GOP: Here's how it's done

I read the editorial in Friday’s Press with amusement. It is obvious the editorial board does not understand how the political parties work and it was also obvious that the editorial board was showing bias against the Republican District 2 Committeemen.

I moved here one year ago. I was a Republican Legislative District Chairman in a district that has a larger population than Kootenai County and a county that has a larger population than Idaho.

During the year that I have been an Idahoan, I walked in four parades representing the Kootenai County Republicans and worked the Republican booth at the Kootenai County Fair for a total of 12 hours. I also saw the scheduled workers list for the entire fair. At no time did I see Doug Okuniewicz working for the party. I did see all three of the nominees for position 2 B. I have been able to become familiar with all three of those nominees because of their volunteerism to promote the Republican party. They would all make a fine appointment.

When it comes time for an appointment, who are the Central Committeemen going to nominate? It is Republicans that spend time promoting the party through their hard work as committeemen, or district officers, or as volunteers for the party. And yes, I know Doug Okuniewicz has run for office as a Republican. But anyone can register as a Republican and I have found in my short year in Kootenai County that many who are not Republicans register as Republicans probably so they can vote in the primary. Doug needs to get involved in the party before criticizing the Kootenai County Republicans. And the Editorial Board needs to do their own work before writing an editorial about a topic they know nothing about. That is where the rubber meets the road.

ROB BARRANS

Coeur d’Alene