Although Mark Berg was elected Chairman of Frederick County Republican Committee last month, tonight the 10th District Republican Committee refused to recognize Berg’s election. The 10th District Committee, led by Jo Thoburn, said the action was taken because Berg’s election has been appealed to the State Central Committee.
However, the party’s rules say Berg is the chairman unless and until the State Central Committee overturns his election. However, the committee ignored that, and refused to recognize him as Chairman.
Until last year, Mark Berg was a member of the House of Delegates whose district included Frederick County.
More on this story as it develops.
50 comments
Let’s see. 1) The people showed up in droves to oust the establishment. 2.) The establishment tried to create chaos by pissing and moaning and snivling that it was not fair; then 3.) Jill Colf and Chris “the weasel” Collins called the Sheriff’s Dept. because they were [purportedly] in fear for their lives; 4.) Then they all picked up their toys and left in disarray while the vote was going on.
The idiots that Jo Thoburn is protecting created the fiasco. They should put up or shut up. They had a shot to turn their people out; but they didn’t show up. Informed and reasonable citizens who don’t want higher taxes and oppressive rhino policies getting rammed down our throat did show up. It is what it is.
Mr. Robbins, Spicer, Shickle et al — Don’t go away mad — Just go away. You are the problem. You’ve muzzled the ox for too long. Looks like you just took a couple shoe prints the establishment’s chest. Breath dawg breath…. I think I’ll file my appeal too.
Mark Berg deserves better.
On this we can agree, but there is little Berg can do when the party leaders have given the 10th district permission to behave this way.
This one just comes down to the rules and fair play… and if silence isn’t enough to defend a man? If we are all to give positive assent anytime a party leader demands it? That’s outrageous, IMO.
“J’accuse” works for the French… but if this is how we behave in our own party strictures, why should anyone trust us in governance?
Very frustrating…
Chairman Jo Thoburn said RPV Attorney Marston told her she could refuse to seat Delegate Berg as the Chairman of FCRC. I don’t know who gave Marston the authority to override the State Party Plan. Nor do I know why the committee accepted the ruling of Thoburn and Marston but Dr. Berg was booted from the committee although the chair allowed him to speak, just as any visitor could.
The interim committee chair picked the credentially committee. We voted on adopting ALL OF THE RULES instead of the crap the establishment tried to feed us.
Everything was reviewed by them and the committee recommended the 7 people ousted were illegitimately ousted. They were read into the record and voted on… Dave Sparkman read an email directly from Marston into the meeting that stated that the local committee was in charge of making those decisions( or something to that effect) Everyone was voted back into the FCRC per the rules and per Martson’s email.
Apprarently, Martson has waffled. If he continues with the waffling, it will continue to dimantle this party and trivialize the meaning of it. I don’t remember him being an idiot in high school. Clumsy but not an idiot.
Jo Thoburn said she had spoken with Marston but we did not see anything in writing. Perhaps she misunderstood him? Or something?
The Republican Tenth District in which I have very unfortunately sat for close to twenty-five years as a constituent is largely rotting from top to bottom and has been for some time. District leadership doesn’t like an existing rule ignore it, one doesn’t exist to further your own personal agenda (what ever that may be) just make one up. This isn’t about honest differences of intra-party opinion or political philosophy hotly contested or openly brokered this is just run of the mill manipulation of the will of the base and open disdain for any process that opposes it’s desires.
This is the district that gave us Obama supporter Rep. Barbara Comstock and Virginia State Party Chairman John (my way or the highway) Whitbeck. I can respect neighboring FCRC regardless of their frequent lack of support of conservative candidates and positions but the 10th district and it’s significant Loudoun County base is just reprehensible and frankly ineffective on top of that. But a solution is on the near term horizon for those pushing so conscientiously to Cantorize the former conservative Republican stronghold and that is the Republican 10th District completing it’s transition to a Democratic bastion. Could never happen you say, just watch. It’s so bad here currently it actually makes me long for the days of Joe May
Uh oh. Given the disgraceful, unfair treatment Dr. Berg received at the last SCC meeting, I tremble for his outcome this time.
Whom the Establishment squashes, THEY don’t like to see make a comeback. Those uppity grassroots like Mark Berg need to be made an example of.
To HELL with the MAJORITY of Republican voters of Frederick County who chose Mark Berg fair and square!
Actually, the appeal would have to go to the 10th District Committee first. It cannot go to State Central directly.
That’s not we were told at tonight’s meeting. Jo said quite clearly that Dr. Berg’s election has been appealed to SCC and they will hear it. I’m sure someone from the meeting will be along to explain why the 10th district is not hearing it.
Party Plan X.B.1 and 3
The 10th District doesn’t much care about all that Party plan stuff. Jo said only the SCC can decide if Mark is to be allowed to be chair of Frederick County Republican Committee. For whatever reason, the decision is bypassing the 10th district committee. That has been made quite clear.
According to the State Party Plan, the 10th District should convene a meeting within 14 days to hear the appeal. If no ruling is issued within 30 days, then the appeal may proceed to SCC due to the failure to act on the part of the 10th CD. However, if that is not the case, the SCC may decline to hear it since it by-passed the lower committee. I’m not saying they will, but they could.
Many years ago, there was an appeal regarding a unit committee mass meeting that went directly to its District Committee, where the appellants won. However it was overturned because the appeal had not gone to the unit committee first.
The players have been told SCC will hear it. Something about the number of people who signed the appeal. Why that would matter, I do not know.
