GOP Defies Tea Party elects Lifelong Democrat RINO to House District 105 then kicks out those who refuse to toe the Party line.
By PETE RIEHM
Special to the Press-Register
When Republicans seized control of the Legislature in the reddest of states, conservatives were overjoyed and relieved. Alabama could finally implement conservative reforms and root out deeply embedded corruption.
Swept from power across the state, Democrats were relegated to a small and helpless minority. Gargantuan Republican gains effectively ushered in the specter of one-party rule.
Yet although conservatives were happy, there is a nagging reality: Unchallenged unparalleled power will inevitably be corrupted. No matter the party or the intentions, no group can or should retain singular power to rule.
The first challenge for the newly minted GOP giant was the special election in Alabama House District 105. The red tidal wave was ready to roll on, but a funny thing happened on the way to Election Day: Audacious and cunning, out-of-power Democrats skunked the Republicans in their own primary.
Republicans did not fully understand what had happened until a certifiable Democrat won their primary and the Republican mantle.
Having been a large vital force in the conservative resurgence resulting in Republican victories, the Tea Parties were astounded.
Despite a Democratic pedigree, David Sessions made the general election wearing a Republican jersey. No one expected the party to disown its candidate, but its actions shocked the Tea Parties and disaffected its own base in south Alabama.
The ostensible RINO slayer, Republican State Chairman Bill Armistead, who declared in March that his new regime would eradicate RINOs (“Republicans in name only”), met his first test by embracing this indisputable RINO with an effusive endorsement as a “conservative Republican.”
Tea Parties cried foul and turned their support to a true conservative, Bill Atkinson. They mobilized the grass roots. The Alabama GOP responded by calling the Tea Parties liars.
The rich irony is that the Tea Parties were first alerted to all the Democratic information about Sessions by Republican Party officials trying to jerk the Tea Party chain in a belated attempt to defeat Sessions in the primary.
By the last days of the election, the GOP joined the undercover Democratic establishment to unleash all resources to defeat the insurgent Constitution Party and quell the Tea Party uprising.
Sessions won the election, but the Republican Party still appears unsatisfied. The party is actively trying to purge the Republican Party of anyone not “pure” in party loyalty (purity in conservatism, not so much).
None of this makes sense. The Republican Party got in a tough spot when its open primary was hijacked, but why did the Alabama GOP and elected Republicans decide to stand with folks who were opposing Republicans right through the 2010 elections?
Perhaps this can be chalked up to bare-knuckle politics, but the election results tell another story. No one expected a third party to break 30 percent, so Bill Atkinson’s 46 percent was incredible.
But, more than 90 percent of the Atkinson voters were die-hard, conservative Republican-base voters. Every election, conservatives are warned not to split the conservative vote, so they have had only one practical choice: Vote Republican.
Without the Democratic Party on the ballot, the District 105 election was unique, but the Republican winner won with a combination of Republican loyalists and Democratic voters. So, if a Democrat had run, he or she would have split the 54 percent vote with the Republicans.
There was a solid 46 percent conservative vote that for some reason the GOP seeks to alienate.
The District 105 special election proved that the Tea Parties’ influence is not fading and that third parties can be viable with a good candidate. But is it time for a third party?
Democrats nationally have become the proud home for socialists and ultra-liberals, so they are generally unacceptable to Alabama voters. Unable to escape the left nationally and suffering from more than a century of decay, Alabama Democrats are finding it virtually impossible to get elected.
But all those career Democrats have not gone away. They are still in the hunt and are quite clever in finding new avenues to power and influence, including just changing jerseys.
Unfortunately, the Republican Party seems to acquiesce to 11th-hour, back-door conversions and then even defend the pretenders.
No one is demanding or expecting ideological purity, but with Democrats facing extinction and the Republican Party seemingly amenable to becoming the Reformed Democratic Party, perhaps it’s time for a new conservative second party.
Pete Riehm is a member of the board of directors of the Common Sense Campaign, a Tea Party group based in Spanish Fort. His e-mail address is priehm@bellsouth.net.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Richard Rutledge on -
MOBILE, Alabama -- Local Republican leaders are looking to close ranks following a contentious battle for the House District 105 seat in south Mobile County.
Republican David Sessions prevailed in the May 10 election in a tight vote over Constitution Party challenger Bill Atkinson. Atkinson’s anti-establishment campaign was backed by Tea Party voters and conservatives who questioned Session’s GOP bona fides.
At least two longtime Republicans received warnings from the Mobile County Republican Executive Committee that their support of Atkinson could get them banished from the party. Mike Burdine, who lost to Sessions in the GOP primary for the House 105 seat, and Lee James, a retired engineer, each received letters informing them that the party would meet to review their membership in light of the recent election.
Copies of the letters were provided to the Skinny.
“This letter is to make you aware that your membership...is in jeopardy for publicly supporting a candidate of another party,” wrote GOP chairwoman Terry Lathan, citing party bylaws against such action.
The letters also warned Burdine and James to remove items posted on their Facebook pages indicating their support for Atkinson.
