NEVADA PAULISTAS PUNCH SELVES IN THE EYE
Welcome to Wayne’s World, Nevada.
Look, I’ve said all along that as long as the Ron Paul folks were following the rules, their efforts to wrest control of the Nevada GOP from establishment Republicans was fine and dandy.
Indeed, the Paulistas showed up en masse at the Nevada GOP Convention in Sparks in May and had the votes to elect as delegates to the national convention who they wanted to elect and approve the rules, resolutions and platform planks they wanted to implement. Majority rule. That’s the rule.
Alas, when the shoe was on the other foot – when the Paul folks got to Tampa and were in the minority and didn’t get their way – delegation leader Wayne Terhune – perhaps the biggest complainer and loudest whiner over alleged rule-breaking at the 2008 Nevada GOP convention – said, “Screw the rules.”
He and 16 other members of the Nevada delegation then proceeded to vote for Dr. Paul even though they said all along they’d follow the rules and vote for Mitt Romney on the first ballot.
What an embarrassment to the legions of honorable, well-intentioned Paul supporters here in the Silver State who suffered the loss of all respect and trust for their movement thanks to Terhune, whose word has been demonstrably proven to be absolutely worthless.
“It was absolutely bizarre and just disgusting to see them (Terhune’s Paul delegates) purposely break the law,” said Nevada Republican National Committeeman Bob List. “Every other state with a split vote represented it accurately. But they didn’t.”
Or as James Smack, a rock-solid Ron Paul supporter and Nevada Republican National Committeeman-elect, put it in a statement late Tuesday afternoon:
“The actions of an unruly few should not color the entire state party, and we share the frustration of all Nevada Republicans by the actions taken by a delegation that chose not to follow the rules.”
But those actions HAVE colored the entire Nevada GOP, which is collectively red-faced over Terhune’s actions.
Heckuva job, Wayne.
MORE ON THE PAUL INSURRECTION
Morning Score reports that Ron Paul’s son, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, “plans to make the case” in his convention speech tonight “that it is better for the movement to work with the GOP establishment rather than from the rebellious fringe.”
Hear that, Wayne Terhune?
Morning Score also reports today that “Ron Paul is being denied a speaking slot this week because he refuses to endorse or release his delegates to Romney."
That’s a smokescreen. It’s not that Paul hasn’t endorsed Romney; it’s that some of Paul’s views are markedly different from those of the nominee and establishment Republicans…and the congressman surely wouldn’t agree to prior restraint of his remarks.
Do you remember the hue and cry from Republicans in 1992 when Democrats wouldn’t let pro-life Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey speak at their convention because Casey was publicly at odds with the party’s nominee, Bill Clinton, on the issue of abortion? Explain to me how this is different.
It’s not. And the Paul folks have every right to be angry with the snub.
My criticism above of *some* Paul supporters aside, this is the REPUBLICAN National Convention, not the ROMNEY National Convention. Sorry, but REPUBLICAN Dr. Paul has MORE than earned the right to speak in Tampa at the REPUBLICAN convention.
If the GOP really wants “unity” at the end of its convention, it ought to find a last-minute way to work Dr. Paul into Thursday night’s program. And don’t tell me it can’t be done. If organizers were able to find a way to combine Monday’s cancelled speeches with Tuesday’s, surely they could find a way to allow Paul to address the convention.
If they wanted to.
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