The national Republican panel considering a challenge to the rights of 21 Maine delegates to be seated at the GOP convention in Florida later this month wants more information and a full hearing on the matter before deciding how Maine will be represented at the four-day confab.
The request from the Republican contest committee, issued Friday, marks the latest development in the back-and-forth over whether Maine’s delegates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., will be seated at the gathering.
Maine’s delegates to the convention support Texas Rep. Ron Paul’s presidential bid. Paul needs the support of at least five state delegations to be formally nominated for president and given a 15-minute, prime-time speaking slot. Meanwhile, political parties generally use their conventions to showcase their presumptive nominees — in this case, Mitt Romney.
Maine Republicans Peter Cianchette and Jan Martens Staples late last month filed a challenge with the Republican National Committee that alleged voting irregularities and procedural violations at this spring’s Maine Republican convention led to illegal votes for a slate of delegates who favor Paul over Romney.
The Republicans’ Committee on Contests reviewed filings from both sides in Washington, D.C., last week and decided to request more information and schedule the hearing, which will take place in Tampa the week before the convention.
Maine GOP Chairman Charlie Webster had tried to resolve the standoff recently by offering a deal to the delegates that would have obligated them to support Romney if Paul weren’t nominated for president and would have removed the delegation chairman — a Paul supporter — as spokesman. The delegates turned down that offer.
On Friday, radio host Ray Richardson said Gov. Paul LePage told him he wouldn’t attend the Republican convention if Maine’s delegation wasn’t seated. LePage’s political consultant Brent Littlefield didn’t confirm LePage’s pledge but said the governor wants to see the state’s delegation seated.
In a brief issued by contest committee Chairman Mike Duncan, the committee said it wants to determine if “the credentialing process was so fundamentally flawed as to invalidate” the election of delegates and alternate delegates. The committee also said it wants to determine whether the election of Maine’s delegates violated a delegate-selection plan the Maine Republican Party filed with the national party last fall and whether a quorum of party delegates was present at the state Republican convention in May when convention goers voted on national delegates.
Staples said Monday the attorney representing her and Cianchette in the contest told her the contest committee requested a hearing only to resolve the contest to Maine’s delegation. The committee had a number of other contests to resolve when it met last week.
“From their perspective, the issues raised were very serious,” Staples said. “Hardly any of the business we conducted really could stand, could be considered properly conducted.”
But the fact that the committee couldn’t make a ruling without more information suggests that Staples and Cianchette don’t have a strong case, said John Jones, a delegate from Falmouth who is also a Maine House candidate.
“The burden of proof is on the contestants,” he said. “For the committee to come back saying they don’t have enough evidence to make a decision says to me they don’t think they can make a ruling in favor of the contestants.”
Staples, a Romney supporter who lost her bid at the May convention to be re-elected as the state’s Republican national committeewoman, has said the challenge isn’t motivated by her and Cianchette’s support for Romney. Instead, she’s interested in seeing party rules and parliamentary procedures upheld.
Cianchette, a former Republican candidate for governor, was chairman of Romney’s campaign in Maine.
But the contest process isn’t free of politics, Jones said.
“The contest process is kind of like a political move wrapped in concerns about procedure,” he said. “This isn’t really about the rules. It’s about having a picture-perfect convention down there.”
“The delegation from Maine is committed to going there, being civil and having a discussion,” he added.
At the hearing, both sides likely will be represented by their lawyers. A lawyer paid for by Paul’s campaign is representing Maine’s delegates, Jones said.
An attorney from the Washington, D.C., firm Patton Boggs is representing Staples and Cianchette pro bono. Staples said the lawyer also is involved with other contests involving state delegations to the Republican convention.
Here’s a link to a youtube video from inside the Maine Republican Convention. It shows, first hand, what actually went on.
Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oDueaTEAJ4
The villian of the peice was later determined to be a Republican staff member of the Maine House of Representatives.
The same thing happened at the Nevada Republican State Convention. Go figure.
Here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HV95p97l8I&feature=related
The Republican party is in the midst of its own civil war. Letting this self-destructive two-headed snake take control of our Nation would result in chaos, brutality and misery.
Uhm….as opposed to the chaos, brutality and misery we are feeling under the current administration? Right…makes sense
can’t be any worse than the chaos, brutality and misery we suffered under Dubya…..
The Republicans are in a civil war with each other. That will seriously interfere with their ability to govern. That’s my argument and my point. What is your argument?
Brought on by the Bush administration. You might not like to hear it, but that’s the truth of the matter. His economic policies are indefenseable. Recorded in resent history. It’s just a plain fact.
I am voting for Ron Paul! The RNC is crooked!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGVxmXBy9jQ
He has zero chance of winning but go ahead and vote for him.
