Welcome to Greene County GOP Signs Signal Resignation

Sometimes "party people" make the worst political decisions. When they do, "party people" are also the most likely to double and triple down on the stupidity. Such is the case in Greene County where the Republican Party has been fueding over road signs which appear to have been purchased without the consent of the Central and Executive Committees and placed on public right-of-ways despite objections from several elected officials and party rank-and-file.

The Dayton Daily Democrat (stories here and here)has been on the front lines of this story and delightfully reporting on the turmoil, but let's not forget that the most important lesson that "party people" always forget is that unforced errors -- the ones we make all by ourselves -- are the ones that can do the most damage.

Marilyn Reid is a county commissioner and the party chair in Greene County which is a mix that is bound to cause all kinds of trouble. I have always believed that "party people" and "elected officials" ought not wear both hats. There is something of a conflict of interest in the consolodation of political and public power that strain the boundaries of ethics.

Reid has been something of a lightening rod and her announced intention to resign as chair in May might finally smooth things over in Greene County. There continues to be a struggle for power in the party there and I can't help but point out that this is the home party of Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.

As in many county parties across Ohio (and indeed, the nation), the older generation is doing whatever they can to hang on to power by denying entrance to the younger folks. As I have said many times in the course of writing on WMD and elsewhere, the Republican Party MUST get younger and more flexible while holding true to values and principles that are conservative and practical. My sense of the struggle in Greene County is that it is time for the Old Guard to pass the torch.

County Auditors Endorsing Yost Against County Party Endorsements

I've been working on the second issue of the WMD Weapons Inspector Report which includes a list of endorsements by various folks and organizations in the Yost vs. Morgan Auditor Death Match Primary From Hell and I noticed something interesting...

Both Brown County's Doug Green and Greene County's LuWanna Delaney have gone against their county party in their endorsements.  Green and Delaney have endorsed Yost while their county parties have endorsed Morgan.

Central Committee members in both counties may want to take notice...

Of course, this is really about having something to say about the Weapons Inspector Report...sign up in the box at the top of the sidebar if you haven't already.

RELEASE: Morgan Wins Greene County GOP Endorsement

Release:

Huber Heights, Ohio - Auditor of State candidate Seth Morgan, CPA was endorsed by the Greene County Republican Party with 60 percent of the vote on Thursday, February 18.

"Seth Morgan continues to be recognized as the most qualified candidate of either party for Auditor of State," said Rob Scott, Friends of Seth Morgan Communications Director. "This endorsement further builds on the huge base of support Seth has gathered across Ohio."
Ohio Republican Chairman Kevin DeWine currently serves as a Greene County Central Committee member and resides in the county. Both Morgan and his primary opponent Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost were in attendance to ask for the county's endorsement for state auditor.
The Greene County endorsement is the second county endorsement Seth Morgan has received in more than a week.

Greene County GOP Endorses Seth Morgan

Either Greene County GOP really doesn't like that Dave Yost had the courage and conviction to take on their boy Mikey or Dave Yost has a serious problem and miscalculated (read "was misinformed") how much support he had.

I am told that Seth won the endorsement with 60% of the vote.

I owe an apology to my Greene County GOP Facebook friends...  I was pretty sure that this was going to come down exactly the way the Ohio Republican Party wrote the script, but that didn't happen.

If anyone in the vast WMD audience was in attendance, I'd love to hear all of the gory details...

UPDATE:

Greene County GOP Update: Mitchel Edition

Release:

Beavercreek , Ohio , Monday, March 23, 2009: Today, according to John Mitchel, Marilyn Reid violated his First Amendment right to free speech by confiscating copies of a news article describing a pending lawsuit against Reid, Greene County Commissioner and Executive Chair for the Greene County Republican Party. Before the monthly Greene County Republican luncheon meeting at a public restaurant, Reid gathered up the handouts that were placed on the tables, saying, “This is a Republican meeting, not a lawsuit meeting.” Former Air Force Lieutenant Colonel John Mitchel is an elected member of the Greene County Republican Central Committee and challenged Steve Austria in the March 2009 U.S. District 7 Republican primary.

In response to the incident, Mitchel commented, “Ms. Reid has taken it over the top. For years she has exploited her leadership position with the Greene County Republican Party for personal and family gain, but this flagrant violation of a constituent’s right to free political speech seals the deal on her self-interested motives. Elected members of the Greene County Central Committee who are invited to the meeting, have just as much a right to express their opinions as Ms. Reid. Apparently Marilyn has no use for dissenting viewpoints coexisting with her agenda. This is an embarrassment to the Republican Party and an insult to Greene County citizens, particularly those who have served in the military. It’s time for Ms. Reid to step down as Greene County GOP Chair in favor of someone who is willing to listen to those who may have opinions different from their own.”

Question for Mr. Mitchel: When did the Greene County GOP become the government? Just so Mr. Mitchel is aware, here is the First Amendment to our Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The Greene County GOP may be many things, but Congress is not one of them.

I'm sure there is another side to this story...and I'm sure Mitchel is just being his usual ornery self, but this is ridiculously absurd. I sure hope I don't have to school a retired Air Force Colonel on the Constitution of the United States...this was a dumb mistake and typical of his "brand" of politics. Shout down everybody who disagrees with you and make sure you throw in some scary lawyer-like sounding language. When they aren't intimidated by your antics, blast your accusations out to every media outlet and email list you have available to you.

Also: Make sure to send it to the Republican Liberty Caucus...which is --near as I can tell -- not interested in advancing the cause of Republicans or Liberty...at least in Ohio anyway.

I don't know...maybe I'm just overworked and cranky, but this press release just set me off.....

Greene County GOP Endorses Widener

This just in...

XENIA, OH 1/11/08 - The Greene County Republican Party Central Committee voted last night to endorse Chris Widener, conservative Republican candidate for the Ohio State Senate.

"Representative Widener has worked hard to earn the trust of Greene County republicans, we are solidly behind his campaign and his election to be our next State Senator," said Brenda Lewis, Central Committee Chairwoman. "He has a great deal of support throughout our county."

This endorsement from Greene County, Widener's opponent's home county, demonstrates the groundswell of support behind Widener's campaign.

Committee members pointed to Widener's leadership in the House of Representatives on issues such as cutting income taxes and providing prescription drug coverage for 1.4 million Ohio seniors without any additional costs to the taxpayers, and passing a state budget with the lowest growth in spending in nearly half a century.

"The Miami Valley area is an important and growing part of the state, and I'm humbled and honored to have the support of Greene County," Widener said. "I'll continue to work hard in the Senate to honor the trust the public has placed in me and to advance the conservative values and ideals they've come to expect."

Widener currently serves Madison and portions of Clark and Greene counties in his fourth term as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He is chairman of the Financial Institutions, Real Estate, and Securities Committee.

He is a licensed architect and has owned his own firm for 18 years. Prior to starting his own business he worked at Wight Patterson Air Force Base as a civil service architect and as the installations firstfull-time Historic Preservation Officer

UPDATE: In the comments, VikingSpirit asks:

Who's Widener running against?

Ask, and ye shall receive!

Three Republicans have filed to run for Austria's 10th District seat. They include state Rep. Chris Widener, who is vacating his 84th District seat, 18-year-old Wittenberg University student James Howard and Greene County Commissioner W. Reed Madden.

Clark County Commissioner Roger Tackett is the only Democrat who filed to seek the seat for his party.