HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Apparently, the Chairman of the St. Charles County Central Committee wants to continue drawing attention to the leadership vacuum that exists on that Committee.  We refer to the laborious list of excuses he made in a recent O’Fallon Watchdog commentary in response to O’Fallon businessman Joe Cronin’s observations about the 16th Legislative nomination “debacle.” His reply to Cronin in O'Fallon Watchdog illustrates this.

Our main point here is to point out how far from free and democratic the process was that nominated a Republican candidate to succeed departing State Representative Carl Bearden (District 16) in a February special election. As Tony Brockmeyer (Ist Capitol News) so appropriately phrased it in a recent commentary, the Party leadership insists on pursuing "...special interest politics..." and "...the politics of personal destruction..." Our view is that there’s a pattern of practice here.

In September, Central Committee members eligible to vote in that District were summoned to a nominating meeting.  In what has become business as usual, the “word” prior to that meeting indicated the Party choice was Mark Parkinson, a former Bond staffer, with the clear inference that everyone should vote accordingly. This ignored the fact that Ray Stone, also a viable candidate with considerable political experience and professional credentials, was running.  Despite continuing strong direction from the Committee “leadership” in favor of Parkinson, the vote was close and Parkinson emerged with a narrow victory.  Some voting members, including at least one Parkinson supporter, were outraged at the Party / Committee leadership’s display of favoritism.

Ah, but enter a new wrinkle.  It is discovered that the validity of the election could be subject to court challenge since it was not conducted within the geographic area of District 16.  Despite vigorous attempts to redefine the area to include the original location and avoid a second vote, a second meeting was subsequently called.  In a follow-up letter, 16th District Committee Chair, Fred Henke, wrote: “The Missouri Republican Party requested another meeting as a formality to affirm our selection of Mark Parkinson as candidate for the 16th legislative district representative.” (Emphasis added)

Now, either an election is valid or it isn’t.  Right?  You can’t have it both ways.  Nevertheless, the Committee, not easily discouraged, attempted to establish the second vote as one merely to endorse the initial selection, without recognizing any other candidate.  Parkinson was informed of the meeting; Ray Stone was not.  One member of the Committee, Brandy Pedersen, in frustration, reported the “disconnect’ to the media. This seemed, after conversations with both Henke and the Central Committee Chair (Jon Bennett), to be the only way to get their attention.   Perhaps, as a result of media attention, committee members were “permitted” to vote on both candidates. After two tie votes, Parkinson won the nomination on the third ballot.

The irony of it all is that, had the Party leadership and their allies simply allowed the candidates to run on their own without the “meddling,” Parkinson would likely have won. But the Committee leadership had to prove they were “in charge” by “delivering this victory” and so they blundered around in the most amateur way “playing politics.”  By doing so, they almost lost it.  Well, they voted in the Party choice by pressuring one poor soul to switch from Ray Stone to Parkinson, but it was ”messy” and would certainly have turned off any professional political operative who viewed the process.  (Hello, Jeff City!)

For those doubters, who still might question the allegations of favoritism and behind the scenes maneuvering, please note the following.  (1) Penny Henke, wife of the 16th Legislative District Chair (Fred Henke) who conducted these meetings, is Parkinson’s Campaign Treasurer.  (2) A campaign solicitation letter from Parkinson was mailed just prior to the 2nd vote and his official nomination.

None of this is news to those who watch the techniques employed by the Party in St. Charles County.  But not many citizens, like Pedersen, will step forward to publicly expose these inequities. Experience has shown that those who do are systematically demonized. An apparently unshakable belief in contrived and corrupt politics is a hallmark of many of the "cronies" on the Committee, their associates and their leadership. We observe that ambition unmatched by ability tends to create this result. Meanwhile, the “cronies” continue to control the St. Charles County Republican Central Committee.  Our thanks to those like Brandy Pedersen and others who are willing to "hang in there."