By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Saturday, Alabama’s National Republican Committeeman Paul Reynolds told the Mid Alabama Republican Club, “I am not real happy with the NRSC at all.”
Reynolds said, “I represent the NRC, the National Republican Committee.” The Republican Governors nationwide are by and large a very good group. The NRCC, the National Republican Congressional Committee, “by and large they play ball with the NRC.” “The NRSC [the National Republican Senate Committee] that is the Senators they don’t play ball with anybody. They act like they own everybody. The NRSC wants to tell us what we can say in our resolutions.”
Reynolds said that the Republican Party needs to take out some vulnerable Democratic senators next year; but some Republican senators also need to be replaced in GOP primaries. “Do we have some people that need to be replaced? Yes. If we clean out the Senate leadership completely in the 2018 election I am fine with that,” Reynolds said. “The RNC can’t get involved in the primaries.”
Reynolds said that there are 12 Democratic senators that are vulnerable in 2018, but he warned, “We are vulnerable in some states.”
Reynolds suggested that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, may have replaced Obama – former Democratic President Barack H. Obama – as the most disliked person by Republicans.
Reynolds said that the Senate has to get rid of the 60 vote filibuster rules and suggested that McConnell and the Senate leadership are responsible for not implementing President Donald J. Trump’s agenda. “You can’t lose this opportunity,” Reynolds said of Republicans controlling the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives all at the same time.
Reynolds said that he and the other two members of the RNC met with officials from the NRSC about the special election primary. Reynolds said that because he did not want to appear to be taking sides in the Senate Republican special primary election runoff on September 26, he was not going to say what happened in that meeting, but, “After that date, I will tell you everything that went on….and it will make you mad.”
The NRSC is backing appointed Senator Luther Strange in the runoff against former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore.
Reynolds said, “Hillary [Democratic Presidential nominee Hilary R. Clinton] is blaming everybody for her loss.” Reynolds said, “She said that when Donald Trump was the nominee he walked into an existing organization that had spent $150 million on database and had hundreds of employees in place and they were ready to go. When I came in the Democratic Party had nothing. She was absolutely right.”
Reynolds said, “Was I upset when [former RNC chairman] Reince Priebus was removed as Chief of Staff? No, Reince was over his head. A general is what was needed as Chief of Staff.”
Reynolds, however, praised Priebus for the job that he did at the RNC. “When Reince took over at the RNC it was a real mess.” Reince had the vision to put in place the infrastructure and organization that the RNC used to help Donald J. Trump win the White House in 2016.
Reynolds said, “I had some reservations about the girl that was put in place as Chairman [Ronna Romney McDaniel], because her middle name was Romney but she is nothing like her uncle.” When Priebus was chairman, if he had to leave the office for a day it cost the RNC hundreds of thousands of dollars. “She is beating Priebus.” The RNC is raising over $10 million a month, $12 million at times. Her philosophy on government is not moderate. The RNC had net cash on hand at the end of August of $46 million. That has grown $3 million since August. The Democrats have $3 million and owe $3 million, and they are struggling to raise money.
Reynolds said that the RNC answers to the president when a Republican controls the White House. “We can not and should not be in opposition with the Whitehouse. That is what we were elected and put in place to do.” Reynolds said that national media reports of dissent with the RNC are, “Hog wash.”
Paul Reynolds is married to Shelby County Republican Party Chairman Joan Reynolds.
The Mid-Alabama Republican Club meets at the Vestavia Library on the second Saturday of each month.
