FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
July 30, 2007
Contact: Jack Sisson
ALEXANDRIA, VA - Today the Brownback for President campaign announced
opposition to rule changes in a proposal that would move the Michigan Republican
State Committee from a primary system toward a convention system. The proposed
changes, which are available at www.migop.org, have been advocated by a
committee lead by a public supporter of Mitt Romney and are also supported
by party chairman Saul Anuzis.
Congresswoman Candice Miller, the Michigan Campaign Chairman for Rudy
Giuliani, also recently announced opposition to the proposal.
Rob Wasinger, campaign manager of Brownback for President, made the
following statement:
"Senator Brownback attended the last Michigan Republican convention
and was pleased with the warm response he received from the pro-life, pro-family
crowd. The Michigan Republican Party should be proud to have one of the
strongest grassroots organizations anywhere in the country.
"There is some discussion that the Michigan Republican State Committee
may move toward a convention rather than a primary system. They have every
right to utilize whatever system they choose to allocate delegates to the
national convention.
"However, it is important that the process is fair and that the rules
are not changed to assist any particular campaign. Whatever rules the Michigan
Republican Party uses for a presidential selection process should be the
same or largely similar to the rules that have been used successfully in
past conventions. For example, the Republican National Committee changes
its rules four years in advance to prevent gamesmanship by any campaign,
party leader, or worse, Republican Party staff member.
"These proposed rule changes as posted on www.migop.org would take
authority away from District Chairs and party activists and put it in the
hands of paid staff members and other appointees of the chair who may be
biased in the Presidential contest and who do not have the experience of
running district caucuses. The authority should remain where it has been
for years: in the hands of grassroots Republican activists elected by Republicans
across the state.
"The Brownback for President campaign urges the Policy Committee and
the Michigan Republican State Committee to use the same rules or largely
similar rules to past conventions and to resist the urge and attempts to
change the rules to benefit a particular campaign.
"We are confident in our ability to win Michigan under a fair process
and we trust grassroots Republicans to act fairly and honestly as they
have for years."
-30-