Grab the popcorn. I’ll get us a seat

Delegates to the Republican state convention look like they'll have a front-row seat to the best political show in town. Some delegates reportedly are not entirely happy that Republican leaders have tried to block Republican-turned-Libertarian-turned-Republican Sue Jeffers from speaking at the convention, thus disrupting the coronation of Tim Pawlenty.

We got this e-mail today from Dan Coleman. I had to look around a bit to figure out who he was (he's Jeffers' campaign manager), since it didn't indicate in the e-mail that I got. Anyway, it appears this is being sent to delegates, although the names on my e-mail were all media types.

During the 2002 campaign season, Sue Jeffers was considered good enough to work on Tim Pawlenty's behalf. Sue believes the MN Republican Party has abandoned the principles it once stood for - freedom and personal rights, smaller, affordable, and effective government. When Pawlenty discarded party precepts for the wealthy special interests and fees that are not taxes, Sue Jeffers became as disenchanted as many of you have. Unless the right to think or have an opinion has been repealed - the real Republicans of MN still have choices in selecting who will be the candidate.

Once, the Republican Party prided itself on being the political party that grew from the integrity and justice of Abraham Lincoln, the tenacity and vigor of Theodore Roosevelt and the decency and indomitable optimism of Ronald Reagan. As great as those leaders are, it is always the people who make the party excel at the grassroots level. It is the volunteers, who work at the local headquarters stuffing the mailings or knocking on doors. The party people who do the grunt work and carry out often under- recognized but highly necessary jobs deserve to be allowed to hear from candidates with

differing views.

As you have undoubtedly heard, the State GOP is attempting to unfairly block Sue Jeffers' challenge to Governor Pawlenty. All Sue is asking is the opportunity to be heard and give the convention a choice. The obstacles being placed before our campaign go against the principles upon which Republican Party was built. The 10 or 20 percent delegate signature petition smacks of the poll tax of old, which the Democrats used as a discrimination tactic. This is especially irresponsible and misguided in as much as only one candidate has announced her intention to seek the Republican endorsement for governor. Then perhaps it should be argued all candidates must meet this threshold.

The Republican leadership thought and encouraged Sue Jeffers to run for every other office as a Republican, just not governor. Now they want to play insider games, and try to change the rules on a whim, to prevent a new voice from being heard. Apparently, this insidious attitude rests with a few vacuous leaders at the top of the GOP. If they are so positive, their vassal is to be the anointed favorite, then what is the harm? Let Sue speak!

Intimidation, threats, and reprimand have no place in Minnesota elections whether it is the race for governor or failure to allow referendums to come before the voters who are capable of deciding on their own what they want. The government and the party politic belong to the people, not the other way around.

The bottom line here is that fairness and inclusiveness are still alive and well in the MN Republican Party. In order to substantiate this fact to those who deem themselves unaccountable to you for the decisions they unilaterally make - they must be told unequivocally by you, that Republican delegates will not tolerate it.

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