Sussex conservatives form political action committee
About 80 citizens gathered in Georgetown Monday, Oct. 12, for the first meeting of the Sussex County chapter of the 9-12 Delaware Patriots.
Many members of the Sussex County Community Organized Regiment came to the first Patriots Sussex chapter meeting, including Republicans and conservative Democrats who listened to what Sussex Chairman Russ Murphy had to say.
In March, conservative radio host Glen Beck, who calls himself a libertarian, launched the 9-12 campaign, based on individual rights. Beck chose 9-12 to recall the spirit that united many Americans the day following the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
Beck, whose radio program is syndicated on Fox News Network, served as a catalyst spurring participation in national Tea Party protests. Those demonstrators objected to big government, the federal stimulus package and President Barack Obama.
| Patriots span right-of-center spectrum |
| Republicans, Democrats and members of the Sussex County Community Organized Regiment attended the first Sussex County chapter of the 9-12 Delaware Patriots Monday, Oct. 12. Charles Garrod, a conservative Republican from Milford, said while he realizes the Patriots are just beginning, the local group appears to be too different from the model Glen Beck proposed. “What frustrated me, having been in leadership positions, is that the leaders of this meeting came late. That was lame,” he said. Garrod is a former Middlesex, N.J. freeholder, akin to a county councilman. He said a grassroots organization has to really be focused. Trying to form five committees all at once was overkill, he said. “I actually know that there were educated, wealthy people there, but the meeting was too loose,” he said. “I’ve never seen a state like this where Republicans are moderate and Democrats are conservative,” said Garrod. “I can’t say I was turned off, but I wasn’t turned on either.” Retired journalist Republican Donald Ayotte calls himself a moderate conservative. He said he helped with the campaigns for Sen. Joe Booth and Rep. Ruth Briggs King. Ayotte suggested some of the 9-12 Delaware Patriots might be too extreme. “Some of those guys are really right-wing nuts, but there were all kinds in there. I’ve seen Democrats there,” he said. Ayotte said he does not support the federal supermajority, which can be dangerous when debates are squelched. “As long as Delaware Patriots stay on goal and actually lobby legislators correctly and stay peaceful, I have no problems with it. The object is not to cause a revolution, but to get out of the legislative process, as much as we possibly can,” said Ayotte. “I do represent the Republican Party, and we don’t want to come off that way.” He said he, too, would consider attending the next Patriots’ meeting to help guide volunteers through legislative lobbying. |
Theresa Garcia, a Kent County chapter leader, helped establish the fledgling Sussex chapter.
“Our main purpose is to get the word out, to get American citizens to understand what’s going on,” she said. She asked for volunteers to form legislative, educational and illegal immigration committees. Members of each committee will lobby local legislators through a political strategy group. Other committees include events and fundraising.
Delaware Patriots oppose government-run healthcare, excessive taxation and amnesty for illegal immigrants. They also oppose cap-and-trade pollution control initiatives, federal limits on how much pollution a company can generate in exchange for federal tax credits. Delaware Patriots also oppose mandatory sex education in schools, including the teaching of alternative lifestyles.
“Over the last 40 years, we got stiffed. They got rid of American history,” said Murphy. “Our focus is to get young people, the young parents of today, interested in what’s going on in schools, the PTAs, the school boards,” said Murphy.
“Let’s put people in office who have the values that made this country great. We just work that all the way up to the politicians. Get ‘em out,” he said.
Murphy said in addition to inciting vigilance among young people, he also seeks to include more people of color.
“I don’t care the color of the president, or the gender, but what are they doing to help us, or worse yet, what are they doing to hurt us?” asked Murphy.
While the Delaware Patriots do not endorse candidates, they are circulating a no-confidence petition against Rep. Mike Castle, who is running for Senate in 2010, because they consider him too moderate.
Another petition questions the validity of Obama as president.
The petition states: “We the citizens demand the Congress, who knowingly ignored and fully participated in this illegal action to sit an undocumented individual in the highest office in the land, take the steps necessary to obtain the legal documents and verify his eligibility, i.e. original birth certificate, all passports and college records.”
Delaware Patriots also support sovereignty for Texas or limiting federal oversight of the state, which they say conflicts with the 10th Amendment. For more information, call 302-423-4711.
