reduen
02-17-2010, 10:05 AM
Below is a letter from one of them:
Greetings fellow Patriots,
NRC Chairman Michael Steele met with Tea Party leaders in Washington DC on Tuesday at the Capitol Hill Club. I was privileged to attend and represent Arkansas’s Tea Party Movement at the event. It was a great meeting. The meeting was originally scheduled to last one hour, t lasted for over three! Chairman Steele was very gracious and accommodating and did not leave until every question and concern was addressed about any relationship between Tea Partiers and the NRC, I will do my best to recap the meeting for you as I suspect the media will not do it justice.
The meeting was arranged by a Tea Party activist by the name of Karin Hoffman. I met Karin at the Tea Party Summit held in Dallas. After preliminary introductions Chairman Steele gave some opening remarks. He told us of his beginnings in politics and how his beginnings were similar to the beginnings he experienced as a young man. He expressed to us how he was not interested in “taking over” any thing or “hijacking” anything and that this grassroots movement was too important to the political process today to do anything but support.
Many questions were addressed here is a summary. The most important misunderstanding was what was the exact role of the NRC in the political realm? Chairman Steele explained his role and said according to rule 11 the RNC could not get involved in elections until after the primaries and once the people selected a candidate then his goal was to support that candidate to the best of his ability. Questions were asked about who he would choose if the choice were a TP candidate or a GOP candidate and he stated that of course his job was to support the GOP candidate. He expressed again how important it was for everyone to be involved in the process early and locally to ensure the proper candidates are supported. He stated both publicly and privately that the NRC would support TP candidates if they professed and displayed GOP Party conservative values.
There was concern raised about the constitution and the lack of understanding candidates and elected officials had for it’s interpretation and adherence. Chairman Steele agreed and offered to emphasize it from the top and explained how important it was to educate from the bottom up and vet candidates according to their beliefs and adherence to our founding documents.
There were questions about the RNC’s ability to reach out and communicate with the TP and he introduced the new staff including the communication team, new media and policy team. His goal was to tear down the barriers that have prevented an efficient and effective flow of information and said that some of the changes would be noticed within a few weeks. He introduced Angela Sailor who is the coalitions coordinator and informed us of her role as the promoter and developer of coalitions within and without the RNC.
We suggested and he agreed to several improvements that should be made in order to develop a better relationship with the TP’s. First that the RNC host local or regional events to address similar questions to better inform the TP’s about the things discussed in the meeting. Second He would place more emphasis on constitutional issues to build better awareness and adherence to it. Third ensure that we work together for mutual benefit and protect each others individuality.
In closing I left the meeting with a better sense of the political dynamics of the RNC and their desire to match ours which is to restore our nation back to its original condition. I Believe that the Tea Party movement must be engaged and involved in the political process and not absorbed by it. We must be the keeper of the flames of freedom and we cannot let t die. We must use the tools and the processes that are already in place in order for us to effect a change in a timely manner. I believe that the discontent we feel about the political process is in part our fault. If we are going to weed out the bad we must not go into the field with dull, worn out or the improper tools. That’s why it is so important for us as the Tea Party leaders to look at the tools we do have ( our fellow patriots) and sharpen them with the knowledge of the political process. Repair them because they have been broken because of years of misuse and abuse and finally put them to the task of changing the political landscape by weeding and pruning and more importantly planting new Patriots into the field.
I am excited as I was on April the 15th and know in my heart that we will wake up on the first Wed in Nov with a fresh start. If you have any questions about this meeting or anything else please do not hesitate to call me at ##########
At your Service,
Glenn
Greetings fellow Patriots,
NRC Chairman Michael Steele met with Tea Party leaders in Washington DC on Tuesday at the Capitol Hill Club. I was privileged to attend and represent Arkansas’s Tea Party Movement at the event. It was a great meeting. The meeting was originally scheduled to last one hour, t lasted for over three! Chairman Steele was very gracious and accommodating and did not leave until every question and concern was addressed about any relationship between Tea Partiers and the NRC, I will do my best to recap the meeting for you as I suspect the media will not do it justice.
The meeting was arranged by a Tea Party activist by the name of Karin Hoffman. I met Karin at the Tea Party Summit held in Dallas. After preliminary introductions Chairman Steele gave some opening remarks. He told us of his beginnings in politics and how his beginnings were similar to the beginnings he experienced as a young man. He expressed to us how he was not interested in “taking over” any thing or “hijacking” anything and that this grassroots movement was too important to the political process today to do anything but support.
Many questions were addressed here is a summary. The most important misunderstanding was what was the exact role of the NRC in the political realm? Chairman Steele explained his role and said according to rule 11 the RNC could not get involved in elections until after the primaries and once the people selected a candidate then his goal was to support that candidate to the best of his ability. Questions were asked about who he would choose if the choice were a TP candidate or a GOP candidate and he stated that of course his job was to support the GOP candidate. He expressed again how important it was for everyone to be involved in the process early and locally to ensure the proper candidates are supported. He stated both publicly and privately that the NRC would support TP candidates if they professed and displayed GOP Party conservative values.
There was concern raised about the constitution and the lack of understanding candidates and elected officials had for it’s interpretation and adherence. Chairman Steele agreed and offered to emphasize it from the top and explained how important it was to educate from the bottom up and vet candidates according to their beliefs and adherence to our founding documents.
There were questions about the RNC’s ability to reach out and communicate with the TP and he introduced the new staff including the communication team, new media and policy team. His goal was to tear down the barriers that have prevented an efficient and effective flow of information and said that some of the changes would be noticed within a few weeks. He introduced Angela Sailor who is the coalitions coordinator and informed us of her role as the promoter and developer of coalitions within and without the RNC.
We suggested and he agreed to several improvements that should be made in order to develop a better relationship with the TP’s. First that the RNC host local or regional events to address similar questions to better inform the TP’s about the things discussed in the meeting. Second He would place more emphasis on constitutional issues to build better awareness and adherence to it. Third ensure that we work together for mutual benefit and protect each others individuality.
In closing I left the meeting with a better sense of the political dynamics of the RNC and their desire to match ours which is to restore our nation back to its original condition. I Believe that the Tea Party movement must be engaged and involved in the political process and not absorbed by it. We must be the keeper of the flames of freedom and we cannot let t die. We must use the tools and the processes that are already in place in order for us to effect a change in a timely manner. I believe that the discontent we feel about the political process is in part our fault. If we are going to weed out the bad we must not go into the field with dull, worn out or the improper tools. That’s why it is so important for us as the Tea Party leaders to look at the tools we do have ( our fellow patriots) and sharpen them with the knowledge of the political process. Repair them because they have been broken because of years of misuse and abuse and finally put them to the task of changing the political landscape by weeding and pruning and more importantly planting new Patriots into the field.
I am excited as I was on April the 15th and know in my heart that we will wake up on the first Wed in Nov with a fresh start. If you have any questions about this meeting or anything else please do not hesitate to call me at ##########
At your Service,
Glenn