How the GOP really works

…and why we need to change it.

by Thelma Taormina

Introduction

Here are some emails that will all revolve around Mary Huls and her candidacy for District 129. While I know that many on our list are not in Mary’s district, I want to make certain that our members are clearly aware of how the Republican Party works. They really are NO Different than the Democrats when it comes to trying to ridicule and destroy their opposition…..it does not matter what party affiliation you are.

What follows are:

1. The original email from David Fuson
2. The response to his email from Dale Huls
3. Greg Aydt’s message to Dale Huls
4. The response to Fuson’s email from Mary Huls
5. My response to Fuson, once Mary responded

I hope you will take from all this the EDUCATION of how the Political Parties work and why it is so important that we not only fight the Democrats, but ALSO the Republicans. I can personally attest to the fact that the Republican Party is just as corrupt as the Democratic Party and we all need to understand this if we are to make a change.

I am concerned about splitting the vote as much as the next person, however if we are to weed out this corruption we must roll the dice at some point. We either need to establish a Third Party, devoid of this crap, or we must clean up the Parties as they exist now. I do not have all the answers……that is exactly why we are an Association. We need help and input from everyone so that we can then figure out our course of action. This will not be easy, we know that…..but we must decide how to fight this ever present corruption, not only at the Federal level, but at the State and Local levels also.

Is it any wonder of why we have no clear decent people running for office, when all it takes is a kickoff campaign notice to produce such a hateful, mean and nasty response? This is why good people do not run. We must find a way to stop this kind of personal attack, and let citizens vet the people who choose to run.

I hope you all will read the emails I will be sending you. This to me tells us all exactly WHY our Country is in trouble and has been taken over by self serving individuals with money.

1. The original email from David Fuson

From: David.Fuson
Sent: 9/25/2009 6:46:26 A.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: RE: Announcement: Mary Huls Campaign Rally Monday Night 9/28

Dear Ms. Huls,

Thank you for your email. I often wonder about folks who blast out emails to huge lists of people they don’t know in the dark of night. We have never had the pleasure of meeting; I thought your email deserved a reply.

I see that you are a candidate to be the Republican nominee, for State Representative, District 129. I appreciate your referring to yourself as a constitutional conservative. As a person who has been politically active for over 18 years, I’m not sure I know what that means. I looked, but I could find no record that you have voted in any Republican Primary election in the past 10 years. We will certainly welcome you as a first time voter in March.

While researching your voting record I was disturbed to find that you voted in the 2008 DEMOCRAT PRIMARY. We always welcome converts and newcomers, but I do believe that you might want to vote in our Party primary a time or two or assist some other person to run for office before you claim to be qualified to be the Party nominee in November election. I’d also like to know which candidate you voted for in that 2008 Democrat Primary, Obama or Hillary. Perhaps I’ll attend your kick-off and ask you directly, why you think that you are Republican after voting DEMOCRAT.

Your email and your website indicate that you “have been very active in the Houston grassroots organizations.” I like that. That is certainly admirable. It is just a shame you haven’t taken any time to be active in the political process. You only voted in 2 of the last 5 General Elections. Also, would you please expound on “very active in the Houston grassroots Elections”, it seems to need a lot of explanation. Additionally, do you have dealing with that Nationally well known group “ACORN”?

Conducting a serious campaigning for public office is hard work, to say nothing of the expense. It seems that your work at Starbucks as a ‘barista’. Let me assure you that Texas politics is a far cry from the idle chatter of those who sit and sip coffee. There is a history of young radicals sitting in coffee shops fomenting political upheaval, but this is not Eastern Europe, its Texas. I look forward to our first meeting, we will have much to discuss about Texas Politics.

