GOP Convention: Central Mass Delegates Report from Tampa
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
3:58p.m.: Shenanigans right now. The Virginia delegation boarded an RNC-controlled bus to head to the convention from the hotel. The bus circled and circled with long-time national committee member Morton Blackwell on board.
Blackwell has been leading a charge against rules proposed by presumptive nominee Mitt Romney that would strip state parties of their choice over delegates.
Governor John Sununu of New Hampshire held the rules committee meeting, knowing full well that Blackwell's bus was out circling.
Sununu and company pushed a vote through the rules committee.
Blackwell is a long-time national committeeman from Virginia and is highly respected. He is a Romney supporter, but did not support the Romney-proposed rule. Big trick and slight.
The rules committee passed the rules report without allowing him to arrive. Cannot be proven, but RNC controlled his bus and directed it around and around the convention venue three times.
Blackwell is now trying to whip up a sufficient number of signatures to submit a minority report so that the rules change can be debated on the floor.
What an outrageous power grab.
4:25p.m.: Wow, they just lost control. Boos, "Point of order!", absolutely nuts, screaming "You can't count!", delegates being ignored by the chair.
4:40p.m.: Maine's duly elected delegation just left, screaming "RNC is a fraud!"
5:06p.m.: Overheard on the Section 117 stairwell: "They just killed the grassroots."
5:16p.m.: Texas delegation walking around, not looking very happy. They were really upset with the rules.
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Comments:
Harry Huckum
11:23am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Seat Maine Now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DIGtL7KarI&feature=g-all-u
"It's an embarassment to the process, it's an embarassment to the state of Maine and to the party as a whole how things were conducted today," said Maine National Committeewoman Ashley Ryan minutes after half the Maine delegation walked off the Republican National Convention floor in protest.
Ron Paul-supporting delegates have accused the Republican establishment of changing the rules of the seating process in order to avoid embarassment for Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Their arguments are not without merit.
The Ron Paul faction did not go out quietly, cheering loudly whenever Ron Paul delegates were announced and yelling out the running tally of Paul votes every time the convention announcer failed to do so.
While Maine--and the broader Ron Paul movement--lost this symbolic battle, some delegates say that Republicans have made a bad mistake alienating the Ron Paul vote by picking this fight.
"The party's fractured. This was completely unneccessary, and it's ridiculous," said Ron Paul supporter and Oklahoma delegate Steve Dixon.