Please see my comment above. Chairman Jo Thoburn and John Whitbeck agreed to skip the appeal at the district level and go to SCC. I am aware that this violates the party plan. Perhaps the SCC could be overturned but since the Chairmans have agreed to this, who would overturn it? It’s good to be the Queen!
I don’t believe it violates the RPV party plan but it does not stay the veracity of the vote. Thoburn has no standing to tell Robbins or anyone else not to acknolwedge the vote. She could have entertained the appeal but failed to take it up in a stall tactic. Personally, I think it was to disenfranchise us at the Conventions.. and not allow us to vote for delegates.
They should beause their own emails will be used against them when advice was sought prior to the mass meeting. As a matter of fact, Chris Marston’s emails were read into the meeting to establish the direction and vote.
Jo Thoburn read no emails at the 10th district meeting. She said she spoken with Marston and he said she could refuse to recognize Mark Berg as chairman of FCRC. Berg said that’s not what the party plan says. No matter, Jo had permission from Marston.
The emails that Martson sent the participants of the mass meeting prior to it
She can’t refuse to recognize him — but she can allow the appeal deadline to lapse and thus push it to the SCC. I don’t believe the appeal [stays] the veracity of the vote. The vote is presumptively valid until someone says its not. She had a chance to say it was not — and punted.
She refused to recognize Mark as the chairman of Frederick committee. She said Marston told her she could. Then she took a vote and she won the vote. Shocker. Does the party plan say a district committee can vote on whether or not a member is recognized?
Our decisions are presumptively valid until they are over-turned on appeal. She is a lunatic.
Mark tried to tell her that. So she took a vote as to whether the committee should side with her and not seat Mark. Surprise, surprise, her side won.
Motion for Emergency Protective Order & Motion for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief… It needs to come out the sandbox anyway. Some of the kids are pee’ing in the sand.
Ok, I have received clarification on why there will be no appeal to the 10th district. Chairman Jo Thoburn decided to bypass the 10th district because she assumed whichever side lost the appeal would take it to SCC so she decided to skip part one of the appeal at the 10th district level. Chairman Whitbeck agreed.
Right, no open discussion or participation at the unit or district level so straight to the parties’ establishment packed SSC with it’s long history of open transparency (that is cynicism by the way in case you might be confused). It’s one thing to be treated contemptuously, a behavior Thoburn and Whitbeck so often resort to, but fellow Republican voters of the 10th district just aren’t as stupid as they seem to believe with these silly spin tales to justify personal behavior. A state and national party in outright open decline and they continue to play these silly, stupid games, pitiful.
She did it to disenfranchise us and the delegates. I doubt we will be allowed to vote.
Only SCC will be permitted to vote on the Berg appeal.
I meant to attend the Convention and vote for delegates.
How can she not allow you all to vote at the convention? Does she really have that much power? That’s rather frightening.
I just got the letters today. :-/ Those who want a shot must attend the Vienna Creditialling Committee Meeting on Saturday where they will try to kick people out of the prcoess(it appears)
What letters? What time is the meeting on Saturday? Can anyone attend? Who is on the committee who gets to decide who can vote at the 10th district convention?
Yeah so the meeting was at 2pm. Needless to say it was a joke — Somehow the woman who called the police stating she was in fear for her life, Jill Colf, was on this committee. Don’t ask me how if the Committee certified all the delegates except the (9) they were going after. Thoburn was asked how Colf got on that committee [if] she was not voted into it. She stated Andy Robbins placed her on the committee. What the!
Thoburn did unequivocally state that everyone who was not on the bubble in that meeting was credentialed for the convention. My question is how can she even say that if Shawn Graber credentialed them and she’s deemed the meeting as a nulliy?
Bottom line — They have bastardized the entire process. There is another appeal being filed now.
Were all nine of the Frederick County people booted from the convention next week? Were they all disenfranchised? Thanks much.
Everyone including the (9) that were Article banned should go to the convention where this will be brought up again. people can make a motion to bring them back in… or those that were not on the bubble could be challenged. I still don’t understand how Jill Colf got on that credentialling committee. She stated she would recuse herself and then she went into the deliberation room w/ the committee and discussed the issues with them. It’s just a MESS. Not to mention she is an unadjudicated felon.
“It’s just a MESS.” We all know that’s true! It is a big, ol’, mess.
Are the nine filing an appeal to be allowed to vote at the 10th district convention next week? I heard one of the nine was permitted to attend and vote at the convention. Is that factual? Which one?
Yes — the clowns added her name because it was the same last name as the other T-party leaders. They came back and stated she was removed but everyone else was Article I banned…
There’s a 10th District credentially committee formed by Thoburn being held at 2pm in Vienna Virginia this Saturday.. for the purpose of challenging the voters on the list. Apparently anyone can challenge anywone’s right to participate and then Jo and her henchmen will rule on the challenges.
So the 10th District Chair and the State Party Chair decided to ignore the rules (e.g. State Party Plan)? Say what? No. That can’t be. The rules apply equally to everyone… right? If we are not a party of rules then we are not a party at all.
When Campbell’s liberal “Chairman” Ferguson was challenged, he continued to vote on beleaguered Campbell’s behalf until the bitter end. Now, when the challenged chairman is conservative, he’s *not* allowed to vote…
Is the GOPe TRYING to completely alienate their rank and file voting members?
Yes. The GOPe think they know so much more than us peons.
Shall we have the good doctor excise the rod the 10th has gotten stuck up its collective a**?
no comment.
Why?
I was told I need to act more Presidential.
Hahaha
…the irony…