James, who said he’s been a card-carrying member of the GOP since 1952, stood by his decision to back Atkinson. He said he hoped to remain a member of the party but was prepared to accept the steering committee’s judgement.
“I did what I felt was right, and I suppose they’ll do what they feel is right,” he said. “In this case, I just felt that Mr. Atkinson was the better choice of the two candidates. I did my homework and talked to both of them. My vote had nothing to do with party labels.”
Editor's Note
"The Political Skinny" is an inside look at Alabama politics prepared by the staff of the Press-Register. For more information, e-mail Political Skinny or call 251-219-5623.
“If they’re going to kick me out, I wish they’d just go ahead and do it,” he said. “I don’t know why we have to wait and have a ceremony about it.”
Lathan, in her letter to James, indicated she was sympathetic to his situation.“Your passion is applauded and we have great affection for you, however our membership requirements apply to everyone and we must abide by them,” she wrote.
James, one of the local party’s few minority members, said his hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Rutledge on
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We must Break the 2 Party System!
Many of our founders warned against allowing a 2 party system to take control of our political system but we refused to listen. Now we have a ruling class elite who are unchallengeable for the most part and if a candidate is not part of the "click" it is very difficult to break into the system. This is the exact opposite scenario that our Founders intended to create.
George Washington admonished us "in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party." He went on in detail:
The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.
Breaking up the 2 party system and the lock it had on our political process must be the FIRST step we take towards restoring our precious Republic. We must find a way to elect statesmen who will represent the citizens interest who elect them not the current crop of career politicians who are RAPING our country!
"'Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who ... will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man.'
Samuel Adams
If we do not do this then there WILL be the need at some point for the 2nd amendment
Fredrick Douglass
"Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle! Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." -
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Permalink Reply by Richard Rutledge on
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Mike Hubbard, Bill Armasted, TJ Malone, Spencer Collier all defied the Tea Party in South Alabama calling them lairs and then endorsed the RINO., Dale Peterson was on a local talk show endorsing the CP Candidate Bill Atkinson against a lifelong Democrat that bragged openly about his support for Ron Sparks in the Governors race http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmlavoFYqZ0 while GOP Party officials sent out ROBO calls http://www.box.net/shared/3hr0tl521l657rudogzq and mailers paid for my ALFA Insurance endorsing the RINO.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Rutledge on
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The current Alabama State GOP leadership through their action in the District 105 election have proven themselves to be utterly corrupt. This group MUST closely watch the 2 upcoming special elections in Jefferson County as well as the appointment of the Supreme Court Chief Justice. The TEA Party MUST remain Party neutral and demand honesty and force accountability of ALL political groups that run candidates in this State
You are our ONLY hope in restoring our precious Republic!
Sincerley
Richard Rutledge
Vice Chairman
Constitution Party of Alabama.
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Permalink Reply by Jim Hall on -
Looking back to at the campaign for the Republican Primary early this year, the RINO David Sessions was openly supported and most likely accepted consulting services by Taylor Harper, former Democrat Speaker of the State House and an active lobbyist in Montgomery, and Alan Horn, a south Mobile County long time Democrat party activist. A month or so prior to the Primary election day, it was learned by the two true Republicans in the race that ALFA donated $10K and supplied robo call "research" services and data to their man Sessions - above and beyond the cash donations. The county Republican Party was advised of the strange relationships, but claimed they never received anything. Spencer Collier, Republican, who vacated the House seat for an appointment on Gov. Bentley's cabinet endorsed Sessions and worked with tough language in private against the other two individuals in the Primary race. The whole episode makes for "strange bed fellows." I have tried to keep up with Mr. Sessions' votes in the State House, but I can't seem to find any records on line. Also, I am registered voter in the 105 State district and apologize to rest of the State for the debacle.
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Permalink Reply by Richard Rutledge on
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Jim the blame has to be placed upon the GOP State leadership here. The knew what Sessions was and what his background was and flat ignored it. Bill Armstead lied his way into that State Chairmanship as during the campaign his chief promise was if he was elected Chair how he would run the RINOS out of the GOP. Bill showed himself when the FIRST race after his election he was involved in he supports THIS RINO! This race clearly shows that the current GOP leadership is no friend of Conservatives and no friend of the true pure TEA Party movement,
they must be watched closely and can not be trusted!
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Permalink Reply by Richard Rutledge on
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David Sessions not only received support from Taylor Harper, former Democrat Speaker of the State House and an active lobbyist in Montgomery, and Alan Horn, a south Mobile County long time Democrat party activist he took $9000 in PAC Donations from PACS tied to Getz who is the lobbyist for Milton McGreggor. Getz is now on trial in the Bingo vote buying case. We caught him and called him on this in the 10 day financial report publicly in a press release. The State GOP leadership Armstead, Hubbard and Collier ALL knew this and endorsed him with full GOP "conservative" flags anyway so what does that say about this current Alabama State GOP leadership? There are some good folks in the GOP and I personally know some good honest conservative GOP County leaders. However the current core State GOP leadership IMO is more corrupt that the Democrats!! At least the Democrats are HONEST about what they are!
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