http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/7780 As some of you may know, I was a delegate to the largest political convention in the world: The Texas Republican Party State Convention.   While it was an emotional experience, it was also a learning experience. I was constantly taking mental notes, anxiously waiting the time I would have to sit down and write it all out. I wanted to make sure that I got every vote, every detail right.   Luckily, the Hilton Americas hotel charges you 50 billion dollars an hour for internet access, and I had to wait to get home to post my diatribe. I am not used to proofing what I have written. I usually blog in a mad fit to get my opinions out there, because I feel that what comes from my brain first, is always my most raw and honest thoughts.   Saturday morning, the last day of the convention, I woke to my 14 month old having a coughing fit, as he had been all night. The medicine I brought with me was not alleviating his symptoms at all, and the mysterious goo oozing from his eyes meant that we needed to get home and to the doctor. No matter how many kids I have, I feel like I will never be able to shake the “Paranoid Mom” title.   After we got home, and all was said and done, it was 11 p.m. and we were in the ER with not only my baby, but my 4 year old as well. The mystery goo was from an ear infection and they both had a nasty cold/flu.   Back to the reason I brought you to this place…   The convention and the happenings within will be shared in due time. I feel it necessary to mention that we had quite a few elected officials take the time out of their schedules to be at the convention. Geanie Morrison, T. Michael O’Connor, Paul Polasek, David Hagan and Mary Anne Wyatt were among the delegates from Victoria County. To be fair, I did get word that Steve Tyler did not attend due to a family emergency.   I want to write a blog about the convention soon, but honestly, I am wrestling with the contents of said blog entry. Some of the votes taken were by secret ballot, but reported by County, so I could pretty much tell you who voted what. Some of the votes were taken by voice and by merely standing up; assuring that no expense or time was spared by the Republican Party. After all, Mitt Romney was the guest speaker at an overpriced, prepaid dinner.   That being said, I, along with all of the other 27 of us that showed up, know who cast what vote for which cause. While I want to be fair in my reporting of this event, I have to remind myself that I am not a reporter. I don’t have to divulge everything... not yet anyway.   I will just say to all of my elected officials: I will be watching you more closely now. I have seen the heart of Texas Politics and I am beyond saddened by the inner workings of my Party. If you were at the convention, you heard my thoughts on the matters we were faced with to vote on.   I will be holding each of you (my elected officials) accountable for your actions, and simply put: If you do not do your jobs and follow the rules – I will make sure that I find someone who WILL do those simple tasks – and replace you.   Finally, the bread and butter of this blog entry: Nueces County.   It seems that the County Chairman of Nueces County thinks he lives in Never Never Land, and so do half of his “followers.”   To make a sordid story short, the Nueces County Chairman, Michael Bertuzzi broke the law by allowing Precinct Chairman to add delegates to their minutes after they had been voted on at the Precinct Convention. It is allowed to add names of people who do not attend their Precinct Convention, but after that slate is voted upon, you cannot add any more names.   Several delegates realized that after their Precinct Conventions, numerous rules were being broken. The Republican Party of Texas rules say that Precinct Minutes are public record and that any meetings held by the Temporary Committees before the convention are open. Mr. Bertuzzi not only would not allow the delegates to see the original minutes, but he also wouldn’t allow them to attend open meetings of the Temporary Committees.   The county convention came and the delegates tried to get the chairman to recognize them as they heard names of people being called out that were not voted on at their precinct conventions. They were ignored. Here is the audio of the power trip sure to go down in Texas Republican History: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-fARjv3tFk   Since it was clear that the people running the convention would not follow basic rules (RPT Rules, Robert’s Rules), the delegates left the convention, and held a “rump” convention outside.   A lawsuit was then filed on behalf of the disenfranchised by Vanessa Cahill and eventually won by the delegates in Nueces County. Not only was Mr. Bertuzzi in the wrong, but sworn testimony proved that the Texas Republican Party Chair, Tina Benkiser not only knew of numerous violations, but condoned them.   Here is a video of Benkiser’s take on the lawsuit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UahtDWRCXhA   After watching that video, I wonder if she knows that most of the party knows that she has not only seen the lawsuit’s contents, and was fully aware of them, but she spoke with Beretuzzi directly about them.   Once the delegates were granted access to the original precinct minutes, they realized why there was such a fight over seeing them. Out of 230 delegates who were to attend the County Convention, 151 of those were not voted on by the people who attended their Precinct Conventions. Of those 151 people, some 50 of those people did not even vote in the Republican Primary.   