INSIDER ESTABLISHMENT FIRMS UP CONTROL OVER LOCAL PARTY
By FITSNEWS || The Greenville (S.C.) Republican Party has – in years past – been fairly aggressive when it comes to rebuking liberal “Republicans” like U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
That’s about to change, though …
This week, a seismic shift within the party took place … as a key opponent of Graham was ousted from the organization. Former executive committeeman Bill Rhodes was unceremoniously booted from the Greenville GOP for “disloyalty” – namely refusing to support Graham’s candidacy. Two other executive committee members resigned from the party in protest of the way Rhodes was treated.
Meanwhile another local Republican committeeman – Joshua Cook – was threatened with removal from his post because he interviewed a “non-Republican” for a political website.
Sheesh … is this middle school?
“It’s definitely a purge of executive committeemen who support limited government,” one anti-Graham advocate told FITS.
So now that we know who is getting the boot … who is the “new” Greenville GOP inviting to take the place of these limited government advocates?
“Those removed have mostly been replaced by Bob Jones-affiliated people or Bob Jones students,” one of our sources says.
Well, well … Bob Jones.
We decided years ago that we wanted absolutely nothing to do with the “Republican” Party … at any level. That’s because at every level, the GOP is ideologically indistinguishable from the party it claims to be fighting. Obviously we respect those who are trying to “reform” the GOP from within in the hopes of turning it into a limited government, individual liberty party … but this local purge is further evidence of the party establishment’s refusal to hear such arguments.
Seriously … people are being booted from the GOP because they are refusing to support the most liberal “Republican” in all of Washington, D.C.? A guy the party has previously censured for a host of left-leaning policies?
If “Republicans” were serious about restoring their brand, they’d be booting ideological traitors like Graham … not those with the courage to stand up to him.
41 comments
This could turn nasty and fringe on the border of federal criminal conduct. These people are crazy. Their anger is likely to bring them down. And down hard, at that.
LOL
Unfortunately party committee members are required by the by-laws of the party to back the Republican incumbent whether they agree ideologically with them or not. One reason I will never join a political party again.
By-laws do not supersede statutory laws. This appears to be retaliation. Graham’s cronies are throwing around their influence and his campaign money. Is he paying off people now? This is a very strong indicator that Graham is nervous about being kick out of office. And the skank wont even come out to debate. What a chicken shit he really is. I, for one, and glad he is showing his dark side. His mask of deception has come off for all to see.
He has nothing to win by debating. Why waste his time?
Then they need to be CHANGED. We need to be committed to the PLATFORM, not the sham candidates that money and name recognition can buy with the votes of the masses of sheep
Mark – you’re close, but not spot on. The rules don’t say that someone must support the Republican nominee, but that they cannot “support” a non-Republican candidate.
NOBODY gets kicked out of the Party for NOT backing the Republican candidate! And you can vote for whoever you want. You only get kicked out for not following the by-laws, which require you to resign from your Party position ONLY if you are OPENLY BACKING THE CANDIDATE OF ANOTHER PARTY WHO IS RUNNING AGAINST A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE SAME OFFICE.
If their is no Republican candidate for that office, it doesn’t matter.
If you are not an officer in the Party, it doesn’t matter.
If you choose to vote for the opposing candidate, it doesn’t matter.
It is only a problem if you are actively working against a candidate of the Republican Party while supposedly representing the Party.
That is NOT unreasonable. That is a clear “Conflict of Interests.”
Guess we won’t see anymore censures of Lindsey Graham from the Greenville County GOP.
Google search terms: greenville county gop censure lindsey graham
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE REPLACEMENT OF LINDSEY GRAHAM AS SENATOR FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
http://www.greenvillegop.com/files/dmfile/CensureofLindseyGraham.pdf
GREENVILLE GOP CENSURES LINDSEY GRAHAM (AGAIN)
https://www.fitsnews.com/2013/12/30/greenville-gop-censures-lindsey-graham-again/
Greenville GOP Votes To Censure Graham
http://www.wyff4.com/Greenville-GOP-Votes-To-Censure-Graham/6204168
A rule was proposed to make a censure require a 2/3 vote as opposed to a majority vote. I spoke strongly against it, and the committee soundly rejected it.
