Chirpy Obama Showtunes For Local Politics

The big spending attitude trickles right down to the local level in song

By Ozboy

I was astounded to find that our very own little pointy headed Ogden mayor has the same personal theme song as Obama, Reid, and that toothy old broad from California.

You can see and hear it right here:

Tim Hawkins - The Government Can

Spend Two Trillion Bucks and Whattaya Get...

You owe your soul to the welfare state

Here's a great video sent to us from one of our stalwart Weber County Republican readers:



Gotta say it's great to hear great new lyrics from Tennessee Ernie Ford again, after all these years!

Hell's bells! We'd thought old TE Ford had already been called by St. Peter, some years ago!

And who knew he was also a savvy and fiscally conservative economist?

Gubernatorial Inauguration Report

Ogden City Councilwoman Jeske reports on yesterday's Capitol Hill ceremonies

By Dorrene Jeske
Ogden City Council

I'd just like to share the wonderful experience I had at the State Capitol yesterday.
Hundreds of people were already seated and milling around the Capitol Rotunda a few minutes after 11:00 AM. It made one wonder if the seating was opened early. Even at that early hour, there were no seats available. The occasion was Ambassador Huntsman’s farewell speech and the inauguration of Lt. Gov. Gary R. Herbert as the 37th Governor of Utah. As I looked around, I saw Rep. Brad Dee, Rep. Kerry Gibson, Rep. Curt Oda, Rep. Neil Hansen, Sen. Scott Jenkins, Sen. Allen Christensen, Sen. Jon Greiner and many other members of the Legislature. I also saw former Ogden Councilman Robert DeBoer.

The Utah National Guard was in charge of the meeting. They did a very professional job, and the federal government would have been hard pressed to improve on the quality of the program. National Guard Adjutant General Brian L. Tarbet performed the duty of Master of Ceremony with dignity and preciseness. He acknowledged Greg Bell, the soon-to-be Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, Representative Waddoups, and Utah Chief Justice Christine Durham. Carmen Herbert, daughter of Gary and Jeanette Herbert, sang a beautiful rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”

After Bishop Wester of the Salt Lake Catholic Church, gave the invocation, the Rotunda was filled with the melodic and beautiful strains of “America, the Beautiful,” sung by the American Festival Choir, accompanied by the Utah National Guard Orchestra.

Ambassador Huntsman stated that his decision to accept the position as U.S. Ambassador to China had left him with a feeling of emptiness. He said that he was leaving the most enjoyable and rewarding job that he had ever held. He praised Lt. Gov. Herbert and said that Utah is the best prepared state in the nation. Lt. Gov. Herbert has spent the last five years going throughout the State, meeting with local officials and business leaders promoting the joint “Are You Ready?” program. He wished continued success for a state that deserves the very best. He said that he was turning over to Governor Herbert a significant treasure and told him that it was his job to enhance its luster. “Serving has been a privilege and I felt your support. We are all Utahns working hard and with integrity for the greatest state in the nation. We represent the attitude of our great nation working together for the future.” The crowd was on its feet giving Ambassador Huntsman a standing ovation. The applause, whistling and cheering was loud and very long. A twenty-one gun salute paid tribute to him.

Governor Gary Herbert was sworn in as the 37th governor of Utah. The orchestra played John Phillip Sousa’s arousing “Stars and Stripes Forever” as the National Guard gave a 21-gun salute to our new governor. He received the same standing ovation, loud and long applause, whistling and cheering before and after he spoke.

“Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!” were his first words as Utah’s governor. “I cannot take the oath of governor without asking for help from a greater being.” He acknowledged Ambassador Huntsman’s skill and efforts by saying that Utah is the best managed state in the nation. He thanked Ambassador Huntsman for his service and economic dynamics as he assumes “this most important assignment. The State of Utah is most likely to be the first state to recover from the recession.”

