Minnesota Paul Supporters Win National Delegates
In an attempt to get Ron Paul convention speaking time, Ron Paul supporters scoreda big win in Minnesota with securing delegate seats at the GOP National Convention in September:
Over the weekend, they captured six of a dozen GOP national convention delegates elected at congressional district meetings. The rebellion has left local party officials crying foul, even as state leaders downplay the importance of the unexpected result.
“They’ll be national delegates, but at the end of the day, that doesn’t change anything because John McCain is going to be our nominee,” said party spokesman Mark Drake.
But Marianne Stebbins, who has headed the Texas congressman’s Minnesota campaign for several months, called the victories a tactical triumph designed to bring Paul’s libertarian message to the broadest possible audience.
“If we get enough delegates,” she said, “we’ll be able to get [Paul] speaking time at the convention.”
I’m sure the establishment GOP is just thrilled with this news in MN:
“We knew they were coming and they were willing to lie, cheat and steal – maybe not steal, but they were willing to say anything,” Andy Aplinkowski, the district’s vice chairman, said of the Paul supporters.
The delegate candidates were asked to answer whether they supported John McCain. The Paul supporters were elected under false pretenses, Aplinkowski said.
Not so, said Rob Baert, a part-time teacher from Sauk Rapids who was elected a delegate. “McCain’s not even nominated yet,” he said. “But if he is, I’ll support him, and that’s what I said.”
Making unfounded accusations is to typical of the establishment when things don’t go there way. After accusing the Paul supporters of lying and cheating, this Aplinkowski character pulls his own shenanigans:
Realizing that the Paul supporters were rolling to victory, Aplikowski made a motion that would bind the delegates to McCain at the national convention. It was approved, but he said he doesn’t know if it’s legally enforceable.
That pretty much says it all about the GOP establishment and how they operate, as they try to hold on to power any way they can. The Ron Paul movement is not only alive and winning in Minnesota, but also in Texas, where Ron Paul supporters were winning seats at the Texas State Convention to get Paul’s message heard and have input in crafting the Texas GOP’s agenda and platform.
– ‘The Commish’ A.J. Sparxx