Exactly. I am another one “booted” this year for not making enough meetings due to work. I had a proxy to speak for me in the sham proceedings who was not allowed to speak. I was able to make meetings when necessary (other nights than Mondays, which I had just done for a vote on a Thursday in the previous couple weeks, and if there was a vote that was not a landslide) and contribute within the party, but since I was one of those who was always available to be one of the ten ECs to sign to support issues that the establishment/BJ wing didn’t like, I was targeted for removal. Your story is right on. The county party is a joke.
Those upstate GOP guys have always been a little crazy. Lee Bright is exhibit A supporting that statement. I don’t think any organization that wants to be taken seriously should ever put Bob Jones University affiliated people in leadership positions. I’m calling that move exhibit B.
I know many of you are very vocal about how you loathe Senator Graham, but it is a little ridiculous to claim that he is afraid that he may lose this election or that he must pull strings to reorganize some rinky dink GOP county group who is vocally unsupportive of him. I mean, he thoroughly trounced all challengers in the primary and at least a half dozen county groups censored.
Not one of you loud-mouthed types has the guts to cast vote for Hutto against Graham.
Crazy? Ain’t Tom Ervin ,the “card carrying Republican” that is trying to elect Sheheen from Greenville?
I do.
TBG, also.
How many Bob Jones people do you know? I will take one, anytime, over the crooks.
Lee “Ain’t” Bright is from Sparkle City, not Green Vegas. Don’t use him as an example of crazy or stupid Greenville Republicans. There are plenty of other choices: Mike Fair, Bruce Bannister, Eric Bedingfield, etc.
My Texas heart curses the darkness… for I have but two votes for United States senator.
We don’t have to vote for Hutto. We have Tom Ravenel.
The “party” censured Graham. Sic Willie’s “journalistic style” would make the casual observer think that the national GOP censured him in lieu of a few SC counties.
Yes and I hope it happens. I was an EC for my precinct and was booted. I was elected by the body to be on the rules committee. They kicked me off telling me as I wasn’t republican enough. Nate and chad Groover were the people making this decision. Their main claims for kicking me off the rules committe was Facebook screenshots stating it wasn’t establishment republican enough with hints that I was too libertarian.
If you’re Libertarian, get the balls to call yourself Libertarian and leave the Republican Party to the Republicans.
While I want to shout amen my brother, the sad fact is the LIARS (libertarians in as republicans) have no where else to go, and they know it. They have made a laughing stock of themselves every where else. They came in to our party in an attempt to gain the legitamacy they lack. By doing so, it allows the press and others to tar us with the same brush.
Voting on masters is what slaves do….silly fools
Lets make a lawsuit for US District Court out of this. Turn these suckers inside out … lol.
Too funny. It was the western Communist parties of 70+ years ago that used to have such purist but impotent antics.
This is hilarious. You’ll literally write about anything. I highly doubt Senator Graham loses sleep over night over the opinion of the Greenville County Republican Party who get laughed out of the State Convention with their half votes. As for Bob Jones, they represent a huge voting block and lots of old power and money. I would pump the breaks on attacking them or the ideals they represent.
Graham loses no sleep over the voters, anyway. He cares not what they think, except during that brief window of a year or less out of six when he is forced into that pesky election thing to keep his office, power, and glory, for another six.
