Miscellaneous

Looks like we’ve got one on Revenue.  Roy Edwards, a tire dealer from Gillette, doesn’t want to hear our arguments.  His mind’s made up.  If he is, in fact, a Bircher, there’s no way to move him.  But we can afford to lose three R’s on this committee, so this is not too much of a concern.

It’s a different story in Montana.  And Arizona.  In the MT House Judiciary we can only lose one R.  And on the floor of the Arizona Senate, assuming we can bludgeon Biggs into putting the bill on the floor, he’s the only vote we can lose (it’s a 17-13 split).  We’re never going to get Biggs’ vote — but we can’t lose any more.

It’s a tall order, but can be done.  Let’s say half of R’s are establishment, half are insurgents.  We always get establishment votes.  If we get the rank and file, grass roots, activist insurgent voters to understand and appreciate what we’re doing, they’ll put the heat on their legislators and we’ll get their votes.  Unless they’re Birchers.  They don’t listen.

Fox News First said last week that Kasich was going to be on Special Report’s series on potential presidential candidates.  He wasn’t.  I think that means he’ll be on this coming week.  It seems to me that Kasich, and Fox, would want the segment on him to be filmed on his Mountain State Tour.  I’m guessing they’ll do it in Salt Lake, with the local Fox crew.  Kasich will have been in five states in three days, and heading to Idaho the next day.

Impressive.

Matthew Monforton told me he’s a hero to conservative Montana lawyers, such as Speaker Knudsen.  Brent Mead says, in addition, his standing among all conservative legislators is such that it should be able to overcome the Birch/Eagle tendencies some of them may have.  He’ll be in Helena for several events on 1-26, 27 so they’ll all get to hear his arguments first hand.  This may be enough, with everything else we’re doing, to win.  Unlike the Dakotas and the other mountain states, there are a lot of Democrats in the Montana legislature, which means our margin for error  — the number of Republican votes we can lose — is small.  We can only lose one vote in Judiciary.

You can’t count on a Democrat, not to be the deciding vote.  The party would be out to get any D who did it.  There’d be too much pressure.

If I go to Cheyenne to testify on the 23rd, I’ll get to Helena on the 26th, so I’d be able to attend one or more of Natelson’s presentations.  The logic of Article V is so overwhelming that I have a hard time concealing my disdain for those who just don’t get it.  I’ve got to work on that.

Biddulph’s robocall project is about to launch a test in Arizona.  If it goes well we’re going to have Gov. Kasich (pronounced Case-itch, I picked up on today) do the intro to the call in Wyoming.  He’s scheduled to meet with legislators in Cheyenne at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday the 22nd, so there will be media coverage throughout the day.  We’ll do the robocalls to Republican Revenue Committee members’ districts that night.  The resulting messages of support from constituents should be received by the member on Friday.  The hearing is 5:00 p. m. that afternoon.  It all looks good.

On paper.

I’m convinced.  Kasich is completely committed to this.  Any lingering doubt I had is gone.

He called in to our cc today and gave us a pep talk, and committing himself to go all the way.  Not to be too Obamatic about it, but he’s the one we’ve been waiting for.  As he told us today, when we get four or five more states this will become a national story, and when people realize what we’re doing they will rally to the cause.  I’ve thought that all along, but couldn’t be sure.  Because he’s involved himself, there’s no doubt about it.

The best thing, though, is not the much needed publicity he’ll give us.  He’s going to be instrumental in getting the votes.  He makes the case better than anybody, because of who he is, and what he’s done.  With him going into Wyoming, Montana and Utah I bet we win all three.  I can’t really talk about Idaho, but  it could happen as well.  We were already counting on the Dakotas.  Even without Idaho that gets us to 29.  West Virginia  should be 30.  South Carolina will be 31 by May.  If Coburn signs on in Oklahoma it will be 32  — this year.    Wisconsin will be 33  — but when?   Idaho or Arizona could be 34.  (Virginia is a last ditch effort in 2016, if need be.)

To the press, Kasich understandably downplays the chances of pulling this off.  I wonder if he fully realizes how doable it is.

Tyler Lindholm says we may get a hearing in the Revenue Committee as soon as a week from tomorrow.  Great timing, for us.  I believe Kasich will be given the podium to speak to the whole legislature the previous day.  If that’s true his speech will have added impact.  Natelson says he’ll probably be in Cheyenne for Kasich’s visit.  Bill Fruth will get a day there to lobby, hopefully escorted by Bill McIlvain.  Lobbyists Tony Gagliardi and, possibly, Matt Micheli, will work the members.  NFIB will be working its members, and 250 More will work the state.  I’m sure the IamAmerican team (Lou Marin and Loren Enns) will be able to help out.  I’ll have all day to lobby before I testify at 5:00 p.m.  Democrats in Wyoming don’t matter, so the only real opposition will come from the fringe  — the Eagle/Birchers.  And, on the merits, it’s a no brainer.

With all this going for us, if we can’t get five of the eight Republican votes on the committee……………

I don’t want to think about it.

We’re going to win, and I’m going out for a cold one.  Maybe Tyler and Dan will join me.

Speaker Kermit Brown didn’t do us any favor by assigning us to Revenue, but we’ll make it work.  Eight R’s, one D, so we’ll need five out of eight.  Tyler’s been advised to seek a hearing ASAP, so we’re hoping for the week of Jan. 26, after Kasich, Natelson, and Fruth have been there and laid the groundwork.  Lobbyist Matt Micheli has been hired by Kasich to set up his visit, and we’ll ask him to lobby as well.  Tony Gagliardi of NFIB will work the members, and Stephanie Wuerks will generate support from the membership of NFIB.  We’ve asked Bill McIlvain to reach out to the chair.  Kevin Grenier and 250 More will try to get grass roots support.  I’ll fly out to testify at the committee hearing.  With all this going for us we should be able to get five votes.

When you’ve done everything you can, you’ve done all you can do.