RLC at the RPV Advance

I alluded in an earlier post to a meeting of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia, which took place as an adjunct to the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) Advance and Straw Poll in Arlington last weekend.

It occurred to me that readers may appreciate some elaboration. The purpose of that meeting was to elect officers for the RLC-Virginia and to apply for rechartering by the national organization, as our state charter had lapsed.

My expectations for the meeting were more than fulfilled, since almost two dozen members and potential members were crammed into a hotel suite at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Since I had organized the meeting at the behest of other RLC members, I called it to order and was then selected temporary chairman. As soon as possible, I passed the gavel to D. J. McGuire, who was elected permanent chairman by the group.

Here is the news release that we wrote and distributed immediately after the meeting:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: D. J. McGuire (djmcguire_1999@yahoo.com)

Republican Liberty Caucus Organizes in Virginia

(ARLINGTON, December 1, 2007) --- The Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia was reorganized today in a formal meeting taking place in conjunction with the Republican Party of Virginia’s 24th Annual Advance. Twenty political activists from all parts of the state met to elect a new slate of officers: D.J. McGuire of Spotsylvania County as chairman, Bert Mueller of Williamsburg as vice chairman, Rick Sincere of Charlottesville as secretary, and Cliff Dunn of Newport News as treasurer.

“Today was the beginning of the end for big government in Virginia,” said McGuire, who as the “right-wing liberal” (www.right-wing-liberal.blogspot.com) was one of the first opponents in the blogosphere of HB3202, the omnibus transportation bill passed in 2007. “For too long, Republicans who voted for higher taxes could claim to be friends of limited government. Those days are over. Thomas Jefferson lived, thrived, and died here. His vision has lived and thrived there; we will make sure it doesn’t die here.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to public office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state.

“With the loss of a majority in the state Senate and a shrinking majority in the House of Delegates, it is clear that the Virginia Republican Party needs to re-examine itself and return to its pro-liberty, small-government roots, in the tradition of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan,” said McGuire. “RLC members are Goldwater-Reagan Republicans who will work diligently to emphasize conservative principles and recruit likeminded individuals as candidates and political activists.”

The next step for the RLC of Virginia is to apply for official chartered status from the national organization, which is expected to be granted before the end of the year.

For more information, ... visit the RLC’s national web site at http://www.rlc.org.

-30-

Grabbing the bull by the horns, our new chairman decided to address a current public policy issue. We then wrote and distributed this news release about transportation in Northern Virginia:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: D. J. McGuire (djmcguire_1999@yahoo.com)

Republican Liberty Caucus Criticizes NoVA Transportation Authority

(ARLINGTON, December 1, 2007) --- The newly elected chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Virginia expressed its great disappointment at the decision of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) to start collecting taxes before the Supreme Court of Virginia rules on their legality.

“The NVTA is an unelected body, and as such, it is not allowed to collect taxes or fees, period,” said McGuire, who as the “right-wing liberal” (www.right-wing-liberal.blogspot.com) was one of the first opponents in the blogosphere of HB3202, the omnibus transportation bill passed in 2007 that authorized the taxes and fees in question. “Under Virginia’s Constitution, those taxes and fees are illegal, and to collect them before the Supreme Court rules violates the letter and the spirit of the Constitution.”

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is a grassroots, nationwide organization affiliated with the Republican Party (GOP). The goal of the RLC is to elect pro-liberty individuals to public office. The RLC was founded in 1990, and now has members in every state.

“Voters in northern Virginia made abundantly clear what they thought of these taxes and fees on November 6,” said McGuire. “Republicans who supported them lost votes and in many cases lost their seats; Republicans who opposed them – like Delegates Bob Marshall and Jeff Frederick – increased their vote share from previous elections. For the NVTA to do this now is a slap in the face to all northern Virginians.”

For more information, ... visit the RLC’s national web site at http://www.rlc.org.

-30-

At the meeting, Chairman McGuire appointed members to serve on a platform committee, a fundraising committee, and a web site committee. Before we adjourned, we agreed to hold our next RLC-Virginia meeting in mid-January.