Last week I wrote a blog addressing
the newest Milam County Political Organization. When I say that I am not really
sure what to point out more; the Milam County or the Political Organization
because quite honestly neither of these words adequately fits this group.
Many folks have contacted
me in regards to the group called Republicans for Kerry Spears. To be honest, a couple were upset with me, but most of them were quite angry with Mrs. Spears. While I appreciate the concerns of those upset by this group, I also understand that while the
goal of this group may seem honorable, the origin and background of this group
is quite deceptive.
If this was simply a matter
of a group of Republicans choosing to back Mrs. Spears I would probably have
not said anything about it; after all, as I said in my earlier blog I believe “that
America is a free country and that everyone has the right to vote for whomever
they feel will do the best job.”
Like most of you I have
nothing against Mrs. Spears; however, when there is an issue that is brought
before me that I must address as the Party Chairman, I will do so in a manner
that does urge party loyalty. Mrs. Spears choose to run for re-election as a
Democrat and dance with the ones who brought her – now she’s not so sure she
wants to dance.
The general election system
we have set up in Texas calls for all candidates in state and county elections
to either declare themselves loyal to a political party or to run as an independent. This system while not perfect, does allow the
general public to have a general idea of where the candidates stand based on
the party they align themselves with. Just like many of this year’s candidates,
Bill Torrey has run as a Democrat in the past, but unlike Mrs. Spears, once
given the opportunity to run for office as a Republican in Milam County Mr.
Torrey did so – Mrs. Spears DID NOT.
Mrs. Spears had the
opportunity to run as a Republican and she chose to remain a Democrat and as
such to align her campaign with the liberal principles and beliefs held by Barack
Obama’s party and not with the conservative beliefs and values held by voters in
Milam County. Regardless of What Mrs. Spears’ advertising and messages say now,
if she was a true conservative she would have shown the moral conviction and courage
to switch parties and run as a Republican.
Bill Torrey chose to run as
a Republican because the values of the Republican Party are the same
conservative values and beliefs he holds dear. It was the hard work of the
people of the Republican Party of Milam County and the Republican candidates in
2010 that proved you could run as a Republican in Milam County and win. That hard
work built a party that let conservatives have the chance to run as a
Republican and the true conservatives have chosen to run as Republicans.
In last Wednesday’s blog I strove
to keep the same civil and respectful tone I have throughout my time as County Chair. I
did not mention any deception in my blog, but this group has been deceptive. It
was set up through a third party individual from Rockdale while being
principally financed and logistically organized by family members of Kerry
Spears. That in itself is deceptive and can be proved through the financial
statements on file at the County Clerk’s office and the phone calls received by
me and other county officials from unhappy land owners approached by Mrs. Spears’
family members looking to place these signs.
If it was the support of
Republicans Mrs. Spears wanted, then she should have run as a Republican and
not allowed this trickery by various friends and family members to be the means by
which she sought to gain Republican support. In the past and from time to time I
have seen people I know as Republicans with signs supporting a Democrat and
have respected those folks’ opinions enough to let them have their say. As I also said
in an earlier blog, I spent 14 years serving this country in the U. S. Navy and
have spent the last few years as Milam County GOP Chair working to help protect
the rights of people to vote for who they think is the best candidate for the
job.
If this was just a group of
Republicans that got together to do this on their own, I would not need to address
this; however, this is an issue of someone using the Republican brand and as
such I have addressed it as I was asked to by my constituency.
I do apologize if any of
this has in any way been offensive as that is surely not my desire. But the actions of this group is offensive
to those working so hard in the Republican Party of Milam County and to have an incumbent Democrat candidate
try and work the system to gain support under less-than-honorable circumstances is dissappointing.
Vote for Bill Torrey, the only Republican for Milam County Attorney.
Thanks,
Bill
