In recent years the embattled BCRO has had intense intra-party struggles over which direction the party should go.  Struggling to define what a “big tent” BCRO should look like in 2006 liberal GOPers tied their hopes of leading the party to Kathe Donovan (running for County Executive) and Alan Marcus (running for BCRO Chairman) only to be defeated by the woefully under funded tandem of Todd Caliguire and Guy Talarcio. 

Caliguire who was never known as a conservative, reinvented his image as the “Reagan Republican” and went on to beat back the heavily favored Donovan who attacked Reagan’s policies as extreme.  The defeat of Donovan also allowed Talarico to prevail over Alan Marcus for Chairman. 

In 2007, the liberal GOP crowd danced on the political grave of Guy Talarico when he made the unfortunate mistake of backing Caliguire in yet another intra-party battle.

The liberal GOPers finally wrested control of the party with the election of Chairman Rob Ortiz who then went on to distance himself from his own countywide ticket in last year’s election. Ortiz led a covert Internet smear campaign against Paul Duggan because of Duggan’s professed conservatism.

To Ortiz and his crowd, the GOP should be tolerant only of those he agrees with. Their smears against Duggan show a great deal of intolerance on their behalf.  That is why we were left scratching our head when we read the business cards that Steve Morris received as he worked the room at the BCRO’s Lincoln Day dinner. 

In the interest of full disclosure, Morris bought a ticket with his own money after being told by Ortiz that the press was not welcome at the Lincoln Day dinner.

Buried deep in the pile of business cards were several from members of the John Birch Society. Understanding a little bit about the conservative movement, and the resurgence of paleo cons, those conservatives that tend to be protectionist and isolationists in economic and foreign affairs and socially conservative on social policies like abortion, guns, etc. 

The Republicans that make up “Joe Job,” know a lot of these paleo cons. We like them. We don’t agree with them on many things, but we respect them.  Unfortunately many groups call themselves paleo cons and one of those groups is the John Birch Society. 

Contrary to the media’s portrayal we don’t believe that the Birchers are a hated-filled bunch. To us the problem with the Birchers are that they believe thing like President Dwight Eisenhower was the leader of a communist plot to take over the United States and that conservative intellectuals such as William F Buckley are leading America toward a one world government.  Are these positions racists? No.  Are these positions absolutely crazy? Yes. 

Knowledge that the Birchers are populating BCRO events is troubling to say the least.  Fringe groups like these don’t populate the events of successful organizations.

But we are left scratching our heads wondering how Ortiz who has done so much to drive mainstream conservatives out of the party, managed to find room for the Birchers.

While we are on the topic, we wonder how Kathe Donovan feels about the JBS crowd participating in BCRO politics. If Donovan thinks that Ronald Reagan was an extremist then how can she possibly be comfortable with the John Birch Society? How can the average Bergen Republican be happy with this news?

Really, who let these guys in?