Lee Newspapers ran a profile today of the GOP candidate running for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Sandy Welch is campaigning against the current Democratic office holder, Denise Juneau. For some reason, the article didn’t include any of the more juicy and interesting details about the Republican candidate. And so, we bring them to you here.
Sandy Welch is chair of the Flathead County Republican Party, which is known to be a haven for nutjobs. In fact, when white supremacist April Gaede was interviewed about the Flathead Republicans in a national profile of area extremism, Gaede claimed to have “pro White” supporters who are “high up in the Flathead Valley Republican Party.”
“I cannot say who they are, obviously they would get lots of flack for it, but yes, we do have people who are pro White active in higher places,”
Welch disputed the claim by saying, as Chair of the Flathead Republicans, that she saw “no obvious racist or pro-white activity in our party.” Presumably that means no one shows up in a KKK hood.
Welch ran for the legislature last cycle in the primary against fellow TEA Party Republican Jerry O’Neil, garnering only 475 votes to O’Neil’s 2,700, which is pretty sad. Almost half of her funding came from out-of-state sources.
Of course, Welch will be doing her utmost to play these things down. In her profile today, Welch didn’t offer much in terms of proposed changes. The tasks Welch says she wants schools to take on are tasks that they are already doing. (Though perhaps this can be excused simply as Welch being uninformed.) Overall, she seems to be running as a school administrator who seeks to make life easier for the other school administrators of the world. That’s a pretty small target audience to go after. Most voters probably don’t care much about making things more comfy for those in the highly paid administrative offices. They’d prioritize high quality public school classrooms. Just how Welch plans to make schools more “accountable” while eliminating standards is also unclear.
Now I know why in elections where there is an incumbant that the incumbant wins most of the time, frankly this challanger makes me want to vote for the incumbant and because I dont have a problem with the incumbant, and that is what you are going to find with the greater majority of Montanans and that is why Denise is going to win in November.
The School Administrators and the School Boards Association are made up by hard core Republicans, especially at the staff and lobbyist level. These lobbyists make over $200 grand a year and they are paid with tax payer money–through school dues to the organizations. It’s shameful that Welch would be pandering to them instead of focusing on kids and teachers.
Like the NEA?
why spend perfectly good public money on its purpose…
when you can build a beauty of a scam instead?
I expect Juneau can beat this woman. Still this seems like a race we should take seriously if Welch is pretending to be a moderate.
Wow, this is really a reach, overreach actually. Like anything April Gaede says about her “friends” is credible, never mind Media Matters as an objective source — and that turns out to be the hook?
Never mind that when one is afraid to discuss issues on the merits, the secret weapon is to scream “racism” — right out of the Celinda Lake playbook.
Regardless of education policy, the fact that Welch might sit on the Land Board and vote differently from Juneau is a good thing.
For me, it’s Welch’s words that are the problem, more than Gaedes who we know to be off her rocker. Why didn’t Welch say that there was no racism in her group rather than “no obvious racism.” probably because the former statement could not be made with a straight face.
“Havre,” I suppose that you’d have a hard time saying there’s “no racism” in YOUR group, either, especially to the media? Hmmm. You read minds?
Racism exists, racism stinks, racism is wrong — but it exists — and I’m repeatedly amazed at where I stumble across it. Some people are better at cloaking it than others — trust me, that’s a fact across all demographics.
I don’t have a group, but if I did, there would be firm no racists allowed rule–obvious or otherwise.
Juneaus vote on Otter Creek could be a problem, but I doubt most voters even know about it. I doubt most people have even heard of the land board and if they have they probably don’t care- they want someone who will make sure kids get te best education .
WRONG. When the top school official votes against $87 million in school funding, how can it not be a problem. If this money had been refused by the rest of the land board, taxes for everyone else would have to go up to make up the difference.
I’m with Dave on April Gaede’s credibility.
Nope. No siree! None there. No racism in the Pubbie party…………BHWHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!
Well, not too much!
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/white-nationalist-leader-peter-brimelow-am
THESE are your people, Fr. Moron. EMBRACE them! Embrace your inner racist, dude! THIS is the new face of your GOP! What? You’re NOT a Pubbie, dude? Well then, what ARE you?
Nope. No siree. None there. How cute. “Knickers” for n*ggers. Luv it. No racism allowed in the Pubbie party. Who would actually call themselves a Pubbie any more? I’d have to call myself an independent if I had republican beliefs, for I could not allow myself be associated with such moorons in public.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/fox-news-contributor-debuts-racist-rap-vid
Seen her material, and she’s just not qualified for the job. Period.
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