It's My Party

So, Robin Yess and several other GOP folks in the Town of Rochester make it official: the group has left the GOP and is now a part of the Independence Party:

Well, you folks called for it – or most of you did – and after much thought and consideration, after Election Day, November 6th, I will be a registered member of the Independence Party. Today, Jon Dogar-Marinesco – illustrator extraordinaire and blogger at Rochester Smoke Out – delivered five Change of Party Affiliation forms, including mine, to the Ulster County Board of Elections. Several others have changed their registration to Independence Party over the last month.

I will admit to being one of the folks in Robin's poll who chose the IP as the party in which she could make the most impact. Of course, the local leadership is deeply in the hip pocket of the Bonacic/Chapman/Bernardo axis, so she'll be swimming upstream for a while. Time to hit the phones, Robin. Maybe by next election cycle you can start to make some headway. You know all of this, of course, but please indulge me as I offer my unvarnished opinion.

One of the other things in Robin's announcement also caught my eye -- her statement on the utterly corrupt nature of the local IP is an evisceration worthy of a surgeon:

For those who pay attention, on the local level we know that the Independence Party has stood for nothing other than furthering political aspirations of Party “leadership,” making political deals for friends and family, threatening Legislators to push through particular agendas and conducted phony candidate interviews of those seeking the Independence Party endorsement. The Independence Party leadership has made a mockery of Legislators in both the Republican and Democrat parties, creating an environment at the County level that stresses doing it “our way or no IND endorsement.”

Very well put. One quibble, though. It's the "Democratic" Party, Robin. "Democrat" Party is a pejorative term cooked up by Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay. It's meant to be insulting and you should stop using it if you plan to extend a hand across the aisle. Food for thought.

Anyway, get in there and kick some Chapman ass, guys! I'm already making the popcorn.