“It is time for unprecedented partnerships to create economic stability. When we get the economy right, other things fall into place.” He mentioned companies like Winder Dairies of West Valley, and Gossner Cheese of Cache Valley. “They are successful entrepreneurs, and we must work with them, and with local businesses for continued success. We must recruit new businesses to come to Utah like Proctor & Gamble and EBay. We will make it happen.” He considers it “free enterprise” and free enterprise is freedom. “We need to work to promote free enterprise.”

“We place great value on education. Early pioneers sacrificed to make sure that their children had an education. Our success depends on our quality of education. We need to have a seamless education for our children. . . it is their passport to the world. It will help formalize a ‘Hands-on approach to working with all Stakeholders.’”

Energy will be his third issue to emphasize. “Utah has great resources. We must develop them wisely and responsibly. We need to be concerned with clean air and clean water.” He used the geo-thermal plant, the solar plant and other alternative energy sources as examples. “We must do our part to help the United States to be energy independent.”

He said that he had gratitude for our freedoms and that we must never take for granted the sacrifices of others that make it possible to live in peace and freedom today. “As government grows, liberty contracts.” (He received approval of that statement loudly and strongly.)

He said that we must live prudently. “We should not spend more than we earn, but live within our means. We should demand of government what we can pay for, and we should only pay for what we demand! Governments were created for the people and not the other way around. We should build from the bottom up so that we’re not top heavy.” (He received a long and loud applause at this point.)

He said that during the five and a half years, he has travelled throughout the state, and he will continue to travel listening and communicating with people. He said that the pioneers “made the desert blossom as a rose by working together. We need to follow them to make Utah successful. We can make Utah’s light shine as it never has before. We need to pledge to work together.” (I couldn’t help but compare Governor Herbert’s philosophy and method of operation for success in achieving goals with Mayor Godfrey’s approach of “don’t tell the Council anything, and work behind their back, and make plans behind closed doors so that they and the public don’t know what we’re doing.” Do you think Godfrey will ever catch on to the fact that communication, cooperation and working together are integral components for success?)

Ambassador Huntsman and Mary Kay left the Rotunda and said a few goodbyes. He removed his suit jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, donned a helmet and climbed aboard a big Harley Davidson. He took his place beside a Highway Trooper and led the motorcade off the Capitol premises.

President Thomas S. Monson gave the benediction. His first sentence was: “We are grateful for the opportunity to attend these ceremonies.” That was precisely how I and many others felt. The National Guard conducted everything with dignity and the proper décorum. The music was superb and more than once brought tears to my eyes and lodged a lump in my throat. The American Festival Choir sang their final song, “God Bless America.” I will close as they did:

“God Bless America, my home, sweet home!”

Editor's addendum: The Standard-Examiner has an associated press story on this topic up on its "live" website, along with a couple of interesting slideshows.

Special Weber County GOP Central Committee Meeting -- June 2, 2009

The Weber County Treasurer's slot suddenly needs to be filled

Interesting development in Weber County GOP politics. If your read the Standard-Examiner's May 15, 2009 story, you'd already know that Weber County Treasurer Nila Dayton has retired from her Weber County Treasurer's seat, after 14 years of exemplary public service.

As a result of Ms. Dayton's sudden retirement, the Weber County GOP Central Committee will be called upon to fill this office between elections.

Here is the date, time and location of the next special Weber County GOP Central Committee meeting, which is now being convened for the sole purpose of filling the Treasurer's spot.

Date: June 2, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Ogden Preparatory Academy

The Weber County Central Committee is composed of Weber County GOP Precinct Officers (Chairs and Vice chairs), and voting Executive Committee members, including Administrative County GOP officers.

We hereby provide the current list of Weber County Central Committee members, just so all committee members can be sure their names are on the official list:

• Weber County GOP Central Committee Members

In the event that some Weber County GOP Central Committee members may somehow miss it, here's your Call to a Special Central Committee meeting, which you should be receiving by "snail mail' any day now.

We'll post the meeting Agenda and Rules here on this page as an update, as soon as they are available.

