OPINION: Is it fair? Does the end justify the means?

My favorite uncle, Father Bill, was a Catholic priest well known at the time as head of the philosophy department at two universities. His demeanor was always calm but his questions to us as kids were direct. I can almost hear his deep voice asking, “Is it fair?, Is it the right thing to do?” His constant focus on morals and Christian behavior always came back to his signature admonition: The end does not justify the means. (The one exception to this rule being self-defense.)

So, as I look at the behavior of our local Republican party in the recent election for Precinct Committeemen (PC), in which I was re-elected as PC for my area, I wonder what Father Bill would think of the methods recently used by our KCRCC leadership. Was it fair? Was it the right thing to do? Here’s what happened:

The long time Chairman of the KCRCC, Brent Regan, lost his own precinct race and chose not to run again for Chairman at the committee election last Thursday.

Brent’s demeanor in the meeting was low-key and very polite. There was an unusual sense of cooperation in the room as longtime friends who had turned into enemies over the past several years actually talked and shook hands. It seemed to be a positive turning point. But then the backroom plan to undermine PCs not fully aligned with Brent became obvious.

His issue was who would be on the list of delegates to the upcoming state GOP convention in Meridian. Brent’s slight-of-hand move was having his trusted folks already at the top of the delegate voting page. When I stood up to ask what method was used to determine the order of the list, he quickly demurred and changed the subject. The delegate list was voted on by nearly all people present in the room, not just PCs, and, according to current IDGOP rules, you don’t have to be a PC to be a delegate.

The delegates to the convention are important because they vote on issues that matter to our community. For example, at the last convention the delegates voted to oppose any state funding for higher education, including community colleges and skills-based programs. But luckily, their message was sent to the legislature and governor where budget issues are actually decided.

The delegates are important in other ways as well: They can be assigned to one of the standing committees at the convention. These smaller committees have even more concentrated power. The most powerful committee at the convention is the Rules Committee, chaired by Brent Regan.

As you might imagine, Brent is very concerned about the delegates who might end up on his committee. After a long wait at Thursday’s meeting, Brent announced that the top 17 on the delegate list would also be assigned to a standing committee at the convention, giving them much more influence. I looked closely at the names of the top 17 people and, to no surprise, many are not PCs but all are Brent loyalists, so he’s safe from any questions or dissent on his Rules Committee.

It may have been technically legal, but was it fair to manipulate the delegate list? Did it honor the will of Republican voters in our precincts to sideline their PCs and give power and opportunity to many non-PCs? Is this the Christian behavior we, in the Idaho Republican Party, are proud to support? I will say No. And I’m sure that my uncle, Father Bill, up in heaven, agrees and is sending his signature message: "The end does not justify the means."

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Mary Souza is a happily retired State Senator for District 4, serving Cd'A in Boise for 8 years, and is now a Precinct Committeeman.