At the meeting, according to the email, about 300 of the 1,900 elected delegates to the state GOP convention May 30-June 1 must disprove allegations that — presumably — accuse the targeted delegates of not being bona fide Republicans and/or not committed to supporting John McCain for president.

“The state Central Committee spent approximately $1,000 on certified mailings that do not even state the allegations,” said the email sent from one challenged delegate. “A small group of insiders in the Missouri Republican Party are attempting to prevent delegates, properly elected at their county caucuses, from attending the state Convention in Branson…

“Although many have repeatedly attempted to find out the basis of the challenges, these 300-plus delegates have been left in the dark and forced to travel great distances, some well over 100 miles, to finally learn the charges against them. Challenged delegates will be limited to a mere five minutes to respond to the charges with no time to prepare.”

Those challenged include “current Republican Committee members, members of 
the Missouri Republican Assembly, current Republican candidates, and attendees of previous conventions, with the only common factor being that they voted for Republican Congressman Ron Paul during the primary.”

Here’s a few examples cited in the email:

–Laura Mize: “As a 78-year-old long-time Republican voter and the daughter of a 
lifetime staunch Republican from Southeast Missouri, I voted for the only man that represents the principles of the Republican Party as taught by my father and now they want to throw me away like an old newspaper.  Well, they have started a fire instead!  I’m so angry, I will show up even if I have to be carried on a stretcher!”

– Eric Vought, Republican Committeeman from Springfield: “Having just worked to sell tickets for one fundraiser and putting together a donation for their silent auction, it disturbs me that they are spending $3.60 per certified letter, times a few hundred delegates to challenge all of these people. Why should I bother raising money for them if this is how they choose to spend it?” 
 

– Tom Klein of St. Louis County:  “I thought we were the ‘party of the open door’ as resolved in the National Party Rules. Well, now that door is being slammed in my face!  I know the vast majority of us Republicans are very good people but you know what they say… All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”The Paul supporters assert that similar actions are happening elsewhere.“Across the nation, including Oklahoma, Nevada and Texas, the time and location of conventions have been changed at the last minute and party insiders have attempted to sneak in ‘delegates’ to inflate their numbers who were never elected at their local caucuses.“ Others have walked out with crucial documents belonging to the convention, convention Chairmen have run roughshod over the rules of order by refusing to recognize delegates not from their faction, and some have simply walked out shutting off the lights to the convention hall as they did in Nevada.”“Because of growing concern over honesty and integrity in government, a new group is being founded, Statesmen for our Constitutional Republic, to educate voters about the inner workings of our political mechanisms, encourage and teach people to be active leaders in our government, the Republican Party, and, especially, our communities. …”

A co-founder of the group, Curtis Abbott of Springfield, Mo., says, “”It is a sad day when much of the public believes that their  involvement no longer matters because ‘the insiders’ have already decided who is going to win and those most involved suppress their own conscience to support the lesser of two evils. “We are setting up monthly caucuses where the real issues will be discussed, we are going to the high schools and colleges to raise up the next generation of Statesmen, and we are 
pledging ourselves to high ideals of principle, conduct, and courage. What we do matters greatly; how we do it matters every bit as much.  We mustn’t merely know what is right: we must have the courage to do it.”