Sen. Amanda Chase (R-SD11) reacts to Virginia Republicans criticizing her for leaving the Virginia Senate GOP caucus. According to Chase (check out the video and audio, below):
- She says she has left the Virginia Senate GOP Caucus, “not the Republican Party”
- She says she actually “nominated by ballot Sen. Steve Newman” for Senate GOP Leader, so “there’s a little bit of discrepancy in the [VA Senate GOP] press release and what actually happened that day…I *did* actually propose new leadership.”
- “Once again, you had the same people who were in charge of the process that assume other people are following the way things have always been done instead of explaining that process to our newer members, so once again this is a great example of why we need new leadership…”
- “I am a Republican 150%, and I will remain as a Republican, however I have chosen because of the leadership that was chosen yesterday, that I cannot sit under that particular leadership, with Sen. Tommy Norment as the Leader.”
- Chase: “I may caucus with House Republicans…I have the most conservative score, the most Republican score in the Virginia Senate.” (note: that’s not true, according to VAPLAN, which rates her less conservative than Sens. Obenshain, Carrico, Newman and Chafin)
- Chase: “I’m a servant of the people…for the first time in 27 years, we have lost both the House and the Senate and we don’t have the governor’s branch [sic]. Republicans have lost complete control of the Commonwealth, and it’s time for new leadership across the board…If we continue to do the same things with the same leadership, we’re going to continue to get the same losing results.“
- “It’s nothing personal against Tommy Norment, I love every person in my caucus.”
- Chase says this move to leave the Caucus won’t “at all” put her on the outside, where she won’t have any influence. According to Chase, “you had four people pretty much making the decisions for the caucus; I didn’t feel like my voice was…heard.”
- “I’m not opposed to going back, if they want to do a re-vote…I’ve actually asked for a re-vote.“
- “Everyday, average rank-and-file Republicans, they want change…they are frustrated with the legislators who have voted in current and existing leadership…it’s the same that it was last time.”
- “We need to start rethinking the Republican Party…and that involves picking new leadership.”
- “I’m not doing this to grandstand…”
P.S. I love the smell of VA GOP infighting in the morning. It smells like…[Democratic] VICTORY! 😉
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