"We should pass a rule that the convention cannot be held on a Friday the 13th during a full moon."

The Idaho Republican Party State Convention was historic and provided yet another example of how the relationship between citizens and their government is changing. One only has to look to the national debt to see that government is growing geometrically and with that growth comes increasing instances of abuse. Abuse of privacy (NSA), abuse of power (IRS), abuse of the truth (Benghazi, PPACA), abuse of veterans (VA), abuse of immigration; the list is seemingly endless. The abuses have triggered a response among the people that is manifesting in several ways. Dissatisfaction with Obamacare, a contracting economy, the president's falling approval, the Bundy standoff, primary losses of establishment incumbents, and the meltdown of a political party convention. These are all symptoms of dissatisfaction with government. Citizens are tired of the abuses, tired of the lies, tired of the corruption, tired of the cronyism and are animated to action when the opportunity arises.

I was a delegate to the convention and a member of the Credentials Committee, which gave me a clear view of the sausage factory. Prior to the convention, delegates to the convention for each county are chosen by that county's central committee. Republican Party rules require that anyone who is eligible and wants to attend the convention can be nominated. The precinct committeemen then individually elect delegates and alternates from the pool of nominees.

The Credentials Committee typically deals with simple things usually involving clerical errors and to make sure all the delegates who were properly elected can participate in the convention. This time the Credentials Committee was also presented with challenges to the delegations from Twin Falls, Bannock, Power and Ada counties. These challenges related to the process of delegate election and it was the task of the committee to determine if the delegates from those counties were properly selected and then report our findings to the general assembly the next day. All delegates, except those whose credentials were in question, would then vote to accept or reject our recommendations.

The committee considered each challenge in turn, hearing testimony, debating and then voting. In the end the Credentials Committee voted to recommend that the Power, Bannock and Ada County's delegations credentials not be recognized as they were improperly selected. In one case the selection did not happen within the specified time and no reasonable explanation for the failure was given. In another there was no election, as required. In the case of Ada County, it was clear from testimony that the delegates were selected in a discriminatory process, contrary to party rules. Testimony was given that the Ada County delegation consisted entirely of people who supported Butch Otter in the primary. This fact was not refuted but simply dismissed as if it were a happy coincidence. Further proof of the bias came in the form of a "compromise" where a fraction of the party members who were denied the opportunity to be nominated to be a delegate would be seated. This "deal" was overwhelmingly rejected by the Credentials Committee.

To be clear, Russ Fulcher, primary candidate for governor and, to the best of my knowledge a Republican in good standing, was denied the opportunity to be nominated to be a delegate to the convention. If one is serious about party unity, your first action should be to embrace your vanquished opponent and demonstrate that unity as leader.

It was clear to me from the testimony that the Ada County Central Committee had attempted to "stack" their delegation in order to have a large voting block of 102 delegates. To do this they had to violate both the spirit and the letter of Republican Party rules. I suspect that Ada County, being the largest delegation, believed they were 'the elephant in the room' and that the Credentials Committee would not dare to deny them admission. What apparently they did not appreciate is that the room was full of elephants. The vote was 35 to 6 to recommend rejection of the Ada County delegation.

The next day the convention immediately devolved into a long series of parliamentary procedural moves designed to forestall the inevitable. I say inevitable because the votes that were taken clearly showed that support for Ada County was not in the majority. Those that sought to exclude some from the convention were themselves to be excluded.

Mercifully the allotted time expired and the convention adjourned shortly after 3 p.m. and, while little on the agenda was accomplished, this was one of the most significant political conventions in Idaho history. Until now, the desire to accommodate the powerful trumped the rules. Past bad behavior, even with the solemn promise to be "good" in the future, only promoted more bad behavior. "We have always done it this way" was a common mantra among the banished.

This convention has sent the clear message that there are rules and if you break them you do so at your own peril regardless of who you are or who you know. This is a core concept of our republic that traces back to the Magna Carta. I suspect the ripples of this action will reach far into the political realms. Rules are more easily embraced when the consequences of breaking them are tangible.

While the near term effects may be painful, like a surgery to repair an injury, the long term holds benefits if we accept the lessons presented. Remember that if the Ada, Bannock and Power County complaints had been without merit, the outcome would have been completely different.

If party unity is the goal, perhaps the quickest path is for the chairmen of those counties to issue apologies for the problems that arose and to request that the Executive Committee of the party work to clarify and tighten the rules to prevent future problems. The calls for unity are hollow if that unity is not built upon a solid foundation of Republican virtues.

I was very proud of our Kootenai County delegation and the majority of the other delegates that joined us to stand for the rule of law, fairness, liberty, honesty and equality of opportunity and I commend all of the delegates for their willingness to engage in the labors required of freedom.

As for party unity, I am willing to stand with anyone who is willing to stand with me on the Republican Platform and work together to preserve and protect the legacy of freedom entrusted to us for generations yet to come.

It was a convention to remember, the likes of which I doubt we shall ever see again ... with luck.

Brent Regan is a Coeur d'Alene resident.