Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation
Press Release:
Virginia Tea Party Patriot Federation Chairman Mark Lloyd today issued the following statement in response to former Governor George Allen hiring veteran political operative Mike Thomas to be his campaign manager in his bid to run Virginia’s Senate seat:
“Former Governor George Allen’s announcement that Mike Thomas will be his campaign manager is a typical example of the Republican establishment trying to tighten its grip on power in the face of the growing Tea Party movement. Although this sort thing has come to be expected it never ceases to be disappointing.
“Mike Thomas is a long-time Republican operative and the personification of establishment go-along-to-get-along Republicans in D.C. over the last decade. And his elevation now reveals that many Republicans have still not learned the message of the past election cycle: The people are sick and tired of the establishment.
“To add insult to injury, Mike Thomas has spent the last few years hard at work rigging the system for Allen to win the Party’s nomination; for example, insisting on a primary instead of a convention to nominate the GOP candidate for Senate in order to blunt the energy and passion of the Tea Party. Instead of representing the interests of rank-and-file Republicans in Virginia, Thomas has been representing the interests of George Allen. Even if folks support Allen for Senate, this sort of thing is just wrong.
“An honest examination of the situation reveals a clear conflict of interest to anyone watching. Now that Thomas has come out of the back room to officially assume the position he’s always been playing since Allen was voted out of office, he must resign all positions he holds with the Chesterfield County Republican Party and the Republican Party of Virginia.
“For the good of the GOP and the many Tea Party patriots who are trying to bring the party back to its principles, resigning from all positions of trust to the Republican Party is the only honorable thing Thomas can do.
“After all, the Tea Party is as much a result of the Republican Party’s government mismanagement, irresponsible spending, and government bailouts of the over the last decade as it is a reaction to incomprehensible binge spending and government takeovers of the Obama Administration. When they were in power, the GOP increased our national debt by more than 50 percent and expanded an already bloated federal government.
“The Republican landslide of November was thanks in large part to the energy, enthusiasm and determination of Tea Party supporters. Allen and Thomas know that a sincere and critical review Allen’s senate voting record does not stand up well against the principles of the Tea Party — fiscal responsibility, Constitutional fidelity, limited government and accountability. And that is why they are avoiding rank-and-file Republicans at a nominating convention, where these differences would be highlighted.
“The worst part is that Mike Thomas favored a convention for George Allen back in 1993 when he ran for governor. The question people, including the media, should be asking of the Allen campaign is, what’s changed since ’93?”
Thoughtful comments ……thank you~
It’s information like “insisting on a primary instead of a convention to nominate the GOP candidate for Senate in order to blunt the energy and passion of the Tea Party.” that help me to know when the Republicans are working for themselves and not for the people.
I appreciate the continued work and communication from the Tea Party to enumerate the tactics of worn-out, re-tread, turn-coat politicians and their minions to undermine what the people of Virginia want to see.
George Allen, this is not your father’s election campaign. We are informed and united and are looking for viable conservative candidates – not the same old political hacks ignoring us. It seems the best the RNC can do is keep serving up the same people that have already compromised and let us down; and keep money from flowing to new people that have are interests at heart.
The last thing we need is another RINO. WE need a NO RINO zone in America.
In the interest of correctness, I have to note that the selection of a primary for the 2012 VA Senate nomination was favored by almost all of the admitted candidates at that time. The process of nomination was voted on by the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia in mid November 2010.
It was a widely split vote. I was in attendance by proxy and cast a vote for convention. I was carrying the proxy in place of another potential candidate who had originally agreed to carry it but realized the proxy favored convention, but he favored a primary and could not vote against his own position. At that same meeting a move to increase filing fees to as much as $25,000 to $50,000 for Statewide office was defeated by the grassroots.
After the disappointing stories I have heard concerning the 2008 RPV convention, maybe a primary is not such a bad idea, at least one US Senate candidate with first hand experience from that convention, agrees with this.
Thanks for the history and context Tom.
No human process is perfect.
Regarding the 2012 senate candidate selection we have what we have.
I just hope Geo Allen can demonstrate that that he has learned something in the passing years.
We need unity so as not to waste our time and money.
Allen could give that to us if he has the whit and a sense of duty that is greater than his desire to justify the history – the present should be his first concern.
While Rome Burns
Unless and until the TEA Party takes a much more aggressive stand against this nothing much will change. We as a movement have gained in numbers only, there is still the issue of action that sadly is lacking. All the well intentioned statements in the world won’t change the “ruling class” mentality of both political parties heirarchy.
