Tag: Independence Caucus

My "normal job" here at the Fix Michigan Center of West Michigan is as the Communications Coordinator, which means that I'm supposed to be cranking out one blog per week.  Yeah . . . not so much.  The brutal reality for me this particular election cycle is that I've been heavily involved in a leadership position for the Kent County Republicans in the ground game in Kentwood.  My work is impacting the 3rd Congressional race (Justin Amash), the 72nd and 75th State House races (Ken Yonker and Bing Goei, respectively), and the 12th, 13th, and 19th County Commission races (Harold Mast, Dick VanderMolen, and Shana Shroll).  Of those candidates, only VanderMolen is an incumbent; Mast and Shroll are challengers, and the others are running for open seats.

So far as I know, all six of those races are more or less safely in Republican hands right now, though some of them are tighter than we might care for.  On the other hand, there is one race in Kent County that will be closer than we'd like, that the Democrats want really bad, that the Republicans cannot afford to lose . . . and I've been working on the ground game (to a greater or lesser degree) since May.  Such is the life of a Precinct Delegate.

To say that the 2010 Michigan Republican State Convention was "interesting" would be considered by many attendees as an understatement.  By all honest accounts, it was evident that the MIGOP party leadership expected that, in exchange for being allowed a few seats at the table, the Michigan Tea Party Alliance would be good little sheep on the convention floor and rubber stamp the decrees of the party officials.  Funny thing about that though, is that the MTPA members blindly answer to no one (certainly no one whose trustworthiness is considered suspect at best), and most assuredly do not simply do as they're told.  On the flip side of that coin, though, anyone who is of the opinion that the MTPA is going to take out their frustration on the GOP ticket is going to be thoroughly disabused of that notion come November.

The Independence Caucus is not a political party, nor is it affiliated with any political party.  It is the anti-incumbent, non-affiliated group of concerned citizens devoted to electing candidates truly committed to constitutional loyalty and fiscal responsibility, regardless of party.  The goal is the election of such candidates to not less than 40% of the seats in the House and the Senate in 2010 . . . and in each following election year.  It is a not-for-profit organization of concerned citizens from all walks who recognize the responsibility to act now to protect future generations of this nation from the disastrous consequences of our unfathomable deficits and debts, and exists to teach us how to govern our country as citizens, and to provide the practical tools and resources to actually make it happen.

Everyone who's familiar with me is well aware that I'm a big fan of Mike Huckabee.  This is for multiple reasons.  The guy's a solid conservative and was - in my opinion - a better choice than John McCain for the Republican presidential ticket in 2008.  Most importantly, as far as I'm concerned, is the fact that Governor Huckabee is an open proponent of the National FairTax Initiative.  (Yes, he's also an open supporter of the Michigan FairTax Proposal.)

With that in mind, I fully expected that Governor Huckabee would, if he endorsed anyone in the Michigan Gubernatorial race, be endorsing Pete Hoekstra (who has openly endorsed both the national initiative and the state proposal).  Congressman Hoekstra has also actively and constructively engaged the Michigan TEA Party Movement, and I recall well that grassroots engagement was what kept Huckabee in the Republican primary race as long as he was.  I also know for a fact that HuckPAC will not endorse, support, or otherwise back any candidate who doesn't support the FairTax initiative.

So you can imagine my surprise when, around 8:30 this morning, I received a phone call from a close friend who just happens to be an insider to the Mike Cox gubernatorial campaign.