During the introduction of the new Virginia Republican Party Chairman last evening, the term "Jeff Frederick fiasco" was used to describe the recent episode in the party hierarchy. Pat Mullins was hailed as a philosophical conservative who never waivered (sic) and a man who has proven his mettle in the intellectual ring. In a theme that resonated later during the debate here in Virginia Beach among Republican Attorney General candidates, Mullins was praised for his northern Virginia ties and his accomplishments forming an alliance with Tom Davis; "an alliance that took over Fairfax county for the Republican Party." Now a Louisa county resident, he was described as being familiar with the issues in both rural and large Republican urban units.
Mullins was quick to set his bona fides talking about taking the committee in Fairfax county from 200 members to 580 with a waiting list of 300, raising over a million dollars in six years, and a 60% winning ratio with candidates. This he says was done by brining together the social conservatives, what he considers himself, on guns, on family, with the fiscal conservatives that were concerned about taxes, free enterprise, and business.
My daughter teaches school up in Fairfax county. She had to go on jury duty and she wrote Dave…,county courts and justice, a close family friend, lawyer. And she wrote David an E-mail and she said, "I just got called to jury duty and I really don't have time to do it this time of year being a schoolteacher. How do I get out of it?" And David E-mailed her back and said "Tell the judge there's a history of metal illness in the family as witnessed by the fact that your father wants to be state party chair and they'll let you out, probably, immediately. – Pat Mullins
Mullins said that in the past he has been vilified at times; that he was called the attack chihuahua, an ostrich with his head buried in the sand, the darling of the gun owners, the darling of the Christian right, the Republican prince of darkness, a lightning rod among others. Editorialized in the Washington Post, he says the paper demanded his removal. Also, he says he was the recipient of death threats.
Describing an interview requested by a reporter with a paper that "didn't like me," he said the story was framed by his religious values and practices. This he explained, was highlighted because "our candidates and our current party stood by our conservative values. The core values that this party is built on."
We've got six candidates running for office that are better than any of the candidates the Democrat Party is running…We will come up with a ticket with Bob McDonnell, our Lieutenant Governor, our Attorney General, that's gonna win in November and show that what happened here last year was an aberration, that this is still a red state, we can still win with conservative values, and we're going to send a message out to the country: you can do it the same way.
Since he is not a Democrat he says he is particularly excited. He will not have to, he said, "defend a President who goes overseas, bows to dictators, and would like to destroy this country." He is also delighted he does not have to defend Joe Biden which he claimed he could spend 30 minutes on alone. "I am glad I am not a Democrat and I don't have to support a senior Senator that's an embarrassment to everybody in this commonwealth, who is going to serve one term; be gone. I'm glad I'm not a Democrat supporting a junior Senator who is adept at speaking out of both sides of his mouth and tells the business leaders in Richmond, 'Well I can't vote for the check off in its current form.' But just told us in the election that he would cherish Virginia's Right to Work laws. I'm glad that I don't have to defend a part-time governor who is taking a full-time salary. And I'm particularly glad that I'm not a Democrat and I don't have to defend a presumptive governortorial (sic) nominee that needed a GPS to find Wakefield for the Shad Planking."
Mullins said that the party has proven critics of the solid stand on core values wrong by winning elections and will prove them wrong again in the next five months. By doing this, he says, they will prove that this is a red state, that they will send a message to a couple of Congressmen that they are coming after them next year, and that in 2010 they will take control of the Senate back again.
Meet the new boss…same as the old boss…
Cross posted at Blue Commonwealth