According to the SCGOP rules the only time a person would have to resign is if they are an officer or delegate from that county party and they publicly endorse or financially support someone other than a duly nominated Republican candidate. There are no provisions in the rules for removing a person who is just a member or an officer who just decides to ignore a Republican candidate. These folks have every right to demand to be reinstated in the county party. http://www.scgop.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/SCGOP-Rules-Amended-2012.pdf
It might be a good idea to know what you are talking about Richard before you open your mouth and make a fool of yourself. Greenville’s GOP has its own rules and theirs simply says that supporting someone running against it’s nominees immediately makes you give up your position. Those removed have no right at all to be reinstated- they broke rules, they need to stop whining and deal with the consequences of their actions.
It might be a good idea if you actually read what you write Sparty, or whoever you are since you don’t have the guts to use your real name. You say a person with a “position” must give it up, but what if the person does not have a “position” but is merely a member of the county party. If they didn’t have a position, they can’t be removed. Further, since the party in South Carolina is an “open” party a person can join at anytime, with no rules applying. Start using your head for something other than a hat rack Sparty, and show a little guts and at least tell us who you are.
You got me Zuendt! Since a person can join the party at anytime, that MUST mean everyone has a position! That is so cool!! Pretty much anyone can join a church- that must mean they have a position as well! Since you probably never made it to the 3rd grade to learn the definition of position, I’ll help you out- “official rank.” People who come out to party functions are attendees, they have no official rank. People who come to the party reorganization but are not elected to any official rank are attendees. People that DO get elected to an official rank are commonly referred to as having a position either in their precinct or County Party. There is this new cool thing online now that can help you learn what words mean since you obviously have trouble with that.
Well Sparty, since you must be repeating sandbox let me set you straight. People who come to a county party meeting and say they are Republicans, are members. Members do not have an “official rank” and which should be referred to as “offices” require an election which is held at the time of the county convention.
You do not have to be an office holder to be a member of the Republican moron. Not all members are office holders, but office holders are members. Now if a person is not an “office holder” they cannot be kicked out since there is no requirement for a “member” to support a winner of a primary.
Instead of hiding behind a stupid moniker Sparty you should read the SCGOP bylaws, or at least have someone read it to you.
For goodness sake, Lindsey Graham is far more a Republican than the current crop of Tea Partiers who have co-opted the Party apparatus under the guise of Republicanism.
The Tea Party, however well-intentioned, are no more Republicans than I am and I’m the quintessential “Yellow Dog” Democrat. They are whatever strikes them at the moment or what ever happens to be the extreme hot button issue of the moment.
The Republican Party coup d’etat the Tea Party attempted with sporadic success is largely over and the numbers have been demonstrating it for a couple of years.
As to the Bob Jones crowd, they have been reliably Republican for years and years and are much too savvy to allow a crowd of irregulars control the Party apparatus. They are Conservative no doubt, but they are both sophisticated and they like to succeed. They are pragmatic and would rather have a seat at the table than to stand on each other’s back in order to peer into the window.
“They are Conservative no doubt, but they are both sophisticated and they like to succeed. ”
Sophisticated? Really?
Will, You have missed the fun with the battle for the .01 sales tax up here. It has now been uncovered with the way the proposal is written, county council can spend the money however they want, not just on roads that we already pay for. Also, they said they would not tax unprepared food, turns out they are, except when you use food stamps. The big question I have is why is the Realtor Association of SC a big backer of this tax. What do they have to gain?
Realtors spend a lot of time in their cars, maybe they are tired of paying for multiple front end alignments from our shitty roads. Also, they might prefer to spend more on sales taxes than wasting gas and time stuck on Woodruff Rd.
Cretins.
Another case of Grahamnasty revenge. “How dare you question my authoriti.”
While Obama strengthens his control on the SC Democrat Party. Sucks to be you FITS…Hahaha..Especially w/ the gays manifesting to redefine law, and the Nov. 4 approaching. LMAO…
Fuck Greenville County. Greenville, the city, is vibrant and progressive and building toward an even brighter future. Blacks and Hispanics are welcome here. We don’t tolerate KKK marches. We have a Muslim mosque. Plus music events and universities and a park system that is the envy of out-of-towners. So fuck retarded SC. Greenville is a nice place to live.