Got this notice in my e-mail this week, and I’ve been puzzling over it since:
Republican Party of Texas Welcomes
New Executive Director
January 5, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAustin – The Republican Party of Texas starts the New Year off with a new leader. Chairman Cathie Adams has selected Jesse Lewis to become the Party’s next Executive Director. Mr. Lewis comes to the Party having served here before, as a Field Representative, a Statewide Field Director and its Deputy Political Director from 1999 to 2003. His extensive background includes everything from grassroots work training thousands of candidates, campaign managers and volunteers, to serving on the executive staff of a large state agency, overseeing 90 employees. He also served as Chief of Staff to Texas House Members Arlene Wohlgemuth and Sid Miller.
“Jesse is a remarkable Texan, a remarkable Republican and he’ll be a remarkable leader for our Party,” said Chairman Adams. “Having him at the helm as we enter the crucial 2010 election means that we will have a sure hand who has steadily led many winning campaigns, and whose experience covers every aspect of state politics. We’re excited to have him bring his knowledge and enthusiasm to the Republican Party of Texas.”
Okay, the first thing that stuck out right away and put spit in my eye was the “Chairman Cathie Adams has selected Jesse Lewis” thing.
“Selected”? What is this “Selected” Crap?!? This is Texas here. We were an Republic before we were even a state, and good men died at the Alamo and at Goliad so that free Texans could be free to vote for their representatives.
So, again I would ask, what’s this “Selected’ Crap, dammit?
So I started looking into Jesse Lewis, whom I’ve never heard of, and don’t know from Adam. May be a nice guy, but I don’t know. So I Yahoo Searched “Jesse Lewis Texas.”
Nothing. Nothing on Wikipedia, Answers, Bing, or Ask.com,either. Google was suspiciously silent as well, except for this one entry under the Texas Workforce Commission:
Assuming this is the same Jesse Lewis (and Cathie Adams’ statement is deliberately vague in this regard, isn’t it?), it means Jesse Lewis works for the state government in Austin as essentially a PR shill for the Perry Administration.
And believe me, NOTHING and NOBODY works for Governor Perry that hasn’t been appointed by or is fiercely loyal to Governor Perry.
So (and, again,assuming this is the correct Jesse Lewis), we now have a Perry PR shill as Republican Party Chairman in Texas. The vagueness of the statement by Chairman Cathie Adams makes me think it’s a deliberate attempt to soft-soap his background as a PR guy.
Lovely.
This ham-handed attempt to stage-manage Governor Perry’s re-election is just one of the many reasons I’m endorsing Debra Medina for Governor of Texas.
~Johnny~
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I do not understand why you are upset that Cathie Adams “selected” an executive director. Isn’t this her responsibility as chair of the party?! If you knew the rules, you’d know that “we” can’t vote for an executive director. He is an employee of the Republican Party of Texas.
The word “select” implies a process and that there was more than one candidate. I suggest you inquire as to how this person was selected.
But perhaps you prefer ignorant ramblings.