Political Football

Republicans Call for Committeewoman Resignation

(MUSCATINE)—Republican committees and officials from Linn, Johnson, Muscatine, Wapello, Jefferson, Washington, Cedar, Henry, Jones and Louisa Counties have joined together over the past several weeks to call for the resignation of the state Republican National Committeewoman, Kim Lehman.

The group of Eastern Iowa Republican committees and leaders are asking that Lehman be ousted after she used her group, the Iowa Right to Life Committee, to negatively characterize a Republican Congressional candidate during the 2008 election cycle.

Michael Gaeta is the chair of the Muscatine County Central Committee, who was the first to call for Lehman’s resignation. 

“It is one thing to advocate for or against a candidate, but Ms. Lehman’s IRL Committee distributed half-truths and lies about a Republican primary winner. This action is in direct conflict with the duties of our party leaders,” said Gaeta.  “Ms. Lehman has done irreparable damage to her credibility within the party.”

Trudy Caviness, the chair of the Wapello County Republicans stated, “Kim Lehman went too far. We ask our elected officials to take courageous stands for Iowa all of the time. Now it is time for our state central committee to do the same. Kim Lehman needs to go.”

The state party does not have the power to remove Lehman from her position but they can issue a vote of no confidence. 

Republican State Representative, Jeff Kaufmann was joined by Senator Jim Hahn, an 18- year veteran in the Iowa Legislature in calling for Lehman to step down immediately.

“I am proud of our county committees for doing what is right. This is not about one particular candidate, nor is it about the pro-life movement. Most of us demanding Lehman’s resignation are pro-life. This is about Kim Lehman choosing her own self-interests above her party and her state. Anything short of her resignation will affect the credibility of the state party. A person lacking credibility can barely lead, let alone apply a self-defined litmus test to candidates,” said Kaufmann.

The state central committee meets Saturday, December 6, 2008 in Des Moines.

[UPDATE LINK to article]

Republicans to call for censure of party leader

CEDAR RAPIDS — Eastern Iowa Republicans will call for the censure of one their state party’s leaders, arguing her actions as a leader of another group are in conflict with her duties as a party leader.

David Chung of Cedar Rapids plans to ask fellow members of the Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee to censure Republican National Committeewoman Kim Lehman, who also serves as executive director of Iowa Right to Life. Chung and other 2nd District Republicans seek her ouster. The committee, essentially the party’s board of directors, meets Saturday in Des Moines.

At issue is a pre-election flyer Lehman’s pro-life group published containing “half-truths and lies” about GOP U.S. House candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks, suggesting Ottumwa physician should get the “Great Pretender Award” for her statements about opposing abortion.

In doing so, Lehman “has done irreparable damage to her credibility within the party,” Trudy Caviness, chairwoman of the Wapello County Republicans, said. “Kim Lehman went too far.”

Most of those calling for Lehman’s resignation are pro-life, according to Rep. Jeff Kauffman, R-Wilton. However, in putting “her own self-interests above her party,” Lehman destroyed her credibility within the party.

“A person lacking credibility can barely lead, let alone apply a self-defined litmus test to candidates,” he said.

Officials from Linn, Johnson, Washington, Cedar, Jones and other counties in the 2nd District wrote to the Central Committee seeking Lehman’s ouster.

The Central Committee has no authority to remove a national committee member elected by the delegates to the state convention. Lehman and Steve Scheffler of West Des Moines were both elected this past summer.

So Chung will ask that Lehman be censured or for a vote of “no confidence,” a step that might lead to Lehman’s resignation.

Lehman did not immediately return phone calls from The Gazette.

n Contact the writer: (319) 398-8375 or at james.lynch@gazcomm.com

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