Party disloyalty, weight loss & the choice in the July GOP runoff

It appears Republicans will have to choose between Mike Causey and Richard Morgan in the July GOP runoff for state insurance commissioner.  Some  people view this race as an afterthought, but it actually is one of the more important seats on the council of state.  The Department of Insurance has its tentacles in just about every aspect of life and work in The Tar Heel State.

The state and national party exerted a lot of energy getting involved in the primaries on May 8th.  It’s kind of surprising that they didn’t get into this particular race, since one of the contenders was actually BOOTED from party leadership in 2006.

Yes, that’s right.  Former legislator Richard Morgan — defeated for reelection in 2006, defeated for DPI secretary in 2008 and state Senate for 2010 — was booted from the NCGOP executive committee in 2006.

It’s been a while.  Morgan has lost a lot of weight,  and has pretty well stayed out of the media over the last six years.  But has he changed?  Folks from Moore County who know him best offer an emphatic HELL NO.  He’s still the same guy who bullied his perceived foes and stabbed his allies  in the back. 

Let’s refresh our memories by looking back on that text of the resolution approved by state GOP leaders in 2006:

Be it resolved by the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican party that,
Whereas Richard Morgan is registered Republican, and
Whereas Richard Morgan is the Co-Speaker of the House of Representatives, and
Whereas Richard Morgan is the Republican leader of the House as defined in Article VI.B.1.d. of the North Carolina Republican Party State Plan of Organization, and,
Whereas Richard Morgan is a Member of the State Executive Committee and State Central Committee pursuant to Article VI.B.1d. and Article VI.C.1.a. of the North Carolina Republican Party State Plan Organization as a result of his position as Co-speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, and
Whereas the Republican Party and the NCGOP State Central and Executive Committees exist, according to the preamble of the NCGOP State Plan of Organization, “for the purpose of uniting and coordinating our efforts for maximum power and efficiency,” and
Whereas Richard Morgan has stated publicly his intention as Speaker to defeat his political enemies within the Republican House Caucus, and
Whereas Richard Morgan was intimately involved in the design of the adopted unconstitutional redistricting maps that would likely prevent the Republican Party from obtaining a Republican majority, and
Whereas Richard Morgan has since the adoption of the maps joined in as a plaintiff in legal actions designed and contrived to prevent a Republican majority, and
Whereas Richard Morgan refused to vote for either of the Republican House Caucus nominees for Speaker of the House, and
Whereas Representative George Holmes was the duly endorsed nominee of the House Republican Caucus for Speaker of the North Carolina House, and,
Whereas Richard Morgan’s activities within the Republican House Caucus directly and substantially contributed to the loss of a solely Republican Speakership of the North Carolina House, and
Whereas Richard Morgan’s vote in favor of the House resolution naming himself and Democrat Jim Black as Co-Speakers falls within the meaning of “influencing the outcome of any election against a Republican endorsed by the appropriate Legislative Caucus,” and
Whereas Article VII.G. of the NCGOP State Plan of Organization states that “Each officer and each Member of the State Executive Committee shall refrain from utilizing the powers and dignity of his or her office or position in any Republican Primary for public office at any level,” and
Whereas Article VII, E.2. states in part “Any registered Republican attempting to influence or influencing the outcome of any election against… a Republican endorsed by the appropriate… Legislative Caucus may be declared ineligible to hold office under the State Plan of Organization at the State, District, and Precinct level for Party disloyalty by 2/3 vote of the State Executive Committee,” and
Whereas Article VII.A.7.a. states “Any Member of a Committee organized under this Plan may be removed by a 2/3’s vote of the respective Committee…,” and
Whereas Richard Morgan was furnished with notice of the charges against him signed by not less than 50 of the Members of State Executive Committee two weeks before this Committee meeting.
Therefore the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party finds that Richard Morgan’s political agenda is different from and injurious to the North Carolina Republican Party, and
Further the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party finds that Richard Morgan’s political agenda and his position on the NCGOP State Executive Committee are in conflict and thus his service on the Executive Committee is therefore grossly inefficient under Article VII.A.7. of the NCGOP State Plan of Organization, and
Further the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party finds Richard Morgan culpable of disloyalty to the North Carolina Republican Party, and
Further the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party orders Richard Morgan’s immediate removal from the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party pursuant to Article VII.A.7. of the North Carolina Republican Party State Plan of Organization.
Lastly the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Republican Party declares that Richard Morgan is ineligible to serve in any Office under this Plan of Organization for a period of five years pursuant to Article VII.E.2. of the North Carolina Republican Party.

Yes.  This is the same party whose blessing Richard Morgan wants for the November election for state insurance commissioner.  This resolution is quite an important piece of information for GOP voters to reflect upon as they deliberate on the choices for insurance commissioner in July.  (Guilford County Republican Mike Causey is also in the race.)