COMMENTARY BETWEEN PRINTED EDITIONS
by Lonnie Brennan
Elected members of local Republican city and town committees in the Third Middlesex District gathered in a caucus to fill an empty seat on the 80-member Republican State Committee, Tuesday, May 30th.
Doreen Deschler was elected to fill that slot, besting Ruth Cusano. Both candidates gave spirited (though divisive) speeches and several attendees detailed after the vote that they “truly wish she (Cusano) continues to be involved with the MassGOP” and that “we’ll see how things go,” with upcoming MassGOP meetings.
The message was repeated by many, even critics of Cusano’s supporters, who said they hold nothing against her, actually liked her, but noted a severe chasm between the former Republican chair Jim Lyons and the supporters of the establishment/former governor Charlie Baker extremist liberal wing of the party, and what they termed over-the-top hate and lies against Lyons and anyone who supported him at any time.
In short, the caustic attack against Deschler by supporters of Cusano apparently turned the stomachs of many voters who knew of Deschler’s kind heart, and did not believe she should be attacked so viciously. To her defense, Deschler noted that she has been a Republican, a Democrat, unenrolled, and finally a Republican, in much the same way that Ronald Reagan and Donald J. Trump were once Democrats, but found themselves as Republicans.
Cusano also lost at least one vote when she repeated what was termed an apparent lie, accusing former chair Lyons of spending more money on lawsuits than on supporting candidates. “Don’t quote me, but I know the truth, you know the truth, and that one is going to bite a lot of people, not just her – soon,” a state committee member shared after the meeting.
Deschler will serve for the remainder of the vacated term until new elections occur in March of 2024.
The 2024 races are expected to garner severe competition as failed governor candidate Chris Doughty continues to be involved in supporting certain liberal candidates and is expected to fuel the campaigns of liberals for state committee. Doughty’s latest fundraiser for a Republican candidate was scheduled to feature Trump-hater Gov. Sununu of New Hampshire, and be held at a restaurant in Boston famous for their Sunday Drag Queen Brunches.
Note: Seven seats had remained empty, some for up to a year, following a boycott of Republican State Committee meetings by members loyal to Baker or simply strongly opposed to former chair Lyons. Many members refused to attend meetings (to which they were duly elected to attend), in an effort to thwart Lyons. Without a quorum at most meetings, and with members not showing up for more than a year, Lyons suspended all caucuses. Critics claimed he did so to prevent anti-Lyons candidates from taking seats on the divided committee. Supporters pointed to dirty tricks on the part of the Baker wing of the party, many previously detailed in the Broadside.
Great to see Howie Doughty-Carr and Turtleboy Tom standing together at the Deshler Caucus victory party. Deshler won 65-10 against Howie’s funded Rino opponent. Boycott the Howie Rino Radio Show if you haven’t already.
http://www.Rino-Cutters.com
I think Howie doth protest too much.
Granted, I know little about the inside conflicts between the two camps of the Mass GOP. But, I sense a turbulence in Howie’s soul that has lately been magnified beyond all reason.
This I do know: Howie’s repetitive resort to criticizing Lyons because he, 1) used to be a Democrat; and 2) he supported Ted Cruz for the 2016 Republican Party nomination, are so innocuous, of so little consequence, and so un-disqualifying for the average conservative Republican, it raises questions for me as to how well-founded the claims he makes are about Lyons’ Party management.
Is not the migration since the 1960s of producer/working class and patriotic Democrats to the Republican Party, taking their places as solid members, been hailed as a great achievement, Ronald Reagan being its best-known exemplar?
And, since I’ve been around for a while and been an avid listener of his program, didn’t Howie Carr used to speak of himself as being, “a conservative Democrat”?
(“Et tu”, as Howie might say.)
As for Jim’s supporting Ted Cruz in the 2016 primary season: Heck, I was for Ted Cruz, then!. And, as apparently was so with Jim Lyons, as soon as Trump had the nomination, I was 100% for Donald Trump.
These are very lame criticisms, and ordinarily would be rejected as patently so by Howie himself. But as said, I can’t shake the notion that the “Paper-Boy’s” obsession has more to do with his discomfort with himself, than with Jim Lyons.