Some of the people who were added after the fact were: Mr. Bertuzzi, the Nueces County Chairman; Robert “Bob” Jones, SD20’s SREC Committeeman; Joe McComb, former State Representative (District 33); and (drumroll) Lloyd Neal, the Nueces County Judge (former Corpus Christi Mayor). Also among the rule breakers were numerous people running for Constable, State Representative, County Commission, Tax Assessor, and the actual chairmen and appointees of all of the Temporary Committees.   That would explain why the meetings were not open and Benkiser was downplaying the lawsuit.   The delegates filed a challenge asking the Republican Party to refuse to seat the Nueces Delegation that broke the rules and the law. I personally talked to an uncountable number of people before the vote on the Nueces scandal at the convention. I even emailed numerous people the audio, court orders, and names of the people who were involved.   Once at the convention, we were informed that the Temporary (appointed) Credentials Committee dismissed the Nueces challenge because they allegedly did not file the paperwork correctly. Attempts to get the argument heard on the main floor in the general session were useless. Imagine having to shout amid (really bad) background music and over 6000 people chattering, while the chairman of the convention is making an effort to not see or hear you.   In the end, a lot of people stood to vote on something either they knew about and didn’t care, or they just didn’t take the time to read about (in which case you shouldn’t be voting at all). The Nueces delegation got to vote on their own challenge (all 230 of them), which is yet another rule violation that was ignored.   We all stood for out vote when it was time and Benkiser looked around for 3 seconds as if she was actually trying to count all 6000 of us and then said, “The Ayes have it.” Let me tell you, I don’t know how anyone else does it, but we Texas Republicans have it down to a science.   Fast forward to today.   I receive an email that sheds even more light on the rule breakers. After quadruple checking and going to the voter registration office, it was found that not only did about 50 people who attended the county convention not even vote in the primary, but 7 (SEVEN) of them actually voted in the DEMOCRAT primary and 6 (SIX) of them were not even registered to vote!   Even more egregious is that 2 of the people who voted in the Democrat Primary were delegates and alternates at the REPUBLICAN STATE COVENTION. Even more horrifying: Of the alternates at our State Convention was not even registered to vote at all.   So now we are left with this mess.   I am a Republican and I think that the Texas Republican Platform is a near perfect document. I stand for peace, liberty, freedom, less taxes, and (can I get an “Amen”) smaller government!   I love my country (I fulfilled an 8 year contract with the Army Reserves) and I support my troops, even though I wish we could get them home where they belong.   I am 100% Christian and a staunch supporter and voice for the unborn babies who cannot yet fight for themselves.   I will now use this space to reach out to all of my fellow Republicans: After seeing and hearing the facts, are you going to let the elected Republican Officials in Nueces County commit these heinous rule violations and give your party a bad name?   They must be held accountable. They are not representing our Grand ‘Ol Party and we should be ashamed to count them among those of us who care about winning in November.   Please talk to your SREC Committeeman and Committeewoman, along with the Republican Party leadership in Austin and let them know how you feel about this gross desecration of our rules.        6.19.08/1:12 a.m.   As some of you may know, I was a delegate to the largest political convention in the world: The Texas Republican Party State Convention.   While it was an emotional experience, it was also a learning experience. I was constantly taking mental notes, anxiously waiting the time I would have to sit down and write it all out. I wanted to make sure that I got every vote, every detail right.   Luckily, the Hilton Americas hotel charges you 50 billion dollars an hour for internet access, and I had to wait to get home to post my diatribe. I am not used to proofing what I have written. I usually blog in a mad fit to get my opinions out there, because I feel that what comes from my brain first, is always my most raw and honest thoughts.   Saturday morning, the last day of the convention, I woke to my 14 month old having a coughing fit, as he had been all night. The medicine I brought with me was not alleviating his symptoms at all, and the mysterious goo oozing from his eyes meant that we needed to get home and to the doctor. No matter how many kids I have, I feel like I will never be able to shake the “Paranoid Mom” title.   After we got home, and all was said and done, it was 11 p.m. and we were in the ER with not only my baby, but my 4 year old as well. The mystery goo was from an ear infection and they both had a nasty cold/flu.   Back to the reason I brought you to this place…   The convention and the happenings within will be shared in due time. I feel it necessary to mention that we had quite a few elected officials take the time out of their schedules to be at the convention. Geanie Morrison, T. Michael O’Connor, Paul Polasek, David Hagan and Mary Anne Wyatt were among the delegates from Victoria County. To be fair, I did get word that Steve Tyler did not attend due to a family emergency.   I want to write a blog about the convention soon, but honestly, I am wrestling with the contents of said blog entry. Some of the votes taken were by secret ballot, but reported by County, so I could pretty much tell you who voted what. Some of the votes were taken by voice and by merely standing up; assuring that no expense or time was spared by the Republican Party. After all, Mitt Romney was the guest speaker at an overpriced, prepaid dinner.   