Update 6/1/09 4:00 p.m.: Please take notice that the following four individuals have submitted letters of intent to the Party Chair to run for County Treasurer at tomorrow's 6/2/09 Emergency County Central Committee Meeting. Click the highlighted text for more information:

• John Bond
• Elizabeth Carlin
• Greg Haws
• Darcy Kruitbosch

Update 6/1/09 9:30 p.m.: We are delighted to be able to finally provide our 2009 Special County Central Committee Meeting Agenda and Rules. To view this document, click the link below:

• Central Committee Meeting Agenda & Rules

We'll see you all tomorrow at the meeting.

Post Meeting Update 6/2/09 8:35 p.m.: Here are the final voting results from tonight's Special Central Committee meeting, along with the vote tally for three top three Weber County Treasurer candidate finalists:

John Bond- 61 votes
Darcy Kruitbosch - 49
Greg Haws - 20

These top three finishers will now go through the interview process, with the final selection to be made by our Weber County Commissioners.

Update 6/23/09 1:35 p.m.: the Standard Examiner reports that John Bond has been appointed by the Weber County Commission as our new Weber County Treasurer:

• Bond appointed to Weber County Treasurer position

We heartily congratulate Mr. Bond on his new appointment, and thank all candidates and County Central Committee members for their dedicated and robust participation in this important governmental process.

3/28/09 Central Committee Notes

State Central Committee Meeting - Dixie Center - St. George

By Ricky Hatch
Legislative Chair, District 6

The weather couldn't have been nicer as we shuffled into the large windowless conference room at the Dixie Center in St. George. But the first SCC of 2009 was definitely worth it. Here's the scoop:

Chairman Stan Lockhart gave an open and even personal Chair Report, which was well received. He referred to a couple of well-written emails that he had sent out over the past couple of weeks.

Lowell Nelson submitted some proposed Constitution and Bylaws changes, which will be on the agenda at the Q2 SCC meeting.

Business: Two resolutions were passed. The first related to Employment Verification, by Don Larsen and Robert Wren. It basically supported a recommendation that Utah employers be diligent in verifying the legal status of potential employees. This was a much nicer and cleaner resolution than one written back in February. It passed by about 80% to 20%.

The second resolution gave official support the HJR8 (Here's a short refresher for those of you who are as ignorant as I am: A resolution is basically a statement of principle – it doesn't really do anything other than that. “HJR” stands for “House Joint Resolution” which means that the House and the Senate worked on this resolution together. It lends a little more credibility to the resolution.) It appears that labor unions spent about $1 Billion on national elections in '08, and now they're looking for payback. If someone wants to form a union at a business, they need to get 30% of the employees to state that they want a union, and then all employees vote by secret ballot to create a union or not. The national union leaders and our donkey friends want to replace the secret ballot with a very non-secret “Card Check,” which puts pressure on employees to vote for a union, so they don't get their shins bashed in if they vote against having a union (OK – I am kidding – those days are long gone, unless your name is Nancy Kerrigan). The bill that the Dems are trying to pass is called the “Employee Free Choice Act.” Don't be fooled by the flowery words – this “Card Check Bill” promotes anything but Free Choice. I'm guessing Tonya Harding's boyfriend supports it. The Utah State House and Senate passed, along party lines, a resolution opposing this bill, during the '09 session, and the State Republican Party wanted to demonstrate their support for the resolution by passing their own resolution. And they did – 52 to 1.

National committeeman Bruce Hough was not present, due to Party business. He's been placed on the Governor's Commission on Democracy, and National Committeewoman Enid Mickelsen was also excused, because she was on assignment for the party. Actually, most every elected official was not at the meeting. But Gary Herbert was. Here's what he had to say:

He reaffirmed that the State is in good shape. They cut the budget by the same amount that unions spent on the national elections (Ha! I knew you'd have to go back and look.) without having to touch the Rainy Day fund. He felt that this was one of the best legislative sessions that he remembers. Although there was a 9% overall cut in the budget, education only got a 5.2% decrease. He ended his legislative comments by saying, “Give your Republican legislators a hug.” Kerry and Scott, will you settle for a handshake and a pat on the back? Seriously, our elected representatives did a great job – thank you!

