One explanation is that Don Dwyer is behind the push, and Mr. Dwyer circulated this email in response:
Saturday August 11, 2007
Dear Dear Friends, Club leaders and Fellow Republicans,
Regrettably the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee finds itself in somewhat of a sticky wicket. By that, I mean to say that it very unfortunate that Mike Collins (the current chairman) has opted to release confidential e-mails to the press in an attempt to stop the super majority of central committee members from removing him as chairman. Mr. Collins is simply grasping at straws by trying to drag others like State Party Chairman, Jim Pelura and me into the decision to remove him. (See the
It is also regrettable and inexcusable that Mr. Collins would release the confidential State Party finances to the Sun (
In regards to Mr. Collins accusations that I am somehow involved, I would simply like to say that of the ten people who are supporting his removal, all have addressed individual issues related to his inability and unwillingness to lead the committee in a respectful, orderly and amicable manner. None of them are plotting (to my knowledge) as Mr. Collins alleges to see him removed. The reasons being offered for his removal have nothing to do with a agenda of any kind and simply have to do with Mr. Collins poor leadership skills, his lack of ability to hear the people he was suppose to lead, his lack of general direction, his constant infighting with the state party and his misrepresentation of the views of the committee. The opinions of the committee members is in actuality a mixture of many positions, backgrounds and beliefs and in the end I believe the committees simply desires to build a strong Republican base in Anne Arundel County.
I will admit that I will not be sorry to see Mr. Collins removed. I hope whoever succeeds him will work to build the Republican Party. It is my personal opinion is that Mr. Collins is not in concert with the values or beliefs of former president Ronald Reagan and that If he truly cares about the future of the Maryland Republican Party, that he should step down and put a stop to the public release of information intended to fracture what is left of the Party. This is no way for a Republican leader to act.
I respect the members of the Central Committee and have full confidence in their ability to deal with and address the internal issues of the organization. For that reason, I hope that Mr. Collins will respect the will of the majority of the committee and resign peacefully. I would ask that if you are concerned about the future of the Republican Party in Anne Arundel County, that you consider urging Mr. Collins to step down immediately.
Constitutionally yours,
Delegate Don Dwyer, Jr.
ps. Please feel free to reply with your comments
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Well, there you go. It's hard to know what to make of this. As a party official, I received a copy of the state party finances, along with a note from Mike Collins to keep it confidential. I would probably need more proof (although I have not sought any out) before I accept that Mr. Collins was responsible for the leak.
It's hard to know who is using the media as a pawn--perhaps neither party, perhaps both. One thing is for sure, there is a rift in the AA GOP. Before you decide what side of the rift you are on, take time to make your own determination as to why republicans did not fare well in the recent election cycle. Did we lose the governor's seat because we were not conservative enough? Were voters rebelling against the President? To what degree does name recognition outweigh political stances in local elections? Answer these questions, then voice your position on the direction the party should take.
