Joe Hilliard has been excommunicated as a committeeman for the Lehigh County Republican party. This is according to his 70,000 word email and what he confirmed with me yesterday. Apparently, he's been a bad boy. I saw him at a Republican speech recently. He was wearing a suit, saying "Here, Here", and screaming "Zero-based budgeting!" He sure looked and sounded like a Republican to me.
Can a local party chair just unilaterally remove someone elected by the people, even if it's in the bylaws? Will Joe have to turn in his elephant pajamas?
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteI have been advocating something very dangerous - the GOP should actually stand for what we say we believe!
We should adopt positions on issues, offer alternative policy solutions and - shudder - actually oppose Democrats and their policies.
This is too radical for the LCRC.
Meanwhile, that political 'genius' Shawn Millan arranges a bi-county GOP convention which has about 150 or so people turn out (we have that many at our Friday night meetings for the 9-12 group) and the GOP handed out shiny white plastic hats with an elephant logo. The Left trembles with fear...
LV County GOP is dead, will take 2 years to rebuild, yes they have dent and browne, but both of then are very moderate GOPers - play both ends, a far cry from Toomeyism.
ReplyDeleteI mean come on, the best you can do in allentown is tony Phillips and cannot even find 4 candidates for council.
very bad strategic move to write off allentown. If the gap widens toooo big in allentown, will continue to have big impact on county election. Fortunate for dent and browne that they are not running this year against the cunningham/palower machine...
He was born in Kenya I heard...that's why! American for Americans!
ReplyDeleteAll Joe had to do was watch his language and play by the rules. Not to hard to do.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDelete"All Joe had to do was watch his language and play by the rules. Not to hard to do."
Spoken like someone who doesn't know the facts.
Yes, had he supported all Republicans no matter how they voted he'd still be there. Just keep quiet and put party above principles.
Wouldn't our country be so much better if everyone would just do that?
Joe should chill out for a while. Most people think that Americans were sold on the Republicans or the Democrats ideas. Not really they just get tired or start to dislike the leaders in one party or the other after the leaders get arrogant with their power.
ReplyDeleteI'm a liberal, but I know the current policies of the federal reserve and spending are going to be a disaster in 6 months to a year. When Americans wake up to $5 a gallon gasoline again because the dollar has been devalued by the Fed's printing press, there will be a shift in all the debate.
Till than just chill out and wait for the other side to do something incredibly stupid.
"I know the current policies of the federal reserve and spending are going to be a disaster in 6 months to a year. When Americans wake up to $5 a gallon gasoline "
ReplyDeleteyou clearly have no idea what you are talking about.
Maybe I missed the economic course where commodities stay stable as a currency is purposely inflated.
ReplyDeleteThere is also talk in China, France, Russia and the Gulf states about ditching the US dollar as a reserve currency.
The dollar has been taking a nose dive all week.
Everything will always return to the supply and demand curve. Even Ben Bernake and Greenspan can't game that wonderful little chart.
9:38 is right. The disaster is coming and it will bring the game back to the GOP when it does. Best to stand down for a bit. Ds being Ds is the most powerful weapon Rs have right now. And one look at the Teleprompter-in-Chief's crashing approval ratings confirms this.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't a democrat or republican thing. Both are crooks and both had people in their party that sold this bail-out nonsense.
ReplyDeleteStart thinking in a post D or R world.
One of my favorite "lines" I give at many meetings, and which receives very enthusiastic responses, is the following:
ReplyDeleteThis is not about R's vs. D's anymore; this is about taxpayers vs. politicians.
The problem in politics today is that many have a sports team mentality. Eagles fans hate the Cowboys and vice versa. No amount of logic or civil discussion will change that. Many in the party structures and loyalists adopt the "Republicans perfect, Democrats evil" attitude (or the opposite).
I started to fight for our declared principles and became a bit of a problem becuase it exposed a bit of a hypocrisy problem. I also advocated that we go after local Dem pols on legitimate policy issues, but too many fear that will upset the apple cart.
