The Leadership of the California Republican Party has sent a strong message to House Republicans — stop facilitating the growth of the federal government! The Board of Directors of the California Republican Party, which met yesterday in San Diego, passed the resolution below after a lengthy debate. Authored by yours truly (as the Vice Chairman, South, of the State GOP), this resolution expressed the California Republican Party’s concern with House Republicans re-electing the same leader, John Boehner of Ohio, who has presided over our losses and shown little ability to lead House Republicans into a cohesive group that sticks together on the issues, big and small. The resolution also questions the pending re-election of Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell as the leader of Senate Republicans — McConnell having famously won a narrow re-election this month on a campaign promoting earmarking.
The ability of the fifty state political parties (and their subdivisions) to do our job — registering voters and getting out the vote — has been severely damaged because the American people no longer see the Republican Party as standing for lower taxes, less spending, and promoting individual liberty and responsibility among Americans.
The Board of Directors clearly felt that our situation in Washington, D.C., is extraordinary. It is very rare for the Board to pass any resolutions, let alone one that is potentially controversial because it is critical of the actions (or inactions) of fellow Republicans…
The resolution speaks for itself, and it presented here:
RESOLUTION EPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Passed by the Board of Directors of the California Republican Party in San Diego on 11/21/08.
Whereas the mission of the Republican Party is to see Republican policies and positions enacted into public policy; and,
Whereas the party works to elect Republicans to public office towards the end of accomplishing this mission; and,
Whereas since losing our Republican majorities in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in 2006, our Republican leadership in The Capitol has failed to unify Republicans against obscene and wasteful federal spending such as expanding entitlements, approval of the ever-bloated Farm Bill, and support for an irresponsible federal government “bail out” of Wall Street that included no institutional fixes to ensure government intervention in the market would be curtailed; and,
Whereas, in many cases, members of the Republican leadership actually supported these big government programs; and,
Whereas this failure of Republican leaders in Washington, D.C. to present a clear distinction with the Democrats because of their inability to unify Republicans against big government spending like the programs mentioned above; and,
Whereas this failure clearly played a participatory role in Republicans losing the White House, as many as nine Senate seats, and twenty House seats in the general election earlier this month; and,
Whereas Republican voters around the country, including here in California, largely shape their impressions of our party based on the high-profile decisions made in Washington, D.C. thereby tying the success or failure of “down-ticket” races in the states to the actions of our Capitol Republicans; and,
Whereas, despite the failures of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican Leader John Boehner, Republican Senators seem intent on reelecting Mitch McConnell and House Republicans have already reelected John Boehner;
Therefore be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the California Republican Party expresses its strong concern with maintaining a “status quo” in our leadership in Washington, D.C.; and,
Be it further resolved that we call on Capitol Republican Leaders to re-commit to pursuing legislation and policies that reduce the size and scope of the federal government and opposing legislation that does the opposite; and,
Be it further resolved that the California Republican Party recognizes and praises the members of the California Congressional delegation who have worked to put Republican ideas of lower taxes, smaller government and personal responsibility and a strong national defense into action; and
Be it finally resolved that a copy of this resolution be transmitted in a timely manner to the Governor, all member of the California Congressional Delegation, all members of the State Central Committee, and the Capitol Press Corps.
(Below is attached the resolution in an MS Word document for ease of printing.)
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