By Todd Watkins, El Paso County Candidate for GOP Bonus Member in 2023

Disguised As The Republican Party
RINOs Peaking Out

Kristy Burton Brown, Colorado State GOP Chairman, Shows Her Absolute Bias Towards Vickie Tonkins, El Paso County Chairman

It is typical of recalcitrant and spoiled children to change the rules of a game when they become aware of imminent defeat. And so it is with the COGOP …the state Republican Party Headquarters in Colorado. When their own rules of order and operation don’t work in their favor, they ignore, reinterpret, or change them to further their agenda and retain control.

The biggest problem for the Colorado State GOP or the COGOP is the fact that their largest component, the El Paso County GOP, is occupied by actual Republicans who want to save America. This is not conducive to profiteering from crisis politics and graft that keeps power housed among the Democrats and big money establishment Republicans, or RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). Together, these malignant factions comprise what Americans are increasingly calling the Uniparty. So, when the big money establishment RINOs in El Paso broke away from the America loving El Paso County Republican headquarters to form a shadow organization called The Peak Republicans to fund big money establishment candidates, a problem arose with the party’s bylaws. Only the State executive committee can approve a group’s use of the name “Republican.” The state party bylaws are very clear about this and provide a specific application and approval process. The Peak Republicans did not do any of this, which is puzzling since almost all of them have served in party leadership at some point. In fact, one of their own, Duncan Bremer, actually wrote the state bylaws. You’d also think that when Kristi Burton Brown (KBB), the state party chairperson, attended The Peak Republicans’ grand opening party in April of this year, she would have mentioned to them that they ought to get an official okay to use the name, lest one of the MAGAs call them on it. The state chair said nothing…until one of the MAGAs called them on it. The MAGA who called them on it was the El Paso party chairman, Vickie Tonkins. Chairman Tonkins has borne the slings and arrows of the recalcitrant, vindictive, state chair for the past two years. So when Chairman Tonkins asked the state executive committee to address the Peak Republican matter, a hearing was held on December 1. During this hearing, the state chairman, along with several members of the state executive committee eviscerated Chairman Tonkins for asking the party to follow its own rules. Chair Tonkins spoke truth to power and was made to suffer for it.

This is what happens when one challenges the Uniparty, even when it is disguised as the Republican party. Chairman Tonkins asked that The Peak Republicans not use the name “Republican” until the group followed the process indicated in the state bylaws—the bylaws that one of The Peak Republicans wrote. Instead, she was harassed by committee members who were clearly biased and sympathetic to their establishment kin at The Peak Republicans.

The rules established for the hearing of this controversy allowed each party (Chairman Tonkins and The Peak Republicans) five minutes apiece to state their case. Chairman Tonkins made her statement easily within that five minutes. The Peak Republicans’ spokesperson, Jodi Ritchie, was permitted to ramble for approximately eight minutes. While Chairman Tonkins addressed the matter before the committee (use of the name
“Republican” and the attendant bylaws), The Peak Republicans’ statements centered mostly around an impassioned plea that eschewed adherence to party bylaws because they were functioning on behalf of the
party and indicted Chair Tonkins for a litany of personal grievances.

Since The Peak Republicans are comprised of the establishment faction of the Republican Party in El Paso, the affinity between them, the state chairman, and the vast majority of the executive committee was obvious. Ritchie and her counterpart, Lois Landgraf were given broad latitude to speak while Chairman Tonkins was frequently silenced even while addressing direct questions from committee members. This was not a hearing about a very clear matter of adherence to bylaws. It was an opportunity to attack a party chairman whom the establishment RINOs find distasteful and an impediment to their Uniparty agenda. ChairmanTonkins represents the people and the party platform; therefore, she is a threat to The Establishment.

Naturally, The Peak Republicans asked for action from the state executive committee as well. Did they ask for permission to use the name “Republican?” No. It would appear that isn’t really an issue and probably never was…they were literally endorsed by the COGOP Chairman from their inception. They asked that the COGOP change the manner in which party leadership is selected at the county and state levels. In other words, they are asking that party officers not be elected by party members. These are the recalcitrant, spoiled children looking to change the rules of this “game” because they know they are losing. If they don’t change the rules to favor themselves, they will lose. This is exactly how Democrats operate. They know that the party membership is becoming increasingly weary and wary of an establishment core that has departed not only from the party platform but from American ideals in general.

If more Vickie Tonkinses are elected into party leadership, their control and moneyed interests will dissolve. If more Vickie Tonkinses are elected into leadership we might Make America Great Again, and that means the Uniparty will fail which means all these RINOs will have to find jobs. They will become regular, average citizens and lose their status and privilege. Let’s get rid of this Uniparty ruling class. Let’s elect more Vickie Tonkinses.