Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Dialog
The following is an exchange between me and David Chung who sits on the Subcommittee for Caucuses and Rules of the Iowa Republican Central Committee.
I requested, and recieved Mr Chung's permission to post the contents of his email.
My words to prevent any confusion, will be in bold red font.
I will take your points in a biblical manner the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
Dan,
I appreciate your thoughtful inquiry. I have a couple of comments about your notes.
4) Mark Hudson. I do not know whether Mark is a member of the Central Committee or an alternate. Regardless, the bylaws allow officers to be selected from outside the membership. This is a common practice. According to Roberts Rules chairmen who are not members may not vote or break ties. In the RPI Constitution, the Chair is not a member but is allowed to break ties. The RNC Constitution also allows non-members to serve as chair (I don't know whether non-member chairs are given voting rights). Current RNC chair, Michael Steele was elected from outside the RNC membership.
4) The correct term for the secondary class of Central Commitee Members as per the By-Laws is ASSISTANT COMMITTEE PERSONS and while can be heard, have no voting rights but as you point out if they are Chairing they can break a tie since Robert's Rules of Order take precedence unless the By-Laws preclude them
IX. RULES OF ORDER Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall prevail unless modified by these by-laws.
So an Officer does not have to be a Central Committee member since the By-Laws also state.
The
Central Committee shall elect either from its’ membership or otherwise a chair, co-chair,
secretary, treasurer and other officers as it may determine
I interpret Otherwise as they don't have to be a member, however anyone who is an officer but not a voting member would have no voting rights unless they were chairing and a tie had been called
3) Our (Linn County's) Constitution and By-laws do allow for alternate members who do not have voting privileges except in the absence of their elected committee people. It has been many years, but we used to keep ordered lists of alternates per precinct. People who came to meetings to join were informed whether they could join as members (to fill vacancies) or alternates if there were no vacancies.
3) Again the accurate term is Assistant Central Committee Persons and it is correct as you state that in the absence of an Elected Committee Member one or two from a Precinct maybe given temporay voting rights. But since the By=Laws are mute on the mechanism I would assume it would be by a vote of a Quorum. Present.
@
2) The question of who are the two elected members is a more difficult one to answer. I proposed the first two names from form A because it is the only record we have of what happened on caucus night. In the two precincts that I moderated, we did have elections and we did elect two CC members. They were reported on form A. In my opinion form A was the only reasonable way to attempt to re-construct the results of caucus night. As I mentioned, I am on the State Central Committee's organization sub-committee. Issues like rules and the caucus (and form A) fall under my committees purview. This situation will not happen again
@
1) It was not improper for the county central committee to add new members. However, only those added to fill 'vacancies' are actually full-fledged CC members. Since Linn Courty (and RPI) by-laws allow the committee to fill vacancies and this power is granted explicitly in the Iowa code. What the committee cannot do, is add more members than two per precinct without taking the special steps defined in the code of allocating new seats proportionate to the precinct's voting in the last election.
@
2 & 1) Yes that is indeed much more difficult. You recall I missed my Caucus? It being the first I would have attended I have no experience with how these things should run, but looking at the Paul handout I would say that would be a good way to do it.
So I asked my next door neighbors what they remembered. They recall there was an Acting Chairman who was elected to be Permanent Chair and they do not recall ANY other ELECTIONS that night for Permanent Secretary, County Convention Delegates, County Convention Alternate Delegates Nor for Central Committee Members,
With respect we cannot allow individuals to simply fill in who they wish for these positions and in the absence of any documentary evidence, Form A for instance that clearly indicates that a person was elected to the positon of The Precinct County Central Committee Member, or witnesses to the same, then that position is Vacant.
Now IF we can find 20 people who were elected in the correct manner as happened in your Caucus? The situation is simple,. They consitute a Legal Quorum of the County Central Committee and as stated
Vacancies in the County Central Committee may be filled by a majority of those members of
the Committee present and voting.
and yes this situation does not need to happen again, we shoud wipe the slate clean and restart in the correct maner, even if what is required is the process stated in Article VI Secion 7 of the
CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA
7. Vacancies on the County Central Committee may be
filled by majority vote of the County Central Committee, or
at a special precinct caucus called by the County Central
Committee.
The following is an extentsion of my (Dan Kauffman's) remarks after gathering more information
I have recieved reports to date on the actions of 8 precincts in 4 there were elections for Central Committe
Members. In 3 the person I have been in contact with have no recollection of special elections for
Central Committe Members. In the last and 8th Caucus, there were two nominations from the floor
for Central Committee Members, being unopposed it was the consensus of the Precinct Caucus that
their positons were afirmed BUT their names did not appear on Form A.
