Nevada GOP Hears Call for Unity

Republican National Chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. and former religious broadcaster Pat Robertson called for party unity, but discord was obvious as the Nevada state GOP convention convened Friday.

Rural-county delegates expressed dismay at what delegate Curtis Patrick termed “Gestapo tactics” by Robertson’s state organizer, Steve Wark, who helped engineer a Robertson takeover of the state party leadership.

But Wark said the complaints were unwarranted, and he said he had been “begging people to stay involved” rather than telling them they were being replaced by Robertson supporters.

Fahrenkopf told those at the convention that Republicans who think a GOP presidency is certain this election year “are dead wrong.” He said Democrats are in a do-or-die campaign and will use smear tactics to assure a victory.

Robertson echoed Fahrenkopf’s remarks about uniting to defeat Democrats, winning applause from most of the convention delegates.

This weekend, the Republicans will finish picking a 20-member delegation to the national GOP convention. At least 16 of those national convention delegates will be Robertson delegates.