Party poopers?

"That's Saul, Folks!" is the official blog of the Michigan Republican Party and it has a full list of state Lincoln Day dinner speakers. As you might expect "Tricky" Dick DeVos is featured at many an event, as are the sacrificial lambs sparring to go down in flames against Senator Debbie Stabenow, as well as AG Mike Cox.

However, the Barry County GOP is not on the list. My sources tell me the county GOP is arguing amongst itself over whether to invite Mike Cox to speak. It seems Mr. Cox has spurned the local party several times in the past and some would rather he not bother coming now that he is looking at a tough re-election fight given his public feud with whacky attorney Geoffrey Feiger and his admission of an extra-marital affair. Some have even suggested a walkout should Mr. Cox show up to speak (and collect checks for his campaign).

Meanwhile, the new party leadership seems to be AWOL at an important time. Having dumped their past leadership for daring to work with local Democrats on a bi-partisian set of reforms as well as feting former Democratic Party leader Jim Pino, the new Chair and Vice Chair seem to be missing in action. New leader Orvin Moore rarely shows for meetings and new Vice Chair Reka Holley who was decorated as County GOP Youth of the Year is too busy with her schooling in Lansing to do her job but yet hasn't bothered to step down and let someone else take over her duties.

The local Democrats might take advantage of such turmoil except they seem too busy fighting amongst themselves instead of working to defeat the Republicans. A splinter group of Progressive Democrats has split and has their own meetings and seems more interested in watching movies than working to get good candidates on the ballot and voters registered to get them into office. There's a lot of work to do to get the Democratic Party competitive in Barry County but griping about George W. Bush and Fox News won't get the job done.