Lt. Governor Herbert feels that the US populace, in general, is right of the center, but that Washington and the media either don't or won't recognize that. He said that President Bush's record has been “significantly maligned and distorted,” and he listed 5 myths about Bush's term, and why they are myths. You want them in detail? Go get elected and come to the SCC meetings, or just come anyway – everyone is welcome, even the press. The 5 myths were about the economy, tax cuts, foreign policy, and the environment (I know, that's only 4 topics. I can't remember the 5^th one. So sue me.).

Only one Auxiliary report: Ed Cox is graduating, so a young man named Randy is the newly elected chairman of the Young Republicans. He said that the age range for Young republicans is 18-40 years. They have their own new Facebook page with almost 200 members already (although Mark Shurtleff is a member, and I think he just might be a little over the age limit).

Phil Fauver from Emery County presented some interesting statistics: of the 6,436 registered voters in Emory county, 2,824 were registered Republicans, 337 were Democrats, and 3,185 were unaffiliated. He suggested we obtain the voter registration documents from our own counties and check them out – we might learn something.

There was some discussion about a reallocation of delegates. The number of delegates representing rural areas is decreasing, and some ideas were tossed around about how to ensure that these important areas are properly represented in the State Party. No decisions were made, except the decision to discuss it more in the future.

The meeting was adjourned and Stan Lockhart held an open, honest Q & A session. Then several candidates for State Chair, Vice Chair, and other state party offices introduced themselves. Then we were back out in the sweet Southern Utah sun.
--
Carpe Diem

Weber County Organizing Convention: April 30, 2009

The full array of convention documents is available here

Weber County Convention Delegates Please Take Note:

Our Weber County GOP Organizing Convention has been calendered for the following date, time and location:

Date: April 30, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Ogden Preparatory Academy

County delegates can click the link below to view your Call to Convention, County Convention 2009 Agenda and Rules and County Convention 2008 April Minutes:

2009 Organizing Convention Documents

Be sure to print out your own copies for reference at the convention.

Summary of Our 3/3/09 Lincoln Day Dinner

Good food, good company, good principles – sounds like a Weber County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner

By Ricky Hatch
Treasurer - Weber County Republican Party

Once again Weber State University was the site for our Lincoln Day Dinner. Rather than go into detail about the meaningful flag ceremony by the WSU ROTC Color Guard, the scrumptious food, shimmering decorations, and scintillating dinner conversations, I’ll get right to the point – some great speakers.

Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert talked about the strength of the State of Utah. He pointed out that for the past 20 years, this state has always been recognized as one of the best financially managed states in the Union. Is it then a coincidence that, for the most part, this state has had Republican leadership during that same time period? He thinks not and neither do you. He said that it’s easy to legislate when the coffers are full. Unfortunately, this year’s environment can’t quite be described that way. But the Lt. Governor stressed that during our last legislative session, our Weber County elected officials were FANTASTIC.

He cited The Economist magazine, which said America has led in every major category in the 21st century. Why? Because freedom works. Capitalism is not a dirty word. In Utah, we will live within our means, balance our budget, adhere to the principles of the Republican Party, and we will keep government off your backs and out of your wallets. We need to do more “missionary work” about capitalism and the free market.

National Committeeman Bruce Hough talked about the race for the Republican National Committee Chairman. It was considered one of the most rigorous races in memory. All 6 of the candidates visited Utah, and Mr. Hough went to Minnesota undecided. Michael Steele, Chairman of the South Carolina State party was elected after 6 rounds of voting, and is very capable of articulating the party’s message.

Mr. Hough talked about how one of the most important purposes of the RNC is the get Republicans elected. He also confirmed that he is in fact the father of the two Hough dancers on “Dancing with the Stars.”

The keynote speaker of the night was economic futurist Jeff Thredgold, who believes that God created economists to make astrologers look good. Actually, Jeff was very entertaining and enlightening. He caught our attention by stating that the period we’re in is the stuff our grandkids will read about in textbooks, but the basic message is “we will get through this-we always have.”

