Nobody in the Republican Party paid attention when
Manuela Michailescu sounded the alarm back in 2009.

Manuela Michailescu to All Republican Committees’ Chairpersons

Dear fellow Republicans:

Please allow me to share with you a potentially explosive situation – before you become aware of it at the Republican Convention on Tuesday.

My name is Manuela Michailescu and I’m Republican Councilwoman in the Town of Rochester; I was a member of the Republican slate which won in its entirety in November 2007.

I expressed my intention to run for one of the four Legislator seats in District One, but I’ve been strongly “discouraged” to do so. I was boldly told that the Ulster County Chairman of the Independence Party – who happens to live in our town – wanted to make sure that his wife is presented with a Legislator seat, so he struck a deal with Chairman Catalano to block any Republican who intends to run in District 1.

I was denied an interview with the Wawarsing Republican Committee. Friday night I had my interview with the Rochester Republican Committee. With one voice, they said “NO” to Chairman’s deal.

Chairman Catalano attended my interview and was candid about his intentions, telling me – a Republican ELECTED Official – “I cannot let you stand in my way” and “I’d do anything to defeat you”…

I feel that Ulster County’s GOP credo has a hollow ring: “The Ulster County Republican Committee believes the principles of true democracy include smaller government, lower taxes, free markets, justice, free enterprise, freedom, liberty, integrity, equal rights and fiscal responsibility.”

Freedom, integrity, equal rights? True democracy?

I’m just wondering if something similar happens in your towns; if it does, we should not be surprised that Republicans are considered an “extinct species.”

Thank you for listening.

Manuela Michailescu
Town of Rochester Councilwoman

John Morrow to Manuela Michailescu

Your unsolicited letter to the world clearly indicates your lack of understanding of the job of the county chairman. You are writing as an individual who has absolutely no concern of the larger picture. The chairman’s support for one candidate over another in this case is in an effort to strengthen the entire legislature. His effort is to get Independence Party support for a multitude of candidates so that we may take back control of the legislature. This is a critical election and you may find this hard to believe but it is bigger than you. The deals being worked out effect each and every one of our candidates including mine here in the Town of Ulster. You are being used as a pawn.

Wake up and start playing as a team player! You should be ashamed of yourself sending out unsolicited viscous emails of this nature. Either you are ON the team or NOT. Make up your mind. If you are not then get off and join another team.

AND take me off your email list!

John Morrow
Town of Ulster Republican Committee Chairman

Bill Dukas to John Morrow

Mr. John Morrow,

This inquiring Republican would like to know; are you a thug or just a buffoon? My response to your idiotic and misspelled e-mail is not to defend Manuela, truth and courage shields her, my comments to you are personal and ideological in nature.

First, your lack of understanding of the two party system is nothing to brag about. Your attack on individuality is against one of the basic creeds of the Republican Party. You are beyond the RINO virus, you apparently suffer from pig flu.

This ‘larger picture’ code word you and Catalano banter about is meaningless in applicability unless you both intend to become filmmakers, then I’ll be the critic, and already your movie sucks.

That you should deny an honest person a run in the elections because of the backroom deals you and Catalano have made with the opposing party is inexcusable. As any high school math student knows, 3 Democrats and 1 RINO does not a Republican make. You offer nothing to the Republican agenda but self-serving interests.

And whatever team you allude to, is no team any thoughtful person would sponsor. May the Republicans and Conservatives in your town awaken from the poisonous anesthesia you and Catalano have been dishing out and avoid catatonic state before it is too late.

Mr. Morrow, I offer you these words of advice; you should keep your nose up Catalano’s butt, where it obviously found a home, and out of the affairs of Rochester’s Republicans.

Bill Dukas
Town of Rochester Resident

And nobody is paying attention when William West – former Chairman of the Ulster County Legislature and current Woodstock Republican Committee Chair – sounds the alarm now.

William West to Roger Rascoe

Roger,

I would urge that as quickly as possible you meet with Ms. Terry Bernardo and ascertain who’s team she is on – is her goal the destruction of the party? In a short two months she alone has caused more damage to our Republican party than any 30,000 county Republicans have ever done.

1.
She appointed an attorney (Independence Party) from Orange County to be Legislative Attorney – alienating all the Republican members of the Ulster County Bar – and depriving the GOP of an opportunity to groom an Ulster County person for future elected office.

2.
She ran a personal fund raiser which will drain potential funds from the County GOP and the efforts of other Republican Legislators. The county pie is only so big. I cannot recall a Legislative Chairperson ever having a personal county wide fund raiser. Normally legislators raise funds in their own district – is she so little respected in Rochester that she can’t raise campaign funds in her own Legislative District?

3.
She appointed as her secretary a member of Independence Party who has not been a friend of the GOP for many years.

4.
Unfortunately, her inept behavior is starting to tarnish the image of Senator Bonacic. This is something we definitely do not need for the upcoming election.

5.
Now she has placed all Republican Legislators in the unenviable position of having to support the unsupportable at the next Legislative meeting – the approval of the Orange County Attorney contract.

This might be an opportunity to demonstrate – to the voter – the independence of the GOP legislature. A no vote by the UC Legislature might wake up Ms. Bernardo.

I shudder to think what the next ten months will bring forth. Roger, I would urge prompt action on this matter and let us start moving in a positive direction. Maybe it should be an agenda item at the next meeting.

William West
Woodstock Republican Committee Chairman