That being said, I, along with all of the other 27 of us that showed up, know who cast what vote for which cause. While I want to be fair in my reporting of this event, I have to remind myself that I am not a reporter. I don’t have to divulge everything... not yet anyway.   I will just say to all of my elected officials: I will be watching you more closely now. I have seen the heart of Texas Politics and I am beyond saddened by the inner workings of my Party. If you were at the convention, you heard my thoughts on the matters we were faced with to vote on.   I will be holding each of you (my elected officials) accountable for your actions, and simply put: If you do not do your jobs and follow the rules – I will make sure that I find someone who WILL do those simple tasks – and replace you.   Finally, the bread and butter of this blog entry: Nueces County.   It seems that the County Chairman of Nueces County thinks he lives in Never Never Land, and so do half of his “followers.”   To make a sordid story short, the Nueces County Chairman, Michael Bertuzzi broke the law by allowing Precinct Chairman to add delegates to their minutes after they had been voted on at the Precinct Convention. It is allowed to add names of people who do not attend their Precinct Convention, but after that slate is voted upon, you cannot add any more names.   Several delegates realized that after their Precinct Conventions, numerous rules were being broken. The Republican Party of Texas rules say that Precinct Minutes are public record and that any meetings held by the Temporary Committees before the convention are open. Mr. Bertuzzi not only would not allow the delegates to see the original minutes, but he also wouldn’t allow them to attend open meetings of the Temporary Committees.   The county convention came and the delegates tried to get the chairman to recognize them as they heard names of people being called out that were not voted on at their precinct conventions. They were ignored. Here is the audio of the power trip sure to go down in Texas Republican History: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-fARjv3tFk   Since it was clear that the people running the convention would not follow basic rules (RPT Rules, Robert’s Rules), the delegates left the convention, and held a “rump” convention outside.   A lawsuit was then filed on behalf of the disenfranchised by Vanessa Cahill and eventually won by the delegates in Nueces County. Not only was Mr. Bertuzzi in the wrong, but sworn testimony proved that the Texas Republican Party Chair, Tina Benkiser not only knew of numerous violations, but condoned them.   Here is a video of Benkiser’s take on the lawsuit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UahtDWRCXhA   After watching that video, I wonder if she knows that most of the party knows that she has not only seen the lawsuit’s contents, and was fully aware of them, but she spoke with Beretuzzi directly about them.   Once the delegates were granted access to the original precinct minutes, they realized why there was such a fight over seeing them. Out of 230 delegates who were to attend the County Convention, 151 of those were not voted on by the people who attended their Precinct Conventions. Of those 151 people, some 50 of those people did not even vote in the Republican Primary.   Some of the people who were added after the fact were: Mr. Bertuzzi, the Nueces County Chairman; Robert “Bob” Jones, SD20’s SREC Committeeman; Joe McComb, former State Representative (District 33); and (drumroll) Lloyd Neal, the Nueces County Judge (former Corpus Christi Mayor). Also among the rule breakers were numerous people running for Constable, State Representative, County Commission, Tax Assessor, and the actual chairmen and appointees of all of the Temporary Committees.   That would explain why the meetings were not open and Benkiser was downplaying the lawsuit.   The delegates filed a challenge asking the Republican Party to refuse to seat the Nueces Delegation that broke the rules and the law. I personally talked to an uncountable number of people before the vote on the Nueces scandal at the convention. I even emailed numerous people the audio, court orders, and names of the people who were involved.   Once at the convention, we were informed that the Temporary (appointed) Credentials Committee dismissed the Nueces challenge because they allegedly did not file the paperwork correctly. Attempts to get the argument heard on the main floor in the general session were useless. Imagine having to shout amid (really bad) background music and over 6000 people chattering, while the chairman of the convention is making an effort to not see or hear you.   In the end, a lot of people stood to vote on something either they knew about and didn’t care, or they just didn’t take the time to read about (in which case you shouldn’t be voting at all). The Nueces delegation got to vote on their own challenge (all 230 of them), which is yet another rule violation that was ignored.   We all stood for out vote when it was time and Benkiser looked around for 3 seconds as if she was actually trying to count all 6000 of us and then said, “The Ayes have it.” Let me tell you, I don’t know how anyone else does it, but we Texas Republicans have it down to a science.   Fast forward to today.   I receive an email that sheds even more light on the rule breakers. After quadruple checking and going to the voter registration office, it was found that not only did about 50 people who attended the county convention not even vote in the primary, but 7 (SEVEN) of them actually voted in the DEMOCRAT primary and 6 (SIX) of them were not even registered to vote!   