He gave plates full of statistics, and then listed 4 silver bullets on how we can get through this recession (Hmm…I wonder how many he would need to say before being thrown out of a Democratic fundraising dinner): 1) Limited Government, 2) Individual Responsibility, 3) Reduced Taxes, 4) Investment in the Stock Market. He said national unemployment will hit 9%, and that the recovery will start in Q4 of ’09.

Other “powerful” numbers: in 1980, the average college grad earned 25% more than the average high school grad. Today, he or she earns 90% more. If you have strong computer skills, you earn 15-20% more than a non-techno-dork. One out of every 3 college students is over 40 years old. 65,000 new web sites are created every minute. A universal language voice translator will be available on the market by the summer of 2010. C’est chouette!

Jeff said the Federal Reserve is more concerned about deflation than inflation. Twelve to 14 years ago, the US was a “bloated dinosaur.” But now we’re powerful, more innovative, flexible and dominant. The three guaranteed growth sectors are 1) Health care, 2) Financial Planning, and 3) Leisure and Entertainment (think of a wave of Baby Boomers getting ready to retire). Seven critical industries of the future: Technology, Transportation, Telecommunications, Financial Services, Energy, Entertainment, and Bio-medical.

He closed by saying that economics can be boiled down to one statement: “People respond to incentives.” That’s why Communism and Socialism are imploding, and that’s why the US will get through this recession.

Good food, good company, good principles – sounds like a Weber County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner.

Weber County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner -- March 3, 2009

After numerous inquiries, we're delighted to finally announce the calendering of this important upcoming Weber County Republican Party annual event:

The Weber County Republican Party cordially invites you to attend our annual Lincoln Day Dinner.

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Time: 6:00 PM Social; 6:30 PM Dinner
Where: Weber State University, Shepherd Union Ballroom B
Dress: Business
Special Guest Speaker: Jeff Thredgold, Economic Futurist

Each guest will receive a copy of Mr. Thredgold’s On the One Hand... The Economist’s Joke Book.

Sponsor the Event:

“Lincoln” Table: $1500 *
“Reagan” Table: $1000
8 seats to a table

Couples: $75
Individuals: $50

RSVP by Feb. 20, 2009

Tickets and Info:

Matt Bell: 725-8771, mattbell@xmission.com
Christie Moore: 510-6634, Chrisim001@aol.com
----
*”Lincoln” level sponsors may choose an elected official to sit with them, if available

The 2008 Election Aftermath: The National GOP Flails For Answers to the Tuesday Bloodbath

No simple-minded Scapegoats: Arizona's House Rep Jeff Flake "cuts through the crap," and throws the beleaguered U.S. GOP a life raft.

In the wake of John McCain's defeat, and the Tuesday night clobbering of GOP legislative and gubernatorial candidates across the USA, Sarah Palin seems to have been selected by some nitwits as the "scapegoat." From this morning's (London Daily) Mail Online:

'Palin didn't know Africa was a continent': McCain aides begin Republican mud-slinging in wake of defeat

The most savvy and ethical members of what remains of the Republican congressional delegation in Washington know better. Be sure to read Arizona U.S. House Representative Jeff Flake's fine Washington Post analysis, reprinted in today's Standard-Examiner. It's a simple plea to get back to basics:

A way out of the wilderness for the GOP

Food for thought for all Republicans, including those from Utah whom, for the most part, dodged the "Bush backlash bullet" at least this year. Once formerly-connected folks like Hatch, Bennett and Bishop have their offices banished under the Obama administration to Washington linen closets however, the great tide of money which has flowed from our Washington legislators into the Utah party, and to various county parties within Utah will be severely diminished. Don't think for a minute, Utah Republicans, that Tuesday's Obama landslide won't affect Utah politics in the long run.

And an additional note in passing. If Washington GOP legislative leadership doesn't elect fresh new leadership this year, and if it fails to oust the neoCON Faction, I think a strong argument can be made that our beloved GOP party, the party of Abraham Lincoln, is doomed, at least as a national party.

Lodge your pro and con views in our comments section below.

