state convention

State Republicans would like to repeal the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution - but only as it applies to people with dark skin. Their party platform adopted on Saturday opposes the automatic citizenship granted by the Constitution to any child born in the United States.

SPOKANE -

At many of the Republican presidential debates, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) proclaimed that he was the real Republican in the race, and the most authentic conservative. Today at the Washingotn State Republican Convention, his supporters felt the same way and hoped to impact the Party platform on those principles.

One of the leaders of the Spokane County Ron Paul delegation, the state's largest, is Jeff Whiteside. Whiteside is a nearly full time volunteer for the campaign and led the organization of the massive Ron Paul congregation across the street from the convention. He explained some of the tactics and purposes of their efforts at the convention to PolitickerWA.com.

Ron Paul supporters gather across from the convention: Politicker Photo

SPOKANE - Positioning himself as a moderate Democrat, 5th District U.S. House candidate Mark Mays made his presence known at the Washington State Republican Party Convention today. Volunteers for the campaign visited the parking lot across the street from the convention center and dropped fliers off on the windshields of every car touting Mays as "a clear, moderate alternative to the current Representative."

Mays, who is running against Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, said of her in an accompanying press release, "My opponent supports the War in Iraq, has voted for the Patriot Act repeatedly, has voted to create the largest Federal Budget in U.S. History, has refused to defend the Constitutional Balance of Power, and has voted with President George W. Bush 95% of the time. She does not represent the views and values of the people of Eastern Washington."

SPOKANE - The morning session, which focused on establishing the party platform and selecting national delegates, is over and done. The convention goers have had their lunch and are currently heading back into the hall to finish their business. During the break, PolitickerWA.com caught up with two of the GOP's congressional candidates to see what they thought of the day's work.

Larry Ishmael (R-Kirkland), who is seeking to unseat Rep. Jay Inslee in the 1st District, and Steve Beren (R-Seattle) who is taking on Rep. Jim McDermott in the 7th, both appreciated the disagreements in the party, and felt good about the party unification that was coming out in spite of it.

SPOKANE - Jim Camden at the Spokesman-Review has a detailed recap of the nuts and bolts of Friday's convention action. He reports that the final delegate count to the Republican National Convention is 33 for presumptive nominee Arizona Sen. John McCain, 4 for Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and 3 for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

McCain won Washington's presidential caucus, where half of the state's delegates were awarded, on February 9 with 25 percent of the vote compared to 23 for Huckabee, 22 for Paul and 16 for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. 14 percent were uncommitted. He also won the primary with 50 percent of the vote.

SPOKANE - The Washington State Republican Party convention does more than just give its candidates a platform to speak and select presidential delegates to the national convention, it is also a time for party activists to speak their mind and participate in the process of defining the party.

But that latter group is made up of more than just party faithful. Here in Spokane, backers of ballot initiatives are looking to make their wares part of the Republican Party fabric.

While the Democrats have been eating up the airwaves with the Clinton-Obama celebrity death match, Republican presidential challenger Ron Paul has been steadily amassing nearly 40 percent of state delegates.

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-Idaho)The Washington State Republican Party has announced that Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter will be the keynote speaker at the 2008 state convention, which takes place May 29-31 at the Spokane Convention Center.

Otter has been Governor since 2006, and prior to that represented Idaho's 1st Congressional District. He will speak at the convention banquet, at 7:30 PM on Friday, May 30.