We know that. However, some of us would rather vote our conscience and stand on principles than be victim of the Republican/Democrat two party trap which every election year forces a vote on the least stinky turd.
Thanks for that, there is a positive here, like the fact that voting that way is the reason we got Bill Clinton, who was a good president and knew how to keep things moving in Congress. So vote for Paul, that’s just one less vote for Romney. You get to feel good about voting your conscience, Obama keeps the White House, and Romney goes home. See it all works out for the best in the end.
Best? it is kinda like the difference of being whipped by a person with a smile or one without a smile… But I will be voting Ron Paul as well so at least when I get whipped I can smile that I did the right thing. Drop your illusion the same people that picked BO picked MR and MR’s VP who was picked months ago. All we have is an illusion of choice, too bad people have been taught to believe the lies never distrusting enough ask deeper questions to keep us free…
Ok how about this then…
Obi-wan Kenobi 2012: He’s our only hope.
I agree with you, while you are going to vote for a person who has no chance of winning, voting your conscience is never a wasted vote. I don’t agree with him, and will not be voting for him because I don’t agree with him, not because he is unelectable.
@ Dane
Elelctoral level politics is a downward directed informational grindhouse, that only witless proles think matters. It is a side show for people without enough sense of reality to tell its a sideshow.
I think the Paul supporters’ point is that Willard Romney has zero chance of winning either, so real conservatives would rather vote for a someone who at least knows what they want .
It might be what GOP civil war is about.
You have a faction that votes their conscious and is up on the current events on one hand. On the other you have a group that votes the way they are told no matter what the person being foisted upon them believes or past record proves.
All I can add to that is:
” On the other you have a group that votes the way they are told no matter who the corporate controlled, Wall St, establishment has foisted upon them, and no matter what he really believes or his past record proves.” : )
Are people like this this who you should be voting for ?
Ron Paul is not going to win regardless. This is nothing but a waste of money.
Your attitude is why tyranny exits around the world.
You just don’t enjoy reading the truth.
Who said it’s only about winning ? It’s about making a stand, it’s about making people understand that picking the “lesser of two evils” is still “evil”; the mainstream two party system in USA is a joke . There is a choice between the establishment-business-as-usual Obama/Romney or the consistent-non-flip-flopping-prophet-oracle Ron Paul. Keynesian economics has failed, the Federal Reserve Bank has failed, US-bloated-hypocritical foreign policy has failed, civil liberties of US citizenry have been increasingly degraded over the years, etc. Do you really think the “establishment” types want to throw a “spanner” in the works and go for real change and fix America’s systemic problems ? This is why Ron Paul is a threat and the mainstream-lamestream-propaganda media attack Ron Paul, his stances are directly against the “powers that be”. Like Ron Paul has said (words to the effect) , “what’s the point in being president if the people do not understand/agree with my principles (e.g. Austrian economics, Federal Reserve, etc.) and this would make my job very difficult”. Ron Paul realises people need to get out of their comfort zone of ignorance.
well said. God Bless you
I just spoke with Zeus and he does not approve of your comment.
And he still is not going to win.
trolololol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1orMXD_Ijbs
Neither is Romney because of the actions of the GOP. Perhaps this is intentional.
An old saying applies here: cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.
According to the polls Obama has the numbers. We should all stay home. Obama wins. In 2008 Obama led McCain and everyone knew Obama would win. Why bother to vote?
Your attitude reminds me of Chicken Little.
Notice how zero people agree with you. lol
I just posted my comment. lol
And since when does it matter if you have hoards of people behind you or not? Notice how almost every state disagreed with you on Ron Paul and yet, you support him. lol! ;-)~
You compared thinking this is a waste of money to the tyranny that exists in the world — that’s ridiculous and frankly stupid hyperbole. You can disagree with someone without screeching that the sky is falling.
It has nothing to do with money and everything to do with abiding by rules. Those who support Ron Paul should be able to support him at the convention because they abided by the GOP rules. If GOP doesn’t want to go by the rules that they themselves created, well that’s just corrupt whether you like it or not. On a higher level in government, this behavior most likely would be considered tyranny.
You tried to criticize me for not having likes on my post, so if that’s the rubric, I can criticize Ron Paul for not having enough supporters. You can create a double standard if you want, but know that it’s hypocrisy.
LMAO
It doesn’t matter if he wins or not. What the GOP is doing to prevent him from even being at the convention is criminal. If Romney is such a great choice they would have no problem with the fact that he does indeed have plurality in at least 7 states. They are trying to eliminate that in as many as they can before the convention and that is all it is about. f you don’t understand that you are just being a troll and nothing more.
The RNC is a corrupt entity.
Kind of like all of Washington.
Ron Paul won Maine anyway but the crooks hid that fact. He is the people’s choice.
Seat the duly elected delegates now!
