RNC chair race heating up

Posted: Thursday, December 04, 2008 10:51 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Republicans

From NBC's Mark Murray
Last night, Jerry Zandstra, a Michigan Republican who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2006, emailed Republican National Committee members urging them oppose Michigan GOP chair Saul Anuzis' bid for RNC chairman. (Almost every political reporter we know also received the email, which raises this question: Just whose press list was Zandstra using?)

"If you believe the future of the GOP is in building a grassroots organization and utilizing volunteers, then Saul Anuzis will not be your choice for the RNC chair," Zandstra wrote. "I am from Michigan and ran in the US Senate primary in 2006. Saul’s interference into that race was the stuff of legends. [The emphasis was Zandstra's.]

He went on to write, "Since Saul Anuzis became chairman, Michigan Republicans have lost 17 Republican-held State House seats, two incumbent Republican members of Congress... He put the party in $250,000 in debt in an off-election year... The McCain campaign pulled out of Michigan because they did not believe they could win the state. It was not a secret that they were unable to work with the Michigan Republican Party and that is one reason why Michigan did not end up a targeted state." (But wasn't the bigger reason why the McCain camp pulled out of Michigan because it didn't have to money to continue competing there?)

Anuzis, South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson, current RNC chair Mike Duncan, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, and former Huckabee campaign manager Chip Saltsman are the declared or likely candidates for RNC chair, who will be chosen by the party's 168 members in late January.

And Zandstra's email is further evidence that the race for RNC chairman has become much more contentious -- at least publicly -- than the DNC chair contest four years ago, which Howard Dean ended up winning. Already, we've seen oppo passed on Dawson's past membership in a whites-only country club, and there's been scrutiny about Steele's views on abortion.

Meanwhile, a Keep Mike Duncan blog -- operated by an anonymous Republican -- has emerged, which has touted Duncan's successes at the RNC, including all the money the committee raised in the 2008 cycle.

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Comments

Eric, Salinas, CA: '... My Tinseltown Flake governor ofcourse wants to raise sales taxes 1.5 percetage points which will screw the lower and middle classes while he protects his Tinseltown Flake crowd of economic girlie men and women from paying more taxes with a progressive tax hike...'

Eric, granted, the sales tax is more regresive than the income tax.....

But I'll settle for the sales tax !!
We NEED to balance the budget without slaughtering education.
We probably won't even get the sales tax !!
Arnold is reversing course on the Car Registration tax. That was a stupid issue from the beginning

The problem is the 2/3rd requirement for taxes and budgets
We HAVE to recind THAT

PS
I give Arnold credit for saying we need tax increases. What other Republican will say that ?

MSierrs, SF (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:01 AM)

Pic a white, Southern 'good ole' boy' !!

THAT would represent Republicanism

It would be best if he were a holy roller and divorced two or three times
(family values, you know)

MSierrs, SF (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:04 AM)

'...He gathered up empty beer bottles at a nearby table, brought them to the table where my volunteers were sitting, placed them on the table and told the volunteers that perhaps they should collect the deposit money...'

Do you get a deposit on empty Oxy Contin containers?
Rush can REALLY help you with those

'...Among the outrages detailed by the former candidate, conservative activist Jerry Zandstra:

At one of the quarterly meetings of the state committee, Saul saw a group of my volunteers having dinner at a local restaurant. He gathered up empty beer bottles at a nearby table, brought them to the table where my volunteers were sitting, placed them on the table and told the volunteers that perhaps they should collect the deposit money to help raise money for the campaign.

It is hard enough to get people to volunteer to be part of the political process. This kind of sneering remark completely disheartened those who were getting involved for the first time. Because of incidents like this, although we are happy that Saul Anuzis will not be re-elected as Chairman of the Michigan Republican State Committee, we hope that you will not allow him to do to the RNC what he did to the Michigan Republican Party....'

MSierrs, SF (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:10 AM)

Don't you just love how the repuks treat each other?Slinging mud at there own party members.Another shocker, is that another Repuk belongs to a all white golf club,it seems to be trendy.The reason the bomber pulled out of Michigan was there campaign was low on cash.But the trip he took to a auto plant in Detroit where Obama supporters ran him out shouting Obama 08'sealed the deal..I don't recall the repuks making any more trips to the motor city during the campaign.I'm sure all those brothers there scared the hell out of the bomber.

jesse St.Paul Minnesota (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:13 AM)

Don't you just love how the repuks treat each other?Slinging mud at there own party members
---------------------------------------------------
You mean, the way Hillary and Obama did? Sorry, both parties are guilty of that.

