Wake GOP Convention Averts Superfluous Resolutions

The Wake County Republican Party held their county convention on Tuesday evening with one of the largest crowds in many years.  Many attendees were brand new activists, and were followers of Congressman Ron Paul (Libertarian/Republican Texas). 

These new activists arrived with 12 resolutions in hand that they passed out to everyone entering the convention hall.  Though registered Republicans, they are actually Libertarians in thought, word, and deed.  Their plan, your blogger learned, was to force these off-the-wall resolutions through the convention by suspending the rules.  They failed.

The convention, which started at roughly 7:15, featured a host of state and local candidates for office in 2008 and their speeches were still going strong at 9:15, more than fifteen minutes the past promised adjournment time to the Wake County Public School System.  (The Party had rented out the auditorium of Daniels Middle School for the evening.)

Finally, about 9:30, after the last candidate finished up, the convention got down to business.  County chairman David Robinson, appointed 13th Congressional District chairman, Bill Peaslee, as the convention chairman.  The alternates were seated and all delegates were officially selected as delegates to their respective district (2nd, 4th, or 13th) and State conventions.

Time was growing short, as the Wake GOP was already over the alloted time limit.  A motion to adjourn was made, with objections by the Ron Paul followers.  Peaslee, ever the parliamentary expert, explained that a motion to adjourn always takes precedence.

His gavel fell after a voice vote on adjournment.  Nearly all delegates rose from their seats to exit the building and head home at well after 10:00 p.m.

It will be interesting to see how the Ron Paul followers react to this, but in your blogger's opinion, there isn't much they can do.  In the opinion of most delegates, their proposed resolutions  did not belong at the county level.

Summaries of the 12 resolutions that were not heard are briefly summarized below.  Again, they had no business at a county party's once yearly convention. Katy's Conservative Corner suggests that they take their beefs to the Republican National Committee.

KCC will be blogging much more of the convention on Wednesday.  Be sure to check back throughout the day.

Click below to read brief summaries on the proposed but failed resolutions by the Libertarians in attendance.

Failed Proposed Resolutions for Wake County GOP Convention By Ron Paul Supporters

1.  Calls for their version of limited government via the abolishment of the US  Department of Education, FEMA, Dept of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, the Dept of Energy, and offices they say are not "expressly authorized to the United States by the Constitution and a return of these duties" to the states.  Your blogger would support only the removal of the Dept of Education, but feels that none of these resolutions are appropriate for a County party political convention.  (I am not making this up!)

2.  Resolution on abortion called for Wake County GOP to call on the US Congress, the President, and the courts and return the question to the states.

3.  War In Iraq resolution called for the Wake County GOP to oppose "...imperialist uses of our Armed Forces around the world..."   and essentially pull out of Iraq and all other places where we defend freedom.

4.  Resolution on the USA Patriot Act and Military Commissions Acts stated that the Wake County GOP would essentially oppose these and call for their immediate repeal.  Thus, it appears to this blogger that they want terrorists tried in civilian courts.

5.  Resolution on the Real ID act asked for the Wake County GOP to call on all branches of the government to block implementation of this act, supporters feel it is up to the state's right to "determine their own policies for licensing and identification of its residents..."  This, however, would eliminate uniform standards among all state identification cards and would fail to require some minimum level of preventive counterfeiting measures.  KCC could never support this resolution.

6.  Resolution on Border Security is one your blogger could have supported and calls for more secure borders. Supporters also want to end automatic citizenship for those born in the USA to those not of this nation, including those of illegal immigrants.  However, this, like the others, is not a task of any county political party.

7.  Resolution called on the US government to go back to the gold standard. (Folks, these Ron Paul people are NOT kidding here!)

8.  Resolution on D.C. Vs. Heller - This resolution would have required the Wake County Republican Party to "defend gun ownership of all North Carolinians from any Federal attempts to infringe on the same that arise from any collective rights holding in Heller."  Your blogger supports the National Rifle Association's stance on this case.

9.  A resolution to oppose the North American Union that is a made-up name the John Birch Society  gave to the treaty that promotes economic trade and development among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

10. Resolution on Privacy that would require the Wake County Republican Party to call for the repeal of the Patriot Act, among others.

11.  Resolution on World Government Organizations would have required  the Wake County Republican Party to call for withdrawal from any "any organizations and trade deals" such as NAFTA, GATT, WTO, CAFTA, etc...  It seems to this blogger that Paul's followers do not want the US to enter into ANY international agreements.  (I'm not making this up!)

12.  Resolution expressing no confidence in John McCain as the Party nominee, simply because the folks that put these resolutions forward, support Ron Paul. 

