More on the "deal"- breaker

It looks like things are intensifying in the effort to squash the "deal" between the Democrats and Republicans.

Tom Luken, former congressman and former Democratic Party Chairman, sent this terse e-mail to current party chairman Tim Burke.

And GOP leader Alex Triantafilou gives his take on his blog.




Dear Tim,

You have been widely criticized for allegedly cutting the voters out of the November election for County Commissioner, and for refusing to signify your consent to the candidacy of independent Democrat Dole who wants to provide opposition for Republican Hartman. Attached is a motion for the April 21 organizing meeting of theCentralCommittee in favor of Trustee Dole's endorsement.

We hereby make the
following proposal to cut the lawyers out of the procedures in the Central Committee handling this vote on April 21, for three reasons: 1) You are apparently assuming that you will chair the meeting which will vote on Dole, despite your repeated public statements of categorical opposition to his endorsement. 2) The present status of rules is problematical because the new Central Committee has just been certified (April 5) and has not adopted rules, and 3) the Byzantine rules of the Central Committee as they have been interpreted by you recently are suspect, to say the least.

We suggest that you publicly agree (immediately because of time restraints) that the attached Dole endorsement motion be voted on at theApril 21 meeting, up or down with no amendments, and that such a vote be taken before rules are adopted, and that the portion of the meeting wherein this endorsement is considered, be co-chaired by yourself and one of us (your choice) who will act as temporary co-chairman for that purpose.

You have been quoted in the media as opposed to Dole even though you state that he is a "respected trustee and motivated" among other laudatory sttements, so we can agree he should get completely fair treatment.

Also you will recall that Mr. Luken, undersigned, wrote you on January 15 and requested that you convene a special meeting of the County Central Committee to consider these same matters (for the reason that under the "rules"of the committee only the Chairman had the power to call a meeting of the Central Committee), and your reply, attached, denied Mr. Luken's request. We were unwilling to submit Dole's endorsement before the Executive Committee or any other committee which is made up of other than elected precinct executives. Your wish, apparently, was to take up Dole's endorsement before the expanded committee consisting of 200 elected by the voters and 700 appointed by you.

This is a packed committee. We should add that prior to the packed committee meet earlier this year you sent two or three notices to the members warning that endorsements or any motions or resolutions would not be considered by the executive committee unless such were submitted in a timelly fashion before the meeting. It is for that reason, and others thast we don't want this extremely important endorsement to be decided by technicalities, construed by lawyers. We read the papers and know that Mr. Chesley is already on hyour side as an architect of the deal.
We want the public in on this now. Copies are going to the press.