SD-14 Convention - live blog

10:30am Delco center, where we are having the Senate District 14 Republican convention, has Wifi. Cool ...

I spent almost an hour waiting in line to register. There is a big turnout, and looks like Ron Paul supporters are out in force. Rob Morrow has a minority report to change allocation of delegates to state.

10:40am - Convention chair Pojman announces that twice the attendance from previous convention, over 800 people.

Dan MacDonald on Credentials. 1400 delegates. 1943 voting strength. Some folks trying to become delegates who voted in Democratic primary (oooh). ... Credentials report adopted by voice vote.

11:00am - Rules Committee - Travis Brewer speaking. Unanamous consent on all of rules, except for allocation of delegates. Precinct caucusing was put in 2 years ago; "it is a good process and departure from the past"; more precincts than before but fewer delegates to state. "You can trust the report." Approach taken by rules (4-1 vote, Morrow has minority report): 80% through the precinct caucus process, and 20% through the nominating process. "Process and product were fair."

Due to lower Perry vote in 2006, number of delegates were lowered significantly, to 164. Under party rules, the divisor is 300 Perry votes per delegate to state. Lots of questions.

12:15pm Rob Morrow has given minority report and lots of questions. Over an hour and counting on the issue of how to allocate the remaining 'at-large' 20% of delegates. Lots more questions and some misunderstanding. Morrow got a big whoop when he blasted those 'running the convention' for talking about a 'renegade group' of Ron Paul supporters; his answer "we worked our butts off."

Overby: "This is a test vote" and "We need to get on the business of the convention."

Mallory: Mentions she is "Active on Ron Paul campaign." speaks out in favor. Zimmerman in favor, with the main 'pro' argument being about getting the 'new voters' in smaller precincts to go.

Several pro and con speakers, then Overby calls the question. Attempt to divide the question fails. On to vote on the minority report.

1:08pm - Roll call on Morrow's minority report is ongoing. In the 100s, yeas are winning.

1:26pm - 200s are more balanced. Several split precincts. Pct 253 - 1 nay, with voting strength 25. 256, 258, running against. Smaller precincts running for it; larger precincts against. 260 has 2 for, pct 262 has 7 against. If 300s run against it like the larger 200s, it will be voted down by about 60% against. NB voting strength is different from body count on the floor, working against the minority report.

1:50pm - 300s mostly against, but not uniformly ... our precinct 3 to 1 against. 400s ran strongly for the minority report, many small precincts 100% for minority report.
Despite this, it looks to fail on the basis of opposition from many of the large 300s precincts.

New TCRP chair Rosemary Edwards, Judge David Puryear, NRC Committeeman Bill Crocker, Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, spoke while they did the vote tally.

2:30pm - yeas - 801.61, nays - 1065.0, motion to adopt minority report fails.

2:40pm - after some tussling over motions, they fail as well, and Rules Committee majority report passes.

Donna Keel is up after the vote. Good speech, hits at Valinda Bolton's liberalism and stands up for fiscal responsibility.

Credentials up. Nominations and resolutions will meet up conclusion of caucusing by precinct.

2:50pm - Precinct conventions. In 36, we had 2 slots, and filled them, with 2 alternates as well.

4:20pm - Permanent committees are meeting. We are running way late, with resolutions and nominations going on.

Justice Wainright spoke. He is running for re-election on Texas Supreme court. He spoke about his parents and their values. He put in a good word for God, family, and the red, white and blue.

Abbott sent a video: Speaking on uncovering waste and fraud in Medicare/Medicaid, legal action on right-to-work, protecting private property rights, collections of child support of over $10 billion which saved $7 billion in taxpayer funds.

Jim Hasik, candidate for HD-49. Describes the 49 district as Democrat-heavy. Speaks about the "God Bless Texas" as Bob Bullock statement. For us to succeed, we espouse a wide range of view founded on conservative principles. "March to the sound of the guns." Vision of Government is limited but pro-active. Mentions his website http://jimhasik2008.org.

Waiting on report of permanent nominations committee. Recommendation passes without incident (phew, 3 hour diversion saved).

4:40pm - McCaul is up next. Message is unity. Starts off with a strong anti-earmarks position. Mentions/praises Ron Paul as a friend and colleague, but is also hammering "support the troops" theme.

4:55pm - An old Ronald Reagan "Victory Squad" video running. This convention managed to take longer than any other one I've been to. Running way late and we are in the boredom stage waiting for Resolutions and Nominations reports. Time to go home.

7:05pm - Checked with a friend on Resolutions Committee. Still haven't reported out, nor has nominations.

Meanwhile, we heard that across town the Ron Paulites took over the SD-25 convention, overturned the convention chair and committee assignments and put new ones in.