Update from Rod Beck: GOP Chairman’s “update memo,” and we amend our complaint

Idaho GOP Chairman Sullivan’s “Closed Primary Update” memo annoys many and bolsters Grassroots amended complaint. 

Lots of action and quite a bit to cover in this update … 

First, many have read or heard about Idaho GOP Chair J. Kirk Sullivan’s recent memo about Closed Primaries. (Click here).  His tone is rather condescending and actually, inadvertently, helps our cause. 

He starts out by telling all of us why our ideas about closed primaries are bad. Then Mr. Sullivan tells us how he agreed to be a co-sponsor of a Senate bill that didn’t even get a hearing last session.  He said time just ran out. 

His claim is in direct contrast to that of the chief sponsor of the closed primary bills, Rep. Marv Hagedorn (R-Meridian) who wrote on his blog about Mr. Sullivan’s memo: “[Sullivan] seemed to ‘forget’ that I and others ran a number of versions of legislative bills starting early during the 2007 session … the same bills he covertly worked against in both the House and Senate.” 

Mr. Sullivan then says, “As party chairman, it is my responsibility to see this change through.”  But, this is where he gets condescending, “and believe it now should be up to the Republican-controlled Legislature … [to] implement the rule change.” 

Then, Mr. Sullivan claims that we listed the Idaho Republican Party as a plaintiff in the Federal Court case.  A first year journalist major can prove Mr. Sullivan’s claim is false simply by reading the list of 71 plaintiffs listed on the court document.  The Idaho Republican Party is not listed. 

This Just In:  Read our DEMAND LETTER to Mr. Sullivan that he issue a retraction for his misstatements.

Attached to his memo is an odd resolution from the Executive Committee stating their “decision” to go the legislative route (and this is how they phrased it): “disfavors judicial activism.”  What is that about?  Their “decision!?!”  The Central Committee is the governing body and the Executive Committee acts on their behalf.  Missing a big step, wouldn’t you say?

(Aside:  This would be a good time to print off a petition calling for a special Central Committee meeting.)

Today, Grassroots Idaho GOP (that’s us) filed an amended complaint which was unintentionally bolstered by Mr. Sullivan’s memo. The amended filing asserts that we represent the interests of the Idaho Republican Party.  Simply stated, some in the leadership of the party have done their utmost to derail and oppose closed primaries; they clearly do not represent the repeated actions taken by the party as a whole. 

The amended complaint lists the bona fides of 71 fellow Republicans. 

Send this update to anyone who you think might be interested in keeping up on the closed GOP primary debate. 

More later … Rod