David Fuson
Republican Party Precinct Chairman
Precinct 537

2. The response to his email from Dale Huls

From Dale Huls
Sent: 9/25/2009
Subj: Reply to Questions Raised about Mary Huls

Mr. Fuson,

Thank you for your reply to announcement of Mary Huls’ Camapign Rally this coming Monday. It bought quite a smile to my face. Consequently, since I was the one who sent the original announcement, I would like to take the time to answer your questions and concerns. I am adding the original distribution list to this response since they were included in yours and, in fact, they may be interested in our response as well. I am including your earlier reply here to allow people context with my response: (edited see previous email, thelma)

You are quite right when you claim that I sent an email “blast” out to people I don’t even know. Both Mary and I are novices at political campaigns and I sent this out to many of my friends and acquaintances in hopes of generating interest in Mary’s campaign. You were placed on this list because you are a Republican Party Precinct Chairman (Precinct 537). I felt that it was important for all Republican Party precinct chairs in District 129 to know that there is another candidate besides the incumbent running in the 2010 Republican Primary and offer them a chance to come and listen, talk, and question Mary face-to-face so that they can draw their own conclusions regarding whether or not they should support her run for State Representative. This does not seem beyond the pale and we think it is responsible engagement with the Republican Party and the electorate of District 129. While you don’t know Mary – we would like very much for you and others to get to know her.

Now as far as being Democrats. That was what put the smile on my face. While I appreciate your diligence in reviewing the records, I would caution as to the conclusions you may have drawn. We admit to not voting in the Republican primaries during the past 10 years. Like many folks, as long as there was a Republican running in the General Election we were fine with whoever it was and always supported the Party’s candidate. I note that of the approximately 70,000 votes cast in the 2008 general election (District 129) only about 3400 were cast in the 2008 Republican primary. Seems like there are a lot of us who bypass the primaries and still vote Republican in the General Election.

Now since I have brought up the 2008 elections, let me discuss our voting during that primary. Yes, we voted in the democratic primary and caucus! Since Texas is always late to the Presidential selection process, McCain already had the nomination in the bag. Therefore, we participated in Rush Limbaugh’s “Operation Chaos” to go an mess around with the Democrats selection process. Besides we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see what it would be like to be a democrat and vote twice on the same day without going to jail (something republicans never experience). In fact, the Democrats at the caucus asked if we would like to be delegates, for which we politely declined (our hypocrisy only goes so far).

Yes, you don’t know us, but if you did, you would know and everyone would tell you that Mary and Dale are conservative in their principles, values, and of course, their politics. Please come out and talk to Tracy Miller and other conservative grassroots people and find out for yourself if we are real or not. (By the way, I did vote for Obummer because I had waited 10 damn years to vote against Hillary had finally got the chance to do so. maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing to do but it sure felt good at the time.)

Again, since we are now talking parties, let me answer another “question” of yours. You claim to be politically active for 18 years but you don’t know what a “consitutional conservative” is. Mary has not once in all the rallys, events, and meetings she has been to needed to tell the grassroots folks we associate with what a “consitutional conservative” is. However, if you truly don’t know, let me take this as a teachable moment and enlighten you.

A “Consitutional Conservative” is someone who believes that the founders through either historical genius or more likely divine providence developed and provided this country with a system of government that recognized inalienable rights and was based on “individual” freedom and liberty. They provided a government to protect and support those rights and freedoms through a concept of limited government and strong checks and balances to ensure that natural tendencies of governments to control and ultimately oppress the citizentry was not realized. Everyone thinks they know what these checks and balances are: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch were given specific limited roles in government and were intended to check the excesses of anyone branch that sought to exceed their constitutional role.

However, the original system of checks and balances went much deeper than that simplistic view. The founders also intended that the States be a check on the General (Federal) government and the Feds were to be a check on the States in their turn. Also within the Congress, a system of checks and balances was built that ensured that the House (popularily elected) representated the peoples’ concerns and the Senate (selected by State Legislatures) represented the interests of the States (who in turn had their legislatures voted by the people). However, this beautiful system of government has been badly damaged by 3 seminal events (in my opinion):

• First, with the passage of the 16th Amendment, the Federal government was legally authorized to confiscate taxes directly from individuals without having to go through the States (original reason for the census) thereby weakening the positions of the States with respect to leverage over the Federal Government;
• Secondly, with the passage of the 17th Amendment, the Senate was elected by popular vote (same as the House) which greatly weakened the direct influence of the States in the Federal Government since the House and Senate were for the first time representing AND SEEKING APPROVAL of the same constitutents with disregard to State Legislatures;
• and finally, the creation of the Federal Reserve Bank whereby Congress abbrogated their consititutional duties and responsibilities to an agency outside of the consitutional framework of government by legislative dictate.

