I also belong to the Republican Liberty Caucus, and the following commentary is well documented and has numerous links included at the bottom. Personally, I think Senator Thrasher is a poor choice for the republican party state leader, but everyone should be informed and make their own decision, so I am hoping you will take a look see at some of the info provided. Pat
.......................................................................................................

From the Republican Liberty Caucus of NE Florida:

Jim Greer helped the progress of the Republican Party of Florida this week by stepping down as chairman. There was much cheering from the grassroots and the people who make up the actual party within the state. That cheering was silenced quickly by the rush to push state senator John Thrasher into the position, without any regard for an election.

For the record, the RPOF Constitution states in Article IV, Section 2 (Duties), B: “In the event the State Chairman is no longer able to perform his duties, either through death, disability, or through resignation, the Vice Chairman shall temporarily assume the duties of the State Chairman. An election shall be called by the Vice Chairman for the purpose of election a new State Chairman and said election shall be held within sixty days of the date the vacancy occurs.”

Therefore, the Vice Chairman should be running an election to replace Greer, not a simple selection process to make “the powers that be” happy at the expense of the voters and the people who actually do the work in the party.

However, as Allen Cox has now resigned as well (likely a result of his insistence that the RPOF be responsible and hold its officers accountable), that duty falls – according to the RPOF Constitution – to the Secretary. At the moment, that would be Donna Solze.

So, let’s look at the choice of the elite, John Thrasher, and his resume for the position of chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Thrasher is a lobbyist, which is supposed to be a bonus for him in raising money for the party. That is the key point in his favor. And he has quite a history involving lobbying. In his first term in the Florida House of Representatives, Thrasher violated a state law that prohibited a legislator from lobbying a state board on behalf of a paying client. He received a public reprimand on the floor of the House in 1995. After he left the House, in 2001 – still within the two year period that legislators are forbidden by law from lobbying their colleagues after leaving office – Thrasher held a luncheon for legislators to lobby for one of his clients. He received a very light fine as a result.

Thrasher hasn’t just raised money for his own party. In February 2009, he donated $500 to Alex Sink’s chief financial officer re-election campaign fund, disregarding the fact she is a Democrat. Only after Sink opted to run for governor did her campaign choose to refund $460 of the donation to Thrasher. Some write this off as “what lobbyists do.” So, if we took that to be true, and accepted that lobbyists show no values or loyalty and will contribute to the opposition party, does that still make someone who has done so fit to run a state political party?

There are also several conflicts of interest for Thrasher as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

First, Thrasher is a state senator, who is up for another election later this year. He would be incapable of being partial when that election came about. There are also laws prohibiting legislators from raising money, even for other campaigns or their own party, during the 60-day legislative sessions, which would prevent Thrasher from doing a key part of his job as chairman. As a legislator and lobbyist, Thrasher would still seek to influence other legislators, and his position as chairman would allow him to do that even more effectively.

Thrasher is also the chairman of the Florida Senate Ethics and Elections Committee (a role that already seems remarkably hypocritical for him). This committee is responsible for guiding election rules within the state of Florida. In this role, he would be able to influence the state’s election guidelines to give the Republican Party of Florida an amazing advantage.

Thrasher’s history, and the conflicts of interest he will be facing, make him a very poor choice for leading the Republican Party of Florida. He will also be a divisive personality, after running one of the most vicious campaigns in recent history.

In the best interests of the Republican Party of Florida, the “elite” should withdraw from the discussion with their “endorsements” and allow the process to work in electing a new chairman, from whoever chooses to step up and run.

Additional Reading:

◦http://politicsfla.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/examining-district-8-ca...
http://politicsfla.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/john-thraser-gave-money...
http://www.thrasherfacts.com/
◦http://jacksonville.com/opinion/columnists/ron_littlepage/2010-01-0...
◦http://www.postonpolitics.com/2009/10/state-ethics-violator-thrashe...
◦http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1063292.ece
◦http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2010/01/07/fundraising_rule_hampers_th...
◦http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2010/01/unraveling-t...


Winston Churchill said "For a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket trying to lift himself up by the handle."