Carla, Kansas City (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:21 AM)

Whoever came up with the outrageous idea that Steele could handle the job. As a Maryland democrat I saw him be really good at political games but very poor at getting ANYTHING done. Why else do you think he was unable to win an election for the Senate - and that was after he couldn't get reelected as Lt. Governor. He is great at talking the talk, but can't walk the walk! But then, wouldn't Fox News be happy that one of their talking mouths headed the Republicans. I guesss, as a Democrat, I should hope that he gets selected.

betty coakley (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:26 AM)

Why not your "rising star"? Why not the woman you think is going to save your party? Put your money where your mouth is - Sarah.

Lee in CA (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:27 AM)

shutting down threads awfully early today aren't we?

P (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:32 AM)

No matter what complexion the skin tone is for repubs, rejuvenating the GOP's grassroots, raising money, and competing in every county across the country is nothing but rhetoric.
People like Michel Steele and a Palin only substantiate the repubs new taunt. Therefore, repubs need action rather than meaningless chatter opposing what a person does with their body as in the cases with abortion and gays and other arcane issues.

Their rhetoric has very little to do with today's actions and visons; especially a Michel Steele and a Palin, two clueless people .

Beverly in Chicago (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:34 AM)

Why would anyone in his/her right mind want to be numero uno of that group of losers. Republicans need to take a long vacation and and come to grips with the major reasons why they find themselves in the crapper. Mainly, talk show idiots (consevative types) that think their every word is to be followed without question(s). Ditto heads need to form their own party and let "real" Republicans chart a new direction.

A.Brocco,Albuquerque,NM (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:35 AM)

Typical:

Here we are in a serious economic crises with people losing their homes, incomes and jobs, involved in two policing actions overseas, facing serious terroristic threats in the future, no agreement what to do about our southern border, in the middle of a health care crunch, etc. etc., and we have these idiots battling it out with mudslinging as to who should be the next Republican RNC Chair.

Frankly, who cares! Don't you just feel like grabbing these people and slapping them silly from time to time to help them get their priorities straight. If they devoted as much energey to the problems we face as they do tearing one another down to determine who fills this irrelevant position we just might get somewhere with some solutions.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:45 AM)

Personally, with the state of the country and the state of the party right now, I cannot imagine anyone would WANT the job. This has got to be the toughest transition time the party has faced in my 40+ years. Whoever takes over has an almost impossible task, especially with the 2010 Senatorial cycle likely to push Dems over 60. It is certainly not a job *I* would want to walk into.

Jackson, Seattle (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 12:16 PM)

the reason republicans lost was because they acted like democratic traitors. you know the ones like dodd and frank who gave us the affirmative action market meltdown.all of you fools who voted for president bongo hang onto you hats because he will take us a hell of a ride all of it down hill.democrat commies are the cause of our problems pluss a lack of veto will do us in.

bruce (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 12:26 PM)

Political in-fighting goes on in both parties (which explains why I'm an Independent), but the knees-and-elbows fighting to get to the top of the RNC heap DOES NOT improve the Repub brand any. Figure out who you are FIRST, and then find the leader who fits that mold (and can sell it best).

Indie Woman in Denver (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 12:28 PM)

The Republican Party failed when it abandoned its roots to SMALL GOVERNMENT and INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. It is nothing more than a watered down Democrat Party run by religious freaks who want to use government, as the Liberals would, to IMPOSE their PERSONAL lifestyle and agenda on all Americans.

If the GOP ever wants to win again, steal the policy platform of the Libertarian Party! At least it is credible.

And Saul Anuzis is a joke! He actively supported Pat Robertson for President in 1988! No wonder the Michigan GOP has never won anything since he's been in charge!

Florence Schneider (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 12:32 PM)

We Republicans have an opportunity here. Define a new message for the next generation. These next 18 months will have us acting like the NTSB combing the wreckage to find the cause.

Many argue that we keep harping to Reagan. I argue that Reagan, in the 80's, simply made policy the strong Libertarian and Federalist policies that Goldwater fought for in the 60's.

I argue that we need to look beyond Reagan/Goldwater and revisit the ideals which they simply made popular, the topic of dinner tables and policy. We need to look to the writings of men such as FA Hayek, Milton Friedman, John Locke and Cicero.

Democracy is not the end. It is rather simply the means by which liberty can flourish.

Rob, from Iowa (Sent Thursday, December 04, 2008 1:27 PM)

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