The BCRO finds itself in a bit of a pickle these days as the unexpectedly strong candidacy of Murray Sabrin threatens to topple what is left of its establishment in June's primary.

It was never supposed to be this way for embattled rookie Chairman Rob Ortiz. Wealthy and moderate Anne Estabrook was supposed to walk away with the BCRO's endorsement for US Senate in June. There was never supposed to a primary battle between the likes of "Jersey Joe" Pennacchio, a populist neo fascist who keeps a copy of "None Dare Call It Treason," in his home library versus Dr. Murray Sabrin, a true principled libertarian, well mostly a true libertarian.

But back to "None Dare Call It Treason," for those of you who are unfamiliar with this legendary tome, allow us this opportunity to get you up to speed.  Written in 1964 by John Stormer, a Missouri Republican State Committee member and Christian Pastor, it sold seven million copies and was widely circulated by the John Birch Society.  In it Stormer basically accuses everyone in the US military hierarchy as well as most of America's elected officials of being a communist or a communist sympathizer. Stormer often preached about a conspiratorial relationship between communists and a global socialist government, as well as, the role water fluoridation played in this plot. (Since Pennacchio is a dentist, we wonder where he stands in this important debate).

As old hard line anti-communists ourselves (the authors of this particular piece are at least) we admire Mr. Stormer's zeal, if not his accuracy.  All kidding aside, there are reasons why his conspiracy theories have been roundly rejected in intellectual conservative circles.  The fact that Pennacchio thought enough of this book to keep it in his library is alarming especially after reading his nationalist socialist manifesto or whatever the hell it was.  After reading his nationalist socialist screed, penned under the pseudonym Joseph Penn (how original, kinda like "Jersey Joe"), we thought we'd seen a few ideas lifted from the Turner Dairies, but we're not sure. For those of you not familiar with the Turner Dairies look up events at Oklahoma City, you'll see what we are talking about.

In short "Jersey Joe" should pack it in for the good of the GOP.  He won't pack it in and there within lies the problem for the BCRO. Murray Sabrin and his band of true believers are running their own slate of candidates for county committee. They are coming to knock out what is left of the establishment.  Until now the insider crowd was slowly moving toward Pennachio.  Without an alternative for the establishment in the US Senate race, where will those candidates who are running with the BCRO backing turn?

As for the Sabrin crowd, these are serious people looking to effectively change the direction of the GOP.   

And as improbable as it may seem to outsiders, we can see several scenarios whereby the Sabrin crowd seriously upsets the apple cart.  Their candidates for county offices may not win any of the primaries (we think they'll win at least some) but that won't matter. Plenty of his people running for county committee can and will win. They will obtain a seat at the table going forward if they execute well the next few months. How is any chairman going to contend with that?

Who knows where candidates for chairman will line up, Ortiz appears to not have a horse without Estabrook and Bob Yudin seemed to be siding with Joseph Penn, at least until now.  Maybe each candidate for Chairman will decide not to align with any US Senate candidate and merely run against one another.

Where will the candidates for elected office go? Where will Kathe Donovan go?  Will she stay with Pennachio the fascist or Sabrin the libertarian who actually - gulp! - believes in something?

We don't know how this will shake out, but it sure is fun to watch.