letter for yourselves. The May 2014 senate primary does not even come up. The letter revisits allegations against Tillis that have been reported here –and on other sites — repeatedly.
(Meddling in GOP legislative primaries. Double-talking on toll roads — and then trying to shove said toll roads down the throats of North Carolinians. Championing a bill that would kill the commercial fishing industry on the coast, and cost several GOP legislators from the region their seats. Intimidating and bullying legislators who dare to question his caving on important conservative principles and party platform planks.)
The censure letter appears to be about more than a beef about internal party politics. It appears to show a concern about the alleged conservative party in North Carolina not giving much of a flip about things like — oh, say — freedom, small government, liberty, low taxes.
NCGOP HQ’s involvement in “damage control.” Several sources on the ground in Craven County have confirmed for us that NCGOP staff worked with county chairman Paul Hill — an apparent establishment hack — to throw up roadblocks to the censure process. Party attorneys attacked the legitimacy of the effort. Chairman Hill and Chairman Pope appear to make a big deal of a 13-12 vote. The margin is not the story here. The fact that this even happened is monumental. NO ONE can recall anything equivalent to this EVER happening in the history of the NCGOP. EVER.
Since the electoral tidal waves of 2010 and 2012 — significantly influenced by the Tea Party — that gave NCGOP control of state government, the establishment has basically told grassroots activists to go away, sit down, shut up and let the “grown ups” handle this governing stuff.
The “Richard Method” of governing — that is, Richard Milhous Nixon and Richard Timothy Morgan — is in full effect in our fair capital city. It’s our turn to hand out other people’s money, and we’re going to STOMP on anyone who gets in our way.
The modus operandi is to come down full force on anyone within the party who dares to question statist, watering-down of conservative initiatives. The NCGOP establishment is showing itself more willing — as demonstrated in this weekend’s news — to sit down and negotiate with Bill Barber and his Occupy / SEIU retreads than with the Tea Party activists who GAVE them control of state government in 2010 and 2012.
Not that it’s very important, but the actual minutes should be amended to show the result was 13-11, as one of those voting against the censure was later in the meeting judged to be a guest and not a member of the executive committee.
Folks- Daily Haymaker never waivers from our Founding principles of Freedom, and limited government. Honest, courageous reporting exposing the root of moral and professional corruption will enable us to follow through our clear agenda of cutting the massive bureaucracy that in the spirit of,”crossing the aisle” destroyed economies from the northeast to CA.
Conservatives need to unite across the state promoting policies to turn NC back to 100% economic viability. Just tell the truth.
Great article. Mr. Pope should defend the NC GOP platform as opposed to his buddies in office like Tillis who oppose the platform.
Pope has an easy way to defuse the controversy over Tillis’ interference in local politics. which Tillis vows to continue in 2014. That is to lean on Tillis to reverse his stance on that and for Pope to assure counties that the NCGOP will actively counter any attempt from the legislature to interfere in local politics, as well as the party itself not doing what Wayne King did in 2012. Pope also needs to assure that he will not misuse the party General Counsel in disputes between counties and the establishment as chairman Hayes did in the Craven situation or to openly endorse in GOP primaries as state chairman Tom Fetzer did.
Hey, I owe you guys in Craven Co an apology, you were right about the NCGOP. Claude Pope is not running things he has a bunch of goobers who can’t find a job anywhere else doing that. One of them (staff) goobers is leaving next week to join the Tilis campaign. The came here to run a meeting and made a huge mess…..
http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20130712/NEWS/307129978/1074?Title=Republican-leaders-call-process-flawed
If Pope really cared about conflict of interest, why is he allowing Kim Canady to continue to twork in the NCGOP office when she has accepted a job with a primary candidate, Thom Tillis? Not only that, but she is clearly doing Tillis’ bidding while working at NCGOP, like the Davidson County legislative vacancy cramdown that she played a role in. The minute she took a job with a primary candidate she should have been out the door at NCGOP. Where is Pope in this? Better yet, the NCGOP should have a clause in their employment contracts along the lines of a covenant not to compete that would prohibit them from working in a North Carolina primary race for 24 months after leaving NCGOP. We have had this type of problem before, like when NCGOP staff did lots of legwork to prep Bill Cobey’s campaign for Governor before Cobey stepped down as party chairman to run.
Canady’s name is in the middle of the party uproars in Davidson and Beaufort Counties. Who knows, she may be tied in to the Craven controversy, too. Maybe county parties ought to start passing resolutions demanding that Tillis fire Canady and keep hammering him on that at every opportunity until he does.