Comments

[Bring It On]

Katy, why is your blog called "Conservative Corner"? Do you understand that a true conservative Republican embraces most, if not all, of these resolutions? Do you remember the current president's promises to us when we voted for him? "A humble non-interventionist foreign policy, no policing of the world, limited government, protection of civil liberties" - ring any bells? That's what a TRUE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN stands for.

You may want to think about naming it "Katy's RINO LIB Corner, featuring McCain/Lieberman 2008".

[Paladin]

I can see abolishing the federal Department of Education, but getting rid of the FDA? That's crazy. So is getting rid of military commissions and trying terrorist POWs captured on foreign battlefields in our civilian courts, as if they had all the rights of US civilian citizens. I mean that's just nuts. And a no-confidence vote in McCain. That's just stupid. He's the party nominee as much as we may dislike it. He's certainly a better alternative than Clinton or Obama. Repealing the Patriot Act? I thought only Democrats were against spying on terrorists, not self-destructive libertarian Republicans.

[Nurse Shirley]

Politics begins on the county level. Many people think the GOP is dying, and I give this group credit for trying to get involved when many people are leaving the party. It seems that the GOP should appreciate that as well. It takes numbers to win elections, remember that.

The first plank may sound extreme to you, Katy, but it's actually part of the Texas Republican Party platform, along with many other state GOP platforms. The Texans specifically say they want to abolish the Depts. of Energy, Education, Commerce, Labor, and even the Surgeon General. Ronald Reagan would truly be proud of that. Wouldn't the first step to getting this passed on a state level be to get it passed at a county level?

I guess the 40-some Republican co-sponsors of a federal bill to oppose any sort of NAU must be just going along with something the John Birch Society made up? The Texas Republicans are up in arms about it in Austin trying to oppose a NAFTA Superhighway. I thought a GOP blogger would be up to speed on that sort of thing.

[Heather]

Here's a question for you BJ.

How does one become a thirty-something non-practicing doctor? Once you become a doctor don't you have some kind of responsibility to humankind? How can you shirk that kind of responsibility because you made a load of cash on a business venture?

I would keep my "doctor" stories under wraps if I were you. People might think you are a flaky person who switches his life goals on a whim.

[B.J. Lawson]

Thought your readers might be interested in my response to Mr. Campbell's comment:

http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/03/20/statement-of-faith/

Chuck - As you know, I am personally quite conservative. My wife and I have been married for eleven years, have three children, and are Christians who seek to live by example and service to others. Furthermore, Christianity has been a lifelong journey as we seek and follow God’s plan for our lives.

I have been blessed to experience much on my journey, starting with my medical training in the late nineties. One of my favorite books is Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, by Phillip Yancey and Paul Brand, a Christian physician. This book looks at the miraculous creation that is humanity, and also acknowledges the challenges of working in medicine, which is literally God’s “complaint department”.

As a physician, I saw and treated the ravages caused by poor lifestyle choices. The devastation caused by smoking and alcohol abuse cannot be overstated, nor the devastation caused by abusing one’s body through excess refined carbohydrates and insufficient exercise leading to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and a slow, painful decline as one’s body can no longer circulate life-giving nutrients to critical organs. Infections, amputations, blindness, heart attacks… in many cases caused by diet and lifestyle choices.

For many people, adult onset diabetes, lung cancer, and liver failure due to alcohol abuse are consequences of abusing our bodies and not honoring them as God’s magnificent creation. But what about the child with leukemia? How about the 41 year old father of three with a newly-diagnosed glioblastoma (brain cancer) with one year to live?

Medicine really gave me a sense of perspective. Should I not treat patients whose behavior clearly brought on their illness? Of course not. That’s not how God calls us to serve. How about acknowledging Romans 3:23-24, “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came through Christ Jesus.”

I am also quite cognizant of Matthew 7:5: “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” I offer my candidacy humbly, with the knowledge that I am an imperfect person who seeks God’s guidance in trying to do His will. I believe I am called to live my faith through example, and remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 9:11-13:

"When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

So how do I threaten Christian conservatives? As you know from the state fair, I am strongly pro-life, and view protection of life as the primary role of government. Outside of abortion, I am strongly “pro-choice” — especially with regards to education. What better way to prevent government from sanctioning destructive lifestyles then breaking the government’s monopoly on education?

I do not encourage or embrace destructive lifestyle choices, but I question how government can “punish” them. Should we punish those who eat too much, and exercise too little? Or should we use our limited prison capacity to permanently incarcerate violent criminals who are a threat to others?

With regard to the federal government’s involvement in social issues, I think the Constitution is a great start to defining how our government in Washington should behave. You’re right, I do not support the federal government “defining” marriage in any sense. Why should Washington care? That’s clearly something that can, and should, be left to the states. Likewise for the federal "war on drugs". The states should retain the right to determine how drug use is controlled. At least when we enacted prohibition, we had the intellectual honesty to amend the Constitution.

