State and Local Leaders Hold Joint News Conference
Leaders of the Upstate Coalition of Conservative Organizations, a group that encompasses many Tea Party and Liberty movement activists, held a joint news conference with county and state GOP leaders at the Greenville County Republican Headquarters Monday morning to extend an agreement reached in Greenville to the state level.
The groups announced a cooperative agreement aimed at having the groups work together on mutual goals. The four areas of general agreement include:
Increasing precinct involvement; improving communications between the Republican Party and all coalition groups; creating a liaison between the Republican Party and the coalition groups, and working closely to make the Republican Party more conservative.
SCGOP Chairman Karen Floyd lauded the agreement as the model that would be implemented at the state level, as part of the state Party’s efforts to build coalitions with conservative groups statewide. She named Patrick Haddon, Greenville County Republican Party Chairman and State Party First Vice Chairman, to head up the effort at the county and state level.
“There is far more that unites us as conservatives than divides us, and I give all the credit to these groups for moving forward in this cooperative spirit,” Floyd said. “I have been proud to see so many activists – Republican and Independent – rise up to make their voices heard for the principles of lower taxes, individual liberty, and limited government. This is part of our Party reaching out and listening to those very citizens.”
Harry Kibler, spokesman for the Upstate Coalition of Conservative Organizations, worked to forge the initial agreement with the Greenville Republican Party.
“We are all interested in the same goal – a more conservative South Carolina,” Kibler said. “While we may not always agree on how to meet the goal we think this agreement is a start. Having our groups work together will be of great benefit to the Republican Party and the state of South Carolina.”
Republican chairman Patrick Haddon agreed with Kibler.
“A more conservative South Carolina will be a more prosperous South Carolina, and our goal is to elect the most conservative candidates to the most offices possible,” Haddon said. “Working together with these new activists will add strength and energy to our Party for electing conservative leaders. I am pleased to be part of this effort at the state and county levels.”
Two days after Greenville County Republican Party Chairman Patrick Haddon and RINO Hunt founder and Upstate Coalition leader Harry Kibler made their joint statement of solidarity last week, Haddon released a statement announcing that he had met with a dozen Tea Party and Liberty Group leaders in Greenville on January 31st. The statement by the county party provided more insight into what had happened during the previous several days.
“After unveiling a plan to implement a Tea Party Republican organization and receiving feedback from the Upstate Coalition of Conservative Organizations, the Greenville County GOP changed direction out of respect for the Coalition. Embarking on the most critical election cycle in recent history and seeing the vast importance of working together, the Chairman of the Greenville County Republican Party met with more than a dozen Tea Party/Liberty Group Leaders on Sunday afternoon to come together in a strategy session to decide the future of their relationship.
“This was a very successful meeting of true conservatives and true patriots. When both organizations work toward a common goal you have a winning strategy that will affect the country for the best and that will win elections,” said Patrick Haddon, Chairman of the Greenville County Republican Party.
“Both sides walked away from the meeting agreeing that the Tea Party movement should stay independent from any party and should continue their movement. They also agreed that the GOP would not implement a Tea Party Republican organization.
“We believe that this will stir the hearts of the American people and force those Republicans that do not stand on and vote for conservative principles to reflect on the energy and distrust the people have against them. These groups commented that they will vote conservative, but will not vote for those that do not hold dear the Tea Party Principles.
“Both sides came to the table with concerns, but at the end of the meeting misunderstandings were dispelled and both sides were eager to cooperate with one another to meet their ultimate goals.”
“We are encouraged with the outcome of the meeting and believe that adhering to this agreement will benefit the Republican Party as well as our state by moving toward more conservative representation of the citizens of South Carolina,” said Harry Kibler, spokesman for the Upstate Coalition of Conservative Organizations.
Both sides left the meeting encouraged and excited about things to come for both groups and believe this can be the standard for all “Republican and Coalition organizations around the state and country.
“We are excited about the future of our relationship to meet the goals from both sides understanding that we both need each other to make real change for the country,” concluded Patrick Haddon.
In a brief conversation with The Times Examiner Monday night, Haddon said, “I’m beginning tomorrow morning to reach out to the other groups across the state that are interested in participating in this positive cooperative effort.”