Posted by Terry McCall on 10/05/09 4:49 PM [Newer: Student Town Hall w/ Rep. Ron Paul & Rep. Michele Bachmann] [Older: Campaign for Liberty - Meeting Minutes - August 5, 2009]

Most within the MN GOP are aware that Nathan Hansen, a Ron Paul Delegate to the 2008 GOP National Convention from MN CD4, made some outrageous and unfortunate comments about Joe Repya, a US Army veteran of multiple conflicts back to Vietnam.  While Joe is not a Ron Paul supporter, he was quick to attack MN GOP leadership for it's mistreatment of Dr Paul and his supporters at the 2008 MN GOP State Convention.  The Party's June 13th State Central election, choosing the current leadership vs the Liberty candidate for State GOP Chairman was the last straw for Lt Col Retired, Joe Repya.  

Joe wrote a principled rationale for his decision to leave the GOP which appeared in a local newspaper (St Paul Pioneer Press on 6/24).  http://feelingthepainyet.com/?page_id=22

Hansen then wrote a scathing attacked on Mr Repya with words not to be repeated here but are available elsewhere:  http://feelingthepainyet.com/?page_id=29

Joe came to our August 5th MN CD2 Campaign for Liberty meeting so we could hear directly from him without filters.  He feels that the MN GOP is badly disfuctional and that little has changed in Party leadership.  He gladly accepted Dr Paul's book, Revolution with our thanks.

Nathan has now felt the wrath of veterans and their families for his remarks.  The next salvo was the formation of a web site:  http://nathanhansenmustgo.info, after the new State GOP Chair Tony Sutton named Hansen to Chair the Constitution and By Laws Committee for the State Party.  Hansen had given the endorsement speech for Sutton at State Central.  This weekend Veterans groups picketed the GOP State Convention demanding censorship and or removal of Hansen'.  Part of their renewed anger was due to Mr Hansen, an attorney, suing the individuals, a veteran Joe Salmon and his wife Kris, who host the above mentioned website. 

Nathan Hansen apologized to the Veterans at the convention.  Not all were moved, and much of the last hour of the convention devolved as angry veterans and their families put forth a motion to censor Hansen.  CD2 Delegate, and husband of CD2 Chair Janet Beihoffer, put forth and amendment which praised all veterans and their families for their service but did not mention Nathan Hansen.  The Beihoffer's had just this week, been to their son's first deployment to Iraq ceremony at Fort Bragg.  The Beihoffer amendment past.  The censor did not, still leaving many Veterans and their families with a bad taste for the GOP.

A number of people have been working behind the scenes in an attempt to heal the rift between those directly hurt in this whole affair.  Peter Zidek has been very instrumental in trying to resolve this mess.  What follows is a letter that Peter sent to Nathan which started some dialog that has helped at least to start some negotiation between the offended parties.

Thank you Peter for your leadership.

"Nathan,

According to the below copy of an email I received recently from some RP and CFL veterans it seems you submitted the following to the St. Paul Newspaper.
I presume it was about Joe Repya.

If so, I think you've committed a grave and thoughtless error without checking all the facts about Joe and the reasons for his departure from the Party. Additionally by writing the piece as you did, you also subtly slammed other veterans including RP'ers and CFL'ers.

I myself am a highly decorated combat Vietnam Veteran, a Ron Paul advocate, lifelong contributing Member of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, an Objectivist, and a semi-retired Theoretical Physicist that does not often volunteer the fact of my reluctant military service. In fact I was drafted, pulled out of my University studies to face the involuntary specter of killing or be killed. Is this "blood lust?"

I have always been anti-war unless it was for defense of the USA.

I, and in fact any veteran, that has actually experienced the horror of war first hand, is anti-war. I as they, would never send our kids into an insane meat grinder for dubious purposes!

Joe Repya was one of the lone few that condemned the sham proceedings of the
2008 Republican State Conventions and the unpardonable treatment of Ron Paul and his followers. In particular the semi-criminal behavior by Ron Carey and his ilk in shoving though the bogus slate of candidates for the RNC convention. Joe also has appeared at CFL meetings in Burnsville and has gradually become attuned to the Liberty movement. His conversion to our side would be very beneficial.

However, by implication, in your posted piece, anyone that has served in the military, has children or relatives in the military, must be Neocon, RINO, war mongers, communists or members of the Military industrial complex. This is patently unfair, simplistic, and in many cases untrue. By doing so, you alienate many potential traditional MN Republicans, those that have children and relatives in the military, and veterans. It will NOT convince them to our side and it clearly is not a formula of success!

Yes, I and many veterans are anti-war. However, do not condemn the military and be grateful we have them to defend us. Condemn the policies of our politicians and their irresponsible squandering of our military resources on illegal, unconstitutional, immoral wars, world hegemony, and empire maintenance.

Military personnel are bound under oath to obey orders from their superiors and to the US Constitution and are under penalty of Court Martial. Our Politicians are also bound by oath to the defense of the Constitution and yet transgress against it at very opportunity with apparent impunity.

The one elected Republican that would better fit your label as a Neocon would be Rep. John Kline. Also a retired Coronel, war monger, former member of the armed services committee, and a voter for the Republican Tarp bill despite 50 to 1 phone calls and faxes to his office not to do so.

In summary, Nathan, I think you made a tremendous faux pas, a bunch of enemies, and I don't know if you can somehow mitigate this to your benefit down the line. At the very least I think you should offer a personal apology to Joe or perhaps a retraction of sorts.

Please see a copy of the email I received below to understand why I'm writing this to you.
Your passions are certainly in the right place, but your condemnation was ill targeted to the wrong person. Uncorrected, it will no doubt come to haunt you in your future political activism.

Please fix this!

Peter R. Zidek
PhD Theoretical Physics, Mathematics, Economics"