Kyle Janek: Stuff A Sock In It
Following is my report on Day 3 of the Texas Republican Party Convention.
First, the pleasantries. Our Congressional District Caucus went smoothly this morning. We were done by 10:45. That left time to check out of my hotel room (which I will likely rag on later, especially the broadband Internet service that I had to suffer with), grab lunch, and buy a t-shirt before the general session started at 1:00.
The speakers were good. Today we heard from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Sen. John Cornyn, Rep. Henry Bonilla, Rep. Tom DeLay, and quite a few others.
Some of the news was sad. It was while we were waiting on a looming floor fight (see below) that we received news of the death of President Reagan.
But.
But, in addition to the sadness I feel at President Reagan’s passing, today I am disgusted. I am absolutely sick with disgust. And it is all aimed at and comes as a result of the actions of one man: State Senator Kyle Janek.
Day 3 of the Convention was overshadowed by a floor fight for national committeeman. The fight was between Bill Crocker and Mark Cole. The national nominating committee recommended Bill Crocker by a vote of 19-13. Mark Cole and his supporters decided to bring it to a floor vote. I think that it was a stupid move and will probably put him out of the running in 2008 or 2012. This, as opposed to Gina Parker who lost, but did not seek a floor vote and may well win in 2006 or 2008. But, it’s not why I’m disgusted. People do stupid things all the time. Some of them even recover, and Mark Cole is a good man and may yet recover.
By this time, the day was pretty far gone. The national nominating committee had been in session since 11:00 a.m., and it was 3:30 p.m. The Chairman (State Sen. Jane Nelson) finally got the floor to agree to a partial report which would let us get to the odious secret ballot vote which a floor fight for RNC membership requires under the rules. While waiting for for that partial report we got word that President Ronald Reagan had passed away.
Then the report came. Denise McNamera was the committee’s choice for national committeewoman and there was no floor opposition. Then came the vote for national committeeman. Bill Crocker was placed in nomination by the committee on the 19-13 vote I mentioned earlier. Someone on the floor then nominated Mark Cole. Remember: I think this is a stupid move on his part, but the rules specifically provide for it. It’s his right to be stupid.
Each candidate is given ten (10) minutes to speak to their nomination. That time can be used by them in its entirity or it can be divided amongst supporters to speak on their behalf.
There was a coin toss which was won by Mark Cole. Mark used all ten minutes himself. So far so good.
Now it’s Bill Crocker’s turn. He has three speakers. Speakers one and three were good. It’s speaker number two that disgusted me.
This man stands up at the podium and goes into a tirade on how Mark Cole is trying to do something tantamount to stealing an election (remember that this process is specifically contemplated in the rules). That’s not too bad. I expect exaggeration in some sane amounts and Bill Crocker did win in the nominating committee. What came next floored me.
Next he has this to say: “I just received a telephone call from [state] Senator Kyle Janek. He called to give me the news that we have already received from the Chair about the passing of President Reagan. He asked me how things were going and I told him. He has tried to call Mark Cole’s cell phone, but was unable to get through because Mark was speaking to you. Mark Cole now has a message on his cell phone telling him not to do this. When he was unable to get through to him, Senator Janek told me to tell you that this is not what Ronald Reagan would have done” (emphasis in original speech).
At this point, he tried to continue but was shouted down by the floor. Even Bill Crocker’s own supporters seemed to be offended at this blatent attempt to use the memory of the very recently deceased Ronald Reagan to influence the vote of the body. There was less than 30 minutes between the floor being told of President Reagan’s death and Kyle Janek using his memory to influence the vote. Less than 30 minutes.
Then our speaker (whose name I would have noted had I known how much he would offend me during the course of his speech) goes on after getting the chair to get people to stop shouting him down: “That’s not from me, I’m only telling you what I was told.”
Had I been in a better position to do so I would have raised a point of order and made a motion to censure both of them. Rule 25(c) of the Texas Republican Party Rules states:
At any convention other than a precinct convention, no person other than a State Party official, member of the SREC, or delegate shall address the convention or caucus of the convention without the permission of the Chairman or the general consent of the convention or caucus of the convention.
Sen. Janek is an elected official and cannot hold an office with the Party (including the SREC, which I know because I had to resign as precinct chair when I announced my run for Constable). He wasn’t even present, so that kind of speaks to his being a delegate. That leaves consent. Now, being a delegate and listening to what was going on and all, I’m fairly certain that that neither the Chair nor the convention had given Sen. Janek consent to speak. If the Chair had, she whispered it really low into the speaker’s ear during the course of the speech, and if the convention had, they really did a good job of sneaking that vote past someone who was awake and alert.
So, Sen. Janek was not only disgusting in the content of his speech, but he was addressing the convention by proxy without standing to do so. Remember, the speaker disclaimed the content so that he wouldn’t get tarred, feathered, and run out on a rail: “That’s not from me, I’m only telling you what I was told.”
So. Senator Kyle Janek: Stuff a sock in it. You had no business doing what you did at all, much less by invoking Ronald Reagan as you did to do it.
What’s left for you now? You and your friend need to issue a very public and heartfelt apology to Mark Cole and the rest of the delegates at the convention who had to sit through you invoking the memory of the dead for political purposes not even 30 minutes after we had learned of that death. Other than that, you are cordially invited to sit down, and shut up.
Am I mad? You betcha. And a two word note with your signature won’t cut the mustard here. Not only did you cross the line, you leapt it. And you deserve every bit of it, too.
MickC @ June 6, 2004