itshappening
06-09-2008, 09:35 AM
Paul supporters gear up for GOP state meeting
06/09/2008
By KELLEY SHANNON / Associated Press
Presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain will have plenty of surrogates at the state GOP convention this week, like former rival Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
But supporters of Ron Paul want to make the most of his Texas home turf to promote his message, too, before thousands of GOP activists attending the convention in Houston.
Paul, a Lake Jackson Republican running for president and for re-election to Congress, won't have an official speaking role at the convention. He'll be introduced with others from Texas' congressional delegation.
"Let's make it clear to the world that Texas is RON PAUL COUNTRY!!" his campaign Web site proclaims. The Paul campaign also is advertising a "freedom rally and ice cream social" the first night of the convention.
The Republican Liberty Caucus will have a visible exhibit booth to stir interest in Paul.
"It's really kind of a rallying and recruiting point," said Don Zimmerman, an Austin area Republican who led a group that supported Paul's presidential run but wasn't directly affiliated with his campaign. He estimated about a third of the delegates attending the convention support Paul, even though McCain won the state's GOP primary.
Zimmerman, who describes himself as a "Barry Goldwater Republican" and has attended GOP state conventions for more than a decade, said the struggle between Paul supporters and other delegates at the Houston convention will be typical of minority-majority clashes that have occurred repeatedly at past Texas conventions.
"Ron Paul people are just principled people. They don't mind losing a fair fight," he said.
A vocal group of Republican activists coordinated by Paul supporter Debra Medina of Wharton County has taken a stand before the convention with a lawsuit against the Texas Republican Party to try to force the election of a chairman before convention business is conducted.
The activist group wants to debate at the convention challenges to some 200 delegates from around the state. It contends there were numerous rules violations at the local level.
"If Ron Paul says anything, he says follow the Constitution. And we say follow the rules," Medina said.
Republican Party leaders say they expect a variety of opinions at the huge convention, which runs Thursday through Saturday and typically attracts about 14,000 participants. Of those, about 6,500 are delegates and 6,500 are alternates.
"Grassroots leaders from across Texas will have the opportunity as they do at every state convention to organize, energize and vocalize their views," said state party spokesman Hans Klingler.
In September, dozens of Paul supporters said they were shut out of a straw poll the Texas Republican Party held in Fort Worth. But party officials said they missed the arrival deadline. Many of Paul's backers did participate, though, and he placed third in the nonbinding straw poll, behind California congressman Duncan Hunter and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson.
Paul, once a Libertarian candidate for president, won few delegates during the Republican primaries. But he raised large amounts of money online and developed a huge grassroots following. He opposes the war in Iraq and is a champion of small government. Paul's supporters have been pushing for him to have a speaking role at the GOP national convention.
His supporters have been making a showing at state conventions across the country. Some of them slowed down the Minnesota state Republican convention last month as they tried and failed to use convention rules to seat some of Paul's backers as national delegates. Paul has said he won't endorse McCain for president.
McCain will be represented at the Texas convention by Romney, who is to address a party banquet Friday night.
Texas elected officials also will speak at the convention, providing a preview of issues and arguments to come in the 2010 governor's race and other major statewide elections.
Perry has said he's running for re-election to a third full term as governor in 2010. Fellow Republicans U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick also are considering entering the race.
Then there will be shuffling throughout the state ballot office holders look to move up the political ladder.
Seeds for those races will be sewn this week with the party faithful.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D916BJDO3.html
06/09/2008
By KELLEY SHANNON / Associated Press
Presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain will have plenty of surrogates at the state GOP convention this week, like former rival Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
But supporters of Ron Paul want to make the most of his Texas home turf to promote his message, too, before thousands of GOP activists attending the convention in Houston.
Paul, a Lake Jackson Republican running for president and for re-election to Congress, won't have an official speaking role at the convention. He'll be introduced with others from Texas' congressional delegation.
"Let's make it clear to the world that Texas is RON PAUL COUNTRY!!" his campaign Web site proclaims. The Paul campaign also is advertising a "freedom rally and ice cream social" the first night of the convention.
The Republican Liberty Caucus will have a visible exhibit booth to stir interest in Paul.
"It's really kind of a rallying and recruiting point," said Don Zimmerman, an Austin area Republican who led a group that supported Paul's presidential run but wasn't directly affiliated with his campaign. He estimated about a third of the delegates attending the convention support Paul, even though McCain won the state's GOP primary.
Zimmerman, who describes himself as a "Barry Goldwater Republican" and has attended GOP state conventions for more than a decade, said the struggle between Paul supporters and other delegates at the Houston convention will be typical of minority-majority clashes that have occurred repeatedly at past Texas conventions.
"Ron Paul people are just principled people. They don't mind losing a fair fight," he said.
A vocal group of Republican activists coordinated by Paul supporter Debra Medina of Wharton County has taken a stand before the convention with a lawsuit against the Texas Republican Party to try to force the election of a chairman before convention business is conducted.
The activist group wants to debate at the convention challenges to some 200 delegates from around the state. It contends there were numerous rules violations at the local level.
"If Ron Paul says anything, he says follow the Constitution. And we say follow the rules," Medina said.
Republican Party leaders say they expect a variety of opinions at the huge convention, which runs Thursday through Saturday and typically attracts about 14,000 participants. Of those, about 6,500 are delegates and 6,500 are alternates.
"Grassroots leaders from across Texas will have the opportunity as they do at every state convention to organize, energize and vocalize their views," said state party spokesman Hans Klingler.
In September, dozens of Paul supporters said they were shut out of a straw poll the Texas Republican Party held in Fort Worth. But party officials said they missed the arrival deadline. Many of Paul's backers did participate, though, and he placed third in the nonbinding straw poll, behind California congressman Duncan Hunter and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson.
Paul, once a Libertarian candidate for president, won few delegates during the Republican primaries. But he raised large amounts of money online and developed a huge grassroots following. He opposes the war in Iraq and is a champion of small government. Paul's supporters have been pushing for him to have a speaking role at the GOP national convention.
His supporters have been making a showing at state conventions across the country. Some of them slowed down the Minnesota state Republican convention last month as they tried and failed to use convention rules to seat some of Paul's backers as national delegates. Paul has said he won't endorse McCain for president.
McCain will be represented at the Texas convention by Romney, who is to address a party banquet Friday night.
Texas elected officials also will speak at the convention, providing a preview of issues and arguments to come in the 2010 governor's race and other major statewide elections.
Perry has said he's running for re-election to a third full term as governor in 2010. Fellow Republicans U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick also are considering entering the race.
Then there will be shuffling throughout the state ballot office holders look to move up the political ladder.
Seeds for those races will be sewn this week with the party faithful.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D916BJDO3.html