Washington Times: Lawsuit Questions Obama's Eligibility for Office

This is interesting:

Lawsuit questions Obama's eligibility for office

From the 8/28/08 Washington Times article:

Pennsylvania's former deputy attorney general and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter Philip J. Berg has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania accusing presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of lying about his U.S. citizenship, which would make him ineligible to be president.
Mr. Berg is one of a faction of Clinton supporters who haven't heeded the party's call for unity, filing the suit just days before the opening of the Democratic National Convention, which will nominate Mr. Obama as the party's presidential candidate.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia last week, also names the Democratic National Committee and the Federal Election Commission and says Mr. Obama´s mother went to Kenya late in her pregnancy and ended up giving birth there. It also claims that later in life, Mr. Obama declared himself a citizen of Indonesia.

More information is available here.

I don't recall this item being reported anywhere in the traditional national press. Of course the things ordinary citizens such as your blogmaster don't know about would definitely fill libraries.

The 2008 general election gets more interesting by the moment, doesn't it?

Comments, anyone?

Sarah Palin: The Woman of the People

GOP VP candidate more popular than either John or Barack

This is very interesting. Here are few few lead paragraphs from this afternoon's Yahoo News story, in the wake of the GOP National Nominating Convention:

A week ago, most Americans had never heard of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Now, following a Vice Presidential acceptance speech viewed live by more than 40 million people, Palin is viewed favorably by 58% of American voters. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% hold an unfavorable view of the self-described hockey mom.

The figures include 40% with a Very Favorable opinion of Palin and 18% with a Very Unfavorable view. Before her acceptance speech, Palin was viewed favorably by 52%. A week ago, 67% had never heard of her.

The new data also shows significant increases in the number who say McCain made the right choice and the number who say Palin is ready to be President. Generally, John McCain's choice of Palin earns slightly better reviews than Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden.

Perhaps most stunning is the fact that Palin's favorable ratings are now a point higher than either man at the top of the Presidential tickets this year. As of Friday morning, Obama and McCain are each viewed favorably by 57% of voters. Biden is viewed favorably by 48%.

Read the full story here: Palin Power: Fresh Face Now More Popular Than Obama, McCain

Gotta hand it to John McCain for this great off-the-wall selection. His maverick instincts once again shake up the U.S. political establishment, as per usual.

If in doubt, pick a "hottie", I suggest.

Looks to be a VERY interesting U.S. presidential campaign season, no?

Archive photo: Sarah draws a bead on U.S. liberals (Click to enlarge image):


Is there anyone who has anything negative to say about this?

Ha-ha. I didn't think so...

Is Barack Obama the Messiah?

It's hard to conclude whether this is a serious website... or merely a spoof:

Is Barack Obama the Messiah?

Either way, it certainly captures the mindless and heavily emotional "spirit" of the Democratic Party 2008 presidential campaign however, doesn't it?

Well....?

Don't forget to contribute your own comment.

8/7/08 GOP State Committee Meeting Notes

The Gop 8/7/08 GOP State Central Committee meeting, as interpreted by a GOP insider from Weber County

By Ricky Hatch
Legislative Chair, District 6

Intrigue, innuendo, implications, inferences, and "intertainment" - they were all there on Saturday August 23 at the State Central Committee (SCC) meeting at the Merit Medical Building in South Jordan.

The cause? Mitt Romney's request to release all of Utah's national delegates so they could vote for John McCain. In 1,000 words or less, I'll try to give you an accurate picture of this surprisingly complex issue.

Fact: Our state party's bylaws state: "On the first ballot, the national delegation shall be bound to vote for the candidate who has received the most votes in the Republican Presidential Primary...." This seems pretty clear, especially since Mr. Romney received 90% of Utah's Republican votes in February.

Now add a dash of confusion: Mitt Romney sent a letter to the State Party asking to have the delegates released, as he is "no longer a formal candidate."

And a teaspoon of controversy: At the State Convention, a motion was made to do something similar to releasing the delegates. Keep in mind that Mr. Romney had already withdrawn from the race at this point. The state delegates overwhelmingly rejected this motion by tabling it indefinitely.