When I answer questions about supporting social legislation, please understand that I’m not running for office in Raleigh, but in Washington. I think Washington needs to respect the rule of law, and remember the 10th Amendment. These are good discussions to be having at the state and local level, but we need to return the focus in Washington to things it should be doing: secure borders, eliminating the income tax, inflation and rising grocery bills, and national security. (No, not steroids in baseball either.)

Finally, your perspective on my foreign policy beliefs are incorrect. I am not at all isolationist, but simply believe we must be more judicious in our use of deadly force and seek to follow the Augustinian principle of Just War. As a nation, we cannot unilaterally force our will on the rest of the world indefinitely. Right now, we police the world at China’s pleasure with our massive debt and current account deficit. Instead, we must get back into the business of inspiring multinational cooperation to deal with criminals and terrorists that threaten civilized society.

Please visit www.lawsonforcongress.com to learn more about our campaign to restore a Constitutional federal government. A Constitutional federal government is not a threat to Christian conservatives. It will protect life, restore free speech, provide free choice and local control in education, secure our borders, rebuild a strong military defense, encourage peace and understanding through diplomatic and economic engagement, and enable Christians to lead by example.

[Katy]

Jeff,

Thanks for setting me straight. None of the Paul supporters seemed interested in talking to me, so all I had to go on was the sheet of resolutions handed to me.

I suggest that your group learn the rules. Introducing resolutions from the floor is the most difficult way to get them passed. For more info, email me at katysconservativecorner@gmail.com All considerate requests honored.

Katy

[Jeff Palmer]

Get your facts straight. The 12 resolutions were the initiative of *one* Ron Paul supporter--against the advice of several others (including myself). What's more, in my opinion, several of the resolutions were more characteristic of the views of the typical anti-Ron Paul neo-con than of Ron's supporters.

[Chuck Campbell]

Katy,
So glad you could write this story. I too was impressed with their numbers and level of organization at the Wake County GOP Convention last night. God-fearing Christians Conservatives and Social Conservatives had better wake up and rise to the battle or licentiousness and hedonism with government approval will soon prevail in our society.
Since the Libertarians failed to get their own party authorized in NC, they have taken to an highly organized and energized effort to take over the Republican Party in NC. I have witnessed this at several GOP and other conservative and Christian events around Wake County.
Their local fair haired favorite son is none other than that eloquent and handsome, but deceptively dangerous, B.J. Lawson. Lawson, a GOP primary Candidate for US Congress against David Price, claims if he went to DC that the two books he would carry with him are the Cato Institute's (Libertarians) Constitution and the Bible. Remember, Jefferson owned a Koran, but despite what Rep. Ellis may protest, Jefferson only owned it because he wanted to study his enemy because he was preparing to wage war against the Islamists of the Barbary Cost. That's why the Marine Corps hymn says "from the halls of Montazoma to the shores of Tripoli" where Thomas Jefferson (the idol of modern Libertarians)deployed the US Marines to kick some Muslim butt and protect US interests abroad.
Back on the 1980's, while serving in the US Navy, I read Mikhail Gorbachev's Perestroika, but I assure you that I had no intention of becoming a Communist. In the same way, some politicians carry the Bible around like a letter of reference to gain the trust of Evangelicals. Christians beware!
I first met B.J. Lawson last fall when we were both at the NC State Fair. I was working the NC Right to Life booth and Lawson was ostensibly working out of the NC Republican Party booth, but was in fact working for Ron Paul, the Libertarian congressman from TX who had to join the GOP to get re-elected (after having run a failed campaign for President on the Libertarian Party ticket).
A couple of months later I began to hear rumors that Lawson was running for Congress.
Subsequently, Lawson and I exchanged several threads (which I still have archived) on issues from legalizing prostitution, to de-criminalizing drugs and bringing all US troops deployed around the world home.
The later an isolationist goal which is tantamount to surrendering the free world to the Communist Chinese and Russians and the Islamo Fascists Jihadists. Read the rest of this story at my blog http://blog.chuckcampbellshow.com/

Chuck Campbell
Raleigh, NC
Host, Chuck Campbell Show
www.chuckcampbellshow.com

Read more of my opinion on the danger of Libertarians in the GOP and my expose the threat to our Judeo-Christian Worldview posed by them at my blog
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[Wuptdo]

Seems to me all that happened was "status quo" is maintain. At least the Ron Paul folks shook the tree a little.

I'll tell you one think Katy, they better pull their heads out of the sand, and start doing some things to help the parents & taxpayers in this county, instead of cow-towing to the HBA.