December 06, 2013 11:17 AM UTC

State Republicans try to edit out internal dissent

• 19 Comments
• by: Jason Salzman

(Do tell! – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Do you remember this headline from The Denver Post Spot blog back in September?

"Upset Republicans propose chicken protest at Colorado GOP meeting Saturday"

It referred to an idea hatched by a group of Republicans to bring boxed chicken to a GOP gathering as a protest against State GOP Chair Ryan Call, who joined Democrats in criticizing a Republican legislator for talking about the "chicken" eating habits of the "black race."

The protest never happened, but Ryan Call was so upset that the idea for such a protest would land in the hands of The Denver Post that he angrily passed out copies of The Post story at the Sept. meeting of the Republican Party's Executive Committee and announced that he never wanted to see another article like it again.

During an hour-and-24-minute discussion about the chicken protest, Call reprimanded CO GOP Secretary Lana Fore-Warkocz, who was accused, over her objections, of leaking the chicken-protest story to The Post. Never undermine the Republican Party again, she was told.

That is, according to the unedited, unofficial meeting minutes, written by Fore-Warkocz in her capacity as party secretary, and given to me by credible sources.

But the Colorado Republican Party's official minutes of the meeting, which are an edited version of Fore Warkocz's notes and were also given to me by credible sources, tell a different story:

Official Republican Meeting Notes: "Certain matters concerning recent disclosures in the press, and the airing of disagreements between certain officers and members of the Executive Committee were candidly discussed. Officers and members of the Executive Committee were reminded of the importance of trust, unity, confidentiality and our role as leaders and members of the Executive Committee, and of our duties with respect to the Republican Party, but no formal action was taken."

The unofficial meeting notes paint a different picture.

State GOP Secretary Fore-Warkocz' Meeting Notes: "Chairman Call made it clear that I signed up to defend ALL Republicans, including McCain and Boehner, and if I didn't like that, to check my bags at the door. Chairman Call said that folks like Jason Worley, Ken Clark, the Brattens, Debbie Healy and the Arnolds are no friends of this party. Again, I was instructed to never undermine the family or the Republican Party again."

Fore-Warkocz explained in her minutes that she had actually argued against the chicken protest.

But this didn't stop Ryan Call from telling Fore-Warkocz that "trust and honesty" had been broken and from ordering Fore-Warkocz to notify him "immediately" if she's invited to another meeting involving dissent (gasp) within the GOP.

"Senator Bill Cadman reiterated Chairman Call's comments, and I was reprimanded for another 20 minutes," according to Fore-Warkocz' version of the meeting.

Fore-Warkocz' notes state:

"[Committee Member] Ellyn Hilliard explained that Ken [Clark] and Jason [Worley] are in it for the ratings and to not speak to them. I explained that I hadn't."

(Side note: As a media critic I was floored that anyone would think KLZ talk-radio hosts Ken Clark and Jason Worley are in it for the ratings! No one defends Sen. Vicki Marble for the ratings! You can defend Mylie Cyrus for the ratings. But talking on the radio about chicken or Marble or barbeque doesn't do much for you. Unless you're gunning for Tea-Party ratings, which still don't do much for you.)

At the end of the executive committee meeting, Ryan Call presented a new branding campaign for the Republican Party.

The bold initiative replaces "Grand Old Party" with the smooth-and-easy phrase "Great Opportunity Party."

"New brochures were presented, and all were very impressed with the new marketing materials," according to the official minutes.

I get it. Dumping the word "old" will make the Republican Party young!

Just like whitewashing the notes from a contentious GOP meetings will make the Party get along?