Sprinkle with perceived condescension: Does the Utah GOP State Central Committee have the authority (let alone the gall) to go against the 3,000+ state delegates and 265,000 primary Republican voters and release these delegates?

Mix all of this in a room with 92 committee members (and at least 92 opinions) and you've got a raucous Republican Ratatouille.

Here's how Stan Lockhart presented it: The word "candidate" in the bylaws is ambiguous. Does it mean that the delegates are bound to the candidate who at the time of Utah's primary election got the most votes? Or does it mean that they are bound to the candidate at the national convention who got the most votes during the Utah primary?

The first interpretation (a primary-election candidate) binds them to Mitt without exception. The second interpretation (a convention-election candidate) leads to another not-so-simple question: Will John McCain be the only nominee at the national convention? Even though Mitt Romney withdrew from the race, is he still considered a candidate? FYI, the RNC's Rule # 40 states that in order to be a candidate, you must "demonstrate the support of a majority of the delegates from each of 5 or more states." Romney certainly had that in the 11 states he carried before withdrawing. Does he have the authority to remove himself as a candidate, or are the delegates bound to follow their state bylaws and vote for him?

Let's look at this through 1968 lenses and pretend, for argument's sake, that Mr. Romney were Robert Kennedy (it's just pretend, so calm down). Robert Kennedy was the presumptive Democratic nominee, but was assassinated before the national convention. How much sense would it make to cast the votes for someone who was not even alive? Yet, that is what this first interpretation says the delegates must do. Using Robert Rules of Order, that would be considered an "absurd result."

Thankfully, Mr. Romney is alive and kicking somewhere between Denver and Minneapolis. But should our delegates be bound to him? Using the "absurd result" argument, the state party wrote a "standing rule," which is basically a band aid used to clarify ambiguity in our bylaws until the bylaws can be changed. This was reviewed by the party's legal firm and submitted to the SCC. The standing rule clarified that the candidate referred to in our bylaws meant the candidate at the time of the national convention. This means that if Mitt Romney is still considered a candidate the first week in September, our delegation will be bound to vote for him. If he is not considered a candidate, the delegation must vote for John McCain, who got the 2nd most votes (15,000) in Utah.

There was a lot of discussion about whether this was using a back door, circumventing the rules of the party and the desire of the state delegates and voters. Some argued that this was changing the bylaws, which can only be done at the State Convention. Others said that standing rules like this are used only to clarify the bylaws, and therefore are under the jurisdiction of the SCC. Some said that we should focus on giving support to Sen. McCain. Others said that if we don't follow our own rules, how can anyone trust us. Both sides had meritorious arguments, and I'll admit I changed opinions at least once.

After 20 minutes of pro/con debates, the SCC voted 70 – 12 to pass the standing rule. Now the real question is whether or not Mitt Romney is considered a candidate. I guess we'll find out in September.

I'm sure Stan Lockhart had been getting a lot of heat from the RNC to release these votes, and I'm sure many people think he came up with this "candidate" ambiguity as an excuse to release the votes. I can't question his motives or his methods. But as I read the rules, they weren't clear to me. Regardless of this standing rule, I sure hope we get them clarified before the next presidential election.

I had to leave the meeting a little early, but I heard Lt. Governor Herbert say that Jon Hunstman will be speaking at the National Convention. This is the first time in Mr. Herbert's memory that a Utah Governor has spoken at a national convention, and is quite an honor.

Oh, and I accidentally stole State Senator Curt Bramble's seat in the middle of the meeting. Oops!

Articles about the releasing of delegates:

GOP central committee to meet about Romney delegates

State GOP Convention: Party chairman wants delegates to back McCain

It's the rules: Utah to vote for Romney

State Central Committee Meeting - 6/14/08

Not a meeting to attend if you were in need of sleep

By Ricky Hatch
House Legislative District 6 Chair

I told my friend Tiffany who came with me to the State Central Committee meeting that she should probably bring a book to read, because sometimes these meetings can be real yawners. I was wrong.