@
As a result when it came time for the Election in March one of these two, who had been attending
Central Commitees all year under the impression that they were one of the two credebtialed Central
Committee Member, was not able to vote and instead someone whose name did appear on Form
A and who this person had never seen in a meeting since the Caucus voted instead,
Not Good.
Saturday, 11 April 2009
So You Thought You Were A Central Committee Member?
The Chinese have a curse, "May you live in interesting times."
Well times certainly have been interesting in the Linn County GOP Central Committee of late.
Like quite a few others and perhaps some of you for quite some time I thought I was a member of that organization. It appears I was in error.
Now it is true like so many others over the years since I started attending, when the Floor asked if there were anyone present who wished to join, I spoke up, introduced myself and there was a motion made and seconded to admit me and after those present had voted in the affirmative, I considered myself a member.
In fact one of the newly elected officers joined the Central Committee in the very same manner during the monthly meeting before the Election.
The truth however is that neither of us are members.
The issue was raised in the February meeting as to confusion about the official list of Central Committee members.
David Chung spoke, quite correctly and to his credit I might add, to the issue that the Linn County Central Committee was not in accordance with the Legal Code of the State of Iowa in such matters.
Now while I have only spoken with Mr Chung on a few occasions during meetings, he has always struck me as a person with what I would deem
personal integrity of the highest order, so I did not doubt his words, but determined to at least investigate them.
So it was that I and quite a few others found that we were not in fact able to vote during the recent elections, but instead there was compiled a list of names from Form A of the last Precinct Caucuses.
This List included the names of the persons who were listed as Permanent Chair, Co-Chair and Alternates.
Two of the above were declared the Linn County Central Committee representative for their Precinct and the Election Results were tallied after they delivered their votes.
Upon investigation, the Truth is indeed that the only valid members of the Linn County Central Committee are those elected during Precinct Caucuses.
I don't know what the opinion of others was at the time but IMO the Paul Campaign was extremely well organized. ;-)
The above links are to PDF files, if you do not have a PDF viewer a simple Freeware PDF viewer can be obtained
HERENow I must caution the reader the Iowa State Election Code file is about 13 megs rather lengthy
But the pertinent sections are
43.99 Party committee persons.
Two members of the county central committee for each political party shall, at the precinct caucuses, be elected from each precinct. The term of office of a member shall begin at the time specified by the party’s state constitution or bylaws and shall continue for two years and until a successor is elected and qualified, unless sooner removed by the county central committee for inattention to duty or incompetency. The party’s state constitution or bylaws may permit the election of additional central committee members from each precinct in a number proportionate to the vote cast for the party’s candidates for office in the respective precincts at preceding general elections.
[S13, §1087-a25; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §626; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §43.99]
107
43.4 Political party precinct caucuses.
Delegates to county conventions of political parties and party committee members shall be elected at precinct caucuses held not later than the fourth Monday in February of each even-numbered year. The date shall be at least eight days earlier than the scheduled date for any meeting, caucus or primary which constitutes the first determining stage of the presidential nominating process in any other state, territory or any other group which has the authority to select delegates in the presidential nomination. The state central committees of the political parties shall set the date for their caucuses. The county chairperson of each political party shall issue the call for the caucuses. The county chairperson shall file with the commissioner the meeting place of each precinct caucus at least seven days prior to the date of holding the caucus.
There shall be selected among those present at a precinct caucus a chairperson and a secretary who shall within seven days certify to the county central committee the names of those elected as party committee members and delegates to the county convention
From the
CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA
ARTICLE VI
COUNTY COMMITTEES
1. County Central Committees shall consist of two
precinct committee members elected from each precinct. Every
County Central Committee shall adopt a Constitution and
Bylaws which shall govern the operation of the Committee, and
which may contain a provision for the election of additional
Central Committee members from each precinct in a number
proportionate to the Republican vote cast in that precinct at
the last preceding general election for President of the
United States or for Governor of Iowa, as the case may
7. Vacancies on the County Central Committee may be
filled by majority vote of the County Central Committee, or
at a special precinct caucus called by the County Central
Committee
From the
CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
LINN COUNTY
IV. MEMBERSHIP OF CENTRAL COMMITTEE
The County Central Committee shall consist of two precinct committee members elected from
each precinct at the precinct caucuses. The Constitution of the Republican Party of Iowa
permits a provision to be adopted in the County by-laws for the election of additional Central
Committee members from each precinct in a number proportionate to the Republican vote
cast in the precinct at the last preceding general election for President of the United States or
for the Governor of Iowa, as the case may be.
When elected, a member of the County Central Committee must be a resident of the precinct
from which elected. The term of office of a member of the County Central Committee shall
begin on the day following the precinct caucus and shall continue until the next precinct
caucus and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. A member may be removed
by the County Central Committee for inattention to duty, incompetence, or active support of
an opponent of a Republican nominee. Vacancies on the County Central Committee shall be
filled by the County Central Committee.
