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.