The court of opinion, and the decision to adjudicate is in the hands of those who run the county GOPs throughout the state.  The delegate selection, the process of determining who is appropriate to lead, and the willingness to look beyond immediate effects of this issue all very important.  But the process not being over, will keep the issue on these pages until the elections.

Perhaps with a wall of shame, complete with mugshots.

Those of you who are familiar with this issue fall into the following categories:

• You have seen the evidence.  You don't believe it is proper to change rules after the fact.  You believe the four should resign for the good of the party.
  
• You have seen the evidence.  You don't believe it is proper to change rules after the fact.  BUT, You believe we should stop bringing this up for the good of the party.
  
• You have seen the evidence.  You don't believe the rules were changed after the fact.  However, you believe at the very least the credentials committee should observe what all THOUGHT were the rules, and do the delegate split 15-15, for the good of the party.
  
• You have seen the evidence.  You don't believe it is proper to change rules after the fact.  But you know what happened, and are loyal to those involved.  You wish we would shut up.
  
• You have NOT seen the evidence.  Your eyes are closed.  You believe it is proper to change rules after the fact for the good of the party.  You know what happened, and are loyal to those involved.  You wish we would shut up.
  

And paying attention is something some others will be doing.

Part of the wanting us to shut up on this issue, comes from a fear of the Democrats using it against us in November.

"If you create a rift in the party, how will we come together in November to defeat our opponents? Don't you see that by pursuing this, you give them ammunition, and create distrust within our party?"

Folks, whether or not you agree with our decision to continue presenting this, at least take a minute to acknowledge whether you are a rule of law person all the time, or when it suits you.  Get a grip on who you are, and whether you enable self destructive personal choices all the time, or only within the political process.  Enablers get what they deserve in the end.

And consider the Democrats and what their take will be on this.  Weigh what this means in November. Don't think the Michigan Democrats have filed this away as a meaningless incident.  It provides a very solid theme.  One that we have used in the past on them. A message that clearly resonates within the independents and Reagan Dems who will be deciding whether to continue with the Republican leadership for our elected seats or change yet again. A question is all that has to be asked:

"If they steal in their own house, what then keeps them from stealing from the rest of us?"

If you are looking in as an undecided outsider, and faced with that question, what would you do?

What manner of fool does it take, to support a party that willingly disregards its own in such a way?

April or otherwise, the folly of the February 29 decision still stands as a testament to the amount of work which remains to restore the conscience to our own party.