VI. MEETINGS
The Chair or Co-Chair or twenty (20) members of the Linn County Central Committee may
call a meeting of said Committee and there shall be no less than six (6) meetings per year.
From the
BY-LAWS OF THE LINN COUNTY REPUBLICAN CENTRAL
COMMITTEE
I. VACANCIES
Vacancies in the County Central Committee may be filled by a majority of those members of
the Committee present and voting.
II. ASSISTANT COMMITTEE PERSONS
The County Central Committee shall have the power to designate and select additional
members from each precinct to assist the Committee persons. They shall have the right to
attend meetings and to be heard. They shall not have the right to vote, except in the
absence of a Committee person form their own precinct.
III. REMOVAL OF COMMITTEE PERSONS
Any member of the County Central Committee who, without good cause, misses two (2)
consecutive meetings of the County Central Committee, whether they are regular, specially
scheduled or instructional meetings, or who fails to promptly carry out his or her assigned
duties within the time specified under the organization's program which the Committee has
adopted may be removed by action of the county Central committee and a replacement
selected to fill the vacancy caused by his removal. No removal shall be effected until the
member is given an opportunity to be heard at the next meeting after which his or her
removal is introduced.
IV. EXCUSED ABSENCE
In the event a member is unable to attend a meeting for a good cause, he or she shall notify
the secretary in advance that he or she is unable to attend.
X. AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended by majority vote of those present at any called meeting of
the Central Committee. Written notice of the proposed amendment must be forwarded to the
members of the Committee with a notice calling the meeting, and be postmarked at least ten
(10) days prior to the meeting at which said amendment is to be presented for consideration
and vote.
XI. QUORUM
Twenty (20) members of the County Central Committee shall constitute a quorum for the
purpose of transacting any business which shall be presented for consideration and vote.
**********************************************************************************************
Well I think all can agree that the Iowas State Election Code, the Constitution of the Republican Party of the State of Iowa and the Constitution of the Linn County GOP Central Committee and it's By-Laws are clear.
Unless you were Elected to be one of the Precinct delegates to the County Central Committee at the Precinct Caucus then you are NOT a member of the County Central Committee,
So if you stood up in a Central Committee meeting in the past were recognized and accepted by voice vote to be a Member of the Linn County Central Committee?
Sorry but you aren't
However it is equally true that if your name appeared on a Caucus Form A as a Chair, Co-Chair, Alternate or Secretary?
You are no more a Member of the County Central Committee than the above,
Chair Co-Chair and Secretary elections are only for the purpose of running the Caucus. County Delegates and County Delegate Alternates are for the purposes of the Function of the County Convention,.
Precinct delegates to act as County Central Committee Members for the two years between elections are a separate election, Assuming the Chair Co-Chair Alternate, or Secretary, can be a Central Committee Member has no more validity than assuming a Voice Vote at a meeting makes you a Country Central Committee Member.
What does this mean?
A royal mess, Unless there can be found at a minimum 20 persons who were elected at their Precinct Caucuses to be County Central Committee Members this body does not have a quorum. It also means that if there were not 20 persons who were so elected at the last Officer Elections?
That Election has No standing under the Election Laws of the State of Iowa, nor under the Constitutions of the Republican Party of the State of Iowa, nor under the Constitution and By-Laws of the Linn County Central Committee.
The Election is Invalid and we must first ascertain we can assemble a quorum of Central Committee Members that fits the definition under the present Law.
Before we can do anything.
Friday, 3 April 2009
Here's To You Mr Jefferson
Topic: Out of Flyover Land
Thursday, 26 February 2009
The Sack Lunches
Topic: FROM THE GUNNY
Just a little tidbit forwarded to me
by my friend Gunnery Sargent M Spragg Rtd
The Sack Lunches
I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight.. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.
Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and
filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to
start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan
After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time..
As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '
His friend agreed.
I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'
Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. &nb sp; She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'
'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.'
After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.
Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.'
Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.
When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!
Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'
Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.
It seemed so little...
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'
That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'
May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list....
I JUST DID
![](https://www.angelfire.com/ky/kentuckydan/CommitteesofCorrespondence/taps_vietnam69.jpg)
Technorati Tag::Semper Fi****The Sack Lunches ****Afghanistan ****Iraq ****View blog reactions
Monday, 23 February 2009
Mega Pork Bill
Topic: Out of Flyover Land
If you want to make a statement to politicians about the Mega Pork Bill
May I suggest sending them a package of Pork Rinds?
If you don't know why?
Check out Porkulus and More Backward Thinking at
Trackposted to The Virtuous Republic,
http://morewhat.com/wordpress/open-trackback-linkfest-haven-weekend-2/, Rosemary's Thoughts, Right Truth, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, Nukes, Nuke's, Faultline USA, Political Byline, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, The World According to Carl, The Pink Flamingo, , and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
America's Answer to the Crisis
Topic: Out of Flyover Land
America has faced challenges and adversity,
To a far greater extent than we do today.