Taxpayers are paying for this convention and we want our voices heard!
I think the parties and their contributors pay for their conventions, thus it is automatic that some, but not all, taxpayers chip in.
Taxpayers contributed $18,248,300 million to the Republican and Democratic national committees, or a total of $36.5 million, to hold their presidential nominating conventions in Election 2012. They gave similar amounts to the parties in 2008.
The money comes from the donation on the form 1040…other federal tax dollars don’t go to it.
So two pawns of Rommy’s can contest the delegate seatings.
Charlie you need to go. what the hell kind of deal is giving all the delegates to rommey. they could have voted for him if that was going to happen.
Bill Clinton, Al Gore & Senator Obama supported the California
2006 Prop. 87, a GMO corn ethanol welfare program.
Bill, Al, have changed opinion on the ethanol mandate, I wonder if California
will make this the time for CHANGE?
I support a waiver of the ethanol mandate, voluntary use of ethanol in my gas.
Federal ethanol policy increases Government motors oil use and Big oil profit.
It is reported that today California is using Brazil sugar cane
ethanol at $0.16 per gal increase over using GMO corn fuel ethanol. In this
game the cars and trucks get to pay and Big oil profits are the result that may
be ready for change.
We do NOT support AB 523 or SB 1396 unless the ethanol mandate is
changed to voluntary ethanol in our gas.
Folks that pay more at the pump for less from Cars, trucks, food,
water & air need better, it is time.
The car tax of AB 118 Nunez is just a simple Big oil welfare
program, AAA questioned the policy and some folks still agree.
AB 523 & SB 1326 are just a short put (waiver) from better
results.
GOOGLE: Prop 87 (510)
537-1796
Ron Paul copy/paste trolls~
That has nothing to do with Ron Paul. It is about California, not Texas.
lol, epic fail troll
Do you know what the word epic means?
Audit the fed, support HR 459 Paul
Audit the fed, and Willard Romney’s tax returns, too.
Oh no, Romney is crying again! :)
I don’t think i’m voting this year
The GOP is crap without Ron Paul. It’s time for an all out revolution. We will have to do it on our own.
Good luck with that, but be very careful: history shows that most revolutions tend to eat their children.
Grab your GAS MASK – – – – – – CAUTION – Smoking Guns in the Area ! ! Corruption underway. Watch your step – you could loose a NATION ! ! ! ! !
Usually ROBthePUBLICans only try to stop you from voting if you vote for a Democrat (or independent). Now they’re trying to stop other ROBthePUBLICans from voting for the wrong ROBthePUBLICan…Funny thing is, when all is said and done…those Ron Paul people will line up and vote for Romney in the general election like the good little Kool Aid drinkers they are.
You are clueless , Mitt and Obama both support the patriot act , NDAA , SR347 , a police state and wars…both support Obamacare/Romneycare….I am 60 years old and a lifelong conservative and i will not vote for my detention in a FEMA camp by supporting either of these bank owned puppets…Ron Paul or a fascist bankrupt police state…
Staples said she’s interested in seeing party rules and parliamentary procedures upheld. It she really was then this would not be happening. She lost and now has nothing else to do. She is part of the problem and needs to go away.
Members of the me-me-me party throwing a fit because they didn’t get their way? I’m not surprised. Maine’s caucus was a mess of course and that’s supreme irony because those that created the mess were the same ones who baselessly accused others of voter fraud. There is nothing that can be done now — you’re stuck with Romney because you didn’t have the sense put forth a reasonable candidate that would lead the entire country, not just the cuckoos like Santorum, Bachmann or Paul
Your last sentence is spot-on.
I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat–most of the Dems are too right wing for my politics. I do not support (most) of what Ron Paul stands for.
But I do support his right, and the right of his delegates to put forth his platform. If the Romney crowd are so unsure of their platform that they cannot debate the Paul platform on the merits, that says something about the flimsiness of Romney platform to me.
So as a true outsider, I think the state Republican/Romney crowd seem to be getting what they sowed. I read about their shenanigans over the pre-convention rules and chairman pick–how do you pick a chairman before a group has convened??–and their mid-convention distribution of fake lists of Paul delegate nominees and such.
All shameful. I may not support what you say, but I support your right to say it. Process–that is, HOW you do something–is at least as important as WHAT you do. Following your own internal rules are important. These should never be done informally.
We also need to hear alternate voices during presidential campaigns. How many candidates will be on the ballot in November in Maine, for example? Would it surprise you to learn that it will NOT be just two: Mitt and Bam?
Why do we not know this, why are there no debates set up within the state with proponents of each of the various candidates providing us with the viewpoints of their candidate? Are we that afraid of diversity? Are there not often more than two sides to any story? (Some would argue that the two sides we DO get to hear are just two shades of the same story…)
To paraphrase M. Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilization:
“Q. What do you think about the Western Democracies, Mr. Ghandi?”
