Greer Announces Resignation As Florida GOP Chair -- And Slams Right-Wing Critics On His Way Out

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Greer Announces Resignation As Florida GOP Chair -- And Slams Right-Wing Critics On His Way Out
Eric Kleefeld | January 5, 2010, 2:01PM

On a conference call with reporters just now, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer officially announced his resignation, effective on February 20. He took the opportunity to tear into his right-wing critics for wanting a smaller party and accused them of pulling apart the GOP itself in order to take him out.

Greer is an ally of Gov. Charlie Crist, a relative GOP moderate who is being vigorously challenged in this year's Senate primary by the more conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. Supporters of Rubio had been accusing Greer of mismanaging party funds and of being biased in Crist's favor, all of which Greer has strongly denied. In his resignation, Greer said he could no longer put the party through this divisive process -- but he clearly didn't mind taking some parting shots on the way out.

"As you know, there is a great debate in our party on the direction, moderates vs. conservatives, whether we should have a big tent or a small tent," said Greer. "And while I have made it my utmost concern to try and keep those arguments and discontents out of the Republican Party of Florida, over the last six months there has been a very vocal group within our party that has become very active in seeking an effort to oust me as chairman. They have distorted facts, they have talked about misspending of money, when the facts have been shown over and over and over that that's not true. They have talked about my support of Gov. Crist for the U.S. Senate race. They have, as they say, thrown everything up against the wall as they possibly can, to either embarrass me or embarrass the Republican Party of Florida."

"They simply have two goals in mind, and if the first one fails, fall back to the second one," Greer explained. "And the first one is remove me as chairman, and if that doesn't work, burn the house down and destroy the Republican Party of Florida.

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/greer-announces-resignation-as-florida-gop-chair----and-slams-right-wing-critics-on-his-way-out.php

[denem]

1. "burn the house down and destroy the Republican Party of Florida"

Why stop at Florida? GOTP - GO Tea Party.

[thunder rising]

3. Where's the ActRed page? I gotta chip in.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. I think the reason why conservative Republicans in Florida don't mind

destroying the Republican party is because they're not really Republicans. Greer comes from Oviedo. This area is steep with property rights individuals who are pure and simple, Libertarian in philosophy. They want complete control to break the Sunshine laws to negotiate land deals amongst themselves, without interference from the public. Everything you do see in a public meeting, is just for show.

Only in this area can a quasi-secret society be created composed of lawyers and judges who have land use interests. Why the FBI doesn't investigate them is beyond me. (Because, obviously the State Attorney's Office doesn't give a shit.) But calling themselves Republicans is a ruse. That's why they're using this scorched earth effort.

If they had to come out and identify what they believed in, they would be forced to run as Libertarians.

[FSogol]

2. They lack ambition. Why destroy the FL Repub party when they could destroy the whole GOP?

Slackers.

[Jamastiene]

7. Well said.

:toast:

[AspenRose]

4. Hmmm.

"They simply have two goals in mind, and if the first one fails, fall back to the second one," Greer explained. "And the first one is remove me as chairman, and if that doesn't work, burn the house down and destroy the Republican Party of Florida."




Substitute "remove me as chairman" with "remove Obama and all Democrats from office"

Substitute "the Republican Party of Florida" with "the United States of America"



Yep, pretty much same M.O.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. What? Republicans lying and misrepresenting the facts?

That's absolutely unbelievable! Surely the party that invented the Iraqi WMDs, told us what a liar Gore was, and sent the Swiftboats out to torpedo John Kerry would never stoop to such tactics.

[kestrel91316]

6. I'm guessing he was insufficiently Christofascist, like so many other of

brethren down there in that swamp.

[gratuitous]

9. Note to other Republicans

Mr. Greer was in the forefront of the fake outrage over President Obama "indoctrinating our children" with his beginning of the school year address to students. But what has he done for the GOP lately? Not consistently crazy enough for the newly nutz GOP?