Consitutional conservatives recognize these original checks and balances and the rationale for limited government. You see them at 912 viewing parties, you meet them at the tea parties, these people are the ones calling their elected representatives and demanding that they stop spending and passing legislation they don’t even read. Constitutional consevatives look at government through the prism of the constitution’s original intent. For Mary, this means pushing back on unconstitutional federal mandates, laws, and regulations by a strong state governement willing to stand up to an increasingly out of control and oppressive federal government. This means strong states rights and Texas Sovereignty. This means applying constitutional principles down to the state and local level and letting people solve their problems at the lowest possible levels with out government interference. That sir, is what we descibe as a “constitutional conservative.” You may not find a definition in a dictionary, but you will find it in the pages of the Constitution of the United States of America!

David, you may be happy with the same guy who has been representing you for the last 10 years. If you like how things are working out for this State, keep him. We think its time for a change – not Obama change – but a refounding of this country back to its original principles and values. We believe that this refounding starts in the States (the State Legislature, the Governor’s Office, the school boards, the county commission, and mayors). For too long we have thought that it was about which party was in charge. I know we did – that’s why we were content with a Republican in office…any republican would do.

However, in the last year, through our own activism and education, we have come to understand that the battle for our State and our country is not between the two parties – but between two idealologies. The idealologies are “progressivism” and “conservatism”. The progressive agenda is being pushed by both parties to greater or lesser degrees but it is still being pushed. McCain, Snow, Collins, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and the vast majority of the republicans are progressives. They compromise, collaborate, and hope to achieve bipartisan solutions without once ever asking the fundamental question “Is it consitutional?” Just looking over John Davis’ voting record from the 2008 session shows that he certainly was working for “social and environmental justice” with his democratic colleagues on more than one occasion. Mary just thinks that a republican should be a full-time conservative instead of a part-time RINO.

Finally, let me defend my wife’s job as a Starbucks “barista”. She typically gets up at 4am in order to be to work at 5am. She is usually on her feet for four hours straight before she gets her first 10 min break. She is not hanging out sipping coffee with young radicals. She is making and serving coffee with a smile and a hello to people from all walks of life. I don’t want to shock you too badly but even some conservatives are addicted to Starbucks! Mary is a working woman like most people in the district. She holds down a job, she volunteers at our daughters High School, active in conservative grassroots movement, and is running a campaign for State office. She should not be belittled – this type of citizen should be celebrated. These are the kinds of folks we want representing us. We know that without volunteers, donations, and support among the decent people in this district who don’t like what they see in Washington and Austin we probably don’t stand a chance. But I know if people get to know Mary and understand that she wants to be a “citizen legislator” to work hard for our principles, values, and problems, then I know she will have a chance.

Here is meeting details for Mary’s Campaign Rally this coming Monday:

Mario’s Flying Pizza & Italian Restaurant
618 W. NASA Parkway
Webster, TX 77598
281-332-2202

Dale Huls
Camapign Manager for Mary Huls
www.ElectMaryHuls.com

3. Greg Aydt’s message to Dale Huls

Dale, just a quick note from over here in Precinct 333 (Seabrook).

Based upon your two missives, I’d like to suggest that you not spend too much at your wife’s little soiree. Her campaign isn’t going anywhere. Let me detail why.

1) It is bad form to go from having no significant involvement with the GOP to voting in the Democrat primary to seeking the GOP nomination. Mary is, based upon this record, an unknown quantity to most of us who have been active for years.

2) Taking a condescending tone towards long-time activists who quiz you on the meaning of a phrase you used in your original letter is also not a way to earn good will from those you want to have work for and endorse your wife. The phrase “constitutional conservative”, which you repeatedly misspell, can have a number of meanings, which is why I had the same question David Fuson did (despite having been an active Republican since cut my political teeth on Reagan’s first presidential campaign and having a graduate level degree in Political Science). To respond to such a reasonable question (designed to draw out your wife’s views and platform) with the level of snark contained in your answer was a major error that certainly put me off — as well as a number of other folks with whom I have spoken today.

3) I suspect you lost a lot of us with your statement that McCain, Snow, Collins, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and the vast majority of the republicans are not proper conservatives. I dare say that McCain, Hutchison, and a great many of those you label “progressives” have done more in the last six months to advance conservative goals and policies than you and your wife — combined — have managed to accomplish towards that end in the full span of your lives thus far. I may have issues with positions taken by each and every member of the GOP caucus in both houses of Congress and both houses of the Texas Legislature, but I would not make such a blanket dismissal those individuals as being little better than the Democrats.