The Constitution and Bylaws Committee has a new email, cb@utgop.org, where you can submit your thoughts and ideas for all of them to read. This is helpful, because a new section, Section 7.5 of the Bylaws, "Standing Convention Rules," was given to the SCC in draft format on Saturday. They want us to read it, comment on it, and vote on it before November.

Lt. Governor Herbert spoke about the Presidential race being a race of personality (Obama) versus principles (McCain). He thanked everyone for their support in the Governor's re-election campaign, and stated that they'll be focusing primarily on the economy, especially on how they can help enable the private sector to succeed mostly by getting out of its way. He also talked about the controversy over the State Treasurer's race. I'll summarize his comments below.

We voted to fill a vacant position of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. Jack Powers was elected with 30 votes. Mike Thompson got 23 votes and Kristin Chevrier (French for "goat raiser" - I'm serious) got 18 votes. There were a lot more than 71 people there.

A few amendments to the Bylaws and Resolutions gave the meeting its verve. If you want to see them, click here: Every one was voted down, after some lively debate on both sides. Our own Weber Country GOP Chairman Matt Bell made a good point in one of the debates.

Rob Bishop gave a relaxed one-minute speech from the back of the auditorium, sitting down. He mentioned that on July 2nd, the Republicans in office will make a Declaration of Energy Independence, introducing legislation to reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

National Committeewoman Nancy Lord talked about the fundamental proposed reform on when presidential primaries can be held. The Republican Rules Committee passed the Ohio Plan, which is a hybrid of a couple of different plans, and which is (surprise, surprise) the least controversial plan out there. It breaks the states out into 5 pods. 1-The "First States," (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and 1 or 2 more I can't remember) which would have their primaries on February 1st. 2-The "Small States," including all territories, and states with 3-5 electoral votes. They'll vote anytime after the Monday of the 3rd week of February. Pods 3-5 are the Rotating Pods, which are made up of the following:

X – Utah and several other states

Y – California and other "medium-sized states"

Z – New York and other "large states"

The order of these states' voting will be determined by a lottery in 2012, and then will rotate for the next presidential 2 election cycles. i trying to get Utah (& 3 other states) added to the first pod, which would put our elections earlier than most?

The Utah Republican Women spoke about the upcoming conference at the SLCC Larry H. Miller campus in Sandy. The conference is called, "From Sea to Shining Sea," and looks to be excellent. It's on Saturday, June 28th. For more info, click here and go down to the April 29th entry. You'll be glad you did.

The Republican Hispanic Assembly raised $25,000 for John McCain, the highest donation amount by any Hispanic Assembly in the 50 states!

The Teenage Republicans are sending 7 kids to Washington DC next week, the most kids they've ever sent. They need an advisor for their Weber County chapter. Please, someone step forward and help these great kids make a difference!

Lt. Governor Herbert's discussion of the Treasurer controversy:

A complaint was filed about an alleged election code violation by Mark Walker. The Lt. Gov's office's responsibility is to gather the information and make a determination as to whether or not the alleged wrongdoing warrants an investigation by the Attorney General's office. The Lt. Governor is a friend of both Republican candidates and stated repeatedly that his first duty is to the public, and that he is being completely neutral in this information gathering.

LG Herbert said that there's a lot of information to gather and process, and he can't possibly have it resolved prior to the primary elections. Some people, Enid Greene included, feel that she should make his decision prior to the primaries. He and his attorney said that even if they could have gathered all of the info in time, they legally cannot resolve the issue before the general election. Why? - you'll have to get the non-Cliff Notes version of the committee meeting, probably by calling the Lt. Gov's office. There are options and possible resolutions other than going through the Lt. Gov's office.

The Utah State Supreme Court decided on Friday that Lt. Gov. Herbert did NOT have to reveal his findings and opinion prior to the primaries. Herbert said this was a victory for the Separation of Powers of the State.

A couple of articles on this issue: Utah court enters election flap; and High court to weigh alleged election-code breach.

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Carpe Diem