Even more egregious is that 2 of the people who voted in the Democrat Primary were delegates and alternates at the REPUBLICAN STATE COVENTION. Even more horrifying: Of the alternates at our State Convention was not even registered to vote at all.   So now we are left with this mess.   I am a Republican and I think that the Texas Republican Platform is a near perfect document. I stand for peace, liberty, freedom, less taxes, and (can I get an “Amen”) smaller government!   I love my country (I fulfilled an 8 year contract with the Army Reserves) and I support my troops, even though I wish we could get them home where they belong.   I am 100% Christian and a staunch supporter and voice for the unborn babies who cannot yet fight for themselves.   I will now use this space to reach out to all of my fellow Republicans: After seeing and hearing the facts, are you going to let the elected Republican Officials in Nueces County commit these heinous rule violations and give your party a bad name?   They must be held accountable. They are not representing our Grand ‘Ol Party and we should be ashamed to count them among those of us who care about winning in November.   Please talk to your SREC Committeeman and Committeewoman, along with the Republican Party leadership in Austin and let them know how you feel about this gross desecration of our rules.        6.19.08/1:12 a.m.   en-us Outstanding report, Toni. I'm astounded at the chutzpah of anyone representing the Republican party fixing things to allow voters who voted in the Democratic primary to sit as delegates. What could possibly be gained? And allowing someone into the convention who wasn't even registered to vote? That's just staggering. Sheer incompetence couldn't explain that. Looks to me like we've got a little Box 13 of our own in a neighboring county. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/7780/#c_54321 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/7780/#c_54321 Outstanding report, Toni. I'm astounded at the chutzpah of anyone representing the Republican party fixing things to allow voters who voted in the Democratic primary to sit as delegates. What could possibly be gained? And allowing someone into the convention who wasn't even registered to vote? That's just staggering. Sheer incompetence couldn't explain that. Looks to me like we've got a little Box 13 of our own in a neighboring county. I was there, Toni's right.  The dissenters didn't get much of a chance to speak and when they did they were quickly shut down.  I've been active in the party since '78 and it just seems like more of a social club to most of the members of the GOP these days than a tool to advance conservative ideals. We have a good platform, what we need is to get our politicians to agree with the platform instead of ignoring it.  We need party leaders (from the precinct up to the national level) who will play fair, make room for new members and allow the grass roots to get involved.  We don't need cliques which will exclude as many new people as they can.  The Republican Party will continue to lose elections until they listen to the conservative wing of the party and start putting up conservative candidates.  There are plenty of conservatives of all stripes - Republican, Democrat and Independent - to elect a good strong conservative candidate.  We've got to stop putting up candidates just because it's their turn!  Have we not learned our lesson after Bob Dole?  Where are we going to find the next Contract with America?  Certainly not with McCain.  He's a good man, so is Bob Dole, but there are lots of good men who shouldn't be president. Toni, keep your chin up.  We need to keep good conservatives working in the party to keep it from moving farther to the left.  It took 4 years of Carter to get 8 years of Reagan, keep the faith!  Hold our party and ALL politicians' feet to the fire.  It's our duty!  Elect people who believe in constitutional government from the dog catcher all the way up to the highest office in the land. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/7780/#c_54421 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/7780/#c_54421 I was there, Toni's right.  The dissenters didn't get much of a chance to speak and when they did they were quickly shut down.  I've been active in the party since '78 and it just seems like more of a social club to most of the members of the GOP these days than a tool to advance conservative ideals. We have a good platform, what we need is to get our politicians to agree with the platform instead of ignoring it.  We need party leaders (from the precinct up to the national level) who will play fair, make room for new members and allow the grass roots to get involved.  We don't need cliques which will exclude as many new people as they can.  The Republican Party will continue to lose elections until they listen to the conservative wing of the party and start putting up conservative candidates.  There are plenty of conservatives of all stripes - Republican, Democrat and Independent - to elect a good strong conservative candidate.  We've got to stop putting up candidates just because it's their turn!  Have we not learned our lesson after Bob Dole?  Where are we going to find the next Contract with America?  Certainly not with McCain.  He's a good man, so is Bob Dole, but there are lots of good men who shouldn't be president. Toni, keep your chin up.  We need to keep good conservatives working in the party to keep it from moving farther to the left.  It took 4 years of Carter to get 8 years of Reagan, keep the faith!  Hold our party and ALL politicians' feet to the fire.  It's our duty!  Elect people who believe in constitutional government from the dog catcher all the way up to the highest office in the land.