Monday, March 10, 2008

Pat's DUI staffer Keeter runs Gaston GOP convention

It seems Republican Congressional candidate Lance Sigmon can go fuck himself, at least as far as Gaston County Republicans are concerned.

What else was the GOP thinking to have the deputy district director for one candidate run a convention that is allegedly for the entire party:

Here are a few 'graphs from the Gaston Gazette coverage:
Four Republican candidates for governor - Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, state Sen. Fred Smith, former N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr and Salisbury attorney Bill Graham - spoke first during Saturday's breakfast and then quickly departed for the Mecklenburg County GOP Convention in Charlotte.

. . .

Convention Chairman Brett Keeter said the attendance Saturday was better than past conventions of the Gaston GOP and that's a good sign during a heated presidential race.
Writer Daniel Jackson needs to talk to his sports staff about how not to drink the subject's koolaid when covering the news. Brett Keeter has been in their own paper for several months for getting suspended as McHorny's Deputy District Director for his September DUI arrest and February guilty plea.

Not only is it weird to write Brett Keeter's name as if his DUI wasn't fairly recent news, it's completely illegitimate reporting not to mention Keeter is a high-level (and well-paid) McHenry staffer (or staffer on suspension).

I've never heard of county conventions being run by either campaign or district staff of a Congressman, particularly the year of a contested election. 11th District Congressman Heath Shuler's District staffer Randy Flack had to step down from running for Buncombe County Democratic Party Chair because of the potential conflict of interest.

It looks like Pat McHorny doesn't care too much about conflicts of interest, potential or otherwise. He must have too much to hide.

3 comments:

micandacam said...

unbelievable...or maybe not...looks like playing by the rules may be beyond the ability of this crowd

joyfulrunner said...

Wow - this is ridiculous! I can't believe that the Gaston county party officials would allow this. Is Keeter the chairman of the Gaston Co. party? McHenry sure has his little hands into everything - the press, the local party organizations. Maybe he's scared if he doesn't have a layer of protection, he will show his "true" colors...

And this is just the primary - can't imagine how dirty it will get if/when he has a Democrat to fight against.

I know I haven't been following this situation for very long, but can't anyone do anything about this now?

Drama Queen said...

I don't think Keeter has an official role in Gaston COunty.

Joyful, this is typical of McHenry activities. From College Republicans on up, he has allies trying to run everything and enforcers who go after people who don't do what they're told.

He studied under Karl Rove early on so he's using every dirty trick in the book. When you aren't who you say you are, you have to use tricks and intimidation to maintain power.

There are some Republicans in the 10th who want him out but the Democrats are outnumbered. Burke and Cleveland county Democrats really need to go door to door starting yesterday if Daniel Johnson is to have any chance at all.