Saul Anuzis, former head of the state GOP and a national GOP committee member, announced earlier this week that he would be challenging Michael Steele for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee (RNC). Anuzis had made a failed but significant run against Steele, the party’s first black leader, for the same post in 2009.
Countdown addresses the fact that the Republicans calling President Obama a socialist hasn't worked, so they need to ratchet up the rhetoric. Specifically our own Saul Anuzis recommends calling President Obama's an "economic fascist."
The NRC just hosted its first Tech Summit, "a gathering of party leaders, wonks and tech gurus" who got together to generate ideas that might help move the GOP out of the Stone Age.
Summit participants not only heard from Michael Steele and Newt Gingrich, but also from members of the public -- unusually for the GOP, the event was open to everyone.
Helping to run the summit was Michigan's own Saul Anuzis, who is the new "RNC transition chairman." Though the title "transition chairman" sounds vaguely like "Miss Congeniality," at least it gets him out in the fresh air...
During lunch break, Saul Anuzis is holding court near the entrance. "Why do revolutionaries use Kalashnikovs?" he asks. "Because they won't jam. It's not the best gun, but you can throw it in the mud, pick it up, and it still works. This is a revolution."
What exactly is that supposed to mean? Throw your Blackberry in the mud? Steal your neighbor's wifi? Given recent sketchy GOP attempts to use Twitter, is this really the most helpful metaphor for Saul to choose?
Not to mention that when it comes to recent electoral outcomes, Saul's Republican "revolution" looks more Russian than American.
I got this e-mail from Dennis Lennox today. I'm sure this will help Saul.
I'm on Saul's newsletter list but obviously I am not a Republican. I just want to be clear.
Dear Fellow Republican:
I realize you are probably getting inundated with e-mails, but I wanted to take a moment and tell you why I support Saul Anuzis for chairman of the Republican National Committee.
On November 4, I unseated a two-term Democrat incumbent to win countywide office in Michigan's Cheboygan County. And while it was quite an accomplishment for any Republican to win last year, it was even more significant because I'm 24 and a college student.
While I have the utmost respect for all the candidates vying for RNC chairman, Saul is the only candidate who truly understands my generation -- a generation the Republican Party cannot afford to lose to President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, which is what happened this year when 69 percent of first-time voters and 66 percent of the crucial 18-30 demographic supported the opposition.
Under Saul's tenure, he's made youth outreach a major priority. In fact, he's always been ready and willing to work and support Teenage Republicans, College Republicans and Young Republicans and get involved in the party.
Saul understands the Republican Party cannot win with the same playbook -- the same talking points. He knows we won't come out of the political wilderness until we begin providing 21st Century answers to 21st Century challenges.
Suburban communities across the country should be Republican territory, but we're losing these voters because the Democrats are the ones representing them by running younger candidates who talk about their issues.
Saul knows the GOP must actively run young candidates for seats in Congress and state legislatures. He understands the party won't win again unless we appeal to young people in all 50 states.
It's time for the Republican Party to compete nationally. As a party, we won't win in 2010 and 2012 if we automatically cede the entire Northeast, Great Lakes, Upper Midwest and West Coast to Democrats.
Thank you for your time, and I hope Saul can count on your support.
Sincerely,
Dennis Lennox Drain Commissioner, Cheboygan County Young Republicans Chairman, Cheboygan County P.O. Box 232 Topinabee, MI 49791 Telephone: (989) 205-0289 E-mail: dennisl@tm.net Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dennislennox
(Don't miss this Monday's debate between the party chair hopefuls ... I wonder if Saul will include the riveting story of how he ironed his shirts two hours ago when he discusses Twitter. - promoted by Eric B.)
Today's Washington Post article on the crazy six-way open race for the RNC Chairmanship, with a prominent mention of our very own Saulius:
A regional divide has emerged between North and South, with former Maryland lieutenant governor Michael S. Steele and Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis pitted against Saltsman of Tennessee and Katon Dawson, the South Carolina party chairman. While not criticizing the candidates or party members from the South, Steele and Anuzis have emphasized the importance of competing in states where the GOP has struggled in recent years. "If we are a party that can speak to Utah, South Carolina and Kansas, but can't reach voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, we will be a losing party," Anuzis has said. "We must adopt a strategy that carries our message to every state." The Michigan leader has also tried to cast himself as a different kind of Republican, noting that he is a member of the Teamsters union and a rider of a Harley-Davidson Road King.