4) Campaigns that expect to be taken seriously don’t send out typo-ridden emails that are supposed to be serious expositions of the candidate’s views.

Sadly, these four points make it unnecessary for me to give any serious consideration to the policy positions you and your wife espouse or their underlying philosophy. It is clear to me that your wife is not a candidate who merits being taken seriously, and her candidacy is a rather pathetic joke — at least in part because you have made it so with these two emails.

Oh, and before you attack me as a supporter of John Davis, think again. I’m the guy who called upon him to withdraw from the GOP primary last time around because of the ethical issues that were (and, in my eyes, still are) hovering about him. I’m not planning on supporting him in the 2010 primary, and am hoping that a strong candidate will step forward to take the nomination from him. However, I’d take him over your wife in a heartbeat, secure in the knowledge that he is a better candidate than she is in terms of having a chance of winning the general election so that we end up with a legislator whose views more or less approximate those of the voters of this district.

Greg Aydt
GOP Precinct Chair
Precinct 333
Seabrook, TX

4. The response to Fuson’s email from Mary Huls

9/25/2009

Mr. Fuson and Aydt;

I would like to personally address this chain of e-mails and some of the statements that I feel deserve my personal clarification.

I am a grassroots candidate; a “Constitutional Conservative Republican” candidate in the primary election. You both seem to have a problem with the fact that I am an unknown in the Harris County GOP circles. Alas, that is part of what makes me grassroots. I am part of the millions of American citizens that have been the silent majority for far too long. We see our country being transformed into
something we don’t recognize as America any longer. However, we have awakened from our busy lives, taken time to notice what is really happening on a local, state and national level, educated ourselves,
and have taken to the streets, airwaves, and internet. We are frightened for our country, our future, and for our children and grandchildren. I was born a free American, and that is how I intend to die.

For me, a “Constitutional Conservative” is one that views legislation through the prism of the Constitution, both for the state and national level. The government has usurped their power and have set us on a path to a blend of Marxism, Fascism, and Socialism. I do not believe that President Obama has been solely responsible for this, but instead the process has been deliberate since the turn of the 20th century. The “Progressives” have been quite patient in their vision for a transformed America. Today I see no checks and balances remaining…except for the American citizens. It is time to return to the founders view of our government. They believed in citizens volunteering to leave their jobs to represent their neighbors, then returning to their lives. This modern notion of career politicians has been detrimental to our society. I believe one or two terms is enough time to serve; then step aside for another citizen legislator. Any longer than that and you begin to serve special interests rather than
constituents.

I am an active member of the Houston and Friendswood 912 Project groups. I am active in the Houston Tea Party Society, but also have recently discovered the Clear Lake Tea Party. As a member of these
groups, I have rediscovered the original intent of the founders of this magnificent nation. I have researched how we arrived at the state we are in and how we can take this country back and re-establish our Republic.

Although I feel the question regarding “ACORN” does not deserve a response, I will give you one. Not NO, but HELL NO!

I have attended Clear Lake GOP meetings these past few months. I was in attendance at a meeting where the speaker stated (words to the effect) that now the Republican Party is grassroots. I say that is not a true statement, and personally I was offended. I believe the old guard of the Republican Party is part of the problem. They are not responsive to constituents in all levels of the government, yet they continually call me asking for donations. Now, do I think that means the Republican Party is not worth saving? No. But by the same token, I believe they must return to their roots; to the values of Conservatives – the citizens that voted for them! We have found ourselves disappointed time and time again once the elected official takes office and then compromises away those same values.

I think someone that has been active as a precinct chair – or active in a party for many years is certainly political, but not necessarily part of the grassroots movement that is sweeping this country in 2009.

Let me say this: in America we are still free to vote in any way we deem appropriate. It doesn’t make us any less Republican or Democrat. It makes us educated, informed, and involved in the process. John McCain had already won the Republican nomination by the time the Texas primary rolled around. I knew my vote would not effect that. I personally was curious about the caucus process that was part of the Democrat primary.

It is okay for us to disagree on whether we think McCain, Snow, Hutchinson, Collins, Spector are/were good Republicans. I will give McCain praise for his strong stance on the military.

As far as my voting record of 2 out of the last 5 general elections, please note that I did not live in Texas prior to late 2004.