I am not a Republican because I think an elephant is a pretty cool logo.
Of course, if I put on the shiny white plastic hat with the elephant and booed Dems and praised all R's, I would be viewed as a "good" Republican and a great leader in the party.
My integrity and my principles are too valuable to play that game.
The state of our Republic is sad indeed.
"This is not about R's vs. D's anymore; this is about taxpayers vs. politicians."
ReplyDeleteI dont believe that at all. What about the social litmus test that the far right is imposing now? If smaller, more responsible spending were really your agenda, you would have a much larger tent. Unfortunately our small tent has led to a liberal circus.
Wow. As a member of LCRC, I am so tired of the stupidity. Joe Hilliard and Bill Platt were made for each other. Both have egos that far outweigh their abilities.
ReplyDeleteEvidence Joe Hilliard pontificating twice on a blog post about himself and what he sees are the failures of the Lehigh GOP. And Platt thinking that as Chairman of the Lehigh GOP, he can throw people out of the Party on a whim. The apple does fall far.
With the Lehigh GOP holding together by a tread, all the nonsense going on in the County, and the incompetence of the Democrats in Allentown, these two fools couldn't be mature and work together for the benefit of the committee and county? That would be too much to ask of people who consider themselves "leaders."
The only consolation to this whole stupid childishness is that come next year the Lehigh GOP Committee will make sure Joe and Bill have something in common and throw that incompetent "Chairman" out as well.
And when that day happens, good riddance to both of these inept blowhards. Hopefully this Party won't be so far gone that we can't find some adults to get things done.
It is not acceptable to have a Lehigh County Republican committeeperson (Hilliard) openly use hostile language against the County Republican Chair and Vice-Chair; nor is it acceptable for a LCRC committeeperson (Hilliard) to openly encourage people not to vote for an endorsed Republican candidate (Mensch); nor is it acceptable for a LCRC committeeperson (again, Hilliard) to not support another endorsed Republican (Dent). This is why Hilliard was removed from the LCRC (in accordance with the LCRC ByLaws).
ReplyDeleteHilliard is a person who will viciously attack you if you do not agree with him, and while he thinks he is the smartest person ever (just ask him, he will quickly point out he is an engineer - but never seems to have any jobs in the engineering field), he is nothing but a typical schoolyard bully.
I bet Joe Hilliard looks great in a tri-corner hat.
ReplyDeleteThe LV GOP should give him a bell to ring so he can stand at a corner and tell everyone how bright he is.
"Of course, if I put on the shiny white plastic hat with the elephant and booed Dems and praised all R's, I would be viewed as a "good" Republican and a great leader in the party."
ReplyDeleteWould you take off your tinfoil helmet before or after putting on your plastic hat?
What "post D and R" world? The two party system is as entrenched as ever. Google Ross Perot's numbers and all independent prospects after that. The independent movement was very weak and even more short-lived.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had (or enforced) these rules down here in Chester County back in '04. I had heard that several committee folks refused to support and campaign for President (?!?) Bush.
ReplyDelete"I wish we had (or enforced) these rules down here in Chester County back in '04. I had heard that several committee folks refused to support and campaign for President (?!?) Bush."
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. There has to be some order in any group structure. Why let someone intent on ripping apart the structure remain as part of the structure? That's not sensible.
It reminds me of an old Onion Headline: ACLU Defends the Free Speech Rights of Arsonist Who Burned Down ACLU Office.
Ahh, the Onion.
Hate to tell you this but Joe is correct when he states that this is about "taxpayers and politicians" Look at the results in Harrisburg. They labored and labored over the budget and what was the reduction, 1 percent an extremely small gas bubble that issued forth from the behind of that august body known as the Legislature.
ReplyDeleteThe R's and D's are corrupt and that is what it is all about. Do you really think Arlen Specter is the only political opportunist in DC?
The biggest problem for the R's is they have no leader and thus they have no plan other then to wait for the Dems to stumble. I know I want to follow someone with that type of thinking---not