Um. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence when the long-time chair of the MI Republicans admits that he couldn't reach voters in his own state... whether or not he's using Twitter
I'm so scared. Saul Anuzis has a plan for a GOP comeback. But guess what, it's more of the same, Republican obstructionism. Here is the most interesting thing I found so far, Saul lays out his plans to obstruct progress on some of the issues that Americans really care about.
Yesterday morning, I received this email from the Michigan GOP (yes, I am on their e-mail list..need to keep up with the other side!) :
Dear ___
Today, you may have received an email from a disgruntled former employee, Justin Zatkoff, that is an example of game-playing that is distracting from our efforts this fall. It has been leaked to the press and being circulated by the same old group of troublemakers who are more interested in intra-party political silliness than helping Republicans win general elections.
The Total Meltdown of the State GOP, under the fold
Former GOP state legislator Paul DeWeese talked at length with Jack Ebling this week about the state of the GOP and GOP moderates in America. They also touched on the Presidential candidates, national health care, stem cell research and his own political future. They also talked about DeWeese's endorsement of Democratic candidate for the U.S. House (7th District), Mark Schauer.
And update from YAF Watch on YAF member activites. In the primaries three YAFers ran for office, with two earning Republican positions, one internal, one for public office.
Former YAF Chair Kyle Bristow was elected to a seat be a Republican Pecinct delegate. This is a win not only for Bristow, but for Michigan Republican Party State Chair Saul Anuzis, who calls Bristow "exactly the kind of kid we want"
"There are two candidates for drain commissioner, a four-year position, including incumbent Democrat John Pietrangelo and Republican challenger Dennis Lennox. "
Democratic incumbency and Lennox's lack of any experience in environmental engineering should make this a win for Piterangelo.
Tyler Whitney, one of the YAF participants in the anti-gay rally in Lansing who later came out, came in fourth out of five in a Republican primary race for commissioner in Bath Township.
Guess who showed up at Border's in Ann Arbor today. Saul Anuzis was 20 feet from Nancy Pelosi. He brought a handful of protestors with him urging Pelosi to hold a vote on drilling. What a joke, Republicans calling for up or down votes and calling Democrats criminals.
What I don't think they realize is that the Republican protesters were standing behind another group that was there with a giant IMPEACH sign. I should have pictures tomorrow. It was priceless.
The Michigan Republican Party and Chair Saul Anuzis are organizing a protest against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tonight at Borders in downtown Ann Arbor where she will join a panel discussion and sign copies of her new book, "Know Your Power" at 7 p.m.
The intention of the protest is to build on the Grand Oil Party's juvenile stunt last week where they preached to each other in the dark after the House and Senate were adjourned for the annual summer break on how giving oil companies more leases in environmentally sensitive areas will reduce gas prices. The email blast to supporters says the intention is to "... send her a strong message that she needs to call Congress back into session now, and hold a vote on an energy bill that will allow America to develop America's oil." No word on why they don't just ask the head oil man in the White House to call them back into session since he has the power to do that, or why for all but the last 18 months of President George Bush's time in office when the GOP controlled both Houses of Congress no real energy plan was adopted.
To help in the protest and to lend an air of authenticity, Anuzis is asking his followers to bring homemade signs, and since he knows they probably can't think of any catchy slogans for themselves, he sent along some helpful suggestions, such as "Gas b-4 Book Tour" "Bring Congress Back" "We Want Lower Gas $" "End The Shutdown" and "Give Us A Vote."
Bill Nowling and the MGOP communications team have really outdone themselves. That was money well spent.
