Sunday, August 31, 2008

GOP Convention Committee calls Nevada State Party "inept"

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

We've been following the Republican Nevada delegate fiasco with great glee. It's finally been resolved, but not without some final inter-party shots being taken:

With little time to spare, the Nevada Republican Party has named its delegation to next week's national convention, resolving an embarrassing dispute with supporters of former presidential candidate Ron Paul in a state John McCain is struggling to win.
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The compromise list included at least four Paul supporters and nearly mirrored one recommended by a Republican National Committee panel asked to settle the dispute. The RNC Committee on Contests made the recommendation Wednesday in a report that slammed the Nevada GOP for appointing, rather than electing, its 34 delegates and 31 alternates.

The committee wrote it was "deeply troubled by the ineptness of the state party" and "rejects any process to select delegates and alternate delegates that restricts party grass-roots activists from participating in that process, as appears to be the case here."
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Nevada's delegation dispute began when Paul supporters were poised to win delegates at a state party convention in Reno in April. The party abruptly shut down the convention and later attempts to reconvene failed because it could not get enough Republicans to attend.

Meanwhile, the Paul supporters held a rogue convention in June and named their own delegation.

The RNC committee ruled that the June convention was unauthorized. "Only a state party has the authority to convene a state convention," the committee wrote.

Wayne Terhune, a leading Paul supporter, called the decision "tyranny." He said he plans to attend an alternative convention held by Paul's "Campaign for Liberty." - MercuryNews.com