(Promoted by Colorado Pols)
A couple years ago, GOP Chair Ryan Call suggested that Sarah Arnold, who was an El Paso County GOP Secretary, resign because Republican office holders are not supposed to publicly criticize Republican policies–or favor one GOP primary candidate over another.
Call wrote that if Arnold "does not feel she can separate her personal opinions from her role as a County Party Secretary than she should consider resigning her position as a Party officer and thereby be free to speak out and be an advocate for whatever issues or causes, or for or against whatever candidates or Republican officeholders, she felt was most appropriate, free of the duty of loyalty and obligatory support that is a necessary corollary to official Party leadership." [BigMedia emphasis]
Pueblo County GOP Chair Becky Mizel should be hearing from Ryan Call soon, if he's consistent, because Mizel showed clear support for Tom Tancredo during an Aug. 16 radio interview.
At least that's what I take away from this discussion among Mizel, KNUS' Peter Boyles, and Jennifer Kearns, who's a spokesperson for the recall effort.
BOYLES: You guys can’t expect somebody with at least a room temperature I.Q. to go, “Boy, that Republican Party in Colorado, those are my guys!”
MIZEL: Yeah, but Peter, look at the people like Tom Tancredo, who are Republicans. You know, we’ve got Tom Tancredo, Cruz, people like that. [BigMedia emphasis]
BOYLES: Huh-uh. Tommy is the red-headed stepson of the Republican party, and all three of us know it. They just wish Tom would go away. I mean, that’s the truth. You know it. I know it. Becky knows it. I think smart people listening to this radio show wish – I mean, they believe,– not believe, they know the Republican Party of Colorado would just as soon Tancredo go soak his head.
KERNS: Well, that’s why –
MIZEL: Well, the same goes for Ted Cruz and Ted Cruz isn’t going to go away.
BOYLES: No. I agree.
MIZEL: So, you know, it’s — I think you do have to take it over from the inside.
You'd think that Mizel, who's found herself in the media spotlight due to the attempted recall of State Sen. Angela Giron, doesn't like Ryan Call much, given that she wants to take over the state GOP "from the inside." And she's certainly not scared of him, as she's violating rules that Call clearly supports.
I shared Mizel's Boyles' interview with Arnold, and she wrote me that she's not surprised by Call's inconsistency in enforcing the thou-shalt-not- criticize-Republicans rule:
Arnold: Ryan Call is perfectly consistent in his inconsistency. He arbitrarily and capriciously applies the by-laws as it suits him (for example, it's okay if he contributes to a Democrat while a party officer, which is a clear violation of the by-laws, but not okay for someone to have a policy disagreement with the House Majority Leader while a party officer, as in my case–a topic on which the by-laws are silent). In fact, he's happy to change the bylaws so he could endorse Romney for President, an unprecedented act. The irony would be even more incredible since many Party officers (including Ryan) turned a blind eye in 2010 to the numerous endorsements of Tancredo as a third party candidate made by other party officers across the state, if he were to choose to pursue removal for mere comments about a candidate that don't appear, to me at least, to be an endorsement.