If the TEA Party would run strong Conservative candidates in the general election as Independents , knowing they won’t prevail, but taking enough of the Conservative base away from the nominee it would only tale a few election cycles until the Republican party gets the message we won’t tolerate the nomination process that continues to force feed us the blue blood lawyers and choices of the PACS we seem to have to accept under the dynamics of todays establishment. Someone please explain to me given Allens record the difference between Allen and Kaine ?
Let’s change the dynamics ? The other option is to watch as the Republican Party takes us off the same cliff, albeit at a little slower speed, hardly an acceptable course of action.
Bob Shannon MTP
I truly believe that the only strategy that will solve our governments problems is if the Tea Party acts in unison using Pelosi’s and Reeds earlier nuclear option, —– only ours would be the REAL nuclear option. We should act together as a group and refuse to pay every single tax—–EVERYWHERE—- until certain conditions have been met. We the tea party patriots could decide together just what those conditions should be by holding publicized meetings over the internet. Many people who read this suggestion just pass it off as too much–too extreme etc.. but they never stop to think exactly what would happen if it should begin to take off as an actually possible event. Just imagine the fear in the hearts of govt personnel who are responsible for so much of our country’s financial problems as they see so many people planning this type of event. They would suggest arresting organizers of course but with the Tea Party size—-what would they do….ARREST NEBRASKA!!!!! And the liberals who always vote for the socialists damaging all of us—-what are they going to do? They fundamentally believe taht everyone should be treaTED FAIRLY SO WHEN THEY SEE THAT SOME aaMERICANS AR NOT PAYING THEIR TAXES
They fundamentally believe that everyone should be treated fairly so when they see that some Americans are not paying their taxes they will rationalize they are not going to pay theirs too because its only fair. When money stops flowing to the govt then those in power would have no choice but to start acting in a more compliant manner with the voters.
Of course there is a risk to this strategy (how do we get back on track after things have begun changing?) but how old do we want to be before we finally have a govt that doesn’t think of us as a group of tax slaves to political idealogy.
This is embarrassing for the VA Tea Party for a multitude of reasons:
1. Taking the time and effort to the campaign manager of an opposing candidate is a waste of resources – distracting from issues. If you have concerns about the issues Virginians want to hear them, but to make an ad hominem. attack against a staffer is childish, and smacks of desperation.
2. Mark Lloyd lack as a political tactician is showing in spades. It is a simple proven fact that voters who participate in the nomination process are many times more likely to vote general election. A convention allows for the participation of 6000 – 8000 voters. A primary will yield the participation of hundreds of thousands of voters.
In a year (2012) where Virginia will be a crucial battleground state for the presidential election, it will be essential that we generate historic levels of voter participation in order to take back the white house. Thus, a primary over a convention is just common sense.
I agree with both Mitch and Mark. Mark’s point that George Allen has become the establishment is abundantly clear. Allen’s absorbtion into Mitch McConnell’s Washington didn’t take long at all. But Mitch is right that we had better be focusing on issues. George Allen is running an ultra-safe campaign: ignoring his establishment past in the U.S. Senate just as any professional consultant would tell him to do. Allen will not touch his legislative support of the TSA or of mandating that they be government employees; he can’t bring himself to address the issue of TSA employees wanting to organize themselves into a union. Of course he can’t address it because he might link himself back to his original involment in giving birth to DHS and TSA. However, voters deserve better. We deserve to know how he would fix this monstrous government mess. There are many other issues which he should address. He should step up to the plate and tell us what he will do differently, what mistakes he will undo. But, no — he’s going to play it safe, sit on his lead, and hope that the Tea Party folks and genuine limited government Conservatives split their votes in the primary. It’s a sure formula for election, but it’s not the quality of an honest man or of a statesman. It’s politics as usual.
Fundamentally, Macaca Allen was and still is an embarrassment to all Virginians. This racist carpetbagger – still living off Daddy’s reputation and inheritance – needs to go back to the Ronald Reagan Ranch where he has been cooling his jets for the last 5 years – wrapped around his hangman’s noose and his confederate flag.
I don’t see what all the fuss is about. A convention perpetuates the establishment’s iron-grip over the nominating process. While conventions are fun, generate a lot of energy, and eventually nominate a candidate, they also ignore the fact that the selection process still comes down to just a few people being involved. I attended the last convention in Richmond, and had a good time, but I still think the nominating process, especially when it comes to high stakes, state-wide office, should be extended to all voters. Most of us are smart enough to make an informed choice, and if we are really passionately involved in the process, we are likely to get out into the neighborhood and campaign for the person we support.
I don’t see a problem with that, campaign managers notwithstanding.