Bush Pioneer withdraws support"I can’t in good conscience write another $25,000 check at this time"

First, a little background - I obtained this letter from a first-hand source, and she asked me to spread it as far as I can.

Jack Overstreet, lifelong Republican, is a Bush Pioneer, having donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Bush ’00 and Bush ’04, even contributed to his ’04 Camapign as found here: http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_result.php?first=Ja... (He lives in Colorado and Wyoming respectively), a oil man himself, and everything else, just about the worst Republican you’d ever meet.

This is his letter to Ken Mehlman, Chairman of the RNC:

April 3, 2006

Chairman Ken Mehlman
Republican National Committee
310 First Street, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003

Dear Ken:

I enjoy the fun relationships with you, Dwight, the RNC staff, and fellow donors in the Eagles and Regents programs. I appreciated the honor of being appointed one of the RNC Eagles co-chairmen. As you know, I’ve written a check every time I’ve been asked by you or others in the leadership - ranging from giving to gubernatorial candidates I don’t even know, to contributing the cumulative legal maximum to federal candidates the last couple of cycles, and to being a Regent, Super-Ranger, and $100,000 “Sponsor” of the Inauguration.

I’ve observed that the RNC is basically a creature of the Bush Administration at this time, i.e. we seem to be expected to sing from the same hymnal as the President on virtually every issue. While I hope it will prove “worth it”, I don’t think I’m alone in the major donor community feeling disappointed that Iraq took on such a singular priority on our watch to the near exclusion of other issues. And, I have never really gotten over the blow to my confidence caused by the nomination of Harriet Miers - I think the polls started dropping then since many likewise saw it as a case of inexplicably poor judgment, and wondered how that case might relate to decision-making in general.

I believe the Administration’s championship of a long-term “guest worker” plan is another poor decision for the country as well as for the Republican Party. Illegals are taking wages Americans won’t - not necessarily jobs they won’t do. Instead of providing leadership to enforce the laws and remove those here illegally over a reasonable period of time, and to support higher living wages for legitimate citizens, we are poised to permanently accept the costs financially and culturally of an unplanned, unassimilated mass of twelve to 20 million (and counting).

As to eventual citizenship for this number, one can expect such an underpaid, under-educated majority to subscribe to the entitlements culture; the significant political numbers are not the minority percentage gains our party has ballyhooed in appealing to Hispanic votes, but rather the fact that we still net lose to the Democrats in this electoral group, particularly among the poor some of our businesses are so willing to underpay. Make no mistake - if these twelve million plus illegal entrants are allowed to stay under a guest worker program, they will eventually be offered citizenship. The Republican Party cannot make up for our net percentage deficit within the group by doing more “volume”, so this lack of courage now may cement the demise of the Party as a national contender within a fairly short period of time. I trust the Democrats have also done the math. As a party and a people, we would be a lot better off supporting higher living wages and opportunity for legal citizens - Hispanics and otherwise - than continuing this offensive, weak mantra about “doing jobs Americans won’t do”. Let wages rise, let the economy adjust, help millions go home through cutting off the employment, and address this issue as the President of the United States rather than like someone grubbing for votes in Texas.

As much as I would like to continue supporting the Party at this level, I can’t in good conscience write another $25,000 check at this time. So long as I have personal reservations, I can’t be effective asking others for money, so I need to resign as one of the Eagles chairs. I hope the President will reconsider his position on immigration reform. I look forward to supporting only candidates who will stand up for American sovereignty, and I hope to support the national Republican Party again when it is no longer aligned with only one Republican’s views.

Best regards,

Jack Overstreet

P.S. I hope you will pass along this note to Karl. I hate to see the electoral coalition you guys so remarkably assembled be destroyed as we wrap it up. The faulty position on “guest workers” is likely to create the unusual spectacle of our base not bothering to vote this fall, and it comes at a time when most of our supporters are pretty unimpressed with us in general. While I have never seen this President willingly modify any position once adopted, there’s always hope. Do you really understand the depth of the problem when check writing junkies like me...sober up?