GOP: My stance on caucus vote

Staff writer Jeff Selle reporting on last Tuesday’s Kootenai County Republican Central Committee meeting attributed the following statement to me: “Cross said he would not vote to withdraw support of that organization.” Referring to the Republican Liberty Caucus. In fact I never stated one way or the other my support for or against the Republican Liberty Caucus as an organization.

The motion on the floor was multifaceted and I did make comments addressing each point. My main objection to the motion was and still is, the part of the motion which would prohibit the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee from endorsing and supporting a Republican candidate simply because the Republican Liberty Caucus had endorsed the same candidate.

My argument was, any group or person has a First Amendment right to endorse whomever they wish for political office. The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee in my opinion should not preclude itself from endorsing or supporting a Republican candidate solely because another group has endorsed that candidate.

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee is but a microcosm of the Republican Party nationwide. We have Precinct Committee men and women with a wide variety of political beliefs ranging from very moderate to very conservative. We only make the news because of a very few malcontents who are trying very hard to destroy the Republican Party in Kootenai County. Unfortunately they seem to have The Press at their beck and call.

Of all the PCs attending only six voted in favor of the motion.

JOHN CROSS

Post Falls