Record Turnout for GOP Reaffirms Takala
A record seventy people turned out to the Pine County Republicans’ annual convention on the evening of March 9th to either participate in or observe proceedings that saw Mike Cummins, last year’s Republican opponent to Congressman Jim Oberstar, face off against Rudy Takala in an election to chair the group.
Takala, a twenty-year- old graduate of Hamline University, has chaired the group for the past two years and is the only Republican so far to announce candidacy for the House seat currently held by DFL Rep. Tim Faust. He ran on a platform that the Republican Party had become unprincipled in recent years and that Republicans would need to return to their limited government roots if they were to win again.
Cummins, a resident of Brook Park, ran on the basis that Takala deviated too much from the party’s generally accepted talking points and that it caused conflict. Kurt Daudt, the congressional district’s only representative on the state Republican Party’s Executive Board, could be seen observing from the guest section.
Takala’s independence has resulted in several incursions in to Pine County by the 8th Congressional District GOP. Ted Lovdahl, the chair of the congressional party, sent a letter to the Pine County Republicans last year demanding that Takala “either resign or be removed” from the board. “We hope that you make the right decision,” the letter’s conclusion ominously portended.
Takala’s Executive Committee voted by 8-2 to reject the letter regardless of the consequences. Lovdahl issued no further response to the action.
Last week’s convention voted to re-elect Takala over Cummins after more than three hours of debate on a wide array of issues. Takala was assisted by endorsements from several prominent party figures, including a letter from Rep. Steve Drazkowski calling Takala “the type of leader able to usher in the change necessary to bring about the realization of the deeply held values of Minnesotans.”
Other officers elected to the group’s board were Dr. Michael Monte of Braham; Carolyn Stivers of Bruno; Dave Ostenson of Hinckley; Randy Christensen of Sandstone, and Oryol Dominguez of Braham. Directors elected to the board included Art Usher of Grasston and Abraham Mach of Sturgeon Lake. Dr. Monte gave Takala’s nominating speech.
“Republicans need to unite in supporting limited government candidates interested in promoting traditional, conservative, American values regardless of whatever wayward side trips that others in our political leadership may feel like taking. Rudy Takala is one person who offers that, and that is more than the DFL can say of Mr. Faust,” said Dr. Monte. “Mr. Faust has done what his party told him to do. I do not believe he has an independent streak in him. But I value political independence, and would like to see more of it in our state government.”
Takala cited Rep. Faust’s positions on gay marriage and the $6..4 billion budget deficit projected to take hold by 2011 as being Faust’s biggest shortcomings.
“Mr. Faust, along with the rest of the Democrats in the Minnesota House, has no solution to the deficit other than to increase taxes and hope for pork from the federal government. He cannot name one government program that he wants to cut. State spending has gone up by 140 percent since 1992 because Democrats go to the Legislature every year, increase taxes, and come home to cavort at gay pride rallies on the side. When we have such an unprecedented combination of spending, inflation, and profligate legislators running amok, no one should have to question why our economy is tanking.”
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Contributions are welcome at...
Reformers for Rudy
510 1st St. NE
Hinckley, MN 55037
A record seventy people turned out to the Pine County Republicans’ annual convention on the evening of March 9th to either participate in or observe proceedings that saw Mike Cummins, last year’s Republican opponent to Congressman Jim Oberstar, face off against Rudy Takala in an election to chair the group.
Takala, a twenty-year- old graduate of Hamline University, has chaired the group for the past two years and is the only Republican so far to announce candidacy for the House seat currently held by DFL Rep. Tim Faust. He ran on a platform that the Republican Party had become unprincipled in recent years and that Republicans would need to return to their limited government roots if they were to win again.
Cummins, a resident of Brook Park, ran on the basis that Takala deviated too much from the party’s generally accepted talking points and that it caused conflict. Kurt Daudt, the congressional district’s only representative on the state Republican Party’s Executive Board, could be seen observing from the guest section.
Takala’s independence has resulted in several incursions in to Pine County by the 8th Congressional District GOP. Ted Lovdahl, the chair of the congressional party, sent a letter to the Pine County Republicans last year demanding that Takala “either resign or be removed” from the board. “We hope that you make the right decision,” the letter’s conclusion ominously portended.
Takala’s Executive Committee voted by 8-2 to reject the letter regardless of the consequences. Lovdahl issued no further response to the action.
Last week’s convention voted to re-elect Takala over Cummins after more than three hours of debate on a wide array of issues. Takala was assisted by endorsements from several prominent party figures, including a letter from Rep. Steve Drazkowski calling Takala “the type of leader able to usher in the change necessary to bring about the realization of the deeply held values of Minnesotans.”
Other officers elected to the group’s board were Dr. Michael Monte of Braham; Carolyn Stivers of Bruno; Dave Ostenson of Hinckley; Randy Christensen of Sandstone, and Oryol Dominguez of Braham. Directors elected to the board included Art Usher of Grasston and Abraham Mach of Sturgeon Lake. Dr. Monte gave Takala’s nominating speech.
“Republicans need to unite in supporting limited government candidates interested in promoting traditional, conservative, American values regardless of whatever wayward side trips that others in our political leadership may feel like taking. Rudy Takala is one person who offers that, and that is more than the DFL can say of Mr. Faust,” said Dr. Monte. “Mr. Faust has done what his party told him to do. I do not believe he has an independent streak in him. But I value political independence, and would like to see more of it in our state government.”
Takala cited Rep. Faust’s positions on gay marriage and the $6..4 billion budget deficit projected to take hold by 2011 as being Faust’s biggest shortcomings.
“Mr. Faust, along with the rest of the Democrats in the Minnesota House, has no solution to the deficit other than to increase taxes and hope for pork from the federal government. He cannot name one government program that he wants to cut. State spending has gone up by 140 percent since 1992 because Democrats go to the Legislature every year, increase taxes, and come home to cavort at gay pride rallies on the side. When we have such an unprecedented combination of spending, inflation, and profligate legislators running amok, no one should have to question why our economy is tanking.”
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --
Contributions are welcome at...
Reformers for Rudy
510 1st St. NE
Hinckley, MN 55037
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