by Patty Franklin, Hamilton
I have spent the last few years getting to know my way around the Republican party here in the valley and I’ve come to some determinations that will direct my vote on June 4th. In the beginning, I was an open book and very eager to learning about all of our representatives and what their core beliefs and values are. I had never met Wayne until my husband and I joined the Central Committee and I found him to be a decent and kind man, committed to his community and country. By contrast, I found Theresa Manzella to be dogmatic, manipulative and vindictive, which rings true today. I was probably most shocked by the audacity of Theresa, and her small group of followers, stating that THEY had the moral superiority and obligation to vet candidates and determine WHO we would be ALLOWED to vote for in the primary. You may not have known that this took place, but it did and that was a turning point for me.
I then did something I’ve never done before – I actually paid attention to what took place during our last legislative session and was very confused by the disconnect between what Theresa “claimed” to accomplish and the truth. The reality is, Theresa accomplished very little in the last session. The vast majority of her work never made it out of committee or died in process. She was so hyper focused on her personal agendas, she forgot to represent us. She likes to claim she is the “winner” of some score card that has never earned the respect of conservatives and expects that this will direct Ravalli Country in how to vote. The only problem is that the real score does not work in her favor.
I want a Senator that is not a member of the John Birch Society (you can’t be a slave to an activist organization and also serve your constituents), I want a Senator that is more concerned about representing the citizens of our valley than some angry national narrative that has become all-consuming and detrimental to our party. I want a senator that is measured, committed to the constitution and has the common sense necessary to know when to fight and how to fight to get things accomplished. I want a representative that does not blindly follow a fringe in Washington but stays rooted to what is important here at home. I want a Senator that is not consumed with hating and attacking people and works with people to accomplish what we need. I want Wayne Rusk to be my next Senator.
Karen Sherman says
“Never paid attention during the legislative session “? Just say you are a low information voter. Theresa’s “small group of followers” handed her a very impressive win in her last election. Finally, touting Rusk as a “kind man” demonstrates the fact that you vote with your feelings and not with any type of rational thought process. Typical liberal attack piece.!
Tim Abney says
Your comments are nothing short of fiction. You don’t like JBS but you want a constitutionalist. That just tells us you need to do some more research, there is no group in our nation that are bigger supporters of the constitution.
Rusk supported the other rino from RC, Bedey, in his attempt to give the right to vote to illegal aliens.
And your attempted character assault on Manzella and her supporters, is sour grapes .
You’re welcome to your opinion but you’re not fooling anyone. Voting records matter and words are cheap. We have seen Rusk’s allegiance to group fighting the party platform and now we’ve seen some of his supporter’s views. Neither fit with constitutional conservative views.
Harold Johnson says
Sooo, you want a Senator who will raise taxes and not make government more efficient? Seems like you have a personal problem with the lady in question…..dogmatic, manipulative and vindictive. (your words) Rather have a Senator that is afraid to speak up? Hmmmm
Lark Chadwick says
Ms Franklin is criticizing Ms Manzella for being moral and accountable. Anyone adhering to the principles of liberty set forth in the founding documents could not have possibly written the hit piece published above. It is a sad state of affairs these days to have the honest and principles people “Theresa, and her small group of followers” [Freedom Caucus}, who have advanced to stand for constitutional governance be hated, lied about and slandered for loving freedom and adhering to the principles of liberty this nation was founded on.
It is advisable for novices, people ‘new’ to following legislative process to learn more about American civics and principles of liberty, compared to the quid pro quo standard practice of back-room deals bargaining off our very independence and birthright one concession and compromise at a time.
Lee says
So the writer is willing to forgo morals and the freedom of all to show her personal disdain? How mature, it’s this kind of low information voter who helped Biden get elected.
Bravo
Jenny J. says
I’ve gotten to know Theresa through many different community activities over the last few years. I have found her to have strong morals and character, full of integrity, honesty, hard work, and a love for God. Theresa has my vote!
Mike Miller says
“I have found her (Theresa Manzella) to have strong morals and character, full of integrity, honesty…”. That’s your opinion.
My opinion is that a Lawmaker who attempts duly elected public officials to break a voting Law (which is also used to establish Law) and vocalizes a false narrative (her Maricopa vote hand count reference) is seriously lacking integrity and honesty at a minimum. She should have been charged and arrested before she ever left that public meeting.
Francesca says
Excellent. Thank you.