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
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