RPOF’s Greer Invokes the ’11th Commandment’ and Breaks It
The Republican Party of Florida has a problem on its hands and it’s called Chairman Jim “Big Jim” Greer. Of course, Greer has his own problems and they’re called disaffected party dissidents who want him gone.
The thing is, when it comes to knocking off your opponent, Greer has proved much more adept at marginalizing problems than his cantankerous constituents — he kicks them out of the party and bars them from party events. So if you’re not in lock-step with the Charlie Crist appointee, you’re locked out of your political party.
For the gory details, check out the Palm Beach Post’s political blog.
Like a mad dog under attack, Greer lashed out at his enemies in a sharply worded letter that included this not-so veiled threat:
Finally, I would offer a gentle but firm warning. Several of my opponents have told me that they will continue this attack on my character until I acquiesce to their demands. I would tell them that a person’s reputation is precious, and that I will use every resource in my command to actively protect mine. Hateful lies intended to hurt my family are certainly not part of Reagan’s 11th commandment, I will not stoop to their disgraceful level instead I will stay focused on winning elections.
The commandment Greer refers to was actually not Reagan’s but California State Republican Chair Gaylord Parkinson, who coined it in 1966 during Ronald Reagan’s gubernatorial campaign: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”
Man, people in that party have broken that commandment more times than the ones about adultery, covetousness and stealing combined.
Greer broke it before he actually invoked it by calling his fellow Repugs libelers and such all:
What has transpired in the last week has been nothing short of slander and libel by a group of people bent on the destruction of the Republican Party. A coordinated campaign of misinformation, complete with late night phone calls and e-mails filled with rumors and innuendo, all in attempt to create the appearance of chaos at a time when the party is laser-focused on defeating Democrats.
The trouble for Greer is that he’s a Crist man through and through, which begs the question of whether a sitting state party chairman should take sides in what is shaping up to be a nasty primary fight between Crist and Marco Rubio, the golden child of the far right base of the party.
At least that’s the question the wingnuts have been asking ever since last summer when Greer tried to get Rubio’s name tossed from the primary ballot using the mysterious “Rule 11,” which states that the state party can drop a candidate from the ballot if there’s no chance of him winning. Of course, that’s not the case for Rubio, who has surged in the polls and fundraising while Good-Time Charlie’s campaign has become mired in treacle.
Meanwhile the state party is out of money and big-time fundraisers are refusing to pony up until Greer is gone from the scene. See, a lot of Florida Republicans wonder what happened t all the money that was in party coffers when Greer took over, but has since evaporated.
I wouldn’t have thought so a year ago, but with the Republicans at each other’s throats, the race for Florida’s Senate seat might actually be interesting after all.
That Pres.
