Anyway, the College Repubicans in Minnesota did a masterful job of demonstrating to Minnesota voters (and evening news viewers) what Obama’s energy plans are: a couple of inflated tires and a tire guage.
While Barack Obama’s plan encourages everyone to inflate their tires, turn down the temperature, and turn off your lights early, John McCain is proposing an “all of the above” solution to our energy crisis: drill now, invest heavily in alternative fuels, and get off foreign oil.
By now, many of you have probably heard of the #dontgo Movement that has sprung up in up in support of House Republicans who are refusing to go on vacation until Congress passes a bill to solve the energy crisis. It started as a small group of Congressmen and their supporters using the hashtag #dontgo on Twitter to discuss what was happening on the floor of the House. However, it quickly grew much larger than anyone expected, with thousands of Americans following along and demanding that Speaker Pelosi call Congress back.
Today, the #dontgo team launched a website where supporters can go to learn more and find out how they can help. Check it out.
One of the leaders listed on the #dontgo Crew page is Maryland College Republican Executive Vice Chair Evan Lazerowitz. It’s great to see our members getting involved in national activism projects like this, so way to go, Evan! (I would say it’s because MDCRs are the best of the best, but that might sound biased—I was the MDCR State Chair last year).
On Thursday morning, CNN released a story maligning Senator John McCain’s appeal to younger voters compared to Obama. It quotes a University of Southern California student named Eric Perlmutter saying, “We try to get people out to our College Republican meetings, but… we can’t seem to draw the same kind of vocal support.”
However, USC College Republican Chairman Ben Myers strongly denied this, saying, “I have never met Eric Perlmutter. I have never seen him at a College Republican meeting. He is not on our membership roster. I don’t know why someone would think he speaks for us. As far as I know, he could be a Democrat.” He went on to say that his club attracts 30-40 attendees at their regular meetings, more than the rival Democratic club on campus.
CNN called their use of a fake source an “inadvertent error,” but questions still remain regarding their apparent anti-McCain bias.
CRNC Chairman Charlie Smith said of CNN’s fake story: “This is another fallacy in a long history of CNN’s attempts to smear Sen. McCain and the Republican Party. From planting Democrats in the YouTube debates and now using bogus sources, CNN is doing everything it can to put Barack Obama in the White House and it shows. Denigrating the work of college students who want nothing more then to be part of the process is simply pathetic.”
Meanwhile, real College Republicans are excited about Senator McCain. The Where is the Red?crew is nearly halfway through its summer-long cross-country roadtrip through Republican congressional districts, campaigning for McCain and other GOP candidates the whole way. Their use of a blog, YouTube, Twitter, and other web 2.0 tools is doing a great job appealing to our generation and get them excited for GOP candidates in the fall.
With the 2008 election only a few months away, we want to get as many young activists ready for the fall as we can. It is important that College Republicans stay active and continue to recruit over the summer. Invite new friends to STORM and update contact information for existing STORM members, so that when the semester starts we are ready to hit the ground running.
To help you get moving, we are offering a great incentive to the top 40 STORM activists. The “STORM Top 40” will each win free housing in Minneapolis-St. Paul during the week of the Republican National Convention! The winners will have the exciting opportunity to participate in the Convention without the hassle and cost of finding and paying for a hotel room.
The winners will be determined by the number of points earned over the contest period. The contest will run from Thursday, July 3rd, from 9:00 AM EDT through Thursday, July 31st at Midnight EDT.
Wrapped up this weekends state chair training this morning. People for the most part seemed enthusiastic and energized afterwards. A lot of people are ready to get to work, and its really awesome to see. Thanks to everyone who came, and thanks for all you’re doing.
Marc Ambinder just posted the below email from a GW College Dem
To the George Washington University College Republicans Chairman, Brand Kroeger
Greetings,
My name is Daniel Boehmer and I am a member of the College Democrats here at George Washington University. I additionally served as a member of Nicole Capp’s cabinet as Assistant VPJLA to Andrew Salzman and on the Joint Elections Committee (JEC) this past year. A long time supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton these past 16 months of her campaign, the selection of Sen. Obama has placed me, like many other Democrats, in an odd position. For me however, the debate between ‘loyalty’ to my party and voting based on my conscience was quickly settled. I determined that my support would, in lieu of Sen. Clinton’s nomination to the Democratic Party, be given to Sen. John McCain. In light of this development, I believe that the GW College Republicans community finds itself with a certain measure of responsibility with regards to the members of the Democratic Party who wish to support John McCain in the Fall. Providing these individuals with some form of organizational support, in my opinion, is a valuable step towards weakening the sway of Sen. Obama’s supporters on campus and would ultimately lead to John McCain seeing more support on campus and in the Washington community at large.
First, let me say that I regret to admit that I myself will be unable to actively participate in such a venture as much as I would like, as a result of the fact that I will be studying abroad in the Middle East this summer and this coming fall semester. With this in mind, these words come more as a suggestion than a pledge of an ability to participate at GW in this effort, though I certainly know of individuals more able to help coordinate this effort.
I suggest that either 1) under the auspices of the CRs or 2) by means of the formation of a separate student organization “GW Democrats for McCain” or 3) under the auspices of the organization “GW Students for McCain” the CRs orchestrate the creation of a Democrats for McCain chapter at GWU. Such an action, I believe, is perfectly justified this year because of the large number of supporters of Hillary Clinton who should be compelled to vote for John McCain over her underqualified former opponent, Sen. Obama. It is of course up to the discretion of the CRs which action they might want to take on this matter; however, I highly recommend providing a means for Democrats at GW to support John McCain as a candidate in the Fall. I myself would certainly encourage many of my fellow Hillary Clinton supporters to do the same.
Although I do not have the ability myself to be fully responsible for such an organization, I still felt the need to put forward my recommendation that it be created. Whatever course of action you may take in further John McCain’s candidacy this fall, I wish you success.
Good Luck in November,
Daniel A. Boehmer
Lets see what Brand makes of it, but telling either way.
We need your help in naming the impact levels for 2008. We’d like to have 8 levels, but if you have a great theme that uses more or less we’d still love to hear it. Share your ideas and we’ll put the top 5 to a vote! Post you ideas in the comments below, or join the conversation in the Storm Discussion Group.
So far there has been a lengthy debate on a number of constitutional ammendments, including some changes to officer eligibility and the removal of National Committeeman as a an elected position and returning to an at will appointment.
Elections are scheduled soon hereafter, there have been rumors of contests but nothing overt thus far.
From the business meeting the group will move to a banquet dinner with NFL Hall of Famer Peter Boulware as its keynote speaker.
Update
Aaron Scott and his slate was elected unanimously. Congratulations!
Sorry for the camera phone, my sony is in need of repairs.