Although I find your comments about my job condescending, I will take the high road. I worked from 1983 – 2007 as a Financial Administrator for university research grants. I simply wanted more freedom to be available for my step-daughter’s activities and other interests. I see no reason to apologize to anyone for that personal decision.

As for my campaign manager’s typing skills – he has been properly punished and chastised for not using spell check. However, I proudly stand by my husband.

I personally invite you to come to my event Monday evening. If that is not possible, I would be happy to meet with you on a one-to-one basis. I would enjoy the pleasure of meeting you.

One thing that I will apologize for is the late hour of this e-mail. Tonight was Clear Brook’s Homecoming and we have been loading and unloading band equipment.

Sincerely,
Mary Huls

GS

I am in full support of backing candidates who possess these common-sense qualities versus the “political establishment” qualifications of those who have participated in the near ruin of our nation. I believe the GOP has much to learn if they think the grass-roots movement taking place across America is squarely in their corner.

5. My response to Fuson, once Mary responded

Mr. Fuson and Aydt,

I have remained silent to date regarding this issue as I saw this as something I felt Mary Huls needed to address. Now that she has done so, I feel I can add my view without stepping in to speak for her.

I do have to say that people like you never cease to amaze me! I wonder just where you get this crazy idea that the Republican Party is anywhere near the hearts and minds of the American People. You have had your chance to prove to us that your Party would represent the People of this Nation……You all have failed miserably to do so. The Republican Party has sold us out just as badly as the Democratic Party has. You no longer represent us and our values, you all represent yourselves, your interests and YOUR Party.

I can guarantee that you have never seen my name before now, just as you had not seen Mary’s. You can check all my voting records if you wish, but be sure to check on a National level as I, along with Mary, I am not a lifelong Texan.

You, along with all your “political” associates need to come to the understanding that We The People have had enough of the games you play, and your quest for power and control. I have been involved in politics as a Republican. I ran for office in Upstate NY and I KNOW what your Party is like at the very, very local level. I KNOW how corrupt your Party is and I am certain that the Democratic Party is no different. So when you spew your horrid facts about how you have been involved for 18 years, that is not something that reassures me one bit about your values. The games played by BOTH Parties are about to end. You have let us down, but moreover you have let the Human Race down by not standing by the values of this country and it’s Founding Fathers.

What you need to understand…..or if we are lucky, you will choose to ignore……is that We the everyday Americans finally have caught on to the fact that you really do not have the moral integrity to keep the American Dream alive. You and the Democratic Party would prefer we all go back to sleep and let you make your deals. Guess what……the party for all of you is over.

As with Mary, Dale and many others I will die to restore this Country to its founding principles before I will let any of you sell us short. Mary has been and continues to be a very loyal, honest and courageous grassroots CONSERVATIVE…….What really bothered me in your first email was not so much the attacks on Mary, as I knew she could counter all you claimed….but the fact that for some reason you think that being a Conservative means you are automatically a Republican. We will change THAT view as it is the word “Republican” that made the word “Conservative” a “dirty” word in our Society. We are out to FIX that misconception.

NO PARTY owns Us! We are free Independent Individuals who are blessed to call ourselves American. We are not owned by ANYONE, ANY GROUP, OR ANY PARTY!!!!!!! Get used to this reaction. You may have experience of 18 years in the Political Arena, however you are in for a new type of political fight! You along with most politicians still do not get it, maybe you never will, you have sold us out for way too long and we are Americans FIRST, we will restore this Country one political seat at a time. Wake up, you are up against a more formidable force than the Democrats this time, you are up against “We The People”!

One last thing I will add here to Mr Fuson,

I would like to personally thank you for sending your email so publicly. You have given us the most useful weapon in our fight to restore this Country, we will be happy to spread to every person we can your true outlook on who we grassroots people are, and how it is the Republican Party works. You have proven yourself and your Party to be no different than the Democrats. Any possibility that your recall “Joe the Plumber”? Seems to me that you and yours will stoop to the same type of smear tactics that the Democrats used on him. And we should listen to you? Why?

God Bless & Protect Our Country
and Our Constitution,
Thelma Taormina
Founder We The People
Are The 9-12 Association, Inc.
thelma@912membersusa.com
www.912membersusa.com
www.wesurroundthemhouston.com
281-796-3577 Cell