Out of the Past,
From the Time of the Great Depression and the Dustbowl,
Sounds a voice to remind us what REAL Americans do in Crisis.
Saturday, 18 October 2008
I AM JOE
This is a post in solidarity with Iowahawk and Joe 'the Plumber' Wurzelbacher
![](https://www.angelfire.com/ky/kentuckydan/CommitteesofCorrespondence/IamJoe.jpg)
Iowa Hawk's orignating post is as follows
First, a pre-emptive apology for the intentional non-humor to follow. I promise that all future non-humor will be strictly unintentional.
We've all witnessed a lot of insanity in American politics over the last few years. Up until the last few days, none of it has seriously bothered me; hey, just more grist for the satire mill. But after witnessing the media's blitzkreig on Joe 'the Plumber' Wurzelbacher, I can only muster anger, and no small amount of fear.
Politicians -- Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, et al. -- obviously have to put up with some rude, nasty shit, but it's right there in the jobs description. Joe the Plumber is different. He was a guy tossing a football with his kid in the front yard of his $125,000 house when a politician picked him out as a prop for a 30 second newsbite for the cable news cameras. Joe simply had the temerity to speak truth (or, if you prefer, an uninformed opinion) to power, for which the politico-media axis apparently determined that he must be humiliated, harassed, smashed, destroyed. The viciousness and glee with which they set about the task ought to concern anyone who still cares about citizen participation, and freedom of speech, and all that old crap they taught in Civics class before politics turned into Narrative Deathrace 3000, and Web 2.0 turned into Berlin 1932.0.
Godwin's Law! you say? if the jackboot fits, wear it.
If it's meta-memes and meta-meta-narratives these media headlice want, so be it. I hope you will join me in expressing a simple bit of solidarity with this guy, Spartacus style. I AM JOE. I am a Wal Mart schlub in flyover country who changes my own oil and unclogs drains without a license. I smoke and drink beer and toss the football in the front yard with my kid, and I figure I can fend my way without handouts from some Magic Messiah's candy bags. Most everyone in my family and most everyone I grew up with is another Joe, and if you screw with them, you screw with me.
Are you a Joe? Say it proud. Leave it on every goddamn newspaper comment section and online forum. Let these pressroom and online thugs know you won't stay silent when they try to destroy the life of a private citizen for speaking his mind -- because for every one of them, there are a million Joe Wurzelbachers. And for that we should all be thankful.
![](https://www.angelfire.com/ky/kentuckydan/CommitteesofCorrespondence/JoethePlumber.jpg)
I am Joe also. I come from a long line of Joes and Josephines if you will and I am ALSO seeeing Red at the sight of the events that Iowahawk alludes to and I am going to VOTE Red.
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Murtha Stuck On Stupid
My Nominee for the 2008 Stuck On Stupid Awards
![](https://www.angelfire.com/ky/kentuckydan/CommitteesofCorrespondence/sos-trophy.jpg)
Is Congressman John Murtha
![](https://www.angelfire.com/ky/kentuckydan/CommitteesofCorrespondence/murtha-racist.jpg)
When I first read about this, Courtesy of the Associated Press
Murtha: Western Pa. 'racist' but Obama should win
By KIMBERLY HEFLING – 1 day ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday his home base of western Pennsylvania is racist and that could reduce Barack Obama's victory margin in the state by 4 percentage points.
The 17-term Democratic congressman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in a story posted Wednesday on its Web site: "There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area."
I thought, it's a good thing this guy is not running for office this year.
But guess what? He IS running and his opposition is not unimpressive.
Lt. Col William T Russell
a man who will Stand Up for Western PA
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
After the evidence of what I have decided to call the
Howard Stern Effect,
Which seems to be the polar opposite of the notorious
I have decided that at least some of the electorate
Needs to have things shown to them, in shall we say
a simpler manner.
The Chinese had a saying,
"A Picture is worth a thousand words."
So here for their enlightenment is
Obama's Tax Reductions
Now for those who may have progressed past the level of
Look Look
See Barack
See Barack Run
Run Barack Run
The Wall Street Journal has an indepth article from which the above
photo is taken called
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
They Think It's THEIR Money
And Update to my previous Post
Do you recall how they foam at the mouth whenever
a Tax Cut is mentioned and shriek about all the money
the Republicans are GIVING to the Rich People?
Two problems here. Does this guy look like a rich
dude? And if you let me keep more of what was
It would appear that we now have a new Poltical Icon
Joe the Plumber. featured prominently in the last Presidential Debate.
Third Presidential Debate HQ (Part 2) Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher - Obama vs McCain 2008 3rd Presidential Debate
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