“A. That would be a good idea…”
I am voting for Ron Paul. As a nation, we simply can not afford 4 more years of out of control spending and hand outs to big business. This nation of entitlements is going down the toilet and unless we change and soon, the pain this nation will face will make the great depression look like a garden party. Even if Ron Paul gets in, we are all going to be faced with some pain. The days of spending and living way beyond our means have been gone for quite some time.
The GOP is run by thieves and for thieves. At least now libertarians have joined the ranks of well informed progressives that understand that this party is NOT into democracy or the constitution. They are into keeping their wealthy friends wealthy and keeping the power within the same circle. Everything else is incidental to that.
Just as they feel comfortable disenfranchising the poor and elderly and urban dwellers who do not have drivers licenses, they will disenfranchise educated white people too, if that is what it takes to remain in power.
The GOP acts like they OWN the place. Let’s make sure that we send the message that they do not. Be wary of these charlatans. They will do and say whatever they need to in order to get YOU to support them. This includes blasphemously invoking God, promoting hatred against your neighbors and ginning up fear of foreigners. They will even stoop to torture and unlawful surveillance.
Voltaire astutely said in the 1600s: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
With a crowd that always subscribes to an ends justifies the means approach, be wary of them. There is NO LIMIT to what they will do to stay in power. They are the modern face of totalitarianism.
So now they will have a little hearing to DECIDE if the peoples vote should count for anything……
”
political parties generally use their conventions to showcase their presumptive nominees — in this case, Mitt Romney.”
This is completely false. The convention is to choose the nominee. There is no nominee until after the convention. The author of this has no idea how the system he lives in works.
When the GOP sees the RP Folks out in Tampa they will know the mistake they made. All we have to do is represent Ron Paul & Liberty. I also disagree with the GOP and DNC……Constitutional Liberty and morality is what drives me where I need to go.
Is that law firm from Boston representing these Maine challengers the same one that sent Romney’s attorney up at the State GOP Convention itself?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvlTJrNJ5lA
to the corrupt criminals
I Won’t Back Down
The RNC has already self immolated by throwing Paul under the bus. He was America’s last chance at returning to the Constitution, sound money and the rule of law. To say the least, he was “disenfranchised” at all RNC events this year. If he were allowed to speak, at least he could tell the sheep what they have done to the rest of the flock.
Even though I have been registered Republican about 40yrs, I can not vote for Romney after all the cheating the party has done against Ron Paul. Had he won fair and square I might have considered supporting him. But I am now one of the Ron Paul or non at all crowd even if that gives it to Obama, as I see no difference in our future, other than rhetoric if it is down to Obama or Romney.
Charlie Webster, your days are numbered. I suggest you get your resume together. Or move to Boston, I’m sure Mitt Romney has a place for you on his payroll.
The Gop even hate themselves, they should just dissolve the republican party, and become the rich folks who hate the poor, and the religious folks who hate the poor but keep it in the closet.
The Republican delegate fraud is a big, anti-democratic step toward totalitarianism which is much worse than socialism (not to promote it). I will never vote for those old white farts again. And no, I’m not a Democrat either! The whole electoral college / primary delegates is a huge waste of time and vulnerable to hacking by crooked politicians.
“… alleged voting irregularities and procedural violations” usually means that “my side didn’t win.”
Some folks are amused to see that after years of being told by some extremely intelligent rich Republicans, “govmnt bad, govmnt bad, govmnt bad,” a certain class of people — a portion of their voting base that they’ve counted on for years — has actually come to believe this mantra and has embraced a candidate who believes that our govmnt is big and bad. What his provincial followers have not yet realized is that the alternative to a government by the people could be either capitalism or anarchy. And with a period of anarchy there is a chance that corporate America would see a couple of the few remaining U. S. plants burn to the ground.
Because you know the smartest billionaires in the world are not going to let that happen, we are going to be watching the Republican convention with more than passing interest. One might compare it with putting a muzzle on a poorly trained pet dog that has started to bite.
I can’t believe that any Republican could be guilty of voting irregularities or procedural violations, can you? But watching them hashing it over on prime time television might help educate a few undecided voters.
The humble Farmer
Why was the rancid, day-old hash Webster disingenuously offered to the Paul folks called a “compromise” by the media when it was clearly NOT? It was quite simply another insult directed at those of us who dared support a republican candidate other than the one hand selected by the GOP GOBS (Good Old Boys): “You can come to the birthday party, but you can’t have any balloons, favors, ice cream or cake” isn’t exactly a “compromise”, especially when the party is taking place in a hall you helped pay for.
Kudos to the Guv for doing the right thing, however. I have a new, greater respect for him.