I have a few slogans of my own for the Grand Oil Party attendees to use: "Food stamps for Exxon," "We don't need no stinking books," "Books are for liberals," "Tell Bush to tell you to bring Congress back," "Drill on those thousands of leases you already have," "oil execs need help to pay for their Bugatti Veyrons," or "We need our gas prices to go down by 2 cents in 10 years now."
The Ann Arbor stop will be Pelosi's first stop on a 13-city book tour, and because there are so many people expected to want to meet the Speaker, Borders began giving out wristbands this morning when the store opened. According to Borders, the wristband guarantees a place in line, but offers no guarantee you'll meet the Speaker.
I have a better suggestion for the GOP: buy a book at Borders to benefit a Michigan company. That may be asking a little too much. Buy a DVD while you are there and do some real good. Make sure you carpool.
Saul Anuzis, the Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, has joined nationalist extremist Chris Simcox and anti-affirmative action activist Ward Connerly on the list of speakers for the Conservative Leadership Conference.
Anuzis has in the past endorsed the Michigan State University chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, the first university recognized hate group. When the group was first listed by Southern Poverty Law Center in 2007 he went on the state-wide morning radio program "The Big Show" and called YAF Chair Kyle Bristow "Exactly the kind of kid we want".
Ward Connerly, the anti-affirmative action activist behind the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, has worked with several shady characters. During the Michigan Civil Right Initiative he raised concerns when he made controversial statements about the KKK.
I certainly don't run away from my belief because other people share that belief but for the wrong reasons. When you start looking at the motives of other people, you reach a point where you drive yourself crazy. . . . I once said to someone, "If the KKK supports this language, then God bless them." And then that became the headline: "Connerly says God bless the Klan."
What I was saying is I want everyone to believe in the idea that everyone should be treated equally. (If) you vote for this initiative, you're saying that you believe in it.
What hasn't been explained is his association with the Council Of Conservative Citizens (a renewed organization built from the old White Citizens CouncilS). Connerly was pictured with John Raterink, Chairman of the Michigan Council of Conservative Citizens.
Ironically, the group that he worked with is a segregationist group. Connerly recently discussed his support for gay marriage, comparing it to his own marriage.
The Council of Conservative Citizens opposes mixed marriages such as Connerly's. In their Statement of Principles, Principle #2 declares
We believe the United States is a European country and that Americans are part of the European people. . .
. . . We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called "affirmative action" and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races.
Statement #6
The traditional family is the basic unit of human society. We believe in the traditional family as the basic unit of human society and morality, and we oppose all efforts by the state and other powers to weaken the structure of the American family through toleration of sexual licentiousness, homosexuality and other perversions, mixture of the races{emphasis added}, pornography in all forms, and subversion of the authority of parents.
Connerly too, can discuss with Anuzis about their mutual friend Kyle Bristow.
Grebner posted about this at the outset, but didn't think they'd get enough signatures quickly. They must have had scads of money to be done in only a few weeks!
GORE “CREATED” THE INTERNET…nine years ago on CNN he made his famous claim…now he’s creating the “global warming” crisis…you know, during this, the coldest spring in years. The Nobel Peace folks need a “lock box” prize.
McCAIN’S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY SPEECH…McCain seeks out a third way” on environmental policy…looking for reasonable and practical approaches.
The article of which Saul speaks:
On Monday too, after ticking off the evidence he said proves global warming, McCain was careful to not scare the business community and laced his proposal with assurances that he would respect the market.
In fact, he used the conservative-friendly word “market” 10 separate times in his speech.
You know, during this, the coldest spring in years.
I think this maybe was in MIRS, but it's hard to tell (if it was, the attribution is pretty poor). Regardless, on The Conservative Dossier.
The talk among Republicans on Tuesday continued to be speculation that a Detroit News story last week highlighting how the Michigan Republican Party (MRP) started 2008 $250,000 in debt was shopped to the national media by political operative John YOB, a John McCAIN staffer.
Republican sources claim they've talked to or have communicated with national reporters that have led them to believe Yob is planting the story as part of the on-going power struggle between MRP Chair Saul ANUZIS and former Michigan Republican Committeeman Chuck YOB, Yob's father.
